Panic — Nick Stephenson

Leopold Blake, expert criminology consultant for the FBI, had his weekend all planned out - and it didn't involve dealing with a murdered senator, a high-profile kidnapping, and at least half a dozen near-death experiences. Three politicians have been murdered in as many weeks, all expertly dispatched, and only Leopold can get to the bottom of it. Unfortunately, as all hell breaks loose on the streets of New York City, he soon finds himself the next target of a powerful enemy who wants him silenced. Permanently. 

Against the backdrop of political corruption and murder, Leopold and his team must fight for their lives to uncover the truth before it's too late. Panic is the first novel in the Leopold Blake series of thrillers, which can be read and enjoyed in any order. 

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Interview with the author 

Tell us a little about your novel, Panic, and what inspired the concept? 

The book has been described as "Sherlock Holmes meets Die Hard" and I think this sums up what I wanted to achieve perfectly - a blend of classic mystery and procedural, with the butt-kicking action and edge-of-your-seat tension of your typical action thriller. The novel is around 60,000 words long and contains scenes of violence and occasional bad language - so it's definitely not recommended for children.

There are three main protagonists within the series; Leopold Blake, Mary Jordan and Jerome. Leopold is definitely the brains of the operation, with Jerome and Mary providing the brawn and heart, respectively. Jerome is Leopold's loyal bodyguard, expertly trained and there to get him out of some of the stickier situations. Mary is a police sergeant with the NYPD and generally has a skeptical view of Leopold's approach to crime-solving, but sticks by his side nonetheless. There's definitely a spark between them, but you'll have to read on to see where it goes...

Can you tell us what's going to happen next in the Leopold Blake series? 

Having set up Leopold with all his advantages, in the upcoming books I've thoroughly enjoyed exercising my slightly sadistic side by taking them all away, one by one. By book three, the reader gets to see what Leopold's really made of, once all the money and connections are stripped away. The result won't be pretty, but it'll make for a darn good read!