Broken Steel is the third in the Steel series, but it stands strongly as a standalone albeit with enough allusions to the previous books to have you wanting to read more.
This was a page-turner, it started with a bang and then kept going. There were twists and turns, false leads, and questions, and lots of action. It was well balanced between the action and the mystery, with many moments to catch your breath without losing the pace of the story. The quieter moments – the search for clues, the station – all help to build on the world, the mystery and the characters and helps to keep the action grounded.
Steel is a fascinating character -and the fact that his character is still developing is fantastic. To some extent he is as mysterious as the situation that he is investigation, and very cleverly written, as he exemplifies many lead characters and yet still stands out as a unique character. I am keen to read the first two books, in order to see more of his backstory. His partner McCall is a contrast to Steel, a more straightforward character who still stands out, and brings her own strengths and insight to the investigation, and isn’t lost in Steel’s shadow, which is great to see. Their banter and relationship were also a nice counterbalance to the action and stopped Steel from becoming too enigmatic.
I certainly want to check out the other Steel books, and I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an entertaining crime/action/thriller read, and a great character to follow.