Tag: Action Suspense

ECONOGAL > Action Suspense

Shadow of Doubt Book Review

Posted on by Econogal

Latest in Scot Harvath Series

Brad Thor “shadows” current events with Shadow of Doubt. The latest thriller featuring the character Scot Harvath involves Russians, Ukrainians, Norwegians and Americans wreaking havoc across France. Harvath is once again ruthless as he seeks to avenge the death of his wife while trying to keep his fiancé alive.

Double Agents and Moles

The action begins in Paris with the killing of a veteran French Intelligence officer. Jean-Jacques Jadot has discovered evidence of Russian infiltration of a multitude of spy agencies and governmental cabinets. However, he is killed before he can share the information with his CIA counterpart.

Meanwhile, the author introduces the protagonist Harvath on his way to reunite with fiancé Sølvi Kolstad. Before they can celebrate, her task of debriefing a Russian defector is compromised by a breach in Norwegian security. Fortunately, Kolstad and Harvath manage to secure and whisk the asset off to the South of France.

Shadow of Doubt- Multiple Story Lines

Former lovers and now antagonists Karine Brunelle of The French Directorate General for Internal Security and Vincent Gibert a French homicide detective reluctantly work together to solve Jadot’s murder.

Naturally, the story lines overlap causing great confusion for the French. Along the way, Harvath involves the Ukrainians. Scenes are gruesome for those not accustomed to Thor’s writing.

Mirroring Reality

To a certain extent, Thor is mirroring current events. Hostilities between Russia and Ukraine continue and there is always a threat the ongoing war could blow up into World War Three. However, the fictional parallels fall wide of the mark with the supporting cast of countries. Furthermore, the reader will need a suspension of disbelief with regards to the Black Ops of Harvath and his crew going unpunished.

Recommendation for Shadow of Doubt

This latest thriller by Brad Thor will undoubtably become a best seller. Fast paced with a few surprises, the secondary plots add to the overall story. One wonders what may be next for Harvath and Kolstad. Shadow of Doubt makes great reading for an airplane ride, cross country travel via car or even a rainy weekend at home.

The Spy Coast Book Review

Posted on by Econogal

Retired Spies

As a retiree, the blurb on the back cover of The Spy Coast spoke to me. A gang of former agents in their sixties at least, combine efforts to aid one of their own. Tess Gerritsen’s writing compels the reader to keep turning the pages. The novel is fast paced, and the storyline is intriguing. It took just three days for our household to read through the action-adventure.

Locations Featured in The Spy Coast

The story opens in Paris and covers the world-Southeast Asia, Italy and the coastal part of Maine, U.S.A. are just a few locations. A more exact locale of the spy coast is Purity, Maine, a small village home to lobstermen, farmers, seasonal tourists and spies. Protagonist Maggie Bird moved to the quaint town two years ago and was finally making a home after years on the run following a disastrous operation which cost lives of innocent-including her unwitting husband.

The descriptions of each location make the reader feel as if they are personally experiencing each place. Gerritson has a knack of bringing the background to life. In turn, the realistic settings bring a reality to the fiction.

The Spy Coast Protagonist

Maggie Bird at sixty is the youngest of the retirees. She may have been on the sideline for a while but her skills are not rusty. She easily out-maneuvers Jo Thibodeau a homebred member of the Purity police department who is tenacious toward her duties. Maggie also gets the one-up on her fellow agency retirees when the going gets dangerous. But she faces an unknown and powerful opponent.

Storyline

The agency in Virginia is breached and info about the operation gone wrong is delivered into the hands of one seeking revenge. Maggie, an unwilling field agent in the op in question, is compromised. If she does not find where the threat is coming from she will need to run again. Something she is reluctant to do since finding peace and an opportunity for a new life among former friends and new ones.

As bodies drop all over the place, Maggie’s neighbors and friends are pulled into the mystery. The protagonist is unwilling to share the details of the bitter past. Then, the teenager next door is kidnapped as a bargaining chip. Find a copy to discover what happens next.

Recommendation

Without disclosing too much of the story, The Spy Coast is one of the most satisfying books read in 2024. Good overcomes evil and yes there are many shades of gray. Tess Gerritsen is the best-selling author of the Rizzoli and Isles series and potentially has another series on her agenda. Look for future books featuring the retired spies and their Martini Club. Buy or borrow The Spy Coast if you love a good read. Our family could not put it down.

 

 

The Edge Book Review

Posted on by Econogal

Sequel

Book cover showing man standing at the edge of a cliff looking down,The Edge is David Baldacci’s follow up to The 6:20 Man. Protagonist Travis Devine returns stateside and is deployed to investigate the murder of a CIA operative. Jenny Silkwell was the daughter of a retired Senator from Maine. Thus, Devine and the reader travel to Maine.

As a sequel, The Edge retains the same sense of action-suspense. Devine is a complex character and definitely one of the good guys. Murder and mayhem just happen to follow in his wake. However, the mystery of “whodunit” really wasn’t hard to determine. Fortunately, the mystery was tertiary to the story after the action and the emotional evolvement of the female interest.

The Silkwell Family

Devine’s investigation is complicated by the various personalities of the Silkwell family. The former Senator is at an unresponsive stage in a memory care facility, and his wife has remarried and is estranged from her children. Her input ties to seeing the eldest right before the murder.

The surviving children are a son Dak, and a younger daughter Alex. Dak had received an Other Than Honorable discharge from the Army and Alex is a shell of the girl she once was. The murder of their older sister weighs on both.

Series Development

The Edge certainly acts as a vehicle for developing Devine’s personality. As the second in a series, the book moves beyond introducing the character and his back story. Baldacci uses the wounded Alex Silkwell to demonstrate the caring and compassion of Devine.

Furthermore, the account of the young woman grips the reader as she struggles to remember details of her vicious rape and assault as a teenager. The story line of the talented artist conveys the harsh realities women live with years after an assault occurs. One wonders if she will re-appear in future books given the large role she played in The Edge.

The Edge Recommendation

I enjoyed The Edge even more than The 6:20 Man which I read a year ago. Baldacci is one of those authors that churns out book after book while retaining the reader’s interest. This is a great book to borrow from the library or grab at an airport bookstore. However, a warning for assault victims or their loved ones- Alex Silkwell’s story is very realistic and may be too much for those dealing with their own PTSD.

Dead Mountain Book Review

Posted on by Econogal

New Release

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child pen a new winner in the 2023 release Dead Mountain. The latest in the Nora Kelly series involves a cold case mystery.  How did nine veteran climbers perish under unusual circumstances? Of course, Halloween as the date of the event adds to the eeriness.  Furthermore, only six bodies were recovered in the aftermath.

For those unfamiliar with the series, Dr. Kelly is an archaeologist frequently contacted by young FBI agent Corrie Swanson to either give expert opinion or handle ancient finds uncovered during investigations. Previously, the two teamed up in several Preston & Child novels including The Scorpion’s Tail. Both women are strong likeable characters. Neither gives up until the truth is found.

Dead Mountain- A Cold Case Never Closed

Two young men stumble over human remains inside a cave. In the process of verifying the remains as ancient, Kelly and Swanson stumble upon more skeletons. But these remains were much younger. Thus, the Dead Mountain case becomes active once again.

The story line is actioned packed. The FBI takes a lot of heat for never discovering the truth from the 2008 event. Backstories of the families and former agents create a nice subplot. Additionally, Dr. Kelly’s brother Skip lands in hot water once again. This subplot mostly serves to show the corruptness of Sheriff Hawley. The bones were discovered in his county. To be honest, Skip is a character that grates on one’s nerves, even if he’s with the good guys.

Top Secret Bunker

At the heart of the mystery is a secret bunker originally built to protect President Eisenhauer. Agent Swanson surmises the scared hikers were headed for the safety of the bunker. Perhaps the remains of the still missing final member of the expedition will be found there. Unfortunately, she cannot gain access. Instead, she is ordered to cease and desist with the investigation. Furthermore, she is ordered to pretend to continue investigating. Naturally this does goes against her moral compass.

So, Agent Swanson pushes on with the help of Dr. Kelly. They discover the missing hiker and his journals and camera-only to be ambushed. Fortunately, Swanson’s new mentor Agent Sharp and Sheriff Watts arrive just in time. Watts reveals his feelings for Swanson adding just the right touch of romance for the end.

Terrific Duo

Preston & Child the talented duo behind Dead Mountain are prolific authors. And they work well as a team. Each also writes solo books. Both have a long list of impressive credentials. So, it is not surprising how well researched their books are. This is important to me because nothing encourages me to stop reading a book more than inaccurate details.

Praise for this duo is found in the previous blog posts Library Book Sale and City of Endless Night. To be honest I have read more of Mr. Child’s work since supernatural thrillers are often read in this household. For anyone with a non-fiction preference, Mr. Preston brings fine detail to all of his work. Needless to say, I enjoyed Dead Mountain and highly recommend this novel.