“Terrific—truly sinister, scary and suspenseful. Lyle never lets you down.”—Lee Child, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Raised as siblings by an itinerant “gypsy” family, knife expert Bobby Cain, trained by the US military in the lethal art of covert eliminations, and Harper McCoy, nurtured by the US Navy and the CIA to run black ops and wage psychological warfare, are now civilians. Of a … civilians. Of a sort. Employing the skills learned from the “family” and their training, they now fix the unfixable. Case in point: Retired General William Kessler hires the duo to track down his missing granddaughter, a Vanderbilt University co-ed. Their search leads them to a small, bucolic, lake-side town in central Tennessee and into a world of prostitution, human trafficking, and serial murder. The question then becomes: Will their considerable skills be enough for Cain and Harper to save the young woman, and themselves, from a sociopath with “home field” advantage, a hunter’s skills, and his own deeply disturbing agenda?
“Skin in the Game is The Most Dangerous Game on steroids. Fast, relentless, and cunning.”
—David Morrell, New York Times Bestselling Author of Murder as a Fine Art
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Psychopath is a difficult person to get away from if they have eyes on you. That personality does what ever they can to get you then it becomes there needs only. This story is told in a way that also sucks you in until the end. Not all in life ends well. This was a good book to read! Enjoy
A great riff on “The Most Dangerous Game”–on steroids. Will look forward to following Cain and Harper.
I really wanted to like this book cuz the storyline was compelling & a page-turner. However, the PROFANITY made it impossible to continue.
What a great read! Absolutely on a par with any action author. Definitely will read more by Lyle
Well written crime novel. Action packed, thrill of the chase, interesting plot.
Very good book – kept my interest thru out
I liked it very much. Interesting characters, background story was unusual and brother\sister dynamic really original. Great read!
There are not enought adjectives to describe this book. It was creepy, unbelieveable, and imaginative.
New duo which is not romantic, but a shared history. Both are credible and not sentimental or sickly. I liked the talents both exhibited and the secondary characters were interesting also. Good escapist read.
The main characters are not credible to me. Back story too over the top. Virtually super human abilities. Still an OK read.
Once you start you will not want to stop reading. Story lines moves along at a great pace and interesting, thrilling and exciting beginning to end.
Kept my interest up to the very end.
I’m a fan of Doug Lyle’s Jake Longley series. This is no wisecracking, fun-loving Jake Longley book! It’s a page-turner for sure, but definitely not for the squeamish (read: gets upset on the topic of flaying human beings).
“Skin in the Game” by D. P. Lyle entices readers with a skillful story set in a small town in Tennessee. It is filled with beautiful geography but also with terror, madness, and cunning. The account is firmly grounded with a “down-home storytelling” style; it is entertaining and focused but with colorful details that keep readers captivated. The action is conversation driven, so readers hear what people say to each other, say about each other and, and say about the events. Incidents are described from various points of view with all intertwined into a frightening and intricate plot line. The investigative process on all levels is detailed, specific, and at times almost clinical.
The characters provide the foundation of the story. This is not just the account of a terrible crime; it is the story of those who perpetrated it, suffered because of it, and most importantly, those who solved it. The main characters, Bobby Cain and his sister Harper McCoy, are flawed, but dedicated, focused, and well skilled. They have intricate backstories that endear them to readers. Readers learn how they grew into their present day selves, and how they developed the skills needed for the task at hand. Additional characters, both good and not so good, are complex, true-to-life, and a supplement to the action.
Of course Lyle includes in a nice plug for books and authors when characters are cautioned to be careful what they say; “Mother’s a crime writer. You might end up in one of her books.” There is also a reminder for readers as well; “I expect you to go to Amazon and give it five stars.”
I received a review copy of “Skin in the Game” from D. P. Lyle and Suspense Publishing. It was a little creepy, but still enjoyable to read, and yes, per the narrative’s instructions, I gave it five stars.
Skin in the Game by D.P. Lyle
A Cain/Harper Thriller #1
Excellent introduction to a new series by an author I have never read before but look forward to reading again in the future. This story grabbed my on the first page and kept me quickly turning pages till the very end. The book eventually reminded me of a movie I saw with my father decades ago. One that had Peter Fonda in it – a movie that I have never been able to forget. This book will no doubt linger like that movie did. It was dark and disturbing and I was definitely hoping that Cain and Harper would manage to do the job they set out to accomplish.
Bad things happen to people in big cities and small towns. Sometimes the expertise of people like Cain and Harper is needed to “fix things” and if I ever needed to have someone on my side I would hope to find someone as accomplished as these two. This book was dark and gritty and made me thankful that I have not run into situations like the ones presented in this story.
I loved Cain and Harper and look forward to reading more about them in future books in this series. They are strong, capable and willing to do what it takes. I am interested in learning more about both of them and wonder what the next book will be about.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely
Thank you to NetGalley and Suspense Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
Another great book by a wonderful writer. This book is action-packed and timely.
I highly recommend it to all thriller fans.