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Smith: The first detective Jason Smith thriller (A Detective Jason Smith Thriller Book 1) Kindle Edition
‘The sleepy historical city of York is about to wake up’.
It is Christmas Day in York. A woman is found dead in her bed with a suicide note on her chest. It reads ‘I am so sorry Martin’.
Hours later the police are called to a house a few miles away. A mother and her daughter have been brutally attacked; the mother is dead, and the daughter is barely alive. The father is found shaking uncontrollably in the corner of the room. He is covered in blood, but he is unharmed. His name is Martin Willow.
Detective Sergeant Jason Smith is put in charge of the investigation. After reaching dead end after dead end, Smith starts to put the pieces together and figures out that Martin Willow is innocent, and the killer is still out there. If you like Police Procedurals full of adrenaline pumping suspense and that many twists and turns you think you are on a roller coaster then this series is a ‘must read’.
What readers are saying about Smith:
‘The story is gripping with lots of shocks and surprises, pulling the reader in head first and not giving any time for the reader to come up for air.’ – Jo
‘Reading this book was like being on an at times scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists, turns and stomach churning moments.’ – Ginger Book Geek
‘I haven't read such a brilliant detective thriller for quite while. This is one of the best ever. You felt drawn to Jason's character from the very first page.’ - LooseBoots
‘The story will most certainly hold you as you read you just won't want to put it down. well written with gruesome details throughout.’ – Booklover BEV
‘I really enjoyed the story and the other characters and the pace of the book was great. I was sorry when it ended and have downloaded the next in the series straight away.’ – Angie T.D.
BOOKS BY STEWART GILES
DS JASON SMITH SERIES
Book 0.5 - Phobia
Book 1 - Smith
Book 2 - Boomerang
Book 3 - Ladybird
Book 4 - Occam’s Razor
Book 5 - Harlequin
Book 6 - Selene
Book 7 - Horsemen
Book 8 - Unworthy
Book 9 – Venom
Book 10 – Severed
Book 11 – Demons
Book 12 - Deadeye
Book 13 - Motive
Book 14 – Australia
Book 16 – Wishbone
Book 17 – Ghosts
Book 18 – The Scarecrow
Book 19 – The Bluesman
Book 20 – The Librarian
Book 21 – The Viaduct
Book 22 – The Twin
Book 23 – The Dogwalker
Book 24 – The Flytrap
Book 25 – The Electrician
Book 26 – The Cellar
Book 27 – The Loner
Book 28 – The Painter
Book 29 – The Hitchhiker
Book 30 – The Creed
DI O’REILLY MYSTERIES
Book 1 - Blood on the Island
Book 2 - Lies on the Island
Book 3 - Fear on the Island
Book 4 - Malice on the Island
Book 5 – Revenge on the Island
Book 6 – Christmas on the Island
Book 7 – Silence on the Island
Book 8 – Secrets on the Island
Book 9 – Chaos on the Island
Book 10 - Sadness on the Island
Book 11 – Danger on the Island
Book 12 – Evil on the Island
Book 13 – Fire on the Island
Book 14 – Evil on the Island
DC HARRIET TAYLOR SERIES
Book 1-The Beekeeper
Book 2-The Perfect Murder
Book 3-The Backpacker
Trotterdown a box set of DC Harriet Taylor books 1-3
DS JASON SMITH &DC HARRIET TAYLOR SERIES
Book 1 - The Enigma
Book 2 – Dropzone
Book 3 – The Raven Girl
Trilogy: The DS Smith & Harriet Taylor box set
THE MIRANDA TRILOGY (psychological thrillers)
Miranda
Mistress
Medusa
STANDALONE NOVELS
Horror - The Divide
Thriller - The Ghostwriter
Thriller – The Guests
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateNovember 16, 2014
- File size2145 KB
Shop this series
See full series-
First 3$6.97
-
First 5$12.95
-
First 10$27.90
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All 29 available$84.71
-
First 3$6.97
-
First 5$12.95
-
First 10$27.90
-
All 29 available$84.71
This option includes 3 books.
This option includes 5 books.
This option includes 10 books.
This option includes 29 books.
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Product details
- ASIN : B00PR08S34
- Publisher : STILL Books; 1st edition (November 16, 2014)
- Publication date : November 16, 2014
- Language : English
- File size : 2145 KB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 405 pages
- Page numbers source ISBN : 1506147844
- Best Sellers Rank: #462,673 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,821 in Hard-Boiled Mysteries (Kindle Store)
- #2,391 in Hard-Boiled Mystery
- #2,434 in International Mystery & Crime (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
After reading English at 3 Universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling around the world with my wife, Ann, finally settling in South Africa, where we still live.
In 2013 Ann dropped a rather large speaker on my head and I came up with the idea for a detective series. DS Jason Smith was born. Smith, the first in the series was finished a few months later.
3 years and 8 DS Smith books later, Joffe Books wondered if I would be interested in working with them. As a self-published author, I agreed. However, we decided on a new series – the DC Harriet Taylor Cornwall series.
The Beekeeper was published and soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well.
I continued to self-publish the Smith series and Unworthy hit the shelves in 2018 with amazing results. I therefore made the decision to self-publish The Backpacker which is book 3 in the Detective Harriet Taylor series and was published in July 2018.
After The Backpacker I had an idea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brings together the brooding, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor. Dropzone followed shortly after and the third in the series, The Raven Girl finished things off.
Miranda is something totally different. What was to be a stand-alone psychological thriller, it is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before. The ending begged for a sequel and, Mistress was born. Medusa completes the Miranda trilogy.
There are now 25 DS Smith books available with many more planned for the future.
I wanted a break from the crime thriller genre so I came up with The Divide - a macabre horror tale of survival, but crime will always be my true love.
A new series featuring Irishman, DI Liam O'Reilly begins with Blood on the Island, and that was followed by ten more mysteries set on the island of Guernsey.
When I'm not writing I love sailing, guitars and jumping out of perfectly good planes. I'm lucky to have a huge lake on my doorstep as well as a world-class skydiving drop zone.
Books by Stewart Giles
DS JASON SMITH SERIES
Book 0.5 -Phobia
Book 1 -Smith
Book 2-Boomerang
Book 3-Ladybird
Book 4-Occam’s Razor
Book 5-Harlequin
Book 6-Selene
Book 7-Horsemen
Book 8-Unworthy
Book 9-Venom
Book 10-Severed
Book 11-Demons
Book 12-Deadeye
Book 13-Motive
Book 14-Australia
Book 15-Wishbone
Book 16-Ghosts
Book 17-The Scarecrow
Book 18-The Bluesman
Book 19-The Librarian
Book 20-The Viaduct
Book 21-The Twin
Book 22-The Dogwalker
Book 23-The Flytrap
Book 24-The Electrician
Book 25-The Cellar
DC HARRIET TAYLOR SERIES
Book 1-The Beekeeper
Book 2-The Perfect Murder
Book 3-The Backpacker
Trotterdown a box set of DC Harriet Taylor books 1-3
DS JASON SMITH &DC HARRIET TAYLOR SERIES
Book 1 -The Enigma
Book 2 – Dropzone
Book 3 - The Raven Girl
PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS
Miranda
Mistress
Medusa
Standalone Horror
The Divide
Standalone Psychological Thrillers
The Ghostwriter
The Guests
DI O'Reilly mysteries
Book 1 - Blood on the Island
Book 2 - Lies on the Island
Book 3 - Fear on the Island
Book 4 - Malice on the Island
Book 5 - Revenge on the Island
Book 6 - Christmas on the Island
Book 7 - Silence on the Island
Book 8 - Secrets on the Island
Book 9 - Chaos on the Island
Book 10 - Sadness on the Island
Book 11 - Danger on the Island
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book has great characters and a good introduction to the hero. They describe it as a good read with well-written content that keeps them interested until the end. However, opinions differ on the story quality - some find it engaging, while others feel the plot is weak and predictable.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the character development. They say the characters are great and the introduction to the hero is good.
"...Jason and his team make great series characters. I enjoy how they all relate to each other .. some with humor .. some not so much...." Read more
"Great characters." Read more
"Good characters. the story lines are slightly weak and do not quite pass the feasibility test. all in all -must try harder!..." Read more
"Good characters, love the dog. Nice long read for the money." Read more
Customers find the book readable.
"Fantastic read!" Read more
"...In spite of that, it was still a good read and I recommend it. I hope the author will proofread it properly and republish." Read more
"but still pretty good. The characters were introduced with a lot of cliche. The big twist was awkward...." Read more
Customers find the book well-written and engaging until the end. They appreciate the author's storytelling skill.
"Well written I'll look for others in the series" Read more
"...fiction but some parts of this book's story just go to far.the book is well written and it is a good story that needs polishing.i believe steward..." Read more
"Well written and keeps you interested until the end..." Read more
Customers have mixed reviews about the story. Some find it engaging and an exciting start to a series. Others mention that the plot is weak and predictable.
"Enjoyed this book very much kept my attention looking forward to reading more of the same Stewart Giles books" Read more
"This was a good story and I enjoyed it. Smith and his partner work to solve several murders that may or may not be related...." Read more
"Good characters. the story lines are slightly weak and do not quite pass the feasibility test. all in all -must try harder!..." Read more
"...The big twist was awkward. The reveal was a little off, but the basic plot was good." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2017Well written I'll look for others in the series
- Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2018Many thanks to the author / Books n All Publicity / Jill Burkinshall / Joffe Books for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
This is a digitally remastered version of the first book in the beginning series featuring DS Jason Smith.
Smith is called upon to investigate what at first looks like a suicide. A young woman is found dead in her bed with what appears to be a suicide note on her chest. The note reads "I'm so sorry Martin". Just hours later, the police are called to a horrific murder scene of a woman, the severely injured young daughter and the father/husband sitting in the corner, covered with blood. His name is Martin Willow.
Mr. Willow immediately becomes the prime suspect, although he is so deep in shock he is unable to answer questions.
Smith knows there's a connection .. but he runs into one dead end after the other. The one thing he knows is that Martin Willow is innocent ... but who wanted this family dead? And how long before they kill again?
A sub plot is that of Smith's sister ... who was attacked by a shark and lost 10 years prior. Jason's background .. how his sister's death has affected him over the years..and how he became the man he is today .. is fully covered. Jason and his team make great series characters. I enjoy how they all relate to each other .. some with humor .. some not so much.
There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader totally engrossed in the story. I look forward to following the further adventures of DS Smith.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2019Great characters.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2019Good characters. the story lines are slightly weak and do not quite pass the feasibility test. all in all -must try harder! some editing errors too.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2017this thriller isn't very thrilling.its more a predictable mystery.there are two crimes that seem related but are not.the finding of detective smith's sister in a vicious cult that kill every body else but smith is lame and should not be included,its bad enough that he's a emotional wreak because of his sister disappearance.i know this is fiction but some parts of this book's story just go to far.the book is well written and it is a good story that needs polishing.i believe steward giles will hopefully improve his story telling,he has the skill to write books.this is why i gave him 4 stars.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2016Enjoyed this book very much kept my attention looking forward to reading more of the same Stewart Giles books
- Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2015Fantastic read!
- Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2018A fresh take on an old subject with a real life hero that one can relate to
Top reviews from other countries
- P A BurtonReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 29, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, totally addictive!
My first introduction to this author's work and wasn't my last by any means.
I'm not going to go into the storyline or plot as I think enough has been written in other reviews for people to get the gist of the storyline.
As I've mentioned above, this author's work was new to me, and to be absolutely honest I had never heard of him. WHY?
I first heard of him several books on from this one, from one of the many book groups I'm a member of, how I've missed him I have no idea because my greatest joy is uk crime and police procedural book series, even better is when it's being played out somewhere I'm familiar with. In this case the wonderful city of York.
The author's ability to pull you into the story is uncanny, the extreme amount of emotions you're taken through, throughout this book is astonishing. The protagonist an Australian by birth Jason Smith, banished in his early teens from his native Australia by his uncaring mother to live with his grandmother in York, England. He is a dream of a character that grabs your imagination as you get to know him by the author's clever ability to make the reader feel part of the cast of characters. There's a whole host of fabulous diverse characters, all well thought out and integral to the plot, but not to many that it becomes confusing with to many names.
Emotions I experienced when reading this was real !ife, anger, laughter, sadness, grief, elation, puzzlement you name its all there!
Like I said this is the start, book 1. So good I finished the whole of the series in less than a month 9 books I believe, each book upping the speed of the rollercoaster you don't want to get off!
I can't recommend this crime series from Stewart Giles highly enough, though I would advise starting with this book1: to appreciate the full throttle of this absorbing storyline!
- GeoffReviewed in Australia on February 26, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Great plot and well developed characters
Love the plot and all the characters that are so life-like together with the personal side plot going on in the background.
-
simone hReviewed in Germany on January 13, 2015
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!
Sympathischer Detective Jason Smith, guter Plot, vor allem der Teil mit seiner Schwester! Da kommt glaub ich noch viel Interessantes auf den Leser zu.... Bin gespannt!
- Lorna CReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2018
4.0 out of 5 stars A fast and easy read with plenty to entertain any crime fan!
DS Jason Smith has drawn the short straw and is on call on Christmas Day. He’s called to the apparent suicide of a young student by the name of Lauren Cowley. On the same day the police are called to the Willow house where a mother and her daughter have been brutally attacked but there’s not a scratch on the father. It transpires that Lauren was the Willow’s babysitter, who’d called in sick the previous night. Could the two cases be connected? To complicate matters a face from his past reappears claiming that the sister he lost ten years previously is not in fact dead. Can Smith crack the case and find his sister?
So this is the second in the Smith series that I’ve read, the first being a collection of short stories, Phobia.
I really enjoyed this first full length Jason Smith novel! It’s one of those mysteries that you can really get stuck into! Like with Phobia the chapters are short and snappy with an incredibly fast pace but Stewart Giles still managed to weave an intricate narrative balancing almost three separate storylines and timelines.
For those of you who don’t know DS Jason Smith, he’s an Aussie who’s lived in the beautiful city of York for ten years after his sister was supposedly attacked by a shark, which gave him a fear of the water. He not opposed to bending the rules and doesn’t suffer fools gladly, especially lazy police work and usually butts head with fellow officers especially one of his team DS Thompson. He also has a bit of a will they, won’t they relationship with DC Erica Whitton.
There is a bit of dipping in between time lines (there’s 2008, 1998 and 2005) and in places it was more of a whydunnit than whodunnit but I really enjoyed it and found it utterly engrossing.
I’d recommend this book for those who like a fast paced and easy read with an emphasis on entertainment.
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 28, 2019
3.0 out of 5 stars BS NORTH EAST
FIRST BOOK THAT I HAVE READ OF STEWART GILES AND WOULD SAY THAT THE PLOT STARTED OUT QUTE INTERESTING EVEN ALLOWING FOR MOVING BACK AND FORWARD IN THE YEARS . THIS WAS TO SHOW US HOW HE ARRIVED IN YORK FROM AUSTRALIA . THE BOOK DOES SUFFER FROM EITHER NO PROOF READING OR POOR PROOF READING INTHAT SPELLINS UNCHECKED IE BERZERK INSTEAD OF BESERK AND WORDS MISSING IN SENTENCES . IN ADDITION CERTAIN INCIDENTS HAPPEN WHICH WOULD NOT HAPPEN IN A POLICE STATION FOR EXAMPLE TWO DETECTIVES IN AN INTERVIEW ROOM WITH A SUSPECT WHEN THE DOOR IS FLUNG OPEN BY THE SUSPECTS WIFE TELLING HIM TO LEAVE . SECONDLY THERE ARE SEVERAL MEMBERS OF POLICE STAFF IN THE RECEPTION AREA WHEN THEY ARE JOINED BY A SOLICITOR WHO HAS EMERGED FROM THE BATHROOM . WE ALSO HAVE THE SEGEANT SPENDING TIME IN ESTONIA LOOKING FOR HIS SISTER . WHAT THIS HAS TO DO WITH HIS MISSING SISTER IS HARD TO GUESS AS IT DOES NOT AFFECT THE PLOT . INCIDENTALLY I WAS AWARE BOUT TWO THIRDS INTO THE BOOKK WHEN I KNEW WHO THE MURDERER WAS .