Wesley Britton's Blog - Posts Tagged "fbi"
Book Review: THE EULOGIST by Jeffrey B. Burton
THE EULOGIST
Jeffrey B. Burton
Hardcover: 360 pages
Publisher: Permanent Press (September 30, 2017)
ISBN-10: 1579625029
ISBN-13: 978-1579625023
https://www.amazon.com/Eulogist-Jeffr...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
The Eulogist is the latest FBI special agent Drew Cady mystery following The Chessman (2012) and The Lynchpin (2015). If the preceding novels are anything like The Eulogist, readers should expect surprising and fresh twists to well-established murder mystery formulas.
In The Eulogist, the strangeness starts with the very first pages when we see Senator Taylor Brockman tied to a chair, forced to listen to his murderer deliver the senator’s pre-mortem eulogy. Shortly afterward, druggie Thaddeus Jay Aadalen—known as T.J. -- is found dead in his car, stabbed through the heart just like Brockman had been. He too has an eulogy for detectives to find, in his case a Thomas Gray poem hidden in his glovebox.
Agent Cady is drawn into investigating these two cases even though he’s only in Washington D.C. as the FBI liaison for the Medicare Fraud Strike Force out of Minneapolis. Along with representatives from other like groups, Cady is there to assist testimonials before the United States Senate Committee on Finance. But the FBI pulls Cady away from such tedious duties and pairs him with agent Liz Preston to look into the murders which don’t end with the senator and the druggie.
Like most contemporary mysteries, things get very complicated very quickly. We meet the hired assassin known as the Canadian who reveals much about their background, notably his, or her, admittedly being an adrenalin junkie. Threads of the investigation dig into a breakthrough Alzheimer's drug, a reluctantly helpful hacker, two potential heirs to a drug fortune, and alternating points of view showing just how the Canadian and the investigators go through their various procedures.
One distinguishing aspect of the novel is an often sarcastic streak of humor. One example is a moment where a character reflects on the concept of someone dying “doing so while doing what they loved.” The character wonders how that idea makes any sense when most people would rather live and not die at all, whatever the circumstances. Few people are likely thinking “At least I’m doing what I love” as they crash into a cliff, are eaten by sharks, or the like.
Burton mixes in some obligatory murder mystery tropes including a number of red herrings, very unexpected twists, and surprises that seem to come out of the blue in the final pages. In short, murder mystery fans should feel very comfortable with The Eulogist while they enjoy the inventiveness of Jeffrey Burton.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 31, 2017:
http://dpli.ir/L6iyEi
Jeffrey B. Burton
Hardcover: 360 pages
Publisher: Permanent Press (September 30, 2017)
ISBN-10: 1579625029
ISBN-13: 978-1579625023
https://www.amazon.com/Eulogist-Jeffr...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
The Eulogist is the latest FBI special agent Drew Cady mystery following The Chessman (2012) and The Lynchpin (2015). If the preceding novels are anything like The Eulogist, readers should expect surprising and fresh twists to well-established murder mystery formulas.
In The Eulogist, the strangeness starts with the very first pages when we see Senator Taylor Brockman tied to a chair, forced to listen to his murderer deliver the senator’s pre-mortem eulogy. Shortly afterward, druggie Thaddeus Jay Aadalen—known as T.J. -- is found dead in his car, stabbed through the heart just like Brockman had been. He too has an eulogy for detectives to find, in his case a Thomas Gray poem hidden in his glovebox.
Agent Cady is drawn into investigating these two cases even though he’s only in Washington D.C. as the FBI liaison for the Medicare Fraud Strike Force out of Minneapolis. Along with representatives from other like groups, Cady is there to assist testimonials before the United States Senate Committee on Finance. But the FBI pulls Cady away from such tedious duties and pairs him with agent Liz Preston to look into the murders which don’t end with the senator and the druggie.
Like most contemporary mysteries, things get very complicated very quickly. We meet the hired assassin known as the Canadian who reveals much about their background, notably his, or her, admittedly being an adrenalin junkie. Threads of the investigation dig into a breakthrough Alzheimer's drug, a reluctantly helpful hacker, two potential heirs to a drug fortune, and alternating points of view showing just how the Canadian and the investigators go through their various procedures.
One distinguishing aspect of the novel is an often sarcastic streak of humor. One example is a moment where a character reflects on the concept of someone dying “doing so while doing what they loved.” The character wonders how that idea makes any sense when most people would rather live and not die at all, whatever the circumstances. Few people are likely thinking “At least I’m doing what I love” as they crash into a cliff, are eaten by sharks, or the like.
Burton mixes in some obligatory murder mystery tropes including a number of red herrings, very unexpected twists, and surprises that seem to come out of the blue in the final pages. In short, murder mystery fans should feel very comfortable with The Eulogist while they enjoy the inventiveness of Jeffrey Burton.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 31, 2017:
http://dpli.ir/L6iyEi
Book Review: Late Apex by Jeremy DeConcini
Late Apex
Jeremy DeConcini
Print Length: 231 pages
Publication Date: October 6, 2017
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B075Y976D7
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075Y976D7/...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
In previous reviews of Jeremy DeConcini’s three Ben Adams novels, some readers have observed similarities with Tom Clancy thrillers. Others note comparisons with John MacDonald’s Travis McGee. I concur on both counts.
I often thought of Clancy during the first quarter or so of Late Apex. That’s because of the layered structure where author DeConcini introduced all of his major players in their various international settings in alternating descriptive passages. Then, I forgot all about Clancy when DeConcini focuses on his primary protagonist, Ben Adams, and it’s hard not to think of McGee, even if Adams is far more West Coast in his tastes and interests.
Ben Adams is a former FBI agent who spent time in jail for accidently killing a DEA agent. His new quest is to stay out of prison while enjoying surfing, drinking beer on the beach, hanging with his dog Geronimo, and watching motorcycle races. But the FBI, in the person of Howard Goodman, wants Adams to go undercover and he best comply to keep his freedom. He must help the Department of Homeland Security stop ISIS from getting key trigger devices for a nuclear weapon. This means he must infiltrate the inner circle around Giancarlo Trentino, the head of an U.S. defense contractor more interested in profits than potential global consequences. Or, at least, that’s what we are led to believe.
By the last third of the novel, few readers will be thinking of Travis McGee anymore but might instead think of other novelists like Geoffrey Jenkins or Peter Vollmer who know the South African terrain intimately, especially writers who know the means to survive when nature and various groups of killers are after you. In this long, vivid, and very exciting section of the book, Adams is very much on his own, encountering a series of surprising allies and mysterious adversaries. I must admit, the conclusion is rather abrupt and there are unresolved matters left dangling. So a fourth book might be in the offing, despite the series being described as a trilogy?
As is often the case for such thrillers, the verisimilitude comes from the author’s personal experience like DeConcini’s tenure as a Special Agent for the Department of Homeland Security. Thus, his use of interdepartmental conflicts rings perfectly true. In addition, his focus on the quirky and very individualistic Adams and Adams’ race from those out to get him keeps the novel from following familiar formulas.
In short, I can easily recommend Late Apex to anyone who likes entertaining thrillers with a very personal focus. Character matters even in an extremely fast-paced story full of surprises and clever twists. It’s the sort of book that encourages me to want to read the two books that preceded it and hope that dangling conclusion isn’t the end of the saga.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Nov. 7, 2017:
https://is.gd/lusUxF
Jeremy DeConcini
Print Length: 231 pages
Publication Date: October 6, 2017
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B075Y976D7
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075Y976D7/...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
In previous reviews of Jeremy DeConcini’s three Ben Adams novels, some readers have observed similarities with Tom Clancy thrillers. Others note comparisons with John MacDonald’s Travis McGee. I concur on both counts.
I often thought of Clancy during the first quarter or so of Late Apex. That’s because of the layered structure where author DeConcini introduced all of his major players in their various international settings in alternating descriptive passages. Then, I forgot all about Clancy when DeConcini focuses on his primary protagonist, Ben Adams, and it’s hard not to think of McGee, even if Adams is far more West Coast in his tastes and interests.
Ben Adams is a former FBI agent who spent time in jail for accidently killing a DEA agent. His new quest is to stay out of prison while enjoying surfing, drinking beer on the beach, hanging with his dog Geronimo, and watching motorcycle races. But the FBI, in the person of Howard Goodman, wants Adams to go undercover and he best comply to keep his freedom. He must help the Department of Homeland Security stop ISIS from getting key trigger devices for a nuclear weapon. This means he must infiltrate the inner circle around Giancarlo Trentino, the head of an U.S. defense contractor more interested in profits than potential global consequences. Or, at least, that’s what we are led to believe.
By the last third of the novel, few readers will be thinking of Travis McGee anymore but might instead think of other novelists like Geoffrey Jenkins or Peter Vollmer who know the South African terrain intimately, especially writers who know the means to survive when nature and various groups of killers are after you. In this long, vivid, and very exciting section of the book, Adams is very much on his own, encountering a series of surprising allies and mysterious adversaries. I must admit, the conclusion is rather abrupt and there are unresolved matters left dangling. So a fourth book might be in the offing, despite the series being described as a trilogy?
As is often the case for such thrillers, the verisimilitude comes from the author’s personal experience like DeConcini’s tenure as a Special Agent for the Department of Homeland Security. Thus, his use of interdepartmental conflicts rings perfectly true. In addition, his focus on the quirky and very individualistic Adams and Adams’ race from those out to get him keeps the novel from following familiar formulas.
In short, I can easily recommend Late Apex to anyone who likes entertaining thrillers with a very personal focus. Character matters even in an extremely fast-paced story full of surprises and clever twists. It’s the sort of book that encourages me to want to read the two books that preceded it and hope that dangling conclusion isn’t the end of the saga.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Nov. 7, 2017:
https://is.gd/lusUxF
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“The Blind Alien is a story with a highly original concept, fascinating characters, and not-too-subtle but truthful allegories. Don’t let the ...more
“The Blind Alien is a story with a highly original concept, fascinating characters, and not-too-subtle but truthful allegories. Don’t let the ...more
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