Book Review: The Drop Box: An EO 11 Story by Tyler Craig
Title: The Drop Box
Author: Tyler Craig
Release date: May 17, 2022
I’m going to start this review off by categorically stating – we all start somewhere. I say that, because this is a classic case where some people might overlook this one because of the pre-made Amazon cover. I started out with a pre-made cover for my first collection and it wasn’t until another author mentioned to me that people often won’t read them because of the stigma around them, that I rereleased it with a new cover.
Ok, mini-rant over. Recently, I tweeted that if people were looking for reviews/blurbs etc, to reach out and I’d do my best to try and help and get more eyes on their works. Tyler was one such person, and here we are. His debut novella, ‘The Drop Box: An EO 11 Story’ is a perfect read for those out there who really enjoy the Jason Bourne style world of storytelling. The secret agent who works for a secretive group and nobody is really who they say they are and nobody can be trusted.
That is exactly what we have with this one and Craig does a great job of keeping this filled with tension.
What I liked: The story starts out simple enough; our agent goes to where he normally finds his new directives, only to discover the drop box is empty. This has never happened before.
From here, Craig takes us on a whirlwind adventure where multiple layers are revealed and allegiances are tested. The set ups and twists are done nicely (and me saying twists isn’t a spoiler – in a story like this you know full well going in there will be twists) and that is part of why the characters work really well.
Throughout, the set pieces implemented work really well to heighten things and I liked how Craig does a solid job of crafting the action sequences. Those sequences can often be tough but these come across as engaging and exciting.
The ending was well done and as the title alludes, I think we’ll most likely see more set in this world, and involving some of the characters.
What I didn’t like: I don’t read a lot of stories in this genre/style, nor do I specifically seek out movies like this, but even so, a few of the twists that were meant to be shocking were telegraphed far in advance, which dampened those moments a bit.
Why you should buy this: The truth is, I’d personally never seek this one out, as I’m not a big espionage-type reader, but Craig’s story pulled me in quickly and his writing flowed really nicely.
If I read this type of stuff all the time, I would want it to be written the way Craig has here, solid characters, solid action sequences and a solid narrative. So, if you’re looking for your ‘Hanna’/’Jason Bourne’ fix, I’d recommend you give this one a go! I had a blast and I think you would as well.
3/5
