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Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Book Review: Reinhardt by Marianne Scott; iRead Book Tours

 

 




Book Details:

Book Title:  Reinhardt by Marianne Scott
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  234 pages
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
PublisherCrowe Creations
Release date:  October 2022
Content Rating:  PG-13 - mild profanity as in street dialogue
Book Description:

He's a Cold War spy hiding from one of his own. His real identity is tied to a treacherous past associated with American intelligence operations closed down after the end of the Cold War, and his enemy is relentless. All he has to do is change his name. Right? Wrong. Very wrong. Felix has eyes and ears everywhere.
Review:

The most difficult part of writing spy thrillers is, perhaps, exploring the idea of love, loss, and betrayal with respect to the main characters and interplaying them with the thriller elements.

Reinhardt obtains that fine balance with surprising ease.

Rapidly moving scenes setting a good pace, fleeting character mentions with far-reaching impacts revealed only in the later stages, and the impressive blend of facts and in-depth fictional detailing make this book stand out in this genre.

The scenes garnering the readers’ interest (an unavoidable passionate encounter, an abduction, etc.,) happen early on. And despite presenting a feeling of all checklist items of this genre ticked, have enough bearing on the plotline to make the reader want to remember and recollect them as vital plot elements.

The protagonist Darren grows on the reader as a person who rolls with the situation and tries to find his footing amidst conflicting elements constantly keeping him on edge. Every secret he holds in his life is a weapon against him. As the author so memorably puts it,

Darren Masterson had his own secrets, but he liked to think he’d at least come into a life of secrets honestly.

And on the context of a man’s past and present actions affecting his psyche, Scott writes,

The only thing that would stop the terrible hate from eating him alive was to save others from meeting the same fate.

The book makes readers’ interpretation of the events easier with explanations and a ‘tell’ approach instead of a ‘show’ approach. The author maintains the pace well, however, with scenes racing quickly in interesting settings; the experience is enriched by the descriptive tone of the narration.

The futility of the name changes (spoilers withheld) provides an interesting insight into how identities can be shifted in moments with a powerful adversary trailing a person. The book offers little in the way of insights (which is a plus for this genre, where fast action matters more than quiet reflection) but the contrast of a quiet life versus one on the run is brought out quite well. It would have worked much better if the readers had time to absorb the same and identify with the characters’ ceaseless state of motion.

Overall, Reinhardt is a book that won’t disappoint the fans of this genre. It has all of the required elements – a ruthless antagonist, a protagonist with skeletons in his closet, suave spying moments, near-death experiences, and an ending that leaves way for an equally anticipated sequel.


BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon.ca ~ Amazon.com
add to goodreads

Meet the Author:

Marianne Scott is the Canadian author of four mystery thrillers and is currently working on her fifth novel, a sci-fi/thriller. She has a BA and a Diploma in Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University. She studied creative writing through Conestoga College and Humber College. She enjoys writing workshops such as those offered by Brian Henry, publisher of blog, Quick Brown Fox and One Lit Place, a writers’ hub by creator/editor Jenna Kalinsky. She has an author’s website and blog. She is a full-time writer who lives in the historic small Canadian village of Hespeler Ontario (now amalgamated with the city of Cambridge).  


connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ twitter ~ facebook instagram goodreads

Enter the Giveaway:
UNDERNEATH THE FIREFLIES Book Tour Giveaway



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