Review of "Harry's Revenge: A Harry Windsor Thriller" by Andy Wiseman

In this second book in the 'Harry Windsor' series, the former mob thug sets out to avenge a murder. The book works fine as a standalone.

****

Harry Windsor is a former criminal enforcer who went straight after a stint in prison. Harry inherited a large North London home from his foster mother Lillian, which he converted into a comfortable apartment for himself and flats to rent out. Harry does the keep-up and repairs himself....



.....under the watchful eye of his German Shepherd Samson.



Samson is a well-trained dog who helps when he's needed, like when some 'tooled-up' street thugs try to mug Harry.



Though Harry (mostly) stays on the right side of the law, he's always ready to use his pugilistic and kick-boxing skills to defend himself and his friends. Harry's talents also come in handy in his side job as 'minder' for stunning Chantelle Grayson, whose flabby, older, stay-at-home husband hires Harry to protect his club-loving, hard-partying wife.



Harry keeps in shape at Sals Boxing Academy, where he's been going since he was a teen.



Sal taught young Harry to box and became a friend and mentor. Now that Harry's older, and on the straight and narrow, he tries to looks out for Sal. Thus Harry pays attention when he sees Sal having a lengthy talk with a young man.



Later, as Harry and Sal are sparring, Sal confides that the young man is looking for Sal's grandson Daniel, who recently left the army. Sal admits, "There was some kind of trouble....an investigation. Daniel was somehow involved....he won't talk about it." Harry offers to help Daniel, and steps into a very dangerous situation.

It turns out three ex-army men - Sarge, Johno, and Eddie - are seeking Daniel to work out a serious grudge.



The trio decide that either Sal or Harry can lead them to Daniel, and are prepared to use violence to get the information they want. The former soldiers attack Harry when he's minding Chantelle in a club, but Harry gets away, a bit the worse for wear. A homicide follows, and Harry vows to get revenge against Sarge, Johno, and Eddie.

Though Harry is mostly a loner, he sometimes socializes with his friend, journalist Isobelle (Izzy) Harker;



and his half-brother, Detective Sergeant Steve Marshall, who likes to cook in his spare time.



Harry, Izzy, and Steve get together when the detective prepares a vegetarian meal of courgette (zucchini) and bean savory rice, pita bread, yogurt, and salad.







Steve and Izzy had previously helped Harry take down a group of Russian mobsters, and - when they hear about Harry's current endeavors - Steve and Izzy involve themselves once again.

As the story unfolds, various characters engage in computer searches; surveillance; break-ins; street-fighting; arson; gun-running; shooting; boxing; and so on.



Author Andy Wiseman does a good job describing the choreography of fights, which are rough, bloody, and (sometimes) deadly.

Harry is ruthless when he confronts wrongdoers, but can be a 'Robin Hood' to folks in need. It's nice to see this softer side of Harry, who's often misunderstood, even by his friends.

This is a rough-and-tumble, action-packed novel that fans of thrillers (and boxing) would enjoy.

Thank you to Andy Wiseman for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3.5 stars