THE CHARLIE SAYER TRILOGY
Crossing the Line
ISBN - 13 978-1977073174
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Crossing the Line is essentially a crime thriller but with a moral background.
At the time of Crossing the Line, Charlie is a forty-one year old British ex-pat living in Southern Spain with his thirty-nine year-old wife Sally and their sixteen-year-old daughter Rachel.
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Charlie is a former UK cop who was shot during an undercover operation that went seriously wrong. He was subsequently, and against his own will, pensioned off from the Police, an action that sent him spiralling towards alcoholism and depression. To rehabilitate her husband Sally moved the family to Spain and Charlie gradually recovers his life.
As part of his rehabilitation Charlie takes on the role of PI and whilst working on a case he comes up against his nemesis when he is hunted down by the very killer who shot him when he was still a policeman, bringing his police career to a premature end.
The story revolves around how this criminal is anxious to finish off the job he had started, and brings to life just how the work of a PI can impact upon an otherwise peaceful family life, often negatively.
Charlie is a highly moralistic guy with set standards that he tries to adhere to even when they place him in intolerable situations. Unfortunately, his best friend Tony Ryan, a tough Glaswegian ex-cop is not in possession of the same high standards and often this brings Charlie up to a line he is not sure that he should cross. Sadly, sometimes Ryan is there to push him across this imaginary line.
So, Crossing the Line brings the reader in touch with crime, moral dilemmas, toughness and sensitivity all set against the back drop of the family life of a retired cop in Southern Spain.
What Readers Say About Crossing the Line
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"Very enjoyable, the first person narration successfully weaves past and present. It also gives an insight into Charlie Sayer's mind and motivation, and while he can be a bit maudlin at times I found I really felt for the bloke. I hope there is more to come from Charlie, and his pal Ryan.........."
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"I chose to read this book because I know the author. I really enjoyed it. It was interesting to try and work out how much of the story was fact and how much was fiction. Well done Stuart."
"A great first novel written with wit and emotion. the characters add to the plot and are a pivotal part of the moral dilemma which is at the heart of the book."
Blood Route
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ISBN - 13 978-1980740049
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The sequel to Crossing the Line, Blood Route, continues the story of the life Charlie Sayer seeks to follow, namely that of a normal family man. However, yet again this life is seriously derailed by his often reluctant role as a private detective.
In Blood Route, what starts out as a favour to a friend of his wife, sends Charlie on a rollercoaster of a ride deep into the bowels of European criminality.
Yet again Charlie’s moral standards appear to dictate that he follows up on a line of investigation when common sense would appear to suggest otherwise. In this novel, he uncovers a trade in illegally bred dogs which turns out to also be a means by which a drugs trade between Bulgaria and Spain is both funded and disguised.
As always Charlies less moral friend Ryan both assists and hinders in equal measure as Charlie tries to get to the bottom of the illegal activity whilst dealing with unwanted interference from a corrupt agent within the British security services.
The whole idea behind the Charlie Sayer trilogy is to illustrate just how dirty criminal investigation can be and how it impacts upon someone who tries their best not to be dragged down to the level of the common criminal.
At the same time, the stories try and illustrate how difficult it can be for the modern-day investigator to hold on to their sanity and have a normal family life, whilst still investigating the very crimes they have come to abhor.
What Readers Say About Blood Route
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"Having read Crossing the Line I was eager to see where Charlie and Ryan went next. I was not disappointed.............."
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"A thumping good read. Carries on from where the first story left off and if anything is better. Almost read this in one sitting."
"It's a shame this is only a trilogy but I can't wait for part three."
You See
ISBN 13 978-1981071890
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Undercover work, sometimes known as You See (UC), is a vitally important but often controversial part of the world of the investigator, and it takes a special type of person to be a successful undercover operative.
Charlie Sayer is one such person. But as he passes the age of fifty Charlie wants to slip quietly into retirement and put his undercover days behind him. But the murder of a Police undercover operative and the violent ending of the attempted trafficking of the daughter of a rich businessman, draw Charlie back in to a world he would rather forget.
Against his better judgement Charlie is persuaded by Tony Ryan, his long-time friend and partner, to once again become someone else as he delves ever deeper into the murky and dangerous world of the international criminal, people with no moral standards who will stop at nothing, not even murder, to hold their odious empires together.
Effectively cutting himself off from all those who mean the most to him, Charlie seeks to bring down not one but three criminal empires in the best way he knows – going undercover. Reluctantly he takes on a new persona knowing that one slip in the façade he has created, could mean sudden death.
In the last of the Charlie Sayer trilogy we see our reluctant hero taking on his most difficult and dangerous investigation yet, and one he must take on almost completely on his own if he is to survive.
But is Charlie still up to the task, or have the years taken their toll and diminished his skills, only time will tell. And time is something that Charlie doesn’t have.
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Publication date is the 4th April 2020. Pre-Order the Kindle version now. Follow the link on the left.
What Readers Say About You See
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"What a great final chapter to the Charlie Sayer trilogy. It was good to see him finally move away from the dangerous life he led but a shame to think that there won't be any more books in this series."
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"Just as enjoyable as the first two books, if not slightly better. Harvey is improving his writing."
"Can't wait t see what Stuart does next."
But Just Who Is Charlie Sayer?
So who is Charlie Sayer? Find out more by downloading a free PDF that explains all. Well nearly all!
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Click on the image on the left to get your copy.