Shatter Proof is the first book in Judith Lucci’s Sonia Amon, MD Medical Thriller series. Ms. Lucci is very talented in creating suspense and tension with her written words, and her descriptive writing makes the reader feel they are participating in the action as events unfold. The likable characters are well developed. I was drawn in from the first page of this fast-paced page-turner, and my attention never wavered. I’m already anxiously awaiting the next book in this series. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy reading books in the medical/thriller genre.
Major Sonia Amon recently retired from active duty. Now, she’s a staff physician at Walter Reed Army hospital and teaching at the Army War College in Bethesda, Maryland. She’s engaged to Colonel Paul Grayson, who commands an Army garrison outside of Aleppo, enjoys spending time with her mother, Melody, and Tessa, her retired war dog. Sonia has ties to the CIA and is part of a World Health Organization committee that has enlisted her help in rebuilding clinics and trying to prevent an outbreak of infectious diseases in Syria. Sonia’s a valuable asset to the U.S. because not only does she have a medical background, but also because she was raised in Syria, speaks most Farsi dialects, and knows the area well. She’s grateful that Jeff Hansen, her long-time CIA handler and protector, is making the trip with her. Sonia’s looking forward to returning to Syria because she’ll be able to see Paul, but fears being back in the area where her father, Faisal Muhammed, lives. Sonia and her American mother escaped the monster who fathered her when she was three years old, but a couple of years later, he found them and had Sonia kidnapped and returned to Syria where she lived until she escaped when she turned eighteen. Faisal, now second in command of ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, is a cruel and vicious terrorist who vowed revenge upon both Melody and Sonia for rejecting him. Conditions in Syria are worse than Sonia imagined and her fears about her father are more than justified.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.