They’ll Take Everything is a fantastic debut by C.H Connor who delves deep into the human psyche to deliver a haunting yet wholesome narrative about loss and grief with the fast-paced momentum of a bona-fide crime thriller.
David Dale is a man intimately familiar with tragedy following the untimely deaths of his wife and children. He’s haunted by the fact that it was his carelessness that led to their deaths. Channeling grief into opening a charity, he begins to feel things are finally looking up. But fate has other plans for him; he’s targeted for what seems to be an extortion attempt by a criminal syndicate. As David sinks deeper into the world of danger, he finds himself facing his past once more, when a secret about the horrible night his family died comes back from the grave.
What struck me the most about this thriller was how personal and intimate this story becomes as it unveils. It starts off as a bit of a slow-burn as the author takes some time to introduce the protagonist and get readers acquainted with the broken character. It’s precisely this time spent with the protagonist that sets the stage for a riveting crime story that follows as David is targeted by a deranged and scary gangster whose unhinged nature genuinely makes you worried for David.
The narrative also immensely benefits from David’s regular joe character as you truly feel worried for him. No combat skills, no hardened past, just a man who’s cornered and has to use his wits and allies to survive attacks. The action is gritty, raw, and hard-hitting for the very same reason.
They’ll Take Everything is an emotionally charged and powerful story that slowly gets you enveloped in its grip but once it does, the author takes you for a grand and unexpected journey with an ending that will shock you. I would absolutely read what C.H Connor puts out next.
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