GtPGKogPYT4p61R1biicqBXsUzo" /> Google+ Deadfast, unforgiving mayhem! | I Smell Sheep

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Deadfast, unforgiving mayhem!

Deadfast is the debut novel of author Mark McCann. It's gritty, raunchy at times with a plethora of action. This story is NOT for the faint of heart or easily offended by vulgar language as many cuss words fill the pages. BUT it is a story that will grip you and having you turning the pages to find out what the heck could possibly happen next!

Storyline:
Meet Terry Fennell, Belfast's guiltiest drunk and most unobliging detector. A former soldier for a secret branch of the army, Terry dealt with all the things that go bump in the night, now cut loose and disenfranchised after a secret handshake between the government and the nocturnal element put him out of a job and on to the dole queue.
When a distraught mother seeks Terry out to help find her kids, kidnapped by her back-from-the-dead ex-husband, he can't resist the lure of fast money. However, a simple no hope case turns into a complex web of lies and misdirection as Terry finds himself plunged into a life and death chase where violence is the fastest route to the truth and hard drinking is a hangover cure. It's the sort of life he wishes was somebody else's. It's the sort of life that could get you... Deadfast.


The main character Terry is one big mess, he's the type of guy to start a fight then take off when things turn ugly fast. A non-stop drinker who can't seem to get his life on track, and constantly relying on the few friends he has left to cover his back. I did find Terry a bit hard to relate to in the beginning but as the story picks up I found myself rooting for the guy. Time and time again he gets in way over his head and if not for his pal The Saint he would be a goner. The Saint is a scarred man (literally) with fists of steel and the charm to match, but little does The Saint know that all that gruff mixed with his vigilante tendencies was kinda a turn on for me. What can I say? I'm a sucker for the rough neck man that just needs a little love. lol

Deadfast is set in Belfast Ireland and picks up a lot of the local flavor so quite a few of the phrases left me scratching my head, but the overall charm of the dialog filled any missing voids. Mark writes in a way that leaves the reader to fill in the blanks with their own imagination in certain areas, and while I may not usually appreciate this in authors it worked out with this story. For those that like it, Mark also uses a ton of similes throughout the book. The story is so chock-full of twists and turns you literally will not be expecting what happens next, it's a fun ride for folks that like a dirty full grit mystery. By the denouement, some life changing events will make Terry have to take a long hard look at himself and the ever changing world around him.

A BIG amount of smut is severely lacking in this story but my hopes are set high with upcoming books. If you would like to get a copy of Deadfast click on the link here. Looking forward to much more from this new and upcoming author.

Getting 3 and 1/2 Tatty Bread Sheep
KD

6 comments:

  1. No smut and you still enjoyed it? thanks for the review. This is one of those out of the box reads I like. I like to read books that have a strong local flavor as you call it. Way to go Mark!

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  2. I did, now that's not to say I don't NEED more smut in the next book. Cause as you know I am the smut queen. ;) It was an out of the box read for me as well but one I really did enjoy. Looking forward to more from McCann.

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  3. Despite the lack of smut it sounds interesting ;)

    LOL!

    great review!

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  4. Thanks for an interesting review. The book has me intrigued. (And I'm also a sucker for roughneck men who just need a little love, LOL) Just need to figure out how to get this onto my Kindle....

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  5. Aha - your link directed me to Lulu, so I foolishly thought it wasn't available on Amazon. Just bought the Kindle version, here's the link - http://www.amazon.com/Deadfast-ebook/dp/B004W9NK6Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1311529637&sr=1-1

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  6. @Dani AWESOME! So glad you found it. :) Let me know what you think after you give it a read.

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