Books like The Ryan Kyd Thriller Series — picked by fans

I was interested that the book was set in Mexico and with a female protagonist, so I was happy to give a new-to-me author a chance.

From the very first description of the detectives’ office in Acapulco police station, there was a level of detail that made me think, ‘this author is writing from real life’. Carmen Amato was a CIA analyst who lived in Mexico for many years. She knows what she’s talking about, from police corruption to cartel crime, and the blatant misogyny of people who should be on the same side. 

I had no idea where the story was going; nothing was telegraphed, and it was as raw and real as you could wish.

Beautifully written, I wanted more, more, more. I chomped through the next 8 books in the series, and eagerly await book 10.

This is a non-fiction anthology of stories from men and women who have worked in bomb disposal across the decades, published by Felix Fund, the UK Bomb Disposal Charity.

I must express an interest here, as it has been a charity that I’ve supported for many years.

I was completely rapt reading accounts of their work from Northern Ireland in the 1970s, the Falklands in the 1980s, to Iraq and Afghanistan in later years, and also working on devices found from both world wars.

Their deprecating humour, sometimes very dark, and their extraordinary daily heroism makes for riveting reading.