Ruthless

Ruthless
John Rector
Thomas & Mercer
Seattle, Washington
ISBN: 978-1477827628
2015
$ 15.95
274 pages

"Every decision we make has consequences...Some people, however, don't grasp the concept of consequences, and I can see now that you're one of those people, Nick."
There are certain times in your life where a mistaken identity can be a blessing, others where it definitely is a curse.   For Nick White, he is uncertain which.
Nick is in a bar when a woman comes up to him and giving him an envelope full of money and a picture.  Apparently someone believed he is a killer for hire.   So what does a normal person do now? Take the twenty-thousand dollars?  Should he actually find and kill the person?  What about the real killer?  What will the real killer do when he discovers that the money was given to the wrong person?What does anyone do when they are in deep water that is way over their head?
Nick is basically a good guy, just a little lazy with no career direction or ambition.  He was fired while being a journalist which also caused problems in his marriage.
He decides to find the girl in the picture.   Shouldn't he warn her that someone wants to kill her?
What should he do with the money?   No one would miss a few hundred.  Or would they?
Nick White is a superbly developed protagonist, seriously flawed while still having an innocent quality of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. 
Ruthless is a page-turner.  With this engrossing tale, you will stay up all night trying to find a good stopping place.   There isn't one.   This is a book you will not be able to put down leaving you constantly yearning to read just one more page.
John Rector is an Omaha author whose books have become bestsellers with The Grove, The Cold Kiss, and Out of the Black.   He is also a winner of various awards including the International Thriller Award for "Lost Things" a novella.
The twists and turns in Ruthless allows you to accompany Nick into a world where he does not belong.  While bumping along the guide rails in a believable roller coaster rider, you frequently feel the closeness to almost jumping off in this "gritty" tale.
Ruthless is a tightly-written adventure with an unusual writing style that is masterful, grabbing the reader's thoughts and ruthlessly never releasing.  This intense form is aimed at adult readers especially those who enjoy a thriller.
I look forward to reading more by this immensely talented area author, John Rector.