Wicked Game – Stunning Debut

Wicked Game is an absolutely stunning debut thriller that will take your breath away at its pace, its writing, like me you will be blown away. To think that this book started out as therapy to help him deal with PTSD after working in both the police and army. This is an absolutely breath taking, compelling that will just blow your mind, this sort of work you expect from an experience writer, not a novice. All I can really say is WOW!

Robert Finlay is a police inspector with the Royalty Protection team and he is starting to feel his age and with a young family and it is time for him to move on. One thing that he does have is a secret past that neither his employers the Metropolitan Police or his family know anything about. That past is known only to a very select few, he is a former officer of the SAS, was at the Iranian Embassy in 1980 and had served out in Northern Ireland.

A police inspector is blown up while on duty and another is shot while cleaning his car outside his house, both former colleagues of Finlay’s from the regiment. Finlay starts to see a pattern, one which his former commanding officer in the regiment tends to support. When Finlay becomes the target he knows the truth will have to be told if he is make sure his family are safe.

So begins a game of cat and mouse as Finlay and another police officer also former SAS comrade know they need to find out who wants them dead. With the help of their former CO they track down IRA operatives but cannot do too much. They are trying to avoid their colleagues in the Anti- Terrorist Branch, while trying to stay alive, while they work out who their unidentified enemy is, while being hunted by the police and terrorists alike.

Wicked Game is one of the most compelling thrillers that will be read this year, Matt Johnson’s experience as a police officer and soldier brings the authenticity that other thrillers lack. Just like in real life nothing is clear cut, this is an intricate well planned thriller that packs a real punch. It is even harder when the smoke and mirrors tends to put Finlay in further tougher spots.

From the first page through to the last the reader is completely hooked and drawn in by the writing and the descriptions, this is such an absorbing and thrilling read. The authenticity of the writing, and the knowledge of what happens in particular situations raises this above other thrillers. This is really a case of the writer having been there, done that, got the t-shirt, his experience searing through the pages. Experience and knowledge always trumps research, because one has been there and the other can only talk about it.

Wicked Game really does give you, flash, bang, wallop and like bullets no words are wasted but hit the target every time. Matt Johnson is a new name in thriller writing and with his brilliant writing we have a new star writer. ( )