The Phone Call by A.J. Campbell

 

The Phone Call by A.J. Campbell.

Published 25th June 2022 by Code Grey Publishing.

From the cover of the book:

When a single phone call destroys your life.

When Joey Clarke receives a phone call from a friend offering him the chance to make some easy cash, Joey has no choice but to grab the opportunity. He has a family to support, his debts are spiralling out of control, and debt enforcement agents are due at his door.

All he has to do is deliver two packages. He has no idea what the packages contain – or whom he has to deliver them to.

Until it’s too late.

He is now party to a heinous crime linked to his girlfriend, Becca, and his family is under threat. As catastrophic events unfold, Joey is faced with the impossible.

Should he confess to the police? Tell Becca? Or should he keep quiet and say nothing?

So when the next job comes in – to deliver another package – Joey wants out. But this time, Joey’s in way too deep to say no…

***********

Twenty-five-year-old Joey Clarke is a young man with a lot of responsibilities. After the death of his father, Joey put aside his ambitions becoming the breadwinner for his family, and caring for his mother and younger siblings. This is a task that is becoming increasingly more difficult on the low wages of a supermarket assistant. and although he is doing his best the debts are spiralling out of control.

When a friend offers Joey the chance of easy money, he sees an opportunity to ease the burden a bit. All he has to do is deliver a couple of packages, no questions asked. Joey is not stupid and he realises that there is something dodgy about it, but some quick cash for a one-off job can't be all that bad can it?

Unfortunately for Joey the delivery of the second package goes horribly wrong, and he unwittingly becomes embroiled in a terrible crime connected to his girlfriend's family. Joey is too scared to tell anyone what has happened, especially the police, and he is now in deep with some very dodgy criminal types who have no qualms about threatening his loved ones to get what they want...

I absolutely loved Campbell's previous psychological thriller, Search No Further, which was my first one of her books, so I couldn't wait  to see what twisty shenanigans she had in store for me in The Phone Call!

This time around we are introduced to the trials of a young man who has had to grow up fast, and take on responsibities that are breaking him. Joey is such a sympathetic character, being pulled in lots of different directions, and his difficult situation really tugs on your heart strings, even before he gets himself into a right old pickle with some characters he knows only too well that he should have stayed away from - the way his mother's advice gives him pause for thought every time he is about to do something very unwise is particularly poignant. 

Little does he know quite how sinister the trouble he is getting himself into is at first, but here is where Campbell spins her devious magic to immerse you in a plot that has many layers of deception to be peeled back, and this allows her to lead you down a very tense and circuitous route before the truth comes out. Joey actually proves to be rather more resourceful than he first appears, and luckily he finds some allies in unexpected places. Can Joey save himself, bring down the baddies, and get the girl? Well, I will leave you to discover that for yourselves, but be prepared to go to some highly imaginative, and rather disturbing, places in the process.

Campbell has the knack for mixing very realistic family dynamics with murky mystery and gritty criminal behaviour, and, as in the previous book, all these elements are nicely contrived to keep you on the edge of your seat while the action plays out. There's a lot here about dysfunctional family relationships, which Campbell explores nicely for dramatic effect, but what really makes this for me is the deep love Joey shows for those he cares about - his decency shines through despite the morally doubtful actions he is forced to take to protect his loved ones.

Lots of thrills, spills, and heartache in this one that make it a very enjoyable page-turner. I absorbed the whole thing in one very entertaining bite, and look forward to more from A.J. Campbell! 

The Phone Call is available to buy now in ebook and paperback formats.

Thank you to A.J. Campbell for sending me an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review and for inviting me to take part in this blog tour.

About the author:

AJ CAMPBELL is the author of the Amazon bestselling debut novel Leave Well Alone. She writes in the psychological suspense genre and promises stories full of twists, turns and torment. Her fourth book The Phone Call was released in July 2022. AJ draws inspiration for her novels from seemingly unbelievable situations in which ordinary people find themselves. She creates compelling characters that resonate with her readers. AJ lives in the UK on the Essex / Hertfordshire border with her husband, sons, and cocker spaniel, Max. A dog lover, Netflix junkie, wine and Asian food enthusiast, either reading or writing, AJ enjoys nothing more than getting stuck into a twisty book!