Soft Target - Hardcover

Stephen-leather

4.22

3,236 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0340834072 ISBN 13: 9780340834077

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, 2005

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There's only one thing more dangerous than a corrupt cop...and that's a corrupt cop with a gun. When a group of armed police in an elite unit turn maverick and start to rip off drug dealers at gunpoint, undercover cop Dan 'Spider' Shepherd is given his most dangerous mission so far. Shepherd is ordered to infiltrate the tight-knit team, to gain their confidence and to ultimately betray them. Facing men with guns is nothing new for the former SAS trooper, but it's the first time he's had to investigate his own. And the job couldn't have come at a worse time for him. As Shepherd finds himself in the firing line, he has to decide exactly where his loyalties lie.

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About the Author:

Stephen Leather was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times, the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. Before that, he was employed as a biochemist for ICI, shovelled limestone in a quarry, worked as a baker, a petrol pump attendant, a barman, and worked for the Inland Revenue. He began writing full-time in 1992. His bestsellers have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also written for television shows such as London's Burning, The Knock and the BBC's Murder in Mind series. You can find out more from his website, www.stephenleather.com.

Review:

'A cracking good read ... Stephen Leather is a master of the thriller genre and Soft Target does not disappoint. The background to the drugs trade immediately grabs one's attention and the pace never lets up from then on. Leather gives the impression that he has done his research immaculately, and his attention to detail is immaculate. The result is a gripping read, the equal of anything of its nature being published on either side of the Atlantic.' -- Irish Times 'SOFT TARGET is a hard-boiled cop novel, written in a way that captures some of the urgency of large investigations. This is a breathless, exciting narrative about a male-dominated world and its peculiar loyalties.' -- Joan Smith, Sunday Times 'Leather can dispense high-adrenaline plotting but never at the expense of remembering that his characters are humans rather than Action Man dolls. In such books as The Long Shot, the plot never pulls along wafer-thin characters in its trail, Dan Brown-style ... It's Shepherd's pungently drawn personality that makes him such a memorable hero ... The various storylines are orchestrated with precision and the steadily accelerating tension is maintained with assurance ...' -- Barry Forshaw, Sunday Express 'Reading Stephen Leather at leisure is always a pleasure. The pacing of SOFT TARGET is superb ...' **** -- Ireland on Sunday 'A riveting read' -- Sunday Life, Belfast 'Pacey and compulsive' -- Huddersfield Daily Examiner 18991230 'The story of an undercover policeman investigating hardcore gangsters and corrupt cops keeps the pages turning nicely' -- Sydney Morning Herald 18991230 'Taut, suspenseful, tough-guy-with-heart fiction, perfect for a rainy afternoon' -- The Age, Melbourne 18991230 'Leather writes in the style of his subject matter - uncompromising and tough. His attention to detail when describing training and action completely satisfies and his research and knowledge makes you feel you are under the skin of his characters ... Stephen Leather in his 16th novel remains a formidable author. Exciting, absorbing, he targets a hard audience' -- Peterborough Evening Telegraph 18991230 'Stephen Leather should be nestling in your bookshelves alongside Frederick Forsyth and Jack Higgins' -- Daily Mail 'A whirlwind of action, suspense and vivid excitement' -- Irish Times on THE BIRTHDAY GIRL 'Stephen Leather's novel manages to put a contemporary spin on a timeless tale of revenge and retribution ... Leather's experience as a journalist brings a sturdy, gritty element to a tale of horror ... which makes THE EYEWITNESS a compelling read' -- Evening Herald, Dublin 'As tough as British thrillers get ... gripping' -- Irish Independent on HARD LANDING 'As high-tech and as world-class as the thriller genre gets' -- Express on Sunday on THE BOMBMAKER 'Exciting stuff with plenty of heart-palpitating action gingered up by mystery and intrigue ... Leather is an intelligent thriller writer' -- Daily Mail on THE TUNNEL RATS 'Sure to send chills down the spine of even the toughest customer.' -- Daily Telegraph, Sydney 'Leather, a former journalist, can dispense high-adrenaline plotting but never at the expense of remembering that his characters are humans rather than Action Dolls. In such books as The Long Shot, the plot never pulls along wafer-thin characters in its trail, Dan Brown-style...The various storylines are orchestrated with precision and the steadily accelerating tension is maintained with assurance. Leather is fascinated by the psychology of hired killers. How can an individual disarm all moral constraints and commission murder for hard cash? However, none of this moral equivocation gets in the way of his trademark action, authoritatively handled.' -- Sunday Express 'Reading Stephen Leather at leisure is always a pleasure. The pacing of SOFT TARGET is superb.' -- Ireland on Sunday 20050227 'SOFT TARGET is a hard-boiled cop novel, written in a way that captures some of the urgency of large investigations. This is a breathless, exciting narrative about a male-dominated world and its peculiar loyalties.' -- Joan Smith, Sunday Times 20050227

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