FOX FIVE: a Charlie Fox short story collection [Kindle Edition]

Zoe Sharp (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

FOX FIVE is a collection of stories by the highly acclaimed crime thriller writer, Zoë Sharp. All feature her ex-Special Forces soldier turned self-defence expert and bodyguard, Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Fox.

In A Bridge Too Far, we meet Charlie before she’s become a professional in the world of close protection. When she agrees to hang out with the local Dangerous Sports Club, she has no idea it will soon live up to its name.

Postcards From Another Country has Charlie guarding the ultra-rich Dempsey family against attempted assassination – no matter where the danger lies.

A finalist for the CWA Short Story Dagger, Served Cold puts another tough woman centre stage – the mysterious Layla, with betrayal in her past and murder in her heart.

Off Duty finds Charlie taking time away from close protection after injury. She still finds trouble, even in an out-of-season health spa in the Catskill Mountains.

And finally, Truth And Lies puts all Charlie’s skills and ingenuity to the test as she has to single-handedly extract a news team from a rapidly escalating war zone.

Also included: Excerpt from KILLER INSTINCT: Charlie Fox book one, Meet Charlie Fox, Meet Zoë Sharp, info on the other books in the Charlie Fox series.

Praise for Zoë Sharp and Charlie Fox:

‘Ill-tempered, aggressive and borderline psychotic, Fox is also compassionate, introspective and highly principled: arguably one of the most enigmatic − and coolest − heroines in contemporary genre fiction.’ Paul Goat Allen, Chicago Tribune

'If you don't like Zoë Sharp there's something wrong with you. Go and live in a cave and get the hell out of my gene pool! There are few writers who go right to the top of my TBR pile − Zoë Sharp is one of them.' Stuart MacBride

'Anyone with a brain wants Charlie Fox for the girl next door. Funny, compassionate, and with moves that can − and do − kill, Charlie is the indelible creation of the remarkable Zoë Sharp.’ Gayle Lynds

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 214 KB
• Publisher: Murderati Ink; 1st edition (August 8, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005GKY86G
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,830 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FIVE STARS FOR FOX FIVE!, August 13, 2011

By 

wayne d. dundee (ogallala, ne) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: FOX FIVE: a Charlie Fox short story collection (Kindle Edition)

This five-pack collection of short stories is about as good as it gets in the crime thriller genre. Protagonist Charlotte "Charlie" Fox is a truly memorable--not to mention formidable --- heroine. Author Sharp writes cleanly, cleverly, and convincingly as she spins these tales of Charlie, ex Special Forces soldier turned "close-protection" bodyguard.
The stories here are arranged in sequence and follow Charlie as she progresses from a time just prior to becoming a bodyguard to a point where her professional skills are honed to their finest--and must be, as they are put to the test in circumstances as explosively dangerous and up-to-the-minute as today's headlines. This range and growth allows us to see Charlie in a quieter, almost sleuth-like mode early on and then evolve into the calculating, ultimately cool--yet compassionate--protector she was born to be.
Perhaps the strongest entry in this collection is focused somewhat less on Charlie than on a woman named Layla ... a disturbed soul hell bent on a mission that Charlie, in the end, must try to keep from succeeding. The back story on Layla and her deceased lover Bobby is troubling, brutal ... yet hauntingly poignant.
In the end, though, it is Charlie Fox and the stiletto-sharp (no pun intended) writing skills of Zoe Sharp that will stick with you after reading these stories. I was unaware of this excellent series (there are eight novels so far, a ninth due in 2012) before now; but you can damn well bet I will be seeking out more.
Highly recommended!

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Ms. Fox, October 10, 2011

By 

Sheri Hart - See all my reviews

This review is from: FOX FIVE: a Charlie Fox short story collection (Kindle Edition)

This is a terrific collection of short stories.

Zoe Sharp was a new-to-me author, dicovered via[...]. I'm thrilled I came across her work.

I love it when you start reading the first page and know at once you're in the hands of a writer that knows what they are doing. The premise and setting are immediately believable, the characters engaging, and Ms. Sharp's writing is vivid and deft.

Charlie Fox is a kick-ass heroine with heart and depth. Somewhere between Jack Reacher and Eve Dallas, for me. Fox is not a "GI-Barbie" kind of girl. She's complex, capable, and cool under fire. Ms. Sharpe has obviously done her research and the pulse-pounding action shots induced not one eye-roll.

I'm so glad I got to meet Charlie and am excited to read the full series, starting with KILLER INSTINCT.

5.0 out of 5 stars A well-crafted e-taster for Zoë Sharp & the Charlie Fox series, September 15, 2011

By 

K. O'Leary "voracious reader" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: FOX FIVE: a Charlie Fox short story collection (Kindle Edition)

I have read all Lee Child's Reacher books (in print) sometimes more than once, and honestly while the stories and situations boggle my mind and are really clever, my preference is still Charlie Fox. I`ve been a fan of the series for several years ever since I found 'Riot Act' and 'Hard Knocks' (in the paperback section of my local library) and decided to take a chance on an author unknown to me - I'm so glad I did.

In true Sharp style these short stories are succinct, thought-provoking, and for me fill in gaps and explain references throughout the series. Charlie is a character I truly enjoy reading; witnessing her development and understanding and acceptance of her background and skills just adds to my connection to the stories - check out Zoë's blog on murderati.com with Charlie being 'interviewed'.

Even though the books can be read as standalones; when I find a character I like, I want to read everything available - so I've entered the world of kindle for PC. Although I'm definitely a dedicated Real book person, I've enjoyed being able to change the background, contrast, and page display. The only downside is that I'm anchored to the computer... just as well these are short stories! I feel lucky to be one of the first 50 in the author giveaway to launch the e-books.

I definitely recommend Fox Five, eagerly await 'Die Easy' and in the meantime, am sorely tempted by the opportunity to purchase the entire Charlie Fox series as e-books.