Fifth Victim (Charlie Fox) [Kindle Edition]

Charlie Fox [nee Charlotte Foxcroft] is a "take no prisoners" kinda gal. Now nearing thirty, she takes on a new assignment for her company, Armstrong-Meyer, a "close-protection" [read "bodyguard"] organization: to protect a young woman from kidnapping. The preemptive action by the girl's mother is due to the fact that three of her friends have been kidnapped, a fourth is abducted in the early pages of the book, and the fear is that she will become the titular fifth victim. The families of all those involved are for the most part obscenely wealthy, with the requisite enormous homes [or, more accurately, estates] outside Southampton, up towards the eastern end of Long Island, multiple sports cars, private jets, yachts, etc.; the payment of ransom has not always ensured the safe return of the victim.

Charlie needs the distraction of this assignment, inasmuch her lover and `soulmate,' Sean Meyer, lies in a coma, his prognosis uncertain, following the events that ended the last book in the series, "Fourth Day," a near-fatal shooting three months prior

The author's background - thoroughly familiar with rifles and for that matter every type of gun imaginable, equally at home flying a helicopter and light aircraft as on the back of a horse and piloting a yacht - uniquely qualifies her to create a protagonist capable of getting into, and out of, one very challenging situation after another, and providing the reader with an exciting, eminently readable thriller along the way. The tension of the situation confronting Charlie in this entry, with Sean's life, or death, an uncertain constant, only adds to the suspense inherent in this well-written novel.

Recommended.

I love Zoe Sharp's Charlie Fox series - but the last two books (Third Strike and Fourth Day were always going to be hard acts to follow, and this one is a tad disappointing in comparison.

Charlie herself with her ex-Special Forces background and her complicated emotional life is a fabulous heroine who refuses to fit into the usual cliches. But after the shock ending to the last book, the emotional intensity of this one is less heated than the last two books and Charlie's personal life takes a back seat.

The plot is as twisted as ever, with great unobtrusive writing and characterisation. But I can't help feeling that there's something missing - for me, it's Charlie's intense and dark relationship with Sean Meyer which gives these books their edge and with that side-lined here, there is a slackening in the emotional tension.

Make no mistake, this is still head and shoulders above the average thriller - it's just not the best that Sharp can do.

For a long time I've been singing the praises of Zoe Sharp's Charlie Fox novels, citing not only her uniqueness in the male-dominated action thriller genre, but also the fact that her books feel absolutely real; there is no questioning the authenticity here.

As the Fox series has developed, another interesting wrinkle has been added - - Sharp gives a distinctly human quality to her protagonist. Charlie is not just another arse-kicking automaton, but a fully rounded human being who occasionally makes bad judgement calls. The last one, of course, wound up with her lover and fellow bodyguard Sean Meyer in a coma.

In FIFTH VICTIM, Charlie finds taking on an apparently simple gig to try and distract her from the reality of Sean's condition. But nothing is ever as simple as it seems and soon enough both Charlie's life and that of her principle are in danger. The plot twists and turns with a surprising ease, but its the final twists that provide a real kick to the heart and the head.

The perfect blend of thrills and emotional investment mean that Sharp's latest novel is her best yet. If you're not reading her, you really should start now.

Another eagerly awaited Charlie Fox book and yet again, no disappointments.

As I work in a mobile library, I can honestly say that I recommend all Zoe's books wherever I go! I can't spoil storylines or give away hints from other books just in case you don't read them in order. I started with Third Strike and read them as soon as I could get hold of them. But having enjoyed them so much, I have just reread them in the right order.

Great action, charactors and story. What can I say - bring on the next Charlie Fox book...soon please!

I was expecting great things from the follow-up to Fourth Day and I wasn't disappointed.

I finished this book in three days, skimping on sleep and ignoring the world around me. I was completely drawn in to Charlie's world, going through the mill along with her and that's the beauty of Sharp's writing. She effortlessly crafts a story and characters who engage you, make you care about them and want to read more. Sharp's writing style is is thing of beauty, classy and elegent, yet easy to read and still allowing the pace to ramp up at an instant's notice, without getting in the way or ceasing to fit with the action.

The plot was clever and well thought out and kept me guessing right up until the end. I thought I had it for a minute (and was feeling awfully pleased with myself) until Sharp proved again why she is queen of this genre, the final twist showing me that in fact, no I didn't guess right. But that is what you want from a great book; that wonderful feeling at the end 'Oh! I SOO didn't see that one coming!'

I really need to read the next book, I won't give too much away for the sake of those yet to read this, but things that happen in Charlie's personal life during the course of this book leave me itching to read the next one.

Whether you have read previous books or not doesn't matter with Sharp's books. You can drop in at any point and will feel like you've known Charlie for years. Indeed, the first book I read was Third Strike!

So to sum up, I'd simply say; 'Brilliant! You need this book on your shelf!'