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DI Jack Striker #1
My Kind of Justice: How Far Would You Go For Justice
Newly-appointed DI Jack Striker, of GMP’s Major Incident Team, has a dark secret, one that would land him in prison.
Striker’s first case seems a straight-forward gang-on-gang slaying, until a notorious youth is found hanged. Before any chance to investigate, bodies begin stacking-up.
With the hot breath of the brass burning his neck, including hard-faced DCI Maria Cunningham who’s onto him, Striker knows this case will make or break him.
The media-dubbed ‘Hoodie Hunter’ mixes MO’s, leaving few leads, and Striker recognises the work of a highly-skilled vigilante killer.
When Striker’s nephew is put into a coma, it becomes personal. Desperate, he runs an unofficial op’ with trusty colleagues, stunning DC Lauren Collinge and un-PC DC Eric Bardsley, placed in the line of fire.
The killer’s trail leads Striker into his own shady past, but will he catch the Hoodie Hunter before he or a colleague becomes the next victim?
Striker’s first case seems a straight-forward gang-on-gang slaying, until a notorious youth is found hanged. Before any chance to investigate, bodies begin stacking-up.
With the hot breath of the brass burning his neck, including hard-faced DCI Maria Cunningham who’s onto him, Striker knows this case will make or break him.
The media-dubbed ‘Hoodie Hunter’ mixes MO’s, leaving few leads, and Striker recognises the work of a highly-skilled vigilante killer.
When Striker’s nephew is put into a coma, it becomes personal. Desperate, he runs an unofficial op’ with trusty colleagues, stunning DC Lauren Collinge and un-PC DC Eric Bardsley, placed in the line of fire.
The killer’s trail leads Striker into his own shady past, but will he catch the Hoodie Hunter before he or a colleague becomes the next victim?
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 18, 2015
5 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Col Bury
12 books48 followersCol Bury is the former crime editor of award winning ezine, Thrillers, Killers ‘n’ Chillers. His short stories can be found in many anthologies, including, The Mammoth Books of Best British Crime 9, 10 & 11. His fiction is scattered around the net, at the likes of A Twist Of Noir and The Flash Fiction Offensive, as well as two short story collections on Amazon. Col is busy developing a crime novel series and hopes to 'grace' the bookshelves soon!
He lives in Manchester, UK with his wonderful wife and two beautiful children. When he's not working, being a daddy, writing, reading or editing, he shoots pool or watches his beloved Manchester City FC.
He lives in Manchester, UK with his wonderful wife and two beautiful children. When he's not working, being a daddy, writing, reading or editing, he shoots pool or watches his beloved Manchester City FC.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 12, 2015
I could not wait to get my hands on a copy of this book when it was published after hearing such great things. And being a debut novel for the author it fell nicely into my #NewAuthorForMe July challenge. After reading this book I can see that this author is definitely one I will be following closely.
This is not your typical vigilante thriller. The plot is well thought out mixing past mistakes with the future repercusions. It left me wondering when or if DI Jack Strikers secret would come out and what the fall-out of that may be.
What I enjoyed about this story was the unexpected twists and turns which made my stomach flip at times. I was left wondering whether or not the past would catch up to DI Striker, whether his friends and colleagues would turn on him, who would end up dead next…too many to mention but all gripping and full of suspense!
The characters in this book were also well thought out. Each distinctive in their own right…you knew who you liked and who you loathed right away. I am in no doubt that this will be a great series of books and look forward to how the characters develop in future books….particularly Bardsley and Davidson as I suspect there to be more to them then what was revealed in these pages. I adored DI Striker and even though I am not a footie fan– it was made very clear his passion for footie in this book–I suspect this was a piece of the author injected into this character. Strikers passion for his family and children also came out even though he is separated from them. I could go on and on about Stiker but each person takes a different view when they read a book so I won’t force mine onto anyone…yet!
Once again I had my detective head on and figured out some crucial bits which turned out to be correct in terms of the killer in this story…I just could not narrow it down to a name until it was revealed…so well done Col Bury….you got me!
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in police procedurals, crime and a cracking story as this fits the bill perfectly. Well done Col on a brilliant debut! I look forward to what Striker will be up to next! Make sure you grab yourself a copy #bookjunkies!
November 1, 2018
3.5 stars
January 21, 2016
DI Jack Striker is hunting a criminal who is killing young men – the sort of swaggering hoodie-wearer who terrorises not only other gangs but honest citizens. Jack’s superiors deny that it’s the same perpetrator. They don’t want the ‘serial killer’ tag to strike fear into the locals and to fire up the press. Jack is sure they are connected and takes his own route to prove it.
This is a really gritty and exciting police drama novel and is populated by characters with depth and personality. The DI’s character is complex and interesting and I really hope to read more of his exploits. He divides those he works with. His close co-workers are very loyal to him but there are the expected jealousies for him to contend with. Like all of us, he carries and copes with his past and this throws up problems for him. I found the book utterly gripping and enjoyed it immensely. The few editing issues were not enough to spoil a great read. I look forward eagerly to meeting these characters again.
This is a really gritty and exciting police drama novel and is populated by characters with depth and personality. The DI’s character is complex and interesting and I really hope to read more of his exploits. He divides those he works with. His close co-workers are very loyal to him but there are the expected jealousies for him to contend with. Like all of us, he carries and copes with his past and this throws up problems for him. I found the book utterly gripping and enjoyed it immensely. The few editing issues were not enough to spoil a great read. I look forward eagerly to meeting these characters again.
July 4, 2015
My Kind Of Justice is certainly one action packed crime fiction book!
From the start I could tell it was going to be good and I certainly was not disappointed.
DI Jack Striker is a very interesting character. Growing up in a not so nice area of Manchester he has a past that he would rather be kept hidden, especially because of his career. Jack is a likeable character who like most crime book detectives has issues of his own to deal with.
Col Bury has created a storyline that is very believable and has the readers attention from start to finish. We certainly learn quite a bit about Jack and his background in this book which is great and I think it's a brilliant starting point for an on going crime series.
If you like your crime fiction to be gritty, fast paced and action packed this is certainly the book for you!
From the start I could tell it was going to be good and I certainly was not disappointed.
DI Jack Striker is a very interesting character. Growing up in a not so nice area of Manchester he has a past that he would rather be kept hidden, especially because of his career. Jack is a likeable character who like most crime book detectives has issues of his own to deal with.
Col Bury has created a storyline that is very believable and has the readers attention from start to finish. We certainly learn quite a bit about Jack and his background in this book which is great and I think it's a brilliant starting point for an on going crime series.
If you like your crime fiction to be gritty, fast paced and action packed this is certainly the book for you!
January 3, 2016
I was extremely lucky to receive an e-book copy of My Kind of Justice: How Far Would You Go For Justice direct from the author Col Bury through his publisher Caffeine Nights Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
My Kind of Justice is set in Manchester, which is a city in the North West of England and quite literally on my doorstep. I've spent a lot of time in Manchester over the years and so it was really good to be able to recognise a lot of the places and the accent and the dialogue was all really familiar to me. Most books I read are set in America or fantasy lands and books that are set in England are set in London or Scotland so I genuinely loved it having a local feel to it. It is however set on the "wrong side of the tracks" and is extremely gritty and full of course language which adds to the dark feel of the book.
The main character is called DI Jack Striker which is seriously one of the coolest police names I've come across so far. He just sounds badass before you even get to know him. He's a guy who has changed his life around from running with the wrong crowd as a teenager to making something of himself as a police officer as an adult. There is your usual rogues gallery of characters from the old time, say what you want policeman to your hard nosed, cold woman who got to the top not through hard work but other means and your new policeman who is willing to do anything to prove himself. Each one though is done extremely well and I grew to love Bardsley in particular. The only character that I really didn't think much of at all was DC Lauren Collinge, her personality just didn't come through in this book, though she may come into her own in future books.
The story revolves around catching the "Hoodie Hunter" who seems to be on some sort of vendetta against criminals with ASBOs and is killing them off, mixed into this is some sort of link to the past of Jack Striker. I don't want to go too much into detail as I don't want to give away spoilers, but the story is very well written and everything weaves together beautifully,
The only reason I'm not giving a full five stars to the book is due to some editing issues throughout the book, one bit in particular that stood out to me so much that I actually had to go back and check that I hadn't read something wrong.
Overall a great first book and I will be picking up the next books in the series when they come out, to follow the story of Jack Striker and his team members.
This was originally posted on my blog http://lifeofanerdishmum.blogspot.co.uk/
My Kind of Justice is set in Manchester, which is a city in the North West of England and quite literally on my doorstep. I've spent a lot of time in Manchester over the years and so it was really good to be able to recognise a lot of the places and the accent and the dialogue was all really familiar to me. Most books I read are set in America or fantasy lands and books that are set in England are set in London or Scotland so I genuinely loved it having a local feel to it. It is however set on the "wrong side of the tracks" and is extremely gritty and full of course language which adds to the dark feel of the book.
The main character is called DI Jack Striker which is seriously one of the coolest police names I've come across so far. He just sounds badass before you even get to know him. He's a guy who has changed his life around from running with the wrong crowd as a teenager to making something of himself as a police officer as an adult. There is your usual rogues gallery of characters from the old time, say what you want policeman to your hard nosed, cold woman who got to the top not through hard work but other means and your new policeman who is willing to do anything to prove himself. Each one though is done extremely well and I grew to love Bardsley in particular. The only character that I really didn't think much of at all was DC Lauren Collinge, her personality just didn't come through in this book, though she may come into her own in future books.
The story revolves around catching the "Hoodie Hunter" who seems to be on some sort of vendetta against criminals with ASBOs and is killing them off, mixed into this is some sort of link to the past of Jack Striker. I don't want to go too much into detail as I don't want to give away spoilers, but the story is very well written and everything weaves together beautifully,
The only reason I'm not giving a full five stars to the book is due to some editing issues throughout the book, one bit in particular that stood out to me so much that I actually had to go back and check that I hadn't read something wrong.
Overall a great first book and I will be picking up the next books in the series when they come out, to follow the story of Jack Striker and his team members.
This was originally posted on my blog http://lifeofanerdishmum.blogspot.co.uk/
July 20, 2015
With debut authors you do not know what to expect, however, this book packs a punch and delivers on all fronts, gritty northern crime at its best. Excellent plotting and characterisation lead to a compelling read that will keep hooked from first to last. There's a new detective on the block and I eagerly await the next book.
June 21, 2015
so many really good crime writers out there and Col Bury is one of them ...loved this book
July 8, 2015
This is the first book in a planned series featuring DI Jack Striker, who has just been promoted to the rank of Detective Inspector, and his Major Incident Team. The book is set in Manchester and it was refreshing to read a book that is set in the North of England as most books seem to be set in the south of the country. Within his MIT, there appears to be a limited inner circle of people that Striker truly trusts.
This story takes place in two separate periods of time. The prologue describes an incident that took place in the past but which still has a bearing on the present for certain individuals. The main body of the story takes place in present day, which we discover is 16 years after the prologue.
Initially Striker's first case appears to be relatively straightforward and it seems to be a case of gang versus gang violence & murder. However it soon becomes apparent that there is more to the case than meets the eye. The story builds & builds until matters come to a head in a dramatic climax.
DI Jack Striker appears to be a complex character. He has a damaging & haunting past which starts to make its presence felt as the story moves on. As previously stated there is only a limited circle of people that he truly trusts and who he considers to be friends. At the same time Striker also has his enemies, who are waiting to pounce on his mistakes, exploit his past to their own advantage and get one over on him- in effect trying to destroy him.
Initially I found it hard to warm to Striker but having found out his full history I began to warm to him and realised that by joining the police , he is trying to atone for his past and give something back so to speak. In fact he is dedicated to his job, often at the expense of his personal life.
This book is really well written. The chapters are written in such a way that you just have to read on to find out what happened next. This novel is gritty & fast paced with a believable plot and also with a dash of humour. The author clearly knows the area he is writing about and he also writes with confidence about the area's culture, sense of desperation and the deprivation that can be found in the area.
I loved this book and would definitely recommend it to others.
This story takes place in two separate periods of time. The prologue describes an incident that took place in the past but which still has a bearing on the present for certain individuals. The main body of the story takes place in present day, which we discover is 16 years after the prologue.
Initially Striker's first case appears to be relatively straightforward and it seems to be a case of gang versus gang violence & murder. However it soon becomes apparent that there is more to the case than meets the eye. The story builds & builds until matters come to a head in a dramatic climax.
DI Jack Striker appears to be a complex character. He has a damaging & haunting past which starts to make its presence felt as the story moves on. As previously stated there is only a limited circle of people that he truly trusts and who he considers to be friends. At the same time Striker also has his enemies, who are waiting to pounce on his mistakes, exploit his past to their own advantage and get one over on him- in effect trying to destroy him.
Initially I found it hard to warm to Striker but having found out his full history I began to warm to him and realised that by joining the police , he is trying to atone for his past and give something back so to speak. In fact he is dedicated to his job, often at the expense of his personal life.
This book is really well written. The chapters are written in such a way that you just have to read on to find out what happened next. This novel is gritty & fast paced with a believable plot and also with a dash of humour. The author clearly knows the area he is writing about and he also writes with confidence about the area's culture, sense of desperation and the deprivation that can be found in the area.
I loved this book and would definitely recommend it to others.
July 20, 2015
: I love finding new authors and I must say I will certainly be looking out for book 2 in this series. Jack Striker (LOVE this name) is a copper who as it seems throughout this book does a real job of a copper. He doesn’t have visions, or a problem with authority…he just does his job. He sometimes doesn’t listen but other than that you get a real sense of a coppers job, even with the boring stuff thrown in. I really liked his colleague Bardsley, although I’m a little more unsure about Lauren Collinge.
It seems that in the North of England a vigilante of sorts is taking it upon himself to rid the city of the local hoodlums. However, before long it seems the killer is constantly one step ahead of Striker and he has to tread carefully as his past hasn’t always been so squeaky clean. Col Bury has been careful to make Striker not entirely without fault, but not a Superhero either. It makes for a great balance and makes him an incredibly easy character to read.
The story had pace from pretty early on and there were a few plot twists thrown in when trying to figure out the who and the why. I was pretty engrossed from early on and found myself hoping it stayed that way. Thankfully it did and I found myself racing through this book in a day and a half. I wouldn’t say it’s ground-breaking new story as sadly with this genre the story has been done in some sort of way by somebody already. However, what it was is a solid read and one that made me want to read the next instalment. Another new author for me to add to my list that’s for sure and I’m really looking forward to reading the next one.
It seems that in the North of England a vigilante of sorts is taking it upon himself to rid the city of the local hoodlums. However, before long it seems the killer is constantly one step ahead of Striker and he has to tread carefully as his past hasn’t always been so squeaky clean. Col Bury has been careful to make Striker not entirely without fault, but not a Superhero either. It makes for a great balance and makes him an incredibly easy character to read.
The story had pace from pretty early on and there were a few plot twists thrown in when trying to figure out the who and the why. I was pretty engrossed from early on and found myself hoping it stayed that way. Thankfully it did and I found myself racing through this book in a day and a half. I wouldn’t say it’s ground-breaking new story as sadly with this genre the story has been done in some sort of way by somebody already. However, what it was is a solid read and one that made me want to read the next instalment. Another new author for me to add to my list that’s for sure and I’m really looking forward to reading the next one.
June 12, 2016
My Kind of Justice is a gritty police procedural set in South Manchester. The strengths of the story are the sense of place, characterisation and plot. Col Bury clearly knows the area well and he paints a vivid social picture of a place blighted by poverty, drugs, and criminal gangs. His central character, DI Jack Striker has managed to climb his way out these ills through a career in the police, though the cost has been his marriage and his relationship to his two kids. He still has family and old friends living locally, however, and they hold secrets he’d like kept hidden as he plays out his version of a redemption man. While he has close colleagues at work, he also has enemies, and Bury does a nice job of portraying work-based rivalries and office banter. The plot centres on the investigation into a spate of murders of local gang members by a vigilante who is steadily picking them off. The vigilante serial killer angle gives the story tension and an inherent pace. It is fair to say, however, that once the tale moves out of the purely procedural format as Striker is removed from the official investigation it drifts towards a thriller and starts to become a little bit telegraphed and reliant on plot devices. Moreover, the telling was a little stilted and overly descriptive at times, though this only marginally detracted from the enjoyment of the story. Overall, a decent start to what I suspect is the first in a series.
December 12, 2015
First of all i would like to say thank you to Col Bury who gave me a copy of his book in exchange for an honest review after meeting him.This is Col Bury's debut novel and what a page turner it is. My first thoughts when i started this book was OMG as if this nice lovely bloke has wrote such a hardcore, gritty police novel and use such language. Yes a word of warning this book contains bad language but col has wrote it to fit in with the story which has been very well done and wouldn't seem right without it.Has it fits in with the story line.
My Kind Of Justice is set in the streets of Manchester which i found a refreshing change col clearly knows Manchester very well and shows this throughout the book. The Story starts off with a prologue set in the past then the actual story moves on to the present. But with Jack growing up in the Manchester having a past he wants to forget, is hard when he sees old friends around.It Keeps you wondering if DI Jack Strikers secret will ever come out. The story line is very believable and the characters are very likable and well written. I am looking forward to Davidson and Bardsley being developed more in the next installment.
This book is fast paced i read it in two evenings so if your looking for an action packed book with lots of twists and turns then I highly recommend this. I am giving it a massive 5 stars.
My Kind Of Justice is set in the streets of Manchester which i found a refreshing change col clearly knows Manchester very well and shows this throughout the book. The Story starts off with a prologue set in the past then the actual story moves on to the present. But with Jack growing up in the Manchester having a past he wants to forget, is hard when he sees old friends around.It Keeps you wondering if DI Jack Strikers secret will ever come out. The story line is very believable and the characters are very likable and well written. I am looking forward to Davidson and Bardsley being developed more in the next installment.
This book is fast paced i read it in two evenings so if your looking for an action packed book with lots of twists and turns then I highly recommend this. I am giving it a massive 5 stars.
July 8, 2015
DI Jack Striker (Major Incident Team) investigates a brutal murder, when he moves back to his home city of Manchester. Old faces from the past both good and bad watch his every move in this fast paced crime novel. When a close relative is attacked and left in a critical condition then things get personal for Striker, but just who is the Hoodie hunter that is stalking the criminal low life of Manchester? The gritty realism, gripping narrative and streetwise characters all combine to create a startling debut novel from the talented author Col Bury. By developing Jack Striker’s back story the author brings greater depth and understanding to the central character, he also includes a strong level of police detail within the novel. If you’re interested Mr Bury is also the author of the inspired Manchester 6 short story collection. Anyone looking for further gritty British crime authors to read would be advised to seek out the True Brit Grit ebook compilation.
August 6, 2015
This a great book if you love crime thrillers. It gets down and dirty with the criminals of Manchester and the cops who hunt them down. The main character Detective Inspector Jack Stryker has a past that he wants to forget, but living in the area that you grew up in, and seeing your old mates, doesn’t make things easier. As he investigates a serial killer, Jack comes across the politics of the job, that don’t always let him do the job. But that doesn’t stop our Jack, who takes his investigation underground.
Col Bury had done a brilliant job in weaving a story from two points of view, that of the cops and of the criminals. It leads up to an exciting climax and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. He, the author, certainly knows how to create good characters and I felt this story was neatly dialogue driven.
A highly recommended read.
Col Bury had done a brilliant job in weaving a story from two points of view, that of the cops and of the criminals. It leads up to an exciting climax and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. He, the author, certainly knows how to create good characters and I felt this story was neatly dialogue driven.
A highly recommended read.
December 22, 2015
Striker is a detective with a failed marriage, colleagues who are out to get him, and a shady past which might just be catching up with him. When his hunches about a vigilante serial killer are disregarded by his superiors he puts his life on the line in an attempt to stop the killings.
I loved this fast paced, gritty page turner which is packed full of strong characters and enough twists to keep you guessing the killer's identity right up to the end. Col Bury cranks up the suspense and keeps your anxiety levels rocketing right throughout this fab story. Some of the have-a-go hero scenes were perhaps a stretch too far but I lapped it up. One of the main problems with discovering the first book by an author in the year it was written is that you have to wait to read the next one!!
I loved this fast paced, gritty page turner which is packed full of strong characters and enough twists to keep you guessing the killer's identity right up to the end. Col Bury cranks up the suspense and keeps your anxiety levels rocketing right throughout this fab story. Some of the have-a-go hero scenes were perhaps a stretch too far but I lapped it up. One of the main problems with discovering the first book by an author in the year it was written is that you have to wait to read the next one!!
February 22, 2016
was lucky enough to receive a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I don't normally read detective thrillers in general and usually prefer to stick to psychological crime and suspense usually from a victim pov but I found I really enjoyed this book.
I liked the fact it was all set just over the Pennines (I'm a Bradford girl) and the characters were really believable.
Its fast paced, there wasn't a boring part in any of this book and would probably read more from this author when in the mood for something gritty.
I don't normally read detective thrillers in general and usually prefer to stick to psychological crime and suspense usually from a victim pov but I found I really enjoyed this book.
I liked the fact it was all set just over the Pennines (I'm a Bradford girl) and the characters were really believable.
Its fast paced, there wasn't a boring part in any of this book and would probably read more from this author when in the mood for something gritty.
March 4, 2016
I was sent this ebook via a crime book page on Facebook, in return for an honest review.
I loved the story. I loved the gutsy protagonist and his sidekicks.
I didn't like the grammar. When a person is killed by a rope around their neck, they are 'hanged' not hung. This was present throughout the book, and really got my goat!!!
Otherwise, a healthy 3/5
I loved the story. I loved the gutsy protagonist and his sidekicks.
I didn't like the grammar. When a person is killed by a rope around their neck, they are 'hanged' not hung. This was present throughout the book, and really got my goat!!!
Otherwise, a healthy 3/5
December 19, 2015
A well written book with twists and turns throughout, a really good read.
March 25, 2017
Confession time: I read this in 2015 and must not only have been having a Bad Hormone Day but my brain must have gone AWOL too - there is no other explanation for the (regrettably unremovable) two star review I gave it. Because I have re-read it and found it so thoroughly entertaining that I sat up until gone midnight to finish it.
What's more, I recognised that many of the scenes were ones that were permanently lodged in my consciousness, so strong and vivid the depiction of them, but what sets this apart - above - so many others is the strength of its characters, their interaction, their doubts and and their oh-so-human fallibilities.
Plus pace and plot are breathtaking.
What's more, I recognised that many of the scenes were ones that were permanently lodged in my consciousness, so strong and vivid the depiction of them, but what sets this apart - above - so many others is the strength of its characters, their interaction, their doubts and and their oh-so-human fallibilities.
Plus pace and plot are breathtaking.
May 19, 2016
DI Jack Striker is a Manchester policeman. When a vigilante starts killing some of the local thugs he is determined to find the killer. He is able to use his childhood background, living in a tough neighborhood, to locate the culprit.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews