Second in the series, Riot Act take Charlie Fox to a friends house to babysit the dog and look after things while she is away on holiday. As much as Charlie doesn't want to get involved with the turmoil that seems to surround this small English district, it seems to stalk her and pounce when she least expect it. Thus, she finds herself, once again solving a mystery, dodging bullets, knives and swinging fists and running from a past that haunts her.A very enjoyable story with the perfect amount of teasers to entice further reading - Bravo Ms. Sharp. Charlie is one of those reluctant heroes. There is a dynamic about her that is so normal that I can't help but think she could be any woman walking down the street in a real world. She is perfect and imperfect at the same time. She carries serious demons, has emotional/relationship troubles, is flawed, doesn't deal with terror and sadness with the unrealism as many characters I read. She gets hurt (physically and emotionally), knows when to run away, knows when to stand up and fight and knows how to defeat her opponent with cunning as well as force, if and when that is necessary. She isn't afraid to fight, she just chooses a more subtle approach, if possible.She is funny, tender, sarcastic, strong, stubborn, brutally honest at times, somewhat detached from her feelings, not beautiful, yet beautiful, modest yet well aware of her abilities and not afraid to warn a person ... or not, emotionally unhinged one moment and, all together, the next ... normal. Probably the most normal character I have ever read.That is what makes her so engaging. She really could be you, or me, or the woman waiting for a coffee and sandwich at the deli counter.As far as the story? Exciting, pulse pounding, action/thriller. The supporting cast? As real as Charlie. The dog? I swear, I have never read a dog that was written so well. Friday (the dog's name) had me laughing so hard at times, tears rolled down my face. He reminds me of my own German Shepard, even though he's a Rhodesian Ridgeback. He almost...almost stole her thunder.Although my start date says November 6, making is seem like it took me a long time to read the book, I actually read 94% of it in two days. It was slow to start (although life did interfere there, for a while) but I have the feeling that this is the way Charlie is, taking her time to let you into her world before she grabs you by the shirt and tosses you, effortlessly, into the fray along side her.The only thing that prevents me from giving it five stars is that I figured out the bad guy sooner than I would have wanted. But, I did that in the first book as well. Maybe that is the way the author intends it, maybe not. However, she wrote the reveal in such a fashion that even though I knew who it was, I was still shocked in the manner in which the perpetrator was presented and the ruthlessness of this person's actions. As far as the rest of the plot? There were, seriously wonderful plot twists that had me smiling as the reveals came out and happy that the bad guys got what they deserved, in the end.Highly recommended to anyone who wants a strong, yet fragile reluctant female hero who faces the world head on with no pretense of perfection and every intention of just getting through it intact.4.75 Stars
Okay, so in July 2012 I gave in to the nagging feeling that I was missing out. Every time I looked on Facebook I kept seeing people take about Zoe Sharp and the character Charlie Fox. Not one to miss out I immediately read the first book in the series and LOVED it. I have finally got around to book 2 and finished it in less time than the first.Charlie Fox is ex-special forces, however that may sound like a ‘bog standard’ character template for a female lead, but she is far from standard. Charlie Fox is an ordinary woman with a very interesting past. Yep, she was in the special-forces but eventually kicked out due to a harrowing event that has gone on to make her a little bit cynical. Currently working at a gym and house-sitting for her friend she has no idea that things are about to go a little crazy in her life. I really like Charlie Fox as a character and although she certainly has some skills, she isn’t what you would call the most settled of people.The thing about a good series is that you begin to learn about the characters as each book is released. Sharp does a cracking job of feeding enough to keep the reader interested, but too little for you to feel you really have the whole picture? It’s what makes people continue to read series like these. With Charlie’s house stay coinciding with a rush of violence on the estate, she finds herself trapped between toeing the line with the law, and getting involved to help get to the truth of what’s going on. In typical Charlie style, the trouble comes looking for her.With the London riots reasonably recent, it made the events in this book that little bit more real for me. What I didn’t account for was a character from Charlie’s past, Sean Meyer’ turning up and rocking the boat. There are a number of threads to this story and as you keep reading it’s like peeling back the layers of an onion! I changed my mind a number of times as to who was behind the violence and riots, but as the story went on I realised I should give up trying to work it out and just enjoy. Enjoy it was what I did in the bucket load! I love Charlie, her close friends and work colleagues and now Sean. However, the number one spot has to go to Friday, the dog of her friend for whom she was house-sitting. He absolutely made his mark and I thought he and Charlie made a great match (ridiculous I know, but true).Having promised other people I would read other books next, I decided to completely ignore my promises and have already started book 3. I can see this series taking all preference for a while yet! I would absolutely recommend this book and the series. Start at book 1 and you have at least 9 to catch up on…I can’t wait!
What do You think about Riot Act (2002)?
An early Charlie Fox thriller. Virtually impossible to find in the U.S. While housesitting in a marginal neighborhood, Charlie becomes embroiled in a series of escalating violence with racial overtones designed to catalyze urban renewal. Charlie rescues a young thug from a beating at the hands of hired peacekeepers, only to discover he is the young brother of her ex-lover, Sean Meyer, who quit Special Forces. Charlie has to face him and her past in order to deal with the present. A lot of solid ass-kicking, as usual, in Zoe Sharp's books.
—Skip
I read the first book in this series because it had an endorsement from Lee Child, who is one of my favorite authors. Hoping that I had found a new author to read, I immediately downloaded the entire series of four books. I enjoyed the first one although it did not live up to the recommendation in my opinion, but Charlie Fox was not as appealing or as interesting in this second of the series. The story was very slow to come together and capture my interest. I will say, however, that this author has a good command of the English language and uses it with flair and imagination. While the plot left me cold at times, I DID enjoy the author's writing style. Since I've already bought the downloads of the next two, I am hoping that the lackluster quality of this one was just a fluke.
—Joan
#2 in the Charlotte “Charlie” Fox series. This time out, Charlie has given up self defense lessons while recuperating from injuries sustained in the initial entry Killer Instinct (2001). However, while housesitting for a friend she finds herself in a deteriorating neighborhood populated by Asians (Pakistanis) and a like neighborhood populated by native Brits. Interesting entry and I'm looking forward to future entries to determine the overriding story arc.Charlotte “Charlie” Fox series - A self-defense expert with a motorbike and an attitude, Charlie Fox doesn't need to go looking for trouble. It generally finds her. Housesitting for a friend seemed easy at first but the house is in the Lavender Garden Estate. Teenage gangs are running riot and desperate neighbors have employed a ruthless security firm to apply rough justice. The situation gets uglier when a young Asian boy is fatally wounded in what appears to be a racially motivated shooting. Caught in the middle of an urban battlefield, Charlie's more than able to take care of herself but then she comes face to face with a specter from her army past. Lives will depend on Charlie working out just who she can really trust.
—Ed
