(Reviewed by Ishita RC)
In a fit of rage and as an act of vengeance, Barista boy Ethan Falk stabs a customer to death. On his arrest, he tells an eleven year old implausible story of kidnap and molestation where he was saved by a guy named Scorpion. Implausible because there is no record of the dead guy, the kidnapping or the rescue, and definitely no record of any guy called Scorpion. After all, that is the job description of Scorpion aka Jonathan Grave; to exist and protect beyond the realms of possibility.
Grave takes it upon himself to protect and defend his former precious cargo once again, without revealing his true identity while uncovering an ongoing terrorist plot amidst the heart of America. Can they stop the wheel of time and save the day?
There is not a single dull moment when a well-written action thriller ends up in your hands. Each chapter, or rather each page, is a head turner and readers are sucked into the realm of action fantasy. The plot has been well-written and explored to its full potential and you can see it in the way you get involved. The narrative style and grasp of the language is easy to follow and helps in making it such a thrilling read.
Though there are too many characters introduced to keep your head wrapped around, each one of them serves a purpose and it was a pleasure to see how all the loose ends were tied up in the climax. The characters are well portrayed and will make you want to cherish and follow them.
There is nothing original about the cover image unfortunately. I have seen it repeated too many times and hence I can’t express my joy over it. But there is nothing detracting about it, especially when it compliments so well with the main plot and the title that has been chosen.
John Gilstrap has managed to capture the essence of a perfect action thriller. Though Vince Flynn has been my favourite when it comes to action thrillers, I will not discount the work of this author for times when I don’t get my favorites. A definite recommendation.
