Customer Reviews

Killer Instinct

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you like US female PIs (VI Warshawski, Kinsey Millhone) then you'll like Charlie Fox.

Charlie is tough. She teaches women's self-defence (which she took up after being raped in the army), rides a motorbike and is very independent.

The book starts with Charlie's friend Clare being attacked during karaoke night at a local nightclub by reigning champion Susie Hollins. Charlie deals with the attack and is offered a job as a bouncer by the clubs owner. Hours later Susie Hollins is found dead - the latest victim of a homicidal rapist that has been terrorising the local community. Charlie suspects a link between the nightclub and the homicidal rapist and she begins to investigate.

The book moves along at a cracking pace and Charlie is a believable tough heroine. The identity of the killer may be obvious in a plot that has been used many times before, but Charlie is interesting enough to carry you through.

I am glad I purchased this e-book. I wanted to read those extra scenes, and it has been lovely to visit Charlie's story again from the beginning, particularly after reading the 'Fox Five' e-thology.

Zoë recently wrote about her fondness for Dick Francis books growing up, and I can see similar elements in `Killer Instinct'. Clever use of words, twists and turns in the story, and a central core of justice. I like details and back story so it's really satisfying to read about Clare and Jacob, as well as background about where Charlie came from as a person. Overall it reads like an easy conversation, with intriguing and sometimes uncomfortable elements.

My fondness for 'Killer Instinct' is also sparked by Lee Child's foreword; it is my favorite relateable anecdote for books - Lee,your story made me laugh out loud - thanks for the enjoyment! As for the book I devoured it in an afternoon, I couldn't put it down. For a first novel, it's impressive.

The series and the writing has grown from strength to strength, I suppose I enjoyed the later books more because I came across them first - though this filled in story links alluded to in the later books. I find myself liking gory detail much less these days, so for me it's a well-balanced blend of a rollicking good read, without the stuff that keeps me awake nights. Charlie herself is someone I can relate to, in how she attempts to address the effects of pivotal events in her life - seeing how she handles her dilemmas has kept me engrossed. Character development is something that really keeps my interest, as well as the unexpected, and I've certainly been surprised.

I have been reading this series as it came out so it was a real pleasure to go back to the beginning and see Charlie as we first meet her. What a difference! Re-reading Killer Instinct made me appreciate Charlie's growth so much more. She is a fascinating character from the beginning and grows in each book. I am convinced that this is a series that needs to be read in order so one sees how Charlie's character is developed. Going back to the beginning with Charlie only reinforces that opinion.

This is one of my all time favorite series. If you are just starting the books, lucky you. If, like me, you are starting it again, it is time well spent. But then I think any time spent with Charlie is time well spent.
Killer Instinct: Charlie Fox book one

Killer Instinct is the first of the Charlie Fox mysteries. It's a quick read and I found myself caught up in the action. Zoe Sharp writes good action. I appreciate the fact that she doesn't always rely on guns to kill and maim.

The story takes place in England. Charlotte Fox, Charlie, is ex-British special forces. She's offered a security job at the nightclub. A murder happens and Charlie investigates. Don't be fooled, this book isn't just a whodunnit murder investigation. Figuring out who's good and who's bad isn't that tough. The story is about Charlie, what happened in her past (it ain't pretty), her relationships with friends and family, and how she's trying to move forward.

I enjoyed this book and have passed it around to friends and co-workers. So far everyone has liked it. They have all moved on to read the rest of the series.

I like the character of Zoe, she's smart, tough, independent and has been through a rough time. Unfortunately, she's the only really developed character is the book. She's also supposed to be in her mid-40's, but seemed about 10 years younger than that. The story itself is good, but I had two major problems. First, it's not hard to figure out who's behind the crimes and, second, the author way overuses the "had I but known" device at the end of chapters. But it's the first book of the series, so I'll hope the subsequent books are better. Still, it's a decent first book.

Correction (4/2010): Apparently, I was wrong on her age and she is in her 20s. That is certainly more in keeping with the character and her actions. I have, therefore, upgraded my rating from 2.5 to 3 stars. Thanks to those who caught my error, the the site won't let me change the stars at the top.

I started reading the Charlie Fox series with the Fox Five short story collection, and that spurred me on to want to read more. Killer Instinct did not disappoint - I quickly bought up all the other novels available on Kindle and devoured them one after the other. It has been fascinating watching Charlie Fox grow as a character from one novel to the next.

In Killer Instinct, we see her relatively early in her career, and we learn a little of her backstory - her conflicted relationship with her parents, the trauma of events in her military career, and we see her unafraid to face her demons.

Zoe Sharp's characterizations are skillfully handled. Charlie Fox is a compelling character with all her flaws and abilities. The price for this Kindle book is good value for the money.

Unlike the other 2 reviewers, this is my first book by Zoe Sharp. As a first book in a series I found it well thought out and exceptionally well written. The plot and character development was excellent and her use of flash backs was perfect and not overdone. There were a few places where I could argue if Charlie's actions were reasonable but they were few and far between and frankly not that far out of wack.

Having lived in England for several years I totally enjoyed her use of common British slang in a way that fits right in with any conversation you might overhear on the street or in a shop. Having been gone for so long, there were a few words that I'm still trying to figure out but frankly that just added to my enjoyment of the way she writes. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention her excellent use of dry British humor; slipped in when you least expect it and analogies you likely would never come up with on your own.

All in all Zoe has done an excellent job of hooking me with Charie's character and her unusual style. I look forward to the next book in the series and, if the previous reviews are any indication, that will not be my last book in the Charlie Fox series or my last read written by Zoe Sharp.

If you only know Charlie Fox from First Drop, Second Shot, and Third Strike, you don't know Charlie. What you've got in your hands is a rare and special treat. It's like finding some lost Jack Reacher novel or a couple of non-alphabet Kinsey Milhones that nobody knew existed. Don't let anyone tear it from your hands without drawing their blood.

These early Zoë Sharp books haven't been a secret, but they've been harder-to-get than Charlie Fox in your bed. Think of these as the early years of Charlie Fox ' she's lethal and relentless, but still raw from the military experience that made her the kick-ass, take-no-prisoners bodyguard that she's become.

But there's more going on in these books than breakneck action and adventure. Charlie has heart, maybe too much for a woman in her profession . . . and it's that caring, that humanity, that makes her much more than a killer babe on a motorbike. These books are your chance to discover Charlie Fox as she discovers herself, her strengths and her weaknesses, and sustains the scars to her body and soul that make her such a unique and compelling character.

Just having read Zoe Sharp's eighth and newest book, "Fourth Day," the latest in the Charlie Fox series, I had the additional pleasure of reading the very first book in the series, "Killer Instinct." In fact, this was the first novel published by Zoe Sharp, in 2001, and now issued for the first time in the United States. It is a fascinating look at the introduction of this protagonist, two years after she was "asked to leave" the British Army after a traumatic incident that left her physically and emotionally scarred

Now twenty-five years old, Zoe teaches self-defense to classes of women, many of them victims of abuse and residents of a Women's Refuge. Shockingly, within a short time frame, two such residents are raped and murdered, with no clue as to the perpetrator. Not yet the proficient "close protection" operative she will become, Zoe is nonetheless very capable, using the skills learned in the Army though still without the Killer Instinct of the title.

Zoe also takes on a part-time job as part of the security staff at the New Adelphi Club, in nearby Morecambe, quite taken with its charismatic owner, but finds it more challenging than anticipated, in unexpected ways. When there is a third killing, Zoe becomes convinced that there is a connection to the club, if not to the rape/murders as well.

Just as compulsively readable as the later entries in the series, nonetheless I felt this book slightly weaker in two respects: The foreshadowing which ends the first two chapters, as well as the fact that I found myself at least a bit ahead of the protagonist, with the unsettling feeling of waiting for her to catch up. This is a small quibble. Reading the first in the series was delightful, and I am looking forward to the second, "Riot Act," which Busted Flush Press is publishing in the US in September of this year.

A few steps up from the usual potboiler. Young female heroine who is not 'wonder woman.' Full of human frailties and missteps. But a fun read. Usual nomanclature found in British lit is missing and replaced by local idioms that I had encountered before. Not a book worth putting permanently in your library (Yet, this is the first in a series by Sharp and will give you context should you find later books by Sharp) but a good read - does not require a lot of mental gymnastics to figure out 'who dun it.'