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Costa del Crime #1
Six Hard Days In Andalusia: An Action Thriller
"We have a problem in Málaga. Terminate your current assignment with all haste."
When an old-time English drug smuggler and his crew meet their end in a bloody shoot-out on the Costa del Sol, it's of little concern to most. After all, gangsters get killed. It's what happens in their line of work. Allegiances change. Men die. It's the way of things.
However, when Mary Lawson a.k.a. 'The Accountant', a former MI6 agent turned independent contractor to the mob, is instructed by her shady bosses to investigate, things quickly get a lot more complicated.
Hardened by her years in British military intelligence and ruthlessly professional, the woman who is no stranger to death and suffering, sets out to find who is responsible. However, on the 'Costa del Crime' with its regular influx of millions of tourists, a history of political corruption, and a diverse and thriving criminal underworld, nothing is ever simple.
The father that deserted his family. The prodigal daughter, fallen from grace. A hoard of devious, manipulating and violent characters. And an unfortunate British tourist who gets caught up in the middle of the whole bloody mess.
One thing is for sure. While Andalusia might seem like a paradise to visiting holidaymakers, for The Accountant, there's a job to be done.
===
Damian Vargas is an emerging author of action thrillers with a vein of dark humour running through them. He lives and works on the western end of the Costa del Sol in southern Spain.
Six Hard Days in Andalusia is the first in Damian Vargas's 'Costa del Crime' series of action thrillers. Vargas constructs an enthralling and intricate plot, weaves in a cast of unique characters, and then places them in wonderfully-visualised, real-world locations in southern Spain. Ex-pats and holidaymakers alike will recognise many of the novel's settings.
When an old-time English drug smuggler and his crew meet their end in a bloody shoot-out on the Costa del Sol, it's of little concern to most. After all, gangsters get killed. It's what happens in their line of work. Allegiances change. Men die. It's the way of things.
However, when Mary Lawson a.k.a. 'The Accountant', a former MI6 agent turned independent contractor to the mob, is instructed by her shady bosses to investigate, things quickly get a lot more complicated.
Hardened by her years in British military intelligence and ruthlessly professional, the woman who is no stranger to death and suffering, sets out to find who is responsible. However, on the 'Costa del Crime' with its regular influx of millions of tourists, a history of political corruption, and a diverse and thriving criminal underworld, nothing is ever simple.
The father that deserted his family. The prodigal daughter, fallen from grace. A hoard of devious, manipulating and violent characters. And an unfortunate British tourist who gets caught up in the middle of the whole bloody mess.
One thing is for sure. While Andalusia might seem like a paradise to visiting holidaymakers, for The Accountant, there's a job to be done.
===
Damian Vargas is an emerging author of action thrillers with a vein of dark humour running through them. He lives and works on the western end of the Costa del Sol in southern Spain.
Six Hard Days in Andalusia is the first in Damian Vargas's 'Costa del Crime' series of action thrillers. Vargas constructs an enthralling and intricate plot, weaves in a cast of unique characters, and then places them in wonderfully-visualised, real-world locations in southern Spain. Ex-pats and holidaymakers alike will recognise many of the novel's settings.
- GenresThriller
412 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2018
About the author
Damian Vargas
10 books25 followersDamian Vargas is an emerging author of action thrillers with a vein of dark humor.
Damian is a self-exiled Brit, living and working in Spain on the Costa del Sol. A child of the 1970s and 1980s, he was brought up on an entertainment diet of intrepid adventure novels, gritty crime dramas, epic war stories, and low-budget British science fiction television.
Experiencing everyday life in southern Spain opened Damian’s eyes to the dark underworld that occurs (mostly) beyond the view of the annual influx of holidaymakers. These regular criminal goings-on’s, coupled with the rich tapestry of life and stunning locations on ‘The Costa del Crime’, sparked a deep desire to write dark and fast-paced action and thriller stories. Six Hard Days in Andalusia was the first of these and was followed by the prequel, Den Of Snakes. These were followed in August 2021 by his new historical suspense thriller, The Dark Place.
His motto is “Wisdom Comes To Those Who Stray”, he has a love for indie/punk rock in dank seedy venues, a fascination with the number 27, and harbors an intense dislike of spiders. He once met Mark Zuckerberg when he was barely even a billionaire, and David Hasselhoff, while dressed up as Ron Burgundy from the film, Anchorman. David was a tad confused by this.
Follow Damian at www.damianvargasfiction.com
Damian is a self-exiled Brit, living and working in Spain on the Costa del Sol. A child of the 1970s and 1980s, he was brought up on an entertainment diet of intrepid adventure novels, gritty crime dramas, epic war stories, and low-budget British science fiction television.
Experiencing everyday life in southern Spain opened Damian’s eyes to the dark underworld that occurs (mostly) beyond the view of the annual influx of holidaymakers. These regular criminal goings-on’s, coupled with the rich tapestry of life and stunning locations on ‘The Costa del Crime’, sparked a deep desire to write dark and fast-paced action and thriller stories. Six Hard Days in Andalusia was the first of these and was followed by the prequel, Den Of Snakes. These were followed in August 2021 by his new historical suspense thriller, The Dark Place.
His motto is “Wisdom Comes To Those Who Stray”, he has a love for indie/punk rock in dank seedy venues, a fascination with the number 27, and harbors an intense dislike of spiders. He once met Mark Zuckerberg when he was barely even a billionaire, and David Hasselhoff, while dressed up as Ron Burgundy from the film, Anchorman. David was a tad confused by this.
Follow Damian at www.damianvargasfiction.com
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 6, 2022
This is not a bad book at all. But as it is marketed as an action paced thriller I was somewhat disappointed in the start.you go through more than 30% of the book with a lot of stage setting and background stuff before some real action brings you to the “page-turning” point. Then it takes off with a lot of action packed events spiced up with tiny drops of humor connection the different events you have learned about in the first part. It has some nice twists along the line although you probably might figure out some of the different plots along the way. I look forward to read the next of the books from the author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2021
What a Read!
What a page turner...each chapter brought more adventure, intrigue, danger and excitement. Would Jack survive yet another encounter with yet another person out to maim, hurt or kill him? Mary finds herself embroiled with more than she was intent on. And as for Seth....maybe he gets what he deserves!!
What a page turner...each chapter brought more adventure, intrigue, danger and excitement. Would Jack survive yet another encounter with yet another person out to maim, hurt or kill him? Mary finds herself embroiled with more than she was intent on. And as for Seth....maybe he gets what he deserves!!
March 26, 2025
A great debut novel by Damien Vargas. Something a little different from my normal reads but I am left looking forward to his next novel. The description of an action thriller is certainly apt and there are a number of characters that I would be quite happy not to meet! That said it is not a hard read and I found the pace of the plot kept me intrigued, it is not often I finish a book in a couple of days but I did this one, including possibly reading a little to late into the night.
March 13, 2019
23-2019. A wild, wild ride through the titular Six Days. Many many characters interact in violent and/or amusing ways, roaring to a conclusion that is pretty satisfying. Silly in spots, but I enjoyed the journey.
April 3, 2019
A very engaging novel.
December 25, 2025
Six Hard Days in Andalusia is a gritty, fast-paced action thriller that pulls back the curtain on the darker side of the Costa del Sol. Damian Vargas delivers a sharp, atmospheric debut to the Costa del Crime series, blending brutal realism, dark humour, and tightly wound suspense.
At the center of the story is Mary Lawson better known as The Accountant a former MI6 agent turned mob fixer whose cold professionalism and moral ambiguity make her a compelling lead. Tasked with investigating a bloody gangland execution in Málaga, she navigates a tangled web of shifting loyalties, corruption, and violence where no one can be trusted and every answer raises new questions.
Vargas excels at setting. Andalusia is vividly rendered, not as a tourist postcard, but as a sunlit backdrop to crime, deception, and moral decay. The contrast between holidaymakers’ paradise and the ruthless criminal underworld beneath adds texture and tension to the narrative. The supporting cast is equally strong, featuring flawed, dangerous, and often unpredictable characters whose paths collide in explosive ways.
The pacing is relentless, with the story unfolding over a compressed timeline that heightens urgency and keeps the stakes high. Moments of dark humour cut through the violence, adding personality and grit without undermining the seriousness of the plot.
Overall, Six Hard Days in Andalusia is an engaging and hard-hitting thriller that feels grounded, cinematic, and refreshingly unsentimental. Fans of crime fiction, espionage thrillers, and morally complex protagonists will find this series opener a gripping read and an excellent introduction to the Costa del Crime world
At the center of the story is Mary Lawson better known as The Accountant a former MI6 agent turned mob fixer whose cold professionalism and moral ambiguity make her a compelling lead. Tasked with investigating a bloody gangland execution in Málaga, she navigates a tangled web of shifting loyalties, corruption, and violence where no one can be trusted and every answer raises new questions.
Vargas excels at setting. Andalusia is vividly rendered, not as a tourist postcard, but as a sunlit backdrop to crime, deception, and moral decay. The contrast between holidaymakers’ paradise and the ruthless criminal underworld beneath adds texture and tension to the narrative. The supporting cast is equally strong, featuring flawed, dangerous, and often unpredictable characters whose paths collide in explosive ways.
The pacing is relentless, with the story unfolding over a compressed timeline that heightens urgency and keeps the stakes high. Moments of dark humour cut through the violence, adding personality and grit without undermining the seriousness of the plot.
Overall, Six Hard Days in Andalusia is an engaging and hard-hitting thriller that feels grounded, cinematic, and refreshingly unsentimental. Fans of crime fiction, espionage thrillers, and morally complex protagonists will find this series opener a gripping read and an excellent introduction to the Costa del Crime world
October 26, 2021
Costa-del-crime book. The main character is Mary Lawson, The Accountant, a former MI6 agent who now works for criminals as a troubleshooter. After a drug deal goes bad Mary is sent to Spain to find out who is responsible. She finds that one of the victims of the deal is someone she has a personal attachment to. Also mixed up in this are Jack the holidaymaker and Seth the dodgy electrician. Most of the characters are not nice and I had little empathy for what happens to them. Good thriller but a little too predictable and too perfect an ending.
November 29, 2020
Crazy good!
Lots of interesting (evil, messed-up, pitiful, funny, quirky, mysterious, devious, greedy) characters; multi layered, multi-faceted storylines all converging, clashing, crashing.... A great ride!
Lots of interesting (evil, messed-up, pitiful, funny, quirky, mysterious, devious, greedy) characters; multi layered, multi-faceted storylines all converging, clashing, crashing.... A great ride!
September 11, 2021
Drugs and Money and Corruption...Oh My!
This was the first novel that I've read from Damian Vargas. A little slow on grabbing my attention, but once it did, I had a hard time putting it down.
This was the first novel that I've read from Damian Vargas. A little slow on grabbing my attention, but once it did, I had a hard time putting it down.
October 3, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. An engaging thriller which keeps your attention, particularly as the action takes place in a beautiful part of Spain that we love and visit regularly. Will certainly look out for other books.
February 5, 2022
When I started to read this book I found it an assault on my senses. Living in Andalucía, albeit the eastern end, I failed to recognise the seedy, criminal underworld that Jack unhappily falls into. Hopefully I never will come across it either. The book is well written and the plot, though convoluted, easy to follow. I was annoyed by "The Byelorussian" as they became Belarusians in 1991, but found some humour in the book and was surprised by the happy ending
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2022
I did enjoy this book, full of action but glad I did not pay a lot of money for it.
November 2, 2023
A great thriller with plenty of action. The cast of characters is brilliant and all weaved together make this a terrific read.
Thank you for the opportunity to read your book
Thank you for the opportunity to read your book
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews