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Travis Brock #1
Broker of Lies
The man who knows all our secrets has a secret of his own.
When Travis Brock, a high-level Pentagon redactor with an eidetic memory, finds a clue to solving the tragic arson that took his wife from him, he risks everything to find the truth—and chances losing himself in the process.
With a terror attack looming on the horizon and a pair of assassins on his tail, Brock drops off the grid and joins forces with a disavowed Homeland Security operative. Together they race to stop the attack before Brock is neutralized by the people he trusts the most.
From critically acclaimed, bestselling novelist Steven James comes a smart, wire-tight, and emotionally resonant thriller that asks just how far across the line we might go to see justice carried out.
When Travis Brock, a high-level Pentagon redactor with an eidetic memory, finds a clue to solving the tragic arson that took his wife from him, he risks everything to find the truth—and chances losing himself in the process.
With a terror attack looming on the horizon and a pair of assassins on his tail, Brock drops off the grid and joins forces with a disavowed Homeland Security operative. Together they race to stop the attack before Brock is neutralized by the people he trusts the most.
From critically acclaimed, bestselling novelist Steven James comes a smart, wire-tight, and emotionally resonant thriller that asks just how far across the line we might go to see justice carried out.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 11, 2023
108 people are currently reading
3121 people want to read
About the author
Steven James
135 books1,753 followersSteven James is the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of twenty novels and numerous books on the craft of novel writing, including the new release, DELVE, PIVOT, PROPEL, which explores revolutionary new approaches to fiction writing. With a master's degree in storytelling, James teaches writing worldwide and has appeared on five continents telling stories and teaching storytelling at over 2000 appearances.
His latest Young Adult horror novel, RIFT, is the first in a new trilogy that takes place in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. James lives in Eastern Tennessee and loves watching sci-fi movies, playing basketball, and eating chicken fajitas—although not all at the same time.
James has been penning smart, taut thrillers that actually thrill, since 2007, when his acclaimed psychological suspense novel, THE PAWN, released.
If you love stories and storytelling, check out his podcast, The Story Blender, on which he has interviewed nearly 200 of the world's top writers and storytellers.
His latest Young Adult horror novel, RIFT, is the first in a new trilogy that takes place in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. James lives in Eastern Tennessee and loves watching sci-fi movies, playing basketball, and eating chicken fajitas—although not all at the same time.
James has been penning smart, taut thrillers that actually thrill, since 2007, when his acclaimed psychological suspense novel, THE PAWN, released.
If you love stories and storytelling, check out his podcast, The Story Blender, on which he has interviewed nearly 200 of the world's top writers and storytellers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
February 7, 2024
Broker of Lies was one of the books I was most excited to read this year and I'm so happy that it lived up to my expectations. The characters were great and I felt for Travis right away. I was curious about what really happened with the fire and what was going on now.
The story was an intense read. There were several moments when I found myself catching/holding my breath. It was SO good! I personally didn't find anything too graphic, but if you are squeamish you might.
All in all, Broker of Lies was amazing. At first I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy the story, because of some of the technical terms, but it was pretty easy to follow the storyline. I loved all the twists in the book and I was so happy that I ended up guessing a BIG one right before the reveal.
If you are a fan of thrillers and aren't squeamish, I recommend Broker of Lies. It is a wild ride and I am eagerly anticipating the next Travis Brock thriller!
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
The story was an intense read. There were several moments when I found myself catching/holding my breath. It was SO good! I personally didn't find anything too graphic, but if you are squeamish you might.
All in all, Broker of Lies was amazing. At first I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy the story, because of some of the technical terms, but it was pretty easy to follow the storyline. I loved all the twists in the book and I was so happy that I ended up guessing a BIG one right before the reveal.
If you are a fan of thrillers and aren't squeamish, I recommend Broker of Lies. It is a wild ride and I am eagerly anticipating the next Travis Brock thriller!
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
March 14, 2024
“I’m a redactor.”
“Vengeance is personal. And it always opens more wounds than it heals. Justice is universal.”
“…a true master of deception, a true broker of lies.”
As a huge fan of Steven James and his masterpiece series with Patrick Bowers, I was very excited to hear about this new series. And it definitely did not disappoint. While Bowers dealt with serial killers and geospatial techniques to solve crimes, Broker Of Lies is a political thriller. While we see some similarities (good versus evil as well as other morality questions - in this book, justice versus vengeance), they are also very different. I liked the action, the mystery, the intrigue, the characters, and the cliffhanger ending. While, like most political thrillers, I found myself confused early and often around all the political and military talk, James did a great job tying all the pieces together. Looking forward to book two to see what happens next with Travis Brock.
“Vengeance is personal. And it always opens more wounds than it heals. Justice is universal.”
“…a true master of deception, a true broker of lies.”
As a huge fan of Steven James and his masterpiece series with Patrick Bowers, I was very excited to hear about this new series. And it definitely did not disappoint. While Bowers dealt with serial killers and geospatial techniques to solve crimes, Broker Of Lies is a political thriller. While we see some similarities (good versus evil as well as other morality questions - in this book, justice versus vengeance), they are also very different. I liked the action, the mystery, the intrigue, the characters, and the cliffhanger ending. While, like most political thrillers, I found myself confused early and often around all the political and military talk, James did a great job tying all the pieces together. Looking forward to book two to see what happens next with Travis Brock.
April 13, 2023
A little disappointed. The crime/thriller/mystery was weak. Came off a little juvenile and rookieish.
I also thought while the religious aspect wasn’t shoved down our throats, it felt forced/misplaced in parts.
I really enjoyed the previous series, but this felt like a first effort. It didn’t feel like a seasoned writer wrote it. All the clues were seen a mile away and were too obvious to be enjoyable.
The narrator was good and I didn’t dnf, so there’s that. I’m also not completely turned off and will read the next one if there is one. Hopefully, if there is, it will be better.
I also thought while the religious aspect wasn’t shoved down our throats, it felt forced/misplaced in parts.
I really enjoyed the previous series, but this felt like a first effort. It didn’t feel like a seasoned writer wrote it. All the clues were seen a mile away and were too obvious to be enjoyable.
The narrator was good and I didn’t dnf, so there’s that. I’m also not completely turned off and will read the next one if there is one. Hopefully, if there is, it will be better.
October 5, 2023
Once again Steven James writes a very engaging story that captures your imagination. This story is very cutting edge and talks about technology that is up and coming. I got so sucked in I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen: As usual with Stevens books it’s a wild ride to the very last chapter. I highly recommend this book!
June 8, 2025
4.5🌟
Great thriller. Believable characters, good plot. a few things seemed a teeny bit. far-fetched. I liked that a lot of the book was based near the Pentagon, Fairfax, and the DC area which is close to where I live. the one government entity, DARPA that he mentioned several times, is actually where my husband works which was kind of cool. He did have the characters use swear words once or twice which is kind of off-putting for a Christian book. I did not see the plot twist coming and I'm glad the second book is already out so I can find out what happens.
" Injustice always begins with rationalizing a wrong. Justice begins with righting one."
Great thriller. Believable characters, good plot. a few things seemed a teeny bit. far-fetched. I liked that a lot of the book was based near the Pentagon, Fairfax, and the DC area which is close to where I live. the one government entity, DARPA that he mentioned several times, is actually where my husband works which was kind of cool. He did have the characters use swear words once or twice which is kind of off-putting for a Christian book. I did not see the plot twist coming and I'm glad the second book is already out so I can find out what happens.
" Injustice always begins with rationalizing a wrong. Justice begins with righting one."
January 31, 2024
Travis Brock is no Patrick Bowers but you won’t need an advanced forensic science degree to read this book. You also won’t be scared senseless, triggered by the depravity of man or any of the other exquisite intricacies found in THE BOWERS FILES series, by Steven James.
What you will find in BROKER OF LIES, is the start of a new series and an introduction to a new hero, Travis Brock. He’s recently widowed, scarred by a fire, has an eidetic memory and works at the Pentagon as a redactor. He’s accompanied by Adira, an Homeland Security officer with mad skills.
Since this is book one, there are lots of characters to introduce. It’s government and science with plots for future generations, good vs. evil with some religious undertones, Russian oligarchs and Uber wealthy billionaires all trying to make a better world. If that’s not enough, there’s a romance writing former army ranger who has a vocabulary to rival Oxford. Ya gotta find something to love!
Seriously, Steven James is a must read for me and I own physical copies of the Bowers Files series. They are treasures. BROKER OF LIES is very good, 4.5 stars rounded up because it’s SJ. The twist at the end is delicious and not delaying the romantic element for volume after volume earns huge points. I’ve got a NetGalley eARC of book 2 and am off to see where this trio goes📚
What you will find in BROKER OF LIES, is the start of a new series and an introduction to a new hero, Travis Brock. He’s recently widowed, scarred by a fire, has an eidetic memory and works at the Pentagon as a redactor. He’s accompanied by Adira, an Homeland Security officer with mad skills.
Since this is book one, there are lots of characters to introduce. It’s government and science with plots for future generations, good vs. evil with some religious undertones, Russian oligarchs and Uber wealthy billionaires all trying to make a better world. If that’s not enough, there’s a romance writing former army ranger who has a vocabulary to rival Oxford. Ya gotta find something to love!
Seriously, Steven James is a must read for me and I own physical copies of the Bowers Files series. They are treasures. BROKER OF LIES is very good, 4.5 stars rounded up because it’s SJ. The twist at the end is delicious and not delaying the romantic element for volume after volume earns huge points. I’ve got a NetGalley eARC of book 2 and am off to see where this trio goes📚
February 24, 2023
Another amazing thrill-ride from Steven James! This book introduces a new (I hope) series with the main character of Travis Brock, who is a redactor for the department of defense at the Pentagon. Having never read about the life of a redactor before, I found the nuances of his job fascinating, and the things that he knew disconcerting. That was integral to how he fit into the plot line however. When he receives a request for information back-dated a year and a half to the day that of the fire that burned down his house and killed his wife, he takes special interest and follows the clues to Adira Halprin, who is wanted for questioning. A series of events throws them together to uncover the mystery of who actually sent the request and what was the urgency behind it.
This book was kinda like a roller coaster. Though the story started a bit slow as we needed a great deal of background information in order to fully understand the plot, once you get over the top of that big hill and immersed in the story, it's a wild ride until the end. With a great deal of depth and an intricate plot, the action in this story had me turning pages to see what happened next. The characters were wonderful and relatable. There was some great banter between them and I had several laugh-out-loud moments which broke up the intensity. There were some POV switches and a few time jumps (within days or months, not years), but I had no trouble following along and those served to better pad the story. James has that style where he feeds you just a little bit of the answer to the mystery and then adds to the mystery so you keep wanting more. This shone through immensely in this book. The faith thread in this one was subtle, but present - Travis Brock has an eidetic memory and so he recalls scripture that plays into the plot line and learns a bit about God and justice as the story goes on. But there's no plumbing depths of faith in this book. It's a fun action book with a bit of faith mixed in. There are also a few (2-3) instances where some minor swear words are thrown in. Though I read Christian fiction primarily to avoid sex and language, I can abide it when it's so few and far between, but wanted to mention it for anyone whose stance is stronger than that.
This book took a great deal of research and created a scary realistic and really in-depth plot scenario that could easily keep me up at night. And definitely has me wanting more! I've thoroughly enjoyed everything I've read from this author and can't wait to see what happens next in this series. Special thanks to Tyndale House and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.
This book was kinda like a roller coaster. Though the story started a bit slow as we needed a great deal of background information in order to fully understand the plot, once you get over the top of that big hill and immersed in the story, it's a wild ride until the end. With a great deal of depth and an intricate plot, the action in this story had me turning pages to see what happened next. The characters were wonderful and relatable. There was some great banter between them and I had several laugh-out-loud moments which broke up the intensity. There were some POV switches and a few time jumps (within days or months, not years), but I had no trouble following along and those served to better pad the story. James has that style where he feeds you just a little bit of the answer to the mystery and then adds to the mystery so you keep wanting more. This shone through immensely in this book. The faith thread in this one was subtle, but present - Travis Brock has an eidetic memory and so he recalls scripture that plays into the plot line and learns a bit about God and justice as the story goes on. But there's no plumbing depths of faith in this book. It's a fun action book with a bit of faith mixed in. There are also a few (2-3) instances where some minor swear words are thrown in. Though I read Christian fiction primarily to avoid sex and language, I can abide it when it's so few and far between, but wanted to mention it for anyone whose stance is stronger than that.
This book took a great deal of research and created a scary realistic and really in-depth plot scenario that could easily keep me up at night. And definitely has me wanting more! I've thoroughly enjoyed everything I've read from this author and can't wait to see what happens next in this series. Special thanks to Tyndale House and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.
April 9, 2023
Steven James’ latest, BROKER OF LIES, is more of his unique storytelling. Always an intellectual writer, this book mixes politics, espionage, and technology.
Steven James has long been a favorite author—thanks to my sister. He delivers strong male leads, with correspondingly strong female characters. Especially with his series. He accelerates tension, writes with accuracy because of his solid research—where does he find these people?—and throws some mean curveballs.
Some may think James’ transition to Christian publishing dilutes his storytelling, but I beg to differ. He digs even deeper into his character development without resorting to the typical literary tricks of the ABA market—no bed-hopping.
The story begins with Travis Brock, a high-level government redactor with an eidetic memory who is the victim of a home fire that burns his wife to death. He later learns it is arson and the game is afoot.
Travis meets up with Adira, an undercover agent for the TSA. Undercover agents? For the TSA? Fascinating! Anyway, she’s been framed as a terrorist.
The two team up when they are targeted by unknown bad guys who seem to be connected. Adira also tries to help Travis solve the arson mystery of his home. It appears the arson targeted his wife.
Travis’s genius is tempered by the fact that he seems to be on the spectrum—which is frustrating to Adira and fascinating to us readers.
The plots tangle and twist and turn to make the reader flip those pages. Steven leaves a few loose ends for the next installment in the Travis Brock Thriller. Can’t wait!
For readers who crave the suspenseful and fast-paced book, the BROKER OF LIES is a must!
I received an ARC from the publisher for my honest review.
April 20, 2023
Broker of Lies by Steven James gives readers an intricate story with non-stop action. Told from multiple points of view, the story focuses on Travis Brock, who has a super high clearance level with the Pentagon. He knows a lot of secrets but one alludes him: the truth about the fire that killed his wife. He teams up with Adira, who works on a different secret government project known as the Red Team. Together they uncover a potential terrorist attack but become targets as they go on the run.
I love this fast-paced story. I wasn’t sure I would like so many points of view, but it worked well to keep the edgy pacing and it was intriguing to see both hero and villain points of view. Travis and Adira made a great team and are both interesting characters, what with Travis’ eidetic memory, and Adira’s job of trying to smuggle weapons to test airport security.
Check out Broker of Lies for a thrilling story from start to finish.
I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I love this fast-paced story. I wasn’t sure I would like so many points of view, but it worked well to keep the edgy pacing and it was intriguing to see both hero and villain points of view. Travis and Adira made a great team and are both interesting characters, what with Travis’ eidetic memory, and Adira’s job of trying to smuggle weapons to test airport security.
Check out Broker of Lies for a thrilling story from start to finish.
I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
February 11, 2024
Amazing Read
This was an incredible read. This is the first book of the Travis Brock series. The story was amazing. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I loved every minute of this book. I couldn’t put it down once the story progressed. I really loved Travis and Adira. Their chemistry was perfect. Travis is an amazing character. I thought his character was relatable and brave. He was a great character to read. Adira is another amazing character to read. She is my type of heroine. In my eyes, she is feisty and fierce. She is not willing to go down without a fight and those are the types of characters that I love. The mystery and suspense was awesome. What a way to end the book. What a plot twist at the end. I did not see that coming at all. I can’t wait to continue this series, and what happens to the characters next. Overall, an amazing read.
This was an incredible read. This is the first book of the Travis Brock series. The story was amazing. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I loved every minute of this book. I couldn’t put it down once the story progressed. I really loved Travis and Adira. Their chemistry was perfect. Travis is an amazing character. I thought his character was relatable and brave. He was a great character to read. Adira is another amazing character to read. She is my type of heroine. In my eyes, she is feisty and fierce. She is not willing to go down without a fight and those are the types of characters that I love. The mystery and suspense was awesome. What a way to end the book. What a plot twist at the end. I did not see that coming at all. I can’t wait to continue this series, and what happens to the characters next. Overall, an amazing read.
January 17, 2023
Wow. Just wow. My head is still spinning from that ending!!!
If you’re looking for a good, solid thriller without the creep/horror, this is it! Fast-paced, unpredictable and refreshing! I couldn’t put it down and I loved every second. And it’s SO well-written!! Steven James is such a good writer! I can’t overstate the quality of the writing. It’s so rare to get high quality prose and high quality thrills in the same book, but he has done it here (& does it consistently)!
And that ending!!! I’m still reeling! And that’s so rare!! Colour me super impressed!
Highly, highly recommended!!
Thank you so much @tyndalehouse and @netgalley for the ARC! I was only required to provide an honest opinion in return.
If you’re looking for a good, solid thriller without the creep/horror, this is it! Fast-paced, unpredictable and refreshing! I couldn’t put it down and I loved every second. And it’s SO well-written!! Steven James is such a good writer! I can’t overstate the quality of the writing. It’s so rare to get high quality prose and high quality thrills in the same book, but he has done it here (& does it consistently)!
And that ending!!! I’m still reeling! And that’s so rare!! Colour me super impressed!
Highly, highly recommended!!
Thank you so much @tyndalehouse and @netgalley for the ARC! I was only required to provide an honest opinion in return.
September 20, 2024
Enthralling Christian thriller. Lots of “didn’t see THAT coming.” Clean. Narration is excellent. 👍 (Won’t beat ya to death with Holy Bible).
Re-reading — forgot to rate earlier Will read again when I need some excitement.
Re-reading — forgot to rate earlier Will read again when I need some excitement.
January 19, 2023
If you enjoy suspenseful and fast paced books, this one is for you. A real page turner.
Travis a pentagon employee and Adira a homeland security agent hook up and together they race against time to try to stop a terrorist attack. Who can you trust is the question? Travis is pulled into a dangerous game of cat and mouse while trying to diffuse a dangerous attack on the US. In the process Travis is also trying to solve the arson that killed his wife.
With a surprise ending this book will keep you guessing till the end. It is set up for a sequel and look forward to continuing the journey. I would highly recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for an advance ARC copy of this book.
Travis a pentagon employee and Adira a homeland security agent hook up and together they race against time to try to stop a terrorist attack. Who can you trust is the question? Travis is pulled into a dangerous game of cat and mouse while trying to diffuse a dangerous attack on the US. In the process Travis is also trying to solve the arson that killed his wife.
With a surprise ending this book will keep you guessing till the end. It is set up for a sequel and look forward to continuing the journey. I would highly recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for an advance ARC copy of this book.
November 25, 2024
Broker of Lies
Wow! I have never been disappointed by a Steven James book and this one was no different. An absolute thrill ride from beginning to end. Kept me up late to read on. Then often followed me into my dreams. Exciting is an understatement. And the ending wasn’t what I was expecting at all. Makes me ready to finish up this review and jump right into the next book. So yes, I think I will. Highly recommend to fans of spy novels. It has all the good stuff, without all the unnecessary things. Happy reading!
Wow! I have never been disappointed by a Steven James book and this one was no different. An absolute thrill ride from beginning to end. Kept me up late to read on. Then often followed me into my dreams. Exciting is an understatement. And the ending wasn’t what I was expecting at all. Makes me ready to finish up this review and jump right into the next book. So yes, I think I will. Highly recommend to fans of spy novels. It has all the good stuff, without all the unnecessary things. Happy reading!
December 22, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. It got a little drawn out but definitely worth the read!!
April 13, 2023
“Winston Churchill famously said, ‘In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.’”
Steven James has finally written another book!
He’s one of my favorite authors because he is adept at writing suspenseful plot lines with twists while also incorporating some bigger ‘life questions’ in a natural way. [In this book there is a thread of justice vs vengeance and what true justice looks like]
Also this book has no swearing or sexual content! And if you think a book needs that to be engaging and awesome, you haven’t read Steven James.
Broker of Lies is a story of arson, government secrets, nuclear threats, and two unlikely characters brought together to figure out where an attack will occur, who’s behind it, and how they can stop it. Not to mention they’re being hunted by two groups of people who either want their secrets or want to kill them.
There’s a bit of complexity in the book to keep straight if you only read small chunks at a time. Hopefully my cast of characters and plot summary can be something that helps you remember who is who.
Cast of Characters
Travis Brock - main character with an eidetic memory who works at the Pentagon as a redactor dealing with government secrets and what they can release to the public;
"If there was a DOD program that needed to be protected or kept secret, odds were I’d read about it— and, consequently, remembered it.”
is also seeking to avenge his wife’s death by finding the killer and enacting justice
“some might call it vengeance; I called it a necessity. And I was ready to see things through to the end, whatever that might require of me.”
Sienna Brock - wife of Travis who is killed in a house fire at the beginning of the book; worked as a linguist for the intelligence community
Detective Caruso - investigating both the arson from Travis’s house and a missing State Department employee named Lena Rhodes
Ilya and Sergei - Russian mafia; going after Travis
Adira -(aka Flower Girl) member of the secret organization called the Red Team housed under Homeland Security/TSA to test security measures in the country
Nathan Lassiter - TSA Deputy Director, and Adira’s handler, who gave up a security access code in order to be able to pay for his father’s medical needs but later regretted it and attempted to make it right, trying to get Travis and Adira together to pursue evidence he found on who paid him for the code
Senator Cliff Richardson - senator who sold his Silicon Valley business (to Janice Daniels) to become a politician to enact change in the country, dedicating his career to bring awareness to the weaknesses in the US nuclear energy program
“Sometimes pursuing a higher ideal required sacrifice. And sometimes that required working with someone like Joshua. A man capable of the unthinkable.”
Joshua - hired by Senator Richardson to help move his goals forward using whatever means necessary
“The man was a ghost. Or a monster, depending on how you looked at things.”
Janice Daniels - billionaire philanthropist
“She was a bit of an enigma: Too much of a venture capitalist to please the Left; too much of a democratic socialist to please the Right.”
Gunnar Bane - former Army Ranger now a civilian security contractor; attempting to write a romance novel and is doing an exceptionally terrible job
Dr. Chia-hao Yong - won the Nobel Prize in physics for his work with uranium; is presenting his research on nuclear security at the Summit; is being blackmailed to secretly provide secure network access to an unidentified person during his speech
OTHER ‘PLAYERS’:
Pruninghooks Collective - radical arm of the antinuke movement (not a real group but the Plowshares movement is)
Project Symphony - a top secret research program that DARPA was involved in regarding air gap hacking (hacking computers that aren’t online)
Paraden Defense Systems - designed detonators and explosive devices for the Army; provided some key components for developing a prototype of a device being used in Project Symphony
Patmos Financial Consortium - an equity firm invested in more than fifty tracts of land all over the country
Brief Plot Summary
The book begins with a fire at Travis’s house. He sustains major burns. His wife dies in the fire, he couldn’t go back for her. He finds out it was not an accident. It was arson.
Then we jump 17 months later.
Travis, who works as a redactor at the Pentagon processing requests to release information about the DOD’s most confidential secrets, gets a suspicious request. (These requests are in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.)
What catches his attention is that it’s backdated with the date of his house fire. With further inspection he discovers an acrostic hidden within the message.
He has been on his own mission to track down the arsonist responsible for his wife’s death. He is sure this must have something to do with it.
The request is the catalyst that sends Travis on a dangerous mission to find out who was behind the request and what message it’s trying to send.
Due to both of them becoming hunted targets, Travis and another government employee, Adira, team up, and put their knowledge, skills, and resources together to get to the bottom of this. And who can they really trust?
“If we can figure out the why behind the when, we might just be able to figure out the who behind the why.”
They are eventually led to an International Nuclear Association Safety Summit held in Oak Ridge, TN— one of the sites of the Manhattan Project which was responsible for building the nuclear bomb.
Somehow the four P’s— Pruninghooks Collective, Paraden, Patmos, and Project Symphony (see my Cast of Characters) are all connected in this web of secrets and potential nuclear threat puts the pressure on Travis and Adira to stop any sort of attack before masses of people are killed or global nuclear unrest begins.
Oh… and WHO is the broker of lies…..???
Justice, Vengeance, and Secrets
Travis Brock is struggling to figure out the difference between justice and vengeance and who should carry out justice—the individual or the society? What if the society fails to carry it out? When does the individual act separately from the society? What does true justice look like? What is God’s role in that? Does justice really lead to peace?
This was interesting to ponder. Add to that the varying thoughts on the corruptness or effectiveness of the American justice system. Do we trust the system or do we individually ‘correct’ the system when it fails?
I like what he says here:
“Injustice always begins with rationalizing a wrong. Justice begins with righting one.”
Another thread in the book which appears in so many different scenarios: the greater good.
What are we willing to do ‘for the greater good’? How does morality play into decisions made with this goal in mind.
James includes these two sobering observations:
“The greater good. That was the rationalization of all dictators, of all despots, of all tyrants and those who precipitated the greatest atrocities in human history… Over and over again it was the oppressor’s justification that echoes endlessly through the raw, bloody, chambers of hell: The greater good.”
“You can never really know someone else, but if you know yourself, then you know enough about human nature to realize what people are capable of, to recognize that no one can be fully trusted to do what’s right.”
I thought it was interesting how James points out that the job Brock does cannot be done by AI. With more and more things being taken over by AI I’m glad we’re wary of handing over control of government secrets to it. AI doesn’t have the judgment and discernment like humans to determine which secrets are safe to reveal to the public and which ones are not. (For more exploration on AI read James’ book Synapse)
The Freedom Information Act (1967) was put in place to allow citizens to request information from any federal agency. This is a version of accountability with the government. However, as stated in this book there are many exceptions and exemptions that may mean information can still not be disclosed.
I like that our government has some accountability to its citizens but I also am on the side of- hey, let’s not give away all the secrets that protect our country or the people who defend it.
“In truth secrets don’t diminish our freedoms; they protect them for our children. Those who demanded more ‘transparency’ often forgot that they wouldn’t want their own lives to be transparent. And it as even more vital that the government kept its secrets to protect the lives of its citizens than it was that those citizens kept their secrets simply to protect their reputations.”
Cool References & Things I Learned
If you follow my reviews, you know that I love to learn things while I read. There was a lot of interesting information in this book and I’m curious how much of it is legitimate.
It seems a little disconcerting how much detail is given on how to sneak weapons past airport security, or how to create a bomb, or how to access a variety of tools or information that seems dangerous to our country.
I’m sure James was careful not to give readers a handbook on DIY terrorist attacks, but still! Reading books like this sometimes makes me wonder how much danger we’re actually in from day to day that we have no idea about.
Here are a few tidbits (I’m not putting bomb building in my review, I’m pretty sure I’ve already written enough buzzwords in here):
“By disguising themselves, most people forget to change their shoes. It’s one of the most common mistakes in spy-craft.”
“One of the best ways to get close to security guards, or at least to take them unaware, was to approach while shaking your head. Rather than raise suspicion, doing so changed the entire social dynamic of the encounter”
“stuck a small piece of gravel in her left shoe. It would alter her gait so that in case, somewhere along the line, the authorities had analyzed her stride and were using gait-recognition software, it wouldn’t peg her.”
If you want to convince someone to become your asset, here are the top five ways to do that using an apt acronym:
C- compromise R- revenge I- ideology M-money E- ego
Also apparently:
“In an airport x-ray machine, books, because of their size and density, looked surprisingly like plastic explosives.”
I’m always bringing books in my carry-on— good thing I don’t look suspicious!
The Pentagon is the largest office building in the world, employing nearly 26,000 people. It is possible to walk from any two points within the Pentagon in ten minutes.
The Y-12 complex was built in Oak Ridge, TN as part of the Manhattan Project. (If the Manhattan Project interests you, read An Affair of Spies) It is the birthplace of the atomic bomb and where nuclear medicine was first developed. It houses the nation’s supply of enriched uranium and is one of the most tightly guarded military complexes in the world.
It contains more than 1000 buildings on its 811-acre campus, but during WWII had more than twice that many. During WWII the population of the complex was 75,000 making it the fifth largest city in Tennessee, albeit one that wasn’t on a map!
It is true, as stated in the book, that a Catholic sister and two other activists (military veterans) entered the complex and got through several layers of security and were not realized until several hours later. So the concept of this book in regards to nuclear security is a viable and relevant topic!
A calutron is a mass spectrometer used for separating isotopes in uranium and was designed by Ernest Lawrence. It was first developed for the Manhattan Project based on his earlier invention called the cyclotron. The name calutron is a combination of University of California (Cal-U) where Lawrence invented it and cyclotron.
The Calutron building (aka K-25) was the largest building in the world at the time it was built. It was demolished in 2006.
Agathokakological: composed of both good and evil
Brobdingnagian: gigantic
WMDDs- weapons of mass destruction and disruption
The Sunsphere which was an important location in the book is in downtown Knoxville and was built for the 1982 World’s Fair. The book cover image cleverly uses redacting lines to create the city skyline and shows the Sunsphere.
As mentioned in the book, a nuclear bomb was really dropped onto Goldsboro, North Carolina— accidentally, of course, when a B-52 broke up in the air over the state. 3 of the 4 mechanisms to detonate the bomb had been triggered. Only one kept it from becoming a huge disaster. Ironically, there is a historical marker for this incident in Eureka, NC (‘eureka’ means ‘to find’) just a few miles away from the scene. Information about this event was released in 2013 due to a Freedom of Information Act request.
So I just learned about ghost guns in the book Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni. And now it is referenced in Broker of Lies. It’s not called a ghost gun here, but it is one because it was created using a 3-D printer. In an airport! Seriously, how do these things even work?!
James also references the false missile alert that happened in Hawaii five years ago. I’m including it here because if you were ever wondering what happened to the guy responsible for sending out the ‘BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII’ text to all of Hawaii… Bob Goff found him and gave him a job and he tells us about it in his book Undistracted. And I’m wondering what you think his book is about now haha.
Uranium is the heaviest element. For reference: a gallon of milk weighs about 8 lbs. A gallon of uranium would weigh 150. Which was the weight of the uranium canisters in the book. Crazy.
USB drives aren’t allowed on military bases or in secure federal facilities. But the real question is: are floppy disks allowed??
Comments & Quotes
I know Steven James is a good writer so I know when he ‘wrote’ the parts for Gunnar Bane’s romance novel he was purposefully writing it cringey. But Gunnar makes a good point here: “Jaws for guys and cheekbones for ladies. The secret to great character descriptions.” Those are always the descriptors when writing attractive people right? Also broad shoulders and full lips. It gets a bit old. Let’s find something more creative.
I did not appreciate the inclusion of the example of psychological suggestion: yawning. Talking about it or watching someone else do it causes you to do it. I am even more suggestible to this. Just reading the word yawn or thinking it in my head makes me yawned. And I’ve already yawned several times writing this. Ugh. At least I know I’m not a psychopath.
There was some back and forth in timelines and perspectives so it’s best to read in larger chunks at a time.
“Never wield openness as a weapon disguised as honesty.”
“The question isn’t so much why life isn’t fair, but what we’re going to do about it in the meantime, while we search for answers.”
“Yes, temporary happiness might come from acquisition and consumption, but true joy only came from simplicity and sacrifice.”
Sidenote: Steven James has a weekly podcast called The Story Blender where he interviews lots of authors. If you are interested in that or are a writer looking for some good insights, check it out!
Recommendation
I definitely recommend this book! He’s got great story concepts and writes them so well.
You’ll read it fast, you’ll learn a lot, and you’ll enjoy it!
The only reason I would not recommend this book is if it would be too complex for some to follow or to want to follow. If you’re looking for a beach read, this probably isn’t it.
It looks like this may be the beginning of a new series. In the author’s note Steven James says, “I look forward to seeing what mischief they get into in their next adventure.”
So I’m excited for more books because this one ends on a twist and I’m wondering where it’s going.
[Content Advisory: no swearing; no sexual content; implied torture, not long or descriptive]
**Received an ARC via NetGalley**
Book Review Blog | Facebook | Pinterest
Steven James has finally written another book!
He’s one of my favorite authors because he is adept at writing suspenseful plot lines with twists while also incorporating some bigger ‘life questions’ in a natural way. [In this book there is a thread of justice vs vengeance and what true justice looks like]
Also this book has no swearing or sexual content! And if you think a book needs that to be engaging and awesome, you haven’t read Steven James.
Broker of Lies is a story of arson, government secrets, nuclear threats, and two unlikely characters brought together to figure out where an attack will occur, who’s behind it, and how they can stop it. Not to mention they’re being hunted by two groups of people who either want their secrets or want to kill them.
There’s a bit of complexity in the book to keep straight if you only read small chunks at a time. Hopefully my cast of characters and plot summary can be something that helps you remember who is who.
Cast of Characters
Travis Brock - main character with an eidetic memory who works at the Pentagon as a redactor dealing with government secrets and what they can release to the public;
"If there was a DOD program that needed to be protected or kept secret, odds were I’d read about it— and, consequently, remembered it.”
is also seeking to avenge his wife’s death by finding the killer and enacting justice
“some might call it vengeance; I called it a necessity. And I was ready to see things through to the end, whatever that might require of me.”
Sienna Brock - wife of Travis who is killed in a house fire at the beginning of the book; worked as a linguist for the intelligence community
Detective Caruso - investigating both the arson from Travis’s house and a missing State Department employee named Lena Rhodes
Ilya and Sergei - Russian mafia; going after Travis
Adira -(aka Flower Girl) member of the secret organization called the Red Team housed under Homeland Security/TSA to test security measures in the country
Nathan Lassiter - TSA Deputy Director, and Adira’s handler, who gave up a security access code in order to be able to pay for his father’s medical needs but later regretted it and attempted to make it right, trying to get Travis and Adira together to pursue evidence he found on who paid him for the code
Senator Cliff Richardson - senator who sold his Silicon Valley business (to Janice Daniels) to become a politician to enact change in the country, dedicating his career to bring awareness to the weaknesses in the US nuclear energy program
“Sometimes pursuing a higher ideal required sacrifice. And sometimes that required working with someone like Joshua. A man capable of the unthinkable.”
Joshua - hired by Senator Richardson to help move his goals forward using whatever means necessary
“The man was a ghost. Or a monster, depending on how you looked at things.”
Janice Daniels - billionaire philanthropist
“She was a bit of an enigma: Too much of a venture capitalist to please the Left; too much of a democratic socialist to please the Right.”
Gunnar Bane - former Army Ranger now a civilian security contractor; attempting to write a romance novel and is doing an exceptionally terrible job
Dr. Chia-hao Yong - won the Nobel Prize in physics for his work with uranium; is presenting his research on nuclear security at the Summit; is being blackmailed to secretly provide secure network access to an unidentified person during his speech
OTHER ‘PLAYERS’:
Pruninghooks Collective - radical arm of the antinuke movement (not a real group but the Plowshares movement is)
Project Symphony - a top secret research program that DARPA was involved in regarding air gap hacking (hacking computers that aren’t online)
Paraden Defense Systems - designed detonators and explosive devices for the Army; provided some key components for developing a prototype of a device being used in Project Symphony
Patmos Financial Consortium - an equity firm invested in more than fifty tracts of land all over the country
Brief Plot Summary
The book begins with a fire at Travis’s house. He sustains major burns. His wife dies in the fire, he couldn’t go back for her. He finds out it was not an accident. It was arson.
Then we jump 17 months later.
Travis, who works as a redactor at the Pentagon processing requests to release information about the DOD’s most confidential secrets, gets a suspicious request. (These requests are in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.)
What catches his attention is that it’s backdated with the date of his house fire. With further inspection he discovers an acrostic hidden within the message.
He has been on his own mission to track down the arsonist responsible for his wife’s death. He is sure this must have something to do with it.
The request is the catalyst that sends Travis on a dangerous mission to find out who was behind the request and what message it’s trying to send.
Due to both of them becoming hunted targets, Travis and another government employee, Adira, team up, and put their knowledge, skills, and resources together to get to the bottom of this. And who can they really trust?
“If we can figure out the why behind the when, we might just be able to figure out the who behind the why.”
They are eventually led to an International Nuclear Association Safety Summit held in Oak Ridge, TN— one of the sites of the Manhattan Project which was responsible for building the nuclear bomb.
Somehow the four P’s— Pruninghooks Collective, Paraden, Patmos, and Project Symphony (see my Cast of Characters) are all connected in this web of secrets and potential nuclear threat puts the pressure on Travis and Adira to stop any sort of attack before masses of people are killed or global nuclear unrest begins.
Oh… and WHO is the broker of lies…..???
Justice, Vengeance, and Secrets
Travis Brock is struggling to figure out the difference between justice and vengeance and who should carry out justice—the individual or the society? What if the society fails to carry it out? When does the individual act separately from the society? What does true justice look like? What is God’s role in that? Does justice really lead to peace?
This was interesting to ponder. Add to that the varying thoughts on the corruptness or effectiveness of the American justice system. Do we trust the system or do we individually ‘correct’ the system when it fails?
I like what he says here:
“Injustice always begins with rationalizing a wrong. Justice begins with righting one.”
Another thread in the book which appears in so many different scenarios: the greater good.
What are we willing to do ‘for the greater good’? How does morality play into decisions made with this goal in mind.
James includes these two sobering observations:
“The greater good. That was the rationalization of all dictators, of all despots, of all tyrants and those who precipitated the greatest atrocities in human history… Over and over again it was the oppressor’s justification that echoes endlessly through the raw, bloody, chambers of hell: The greater good.”
“You can never really know someone else, but if you know yourself, then you know enough about human nature to realize what people are capable of, to recognize that no one can be fully trusted to do what’s right.”
I thought it was interesting how James points out that the job Brock does cannot be done by AI. With more and more things being taken over by AI I’m glad we’re wary of handing over control of government secrets to it. AI doesn’t have the judgment and discernment like humans to determine which secrets are safe to reveal to the public and which ones are not. (For more exploration on AI read James’ book Synapse)
The Freedom Information Act (1967) was put in place to allow citizens to request information from any federal agency. This is a version of accountability with the government. However, as stated in this book there are many exceptions and exemptions that may mean information can still not be disclosed.
I like that our government has some accountability to its citizens but I also am on the side of- hey, let’s not give away all the secrets that protect our country or the people who defend it.
“In truth secrets don’t diminish our freedoms; they protect them for our children. Those who demanded more ‘transparency’ often forgot that they wouldn’t want their own lives to be transparent. And it as even more vital that the government kept its secrets to protect the lives of its citizens than it was that those citizens kept their secrets simply to protect their reputations.”
Cool References & Things I Learned
If you follow my reviews, you know that I love to learn things while I read. There was a lot of interesting information in this book and I’m curious how much of it is legitimate.
It seems a little disconcerting how much detail is given on how to sneak weapons past airport security, or how to create a bomb, or how to access a variety of tools or information that seems dangerous to our country.
I’m sure James was careful not to give readers a handbook on DIY terrorist attacks, but still! Reading books like this sometimes makes me wonder how much danger we’re actually in from day to day that we have no idea about.
Here are a few tidbits (I’m not putting bomb building in my review, I’m pretty sure I’ve already written enough buzzwords in here):
“By disguising themselves, most people forget to change their shoes. It’s one of the most common mistakes in spy-craft.”
“One of the best ways to get close to security guards, or at least to take them unaware, was to approach while shaking your head. Rather than raise suspicion, doing so changed the entire social dynamic of the encounter”
“stuck a small piece of gravel in her left shoe. It would alter her gait so that in case, somewhere along the line, the authorities had analyzed her stride and were using gait-recognition software, it wouldn’t peg her.”
If you want to convince someone to become your asset, here are the top five ways to do that using an apt acronym:
C- compromise R- revenge I- ideology M-money E- ego
Also apparently:
“In an airport x-ray machine, books, because of their size and density, looked surprisingly like plastic explosives.”
I’m always bringing books in my carry-on— good thing I don’t look suspicious!
The Pentagon is the largest office building in the world, employing nearly 26,000 people. It is possible to walk from any two points within the Pentagon in ten minutes.
The Y-12 complex was built in Oak Ridge, TN as part of the Manhattan Project. (If the Manhattan Project interests you, read An Affair of Spies) It is the birthplace of the atomic bomb and where nuclear medicine was first developed. It houses the nation’s supply of enriched uranium and is one of the most tightly guarded military complexes in the world.
It contains more than 1000 buildings on its 811-acre campus, but during WWII had more than twice that many. During WWII the population of the complex was 75,000 making it the fifth largest city in Tennessee, albeit one that wasn’t on a map!
It is true, as stated in the book, that a Catholic sister and two other activists (military veterans) entered the complex and got through several layers of security and were not realized until several hours later. So the concept of this book in regards to nuclear security is a viable and relevant topic!
A calutron is a mass spectrometer used for separating isotopes in uranium and was designed by Ernest Lawrence. It was first developed for the Manhattan Project based on his earlier invention called the cyclotron. The name calutron is a combination of University of California (Cal-U) where Lawrence invented it and cyclotron.
The Calutron building (aka K-25) was the largest building in the world at the time it was built. It was demolished in 2006.
Agathokakological: composed of both good and evil
Brobdingnagian: gigantic
WMDDs- weapons of mass destruction and disruption
The Sunsphere which was an important location in the book is in downtown Knoxville and was built for the 1982 World’s Fair. The book cover image cleverly uses redacting lines to create the city skyline and shows the Sunsphere.
As mentioned in the book, a nuclear bomb was really dropped onto Goldsboro, North Carolina— accidentally, of course, when a B-52 broke up in the air over the state. 3 of the 4 mechanisms to detonate the bomb had been triggered. Only one kept it from becoming a huge disaster. Ironically, there is a historical marker for this incident in Eureka, NC (‘eureka’ means ‘to find’) just a few miles away from the scene. Information about this event was released in 2013 due to a Freedom of Information Act request.
So I just learned about ghost guns in the book Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni. And now it is referenced in Broker of Lies. It’s not called a ghost gun here, but it is one because it was created using a 3-D printer. In an airport! Seriously, how do these things even work?!
James also references the false missile alert that happened in Hawaii five years ago. I’m including it here because if you were ever wondering what happened to the guy responsible for sending out the ‘BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII’ text to all of Hawaii… Bob Goff found him and gave him a job and he tells us about it in his book Undistracted. And I’m wondering what you think his book is about now haha.
Uranium is the heaviest element. For reference: a gallon of milk weighs about 8 lbs. A gallon of uranium would weigh 150. Which was the weight of the uranium canisters in the book. Crazy.
USB drives aren’t allowed on military bases or in secure federal facilities. But the real question is: are floppy disks allowed??
Comments & Quotes
I know Steven James is a good writer so I know when he ‘wrote’ the parts for Gunnar Bane’s romance novel he was purposefully writing it cringey. But Gunnar makes a good point here: “Jaws for guys and cheekbones for ladies. The secret to great character descriptions.” Those are always the descriptors when writing attractive people right? Also broad shoulders and full lips. It gets a bit old. Let’s find something more creative.
I did not appreciate the inclusion of the example of psychological suggestion: yawning. Talking about it or watching someone else do it causes you to do it. I am even more suggestible to this. Just reading the word yawn or thinking it in my head makes me yawned. And I’ve already yawned several times writing this. Ugh. At least I know I’m not a psychopath.
There was some back and forth in timelines and perspectives so it’s best to read in larger chunks at a time.
“Never wield openness as a weapon disguised as honesty.”
“The question isn’t so much why life isn’t fair, but what we’re going to do about it in the meantime, while we search for answers.”
“Yes, temporary happiness might come from acquisition and consumption, but true joy only came from simplicity and sacrifice.”
Sidenote: Steven James has a weekly podcast called The Story Blender where he interviews lots of authors. If you are interested in that or are a writer looking for some good insights, check it out!
Recommendation
I definitely recommend this book! He’s got great story concepts and writes them so well.
You’ll read it fast, you’ll learn a lot, and you’ll enjoy it!
The only reason I would not recommend this book is if it would be too complex for some to follow or to want to follow. If you’re looking for a beach read, this probably isn’t it.
It looks like this may be the beginning of a new series. In the author’s note Steven James says, “I look forward to seeing what mischief they get into in their next adventure.”
So I’m excited for more books because this one ends on a twist and I’m wondering where it’s going.
[Content Advisory: no swearing; no sexual content; implied torture, not long or descriptive]
**Received an ARC via NetGalley**
Book Review Blog | Facebook | Pinterest
May 25, 2023
The Story Was Unbelievably Fascinating and Clever.....Not too Much Different From the Headlines of Today........
Steven James is One Clean Absolutely Clever Author....Hard to Out Write Him. Simply One of the Best
Steven James is One Clean Absolutely Clever Author....Hard to Out Write Him. Simply One of the Best
November 28, 2022
How have I not read a Steven James novel until now?! It makes no sense to me whatsoever, because Broker of Lies by Steven James was everything I wanted and more. “Stop the Terrorists” is probably my favorite genre. I have been reading Vince Flynn (now Kyle Mills) and Brad Thor for years; Mitch Rapp and Scot Harvath feel like members of my family at this point. Thor and Flynn’s characters, however, often face enemies abroad—or international terrorist groups acting on American soil. While Broker of Lies does have national actors, it features other elements I rarely see: a domestic terrorist organization, a believable nuclear threat, and the importance of cybersecurity.
Steven James is a mastermind; it is as simple as that. I am no subject matter expert, but I probably know a bit more about terrorism than the average reader does. With novels like Broker of Lies, I analyze the accuracy of everything. Could this happen? If the answer is no, books often lose their appeal. I imagine it is similar to a lifelong police officer watching a dramatized television show about street cops. You roll your eyes, say “Absolutely not,” and change the channel. Broker of Lies by Steven James was not like that. The circumstances James creates could be real—and that is what makes this novel scary.
Most “Stop the Terrorists” novels feature a “super soldier”-like hero (e.g., Scot Harvath and Mitch Rapp). An unstoppable force of manly strength who is quick and accurate with a firearm. Travis Brock is not that. He has burn scars, wears glasses, works in a basement, and dislikes guns. He is not your average “Stop the Terrorists” hero, and I loved him for it. Broker of Lies does have a couple characters with more of these stereotypical qualities…but I won’t go further into that due to spoilers. They juxtapose Travis Brock flawlessly, and James uses them to provide comedic relief along the way.
Broker of Lies has cyber elements. James is not overly technical, and he never gets into the weeds. He emphasizes cybersecurity without hammering it. I wish, however, that Broker of Lies had more cyber than it did. I never thought I would say that, as cyber is a topic I typically abhor. The only other thing I did not like came close to the end of the novel. The Department of State has a designated list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). James mentions the FBI designating a group as a domestic terrorist organization. This does not exist for a long list of reasons I will not bore anyone with. Just know that while domestic terrorism does exist, federally designated domestic terrorist organizations do not.
The cover of Broker of Lies says “A Travis Brock Thriller,” and the last chapter of the novel sets up for a sequel. All I have to say is: I CAN’T WAIT. Bring it on, Steven James, because I am on board with my seatbelt buckled. My only regrets: I can’t read Broker of Lies again for the first time…and I undoubtedly have to wait longer than I want for the next book!
Note: I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All views expressed are my own.
Steven James is a mastermind; it is as simple as that. I am no subject matter expert, but I probably know a bit more about terrorism than the average reader does. With novels like Broker of Lies, I analyze the accuracy of everything. Could this happen? If the answer is no, books often lose their appeal. I imagine it is similar to a lifelong police officer watching a dramatized television show about street cops. You roll your eyes, say “Absolutely not,” and change the channel. Broker of Lies by Steven James was not like that. The circumstances James creates could be real—and that is what makes this novel scary.
Most “Stop the Terrorists” novels feature a “super soldier”-like hero (e.g., Scot Harvath and Mitch Rapp). An unstoppable force of manly strength who is quick and accurate with a firearm. Travis Brock is not that. He has burn scars, wears glasses, works in a basement, and dislikes guns. He is not your average “Stop the Terrorists” hero, and I loved him for it. Broker of Lies does have a couple characters with more of these stereotypical qualities…but I won’t go further into that due to spoilers. They juxtapose Travis Brock flawlessly, and James uses them to provide comedic relief along the way.
Broker of Lies has cyber elements. James is not overly technical, and he never gets into the weeds. He emphasizes cybersecurity without hammering it. I wish, however, that Broker of Lies had more cyber than it did. I never thought I would say that, as cyber is a topic I typically abhor. The only other thing I did not like came close to the end of the novel. The Department of State has a designated list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). James mentions the FBI designating a group as a domestic terrorist organization. This does not exist for a long list of reasons I will not bore anyone with. Just know that while domestic terrorism does exist, federally designated domestic terrorist organizations do not.
The cover of Broker of Lies says “A Travis Brock Thriller,” and the last chapter of the novel sets up for a sequel. All I have to say is: I CAN’T WAIT. Bring it on, Steven James, because I am on board with my seatbelt buckled. My only regrets: I can’t read Broker of Lies again for the first time…and I undoubtedly have to wait longer than I want for the next book!
Note: I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All views expressed are my own.
April 11, 2023
Travis Brock sees many government secrets. He's the one that decides whether a secret can be let out to the public or if it needs to remain a secret. Travis has spent the last 18 months trying to find out who set his house on fire that ultimately killed his wife. Travis teams up with Adira Halprin to stop a major terrorist attack that just might cross paths with who killed Travis' wife.
Steven James always writes such suspenseful reads! This was no exception! I got so stressed a couple of times that I had to put the book down to calm my nerves! ha! There were many twists and turns throughout the story and it kept me on the edge of my seat wondering who was friend and who was foe. The ending had my mouth hanging open in surprise! Excellent story and I believe it is going to be a series so I will be looking forward to the next book!
Steven James always writes such suspenseful reads! This was no exception! I got so stressed a couple of times that I had to put the book down to calm my nerves! ha! There were many twists and turns throughout the story and it kept me on the edge of my seat wondering who was friend and who was foe. The ending had my mouth hanging open in surprise! Excellent story and I believe it is going to be a series so I will be looking forward to the next book!
January 2, 2024
Got me!
I did not expect that last page reveal/shatter. "Broker of Lies" is a page turner divine. The main characters Adira and Travis are likable. The plot was believable and the action vivid. Sienna being alive was an excellent shatter. Surprised me! Thank you, Steven, for a new serial to follow.
I did not expect that last page reveal/shatter. "Broker of Lies" is a page turner divine. The main characters Adira and Travis are likable. The plot was believable and the action vivid. Sienna being alive was an excellent shatter. Surprised me! Thank you, Steven, for a new serial to follow.
April 21, 2024
Wowser!!
A new author to me.
Events seem to mount up quickly. A very complicated fast paced with Non-stopping action.The mystery and characters were excellent .
The tension level was high yet unbelievable.
What an ending !!!
Well done.
A new author to me.
Events seem to mount up quickly. A very complicated fast paced with Non-stopping action.The mystery and characters were excellent .
The tension level was high yet unbelievable.
What an ending !!!
Well done.
January 4, 2023
Steven James never disappoints. It is my general practice to know the least amount possible about any of his upcoming novels and experience each of his books with a clean slate. Broker of Lies was no different. Here’s what I knew (or thought I knew): James was going back to thrillers and going back to the confines of “Christian” fiction. His breakout series, and probably what will define him as a fiction writer, remains his Bowers Files series—an incredible series about FBI environmental criminologist Patrick Bowers that started within the Christian fiction realm with Revell, then expanded into the general market with Signet. Since the completion of that series, James has published a YA trilogy, a two-book thriller series, and a standalone spec-fic. But it’s been over three years since his last fiction book released and I didn’t know quite what to expect.
Broker of Lies follows Travis Brock, a Pentagon redactor with an eidetic memory who nearly died in a house fire just over a year prior. The fire wasn’t an accident. His wife didn’t survive. No culprit was ever found. Brock has always blamed himself and his job. When he receives a nonsensical redaction request, it sends him on a journey toward finding out what really happened to his wife—and how that event was only one piece of a much larger puzzle.
The investigator-with-an-eidetic-memory trope has been around for forever and Broker of Lies has to be compared to them. The most popular current series that fits that description is David Baldacci’s Amos Decker series. Baldacci features an investigator whose family was murdered and whose eidetic memory means it’s something he’ll always remember in excruciating detail. If I had to weigh the two characters right now—perhaps not quite fair, as Baldacci’s series is on book seven—I’d have to give Amos Decker the edge. Baldacci does a great job making his character’s memory a focal point of the novel. Travis Brock’s special memory only seems to come into play at plot-convenient points and not in ways that are crucial to the story. The main character has a special talent, but it’s a talent that’s underutilized.
Nonetheless, Broker of Lies is fun and fast-paced and will keep you guessing until almost the end. The final twist…well…it’s the payoff the whole book was building toward and promises that we haven’t seen the last of Travis Brock. While there’s room for improvement—Brock is no Bowers-level character yet—Steven James has me strapped in and I’ll go wherever he takes me.
Broker of Lies follows Travis Brock, a Pentagon redactor with an eidetic memory who nearly died in a house fire just over a year prior. The fire wasn’t an accident. His wife didn’t survive. No culprit was ever found. Brock has always blamed himself and his job. When he receives a nonsensical redaction request, it sends him on a journey toward finding out what really happened to his wife—and how that event was only one piece of a much larger puzzle.
The investigator-with-an-eidetic-memory trope has been around for forever and Broker of Lies has to be compared to them. The most popular current series that fits that description is David Baldacci’s Amos Decker series. Baldacci features an investigator whose family was murdered and whose eidetic memory means it’s something he’ll always remember in excruciating detail. If I had to weigh the two characters right now—perhaps not quite fair, as Baldacci’s series is on book seven—I’d have to give Amos Decker the edge. Baldacci does a great job making his character’s memory a focal point of the novel. Travis Brock’s special memory only seems to come into play at plot-convenient points and not in ways that are crucial to the story. The main character has a special talent, but it’s a talent that’s underutilized.
Nonetheless, Broker of Lies is fun and fast-paced and will keep you guessing until almost the end. The final twist…well…it’s the payoff the whole book was building toward and promises that we haven’t seen the last of Travis Brock. While there’s room for improvement—Brock is no Bowers-level character yet—Steven James has me strapped in and I’ll go wherever he takes me.
December 13, 2025
Broker of Lies launches an exhilarating new series with Travis Brock, a high-level Pentagon redactor whose life is defined by the secrets he keeps—and the one secret he desperately needs to uncover. Steven James, a master of the Christian thriller genre, delivers a smart, wire-tight, and emotionally resonant novel that will keep you guessing until the final page.
Plot and Pacing
The premise is immediately gripping: Brock, possessing an eidetic memory, stumbles upon a lead that could finally solve the tragic arson that killed his wife. This deeply personal quest is set against a backdrop of looming terror attacks and a high-stakes conspiracy. The pacing is relentless, moving Brock from a desk job into a harrowing world of espionage and survival.
High Stakes: The dual threads—Brock's personal revenge/justice mission and the race to stop a major terror attack—create continuous tension.
Action & Intrigue: With a pair of assassins on his tail and former allies now posing the biggest threat, Brock's journey off the grid is packed with suspense, chases, and tactical maneuvers.
Characters
Travis Brock is a compelling protagonist. He is brilliant but deeply wounded, and his pursuit of truth forces him to constantly challenge his own moral boundaries. The narrative effectively explores the internal conflict of a man struggling to find justice without losing his soul.
Brock's Memory: His eidetic memory is not just a parlor trick; it's a vital plot device and a source of both strength and torment.
The Partnership: His alliance with the disavowed Homeland Security operative adds a fantastic layer of complexity and necessary expertise to the team.
Themes and Faith Element
As a Christian thriller, the novel tackles profound themes without being overly preachy. James deftly explores the weight of secrets, the cost of justice, and the temptation to cross moral lines for a righteous cause.
The Line of Justice: The core question—just how far across the line we might go to see justice carried out—is woven into Brock's decisions, making his journey ethically complex.
Trust and Betrayal: The theme of betrayal is central, especially as Brock realizes he's being hunted by the people he trusts the most.
Overall Verdict
Broker of Lies is an outstanding start to the Travis Brock series. It successfully combines the intricate plotting and fast-paced action expected of a top-tier thriller with deep, relatable emotional stakes. Steven James provides a thoughtful exploration of faith and morality within a high-octane narrative.
Plot and Pacing
The premise is immediately gripping: Brock, possessing an eidetic memory, stumbles upon a lead that could finally solve the tragic arson that killed his wife. This deeply personal quest is set against a backdrop of looming terror attacks and a high-stakes conspiracy. The pacing is relentless, moving Brock from a desk job into a harrowing world of espionage and survival.
High Stakes: The dual threads—Brock's personal revenge/justice mission and the race to stop a major terror attack—create continuous tension.
Action & Intrigue: With a pair of assassins on his tail and former allies now posing the biggest threat, Brock's journey off the grid is packed with suspense, chases, and tactical maneuvers.
Characters
Travis Brock is a compelling protagonist. He is brilliant but deeply wounded, and his pursuit of truth forces him to constantly challenge his own moral boundaries. The narrative effectively explores the internal conflict of a man struggling to find justice without losing his soul.
Brock's Memory: His eidetic memory is not just a parlor trick; it's a vital plot device and a source of both strength and torment.
The Partnership: His alliance with the disavowed Homeland Security operative adds a fantastic layer of complexity and necessary expertise to the team.
Themes and Faith Element
As a Christian thriller, the novel tackles profound themes without being overly preachy. James deftly explores the weight of secrets, the cost of justice, and the temptation to cross moral lines for a righteous cause.
The Line of Justice: The core question—just how far across the line we might go to see justice carried out—is woven into Brock's decisions, making his journey ethically complex.
Trust and Betrayal: The theme of betrayal is central, especially as Brock realizes he's being hunted by the people he trusts the most.
Overall Verdict
Broker of Lies is an outstanding start to the Travis Brock series. It successfully combines the intricate plotting and fast-paced action expected of a top-tier thriller with deep, relatable emotional stakes. Steven James provides a thoughtful exploration of faith and morality within a high-octane narrative.
April 18, 2023
What a story…
The thing about Steven James is that he’s not only an expert storyteller— and he is seriously one of The Best I know of— but his stories also could easily happen in real life.
The majority of this ~ 400 page book takes place within a 24-hour window of time. It’s very fast-paced and keeps the reader on their toes.
Having read so much of Patrick Bowers, some of the similarities and differences between him and Travis Brock, the hero in this new series, brought a smile.. and yet as well as I feel like I know Patrick (that was a lot of books, after all..) I feel like this new book puts us as the readers well on our way to knowing Travis just as well.
With in-depth character development, insight into their also-extremely-developed world, intricacies in this tightly woven story, and relating that all back into reality… this is one of the most intriguing books I’ve read in a while. I learned a lot, both of current events and of bits of history that I didn’t really know before. The story kept me turning pages and forming theories about who might be behind certain events, how said events were interconnected, and how things would turn out.
This is not the first time I’ve read the entire second half of a Steven James book in one sitting, and I feel confident enough in his writing to say that it won’t be the last either.
I’m struggling a bit to find the perfect food to compare this one to. I *think* I’m going to go with tortilla chips — with lime! — accompanied by some good homemade guacamole. Because there’s substance in this, and because it keeps me reaching for more… just one more chip with freshly made guac… the mix of salt, citrus, spice, and more absolute perfection. Just one more chapter… until there is no more.
This is a clean book, and while it’s full of action, I would say it’s much less graphic than the Patrick series. (If you have questions, feel free to ask!)
I can’t recommend Broker of Lies highly enough. Go read it. Asap.
The thing about Steven James is that he’s not only an expert storyteller— and he is seriously one of The Best I know of— but his stories also could easily happen in real life.
The majority of this ~ 400 page book takes place within a 24-hour window of time. It’s very fast-paced and keeps the reader on their toes.
Having read so much of Patrick Bowers, some of the similarities and differences between him and Travis Brock, the hero in this new series, brought a smile.. and yet as well as I feel like I know Patrick (that was a lot of books, after all..) I feel like this new book puts us as the readers well on our way to knowing Travis just as well.
With in-depth character development, insight into their also-extremely-developed world, intricacies in this tightly woven story, and relating that all back into reality… this is one of the most intriguing books I’ve read in a while. I learned a lot, both of current events and of bits of history that I didn’t really know before. The story kept me turning pages and forming theories about who might be behind certain events, how said events were interconnected, and how things would turn out.
This is not the first time I’ve read the entire second half of a Steven James book in one sitting, and I feel confident enough in his writing to say that it won’t be the last either.
I’m struggling a bit to find the perfect food to compare this one to. I *think* I’m going to go with tortilla chips — with lime! — accompanied by some good homemade guacamole. Because there’s substance in this, and because it keeps me reaching for more… just one more chip with freshly made guac… the mix of salt, citrus, spice, and more absolute perfection. Just one more chapter… until there is no more.
This is a clean book, and while it’s full of action, I would say it’s much less graphic than the Patrick series. (If you have questions, feel free to ask!)
I can’t recommend Broker of Lies highly enough. Go read it. Asap.
March 28, 2023
** “But God’s the one who repays wrongs, not you. You shouldn’t repay evil with evil, but evil with good. He’s the Judge. The Avenger. You’re not.” **
Steven James delivers an incredibly thrilling new novel with “Broker of Lies.”
As Pentagon redactor Travis Brock recovers from burns received in a fire that killed his wife 18 months ago, he gets pulled into a mysterious event that involves murder, secret task forces, kidnapping, national security, uranium and a secret city located in Tennessee.
Travis quickly joins forces with the enigmatic Adira Halprin to discover the connection between all these events and his wife’s death. Can they figure out what’s really going on, and stop whatever catastrophic event is in the wind?
James does an incredible job of developing a complicated plot filled with twists and turns, as well as inventive characters — some that readers will love to root for, and some they will hate.
He also fills “Broker of Lies” with several great themes, like we all are made up of both good and evil and have the potential to swing either way; the power of secrets; the impact of becoming a vigilante; and justice versus revenge and vengeance, and their universal versus personal results.
With an ending you won’t see coming, the author teases at a second novel yet to come. Fans of authors like James R. Hannibal, Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson, and Mike Dellosso with his “Jed Patrick” series will love “Broker of Lies,” which is due out April 11.
Five stars out of five.
Tyndale House Publishers provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.
Steven James delivers an incredibly thrilling new novel with “Broker of Lies.”
As Pentagon redactor Travis Brock recovers from burns received in a fire that killed his wife 18 months ago, he gets pulled into a mysterious event that involves murder, secret task forces, kidnapping, national security, uranium and a secret city located in Tennessee.
Travis quickly joins forces with the enigmatic Adira Halprin to discover the connection between all these events and his wife’s death. Can they figure out what’s really going on, and stop whatever catastrophic event is in the wind?
James does an incredible job of developing a complicated plot filled with twists and turns, as well as inventive characters — some that readers will love to root for, and some they will hate.
He also fills “Broker of Lies” with several great themes, like we all are made up of both good and evil and have the potential to swing either way; the power of secrets; the impact of becoming a vigilante; and justice versus revenge and vengeance, and their universal versus personal results.
With an ending you won’t see coming, the author teases at a second novel yet to come. Fans of authors like James R. Hannibal, Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson, and Mike Dellosso with his “Jed Patrick” series will love “Broker of Lies,” which is due out April 11.
Five stars out of five.
Tyndale House Publishers provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.
April 12, 2023
On several of the pages for bookish Facebook groups that I follow, I frequently see requests for recommendations for books of interest to male readers. Broker of Lies would definitely be at the top of my list, along with other books by Steven James, in response to these requests. That would be true whether it was related to general fiction or Christian fiction. Females will love this book as well.
Broker of Lies focuses on the main character's struggle in differentiating between justice, retribution, and vengeance. It puts the reader in a position to ponder the justifying of one's actions based on the concept of the greater good. Both of these weighty themes are explored against the backdrop of a storyline that brings the safety of nuclear energy into question. The author, who lives with his family in the Smokey Mountains, sets this novel in and around Oak Ridge, Tennessee, home of the US Department of Energy's largest multi-disciplinary laboratory whose goal, according to their website, is to protect nuclear materials and to enable their secure, peaceful use for energy production, medical applications, and scientific discovery around the world. Tensions run high in this fast-paced, multi-faceted story. While the main storyline does come to a satisfying conclusion, readers will definitely be left anxious for the second book in James' Travis Brock Thriller series as there are many questions left to be answered.
I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Broker of Lies focuses on the main character's struggle in differentiating between justice, retribution, and vengeance. It puts the reader in a position to ponder the justifying of one's actions based on the concept of the greater good. Both of these weighty themes are explored against the backdrop of a storyline that brings the safety of nuclear energy into question. The author, who lives with his family in the Smokey Mountains, sets this novel in and around Oak Ridge, Tennessee, home of the US Department of Energy's largest multi-disciplinary laboratory whose goal, according to their website, is to protect nuclear materials and to enable their secure, peaceful use for energy production, medical applications, and scientific discovery around the world. Tensions run high in this fast-paced, multi-faceted story. While the main storyline does come to a satisfying conclusion, readers will definitely be left anxious for the second book in James' Travis Brock Thriller series as there are many questions left to be answered.
I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.
May 5, 2023
Steven James at his best writing a fantastic suspense thriller that does not disappoint!
Travis Brock works at the Pentagon as a redactor and has an eidetic memory. One night, he wakes up to a fire in his house. He searches for his wife who ends up dying in the fire. The fire is ruled arson and for over a year and a half afterwards he searches for answers that no one else has for him. During his search, he finds himself in the middle of a terror attack and helps a homeland security officer that has been framed for an attack. Together they must work to prove her innocence and stop the attack before others are hurt or worse.
It has been far too long since I have had a new Steven James novel in my hands. He is one of my very favorite thriller writers for so many reasons. He has a way of crafting characters that are amazing, relatable, and so fun to read about. The plot of this book had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning; so much tension on each page making it hard to put down until I knew if these characters were going to come out alright by the final pages. This book is the first in a new series by James and already I’m in love with these characters and what they can do. The ending has a great cliffhanger and twist that brought the biggest smile to my face knowing there is more to come by a master storyteller. I recommend this book to fans of thrillers and a storyteller that will show you what it’s like to read a book that is written by one of the best.
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
Travis Brock works at the Pentagon as a redactor and has an eidetic memory. One night, he wakes up to a fire in his house. He searches for his wife who ends up dying in the fire. The fire is ruled arson and for over a year and a half afterwards he searches for answers that no one else has for him. During his search, he finds himself in the middle of a terror attack and helps a homeland security officer that has been framed for an attack. Together they must work to prove her innocence and stop the attack before others are hurt or worse.
It has been far too long since I have had a new Steven James novel in my hands. He is one of my very favorite thriller writers for so many reasons. He has a way of crafting characters that are amazing, relatable, and so fun to read about. The plot of this book had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning; so much tension on each page making it hard to put down until I knew if these characters were going to come out alright by the final pages. This book is the first in a new series by James and already I’m in love with these characters and what they can do. The ending has a great cliffhanger and twist that brought the biggest smile to my face knowing there is more to come by a master storyteller. I recommend this book to fans of thrillers and a storyteller that will show you what it’s like to read a book that is written by one of the best.
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
October 17, 2023
Broker of Lies introduces slightly nerdy, emotionally broken, and physically wounded Travis Brock. A Department of Defense redactor with eidetic memory (the nerdy part), Travis has been dealing with the loss of his wife in an arson (the broken and wounded part). He wants answers and justice. When a mysterious FOIA request comes across his desk he is swept up in a conspiracy that goes farther than the murder of his wife. Travis is a complex character with both weaknesses and strengths, making him sympathetic, interesting, and relatable. Other characters — good and bad and very bad — are equally compelling. And while the book is mostly plot-driven, I loved that James gave attention to what makes them all tick. The action is fast-paced with twists and turns galore. It sure kept me on my reading toes. I never knew what to expect or whom to trust. The ending is a race against time with a very intriguing cliffhanger. Yes, a cliffhanger, the bane of many readers. But this one is so thrilling, and I’m dying to get my hands on the next installment. Justice vs. vengeance vs. revenge is an overriding theme. Just where do we fit in the role that is rightfully God’s? I look forward to a lively discussion of this novel at my book club meeting.
Well-drawn characters, an edge-of-the-seat plot, and spiritual questions make Broker of Lies a good choice for readers of suspense and for a book club discussion. Grab this book and a reading buddy!
Highly recommended.
Good for Book Clubs.
Audience: Adults.
(I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Well-drawn characters, an edge-of-the-seat plot, and spiritual questions make Broker of Lies a good choice for readers of suspense and for a book club discussion. Grab this book and a reading buddy!
Highly recommended.
Good for Book Clubs.
Audience: Adults.
(I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
February 21, 2023
I've been a huge Steven James fan for years and own every last one of his fiction books. When I saw this book was an upcoming release, I raced to request it on Netgalley, and here we are!
This book is definitely a bit different in scope from James' earlier Bowers files. Instead of finding bizarre killers and scratching the underbelly of the worst impulses of mankind, Travis Brock seems much more reserved, quiet, observant, and introverted. James seems to have a thing for dead wives, so Brock is mainly driven by his wife's mysterious death a year earlier. He works as a detractor for the DoD at the Pentagon, and this book deals with the threats against cybersecurity and how that leaves open the door to threats against the American people. The focus and scope here are quite different from the Bowers Files, but the tone and dialogue feel very familiar. The back-and-forth between Travis, Adira, and Gunner is very classic James-banter, and the musings over deeper philosophical problems is also very familiar to Bowers readers. Some of the Christian elements felt a bit more heavy-handed than I'm used to from James, but it was nothing that pulled me out of the story.
I enjoyed this book immensely, and I can clearly see the amount of research that went into it, but part of me does miss Patrick Bowers. I'm eager to read more about Travis Brock and hope to become just as invested in him as a character!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC copy. All opinions are my own.
This book is definitely a bit different in scope from James' earlier Bowers files. Instead of finding bizarre killers and scratching the underbelly of the worst impulses of mankind, Travis Brock seems much more reserved, quiet, observant, and introverted. James seems to have a thing for dead wives, so Brock is mainly driven by his wife's mysterious death a year earlier. He works as a detractor for the DoD at the Pentagon, and this book deals with the threats against cybersecurity and how that leaves open the door to threats against the American people. The focus and scope here are quite different from the Bowers Files, but the tone and dialogue feel very familiar. The back-and-forth between Travis, Adira, and Gunner is very classic James-banter, and the musings over deeper philosophical problems is also very familiar to Bowers readers. Some of the Christian elements felt a bit more heavy-handed than I'm used to from James, but it was nothing that pulled me out of the story.
I enjoyed this book immensely, and I can clearly see the amount of research that went into it, but part of me does miss Patrick Bowers. I'm eager to read more about Travis Brock and hope to become just as invested in him as a character!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC copy. All opinions are my own.
November 21, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and Tyndle House Publishing for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Steven James' Patrick Bowers series is one of my favorite mystery series and it doesnt get enough attention - its my favorite sleeper hit when I get asked for book recommendations. I was excited to see James branch out with a new thriller series and jumped at the chance to get an early copy.
James is exceptional at effectively layering both plot and characters in his stories and Broker of Lies continued that trend. A government employee who redacts documents for public consumption sounds like a pretty boring job....but in the hands of expert it becomes a compelling launchpad for a great story. Humor abounds as well....an ex Army Ranger trying to write a romance novel provided some pretty hysterical moments.
The technology is well thought and and researched and, though speculative, not outside of reality. I appreciated not having to suspend reality to enjoy the technical details.
Overll this was a very compelling thriller that kept me engaged and wanting to see how it ends. There are a lot of parallel threads but most are wrapped up by the time we get to the surprise ending....only enough is left for the inevitable sequel which I will definitely be seeking out.
Highly recommended, as is everything else by Steven James that I have read.
Steven James' Patrick Bowers series is one of my favorite mystery series and it doesnt get enough attention - its my favorite sleeper hit when I get asked for book recommendations. I was excited to see James branch out with a new thriller series and jumped at the chance to get an early copy.
James is exceptional at effectively layering both plot and characters in his stories and Broker of Lies continued that trend. A government employee who redacts documents for public consumption sounds like a pretty boring job....but in the hands of expert it becomes a compelling launchpad for a great story. Humor abounds as well....an ex Army Ranger trying to write a romance novel provided some pretty hysterical moments.
The technology is well thought and and researched and, though speculative, not outside of reality. I appreciated not having to suspend reality to enjoy the technical details.
Overll this was a very compelling thriller that kept me engaged and wanting to see how it ends. There are a lot of parallel threads but most are wrapped up by the time we get to the surprise ending....only enough is left for the inevitable sequel which I will definitely be seeking out.
Highly recommended, as is everything else by Steven James that I have read.
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