The Watchman by Rob Parker @robparkerauthor @lume_books @lovebooksgroup #blogtour #bookreview #BenBracken

GOOD MORNING JULY!!! How the frig is it July already? Seriously!! How is it suddenly the second half of 2021??! OK OK OK, so I’m kicking off the month by welcoming the blog tour for Rob Parker’s The Watchman, the fifth Ben Bracken thriller.

Massive thank you to Kelly Lacey of Love Books Tours for inviting me on the tour and for my advanced e-copy of The Watchman. I also preordered a copy from Amazon which arrived last week.

The Blurb

One last mission for an old friend. What could go wrong?

It’s sold as an in-and-out jaunt to The Big Apple, to pick up a harmless envelope. But when Ben Bracken is offered the assignment, he’s a little hesitant. He’s a family man now, with a duty to stay alive for his loved ones.

But, with the request coming from fellow former military man and trusted friend William Grosvenor, not to mention the eye-watering payout, one last job can’t hurt, can it?

So begins his American road trip, one that takes him from the city that never sleeps to the misty swamps of Florida. All in pursuit of one highly coveted envelope. Because it turns out, this job isn’t the walk in Central Park it was promised to be.

As he’s pursued by New York’s most dangerous mobsters, factions of federal law enforcement, and American Intelligence, Ben’s hunch is that their joint quarry must hold something of international significance.

He’s not wrong. The contents that’s slipping through these influential fingers contains evidence of the world’s biggest cover-up. Evidence that will rewrite history books and incriminate one of the most powerful men on the planet.

It’s probably best it winds up in the right hands.

The Watchman is packed with action, underpinned with believable conspirative intrigue, world-class writing and twists you just won’t see coming.

What Did I Think?

Meet Ben Bracken. A man of mystery… a man with all sorts at his disposal (possibly even ones of the liquorice variety) but also a family man so his loyalties are divided…. cue a call from an old friend whilst “enjoying” a family meal in the Trafford Centre food hall (it’s not a fun place in my book) and suddenly Ben is heading to the Big Apple to collect an envelope – simples right? What could possibly go wrong …. but when is anything simple in a crime thriller?!?

In my first encounter with Mr Bracken which I am well and truly kicking myself about, I went from Manchester to New York in a breath, possibly the last breath I took before I finished The Watchman. What happened between Bracken’s departure and return North West England was action packed and mind boggling with a wee bit of thought provocation thrown in for good measure.

I loved the excellent slight of hand from Parker. I won’t go into what but my presumptions were my down fall. The twists and turns woven into this book are brilliant. One of the biggest and speculated cover ups in US history brought in to the spotlight. Parker has thrown a hat of such plausibility to the conspiracy ring. Could it be true?! Well I for one am on board with believability.

I totally loved The Watchman! This is my first encounter with Ben Bracken despite owning the first four in the series. Parker is a multitalented writer – I’ve now read three of his books each distinctly different to the last. I definitely need get to know Mr Bracken better #handofficiallyslapped

Who Is Rob Parker?

Rob Parker is a married father of three, who lives in a village near Manchester, UK. Author of the Ben Bracken series A Wanted Man, Morte Point, The Penny Black and Till Morning is Nigh, The Watchman, and the standalone post-Brexit country-noir Crook’s Hollow, he enjoys a rural life on an old pig farm (now minus pigs), writing horrible things between school runs. He writes full time, as well as organising and attending various author events across the UK, while boxing regularly for charity. Passionate about inspiring a love of the written word in young people, Rob spends a lot of time in schools across the North West, encouraging literacy, story-telling, creative-writing and how good old fashioned hard work tends to help good things happen.