Last peaked at #2 in the Australian Amazon Spy and Thriller charts.
Review – This is a fast moving action drenched thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from the first page to the last. I am not sure my words will do this book justice but I will try.
The plot is a twisty road of intricate details that at some point in time either crosses paths or melts into one another. I love this authors style of writing, and feel that this first novel is action film worthy, I even have my perfect cast but I will not bore you will who plays who as the film is never as good as the book. I loved how you really experienced the pressure Connor felt throughout the book, his urgency to find the person who wants to kill him to clear his name. I won’t go into too much detail as I do not want to confuse or spoil your experience.
The characters are excellently written and have been carefully planned. Each one has his or her place and each one has been created with a back story even if you do not read it. I love the authors attention to detail and how you almost smell the sweat on Connor as he gets on the airplane at the beginning. You learn a thing or two about the different intelligence groups, I am not sure if every detail is correct but I didn’t care, to me it was believable and I enjoyed it immeasurably.
The scenery is to die for and you really feel as though you are standing on the street corners watching the characters rush by or hide in the shadows. This is a real european adventure and I think the author has captured the feel of each different place remarkably.
This was an easy book to review in the sense that I more than enjoyed it and will be adding Mark to my must read author list. Get your copy here you will not be disappointed.
Killer Reads – Reading Room With A View – Blogspot
I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book – it’s somewhere along the lines of a Bourne Identity/Da Vinci Code mash-up, so if you like that kind of thing, you’ll love this.
The plot is well-written and very, very fast-paced, with heaps and heaps of tension. Connor Montrose is a very likeable character but he seem to get caught and then escape quite a lot – I loved this element of the storyline, especially as it doesn’t always seem clear cut as to how he is going to get himself out of things each time. The characters are unreliable – Connor doesn’t know who he can trust, and that in turn passes down to the reader meaning that I wasn’t sure who was going to kick Connor’s arse and who was on his side – another brilliant way of ramping up the tension.
This would made a brilliant movie, if the storyline is followed accurately. Lots and lots of action, shooting, running about and escaping, all things that kept me hooked to the pages and would no doubt keep me hooked to the big screen. I am definitely looking forward to more from Mark Leggat
ANNETTE NIMMO – BOOK REVIEWER
Sometimes you come across a book that surprises you. Recently this happened to me with Mark Leggatt’s debut novel, Names of the Dead. Crime fiction is not something I read much of. The few titles I have read have usually been too gruesome for me. Murder isn’t really something I want to be filling my head with, especially not with my vivid imagination; it usually ends up giving me nightmares. It was with a bit of trepidation, then, that I approached Names of the Dead. I really didn’t expect to like it, but within a few chapters I was totally engrossed!
Leggatt’s writing is accomplished. If you didn’t know he was a debut writer you would never guess. Reading Names of the Dead put me in mind of Dan Brown and Robert Ludlum. Granted, the novel is in the same vein: CIA agent on the run, trying to solve a murder and escape being imprisoned himself. It is an all-action, high-octane thriller worthy of a James Bond film. The reader is taken on a rollercoaster ride as Connor Montrose travels from across Europe, taking us from the mafia-ridden backstreets of Rome to the banks of Zurich and the hidden streets of Paris. Leggatt’s descriptions of these places are vivid, especially the Paris sections. Reading them, you can almost feel yourself surrounded by the familiar tourist landmarks.
Not once are you able to catch your breath. From the get-go, Names of the Dead fires along, leading the reader on a wild chase that is exhilarating and nerve-wracking. There are new twists and turns with each couple of chapters, developments and revelations which astound you. At times I had to sit back to digest certain pieces of information. Leggatt has weaved an intricate web, one many writers may have found hard to keep together, but one which he is always in control of. It unravels in just the right way, building tension until the explosive finale. The last couple of chapters literally had me breathless. This is the kind of book that would keep you up all night wondering how everything will turn out.
As a character, Connor is reminiscent of many a fictional agent. He has a troubled past, haunted by the death of his sister, and he has a lot of vengeance inside him. An IT genius, he also wants to do what’s right and is willing to compromise everything to bring to light the shady dealings his bosses would rather keep quiet. There is a lot of grey to Connor’s character which helps to make him more believable. You cannot help but root for him and hope he manages to clear his name.
Leggatt has infused his novel with grey shades. Nothing here is black and white. Almost everyone has a hidden agenda. Names of the Dead does not shy away from painting certain bodies in a less than flattering light. The novel deals with quite a few important issues, including the Holocaust and international crime. This helps to give an added richness to the story, providing a human and emotional touch that permeates the action.
All in all, Names of the Dead is a strong debut. Leggatt is a skilled storyteller and his book is a compelling read, sure to be enjoyed by fans of Lee Child and James Patterson. If you only read on crime novel this year, make it this one.
KINDLE NINJA – BOOK REVIEWS
From the moment the first chapter of “Names of the Dead” ended, I knew Connor Montrose was going to be one hell of a character. Defiant, head-strong, and driven by vengeance. He’s an exceptionally written character with the swagger of a CIA operative and the fighting chops of a killing machine. From there, it’s hard to tell if he’s the good guy.
The narrative style is frantic and restless, but never confusing. This is magnified by the reader’s access to Montrose’s state of mind. The inner dialogues not only make us privy to Montrose’s innermost thoughts, they also make us feel that we’re part of this intricate web of lies and deceit. It’s as immersive as playing a first person shooter – pumping bullets, maiming enemies, and leaving a trail of dead bodies as location shifts from Rome to Zurich to Paris to Tehran. Add the involvement of abbreviated agencies in double cross and conspiracies, then you have a sensational international thriller in your hand.
Author Mark Leggatt is on the driver seat, never taking his foot off the gas as the story unravels at breakneck speed. Buckle up!
Wendy Jones – Top 1000 Reviewer VINE VOICE AMAZON
I had not heard of this author, however, when I came across him doing a book signing at a local bookstore I picked up the book.I am so glad I did. This is a high action thriller with believable characters and an engrossing plot. The main Character, Connor Montrose, is quirky but I believed in him as a character. The action is high octane and fairly keeps the plot moving along. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Leggett is a debut author and I will definitely be looking out for his next book. I would highly recommend to all lovers of crime and thrillers.
Undiscovered Scotland – Names Of The Dead
Take a very deep breath before you open the cover of “Names of the Dead” by Mark Leggatt, because it will your last chance for a while to do so. Connor Montrose is an employee of the CIA who has been seconded to Interpol to keep him out of the way, following a bout of private enterprise that saw him access highly sensitive information about CIA flights over Central America. We join him after he has defied orders to end a surveillance operation in Naples and followed his targets to Rome. The body-count begins on page 13, and from there it ticks over remorselessly throughout a book in which more of the minor characters seem to die than survive. Page 13 is also the first time someone tries to kill Montrose, but again this is only the first of many attempts on his life.
From Rome we follow Connor Montrose to Zurich, and then to Paris, where much of the action takes place. Then we follow him to Morocco and finally to Tehran for the book’s climax. And wherever he goes, Montrose leaves a trail of blood, some of his own and a great deal of other people’s, in his wake. The pace of the action is compelling and you find yourself fairly whizzing along in the wake of this one-man angel of death as he first tries to find out what exactly it is he has stumbled upon, and then tries to clear his name and stop his own pursuit by every police force in Europe, and others who are far more ready to kill him.
At various points Montrose encounters people who might, or might not, be on his side, or who might share his objectives. But what really drives the book along is the reader’s access to Montrose’s inner dialogue as he analyses events and situations; as he tries to make sense of what is happening around him; and as he tries, repeatedly to kill before he is killed. This inner commentary is at times highly entertaining and helps the reader understand events that might otherwise be hard to follow. The action in the book is so fast paced and unrelenting that at times it takes on a slightly unreal quality. But the same sort of over-the-top approach never got in the way of anyone’s enjoyment of James Bond’s adventures, and it certainly doesn’t get in the way of enjoying Connor Montrose’s exploits. So, take a very deep breath, prepare to suspend disbelief from time to time, and get ready to be entertained…
For a full list of Amazon Reviews, go to https://www.amazon.co.uk/Names-Dead-Mark-Leggatt/dp/1905916973/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1475866261&sr=8-1&keywords=names+of+the+dead