The Accident Man by Tom Cain

(image description) it says "The Great Transworld Crime Caper" The T in transworld is bigger and blue, the rest of the text is black.  There is a magnifying glass over the T, yellow "crime scene do not cross" tape across the entire logo and a gun with blood splatters in the top right of the image.

I was given a copy of The Accident Man by Tom Cain to review by Transworld as a part of their Great Crime Caper

The Accident Man is a "what if?" tale based around the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.  This is what Amazon has to say about it

12.19am A Mercedes leaves the Ritz hotel.
12.25am A car loses control in a Paris underpass.
3.57am Three people are pronounced dead.
3.58am Samuel Carver realizes he’s been set up . . . 

Ex-marine Samuel Carver makes bad things happen to worse people. But now he wants out. He takes on one last hit - the target, they say, is a high-ranking terrorist. When Carver discovers his victim’s true identity, he becomes the next target. He knows too much. Unless he can track down the mystery men behind his murderous mission, his life is over…

‘The most audacious and timely thriller in years’ Daily Mirror ‘Like the Bourne movies meets Frederick Forsyth’ Guardian ‘This is the best first thriller I have read since The Day of the Jackal’ Wilbur Smith

Carver and the rest of the characters are believable.  The characters you're supposed to like are likeable and realistic.   The ones you're supposed to hate... are nasty and horrible and totally right for the book without being over the top or ridiculous.

I took this book with me on Saturday when I met a friend from uni. I was on the train for an hour and a half ish each way.  I'd thought I might just read a little because I like to people watch and often get distracted on trains by things going on around me.  I read for pretty much the entire time.  And I read more when I got home.  By the time I turned my light out that night I'd read just over half the book (it's over 500 pages long).

I liked the way it kept you guessing and was difficult to put down.  I'd wondered if being based around real events it would focus too much on those.  However they were only in occasionally as a sort of seasoning rather than a major aspect of the plot.  I didn't guess any of the twists which is something I really like in a book, particularly when they are believable twists as in this case.  The ending took me somewhat by surprise and was lower key than I expected but worked for the plot.  It also made the crip in me happy but for fear of spoilers I won't tell you why!

I'd highly reccommend this book, I've seen two sequels to it on Amazon and the only reason I've not ordered them already is my attempt at saving money - I'm definitely looking forward to reading them!