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James Raven
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RANDOM TARGETS a crime thriller you won’t want to put down (Detective Jeff Temple Series Book 3) Kindle Edition

by JAMES RAVEN (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 849 ratings
A BREATHTAKING THRILLER THAT WILL HAVE YOU TURNING THE PAGES

A sniper launches a series of deadly attacks on Britain's motorways, striking in the dark during rush hour and causing total carnage.

No one knows who he is, or why he's doing it, but, as the death toll rises, fear grips the nation.

It's up to DCI Jeff Temple of the Major Investigations Team to bring the killing spree to an end.

As he closes in on the sniper, Temple makes a shocking discovery about the motive behind the attacks. A terrible precedent has been set and Temple soon realizes that in future anyone who drives on Britain's motorways risks becoming a random target.

Perfect for fans of D.S Butler, Angela Marsons, Kimberley Chambers, Patricia Gibney or Mark Billingham

WHY IS HE KILLING PEOPLE AT RANDOM? AND CAN DCI TEMPLE STOP HIM?

DCI Jeff Temple heads up Hampshire's Major Investigations Team based in Southampton. He's a no-nonsense copper who relishes the challenges presented by the most brutal and high-profile cases. But at the same time he's still struggling to get his personal life back on track following the tragic death of his beloved wife. Things are looking up, but it's an uphill struggle.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT RANDOM TARGETS

“This has to be one of the most horrifyingly credible plots I have ever read” Aurora

“Excellent book, left me very tired after reading into the night.” Jo

“I'd recommend this to anyone as it really was edge of the seat reading!” Rob

THE BEST-SELLING DETECTIVE JEFF TEMPLE SERIES
Book 1: ROLLOVER
Book 2: URBAN MYTH
Book 3: RANDOM TARGETS
Book 4: DYING WISH
Book 5: THE BLOGGER

Join the Joffe Books mailing list for updates on the next mystery coming soon!
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  1. Book 3 of 5
    Detective Jeff Temple Series
  2. Print length
    225 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    October 9, 2019
  5. File size
    1.1 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

'Random Targets is an incredible edge-of-your-seat ride. The action starts quickly and never stops, keeping your heart racing the whole way through. There is a driving need to know what happens next. This novel is horrifyingly feasible.' ONLINE BOOKCLUB REVIEW.

'Random Targets fits the bill of 'extraordinary'. It excels in building assumptions and then knocks them down until there are no more clues or assumptions left. It's then that truth is exposed - a raw truth that will leave even the most seasoned genre reader on edge,' MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW.

'In Random Targets, British Author James Raven has successfully recreated a shattering sense of fear. The book opens as a sniper launches a devastating attack on the M27 motorway. Once the cycle of violence has begun, the pressure to solve it becomes crushing. Even promising clues prove to be cleverly disguised red herrings,' BESTTHRILLERS.COM REVIEW.

'Random Targets is a well-plotted and compelling story. Raven keeps up the tension throughout the story, and the action fairly sizzles until the very end. Random Targets is exciting and credible.' READERS FAVORITE REVIEW.

'Raven delivers a sinister and chilling yarn of evil as he steers his readers through the crime investigation with an unfaltering hand and a fluid narrative style ending with an astonishing bombshell. There is suspense, fear, and the possibility that this could occur in your own backyard no matter where you live,' BOOKPLEASURES.COM REVIEW.

About the Author

James Raven has been a journalist for most of his working life. After reporting for newspapers he moved into television as a news scriptwriter. He then worked his way up to become Director of a UK News Division. He now runs his own TV production company. James spends much of his time writing and travelling. He is also an accomplished magician.

He is the author of a number of crime novels including bestsellers MALICIOUS AND AFTER THE EXECUTION. His other books are Rollover, Stark Warning, Urban Myth and Arctic Blood.

James has a website at: james-raven.com/

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07YYK5R7G
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Joffe Books crime thrillers
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 9, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.1 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 225 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1789312348
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 3 of 5 ‏ : ‎ Detective Jeff Temple Series
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 849 ratings

About the author

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James Raven

James Raven

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James Raven is a bestselling author who also writes under the pen names Jaime Raven, Alex Pine and JP Carter. He's been a journalist for most of his working life. After reporting for newspapers he moved into television as a news scriptwriter. He then worked his way up to become Director of a UK News Division.

As JAMES RAVEN he's the author of a number of crime novels including ROLLOVER, URBAN MYTH, RANDOM TARGETS, DYING WISH, THE BLOGGER, AFTER THE EXECUTION, THE DEPRAVED, STARK WARNING, MALICIOUS, BRUTAL REVENGE, RED BLITZ AND ARCTIC BLOOD.

As JAIME RAVEN he has written four books for Avon/Harper Collins - THE MADAM, THE MOTHER, THE ALIBI and THE REBEL.

As JP CARTER he's written IN SAFE HANDS and AT YOUR DOOR, also for Avon/Harper Collins.

As Alex Pine - THE CHRISTMAS KILLER.

REACTION TO THE AUTHOR'S NOVELS:

'Wow, this book completely blew me away; I loved it. I was hooked from page one. An explosive psychological thriller that really hit home,' SAN FRANCISCO BOOK REVIEW.

‘This is a chilling story, superbly written, with captivating and unique characters,’ NANCY SILK REVIEWS BLOG.

‘Malicious is a wonderful, fast-paced work of fiction. The plot is timely and the details add to the authenticity.' BESTSELLERS WORLD.

‘Tense, gripping and filled with clever clues. There’s a lot to enjoy in this mystery: most of all the unpredictable storyline. It will draw you in and immerse you until the last page,’ D Donovan, MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW.

‘Wow, that was one heck of a good book. I mean…really, really good. Fast- paced, tight, gripping and terrifying. It has characters I care about and a crime ripped from today’s headlines. Mr Raven has other works out there and I’m all over that,’ BEACH BUM BOOK REVIEWS.

‘I really wish there was a 6 star system because this book deserves that. It was absolutely enthralling,’ ASHLEY NEMER BLOGSPOT.

'From the first paragraph, Raven draws his readers in, grabs hold of them, and doesn't let go until the very end. The riveting story is full of unexpected twists and turns,' LUXURYREADING.COM REVIEW.

‘If this thriller does not give you the willies and make you want to never turn on your computer again, nothing will. James Raven has expertly woven a twisted tale that comes a little too close to reality. Suspenseful, heart-pounding and all too real. Superb!‘ READERS’ FAVORITE REVIEWS.

‘I read from cover to cover in one day. I love crime stories. The story allows u to connect to the main character, Robyn Tate. This is a great read,’ GOODREADS.

AFTER THE EXECUTION:

‘This is one of the best books I’ve ever read, and I've read a lot! It constantly leaves you in heart grabbing suspense,’ GOODREADS.

‘This is a great book. It gave me nightmares, but I couldn’t put it down,’ LISTED MAGAZINE.

‘Rollover is a cracking crime novel. The plot is compelling – the essence of the polished ‘unputdownable’ novel,’ VIEW MAGAZINE.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
849 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the book's readability, with one mentioning they enjoyed all three DCI Temple books. The suspense level receives positive feedback, with customers finding it engaging.

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3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable, with one mentioning they enjoyed all three books in the Detective Jeff Temple series.

"Another great read from the DCI Greg Temple series!..." Read more

"Good book and kept the suspense alive though I think the end seemed a bit rushed...." Read more

"I have enjoyed all three DCI Temple books. All three were brilliant. I can’t wait for the next one. I highly recommend it." Read more

3 customers mention "Suspense level"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the suspenseful plot of the book.

"...This book describes clever police procedure. It has action, suspense and interesting characters." Read more

"Good book and kept the suspense alive though I think the end seemed a bit rushed...." Read more

"Plot very good and interesting. Characters are well drawn and believable. Looking forward to reading more books by this author ." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • M. Dinger
    5.0 out of 5 stars Kept Guessing!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Another great read from the DCI Greg Temple series! Once again James Raven has chosen (what I consider) an unusual crime scenario and kept me on the edge as the police work tirelessly to discover the sniper's identity and stop the rampage of destruction on British highways. With each shooting, the horror is compounded. Two logical suspense emerge but... Suspense keeps building twists & turns, back and forth, until the sniper & his ulterior motive are revealed! There seems to be, again, a few social problems pointed out as in his other DCI Temple e-books but not didactically. And, as usual, any "loose ends" are tied up logically.
    It is nice to read different branches of the police force collaborating without animosity or disrespect!
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  • snave51
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good thriller
    Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Someone has shot drivers on a major highway causing massive destruction and death . A message indicates there will be more . And there are . A tremendous effort is made to clear the mess , care for the wounded and figure out who could do such a terrible thing.
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  • Barkyboy
    5.0 out of 5 stars A very scary scenerio and clever police work.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    A scary scenario about tracking down a sniper shooting at random at cars on he British motorways. The police have no starting point as all the victims are chosen at random with no connection to each other. This creates a situation where everyone is afraid to use the motorways. This results in huge tie-ups in the entire road transport system in the UK. This book describes clever police procedure. It has action, suspense and interesting characters.
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  • Clare Michell
    4.0 out of 5 stars A page turner
    Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Good book and kept the suspense alive though I think the end seemed a bit rushed. Overall enjoyed it and sadly could this this type of terrorism is a possibility.
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  • ACToplasm
    3.0 out of 5 stars A Gripping Mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2016
    An average day of rush hour traffic near Southampton on an English motorway soon turns to tragedy and mayhem when a sniper shoots two motorists. With the large number of automobiles on the roads there is soon a massive pileup with a number of people killed and many more injured. DCI Jeff Temple of the Major Investigations Team is brought in to investigate. It is the worst tragedy he’s ever seen but he knows he must focus and do his job to the best of his ability to catch the person behind these killings, for the man or woman has left a painted message on a wall for them to find, indicating this will happen again.

    As the many rescue workers help those in need and try to get the motorway back up and running again, Temple gets his team together and they glean what few facts they can. The killer is a sharp shooter using a specific sniper rifle that is not easy to acquire, either through extreme black market means or the British military. The killer has left no prints and very little detail that he exists, other than a brief hooded shot on a CCTV camera. Temple’s girlfriend, also a member of the constabulary, was involved in the devastation and has suffered a serious head injury and is recovering in hospital, so he also has a very personal connection to the case and wanting to catch this killer.

    Before the team has a chance to put much together, the killer strikes again on a different motorway. There are more dead and many more injured but little evidence to show for it, other than another message that there will be more shootings to come. The next hit is on the great M25 ring-road around London which heavily disrupts traffic for some time. There are those who fear to travel on the motorways anymore and choose to use smaller rural streets, clogging up the countryside. A reward is offered which soon grows to £2.5 million by all the businesses and people involved for any information on the killer.

    Temple has his own idea who might be behind it and is doing his best to track down the man. At the same time a new task force is convened as there is new evidence possibly linking these killings to a terrorist cell related to Al-Qaeda. Temple now has a higher-up he reports to, but he’s still pretty sure that his suspect is the killer behind all this.

    While Random Targets perhaps lacks the tightly-edited speed and pace of American thrillers, the step-by-step progression of the case and the characters give the book a very realistic feel, as if this is exactly how a case would be investigated and solved in Britain. There is little background development in the characters other than Temple and his girlfriend, Angel, and what few additional female characters there are end up being simply described by their looks and body type. When the ending is revealed, which isn’t completely a surprise, it is done in a ham-handed all telling and no showing way that kills all the momentum of the book.

    Random Targets is an interesting look into English law enforcement and how they work when there is a deadly killer on the loose. While the book is lacking in areas of character development and the ending is somewhat anticlimactic, overall the book is a fun and interesting read.

    Originally written on October 5, 2014 ©Alex C. Telander.

    For more reviews, check out the BookBanter site: [...]
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  • Elizabeth P.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another Winner
    Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I have enjoyed all three DCI Temple books. All three were brilliant. I can’t wait for the next one. I highly recommend it.
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  • LoveBooks83
    4.0 out of 5 stars Real, Unforgettable Characters
    Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2014
    Random Targets, the new novel by James Raven, begins right in the thick of the action. From the opening sentence, Raven drops the reader into a violent multi-vehicle collision that backs up the major thoroughfares and ancillary roads around Southampton, England. The pile-up is thought to be an unfortunate incident to be dealt with by the Collision Investigation Unit until an attending paramedic finds evidence that the collision may not have been an accident after all. This discovery changes the accident into a crime scene bringing in the Major Investigations Team led by DCI Jeff Temple.

    James Raven did a good job creating a multifaceted and complex character in Temple. Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Jeff Temple is intriguing and well rounded. He is not a perfect character. Temple is a man who has had to restart his life after personal tragedy. Despite new personal conflicts created by the first accident and guilt for not being able to single-handedly protect those in his life, he fights to remain in charge of the investigation and his sense of self. Temple is methodical in his deductive skills yet is not abashed to show his vulnerable and compassionate sides. It is his flaws along with his emotions and reasoning that make Temple relatable.

    As Random Targets progresses, the mystery of who is doing the attacks heightens. The investigative force is aware of the possibility further attacks but cannot piece together the randomness of occurrences. As the tension grows, so does the investigative team's worry that the incidents are too random to solve. Temple's sense of urgency in solving what he begins to feel is an unsolvable case grows as the investigation becomes more personal.

    Writing a review about a mystery is sometimes a tricky thing, especially when the book is worthy to be read cover to cover. James Raven's Random Targets is a crime mystery that gripped my attention and didn't let go from the accident in the beginning to the fitting ending. The characters feel real; they are flawed, caring, scared, and keep growing along with the intensity of the novel. At times, the characters seem to focus too much on self-centered worry, but that could also be a flaw associated with human nature. That the characters' acknowledge their concern and rise above these instances furthers their depth. I am not sure I would categorize Random Targets as a character-driven novel, but it was the characters that had me mesmerized and turning pages as much as the suspense of the mystery.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Bob Purcell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gruesome
    Reviewed in Australia on March 24, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    James Raven has become someone I like to follow. Although these are fictional stories I just hope some nut case doesn't emulate what he's written about!
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  • Léanne
    2.0 out of 5 stars Manque de souffle
    Reviewed in France on March 22, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Un tireur embusqué prend pour cible des automobilistes à un heure de pointe, provoquant des carambolages meurtriers. Qui est-il et pourquoi? A partir de faits divers sur ce sujet, l'auteur développe un scenario qui malheureusement tourne vite en rond. A peu près 70% du bouquin sont consacrés à la description des accidents et aux états d'âme des policiers impuissants. Par manque de rebondissements l'histoire s'étire vers une fin prévisible car les fausses pistes sont cousues de fil blanc.
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  • Lucy Johnson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 19, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Another great story from this author and the third book in the series. This book covers issues such as post traumatic stress disorder in soldiers that have returned from Afghanistan and terrorism, while trying to find the killer!

    Again a well written book, which has lots of twists and turns. You just now the ending is not going to be what you expect! The way the book is written, it keeps you captivated and its very difficult to put the book down! I also like how 2 story lines are written as one first and then split of into two directions.

    The book comes high;y recommended and is a must read!
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  • Jean Williams
    5.0 out of 5 stars Random Targets
    Reviewed in Spain on November 24, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    DCI Jeff Temple is overwhelmed. Every available officer has been assigned to the case. Who is the killer, hiding at the sides of motorways, using a stolen sniper' s rifle. To shoot drivers resulting in carnage. A brilliant book and so very hard to put down. Highly recommended.
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  • A. Hill
    3.0 out of 5 stars Best so far
    Reviewed in Canada on December 2, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This tried book in the series is the best one. Good storyline, good ending a not so much pages filled with words that added nothing to moving the plot forward. Made me interested enough to try the next bok.
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