A Book A Week

Like many other deceased authors, Michael Crichton and Sydney Sheldon immediately come to mind, author Andrew Britton's untimely death in 2008 has not halted the production of new novels under his name. Of course, this opens the whole debate about ghost writers and unreleased manuscripts that are passed off as new material from bestselling authors. Despite my growing dislike of this practice, the book jacket summary seemed promising enough that I decided to give The Operative a read.

After years as a counter terrorism operative, Ryan Kealey is finally adjusting to a more peaceful lifestyle. This newfound peace is quickly shattered when Kealey finds himself smack in the middle of a large-scale terror attack at a charity gala. With many deaths and injuries, the CIA fears that some of their units may be compromised. Now Kealey is the only man who is both trusted by the US Government and capable to discover the truth behind the attack. As he delves into the depts of the conspiracy, he discovers unimaginable secrets that could shatter the stability of the entire country.

There is nothing horribly wrong with this novel. The writing is serviceable, the characters do what they are intended to do, and the story comes to a solid, if a bit predictable, conclusion. To my taste, however, the pacing and structure of the story is too disjointed. The opening and build up to the main action takes entirely too much time. When Kealey is finally allowed to begin his investigation, the part that should be the most interesting, he blazes through to the conclusion without the intelligence and suspense that modern thriller readers have come to expect. Overall, the novel was a fine diversion, but ultimately not worth the time.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and GoodReads.

(week 50, book 45)