Outlaw--Mark Sullivan

First line: "In a private dining room above an alley on the crowded peninsula of Kowloon, the Moon Dragon spooned rare tea leaves into a fired clay pot while using his peripheral vision to examine his visitor for any sign of worry."

Robin Monarch calls himself a thief but has lived a varied life. These days he's freelance and the U.S. government has called him in to rescue the Secretary of State who was kidnapped by an extremist group calling itself the Sons of Prophesy during a secret meeting with the Chinese and Indian foreign ministers. The group has demanded money and the release of political prisoners from all three countries or the hostages will be executed, but the U.S. will not negotiate with terrorists.

Monarch's job is not just to rescue the Secretary of State but first to locate her, as there's no indication where this group is holding the hostages. He and his team--including an agent from China and one from India--set off to unravel the secrets of The Sons of Prophesy before the execution deadline. Crisscrossing the world as the Sons of Prophecy take credit for several more international incidents, the rescue team discovers that this is no ordinary terrorist group and it's certainly no ordinary kidnapping.

Outlaw is Mark Sullivan's second book in his Robin Monarch series. Whether you've read Rogue, the first in the series, or not, Outlaw is easy to pick up--a fast-paced, high-intensity thriller that deftly stands on its own.

Robin Monarch is a fun addition to the world of crime fiction protagonists. He's smart, witty and human. As Sullivan illustrates in Outlaw, if you cut Monarch, he bleeds. He's also compassionate and loyal. The bonds he has with his friends make him a richer, more likeable character than the lone superhero type.

I especially enjoyed Sullivan's female characters in Outlaw. From Secretary of State Agnes Lawton to Monarch's dependable Gloria Barnett to the Chinese MSS agent Song Le. Even the despicable Madame Long, wife to the triad leader, is a well-developed strong female role. The other element of Sullivan's character development that I appreciated was his tendency to not focus on physical appearance, rather he lets the characters' actions, thoughts, behaviors build them and make them attractive or not.

Sullivan chose to work with characters who would be among the world's smartest people and his plot reflects that as well. The mystery is an intricate entanglement of politics, religion and greed. It's also timely given current world events.

The end left me with mixed feelings. One aspect of it I felt was a brilliant use of technique while another aspect left me disappointed. I'll leave it at that to avoid spoilers but if you read Outlaw and want to chat about the end, by all means, drop me a line. I do encourage you to read Outlaw. I believe Sullivan has put a fresh twist on an element of the thriller world that is becoming cliché. I look forward to seeing where he takes this thief named Robin Monarch.

Outlaw is available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-1250023612). It is also available as a Macmillan unabridged audio (ISBN: 978-1427233059) narrated by Jeff Gurner.

The Geneva Option - Adam Lebor

First line: "The wind rose and fell through the airshaft, roaring so loudly it seemed the building was breathing."

Yael Azoulay works for the United Nation's Secretary General. When he needs someone to go in and broker a behind-the-scenes deal, Yael is the one he calls.

The most recent deal Yael made found its way to the New York Times front page--an African warlord guilty of genocide is offered a reduced sentence if he surrenders. Yael is accused of leaking the information and is put on paid leave pending an investigation. She knows her career with the UN is over and she's disgusted with the deal she was forced to make with the warlord.

When additional information falls into Yael's lap proving corruption in the UN and ties to the U.S. Secretary of State, she begins to discover that her negotiation was the first domino in a series of events that could result in mass murder for greed. She and her long-time body guard, Joe Don race time to prevent a horrific tragedy, but they are also on the run from a rogue group out to stop them at any cost.

Adam Lebor's fiction debut is a complex, twisting international spy thriller. I'm not an expert on the United Nations, but I found Lebor's depiction to be intriguing and believable, a great premise for a spy thriller. It opens the door to a wealth of options for character diversity, likely reasons to be in some of the most threatening parts of the world, and ample grounds for corruption and deceit.

Lebor created a strong, empathetic character in Yael Azoulay. The pairing of her with Joe Don is such that they use each other's strengths in their survival race. It isn't one saving the other with supernatural powers.  Her interest in the New York Times reporter, Sami, is sometimes awkward because it seems to come out of nowhere--there's very little back story and she mentions him very sporadically. But it isn't integral enough to the focus of the plot to make a huge impact. Yael also seems to have quite a bit of unexplored layer to her, so I will be interested to see where Lebor takes her in the future.

The area I felt was the weakest of this novel was the detail. It is definitely not lacking in detail and there are times when it seems to unnecessarily slow the plot down instead of working with the momentum. The editing could have been significantly tighter.

That said, The Geneva Option is an engrossing tale steeped in current issues and technology. Lebor makes a strong fiction debut and I look forward to more from him and his capable female protagonist.

The Geneva Option released yesterday in trade paperback from Bourbon Street Books (ISBN: 978-0062208552).

You can get a sample of Adam Lebor's fiction style in his free ebook short story "The Istanbul Exchange," which also features Yael Azoulay.

My review is part of the TLC Blog Tour. You can see what other bloggers on the tour are saying about The Geneva Option.

Disclosure: In recent months I have begun doing some contractual work for one of the owners of TLC Blog Tours. My work does not involve this tour or any other tour I would agree to a part of here at the blog. Nor does my work with them obligate me to a specific kind of review. The reviews are still my own opinions and reflect only my thoughts on the novels. If you care to read more, you can find more information on my Disclosure page.

JACK 1939 - Francine Mathews

First line: "'...patient's 6000 cell count at intake,' Dr. George Taylor wrote, 'has dropped to 3500. The persistent loss of white blood cells may indicate septicemia. Color and texture of skin are suggestive of jaundice.'"

In 1939, a twenty-two-year-old John "Jack" Fitzgerald Kennedy was preparing to sail to Europe in order to research his senior thesis for Harvard. We also know that World War II was brewing. With little known about the events of Kennedy's travels during this time, Francine Mathews saw it as the perfect opportunity to imagine just what Kennedy was doing.

Being as Mathews is the author of spy novels and there were no American spies at the time, Mathews' mind went immediately to that scenario, and that is the basis of JACK 1939. Franklin D. Roosevelt summons Kennedy to enlist his help. No one would suspect the young college student traveling around Europe was a spy for the president. It was the perfect arrangement. And Kennedy, convinced he would die before his 30th birthday, was a risk taker; he was also devoted to his country. He would help President Roosevelt in his efforts to stop the German money coming into the United States;  money used to fund movements against the president.

If it's possible to have a love affair with a book, I had one with JACK 1939. Kennedy was assassinated before I was born, but he was a strong presence in our home as my dad admired him greatly. So there's always been a bit of mysticism surrounding him for me. Mathews captured that mysticism through her portrayal of a young man with aspirations simply to live life to the fullest while he was able.

Mathews created a Jack Kennedy who was spirited and passionate and witty. The relationships he builds, often easily as he has a magnetic personality, are complex and fascinating. The interactions between Kennedy and his family members heighten the understanding of Jack himself. And throughout the novel, readers will have to remind themselves that the book is a novel, fiction. Mathews has done such a superb job of melding the fact and the fiction that readers may likely feel the need to Google regularly in order to know where the blurry lines are in this adventure.

The intrigue of the plot is maintained throughout the six-month time frame and will leave readers wanting to know what happens next. The action of the novel keeps the pace swift and suspenseful: psychotic knife murders, money-laundering nuns, secret codes, narrow escapes, beautiful women and the head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover.

The symbolism and subtle nuances throughout the book delve into the time period and the characters involved, creating a rich reading experience. This is a book worth re-reading to catch all the subtleties weaved into the pages.

JACK 1939 is an exciting historical thriller; it's an engaging spy novel; it's even a gripping romance. JACK 1939 is simply a stunning read.

JACK 1939 is available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-1594487194) from Riverhead Books. Right now there is not an audio version as far as I know, though I'd love to see one recorded. Throughout the novel I couldn't help but hear Boston vowels in all the dialogue!

THE BLIND SPY - Alex Dryden

My review of THE BLIND SPY appeared last week in Shelf Awareness for Readers. I am reprinting it here with their permission. If you would like to sign up to receive Shelf Awareness, there is a widget in my sidebar where you can sign up by entering your email. Also, my first ever interview in Shelf Awareness appeared this week. It is with a debut author for a non-crime fiction novel, so I'll just provide the link if you'd like to check it out. My subject was Grace McClean and her debut novel is pretty spectacular...it's called THE LAND OF DECORATION.

And now, on to THE BLIND SPY!

First line: "Lieutenant Valentin Viktorov walked carefully and with evident hesitation through the labyrinth of Aleppo's covered souk."

Russia’s leadership, aided by the elite KGB unit Department S, is bent on pulling Ukraine back into the Russian empire. As their intelligence forces put plans into action that will undermine the stability of Ukraine, the private American intelligence company Cougar is watching. Unlike the American government, Cougar doesn’t believe Russia will back off now that their presidential choice has taken the election in Ukraine. Cougar remains vigilant in its efforts to deflect Russian plans.

Cougar’s secret weapon is Russia’s nightmare; Anna Resnikov is a former KGB agent who defected and now uses her knowledge and skills against them. Wanted by the Russian government, she continues to fight the evils of Russia’s dark underside. So, when a face from her past emerges, is she seeing a friend or a foe?

The Blind Spy is Alex Dryden’s third novel featuring Anna Resnikov, but it astutely works as its own narrative; readers can easily pick up The Blind Spy whether they’ve read Dryden previously or not.

Dryden’s protagonist is a refreshing addition to the traditionally male-dominated role of spy. She’s believably crafted, maintaining her femininity without emphasizing her physical appearance and simultaneously exhibiting strength and intelligence.

Readers will likely notice the 400-page length as the plot moves slower than the average thriller and the book’s title character doesn’t truly come into play until well into the second half of the book. However, Dryden more than makes up for the slower pace with his rich, distinct characters and timely subject matter. The time invested in reading The Blind Spy is definitely time well spent.

[Not appearing in Shelf Awareness: this book is not comical at all, however, I did chuckle at the dedication: "To Mia, I love you anyway"]

THE BLIND SPY is available in hardcover (ISBN: 9780062088086) from Ecco Press. 

ONCE A SPY - Keith Thomson

Drummond Clark is living a quiet life in retirement and has begun the slow deterioration of Alzheimer's Disease. He worked his whole life as an appliance salesman, or so his son Charles thought. It turns out Drummond has a secret and that secret could be putting him in grave danger. The only problem is, most of the time, Drummond doesn't remember the secret due to his disease.

Drummond's son Charles is a gambling addict who is in debt up to his eyeballs with a dirty loan shark. If he doesn't come up with a very large payment soon, he will be in grave danger. Normally, Charles hates to be bothered with his aging father, but when Drummond hints at the fact that he has millions of dollars stashed away, Charlie pays close attention. And before he knows what hits him, he's in the midst of a man hunt where he and Drummond are the prey.

Traditionally I've been a cynic when it comes to spy thrillers. ONCE A SPY is so unique, though, I had to check it out. And I'm so very glad I did. The element of ONCE A SPY that drew me in was the relationship between Drummond and Charlie. The dynamics of this relationship are so life-like, I don't think any reader would have a hard time relating this father and son pair to people in their own lives. They may not have shoot outs and car chases and hidden passage ways, but they have the emotional dilemmas and connections.

In the typical spy thriller, all of the James Bond action and gadgets can come across as over the top and hard to believe. In ONCE A SPY, cynic Charlie helps to make those elements humorous and even a little more believable.

" The Dodge sped to within a half a block behind them. The gunman leaned out of the passenger window for a better shot.

'How's that idea going?' Charlie asked.

'Stop at the red.' Drummond pointed at the traffic light dangling ahead.

'The rule is except when someone is shooting you!'"

And Drummond's Alzheimer's Disease enhances the human-ness of his character. He isn't a larger than life, superman-type character; instead he's susceptible to pain and disease and heart ache. This reality makes me, the reader, care what happens to him. I have to continue reading to see his fate, instead of focusing on the improbability of the action and gadgets.

As a reader, I am a hard sell on the spy thriller, but Keith Thomson is a top-notch salesman and I walked away a happy customer.

ONCE A SPY is available now in hard cover from Doubleday (ISBN: 978-0-385-53078-1).