Dragonflies

Dragonflies #1-2

by Andy Straka, Durrell Nelson

A Mind-Bending Technothriller Series From Shamus-Award Winning Author Andy Straka (with Durrell Nelson)

INCLUDES:
BOOK 1 DRAGONFLIES: SHADOW OF DRONES AND
BOOK 2 DRAGONFLIES: FLOCK OF ANGELS

Former Army helicopter pilot Raina Sanchez, grounded after being shot down and desperate to be back in the air, plunges into a brave new world of stealth-killing micro-drones.

But her loyalties take a potential detour when she begins to understand a chilling reality. In an America where surveillance devices as small as insects are secretly piloted into places most would never imagine, public and private forces large and small are maneuvering to control them with inevitable consequences.

With personal allegiances and even love weighing in the balance, Raina soon confronts a threat that may alter the course of history.

“She studied the MAVs for a few moments. They were beautiful in their own way, she thought…What happens when the machines we build become more like us?”

PRAISE FOR DRAGONFLIES:

"Dragonflies nails the sweet spot where science fiction meets thriller. Straka’s dreamed up a helluva team for a helluva series. What a ride!"
– John Gilstrap, NY Times bestselling Author

“Mysterious government projects, conspiracy, and a hint of a future romance…a skillfully crafted plotline, suspenseful build-up and a climatic cliffhanger.... you can guarantee I’ll be impatiently
waiting to read the second in the series.”
– NetGalley Devours

364 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 7, 2015

About the author

The first hint of Andy Straka's future as a mystery writer came at the age of four when he appeared at his small-town neighbor's back door carrying a butcher's knife. Thankfully, the neighbor called Andy's mother instead of social services.

​Andy is a former college basketball player, a licensed falconer, and longtime husband and father. His novels include the recently released SPLIT CITY, the first in a new amateur sleuth mystery series; the #1 bestselling private eye novel A WITNESS ABOVE and the six book, Shamus Award-winning Frank Pavlicek series; the techno-thriller trilogy DRAGONFLIES; and the critically-acclaimed suspense thrillers RECORD OF WRONGS and THE BLUE HALLELUJAH. Featured by Publishers Weekly among a group of "rising stars" in crime fiction, Andy is a past finalist for the Agatha Award and the Anthony Award.

ANDY STRAKA BOOKS IN ORDER:

--Frank Pavlicek Series--

A WITNESS ABOVE

A KILLING SKY

A COLD QUARRY

A NIGHT FALCONER

FLIGHTFALL

THE K STREET HUNTING SOCIETY

--Jesus Spares Series

SPLIT CITY

--Suspense/Thrillers--

RECORD OF WRONGS

THE BLUE HALLELUJAH

DRAGONFLIES

Reviews

[Viking Jam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Publisher: Fountain Hill

Publishing Date: July 2015

ISBN: 9780984843886

Genre: SciFi

Rating: 2.2/5

Publisher Description: Former Army helicopter pilot Raina Sanchez, grounded after being shot down and desperate to be back in the air, plunges into a brave new world of stealth-killing micro-drones.

Review: Raina used to fly helicopters and you will be reminded of this, constantly. Between the flashbacks and the pining of her lost foot you will be bludgeoned with her almost otherworldly abilities. She has a hunky SF dude that saved her life in Afghanistan that she has the hots for, and they both just happen to be working for the same shadow organization.

There were some plot holes that were not adequately explained. For instance, Raina gets kidnapped for the second time and they whisk her away. Meanwhile, Tye (lol) is watching this all go down, and suddenly is able to track her to a mobile unit in which she is trying out new tech in order to pass the kill test. Later, the authors try to make sense of this passage in an interlude and fail to resolve anything. So Tye steals a truck where she is being kept (why would he need one if he followed her in something??) and a laughable shootout ensues where Tye shoots people through the neck while driving one handed with a fugging Beretta pistol.

Then we have Major Williamson that always finishes his sentences with “That is on a need to know basis”, or “I have my sources/connections”. Why would Tye and Raina continue to work for someone that wont tell them anything while they are being shot at and abducted? Got me. Well, never fear, Williamson kind of tells them more about the situation they face, and like good little robots they follow him blindly. See, the bad people kidnapped Raina’s brother who hates the military but somehow knows that there are micro drones out there assassinating people. But despite their differences, Raina loves him, well, like a brother. Fug. Really?

I get that Williamson is Cloak and Daggery and he provides the story line with a slow reveal. Excessive and not too believable? Probably. I get that Tye and Raina are hooked up together in this, but the blind allegiance is laughable. The tech is there (MAV’s) but is never fully described or explained. You just have to accept that the tech is viable. The flashbacks that Raina and Tye have are unnecessary and hinder the flow of the story line. Most of the characters don’t fully develop as expected with the movement, so you don’t come to give a shjt about them. The only thing that develops is Tye’s erection and Raina’s tingling naughty bits.

This lost a star due to the spelling and grammatical errors that plague the novel throughout. Read this at your Grandmas with her 38 cats.

[Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those looking fro something to read after Hunger Games or Divergent, this book has about the same feel with an original enough story to make it worth its time to read. The main character lacks the hardness to be in the position she is in, however, I found her endearing enough to keep reading and liked the way she grew throughout both books. The 'dragonflies' were really cool and I liked that they weren't huge, but the size of normal bugs. Overall, these two were well written and a fun jaunt that kept me entertained until the end.

[A Reader's Heaven · Rating 2 out of 5]

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Former Army helicopter pilot Raina Sanchez, grounded after being shot down and desperate to be back in the air, plunges into a brave new world of stealth-killing micro-drones.
But her loyalties take a potential detour when she begins to understand a chilling reality. In an America where surveillance devices as small as insects are secretly piloted into places most would never imagine, public and private forces large and small are maneuvering to control them with inevitable consequences.
With personal allegiances and even love weighing in the balance, Raina soon confronts a threat that may alter the course of history.

INCLUDES:
BOOK 1 DRAGONFLIES: SHADOW OF DRONES AND
BOOK 2 DRAGONFLIES: FLOCK OF ANGELS

Well, I am at a bit of a loss to describe how I feel about these two novellas (that have been crammed together to make a reasonable novel-length presentation.)

What's to like: if you are looking for something that almost defines "Men's Adventure Story", this could be the one. Lots of action and tech, explosions and so forth...

What's not to like: the editing (some pretty minor mistakes - breath/breathe for example); not enough tech and far too much YA-angst-romance style dribble for my liking. Not what I read technothrillers for. Raina was about as military as I am (I own a bookstore) and was just so unbelievable as the lead...

Too many issues for me to rate this any better. If I hadn't already liked the Frank Pavlicek novels, this would have been enough for me to give up on this author.


Paul
ARH

[Linda Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Straka (with Nelson) knocked this outta the ballpark!

I bought this for my husband and grabbed it before my last flight.

This is a smidge thriller/mystery, incredible tech, definitely conspiracy, and just fabulous.

The story has incredible pacing, a perfect amount of backstory, enough suspense, and a gotcha.

I highly recommend. Now, I need my own dragonfly-for what? I have no idea, but this book is inspiring.

[Lelia Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5

Disclaimer: I have known Andy Straka for years and his previous books are among my favorites. That has not affected my review of this book.

As noted above, I know Andy and appreciate his writing but Dragonflies: Shadow of Drones is very different from his earlier work and must be considered in a different light. In all honesty, my feelings about it are quite mixed.

The premise of the story is quite engaging and I especially appreciated the way the author allows his protagonists to be confused about what’s really going on. Too many thrillers, in my opinion, have characters who never seem to get ruffled and always have a finger on the pulse, so to speak. I’m quite sure black ops and intelligence communities, even high-powered corporations, have a better understanding of the situations they encounter than a layman would but it sometimes reaches the level of incredulity or, at the very least, a raised eyebrow. In Dragonflies, Raina and Tye are frequently caught in the middle of plots that don’t quite come together for them and I like that; it makes them very human and not so superhero-ish.

I was also intrigued by the whole idea of these extremely tiny spying devices and that experienced pilots would be needed to fly them. What a scary thing to contemplate! I don’t think I’m of enough interest to anyone to ever be a target but this certainly would be a formidable and potentially very damaging tool in the wrong hands. Having them be used in both private investigative work and by rival government factions in Dragonflies highlights how invasive they could become.

Raina and Tye are interesting characters but a bit too shallowly drawn to get to know them very well. Actually, we know more about Raina than Tye but I imagine we’ll get to know both of them much better as the series continues.

And that brings me to my last, and most adamant, opinion. I HATED the ending of this book. I don’t mind cliffhangers but this one is beyond the pale and, if I had known it was written in serial style, I would not have read it until at least the second book, and maybe the third, was available. While I can get past any other faults in this book besides this one, I imagine other readers will be more accepting, especially those who like the TV cliffhangers that happen from week to week—and this has, in fact been optioned for TV. As for me, I probably won’t read any more installments until several are available.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, September 2013.

[Mary Hartshorn]

I loved this book! I liked the picture and the brief synopsis I got about the book which made me want to read it. These two authors did a great job in writing this thriller. The concept of having mini drones so miniscule, and being able to go anywhere, and do just about anything is very terrifying. The way these machines were used in this story gives you a great idea of what the potential could be. I loved the strong characters and how the story flowed together.


Raina Sanchez is an ex-military pilot, one of the best in fact. Raina’s flying career came to a complete stop after an accident during her last mission killed her co-pilot and cost her foot. Tye Palmer is the soldier who has a sense for trouble, which led him to the wreck where he was able to save Raina. Fast forward a couple years, and these two meet again as civilians recruited by Major Wilkerson. These two are teamed up to work together in order to bring a high profile businessman’s son to justice for crimes he committed. Unfortunately, gathering proof of Derek Kurn’s crimes is a piece of cake compared to the corruption and secret projects that Raina, and Tye get tangled in. Now they, along with Major Wilkerson, are on the run for their lives. Who can they trust when this seems to go all the way to the top? Where can they hide when there are tiny, invisible drones flying around? Lastly, what should Raina do when these people they are running from will do anything to get Raina on their side, even kidnapping and possibly murder?

I highly recommend this book!!!

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dragonflies has some interesting possibilities involving micro-drones that can be flown by computer and are so small they can easily navigate within buildings and be docked on a light fixture (for example). A perfect addition to a spy's arsenal. The tiny drones could be used by law enforcement, by those engaging in industrial espionage, by governments, or by terrorists. Certainly gives rise to more ethical and moral questions concerning technology and its uses.

In the novel, a rather mysterious agency (is it really a private investigative agency, or something more?) has been hired to catch a college rapist. Sort of. Actually, the young man's father has hired the agency, but he wants his son stopped before is caught and the media get the story. He does not want his son prosecuted; his only concern is bad publicity.

Raina Sanchez and Tye Palmer are ex-military, but are barely developed and seem more like silhouettes than real people.

Are there two government agencies in play here? At least one other agency is interested in the drones and in Raina, who pilots them, but both agencies are vague. Same is true of Nathan Kurn (the father of the rapist) and his power and influence.

An interesting concept, plenty of action in a short space; however, it is another one of those books that seem to have been chopped into 3 (or more) parts to enable a series. The book skims the surface in characterization, theme, and plot-- more a novella than a book. I didn't realize that this was a "to be continued" read and was unhappy to find a cliffhanger, not a resolution.

Overall, I rate this one a miss.

OK--I just read that this has been optioned for a television series, which explains why it was so short and ends in a cliffhanger. Still, I don't want to read episodes of a television series under the guise of a book.

NetGalley/LLW Media

Science Fiction/Thriller. 2013. Print version: 144 pages.

[Jeremy Reppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read focusing on secret military industrial complex drone technology and delving into issues of how science/technology might advance and the ethical and moral implications of drone technology. Raina is former AirCav, having survived the crash of her helicopter during a mission in Afghanistan, although the crash resulted in the loss of her foot and replacement with a prosthesis. She is unable to resume flying, but four years after her crash and rescue, she is reunited with her rescuer, Tye, and they are working together on a secret government project in which she is flying micro drones. In the process of trying to complete this mission, she is kidnapped and introduced to a scientist and his team who want to utilize her services to pilot an even more advanced set of micro-drones. The situation becomes more confusing when the second group begins to interfere with the mission from the first group, and the leader of the first group reveals he has issues with the second group's leader, drawing Raina and Tye further into a secret program that could threaten the balance of power throughout the world.

The book has an interesting and creative plot. I know that some of the technology portrayed in the story does not exist (and that is a good thing), but I cannot help but wonder how much of what is portrayed in the book in terms of the power and capabilities of drones and artificial intelligence actually exists or is currently the subject of experiments. If you are interested in drone technology and secret government programs, then this is probably a book that will interest you. The story ends with a major cliffhanger, raising the hope for another book to continue the story.

[Bill Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

This I found a little hard to review.
I was intrigued by the direction this book was promising - a thriller about surveillance and intrigue using drones and micro-aerial fliers; and government agencies fighting to use this technology for and against each other.
I was quite excited with the introduction of Raina and Tye. The beautiful Raina is introduced as a helicopter pilot on a mission in the Middle East, when it all goes wrong and she's shot down. And Tye is the one that comes to her rescue; saving her from sure death, but she loses one foot in the process.
I was really looking for the characters to develop more, but this seemed to be as much as I was going to get. From here, they seemed to become more one-dimensional - and predictable. So the characters started sharp, with lots of promise; but they dulled over time. Andy - why couldn't you have made her more of a badass?
As far as the drones went, they didn't seem to play as much a part as I expected. The story was more in the infighting between government agencies and individuals. But pretty hard to sort out the good guys, the bad guys, and ultimately the story.
I don't know - maybe micro-drones just aren't sexy.
The story, although an interesting idea, falls flat and is somewhat predictable. But the surprise was the ending - we're on a cliff waiting for an ending and the book is just a teaser for another book to come. That being said, I liked Andy Straka's writing style, and I'd read him again.
Thanks to LLW Media/Fountain Hill Books, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to provide this unbiased review.

[Alex McGilvery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dragonflies is set in the present moment of drones and micro vehicles. In the book they have been pushed to the next level of effectiveness. Raina piloted helicopters in Afghanistan until she was shot down and lost a foot. Now she's been recruited for a mysterious mission and teamed up with Tye Palmer the man who earned a medal pulling her out of the flaming wreckage of her chopper. Their task is to expose the son of a powerful man. The son is guilty of rape. His father wants it covered up. Raina and Tye quickly realize that the situation is much more complicated than they had thought.

I really like the way Andy Straka introduces the micro-drones and some of the discussion of the ethics of their use. He makes clear both the strengths and weakness of the remote vehicles. I found the characters of Raina and Tye a bit more problematic. They felt a little one dimensional and the emotional interaction doesn't ring quite true. Nevertheless this book is easy to read and enjoyable. 

This is the first book in a series. I was a bit disappointed in the way the book concluded. It is cut off very abruptly even for a cliff hanger ending. I still think that I will read the next book in the series as much for the technology as for the people.

I would recommend the book for people who like speculation on technology and its possible use or misuse.

[Ruth Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit that I was not looking forward to reading this book. The saving grace was that I knew the book was short, and I was hopeful that it was a quick read. Science fiction and thrillers often don't set well with me, and I am honestly not sure why I agreed to review this book.

Well, I have to say that this author has almost done the impossible. That's right--I found myself completely drawn into the story, and I was quite distraught when the book ended so abruptly. I want to know the outcome of the story, and I connected with the characters to a degree.

The best part of the book is that there is very minimal profanity and no sex scenes! Yes, it does deal with rape, but there are no details in the account. Thrillers and even science fiction books often come well-equipped with these two issues, and I want to support this author since he left out these elements.

So if you are not a fan of thrillers, I still invite you to check out this book. It is very timely in light of the current news (we hear about drones and technological advances quite regularly), and the book is short. In other words, you won't invest a lot of time into the reading of the book, and you just might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

[Cheryl M-M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the Frank Pavlicek books by Straka Cold Quarry (A Frank Pavlicek Novel) series. I think he has the ability to create a great story with memorable characters.
This isn't anywhere near his usual standard.
I can see the inkling of a concept which could have questioned the morality of weaponry used in warfare in our era, it could have reflected more on the plight of the forgotten victims of that warfare and it could even have been a good poster child for the dangers of tenchnology.
Instead it was a disjointed and often confusing piece of work.
The most positive element was the focus on the use of micro technology and drones, both in war and espionage. It just seemed very thrown together or perhaps edited in a way that makes it appear to lack a competent flow in the storyline. His work is usually well researched and the characters gel well with each other.
Overall for me it lacked the Strakasim that I have come to enjoy and I hope this athor gets his groove back.
When it came to rating this book I had a hard time. I am a plot person and believe it warrants only 2 stars, but there are some redeeming qualities and the plot has potential, so a three it is.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Raina flies attack helicopters – gunships – probably one of the best jobs in the world. And then … her helicopter is shot down and she can’t fly any more. Shift four years forward and Raina is recruited to fly mini unmanned drones, bug-sized things used for spying and assassination. Her partner turns out to be the guy who pulled her from the wreckage of her helicopter. They are set to expose the criminal acts by a son of one of D.C.'s rich and powerful when Raina is pulled away to fly a next generation, virtual reality drone, supposedly for Homeland Security. And … that’s about all you get. Lots of running and shooting, lots of questions and no answers. It’s only assumed that the son gets away with it, but who knows? This is the first in a series but more like Act I. If you’re interested in seeing what the drone story is about, save your money until the next one is out. In most serialized stories, you at least get a full story with some loose ends for the next book. This thing is all preamble. Really wanted to like it. Well told and explores ethics and cutting edge tech but … No sale. Received free copy for review.

[Lillian Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this new series so different from Frank & cohorts stories. This is full of action & suspense. Raina owes her life to Tye the solider that saved her when her helicopter went down. She is no longer able to fly as she has only one foot so she now flies small drones called dragonflies.
Tye knows that he needs to trust Raina and he is glad that they get to work together but this new case has too many powerful people involved, will they be able to solve it or will they fail.
Raina doesn't know whom it trust as she has been given a 2nd chance to fly but there is so much she doesn't understand. Can she trust Tye with this new development or should she just go with it.
So much is about to happen and it will not be good as they don't know who they can trust, will they even survive this case?
A great read which will keep you reading from the beginning to the end. The next part is going to be even better than the 1st one. Highly recommend this to new & old readers of his work. I received a copy in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.

[Dawn Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragonflies Books 1 and 2 by Andy Straka and Durrell Nelson

364 Pages
Publisher: LLW Media/Fountain Hill Books, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles
Release Date: February 19, 2015

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Military, Drones, Spies

Raina was a combat helicopter operator before a devastating crash took her left foot. Now she flies microdrones called dragonflies and angels. The government has a secret black ops group which flies these drones to benefit their operations. Things get tricky when Raina’s brother, Manny, is kidnapped and his girlfriend, Lucy, is on the run with a camera memory card. The evidence on this card shows an assassination and is threat if it is discovered. It ends with a cliffhanger.

The book states it is a two-part book but honestly, I could not tell where the parts begin or end. To be honest, I picked this book because of its title. I love anything about dragonflies. Although the book is listed as sci-fi and fantasy but I believe microdrones exist.

[Lia Burres · Rating 5 out of 5]

After many nights of nightmares of the plane going down when in combat, one ex military person is dismissed on honorable charges. After many tries of trying to fix what was missing in her life, many nightmares of her co-pilot's life ending in the crash, she begins to try to find what is missing in her life.

When she's offered the job that is to be kept secret, she starts to question if privacy is something that we all truly have.

The drones are so small to the eye, that they could pass for a fly. No one knows where they are or when.

Do we really need to worry about privacy and is the government being nosy on every conversation that goes on other than just the things that have leaked to the press? Are we alone?

I loved the book due to the fact that some things really make you think about what privacy really is. Do we really have it or is there someone tapping into our lines to hear everything?

Two thumbs up for the author!

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

This has to be one of my favourite covers of all time, although I was expecting more Humans vs Giant Dragonfly Robots(/Aliens?), not teeny-tiny micro drones.

Unfortunately, I couldn't finish it. To me it seemed like a romance disguised as a spy thriller and Raina was too "soft" to be this badass army pilot the author made her out to be. Saying that, I still think there is an audience for this book.

I had my romance phase a year ago and I wish I could have read this then, as I never liked sickly sweet let-me-give-a-speech-about-how-you-mean-the-world-to-me book, I always preferred "GUNS. EXPLOSIONS. DANGER". Dragonflies would have appealed to me more back then. Sadly, I'm in a horror phase right now so it's probably just bad timing.


I will give it another go later (probably when I'm back in my romance phase) but for now, it just wasn't my thing.

[Henry Lazarus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Andy Straka starts a tale of Dragonflies: Shadow of Drones (ebook from LLW Media–representation and distribution by Trident Media Group) about insect sized drones used by two government agencies who are in conflict. Caught in the middle is Former Army helicopter pilot Raina Sanchez who lost a foot in Afghanistan and is hired by one group to investigate a drug/date rape by the son of a famous media personality. The other group kidnaps her to pilot a dragonfly drone that can kill America’s enemies. Tye Palmer, the ex-gi who rescued her in Afghanistan and is working with her on the first case and trying to help save her on the second. This, alas, is only the first half of an exciting tale and stops with a cliffhanger.Review published in the Philadelphia Weekly Press

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andy Straka pens "Dragonflies: Shadow of Drones" , the first book in the 'Dragonflies Series, in a fast paced plot filled with suspense, twists and turns with a touch of romance. The author's characters were well developed and believable, but beware there is a cliffhanger at the end that keeps you wanting more. Not actually my type of reading, but I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to all suspense fans.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author which was provided for an honest review.

[Jay Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a truly different mystery thriller. It has emotional content as the plot turns on a teenaged daughter who has been estranged by divorce. The falconry adds to the entertainment value, and there is an underlying theme of Southern racism in many of the interactions. The twists and turns in the plot are amazing, but there is a logical explanation for everything. As the story unfolds, the reader is exposed to a wide variety of colorful and interesting characters. I recommend this book for anyone who likes a good mystery thriller.

[Rachel Chiapparine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I downloaded a free copy of this book from NetGally in exchange for my honest review. My personal review of the book is as follows:

This book was definitely hard to follow in my personal opinion, I am still trying to figure out who the "good guys" are, and right as I was starting to care about the characters the book was over . I don't think I will be reading the next book in the series, overall I personally rate this book a 3/10.

[Carol Keen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is repetitive. It is like it didn't get fully developed or edited just right. I have read other drone books, and like them. This book just didn't work for me well. Raina could fly anything, then she was hurt, and now she flies drones. She is working for Homeland Security and past that, it is very muddled and not quite clear what is going on. I gave up, tried, again, and again until I pushed through.

My copy came from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review and nothing more.

[John Johnstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book one of series and that is why I have only rated it with 3 stars, you are left hanging at the end wanting to read on to the next book "Visible Means". Hopefully I won't have to wait to long as I have really enjoyed this story of ex army types tracking down a date rapist with micro drones. It is a straight forward, easy to read with high tech thrown in. Roll on book two.

[Lisa Horten · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fresh new subject into the SciFi and Thriller groups. I really enjoyed how well it is written, so that a person without a lot of tech skills can still read thru the novel and not be overloaded. I loved the story, characters and an added bonus - I feel a lot different about drones now.

*I received this copy thru NetGalley and the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating, if somewhat worrying story, about MAVs and Drones. I presume this story is based on fact as well as fiction, it proposes a very dangerous concept. The story was very fast moving and the characters were excellent. I was totally absorbed from beginning to end, which was rather abrupt but leading into another book!