Author: Alexandra

I had high hopes for THE MOSCOW DECEPTION by Karen Robards, which is neither a thrilling read, nor set in Moscow. That is, till the last couple of very rushed chapters. This novel suffers from several fundamental flaws that should have been address in the editing stage, but, sadly, were over-looked. Major amongst these is the constant repetitious phrases by the author that, in the end, become annoying and jarring. In point of case, the use of ‘split second’. In a split second this, in a split second that—and twice in several paragraphs, one after another.

Then there was the constant use of the term, ‘non-father’ in describing Mason, the man she had known for years as her father. I lost count of that one. The author also spent a great deal of time—in the first half of the book—having her protagonist looking over her shoulder, and worrying about dark shadows, and things unseen. All this by way of conveying how ‘tense’ the situation was. But all this made me think was that this character was overly paranoid, and without any significant reason. As the author didn’t think to offer too much by way of any explanations as to why.

The opening started off so promisingly, with the main protagonist, Bianca St Ives (among one name of many) laying in wait, in the pouring rain, to assassinate a top CIA manager who, we are told, is hell bent on having her assassinated. This whole opening segment was a missed opportunity, as, in the end, nothing happens, someone else kills the CIA bigwig, though we never get to find out who. Bianca then spend way too much time monologuing about what may or may not happen as a result.

Quite frankly, it wasn’t in the least bit exciting, and the false jeopardy was annoying. Here is a lead character, supposed (we are again told) to be the product of a gone-wrong CIA operation, a test-tube baby, meant to be a ‘super-soldier’ AKA Jason Borne. Bianca St Ives, however, is no Jason Borne, and this contrived story lacks any credibility in comparison. We are neither shown, or given any examples as to why she might be considered a threat to National Security, or in having any skill set other than being an accomplished thief (which we are told, again). But accomplished is way too high an accolade, given it’s all about the reverse dress, gizmos and gadgets (which she doesn’t really use) and a lot of flimflam and talk.

There is no actual action.

The one thing she does steal, or is a part of stealing—which comes at the end of the book—is Priam’s Treasure. And only with the help of a down on their luck circus troupe who do all the heavy lifting, as it were, plot wise.

The lack of any pacing along with way too much ‘filler’ that I ended up skipping over, made for a lacklustre read. There was little to no tension, other than a few contrived moments that seemed ill fitted to the characters, and over all story. And then, only served to allow a romantic interlude with Colin, a good-looking (and aren’t they all) Interpol agent on her trail.

No pacing, a lack of a cohesive story, a thin to transparent plot, paper thin characterisation, and cliched dialogue make for this being a deception on the reading public, nothing more.

here are, I am sure, plenty of well written books that I have yet to read, but until I discover them THE SILENCED by Anders de la Motte has to be one of the best plotted novels I’ve ever read. Certainly up there with the best of them. Showing a depth and skill mastered by few, de la Motte has woven together a deeply compelling story as seen from a handful of characters. Each of these finely detailed personas tells a part of the story, and each chapter seamlessly dovetails into the one before, and the one after, at a thrilling pace that never lags.

The dialogue is crisp, snappy, and yes, in places, darkly funny. From observational quips by various characters offering up snippets of detail, to snarky comments about colleagues and their habits, Anders never misses an opportunity to dress a scene, or fill out the background on a character. All without so much as slowing down a riveting pace that, at times, is almost blistering. And then again, at times, also thoughtful. The author manages to find that perfect balance and delivers a thoroughly engrossing read.

I was hooked from opening scene, and interplay between the young Detective Inspector, Julia Gabrielsson, and the newcomer to her division, Amante, complete with his own tortured history. These two opposites are thrust into the depth of what seems to be a cover-up (at best) or worst, something deep, dark, and very ugly; A conspiracy with far reaching consequences.

Anders, for his part, builds the pace and reveals just enough to keep the reader guessing each step of the way, as characters begin to reveal their true nature, and more, test their allegiances. From the wily police commissioner, Oscar Wallin, to the slippery politician Jasper Stenberg, to Stenberg’s father-in-law, Karl-Erik, always plotting in the wings. Everyone is not who they appear to be, including the once shining hero, David Sarac, the pivotal character who, in the end, just wants to set the record straight before he dies.

Everyone has an agenda or an axe to grind, and Anders never misses a beat showcasing them all within the majesty of the city that is Stockholm. In and of it self, a character.

THE SILENCED—an action-packed thriller from beginning to end—is the ultimate story of power struggles, brutality, corruption, and betrayal!