Road Kill Zoë Sharp Piatkus pbk £6.99 ISBN 0749936169 April 2006 Ayo Onatade

Strong, dependable and with lots of baggage, Charlie Fox is my kind of heroine. In the latest book in the series not only has Charlie left the British Army, but also she is working for as a bodyguard for her ex-lover Sean Meyer. This makes for an interesting and rather challenging work relationship. Charlie is also hoping to make sense of her personal and professional relationships.

When Charlie’s close friend, Clare is involved in a rather mysterious and dangerous motorcycle accident that results in the death of a man, she soon realises that the incident was much more than a mere incident and soon begins to regret trying to find out the truth; especially when she becomes a target herself.

Matters and the action heats up when, in order to find out what happened, Charlie and Sean decide to infiltrate a gang of illegal road racers with disastrous effects. Bodies pile up and the gore is pretty much what one should expect under the circumstances.

While there is an amount of back-story in this latest novel, contrary to what one might think, this is not to the disadvantage of the reader. In fact, this is a very good incentive to read the earlier books and if I had not already done so, it would certainly encourage me to do so. With enough tension and suspense for even a first time reader of the series, Zoë Sharp and Charlie Fox keep on getting better and better.

If you are looking for a strong female character and one with verve and attitude then Charlie Fox is certainly your kind of woman. I cannot wait for the next book in the series; Charlie Fox has joined my list of must-reads.