Kingmaker by Adrian Hyde

About Kingmaker

WEALTH. POWER. GLORY. REVENGE. When the world is against you, who do you trust?

April 1940. Norway has fallen under the Nazi Blitzkrieg. Only a small British force now stands between Hitler’s SS and the ultimate prize…

Lieutenant Harry King is in trouble again. Haunted by his past and consumed by alcohol, he is saved from his fate by a mysterious senior officer. When he is sent on a seemingly simple errand, he stumbles into a conspiracy that could change the course of the war. Dragged into a hair-raising world of murder, mystery and betrayal, King must choose between his duty, love and revenge. In a heart-pounding race across the frozen tundra, mountains and fjords, can he survive against the odds and uncover the traitor at the heart of his world?

Kingmaker is a heart-pounding mystery thriller, set against the rich background of World War 2 and is the first outing for reluctant antihero Lieutenant Harry King. Fans of historical thrillers by Robert Harris will love this book, as will readers of mainstream thrillers like Lee Child and Dan Brown.

My Review of Kingmaker

I rarely read historical novels, preferring to read modern day romances and gritty crime dramas. But one reason that I decided to start this blog was to broaden my reading tastes, and so once I had read the blurb about Kingmaker, I was eager to learn more and, so thought that I would give it a go... and I am so very glad that I did. 

 

Kingmaker is an exceptional debut novel from Adrian Hyde. It is well researched, well written and thoroughly unputdownable. I loved this book. At the very beginning we watch an overweigh banker and a lady of ill repute, as they mend their way slowly to their borrowed lodgings, knowing that something bad is going to happen. We know this fact as we are seeing the events through the eyes of Pederson, a character who we will soon slowly learn more about as the novel progresses. This opening to the novel is both shocking and entertaining, I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough to find out what would happen next, and this set the pace for the entire story.

 

The beginning of the book draws you instantly into the world as it was during the Second World War. I became immersed in this world, it was so real to me. It was very obvious that the author had done his research and that the facts surrounding the World War 2 were used as the backbone to the story. This in turn made the story more raw and authentic. The antihero of the story is that of Lieutenant Harry King, and I adored this character because he is not your average hero. He has his many faults and has a vulnerability to him that makes you warm to him even more. I really did want to reach into the book, so that I could enter his world and sit and have a drink with him. 

This story has it all; murder, betrayal. villains, romance; which creates a whirlwind of a read. Although heavily dominated by men, there is the welcome addition of Anja, a solider and interpreter who joins Harry in his quest, although at first this is much to his annoyance. She is a strong and independent woman and she was certainly a force to be reckoned with and held her own against Harry and his team of men.

This novel is also full of twists and turns right up to the very last page. I was thoroughly entertained and I am really looking forward to finding out what the handsome and roguish Harry gets up to in his next adventure. 

 

Kingmaker can be found at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Adrian's website can be found at https://adrianhydebooks.com/

About Adrian Hyde

Adrian Hyde is a thriller writer, historian and citizen of the world. He was born in the city of Derby, England in 1975, the son of an ex-soldier. He grew up on the doorstep of the beautiful Derbyshire Peak District, and his father’s military service and an interest in local history inspired him to write from an early age. 

 

Educated locally in Derby and Heanor, he studied Politics at the University of Reading, Berkshire. Adrian then had a successful career in sales, marketing and product management, mainly in heavy engineering and construction equipment companies, where he travelled extensively throughout the world. All this was to change when his wife was diagnosed with dementia, and Adrian became a full-time single parent and carer, however the experience spurred him on to return to writing full-time.

He still loves Derbyshire but now lives in neighbouring Leicestershire with his two children and Ben the Labrador.