Jack Palms, a former Hollywood action star, dropped out of the cinematic pressure cooker three years ago opting for a lifestyle of peace and quiet in San Francisco. So far he had enjoyed that decision. Until now.

First, someone set his bed afire while he was out of town. Then, a man showed up in his backyard and shot out the glass patio door while Jack ducked bullets and flying shards. Although Jack was able to tackle the intruder, after a fierce struggle the shooter got away.

The third bad news of the day was the written request that Jack meet with his old friend Sergeant Mills Hopkins from the San Francisco police department. Suspecting corruption at a high level in the organization, Mills asked Jack to do a little investigating of his own and report back only to Mills.

After several bullet holes were found in the side of his Mustang, and the bodies of a number of young girls kept showing up in alleys around the city, Jack decided to seek the help of his friend Freeman Jones, a former NFL star, to assist him in finding out who was behind the chaos. Jones also helped Hopkins find out who was targeting Jack, and why, so that he could get his life back.

This is Life, written by Seth Harwood, takes over where Jack Wakes Up Harwood’s first book in the new series ended. It is a hard-hitting suspense story of the mean streets and back alleys of San Francisco.

The storyline is interesting and should keep readers turning pages to find out what kind of trouble Jack will find himself in next. Unfortunately, the author apparently believes that the frequent use of foul language adds to the grittiness of the story, but in this case it is actually distracting. So is the first-person style of writing that suggests the author is aiming for a noir tone.

The action packed drama suggests this story would make a great adventure movie on the big screen. With the right actors playing the lead roles, This is Life has all the makings of a successful series of films.

A special thank you goes to Thomas & Mercer for providing a complimentary copy of This is Life for our review. If you are interested in purchasing any of Seth Harwood’s books, they are available at Amazon.com.