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Thorndike Press US Large Print Feb 2009 |
St Martin's Press US Paperback Nov 2009 |
St Martin's Press US Hardback Oct 2008 |
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| BBC Audiobooks UK Audio CD Set Nov 2009 |
ISIS/Ulverscroft UK Large Print Jun 2009 |
Allison &Busby UK Paperback Jun 2009 |
Allison & Busby UK Hardback Jun 2008 |
Library Journal starred review
'Get set for a rollercoaster ride with Sharp's third Charlie Fox thriller (following First Drop and Second Shot). The British bodyguard, now living in New York City, has recovered from the life-threatening injuries she sustained in Second Shot and finds herself watching her father on television admitting that he was negligent in the death of another physician and that he has a drinking problem. Charlie, estranged from her parents, wants to know what is happening to her much-acclaimed surgeon father. She and boss (and lover) Sean Meyer must save her family from a mysterious threat that remains undisclosed until the horrifying denouement. Sharp, a Barry award finalist for her previous two Fox books, captures readers on the first page and doesn't let go. Highly recommended for all collections.'
'Zoë Sharp writes some of the best thrillers around . . . Charlie Fox is totally believable, thanks to Sharp's writing skill. So is this exceptional novel.' Ted Hertel, Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine
'The recently transplanted Charlotte “Charlie” Fox is exercising in New York City when she sees her estranged father Richard’s face on television above the headline “Disgraced British Doctor Faces Questions.” What surprises her even more is that he is also in New York City. He makes statements that lead Charlie to believe he is in trouble. Still recovering from wounds received months earlier, Charlie and Sean Meyer, her lover and partner in a close-protection agency, follow her father to a brothel. Convinced that he is not there of his own freewill, they break in and find him in a room with an underage girl, just as the cops are busting down the brothel doors in a raid. A subsequent call placed to her mother in England leads Charlie to believe that her mom is also in trouble, so she and Sean travel there, only to discover that things are worse than they ever imagined.
'Zoë Sharp writes some of the best thrillers around. While this one does not have the breakneck pace of some of the earlier books in the series, the author more than makes up for this in her examination of the fragile relationship between father and daughter. Richard does not care for either the work Charlie does or the man she has chosen as her lover and he lets her know it at every turn. But the only way he can survive and protect his wife is to let Charlie do what she does best. He reluctantly lets her and Sean guard them, making no bones about how it disgusts him. But perhaps the two Foxes are really cut from the same cloth. Sharp provides no easy solutions to any of the psychological family issues raised. This is compulsive reading just for the examinations of the human condition and family affiliations alone.
'But there is so much more to this complex novel, filled with blackmail, government treachery in the name of national security, and murder. The tension level remains high from page one through to the violent and bloody conclusion. British author Sharp has her settings (from New York to England to Texas) down pat. Her characters bristle with life (and occasionally death). The author never forgets that Charlie has been wounded (physically and psychologically) and therefore cannot be a super-powered hero. The action sequences are brutally realistic in light of that limitation. Charlie Fox is totally believable, thanks to Sharp’s writing skill. So is this exceptional novel.
'My sole complaint about this series is that only three of the seven books in it have been published in this country [USA]. The other four should be released here − and soon.' [4 ½ Quills]
'Male and female crime fiction readers alike will find Sharp's writing style addictively readable − one of the very best crime fiction sagas out there.' Paul Goat Allen, Chicago Tribune
'Anyone who thinks contemporary crime fiction is a genre driven by testosterone-crazed protagonists − and writers for that matter − obviously hasn't read Zoë Sharp or any of her novels featuring former British Army Special Forces soldier turned bodyguard Charlotte "Charlie" Fox. Ill-tempered, aggressive and borderline psychotic, Fox is also compassionate, introspective and highly principled: arguably one of the most enigmatic − and coolest − heroines in contemporary genre fiction.
'In Sharp's latest thriller, Fox is working for a top protection agency in New York City with her boyfriend Sean Meyer and struggling to recover from a double gunshot injury acquired during her last assignment. But when her estranged father − prominent orthopedic surgeon in England − finds himself at the center of an international scandal involving, among other things, drinking on the job, medical malpractice and underage prostitutes, Fox is forced to come to his rescue. In the process she must revisit long-buried dysfunctional family issues that could doom her relationship with Meyer and quite possibly kill them both.
'Male and female crime fiction fans alike will find Sharp's writing style addictively readable. Breakneck pacing and a surprising undercurrent of wry wit (love interest Meyer confides in Fox that his mother was a big James Bond fan and that he was named after Sean Connery and his brother and sister after Roger Moore and Ursula Andress. "We even had a dog called No − it was a bugger trying to teach it anything") make this one of the very best crime fiction sagas out there.'
'The book is another fast-paced, well-plotted and winning entry in the series, which just keeps getting better. Recommended.' Gloria Feit, reviewer extraordinaire
Charlie Fox [nee Charlotte Foxcroft] is now living in New York City, away from the England of her birth, six months into her recovery from a near-fatal double gunshot injury. Both Charlie and her lover/colleague, Sean Meyer, are now working for Parker Armstrong’s very exclusive close-protection agency in that city, alienating her even more from her parents.
Charlie has an interesting background, as she describes it: “I had a fractured career dogged by scandal; an ability to kill without hesitation that even I shied away from exploring; no relationship with my parents to speak of; and a lover who’d been at least as damaged by this life as I had.”
To her astonishment, one day Charlie sees her father, a highly respected and world-recognized UK surgeon, being interviewed by a local TV reporter who has elicited some stunning admissions certain to, at the very least, disgrace him and completely destroy his personal and professional reputation, including alcoholism and being complicit in the death of a man who was a patient and life-long friend. Disbelieving, and determined to get to the truth, Charlie and Sean take on the investigation when the resulting scandal directly affects not only her parents, but Charlie and Sean and the company they work for as well.
The title has a double meaning, as much for its use in the American criminal justice system as for the number of ‘chances’ her parents had given Charlie to, as they see it, find the error of her ways and come home, of course without Sean. She is still fighting to gain their trust and their respect, for him and for herself.
In an acerbic tone that seems to fit her perfectly, Charlie is a take-no-prisoners kinda gal [as is, one gets the impression, her creator]. The book is another fast-paced, well-plotted and winning entry in the series, which just keeps getting better. Recommended.
'If you're a thriller reader, you'll love the tension in this book . . . Sharp is very skillful in combining action, suspense and thoughtful self-examination.' Lesa Holstine, Lesa's Book Critiques
'I'm ashamed to say it took me two months, off and on, to finish Zoë Sharp's latest Charlie Fox thriller, Third Strike. It's certainly not the fault of this fast-paced book that builds the suspense and tension from the first page. It was the collision of the threats in this book with my own own quirks as to what I don't like to read. I can say, if you're a thriller reader, you'll love the tension in this book.
'Charlie is still recovering from recent injuries when she sees her father, a well-known surgeon, appear on television, confessing that he's an alcoholic, and he may have jeopardized a client. When Charlie confronts her father, events start to spiral out of control. She and Sean Meyer, her partner and work associate, move in to rescue her father from an untenable situation, only to find their jobs in client protection compromised. Before they know it, they're on their way back to England to save Charlie's mother, when she indicates she can't talk because someone is in the house with her.
'Sharp is very skillful in combining action, suspense, and thoughtful self-examination. Throughout the book, Charlie examines her feelings for Sean and her father. She finds herself falling back in the role of a daughter wanting to please an impossible father, rather than that of an independent woman who chose a career that suits her. And, she has to confront her reluctance to stand up to her father. Charlie continues to learn more about her mother, watching her gain a strength Charlie never recognized, while realizing the depth of the caring between her parents. At the same time, she recognizes that her father will never accept the violent life she and Sean share.
'Third Strike brings up controversial issues about drug companies and the government. Sharp does a marvelous job making an outrageous situation seem very realistic.
'As I mentioned before, my own reluctance to finish this book stemmed from my feelings about families in jeopardy. I normally don't read women and children in jeopardy novels, so I was uncomfortable with some of the situations in this book. But, this is a personal quirk, rather than a strike against Sharp's book. I'm still going to look forward to more of Sharp's books.
'If you've never read a Charlie Fox thriller, you can still start with Third Strike. This book reveals more about Charlie's family than readers have known. Once you've discovered Zoë Sharp's books, you'll want to go back and learn the rest of Charlie's story. She's a complicated, fascinating character. And, Sharp is a master at leaving Charlie, and the reader, with more questions for the future. And, there are definitely unanswered questions at the end of Third Strike.'
'Highly recommended for readers who enjoy characters such as Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone.'
'A frenetic, fast-moving thriller, Third Strike is an on-point novel from British author Zoë Sharp. Barry Award finalist for First Drop, Zoë Sharp has once again managed to provide a great thriller for an afternoon read. If you haven't read any other Charlie Fox thrillers, you've missed out on a gripping read. Featuring a flawed but magnetic female protagonist, the book is insightfully accurate in its view of parent child relationships.
'Praised by Jeffery Deaver and Lee Child as breathlessly compelling and the real deal, it can be highly recommended for readers who enjoy characters such as Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone.
'Charlie struggles to protect her cold and distant parents from killers determined to silence them. In spite of their disapproval of her profession and lifestyle choices, she commits herself to their safety. Reminiscent of the struggles between generations, it validates the humanity of all. Definitely worth reading!'
Romantic Times rating: compelling − a page-turner
'Each word is honed to have the impact of one of Charlie's karate chops, and they catch the reader in the solar plexus. Charlotte 'Charlie' Fox never expected to have to protect her own disapproving parents from a deadly threat, but when she watches her father, eminent U.K. surgeon Richard Foxcroft, commit professional suicide in front of the New York press, she knows something is terribly wrong back home. And where, she wonders, is her steadfast mother? Though he never approved of her choice of profession, or of her relationship with her boss, Sean Meyer, Charlie races in to rescue her father from a deadly and powerful enemy − whether he likes it or not.'
'Charlie Fox has all the attributes of a superheroine, with the added blessing of a conscience, which makes her more than just a two-dimensional bash-'em-up character. If you want a challenging read, one that doesn't let up from page one to the end of the book, seek out this book.'
'The action will keep you reading and a liberal dose of subtle humor will bring smiles.'
'Charlotte Fox, known as Charlie, has put her Special Forces career behind her and moved from England to New York to work as a bodyguard. Unexpectedly, her surgeon father is in the news following the death of a patient under questionable circumstances. The dissolute image of him that's being presented doesn't ring true to Charlie so she decides to investigate. She discovers that thugs have invaded her parents' home in England and are blackmailing her father by holding her mother prisoner. Charlie's very proper British parents have never approved of their daughter's choice of profession, or her colleague/lover Sean, but in a surprise to them all, the two generations join forces to fight off a pair of ruthless assassins and discover who sent them.
'Third Strike is an action thriller full of chase scenes and fights. It's unique because of its physically and mentally tough female protagonist. But Charlie isn't a total machine. She allows the reader to glimpse occasional vulnerabilities, like how much she's suffering from an earlier gunshot wound to the leg, and her concern that her family's troubles are causing her and Sean to become a liability to their employer. The book is faithful to the genre, however, by being packed with technical details about the tools and techniques of surveillance and defense. The action will keep you reading and a liberal dose of subtle humor will bring smiles. Third Strike is the seventh Charlie Fox adventure.'
'Sharp is a writer of extraordinary skill . . . The action is vivid, and Charlie is a most realistic and engaging hero.' Maggie Mason, Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine (Rating A)
'Charlie Fox is fighting to get back to her old form, after a life-threatening injury received on a previous case. She is working out in a gym when she sees her father on the news. He's in New York, facing accusations he was negligent and caused the death of one of his patients. He is a surgeon in the UK, and not the alcoholic the media is claiming. Though Charlie and her parents aren't close, she can't believe the accusations are true. She confronts him, but he pretty much dismisses her concern.
'Flags go up, and she and her love, Sean, follow him to a brothel where he is found with an underage hooker. Sadly, they don't get out of the situation before the police are called. When Charlie calls her mother in England, the things her mother says make Charlie fear for her mother's safety. She and Sean rush to England and find her mother is being held by two thugs. That one is a woman doesn't deter Charlie and Sean from taking them by brute force. Placing them with a friend who is a pig farmer is an inspired way of keeping track of the thugs.
'Back in New York . . . Charlie's dad reluctantly agrees to accept the help of Charlie and Sean to clear his name . . . Though not able to accept the career Charlie has chosen, her parents come to realize she is good, very good, at what she does.
'Sharp is a writer of extraordinary skill. I felt I was right there with Charlie, and almost ducked a few times during a chase scene. The action is vivid, and Charlie is a most realistic and engaging hero. I can't wait to see how the last scene in this book plays out in the next in the series.'
'. . . gripping . . . readers will kill for the next installment.' Publishers Weekly
'At the outset of Sharp’s gripping third Charlie Fox thriller (after Second Shot), the British soldier-turned-bodyguard, now settled in New York City and working for an exclusive close-protection agency, is shocked to see an interview with her father on the morning TV news. A prominent U.K. orthopedic surgeon, he is under investigation after the death of one of his patients. Despite a large rift between Charlie and her parents, she decides that she can’t stand by and allow her father to become a scapegoat . . . Joined by fellow bodyguard and boyfriend Sean Meyer, she encounters some of the most ruthless criminals of her career as she seeks to exonerate her father. Sharp expertly captures the frenetic energy of New York without sacrificing her trademark British wit. Charlie is as tough as she is damaged, and readers will kill for the next installment.'
'. . . I was profoundly disturbed in a way I haven't been after reading a thriller in quite some time . . .this is the book (and series) to read.' Sarah Weinman, Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind
'Once again, Zoë Sharp finds a way to make the thriller genre her own by focusing on the psychological toll that violence takes upon a person. By the end of Third Strike, Charlie Fox is at a very dark place, fully cognizant of the consequences her actions have taken upon those she's been asked to guard and those she loves, and I was profoundly disturbed in a way I haven't been after reading a thriller in quite some time. This is a long, long way from mindless fluff, and if you're prepared to travel some very dark and thoughtful corners, this is the book (and series) to read.'
'Third Strike hits home with the impact of a high-velocity jacketed round . . . Nothing hollow-point about this book! Breathlessly compelling and utterly real, this novel will keep you turning pages till dawn. Charlie Fox is simply the best . . .' Jeffery Deaver
'If you don't like Zoë Sharp there's something wrong with you. Go and live in a cave and get the hell out of my gene pool! There are few writers who go right to the top of my TBR pile − Zoë Sharp is one of them.' Stuart MacBride
'. . . action-packed . . . readers will enjoy this sharp fast-paced thriller . . .' Harriet Klausner
'In New York City, English expatriate bodyguard Charlie Fox is stunned to see her estranged father, a renowned physician on TV being accused of medical negligence in the death of a friend in Massachusetts; almost as stunning as the accusation of he drank while caring for his friend is that he is in Manhattan. Charlie pulls off a ploy to confront her father who tells her to mind her business.
'The next day Charlie and her lover Sean Meyer follow her father to a rendezvous with a hooker in Brooklyn, but the trio gets busted by the cops. The negative publicity hurts her employer the Parker Armstrong agency, but her boss may be upset but supports her. Charlie calls her mom in England, who acts almost as strange as her father. Charlie and Sean believe her mom could not freely talk to her so they fly England to find out what is going on there; they find her mom held hostage by a tall muscular woman and an even bigger man. Nothing makes sense except extracting her parents from what they do not know.
'The Third Strike Charlie Fox thriller (see First Drop and Second Shot) is an entertaining tale that because it is family, readers learn a lot about the heroine and her estrangement with her parents. The story line is action-packed from the moment that Charlie sees her father behaving out of character on the TV news and never slows down in England, Manhattan or Brooklyn. Although the scenario of what happened to her parents seems stretched, readers will enjoy this sharp fast-paced thriller as Charlie and Sean try to extract her parents from a cross Atlantic mess.'
'The action is non-stop, the suspense builds irresistibly − and "Charlie" takes on a whole new dimension in the surprising last lines of the novel!' Claire Ernsberger, About Books
'This is the third novel in this series by a new star thriller writer with her troubled but tough and likable heroine. The author is British and the heroine − "Charlie" Fox, a tough-as-chain-mail professional bodyguard − is British, too; but in this book she operates in America, and the culture clash adds yet another layer to this complicated character. The action is non-stop, the suspense builds irresistibly − and "Charlie" takes on a whole new dimension in the surprising last lines of the novel!'.
'. . . the most addictive of series . . . If you are already a fan, you will love this new instalment; if Zoë Sharp is a new name for you, miss this one at your peril . . .!' It's a Crime website
'Charlie Fox, ex-Special Services soldier turned bodyguard, storm-troops into her seventh outing in rip-roaring style, in what transpires to be her most personal of missions.
'From previous cases, we know that there is no love lost between Charlie and her parents, her father Richard Foxcroft in particular. He has never approved of having a trained killer for a daughter, believing that this will ultimately lead to her own destruction. Indeed, so great has his disapproval been in both her choice of career and of partner, she has long since shortened her name from Foxcroft to further disassociate themselves as family.
'In Third Strike, we find Charlie and her partner − both personal and business − based in New York, caught in a spiral of destruction in which her eminent surgeon father stands to lose either his reputation or his wife. Great though he feels the threat to be, he still chooses not to seek help from Charlie, although he, too, is in New York when news breaks of his plight. An ironic touch here − Charlie learns of her father's potential fall from grace whilst working out on a treadmill with the television news on as background. After an almost fatal injury in her previous mission, which could so easily have proved Foxcroft right in his belief of the damage she would cause herself, it is during the body-strengthening physio she is undertaking that she realises that she is the one who can help the very person who despises the work she does.
'As Charlie and her partner, Sean Meyer face opposition from her father, the very man they need to help, they have an uphill struggle trying to discover why someone is out to disgrace Foxcroft. When eventually they glean enough information to realise that her mother is potentially in very real danger, they race back to England with guns blazing in an attempt to win the first battle, in this most personal of wars.
'Third Strike by title, but the seventh strike in what is proving the most addictive of series to emerge from the current English contingent of crime writers. Imaginative plots and a new location each time keep the series fresh and varied; the jacket blurb promises ''super-charged action and a high speed plot'', and Third Strike more than fulfils. If you are already a fan, you will love this new instalment; if Zoë Sharp is a new name for you, miss this one at your peril, as they say!'