Thriller reviewed in Sunday observer see below July 13 2014
Meg Gardiner’s “Phantom Instinct” begins with a shootout at the club where Harper Flynn works. Harper’s boyfriend is killed, a police officer is severely wounded, the bar burns to the ground and leaves no evidence of how the gunmen entered the highly secure building.
The official report claims the two gunmen were killed in the fire. But both Harper and the injured cop swear there’s a third killer, and they work together to prove his existence. “Phantom Instinct” is a fantastic story, told at breakneck speed. Gardiner is one of the best thriller writers around, and this is arguably her best work yet.
“Phantom Instinct” is full of action and surprises and a few new twists and quirks. For example, the cop, Aiden, has Fregoli syndrome as a result of his injuries. It’s a brain disorder that causes the sufferer to believe that different people are actually the same person in disguise. You can imagine how this might affect his police work. Harper herself has a complicated past, and it appears to not be a coincidence that she was working on the night of the attack. To say more would ruin the first of many reveals.
There’s a scene about midway through in which Harper teaches her late boyfriend’s sister how to do a handbrake turn. It’s written with such exuberance that it’s easy to forget the menace underneath that threatens both women, and moreover to not think about how this scene is going to fit in with the rest of the narrative. By the end of the chapter, the menace is back, and the scene assuredly serves a clear purpose. This scene, however, is just one of the many reasons Gardiner’s latest standalone is one of this summer’s best reads.

Very good read of what I think is going to be a new series.

Can you ever escape your past? The plot of this book explores that question, and introduces us to Harper Flynn, former teenage thief and scammer, who has escaped that life and made something of herself. One night it all falls to pieces. ( )

Harper Flynn is bartending at a crowded club when shots ring out, her boyfriend gets shot and the place is torched. She sees a sheriff’s deputy but then the floor collapses and all is mayhem. One year later she is trying to get her life back in order, the investigation is closed when the two gunmen died in the fire that consumed the club. Only problem is that Harper and the deputy Aiden Garrison are the only two who believe there was a third gunman and he is still out there. They decide to work together to solve the mystery of this third person.

This fast paced, action packed mystery unravels into a story that has twists that had me guessing and was exciting until the end. The characters were believed and Harper is not only a strong female protagonist but a survivor. I felt for Aiden and his Fergoli syndrome that was scary at times. Meg Gardiner knows how to write a riveting novel. ( )

I love when an author that I have not read for a while comes back and surprises me. From the beginning there was not a dull moment in this book. I have to say that my favorite person in this book was Aiden. This condition brought such dimension to his character and the story. I had never heard of Fregoli syndrome.

A brief explanation of this condition courtesy of Wikipedia: The Fregoli delusion, or the delusion of doubles, is a rare disorder in which a person holds a delusional belief that different people are in fact a single person who changes appearance or is in disguise. The syndrome may be related to a brain lesion and is often of a paranoid nature, with the delusional person believing themselves persecuted by the person they believe is in disguise.

So having this element in the story just added to it. While I thought the romance was fine between Harper and Aiden, it was predictable. Also, I did not like that Harper right away fell for Aiden. I mean, she barely new him and she was kissing him. Otherwise, I really liked this book. ( )

“Phantom Instinct” opens with an unexpected attack in a Los Angeles club and the fallout from that terrifying night leaves Harper Flynn trying to prove the truth about what happened. But the only person willing to listen to her is Aiden Garrison, a Sheriff’s Deputy who was in the club that night and who suffered grave injuries when a wall in the club collapsed. Together, Harper and Aiden embark on a hunt for the truth, only to discover that secrets could undermine their search and ultimately cost them their lives.

“Phantom Instinct” is a fast-paced thriller that will keep you page-turning right to the end. This can’t-put-it-down book has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing . . . and an ending you simply won’t see coming.

Highly recommended . . . you won’t want to miss this one. ( )