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Risk Agent #3
The Red Room
John Knox is an expert at surveillance and delicate, international dealings. So he is understandably thrown when David "Sarge" Dulwich, his contact at Rutherford Risk, hands him a photo of a transaction he recently facilitated in the Middle East. More curious to him, he's shown that photo while in the Red Room, the private security company’s highly secure underground bunker, where eavesdropping is impossible and privacy ensured. Why all the cloak-and-dagger?
Knox is pressured into accepting a job as an art broker in the mysterious Istanbul, a city situated on two continents where East meets West and Islam meets Christianity. It is a melting pot of spies, terrorists, and conflicting interests.
Teamed with smart, quick, and fearless Grace Chu, Knox must navigate a murky operation, the only goal of which is to spend five minutes in the proximity of a man they've never met. Why? What can it possibly matter? And why are so many others bound and determined to see it never happens—at any cost?
Knox is pressured into accepting a job as an art broker in the mysterious Istanbul, a city situated on two continents where East meets West and Islam meets Christianity. It is a melting pot of spies, terrorists, and conflicting interests.
Teamed with smart, quick, and fearless Grace Chu, Knox must navigate a murky operation, the only goal of which is to spend five minutes in the proximity of a man they've never met. Why? What can it possibly matter? And why are so many others bound and determined to see it never happens—at any cost?
416 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
67 people are currently reading
1073 people want to read
About the author
Ridley Pearson
186 books2,098 followersRidley Pearson is the author of more than fifty novels, including the New York Times bestseller Killer Weekend; the Lou Boldt crime series; and many books for young readers, including the award-winning children's novels Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadow Thieves, and Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, which he cowrote with Dave Barry. Pearson lives with his wife and two daughters, dividing their time between Missouri and Idaho.
Also writes Chris Klick mysteries as Wendell McCall.
Also writes Chris Klick mysteries as Wendell McCall.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
April 24, 2014
Frank Knox is an operative for Rutherford Risk. The company's bread and butter comes from U.S. government jobs and providing information. The president of the company likes to style his company in the manner of the first director of the CIA.
Frank is given an assignment to meet a man he has dealt with in the past about art works. He is to offer the man a priceless art piece that was thought to have been destroyed. The man's brother is also of interest to Frank's boss. Frank is to work with his partner Grace Chu who is excellent with computer technology and good in self defense. Once the men agree to buy the art piece, Grace can trace the source of money to see where it comes from and what crimes may have been committed.
Frank takes on the job because his brother has medical issues and he needs money for medicine.
Even though there is a great deal of action, the novel is slow and uninteresting. Frank gets shot, stabbed, struck with a re-bar and tasered. The are being followed by agents of Iran, Israel and Turkey. He and Grace are captured and released more than once and finally, we wish they would just get on with it.
That is the problem with the story. Who are the villains? Are the men selling art to use for weapons? Is there a sinister plot from Iran? We don't know and after a time, the reader ceases to care.
I've enjoyed Ridley Pearson's work and consider myself a fan but this novel isn't up to his past efforts.
Frank is given an assignment to meet a man he has dealt with in the past about art works. He is to offer the man a priceless art piece that was thought to have been destroyed. The man's brother is also of interest to Frank's boss. Frank is to work with his partner Grace Chu who is excellent with computer technology and good in self defense. Once the men agree to buy the art piece, Grace can trace the source of money to see where it comes from and what crimes may have been committed.
Frank takes on the job because his brother has medical issues and he needs money for medicine.
Even though there is a great deal of action, the novel is slow and uninteresting. Frank gets shot, stabbed, struck with a re-bar and tasered. The are being followed by agents of Iran, Israel and Turkey. He and Grace are captured and released more than once and finally, we wish they would just get on with it.
That is the problem with the story. Who are the villains? Are the men selling art to use for weapons? Is there a sinister plot from Iran? We don't know and after a time, the reader ceases to care.
I've enjoyed Ridley Pearson's work and consider myself a fan but this novel isn't up to his past efforts.
July 24, 2014
Another book that I was excited to read. That was the story but it was a different story when I actually read it. Yeah the plot was good. I liked the background location that this story took place in of Istanbul. The location helped but it was not enough for me to fully embrace this book. The characters were so-so. I might have felt differently if I had read the prior novels but I only say might because I have read lots of books where I have jumped right into a series and had no problems forming a bond with the characters even without knowing their past history.
This book did not keep and capture my attention. I would start reading it and voices around me could not always be blocked out. A good book will keep my attention and I can block out outside noises. Plus, if you asked me about what happened in this book, I could not honestly tell you as I have already forgotten and I just put the book down 2 days ago.
This book did not keep and capture my attention. I would start reading it and voices around me could not always be blocked out. A good book will keep my attention and I can block out outside noises. Plus, if you asked me about what happened in this book, I could not honestly tell you as I have already forgotten and I just put the book down 2 days ago.
July 19, 2014
I probably should not even give it one star. Too bad I did not read my review of his first "Risk Agent" book, because I would not have read the second, and most definitely would not have read #3.
The plot was over the top confusing and the end was ridiculous. I am through with Ridley Pearson!
The plot was over the top confusing and the end was ridiculous. I am through with Ridley Pearson!
July 21, 2014
I found this story long, dull and unfinished by its ending. 2 of 10 stars
April 10, 2014
I have read everything Mr. Pearson has written --- from thriller to YA --- and thoroughly enjoyed all (particularly his Kingdom Keepers and Peter & the Starcatchers series).
THE RED ROOM is the third entry in the Risk Agent series that features John Knox and Grace Chu. Both protagonists work for an interesting organization that 'manages' insurance risk (but is actually a covert arm of a super-intelligence organization). This effort finds the pair working separately (initially) on an assignment in Istanbul, Turkey, where they are seeking to take down an arms trader via the world of fine art.
Regrettably, the novel is over-long and surprisingly dull. It takes nearly half of the novel for anything substantial to really happen that the reader should care about (the abduction of a curiously unwitting Ms. Chu). it is only when Knox is in revenge or retaliation mode that this novel works --- that does not happen nearly enough and the story could have been significantly trimmed down to make for a more taut and suspenseful thriller.
All great riders are bound to stumble and its a triumph its taken Ridley Pearson this long to put his name on a lack-luster effort. I'm sure he will bounce back as the final chapter in The Kingdom Keepers series is ironically being released at the same time as this novel.
THE RED ROOM is the third entry in the Risk Agent series that features John Knox and Grace Chu. Both protagonists work for an interesting organization that 'manages' insurance risk (but is actually a covert arm of a super-intelligence organization). This effort finds the pair working separately (initially) on an assignment in Istanbul, Turkey, where they are seeking to take down an arms trader via the world of fine art.
Regrettably, the novel is over-long and surprisingly dull. It takes nearly half of the novel for anything substantial to really happen that the reader should care about (the abduction of a curiously unwitting Ms. Chu). it is only when Knox is in revenge or retaliation mode that this novel works --- that does not happen nearly enough and the story could have been significantly trimmed down to make for a more taut and suspenseful thriller.
All great riders are bound to stumble and its a triumph its taken Ridley Pearson this long to put his name on a lack-luster effort. I'm sure he will bounce back as the final chapter in The Kingdom Keepers series is ironically being released at the same time as this novel.
June 3, 2014
I was excited to receive a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway since I have thoroughly enjoyed Ridley Pearson's previous kid and YA novels while reading them with my children and had never read any of his adult fiction. I'm as to say that I did not enjoy this book much. Perhaps part of the reason is that it is the third of a series and I wasn't up to speed with his characters, John and Grace. I wish I could say that was the worst part, but I found the writing to be very choppy at the start and it took a lot to keep me focused on where he was trying to go. I ended up not really caring about either of the main characters. I'm tempted to get a copy of the first book in the series to see if it was just this book that was rough. We will definitely keep reading his YA series and I hope to give him another try in the adult realm.
July 24, 2014
I was disappointed in this book. Having enjoyed his Lou Bolt character so much I do not care as much for these John Knox books. I felt the plot was all over the place and not easy to follow. Before long I could have cared less how it ended.
November 30, 2016
The two agents barely break a sweat. Their communication/spying/ stuff is beyond me and seems too far fetched. They track down people and find each other almost effortlessly. Pearson has written better. I didn't finish the book.
July 25, 2014
DO NOT attempt this book if you haven't read the other Risk a agent books. I found it confusing and I HAD read those books!
November 27, 2014
I think Ridley Pierson is hitting his stride in this series- very suspenseful, fast-paced and well written.
May 3, 2014
I received this book from Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review. I award this book 2.5 stars.
Ridley Pearson is a local author who has made a name for himself on the NYT bestselling list for his adult, YA, and MG books. I've heard only raves from people I really trust, so I knew I had to read his books sometime. The Red Room is another in the Risk Agent series starring John Knox and Grace Chu. I have to say I was disappointed by this book, and it seems like I wasn't the only one.
The Red Room by Ridley Pearson places John and Grace in Istanbul, where they play a cat and mouse game with very little information from their contact at Rutherford Risk, David “Sarge” Dulwich. In fact, the two main characters in alternating chapters of a tight third person present don't meet up for a while. The main idea is that the Red Room is a place where only the most secretive ploys are cooked and nothing can be heard from within the room. This is supposed to be the "hook" of the book. Grace and John are tasked with selling a very elusive and rare art piece to someone in Istabul, and get out of there. Of course, nothing is as easy as it seems.
I'm not sure where to start. I had a lot of trouble getting into the book, because the prose is pretty choppy, many times written in partial sentences. This was mainly when in John's perspective, I guess to keep us feeling like things were rushed and intense. Also the third person present is not my favorite perspective, and it felt very awkward when used in this book. The plot really stagnates overall and is clumsy and overwrought. I felt as lost as the characters most of the time, in a bad way. The pacing is really off, and I was halfway through the book and nothing had happened. What happened to the inciting event? Was that supposed to be the use of the Red Room? If so, it was seriously lacking. John and Grace muddle throughout the rest of the book, and it never really takes off.
I did think that Grace was probably my favorite character, and I thought Pearson did a great job of showing her conflict between her cultural background and doing what she loves-- and admiring John for it. I thought John was kind of a douche bag when we have the smouldering attraction building between the two of them, and then something happens, that made absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.
I glanced to see what other people thought, because maybe since I haven't read one of these novels in a while (I read mostly YA), maybe it was no longer my type of book. But all the other current reviews out there are from people who have loved his books and read many of them. Each of the reviews had a pretty similar tune to mine-- Ridley is a great author, but this is a pretty big misstep from his earlier works. Sounds like I'll have to pick up another one before I make any rash decisions!
Overall, a clumsy, overwrought political intrigue type novel that never really makes it off the ground. I hear the other ones are much better, but I'd pass on this installment.
Ridley Pearson is a local author who has made a name for himself on the NYT bestselling list for his adult, YA, and MG books. I've heard only raves from people I really trust, so I knew I had to read his books sometime. The Red Room is another in the Risk Agent series starring John Knox and Grace Chu. I have to say I was disappointed by this book, and it seems like I wasn't the only one.
The Red Room by Ridley Pearson places John and Grace in Istanbul, where they play a cat and mouse game with very little information from their contact at Rutherford Risk, David “Sarge” Dulwich. In fact, the two main characters in alternating chapters of a tight third person present don't meet up for a while. The main idea is that the Red Room is a place where only the most secretive ploys are cooked and nothing can be heard from within the room. This is supposed to be the "hook" of the book. Grace and John are tasked with selling a very elusive and rare art piece to someone in Istabul, and get out of there. Of course, nothing is as easy as it seems.
I'm not sure where to start. I had a lot of trouble getting into the book, because the prose is pretty choppy, many times written in partial sentences. This was mainly when in John's perspective, I guess to keep us feeling like things were rushed and intense. Also the third person present is not my favorite perspective, and it felt very awkward when used in this book. The plot really stagnates overall and is clumsy and overwrought. I felt as lost as the characters most of the time, in a bad way. The pacing is really off, and I was halfway through the book and nothing had happened. What happened to the inciting event? Was that supposed to be the use of the Red Room? If so, it was seriously lacking. John and Grace muddle throughout the rest of the book, and it never really takes off.
I did think that Grace was probably my favorite character, and I thought Pearson did a great job of showing her conflict between her cultural background and doing what she loves-- and admiring John for it. I thought John was kind of a douche bag when we have the smouldering attraction building between the two of them, and then something happens, that made absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.
I glanced to see what other people thought, because maybe since I haven't read one of these novels in a while (I read mostly YA), maybe it was no longer my type of book. But all the other current reviews out there are from people who have loved his books and read many of them. Each of the reviews had a pretty similar tune to mine-- Ridley is a great author, but this is a pretty big misstep from his earlier works. Sounds like I'll have to pick up another one before I make any rash decisions!
Overall, a clumsy, overwrought political intrigue type novel that never really makes it off the ground. I hear the other ones are much better, but I'd pass on this installment.
July 4, 2014
In the third novel in what is billed as an “international thriller series” (“Risk Agent” was the first entry), Ridley Pearson brings the return of John Knox, a man who has a useful ‘cover’ as a legitimate international exporter, and Grace Chu, a Chinese woman who speaks five or six languages, was a former forensic accountant and an accomplished computer hacker, with a background including a master’s degree in criminology from USC and training with the Chinese Army, now intrigued by the thought of a future in field ops and the potential independence that financial security holds. They are both now occasionally employed by Rutherford Risk, a private security firm, hired by John’s old buddy David “Sarge” Dulwich.
This time out, each of the two is, separately, given a briefing on a new assignment by Dulwich in the eponymous Red Room, in the building overlooking Hong Kong harbor, the room distinguished by the body scanner through which one must pass before gaining entry and after relinquishing anything metal, a bunker contained by a barrier “seven inches of steel and insulating concrete weighing three hundred pounds,” very “cloak and dagger,” as Knox says. Everything dealing with this assignment is very strictly on a NTK (Need to Know) basis, something that doesn’t change from first page to nearly last. As confusing as things get for Knox and Chu, they proved even more so for this reader.
The case has to do with the acquisition of a piece of what is called “gray market art,” specifically a work deemed one of the “rarer treasures in the history of Western civilization.” It brings our protagonists to Istanbul, and the descriptions of that exotic city are the most enjoyable parts of the novel, to my mind. It’s hard to tell the good guys from the bad, for the protags and the reader equally. As I have said before, though there are some notable exceptions (e.g., Lee Child/Jack Reacher novels), thrillers are not, generally, my favorite sub-genre. Having enjoyed the last book in the series, “Choke Point,” I looked forward to reading this newest entry. Unfortunately, I came away feeling my earlier leanings reinforced.
This time out, each of the two is, separately, given a briefing on a new assignment by Dulwich in the eponymous Red Room, in the building overlooking Hong Kong harbor, the room distinguished by the body scanner through which one must pass before gaining entry and after relinquishing anything metal, a bunker contained by a barrier “seven inches of steel and insulating concrete weighing three hundred pounds,” very “cloak and dagger,” as Knox says. Everything dealing with this assignment is very strictly on a NTK (Need to Know) basis, something that doesn’t change from first page to nearly last. As confusing as things get for Knox and Chu, they proved even more so for this reader.
The case has to do with the acquisition of a piece of what is called “gray market art,” specifically a work deemed one of the “rarer treasures in the history of Western civilization.” It brings our protagonists to Istanbul, and the descriptions of that exotic city are the most enjoyable parts of the novel, to my mind. It’s hard to tell the good guys from the bad, for the protags and the reader equally. As I have said before, though there are some notable exceptions (e.g., Lee Child/Jack Reacher novels), thrillers are not, generally, my favorite sub-genre. Having enjoyed the last book in the series, “Choke Point,” I looked forward to reading this newest entry. Unfortunately, I came away feeling my earlier leanings reinforced.
June 20, 2014
Thanks to NetGalley for my chance to read this for an honest review. This is my first time reading this author and I had a little problem getting into the groove with his writing style. Once I did it lead me on an incredible journey with John Knox and his side kick Grace Chu. The story was so interesting and kept me interested from the first page. The author is gifted in his ability to describe the details in very vivid details. John and Grace are really likeable and once you get their background you find them remarkable. I especially liked how detail oriented Grace was and how John played off of her. It was like together they were one but when apart they lacked something and yet they were so human and felt so real, like I could really be friends with them. I hope to read more with them. The story takes place in the middle east and I felt like I was in the story with them. The pages came alive with the action and there was lots of that. The area is a very sensuous part of the world and the detail with which the author described the smells also felt real. I love reading a book that I feel so centered in. I will definitely will be adding more books from this author to my TBR list.
April 28, 2020
Ridley Pearson is an acquaintance/friend or I would never have even finished 'The Red Room'.
It is impossible to comprehend from one page to the next. It took me forever to finish the book because I just could not force myself to read further. I can usually finish a book like this in 1-2 days. This one took me at least 3 weeks and lay around the house like a moldy towel that I wanted to throw out.
John Knox and Grace Chu do not know what they are doing on this op, being told that it is a NTK (Need To Know) operation. Supposedly the operation was to take 5 minutes of their time once they arrived in Istanbul.
Worse, the READER does not know wth is going on and I think that at some point, even at the end, we do have a NTK, lol.
Confusion abounds from the beginning to the end of the book with no satisfaction between the pages.
In my opinion, this is the worst book that Ridley Pearson has written by a long shot. For those who are reading his work for the first time, ignore this book. Try his Lou Boldt novels and forget that you ever picked up 'The Red Room'.
If I could give the book a -0- star, I would do so.
It is impossible to comprehend from one page to the next. It took me forever to finish the book because I just could not force myself to read further. I can usually finish a book like this in 1-2 days. This one took me at least 3 weeks and lay around the house like a moldy towel that I wanted to throw out.
John Knox and Grace Chu do not know what they are doing on this op, being told that it is a NTK (Need To Know) operation. Supposedly the operation was to take 5 minutes of their time once they arrived in Istanbul.
Worse, the READER does not know wth is going on and I think that at some point, even at the end, we do have a NTK, lol.
Confusion abounds from the beginning to the end of the book with no satisfaction between the pages.
In my opinion, this is the worst book that Ridley Pearson has written by a long shot. For those who are reading his work for the first time, ignore this book. Try his Lou Boldt novels and forget that you ever picked up 'The Red Room'.
If I could give the book a -0- star, I would do so.
July 14, 2014
Not Pierson's best effort. The dual protagonists, Knox and Chu, spend what feels like 2/3 of the book rooting around inside their heads trying to figure out what their boss isn't telling them. As if that is the main mystery. Sadly it is.
It's hard, and mostly unfulfilling, work trying to follow what passes for a plot. The narrative reminds me of the disjointed mumblings of a teenager with mild ADHD who is texting while trying to recount his day to a lame parental unit. Frustrating. Hard to follow and, in the end, not very illuminating.
The most interesting character in the book is Knox's Scottevest ... A multi-pocketed travel vest that allows him to carry, in its 19 hidden pockets, a bewildering array of items that magically appear, as needed, to save the day. Serious candidate for best supporting role.
Sadly i must also report that I felt short changed on the Istanbul atmospherics I signed up for. I finished the book knowing what I knew at the start, which is not much beyond what I have gotten from thumbing through the Lonely Planet guidebook.
It's hard, and mostly unfulfilling, work trying to follow what passes for a plot. The narrative reminds me of the disjointed mumblings of a teenager with mild ADHD who is texting while trying to recount his day to a lame parental unit. Frustrating. Hard to follow and, in the end, not very illuminating.
The most interesting character in the book is Knox's Scottevest ... A multi-pocketed travel vest that allows him to carry, in its 19 hidden pockets, a bewildering array of items that magically appear, as needed, to save the day. Serious candidate for best supporting role.
Sadly i must also report that I felt short changed on the Istanbul atmospherics I signed up for. I finished the book knowing what I knew at the start, which is not much beyond what I have gotten from thumbing through the Lonely Planet guidebook.
June 27, 2014
John Knox an expert in surveillance and international dealings
is thrown when David Sarge Dulwich his contact at Rutherford
Risk hands him a photo of a transaction he recently performed
in the Middle East. More curious he's shown the photo when
he's in the Red Room. The private security company's highly
secure underground bunker. Knox is pressured into acting as
an art broker in Istanbul. It is situated on two continents
and is a melting pot for spies, terrorists and other nasty
people. He is teamed with the fearless Grace Chu and the only
object of this operation is two spend five minutes in the
presence of a man they've never met. What can this possibly
matter and why are so many others determined to see that this
doesn't happen. For some reason I just couldn't get interested
in this story so it sort of ruined the whole book for me.
is thrown when David Sarge Dulwich his contact at Rutherford
Risk hands him a photo of a transaction he recently performed
in the Middle East. More curious he's shown the photo when
he's in the Red Room. The private security company's highly
secure underground bunker. Knox is pressured into acting as
an art broker in Istanbul. It is situated on two continents
and is a melting pot for spies, terrorists and other nasty
people. He is teamed with the fearless Grace Chu and the only
object of this operation is two spend five minutes in the
presence of a man they've never met. What can this possibly
matter and why are so many others determined to see that this
doesn't happen. For some reason I just couldn't get interested
in this story so it sort of ruined the whole book for me.
June 25, 2014
I understand that this book is part of a series in which undercover agents John Knox and Grace Chu are sent of dangerous missions to exotic locations. This book takes place in Istanbul, Turkey and on the surface seems to be about the sale of a very valuable piece of art work. As the book progresses the focus takes a sharp twist which is very surprising and, of course, the agents lives are in danger all along the way. The twist I will not give away but it involves both Iran and Israel. If you enjoyed Pearson's past books I am sure you will like this one.
December 23, 2014
The Red Room: A Risk Agent Novel by Ridley Pearson is the third in a series featuring John Knox and Grace Chu, operatives for Rutherford Risk, but this is the first one I've read. Hmmm. Knox and Chu are assigned to a case/mission that is considered NTK (Need to Know), and nobody seems to know much. Danger-Escape-Danger-Escape, and so on.
I gather that fans of Pearson's other series were not impressed with this one, and I can see why. Maybe I'll try one of his other books at some point, but this one didn't do much for me.
Library copy.
Thriller? 2014. 400 pages.
I gather that fans of Pearson's other series were not impressed with this one, and I can see why. Maybe I'll try one of his other books at some point, but this one didn't do much for me.
Library copy.
Thriller? 2014. 400 pages.
July 22, 2014
It reminded me of The Da Vinci Code where there was a lot of running. The manipulator(s) in the shadow, the omnipotence of the surveillance when it suited the author, and the ending "twist" were not well done. The characters were not believable and the writing was poor.
The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer was a far better plotted and written book.
I gave it a 2 stars because I kept reading.
The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer was a far better plotted and written book.
I gave it a 2 stars because I kept reading.
August 10, 2014
I found the third installment of the Risk Agent much less satisfying than the first two. It is a runaway thriller, with the action beginning on the first page and never taking a breath. The plot is complicated and hard to follow. Pearson is showing off a bit I think, but I found it tedious to try to keep up. The action is front and center, but there is no time to develop the characters. I hope he slows down the next installment. Or better yet, bring back Lou Boldt
May 16, 2014
There is action galore in this installment. What that action does is cover up a fairly confusing and not well planned out plot. The story seems forced and doesn't have much substance. There is a lot of technical jargon which fills some gaps in the story but it just isn't enough to bring this story to the level I've come to expect when I read Ridley Pearson.
June 1, 2014
This is a top-notch thriller ! Read it in one sitting (well, with a couple of breaks!). Couldn't put it down. That hasn't happened in a while. Great intrigue, characters, plot.
June 19, 2015
I did not like this. I had trouble figuring out what was going on. Who hired john & grace? Who were the bad guys? Who were the good guys?
In the end, I never found out and did not even care.
In the end, I never found out and did not even care.
July 19, 2014
Didn't make it through this one. Really miss Pearson's Lou Boldt series set in Seattle.
August 1, 2014
A thriller that doesn't. The plot is so convoluted that even the characters, in between repetitions of their tagline identifiers, can't keep track of it. The settings are exotic. So?
April 3, 2014
Perhaps a bit hard to track at times, but entertaining, and certainly worth the time.
April 27, 2020
The book had some great ideas, partly done well, but badly marred by too many flaws.
There are too many plot holes, mostly small, a couple big; and too many continuity errors to be acceptable.
The ending was confusing, weak, and not believeable. The epilogue was confusing.
Characters were adequate but not always believable.
The setting is mostly in Turkey. Description seems correct but was not checked so it could have errors like the plot.
Some of the continuity errors might have been sloppy writing or poor editing. Others were due to just plain out being careless. And too many magical things happened that the book indicated did not happen. Too many convenient coincidences giving deus ex machina solutions when there was no other way to solve the problem.
The plot was not clear. That was part of the point of the plot. Like the old computer game called Adventure where the point of the game was to find out what the goal of the game was. I still am not sure about the answers concerning the plot, and hate to have to assume which of the characters speculation about what was going on was the correct answer.
I started out really liking the book as 5 stars but it slowly eroded faster and faster until it ended up at two stars. That said, it was a fun, if disappointing, read. It could have been much better. The movie would be better if they ever make one from the book.
There are too many plot holes, mostly small, a couple big; and too many continuity errors to be acceptable.
The ending was confusing, weak, and not believeable. The epilogue was confusing.
Characters were adequate but not always believable.
The setting is mostly in Turkey. Description seems correct but was not checked so it could have errors like the plot.
Some of the continuity errors might have been sloppy writing or poor editing. Others were due to just plain out being careless. And too many magical things happened that the book indicated did not happen. Too many convenient coincidences giving deus ex machina solutions when there was no other way to solve the problem.
The plot was not clear. That was part of the point of the plot. Like the old computer game called Adventure where the point of the game was to find out what the goal of the game was. I still am not sure about the answers concerning the plot, and hate to have to assume which of the characters speculation about what was going on was the correct answer.
I started out really liking the book as 5 stars but it slowly eroded faster and faster until it ended up at two stars. That said, it was a fun, if disappointing, read. It could have been much better. The movie would be better if they ever make one from the book.
August 26, 2023
The author must have used the words "just five minutes" over fifty times. Unfortunately, I didn't stop reading this after five minutes. And unfortunately, I didn't skim the reviews before I read it as I usually do, but I thought that wasn't necessary with Ridley Pearson.
The plot was convoluted and not believable, the characters were not likeable, the dialogue was boring and repetitive and the physical altercations were not credible.
I talked myself into checking this out of the library because of the hammer and sickle on the front cover looked interesting - not so of the book and I'm sorry that I slogged through and finished it.
The plot was convoluted and not believable, the characters were not likeable, the dialogue was boring and repetitive and the physical altercations were not credible.
I talked myself into checking this out of the library because of the hammer and sickle on the front cover looked interesting - not so of the book and I'm sorry that I slogged through and finished it.
January 26, 2019
Having read spy novels in the past, I was hoping for new author to provide a provocative plot with a believable hero. This was not the book. John Knox, I found, to be a boring character as there was too much information about his sexual exploits, although the reader is spared too many details, and his overwhelmingly boastful description of his manliness. The plot was so much a shell game that I became indifferent to trying to follow the moves. I was disappointed as I was looking for something a bit different to read.
June 26, 2019
Istanbul is the setting for this 3 episode of John Knox and Grace Chu in The Risk Agent novels. John is a dealer in art works and Grace is a computer wizard. Their assignment is very specific, the two of them are to arrange to spend 5 minutes meeting with the buyer of a priceless piece of art. Their handler, David Dulwich shares no other information with them about who they are meeting with or the reason for the meeting. John and Grace's natural curiosity uncovers more information about the "client" and in doing so puts them at great risk. Good story
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