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Tony Kent

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Tony Kent has published 6 books across 2 series. The recommended reading order starts with Killer Intent (2018).

About Tony Kent

High-stakes courtroom drama meets visceral action in the world of Tony Kent, a former champion boxer turned criminal barrister who brings unmatched authenticity to the thriller genre. Often hailed as the British David Baldacci, Kent leverages his real-world experience defending serious criminal allegations to craft political thrillers that feel dangerously plausible. His books are not just read; they are felt.

The Joe Dempsey and Michael Devlin series serves as his flagship, blending the unorthodox skills of a barrister with the lethal precision of an intelligence operative. With titles like 'Marked For Death' and 'Power Play', he constructs a labyrinthine world of international intrigue. The series protagonist has even been dubbed 'The British Jack Reacher' by The Sunday Times.

Readers looking for a starting point should dive into 'Killer Intent', a debut that landed on the Crime Time Best of the Year list. For those seeking a fresh challenge, his 2025 collaboration with the late Frederick Forsyth on 'Revenge of Odessa' offers a modern sequel to a classic. It is a masterclass in tension.

Beyond the page, Kent co-founded the CHILTERN…

Tags
thrillersuspensechildrencrimemystery
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Order of Killer Intent Books

  1. Tags
    suspensecrimethrillermystery
    Description
    Joe Dempsey is standing in the heart of London when the bullets start flying, an audacious assassination attempt on a former US president unfolding before his eyes, and the deadly military intelligence officer knows immediately that what he's witnessing is far more than a lone gunman's rage. This is the opening salvo in a conspiracy that stretches from the corridors of Westminster to the streets of Belfast, from the newsrooms of New York to the ancient stones of Rome, and Dempsey is the only one who can see the pattern emerging from the chaos. Written by a practicing international barrister whose own career has taken him deep into the world of murder, kidnap, and extortion, this high-octane debut brings an authenticity to its political machinations and explosive action that most thrillers can only pretend to possess. As Britain's government teeters on the brink of collapse, Dempsey finds himself racing against time alongside CNN reporter Sarah Truman, each following separate threads of the same dark tapestry, while Michael Devlin, a Belfast-born criminal barrister harboring secrets of his own, is pulled inexorably into their orbit. What matters here is how Kent understands that the most dangerous conspiracies are built on old loyalties and buried sympathies, on the things we thought we'd left behind but that never truly let us go. This is thriller writing that combines the ruthless political complexity of House of Cards with the relentless momentum of 24, a debut that announces a major new voice in the genre.
    Publication date
    January 25, 2018
    Amazon rating
    4.3/5
    Print length
    448
    Language
    English
    Publisher
    Elliott & Thompson
  2. Tags
    crimesuspensemysterythriller
    Description
    A murderous figure from the past has returned, and this time the trail of bodies leads straight to the people Michael Devlin loves most. Tony Kent's Marked for Death picks up after the explosive events of Killer Intent, pulling criminal barrister Michael and news reporter Sarah Truman into a nightmare that neither of them saw coming—a madman's methodical quest for revenge that will test everything they thought they knew about justice, loyalty, and survival. Sarah starts out doing what she does best, investigating a story that seems like just another assignment, following leads with the sharp instinct that's made her career. But the deeper she digs, the more the case twists back toward her own life, toward Michael, toward the very foundation of the future they're building together. Michael, meanwhile, is focused on defending a client he believes is innocent, unaware that someone from his past is watching, waiting, orchestrating tragedy with chilling precision. When that tragedy finally strikes, Michael is left reeling with grief and guilt, forced to confront the terrible reality that this killer won't stop until he's destroyed everything Michael holds dear. Now it's a race against time, a desperate hunt to stop a relentless enemy before the body count rises any higher—and before Michael loses everyone he has left.
    Publication date
    July 25, 2019
    Amazon rating
    4.4/5
    Print length
    496
    Language
    English
    Publisher
    Elliott & Thompson Limited
  3. Tags
    crimemystery
    Description
    The machinery of power grinds on, indifferent to the bodies it leaves behind. Tony Kent's "Power Play" arrives as a taut legal thriller that understands how justice and politics collide when the stakes climb high enough to make both irrelevant. This is a world where courtroom battles spill into darker arenas, and the line between advocate and target blurs with alarming speed. Kent, drawing on his background as a criminal barrister, constructs a narrative that moves with the precision of a closing argument and the velocity of a conspiracy unraveling in real time. The plot hinges on dangerous secrets, the kind that powerful people will kill to protect, and the professionals caught in the crossfire who must decide how far they'll go when the system they serve turns predatory. Every chapter tightens the noose. Every revelation raises the cost. What distinguishes this entry in the Order of Killer Intent series is its refusal to offer easy answers or clean resolutions. Kent writes with the authority of someone who has seen how institutions protect themselves, and he channels that knowledge into a thriller that feels less like escapism and more like a warning. The prose is lean, the pacing relentless, the moral terrain treacherous. This is fiction that respects its readers enough to leave them unsettled.
    Publication date
    January 1, 2020
    Amazon rating
    4.5/5
    Print length
    496
    Language
    English
    Publisher
    Elliott & Thompson Ltd
  4. Tags
    mysterysuspensethrillercrime
    Description
    Tony Kent delivers a high-octane thriller that refuses to let up from the first page. In *No Way To Die*, the stakes are personal, the danger is immediate, and the clock is always ticking. This is the kind of book that makes you miss your subway stop. Kent, a criminal barrister by trade, brings an insider's knowledge of the law and a storyteller's instinct for tension. The plot moves with the precision of a legal argument and the velocity of a bullet—every scene earns its place, every twist lands hard. You're not just reading about danger; you're inside it, feeling the weight of impossible choices and the cost of survival. What sets this apart is Kent's refusal to choose between brains and adrenaline. His characters think fast, move faster, and the consequences are never clean. This isn't a puzzle to solve from a distance—it's a visceral, relentless ride that understands the difference between suspense and mere action. If you're looking for a thriller that respects your intelligence while keeping your pulse racing, this is it. Kent knows how to make you care, then make you sweat.
    Publication date
    April 14, 2022
    Amazon rating
    4.4/5
    Print length
    512
    Language
    English
    Publisher
    Elliott & Thompson
  5. Tags
    thrillercrime
    Description
    What happens when the machinery of justice becomes the instrument of terror? Tony Kent's *The Shadow Network* plunges readers into a world where the line between protector and predator blurs beyond recognition, and the institutions we trust may harbor the darkest secrets of all. This installment in the Order of Killer Intent series delivers a high-octane thriller that refuses to let up. Kent constructs a labyrinth of conspiracy and violence, where every revelation peels back another layer of corruption. The stakes escalate with brutal efficiency as his characters navigate a treacherous landscape of hidden agendas and lethal consequences. This is a novel that understands the currency of modern paranoia—the fear that those sworn to serve might be orchestrating our destruction. Kent writes with the precision of someone who knows how power operates in shadow. His prose moves with relentless momentum, each chapter tightening the noose around his protagonists while expanding the scope of the threat they face. The result is a thriller that satisfies on both visceral and intellectual levels, offering explosive action sequences alongside a chilling meditation on institutional rot. For readers who crave their suspense laced with substance, who want to feel their pulse quicken while their worldview shifts slightly off-axis, *The Shadow Network* delivers exactly what the genre promises at its best.
    Publication date
    May 15, 2024
    Amazon rating
    4.4/5
    Print length
    496
    Language
    English
    Publisher
    Elliott Thompson

Order of The Odessa Books

  1. Description
    Frederick Forsyth's name on the cover tells you something about the stakes. This is a thriller that reaches back to the darkest corners of World War II and the Nazi networks that survived it, the kind of conspiracy that doesn't just threaten individuals—it threatens to rewrite history itself. Tony Kent brings his signature blend of legal precision and breakneck pacing to a story about Odessa, the shadowy organization that helped war criminals escape justice. When the past refuses to stay buried, someone has to dig it up, and the people who benefit from silence will do anything to keep their secrets safe. The tension is relentless. This is the kind of book that makes you question how much of the official story you've been told. Kent doesn't just write action—he writes consequence, the weight of history pressing down on the present. Every revelation feels earned, every twist grounded in the terrifying plausibility of what powerful people will do to protect themselves. If you're looking for a thriller that respects your intelligence while keeping you up past midnight, this is it. The collaboration with Forsyth isn't just a marketing gimmick—it's a meeting of minds, old-school espionage craft meeting modern urgency. The revenge isn't just personal. It's historical.
    Publication date
    November 18, 2025
    Amazon rating
    4/5
    Print length
    442
    Language
    English
    Publisher
    G.P. Putnam's Sons
How We Verified This Reading Order

We verified the reading order for Tony Kent's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.

Last verified: April 2026

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