Whatever It Takes – Rachel Abbott | Book Review | #WhateverItTakes #DCITomDouglasSeries @RachelAbbott @RandomTTours

He played by the rules – until the only rule that mattered was survival.

Recovering from a gunshot wound that nearly cost him his life, DCI Tom Douglas isn’t focused on himself – his concern is for his brother Jack, who seems to have vanished without a trace. Jack’s past is as dangerous as it is complicated. Years ago, he faked his own death to escape an organised crime group, and ever since, he’s been living in the shadows, always one step ahead of those who want to hunt him down.

Now, Tom’s worst fears are coming true. Has Jack’s past finally caught up with him? And what does that mean for his family? Tom has to find them, but the answers he seeks are hidden in a brutal underworld – one more threatening than anything Tom has faced before.

With time running out and his own life on the line, Tom must decide how far he’s willing to go and how much he’s prepared to sacrifice, knowing it will mean crossing a line he swore he never would.

But there is another player in this game – one who will stop at nothing to find the answers she seeks. And if Tom makes the wrong move, he, and everyone he loves, will lose.

He’s spent his life chasing criminals. But to save his family, he might have to become one.

A DCI Tom Douglas Thriller. Books in this series can be read in any order

MY THOUGHTS

My thanks to Anne of Random Things Tours for the blog tour invite and to the author/publisher for the paperback copy to review. Whatever It Takes is published by Black Dot (11 March 2025) and available in ebook (including Kindle Unlimited), audiobook and paperback formats.

The DCI Tom Douglas series has been such a favourite of mine and this latest didn’t disappoint. Whilst recuperating and on extended leave following events in the previous book, Tom is worried about his brother Jack. Regular readers of the series will know that Jack had to fake his death and assume a new identity to get away from gangsters and subsequent limited contact between the brothers has been conducted with extreme secrecy. Worried that he hasn’t heard from his brother Tom delves deeper and discovers a trail of clues that have special meaning only to him.

This story mainly takes place in Venice and again Jack is in trouble, this time his problem has a Mafia connection. I won’t give any more details but as much as Tom wants to help Jack, he is conflicted by his background in law enforcement versus the illegality of some things he is a party to.

Tom is not without support however and it was great seeing Becky Robinson, now acting DCI in Tom’s absence together with Rob Cumba and Superintendent Philippa Stanley playing their part in the story. I’ve always loved the interaction and loyalty between this team and it was here in spades.

This is another cracker of a read. The short chapters keep the story moving at pace and this together with the atmospheric location of Venice make for a well plotted and suspenseful story that push boundaries in respect of both morals and the use of technology.

I very much enjoyed this as I knew I would and I’m looking forward to seeing what the author has in store next for these familiar and much loved characters.

Rachel Abbott is the bestselling author of the Tom Douglas series of books, which have sold over 5 million copies in the English language and have been translated into over 20 languages. Whatever it Takes is the 12th thriller in this series, and Rachel Abbott has released four novels in the Stephanie King series with Headline under the Wildfire imprint. The first in the series – And So It Begins – was listed as one of The Times best crime novels of the year.
Born and raised in Manchester, Abbott founded her own interactive media company in the 1980s before retiring in 2005. She then moved to Italy where she wrote her first novel, Only the Innocent, which she went on to publish via Kindle Direct Publishing, topping their chart for 4 weeks. A true self-publishing pioneer, Abbott now lives in Alderney in the Channel Islands.

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