.jpg)
Book Title: Reinhardt by Marianne Scott
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 234 pages
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Publisher: Crowe Creations
Release date: October 2022
Content Rating: PG-13 - mild profanity as in street dialogue
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.
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.
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).
No comments:
Post a Comment
Not a SPAM comment! :)