I am a huge fan of this author & love his Tomek Bowen books, so I have gone backwards & started to read the Jake Tanner series. This novel was previously published as The Conspiracy. It’s DC Jake Tanner’s first day on secondment from the Met. Talk about hit the ground running, a jewellery store owner has been kidnapped & a collar bomb fastened around her neck. The people responsible set riddles & drop clues in order to defuse the device & time is slipping away. During the investigation, it becomes apparent that not everyone is on his side & Jake has some big decisions to make. This was a good read & I will tackle the rest of the series but I can also see how much the author has progressed & finessed his skills in later works. There is a little humour but this is a gritty thriller with violence & strong language aplenty. I certainly enjoyed it, although perhaps enjoyed isn’t quite the right word.