This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

The Distance

Summary from Goodreads:

A dark, ultra-contemporary, and relentlessly paced debut thriller about a London society woman trying to put her secret criminal past behind her, and the hit man who comes to her with an impossible job she can’t refuse.

Charlotte Alton is an elegant socialite. But behind the locked doors of her sleek, high-security apartment in London’s Docklands, she becomes Karla. Karla’s business is information. Specifically, making it disappear. She’s the unseen figure who, for a commanding price, will cover a criminal’s tracks. A perfectionist, she’s only made one slip in her career—several years ago she revealed her face to a man named Simon Johanssen, an ex-special forces sniper turned killer-for-hire. After a mob hit went horrifically wrong, Johanssen needed to disappear, and Karla helped him. He became a regular client, and then, one day, she stepped out of the shadows for reasons unclear to even herself. Now, after a long absence, Johanssen has resurfaced with a job, and he needs Karla’s help again. The job is to take out an inmate—a woman—inside an experimental prison colony. But there’s no record the target ever existed. That’s not the only problem: the criminal boss from whom Johanssen has been hiding is incarcerated there. That doesn’t stop him. It’s Karla’s job to get him out alive, and to do that she must uncover the truth. Who is this woman? Who wants her dead? Is the job a trap for Johanssen or for her? But every door she opens is a false one, and she’s getting desperate to protect a man—a killer—to whom she’s inexplicably drawn. Written in stylish, sophisticated prose, The Distance is a tense and satisfying debut in which every character, both criminal and law-abiding, wears two faces, and everyone is playing a double game.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

THE DISTANCE was a She Reads Books of Fall selection. Always on the lookout for a new mystery/thriller read, I was excited for the book. But I had a few concerns.

My Concerns:

The book is set in London and I have had terrible luck with thrillers/mystery set “across the pond”. I don’t know why- but it just has been more of books that I feel “meh” about than I feel “OMG!” over. But, when the She Reads women rave over a book, I feel confident!

The book was coming into my life during a time of reading overload. I was in the beginning of a slump. I was about to head on vacation with a baby and I wasn’t sure if I started reading, if I would be able to finish it during that vacation (my niece is the cutest thing ever- but reading with her- IMPOSSIBLE.)

So, I started the book- read a bit, LOVED the opening line- and then went full on in a blah mood. I was falling asleep while reading. This was during a blogging blues time.

I put the book down. I actually hid the book for 2 weeks. I needed time away from it- I could not let my blogging blues color my feelings on this book.

I returned to the book weeks later- with a better mind set. I still LOVED the opening line.

BUT I’M STILL CONFLICTED OVER THIS BOOK. On one hand, I found things to enjoy about the book. On the other, I felt lost at times because it was lot of characters- and I would read for a bit, then have to start referring back to notes on characters to keep it straight.

I liked the premise, the plot idea- I like that def about the book! I also totally dug Karla. I mean she was something else!!!! Women in charge and kicking butt- well, that just puts the cherry on the sundae!

Do be aware that this is a graphic book at times. It’s not for the faint of heart!

Overall, give it a try!

 

Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,

T @ Traveling With T