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The Agent #1
The Temporary Agent (The Agent Series) by Daniel Judson
Scarred by war, former Navy Seabee Tom Sexton vows to leave his violent past behind, only to be drawn back into that life when a deadly conspiracy forces him to face an agonizing choice no man should ever have to make.
Five years after his life was saved in Afghanistan by Marine Force Recon Leader Charlie Cahill, Tom lives a bleak, nomadic existence, haunted by the debt he can never repay. Salvation appears in Stella—a woman as damaged, and resourceful, as he. But when a coded distress call from his former CO leads him to a shadowy NSA operative, Tom is recruited for a “black op” to bring back the now-rogue man who saved his life.
As he searches for Cahill, Tom quickly uncovers a much larger web of treason and betrayal that calls his entire world into question—and forces him into the ultimate no-win scenario.
Five years after his life was saved in Afghanistan by Marine Force Recon Leader Charlie Cahill, Tom lives a bleak, nomadic existence, haunted by the debt he can never repay. Salvation appears in Stella—a woman as damaged, and resourceful, as he. But when a coded distress call from his former CO leads him to a shadowy NSA operative, Tom is recruited for a “black op” to bring back the now-rogue man who saved his life.
As he searches for Cahill, Tom quickly uncovers a much larger web of treason and betrayal that calls his entire world into question—and forces him into the ultimate no-win scenario.
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First published January 1, 2016
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About the author
Daniel Judson
19 books149 followersDANIEL JUDSON, a Shamus Award winner and a four-time finalist, is the author of five previous novels, most recently The Violet Hour. He attended Southampton College, and his time in the Hamptons (particularly the parts that don’t make the society pages) was the inspiration for the setting and characters in Voyeur. He now lives in Connecticut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 476 reviews
March 16, 2017
This was my Kindle First pick for July. Although it is completely out of my general reading lane, I loved it.
It's an expertly written, action packed, suspense thriller that kept me second guessing my conclusions.
The detail in the description of the weapons, how they were used, and the reasons behind each result impressed me page after page.
Every character was expertly developed. The quiet, unassuming, but deadly ex-military heroes, Tom, Carrington, Cahill and others. The devastation the war caused on these and other characters was subtly but poignantly portrayed. Patriotism versus morality is a theme throughout.
I feel like I'm stumbling over my words because I can't quite describe how good this book really is. It's definitely an adult book with themes inappropriate for the under 18 crowd. It will keep you gasping, guessing, praying, and hoping against hope on the edge of your seat the whole time.
Fantastic writing, riveting plot, and flawless delivery. I loved it.
It's an expertly written, action packed, suspense thriller that kept me second guessing my conclusions.
The detail in the description of the weapons, how they were used, and the reasons behind each result impressed me page after page.
Every character was expertly developed. The quiet, unassuming, but deadly ex-military heroes, Tom, Carrington, Cahill and others. The devastation the war caused on these and other characters was subtly but poignantly portrayed. Patriotism versus morality is a theme throughout.
I feel like I'm stumbling over my words because I can't quite describe how good this book really is. It's definitely an adult book with themes inappropriate for the under 18 crowd. It will keep you gasping, guessing, praying, and hoping against hope on the edge of your seat the whole time.
Fantastic writing, riveting plot, and flawless delivery. I loved it.
June 30, 2016
I got this free via, I think, Kindle First.
It is very eventful...so much so I found that it got boring. Good plotting requires pacing- high excitement interspersed with lower-energy elements, and this was close to 100% EXCITING.
And I am not sure that all the changes made sense in terms of character. OK, all the wheels within wheels and betrayals... but in the end, I am not convinced the resolution makes sense, based on the characters etc.
There is not much character development. The characters are mostly stick figures, ruled by the fairly arbitrary plot.
The plot raised a lot of questions, especially as to various people's characters, that were glossed over by the end.
There were lots of intricate details about various kinds of guns and explosives, if that's your thing.
Not really recommended.
It is very eventful...so much so I found that it got boring. Good plotting requires pacing- high excitement interspersed with lower-energy elements, and this was close to 100% EXCITING.
And I am not sure that all the changes made sense in terms of character. OK, all the wheels within wheels and betrayals... but in the end, I am not convinced the resolution makes sense, based on the characters etc.
There is not much character development. The characters are mostly stick figures, ruled by the fairly arbitrary plot.
The plot raised a lot of questions, especially as to various people's characters, that were glossed over by the end.
There were lots of intricate details about various kinds of guns and explosives, if that's your thing.
Not really recommended.
June 16, 2016
Original story of loyalty, treason and betrayal. Veteran Tom Sexton leads a quiet life with his girlfriend Stella working 9 to 5 jobs in western Connecticut until their lives are interrupted by a cryptic message from old comrade Tom knew from his service in Afghanistan. What follows is a journey of double crossed treachery and betrayal by would be terrorists with mysterious identities and motivations. Tom tasks himself with unraveling this Gordian knot of conflicting loyalties and eliminate the terrorist plot while keeping Stella safe from harm.
June 10, 2016
The Temporary Agent
This was a thrilling, wild ride. Exactly what I expect when I pick up a covert ops/spy/agent type of book. There was nonstop action and suspense coupled with plot twists and explosions. One doesn't know who to trust until nearly the final pages. I was never really bored and didn't want to put it down. I loved the characters and how they were given their own backstories.
This was a thrilling, wild ride. Exactly what I expect when I pick up a covert ops/spy/agent type of book. There was nonstop action and suspense coupled with plot twists and explosions. One doesn't know who to trust until nearly the final pages. I was never really bored and didn't want to put it down. I loved the characters and how they were given their own backstories.
October 8, 2016
I don't often give five stars to a novel but this one deserves them.
A perfect blend of a good plot, good character development, very good writing, and enough Red Herrings to leave the reader wondering who really is the bad guy.
This one had me reading well into the wee hours.
A perfect blend of a good plot, good character development, very good writing, and enough Red Herrings to leave the reader wondering who really is the bad guy.
This one had me reading well into the wee hours.
July 18, 2016
This is my second (or third) "Amazon First" novel (an Amazon Prime benefit... you get a free book every month) that smells like an NRA planted book. Call me a conspiracy nut, but it feels like they might have a program to win over "hearts and minds" with a cultural invasion of gun-nuttiness. This book has good action, writing and all that, but several times a chapter, we get a loving, detailed ode to how many rounds a Colt 1911 has in various magazines, or how the slide & chambering works on a SIG p226, or the shoulder-rigging of a Desert Eagle.
Then, we also get an occasional education on the various state laws on gun ownership and how many rounds of ammunition you are allowed to carry. At a couple points in the story, there's some clunky dialogue about whether or not characters are violating state gun laws as they drive about... Huh? They just killed a bunch of swarthy/menacing Eastern European/Islamic dudes with gunshots to the face and now they are worried about GUN PERMITS?
Perhaps most infuriating, there's a description of the bad guy's plan and how that is made much easier because not every citizen in New York is properly armed.
[sarcasm] RIIIIGHT.... because that's really the core of the problem! Not enough guns in New York! [/sarcasm]
Like I said... I smell NRA support. Or maybe the author is a simple gun nut.
Beyond my distaste with that, it's a good read - a bit convoluted on who the bad guys really are and the back and forth between them. When ultimately the real bad guy turns out to be ... Well... it left me with kind of an icky feeling.
Then, we also get an occasional education on the various state laws on gun ownership and how many rounds of ammunition you are allowed to carry. At a couple points in the story, there's some clunky dialogue about whether or not characters are violating state gun laws as they drive about... Huh? They just killed a bunch of swarthy/menacing Eastern European/Islamic dudes with gunshots to the face and now they are worried about GUN PERMITS?
Perhaps most infuriating, there's a description of the bad guy's plan and how that is made much easier because not every citizen in New York is properly armed.
[sarcasm] RIIIIGHT.... because that's really the core of the problem! Not enough guns in New York! [/sarcasm]
Like I said... I smell NRA support. Or maybe the author is a simple gun nut.
Beyond my distaste with that, it's a good read - a bit convoluted on who the bad guys really are and the back and forth between them. When ultimately the real bad guy turns out to be ... Well... it left me with kind of an icky feeling.
July 19, 2016
I am usually very generous with my ratings and reviews, but this book really got to my nerves. Many others have mentioned the author's "style" of not writing complete sentences, but fragmented phrases. It is not only that. Also, each phrase gets a paragraph of its own. I can't remember a single paragraph with more than one phrase. I know English is not my native language, so this may really be only a matter of style. Personally, I find this style really annoying and even amateurish.
There are other things I didn't like about the book. The author clearly likes his firearms and goes into excruciating detail for several pages about how the characters check and recheck their guns, dismantle them, put them back together, count and recount how many rounds they have, how many mags are still available, how one mag is different than the other, how this gun is similar to that other gun but with a small difference as they were built in different years... nothing that really adds to the story.
Regarding story structure, it is very linear, full of twists which are difficult to follow, so many that you don't really have time to connect with and care for the characters. The good guy becomes the bad guy and you don't really care because he was the good guy for only a few pages. And with similar names like Carrington and Hammerton and Carhill, I often couldn't follow who was associated with whom at any time.
Yes, I finished the book... because I don't like to leave anything unfinished. :-)
There are other things I didn't like about the book. The author clearly likes his firearms and goes into excruciating detail for several pages about how the characters check and recheck their guns, dismantle them, put them back together, count and recount how many rounds they have, how many mags are still available, how one mag is different than the other, how this gun is similar to that other gun but with a small difference as they were built in different years... nothing that really adds to the story.
Regarding story structure, it is very linear, full of twists which are difficult to follow, so many that you don't really have time to connect with and care for the characters. The good guy becomes the bad guy and you don't really care because he was the good guy for only a few pages. And with similar names like Carrington and Hammerton and Carhill, I often couldn't follow who was associated with whom at any time.
Yes, I finished the book... because I don't like to leave anything unfinished. :-)
June 29, 2018
So, this was a free read and free listen and I really enjoyed it. It was about a traitor but no one knew for sure who it was so there was a lot of finger pointing.
I thought the hero was going to be Cahill because he was in the beginning of the book but then he sorta disappeared and Tom was there, with Stella his girlfriend.
Tom was asked to find Cahill because he had gone off the rails and since Tom had saved Cahill’s life in the war they thought it would be easier if someone he knew found him.
It was a very exciting story from beginning to the end.
There was no sex and the F-bomb was used 20 times.
As to the narration: *sigh*….. Pete Simonelli (aka Sebastian York) Soooo good and yet soooo bad. His reading voice is just awesome but his women’s voices are horrible and he really does read without any feelings whatsoever, no excitement, no threat, no sadness, no anger, no laughter, no love when he says “I love you, Stella,” no nothing; unlike Napoleon Ryan or Luke Daniels or Eric Dove, or any number of male narrators who seem to put their ‘all’ into their reading. Having said all that, I do have another free read and free listen that’s also narrated by him and I’ll listen to and bitch about it when I’m done. What can I say? I have a love-hate relationship with Simonelli/York.
I will admit that it was really, really nice reading this kind of book and it was NOT written in the first person. Nice to know what others were thinking or doing and not just the MC's.
I thought the hero was going to be Cahill because he was in the beginning of the book but then he sorta disappeared and Tom was there, with Stella his girlfriend.
Tom was asked to find Cahill because he had gone off the rails and since Tom had saved Cahill’s life in the war they thought it would be easier if someone he knew found him.
It was a very exciting story from beginning to the end.
There was no sex and the F-bomb was used 20 times.
As to the narration: *sigh*….. Pete Simonelli (aka Sebastian York) Soooo good and yet soooo bad. His reading voice is just awesome but his women’s voices are horrible and he really does read without any feelings whatsoever, no excitement, no threat, no sadness, no anger, no laughter, no love when he says “I love you, Stella,” no nothing; unlike Napoleon Ryan or Luke Daniels or Eric Dove, or any number of male narrators who seem to put their ‘all’ into their reading. Having said all that, I do have another free read and free listen that’s also narrated by him and I’ll listen to and bitch about it when I’m done. What can I say? I have a love-hate relationship with Simonelli/York.
I will admit that it was really, really nice reading this kind of book and it was NOT written in the first person. Nice to know what others were thinking or doing and not just the MC's.
July 6, 2016
It was hard to decide if this book was a two or three for me. I went with three. I normally don't read books where the main character has been wrongly accused and is trying to race against time to clear his or her name. I read it anyway. There were lengthy descriptions of different kinds of guns, bullets, and mags -- so if you are into that or want to learn, you will most likely enjoy all the space devoted to the granular details. I could have done with less, quite a bit less. Also, sometimes it's fun to have a book that keeps you guessing who the real bad guy is, but this one went back and forth and changed so many times--many of the main characters had a turn--some of them more than once. It was too much too quickly.
November 25, 2018
Oh dear
You've never heard this story before - an ex-special forces soldier gets dragged reluctantly into a CIA Vs Islamic terrorist incident. If you like to know exactly how many bullets are in people's weapons (this count happens every few pages) , how the laws for carrying guns vary state by state but are less concerned with snappy dialogue, scene setting, realistic plot, believable or emotionally 3 dimensional characters, and are quite happy with everyone speaking with the same, single authorial voice, then this is for you.
You've never heard this story before - an ex-special forces soldier gets dragged reluctantly into a CIA Vs Islamic terrorist incident. If you like to know exactly how many bullets are in people's weapons (this count happens every few pages) , how the laws for carrying guns vary state by state but are less concerned with snappy dialogue, scene setting, realistic plot, believable or emotionally 3 dimensional characters, and are quite happy with everyone speaking with the same, single authorial voice, then this is for you.
July 1, 2016
Great fun. Fast-paced, characters. Writing smooth and even. I thought the twists were fairly obvious,but that didn't distract from the plot. Couple of grammatical errors that I found distracting, given the allegedly high level of education and literacy of the characters. This was the June Amazon free book--which I usually find very mediocre, but this was an exception.
August 13, 2016
Really enjoyed this one.
January 26, 2018
I got this as a Kindle 1st book ages ago and totally forgot about it. Saw it randomly and decided to give it a go. wasn't the best book I ever read (a bit hard to follow in bits), but I was thoroughly enjoyed it for a fun light read. Now seeing it's part of a series... I enjoyed it enough that I may go look for another from the author. So yeah.
March 16, 2019
Tom Sexton has to answer a call for help from his old boss Carrington. Then there is Stella and keeping her safe while he is away from her. They want him to go after Cahill who once saved his life. Can Tom believe what he is being told? He doesn't think so. This is a great first book to the series and does a good job of introducing characters who will be in the next books in the series.
February 17, 2019
First of a series, this book begins with fast paced events that continue to twist and turn until the end. Love, betrayal, murder, deception and loyalty flows throughout this thriller and kept me reading way too late into the wee hours of the morning! A great read!
August 27, 2019
I don't know how I missed this even though it was in my To-Read list for a long time. It was one of the best thriller which made me read through the night. Simply couldn't stop reading it.
April 1, 2017
An action packed, well plotted story with twists and turns and contemporary dangers. I'll read another by this author.
August 3, 2018
Great read
I liked this book a lot. A well trained former military man living a free life with a new love gets called back into action. And wow, what action it is!
I liked this book a lot. A well trained former military man living a free life with a new love gets called back into action. And wow, what action it is!
July 14, 2016
I picked Daniel Judson's The Temporary Agent (Thomas & Mercer 2016) from NetGalley because of the vague similarities between the main character, ex-Seabee Tom Sexton, and Lee Child's Jack Reacher. Tom's a talented ex-military guy who chooses the life of a vagabond rather than use his prodigious warrior skills to build a lucrative career. We meet Tom as a blue-collar factory worker. During the day, he works his grindingly boring job; evenings, he spends with the woman he's known only six months but long enough to fall in love with. Despite facts to the contrary, he seems content, seemingly in possession of everything he needs in life to be happy.
That all changes when he gets a call from an old military friend, one he promised over a decade ago he would answer should it come in. As Tom tries to help his friend, his goal remains what it has always been: to live a sedentary, private life. Dribbled in between Tom almost being killed and risking his life to save a woman he barely knows--certainly not enough to trust--Judson dribbles bits and pieces of Tom's background that tell us much about this quiet, decisive man with an instinctive talent for survival:
"Fear had long since been conditioned out of him."
"Men who mistook violence for adventure. Men who were just a little too eager to use their deadly skills."
"For the first time in Tom's life, he was about to intentionally step outside the law."
The closer Tom gets to finding the man he's hunting, the more the ground shifts beneath his feet, until Tom has no idea who he can trust and if the man who saved his life so long ago is trying to set him up.
Judson is a masterful storyteller, creating colorful descriptions that are as good as any I've read, underlying Tom's emotions with an almost visceral need to stay away from the violent life of war and death. Though a thriller, the story is character-driven in the way the Jack Reacher series is, revolving around a man who is fiercely law-abiding as well as polite to those who deserve it and respectful of authority. Throughout the story, these traits shape his decisions, as he ends up back in a world he ran from, one inhabited by those who embrace violence, and ultimately struggles over whether to break the law or turn in someone he trusts--neither a solution he can live with.
That all changes when he gets a call from an old military friend, one he promised over a decade ago he would answer should it come in. As Tom tries to help his friend, his goal remains what it has always been: to live a sedentary, private life. Dribbled in between Tom almost being killed and risking his life to save a woman he barely knows--certainly not enough to trust--Judson dribbles bits and pieces of Tom's background that tell us much about this quiet, decisive man with an instinctive talent for survival:
"Fear had long since been conditioned out of him."
"Men who mistook violence for adventure. Men who were just a little too eager to use their deadly skills."
"For the first time in Tom's life, he was about to intentionally step outside the law."
The closer Tom gets to finding the man he's hunting, the more the ground shifts beneath his feet, until Tom has no idea who he can trust and if the man who saved his life so long ago is trying to set him up.
Judson is a masterful storyteller, creating colorful descriptions that are as good as any I've read, underlying Tom's emotions with an almost visceral need to stay away from the violent life of war and death. Though a thriller, the story is character-driven in the way the Jack Reacher series is, revolving around a man who is fiercely law-abiding as well as polite to those who deserve it and respectful of authority. Throughout the story, these traits shape his decisions, as he ends up back in a world he ran from, one inhabited by those who embrace violence, and ultimately struggles over whether to break the law or turn in someone he trusts--neither a solution he can live with.
August 8, 2016
This is really a 2/12 star book, for me. I enjoyed the tense, almost POV action scenes, which were numerous in the book. On the other hand, though, the plotting got so ridiculous that I almost couldn't finish the book, and the villain's motivations, when revealed, seemed kind of absurd. The characters themselves were just substantial enough so as to not be distractingly thin. As far as the writing, the very sparse, dry, writing style worked with the genre, and I kind of enjoyed it. I read it on a Kindle, but I still found the numerous references to Amazon Kindle TM to be a little distracting. For fans of the thriller/suspense/military genre I'd recommend it as a quick read, not sure I would recommend it otherwise, probably not.
December 14, 2016
You have to have a high tolerance for violence to enjoy this book. But it is a page turner with a taut plot and likable characters. An added bonus for me was the recognizable locations close to home.
October 14, 2018
Fast paced story about intrigue in secret American government agencies. Not bad if you need a quick book to read on a trip. There were lots of explanations of how to load handguns and storm a building like an elite agent, so seemed to be aimed solely at readers interested in that.
The characters don't develop during the story. I didn't engage with how the author repeatedly explained how the main characters were motivated by their need to be with their perfect partners. I think it was because the writing felt stilted to me.
The characters don't develop during the story. I didn't engage with how the author repeatedly explained how the main characters were motivated by their need to be with their perfect partners. I think it was because the writing felt stilted to me.
January 19, 2021
So this story was okay. (audible review)
I think the it could have been better. It felt like it was missing elements I just can put my finger on.
It wasn't bad, just okay. The story line and plot were okay, but sometimes convoluted.
I am fan of Sebastian York, however for some reason there is no voice change at all and the reading was a bit monotone. No inflections or emotion or anything. Even though he does have a sexy voice, in this book it just didn't help.
I think the it could have been better. It felt like it was missing elements I just can put my finger on.
It wasn't bad, just okay. The story line and plot were okay, but sometimes convoluted.
I am fan of Sebastian York, however for some reason there is no voice change at all and the reading was a bit monotone. No inflections or emotion or anything. Even though he does have a sexy voice, in this book it just didn't help.
July 22, 2016
Great, engrossing thriller that kept me guessing till the end!!
Engrossing thriller that kept me guessing till the end!! Realistic and fast paced - I would read more by this author!!
Engrossing thriller that kept me guessing till the end!! Realistic and fast paced - I would read more by this author!!
September 24, 2016
To be fair, I got bored and didn't finish it. I gave it a 2 since the characters I've met thus far were two dimensional and I didn't really care what was going to happen next. This may turn out to be the book others liked, I just decided I had only so much time so I'm moving on.
June 19, 2016
Excellent thriller
Cannot wait to see what other books are available from this author. Very interesting story .Keeps you guessing. Enjoyed it
Cannot wait to see what other books are available from this author. Very interesting story .Keeps you guessing. Enjoyed it
July 29, 2016
Decent but not outstanding
The story and plot were solid. Some events were a little bit of a stretch but overall not a bad read
The story and plot were solid. Some events were a little bit of a stretch but overall not a bad read
October 27, 2018
Stumbled upon this great book and author by chance but I fell for it and have already gotten book 2.
June 13, 2020
Tom Sexton ,a Seebee who was wounded in Afghanistan, has finally found some peace and stability in a small, quiet town in Connecticut, and for the first time , he has formed a close, loving relationship with Stella, a local waitress. One thing they have in common is a past filled with struggle, but they now are enjoying a loving ,peaceful life. That changes when Tom gets a phone call from the past he has tried to forget. It involves the man who nearly died saving Tom’s life during an ambush. He needs Tom’s help. Reluctantly, driven by a sense of duty and honor, Tom responds , walking into a whirlpool of danger and deceit.
Daniel Judson has taken this often used formula and turns it into the exciting dramatic thriller , “ Temporary Agent.” The book has a good story line, a tightly-woven plot and good characters. And a cinematic slam- bang ending ( from cars banging together on the west side highway) .
Tom is an appealing ,sympathetic character, whose personal problems never become maudlin, though they do affect his quiet nature. His woman friend, Stella, is a strong ,positive companion, and their life together is growing closer. It is an important part of the story, and is a big part in the novel’s unfolding action.
There is a lot of action.
When Tom answers the call to help his buddy, Charlie Cahill, he learns that Cahill has gone into hiding because he has been involved in a deadly shoot out in the parking lot of a motel. That secluded place, sort of a “ no-tell motel” was where Charlie regularly met with with his lover, a married woman. This time, as they left they are attacked, not by the jealous husband, but by a van full of heavily armed men. Cahill, using skills learned in combat survives, though wounded, but his lover is killed. Obviously, Cahill was the target; his companion collateral damage.
The story moves along at a quick pace. Most of the novel is about Tom as he searches for his old friend and encounters Chechen mob killers, CIA agents and the kind of people who use other people for their own , hidden , ends. At times, the plot gets a bit complicated. I am usually pretty good at following the twist of spy/ secret ops thrillers, but I admit that I was not sure who the good guys were and who was double-crossing whom. As all thriller readers know, everything can be tied up with a good car chase, and this one has a chase that recalls the ones in the Bourne movies. One question though: NYC has 38000 cops-where were they while this frantic chase action was going on? There are shoot-outs , harrowing escapes and meetings in cemeteries that frame Tom Sexton’s heroism. As tough as he is though, I wOndered at Tom rowing a boat with a broken arm. Tough guy, for sure.
I enjoyed the book and I recommend it to lovers of dramatic thrillers. Like me, you will be locked in from the first pages to the last.
Sensitivity warnings- A romantic affectionate love scene or two, and some violent , bloody shootouts. No profanity.
Daniel Judson has taken this often used formula and turns it into the exciting dramatic thriller , “ Temporary Agent.” The book has a good story line, a tightly-woven plot and good characters. And a cinematic slam- bang ending ( from cars banging together on the west side highway) .
Tom is an appealing ,sympathetic character, whose personal problems never become maudlin, though they do affect his quiet nature. His woman friend, Stella, is a strong ,positive companion, and their life together is growing closer. It is an important part of the story, and is a big part in the novel’s unfolding action.
There is a lot of action.
When Tom answers the call to help his buddy, Charlie Cahill, he learns that Cahill has gone into hiding because he has been involved in a deadly shoot out in the parking lot of a motel. That secluded place, sort of a “ no-tell motel” was where Charlie regularly met with with his lover, a married woman. This time, as they left they are attacked, not by the jealous husband, but by a van full of heavily armed men. Cahill, using skills learned in combat survives, though wounded, but his lover is killed. Obviously, Cahill was the target; his companion collateral damage.
The story moves along at a quick pace. Most of the novel is about Tom as he searches for his old friend and encounters Chechen mob killers, CIA agents and the kind of people who use other people for their own , hidden , ends. At times, the plot gets a bit complicated. I am usually pretty good at following the twist of spy/ secret ops thrillers, but I admit that I was not sure who the good guys were and who was double-crossing whom. As all thriller readers know, everything can be tied up with a good car chase, and this one has a chase that recalls the ones in the Bourne movies. One question though: NYC has 38000 cops-where were they while this frantic chase action was going on? There are shoot-outs , harrowing escapes and meetings in cemeteries that frame Tom Sexton’s heroism. As tough as he is though, I wOndered at Tom rowing a boat with a broken arm. Tough guy, for sure.
I enjoyed the book and I recommend it to lovers of dramatic thrillers. Like me, you will be locked in from the first pages to the last.
Sensitivity warnings- A romantic affectionate love scene or two, and some violent , bloody shootouts. No profanity.
September 21, 2017
It took me a while to finish reading this book because I've been too busy in my normal life, but I finally got around to finishing it.
Generally, it was ok, but **MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD** my main issue is that the big bad in this book ended up being a lesbian. Now, this is not because I have an issues with gay people. I don't. I have an issue that it felt like the fact that the big bad was gay seemed like it was tacked on for no good reason. It seemed like the author was writing this story, then realized, "Oh hey, this character should have some motivation for what they're doing. I know! Let's make her a lesbian who lost her lover while they were in the war in the Middle East. That's the best!" I honestly don't care that the character is gay. I care that the motivations were plot-driven. Plot-driven character reactions are one of the things I HATE about any form of fictional writing. Basically, I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room as soon as I read those motivations.
That being said, it was very action-y. If you like that type of book, then go for it. But if you like books that have even the slightest modicum of character development for more than the main characters, you might want to skip this one.
Generally, it was ok, but **MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD** my main issue is that the big bad in this book ended up being a lesbian. Now, this is not because I have an issues with gay people. I don't. I have an issue that it felt like the fact that the big bad was gay seemed like it was tacked on for no good reason. It seemed like the author was writing this story, then realized, "Oh hey, this character should have some motivation for what they're doing. I know! Let's make her a lesbian who lost her lover while they were in the war in the Middle East. That's the best!" I honestly don't care that the character is gay. I care that the motivations were plot-driven. Plot-driven character reactions are one of the things I HATE about any form of fictional writing. Basically, I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room as soon as I read those motivations.
That being said, it was very action-y. If you like that type of book, then go for it. But if you like books that have even the slightest modicum of character development for more than the main characters, you might want to skip this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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