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Secret of the Crimson Sun
The “Hermit Kingdom”—North Korea.
Mysterious. Unpredictable. Volatile.
Treason masquerades as patriotism, igniting an epic crisis.
Matt “Ace” Black, a US embassy military attaché known for his sharp wit and unconventional methods, disdains politics. Yet he’s accompanying Ambassador Shirley Holcam and Senator Jonathan Curry to diplomatic negotiations with Kim Jong Un in the heart of Pyongyang, North Korea.
With Kim’s economy in shambles, the regime’s erratic leader promises anything to garner relief from the crippling international sanctions. But the dictator’s most loyal confidants, code-named “Crimson Sun,” have a very different agenda that could upend the decades-long totalitarian dynasty and correct their country’s inevitable death spiral.
When Crimson Sun’s plan is revealed to Ace by a most improbable source, he encounters a labyrinth of lies and deceit to convince him otherwise. But the secret is more complex than Ace realizes—the tentacles of treachery extend well beyond North Korea to other state and non-state actors intent on leveraging the chaos about to unfold on the Korean Peninsula.
The conspirators are determined to silence Ace before he can divulge their plan. Isolated from his counterparts, the walls of secrecy close in around the beleaguered fighter pilot. His diplomatic status will not be enough to keep him alive as both time and the brutal regime become Ace’s enemies, blocking his path to stop the carnage. It’s the ultimate test of survival in this Far East blockbuster adventure.
Mysterious. Unpredictable. Volatile.
Treason masquerades as patriotism, igniting an epic crisis.
Matt “Ace” Black, a US embassy military attaché known for his sharp wit and unconventional methods, disdains politics. Yet he’s accompanying Ambassador Shirley Holcam and Senator Jonathan Curry to diplomatic negotiations with Kim Jong Un in the heart of Pyongyang, North Korea.
With Kim’s economy in shambles, the regime’s erratic leader promises anything to garner relief from the crippling international sanctions. But the dictator’s most loyal confidants, code-named “Crimson Sun,” have a very different agenda that could upend the decades-long totalitarian dynasty and correct their country’s inevitable death spiral.
When Crimson Sun’s plan is revealed to Ace by a most improbable source, he encounters a labyrinth of lies and deceit to convince him otherwise. But the secret is more complex than Ace realizes—the tentacles of treachery extend well beyond North Korea to other state and non-state actors intent on leveraging the chaos about to unfold on the Korean Peninsula.
The conspirators are determined to silence Ace before he can divulge their plan. Isolated from his counterparts, the walls of secrecy close in around the beleaguered fighter pilot. His diplomatic status will not be enough to keep him alive as both time and the brutal regime become Ace’s enemies, blocking his path to stop the carnage. It’s the ultimate test of survival in this Far East blockbuster adventure.
Kindle Edition
Published July 10, 2024
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 11, 2024
Having just completed “Secret of the Crimson Sun,” the third novel by the heart-pounding thiller author Thomas Belisle, I sensed a feeling of pronounced deja-vu. I had lived this moment once before, I was sure. Then I put my finger on it. I had just then, back in the eighties, finished rapidly consuming two early titles by a new author named Tom Clancy. “Red Storm Rising,” and “Cardinal of the Kremlin” represented to me stories that were invigoratingly fresh, full of latest technology, and based on premises that were entirely credible.
Thomas Belisle’s trilogy of Matt “Ace” Black thrillers contain the same essential elements as those techno-thrillers - international intrigue, pulse quickening action sequences and a non-deniably plausible plot intricately woven in a fabric of current events. In his trilogy, the author introduced his talents in “Raptor Bloom,” and continued demonstrating them in “Taking the Dream Spinner,“ before most successfully capping them off in “Secret of the Crimson Sun.”
The story of this latest effort is bathed in the author’s usual dedicated deep research, given his past experience as an Aerospace and Defense Executive, a veteran officer of the US Air Force, and a seasoned traveler across the globe. The depths of the contacts he has made along his life’s journey are evident in his writing. As a result, Belisle’s latest tale of international conspiracy and subterfuge rings entirely true and frighteningly possible.
I can recommend all three of these titles heartily, as the reader will not only be satisfied entirely, but will be left wanting more. For that reason, while any of the three can be read independently, I strongly suggest getting all three and binge reading the trilogy. You won’t be disappointed, except in having to wait the time it takes for Thomas Belisle to release his next title.
Reviewed by David Trawinski
Author of the Chopin Trilogy and other titles
Thomas Belisle’s trilogy of Matt “Ace” Black thrillers contain the same essential elements as those techno-thrillers - international intrigue, pulse quickening action sequences and a non-deniably plausible plot intricately woven in a fabric of current events. In his trilogy, the author introduced his talents in “Raptor Bloom,” and continued demonstrating them in “Taking the Dream Spinner,“ before most successfully capping them off in “Secret of the Crimson Sun.”
The story of this latest effort is bathed in the author’s usual dedicated deep research, given his past experience as an Aerospace and Defense Executive, a veteran officer of the US Air Force, and a seasoned traveler across the globe. The depths of the contacts he has made along his life’s journey are evident in his writing. As a result, Belisle’s latest tale of international conspiracy and subterfuge rings entirely true and frighteningly possible.
I can recommend all three of these titles heartily, as the reader will not only be satisfied entirely, but will be left wanting more. For that reason, while any of the three can be read independently, I strongly suggest getting all three and binge reading the trilogy. You won’t be disappointed, except in having to wait the time it takes for Thomas Belisle to release his next title.
Reviewed by David Trawinski
Author of the Chopin Trilogy and other titles
Displaying 1 of 1 review