The Persian Gamble by
Joel C. Rosenberg
My rating:
3 of 5 stars
I see I'm one of the very, very few who took exception to a few things that bogged the intensity of suspense down to a slow crawl in this story. Of course, the front said that it was the unedited version.
It is not like a Robert Ludlum-Jason Bourne story. There is a lot of action, but there's too much backstory that cuts the tension building and dashes cold water all over the story that's heating up. There is a TON of backstory that really bogs the story down. It isn't necessary. It does not move the story along. There is no need whatsoever to try to instill pathos for someone that will be killed in the next few pages. Suspense thrillers are not that kind of read.
However, I found this book to be extremely engrossing. When the suspense and tension was allowed to build, it built to pressure cooker hot. When that happens you will read far into the night. But... There's also a lot of switching around from American, to Russian, to North Korean, to Iran.... YIKES! I didn't know what part of the world I'd be in when I finally turned the light out. Frankly, I skipped over a lot of that so I could get back to the story. And didn't miss a thing that I had to go back for.
Warning! A RANT: I got it from Netgally, and I'm tired of publishers throwing books on Netgalley without the first bit if editing. Come ON people, give reviewers something to rave about. Don't make us stumble around for something great to say about a story when taking a week to give the thing a first edit would make these books shine like a diamond.
Anyway..
Marcus Ryker is back with a bang! And what a bang! He takes enormous punishment to get the job done, and of course, he does. The suspense is really good -- especially the trip to North Korea. I really like books where the hero has to overcome impossible odds, and this book delivers that kind of ride (if you can wade through all the stuff going on that does not move the story along.
4 stars for storyline minus a star for too much back story.
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