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Wednesday 4 May 2016

Long Time Lost by Chris Ewan

(Book received from, and review written for, TripFiction.com)

Exciting race through Europe                               My rating:  4 out of 5



Kate is in hiding under a police witness protection scheme.  When those she is hiding from arrive to kill her, Miller offers to take over Kate's protection using his own  private protection scheme.  However his terms are that if she wants to live she must give up every part of her previous life - and that may be too much to ask. 

Then, unexpectedly, Miller finds himself in a race against time to save the clients he has hidden away all across Europe.  His clients are not always as grateful and obliging as he would hope, and, as his is an illegal protection scheme, he can't look to any law enforcement agencies for help.  Who is Miller? Can Kate trust him? Who is he protecting, and from what?

The first page of this thriller is exciting and dramatic, and the action and drama continues throughout the book, alongside a great story.   Miller's team are people you get to know through the book and are an interesting group.  Their roles certainly made me stop and think about what hiding and protecting people might involve in real life.

The book travels through many European locations starting in the Isle of Man and Manchester, then travelling to Hamburg, Rome, Arles in France, Prague and Brienz in Switzerland  etc.  Life is very hectic during these visits, so mostly the reader only gets a quick glimpse, often at a running pace, but enough is shown of some of these settings to give the reader a flavour of their character. 

The themes of starting a new life afresh and hiding one's past are interesting in themselves, as are the logistics of keeping track of these people and keeping them safe - particularly with all the positives and negatives of technology if you are trying to stay hidden.

Quite apart from the thrilling pace of the book, and the action, there are some great background stories going on , which give the characters life and interest.  Most of the book is involved with only a few main characters, though there are quite a number of peripheral characters and sometimes I found I had lost track of exactly what had happened to them.  However the writing was so good that I did not need to go back and check it out, the author clarified things quickly as the story progressed. 

There is so much going on in this book that it is not a quick read but is easy to follow.  My guess is that most readers will rush through it, but the writing style also makes it perfect for short stints of reading.  Perfect for a holiday, long flight, or if you just want to escape into a great book. 


Overall a great, and exciting thriller.  I hope to read more of Chris Ewan soon.  

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