BEA'S BOOK NOOK "I can't imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once." C. S. Lewis “If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” ― Oscar Wilde

Monday, March 10, 2014

Blog Tour Review of Retribution by Anderson Harp

Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Series: Will Parker Thriller #1
Format Read: print ARC
Source: Meryl L Media in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: February 25, 2014
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | ARe* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

The remote and impenetrable Pakistani mountains have offered refuge to the worst enemies of civilization since the time of Alexander. Now, the world faces a new challenge. Reared from birth to harbor a seething hatred, a lone man is about to unleash a firestorm that will rage for centuries. And the window of opportunity to stop him is shutting much faster than Washington D.C. can hope to deal with.


Bea's Thoughts:

Murder, attempted murder, treachery, love gone wrong, terrorism; "Retribution" has all of that and more. William Parker is a former soldier, now retired, who lives in rural Georgia with his girlfriend Clark. Parker's parents were killed in the Pan Am 103 airplane explosion, leaving him an orphan in college. He gets called in to help when the American Embassy at Qatar is bombed and a plan for even more destruction is discovered. Parker gets pulled in when he's told that the person responsible was also responsible for the Lockerbie bombing.

The story is complex with lots of details and some twists. The action is interspersed with long stretches of detail about Parker's  plan, Yousef the villain's plan, and other happenings and it all unfolds at a smooth pace. Events are told from a variety of viewpoints, including one so-called good guy whom I was glad to see get his comeuppance. The book has been compared to Tom Clancy and I don't think I've ever read one of his but it's definitely more complex and detailed than other political thrillers by authors such as Baldacci and Flynn. It's also been touted as being realistic and I can't vouch for that either but since the author is a Marine turned civilian, it seems likely.

The characterization is a little weak at times but the story keeps moving along. Parker's initial plan to take out Yousef involves meningitis and let me tell you, that was scary. Of course, things don't go according to plan. Do they ever? :P I cheered for Parker, Hernandez, Moncrief and even Scott. I cried for Maggie, injured in the embassy blast and betrayed by someone she loved. I even could empathize with Yousef although I disagreed with him. I appreciate that Harp didn't portray him as just a stereotype or as all evil. He has good qualities but the things he wants out of life are a threat to millions of others.

"Retribution" is solid and entertaining storytelling perfect for lovers of thrillers and intrigue.
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2 comments:

  1. Gosh I havent' read a book like this in a long time, probably since I read a Clancy. Sounds like overall it was a solid read and you can't complain about that, right?

    ReplyDelete

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