#BookReview: TO KILL A MAN by Sam Bourne @hannah_robbo @QuercusBooks

Publication: 19th March 2020 – Quercus

Natasha Winthrop is a rising star in American politics, strongly tipped as a future candidate for president. One night she is violently assaulted in her home by an intruder. She defends herself and minutes later, the intruder lies dead. Winthrop is hailed as a #MeToo heroine: the woman who fought back.

But inconsistencies emerge in Winthrop’s story, suggesting that the attack might not have been as random as it first seemed.

When former White House troubleshooter Maggie Costello is drafted in to investigate, she finds intriguing gaps, especially over Winthrop’s early life. She likes this woman, who she believes could – and should – be president. But she can’t shake off the question: who exactly is Natasha Winthrop?

A cat-and-mouse conspiracy thriller of rare intelligence, To Kill a Man explores an unsettling world in which justice is in the eye of the beholder and revenge seems to be the only answer.

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If, like me, you regularly watched every episode of the TV series Scandal, then you are going to love this new novel by Sam Bourne. The protagonist is Maggie Costello who, like Olivia Pope on TV, is hired to solve the problems of Washington elite. She is the best at her job so when rising star Natasha Winthrop is arrested for killing an intruder in her house, she has no choice but to ask for Maggie’s help. As Maggie investigates, a darker and more complex truth comes to light, a truth that puts her in danger.

Let me give you a fair warning. As the author addresses themes of rape and sexual assault and highlights the holes in the American justice system when it comes to prosecuting rapists, some of the scenes may result thought-provoking, uncomfortable, and not easy to read (although they are not detailed). The plot is intriguing, twisty, complex, and, above all, timely: the author writes about fake news, #metoo movement, behind the scene of a presidential campaign, and how social media can easily influence people.

I really liked the character of Maggie Costello. She is a wonderful and brilliant character, determined to find out the truth. This is my first novel by this author, but I am really looking forward to read the other novels featuring this character.

To Kill A Man is a refreshing and fast-paced political thriller full of suspense and surprises with vivid and intriguing characters and a fantastic and unexpected ending that make this novel a must-read. Highly recommended!!!

A huge thank you to Hannah, Quercus, and Netgalley for providing me with a proof copy of this novel.