BETTY THURSTEN escaped a Cabal trap without her partner by flying a bullet riddled hang glider into the Atlantic Ocean. Now she must confront her past and her own organization to mount his rescue. Trapped between Control and the Cabal, she finds unexpected help and a deeper understanding of what motivates her. Spread across South America, Europe, and Washington D.C., Power delivers a compelling narrative, heart pounding action, and subtle humor that will make you laugh out loud.
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." —Lord Acton (1834–1902)
This is a new author, A.J. Mahler to me and I was delighted by reading Power. Betty's adventurers keeps you reading non stop. Lots of thrills and action. Very well written. Makes you feel like you are right there in the middle of things. I totally enjoyed this book and will look forward to reading more books by A.J. Mahler.
This 2nd book in the Betty Chronicles was better than the first. Betty loses her partner, Gil, Finds she's pregnant with his child, and discovers she is not who she thought she was. Lots of adventure and disclosure in this novel. Couldn't put it down til finished. Now I wait with bated breath for the 3rd novel. Control. Have really learned to like this authors way of presenting a story. He needs to hurry up with next book. Thanks to A.J. Mahler and Goodreads.
I won this book through Goodreads First Reads and received the first book, Money, in exchange for an honest review of Power.
This book picks up right where Money leaves off. Because I already knew a lot of the characters from the first novel, it was easy to jump right back into their complicated relationships and plots. I found myself more invested in the story of Power than I did in Money because I was less confused and I had a good amount of background information. Power also had a lot more action than the first novel, but had just as much political turmoil and deceit.
Mahler continues using a nonlinear narrative technique to tell us Betty’s story. I was very appreciative of the added dates to help keep track of the timeline of events. I was a little confused during the first book, especially because the sequence of events is so intricate and subtle differences in time are crucial to understand. The simple addition of the dates really made a positive difference for me.
The writing style is a little hard to follow at times and some of the descriptions and details were distracting. Additionally, while the characters developed more in this novel, I think Betty is at times unbelievable as a person. Even though she is an undercover spy described as “hyper-sexual”, I find her to be too innocent and “goody-goody.” When she’s in spy-mode, she’s perfect. But it is her “normal” interactions and decisions about her personal life that seem off. Betty seems too stiff and doesn’t act like a real woman would; she feels like somebody else’s ideal model of a woman (well behaved, selfless, and quiet with a secret undercover spy career where she’s sexualized by everyone and everything).
Fasten your seat belt, this is a wild and wonderful ride. As the plot thickens, it twists and turns in clever ways that you could never anticipate, and that makes it a powerfully fun read. The more Mahler reveals to us about the people and powers in this story, the more you become aware that you really have no idea where this tale might lead....but you will really, really want to know what happens next.
As the story gets more complex Mahler's writing style becomes clearer and more elegant. He is particularly masterful at developing the characters....you will love or hate each of them at some point, and Mahler does a great job of teaching us to trust no one. By the end of "Power" you will be guarding your emotions about each and every character in the book. Add to that the fact that Mahler has constructed a complex web of dates, times and places that will truly impress you with his ability to walk a razor thin line that does not allow for a single detail to be out of place. Go read "Money" if you have not already done so, then dive into "Power". If you dare!
Picks up where Money left off, holding your attention from beginning to end with can't put it down action and intrigue. The detail and descriptions are so vivid putting you right there in the action. Waiting to find out what's next for Betty, Control and the Cabal in The Betty Chronicles Vol III.
I enjoyed reading this book and following again Betty and the others. It was easier to follow the actions compare to the first book. Writting the dates at the beginning of each chapter made a big difference.
It was fun to know more about the characters and their past life, even if I found some of the links a little far-fetched. It kept you on your toes until the end.