Review: Fast-paced, gritting thriller - a great read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 26, 2013
After I'd read the final version of Sacrifice, Coral Russell asked me for my thoughts. I kept her waiting on my review but I shared a summary: "Sacrifice is a fast-paced, gritty story that'll keep you guessing, gasping, and gripping your Kindle". It did. Coral had originally sent me the story in several chunks and I grew increasingly frustrated when I didn't have time to leap on the new one. I love the fast pace of thrillers and Sacrifice was no exception.So, gritty and larger than life characters? Check. An edgy storyline that races through the book? (Obviously in a slick way, rather than an "I'm late for my bus" way.) Check. Punchy dialogue and the odd splash of humour? Check. So far so good - for me it was a clear four star suspense novel, with a heck of a lot happening and lots to get your teeth into.There was something else though, something that didn't happen until I'd finished reading the end product. Thrilled at the shaping of the story and how Russell had developed it, I had seen this simply as a very good thriller. But it isn't.The more time elapsed, the more I realised that it was another element of Russell's writing that had stayed with me. I had enjoyed the story but - like most books of a similar nature - I was unlikely to play it over and over. So why was Sacrifice sticking with me so strongly? I finally realised it was the amount of background information Russell had supplied: about the border, about the drug cartels, about the gangs and the grudges and the culture. Small things, little descriptions to add to the story, had stayed with me and I had begun to wonder about the non-fiction side of this book. It got me thinking, wanting to know more and willing to read more.That earned it the final star. A book that entertains is a great find. A book that entertains and educates or at least inspires the beginning of an education is a superb one. It comes as no surprise to me that Russell was a teacher. She makes you want to learn (as I also found when I readPeace on the Peninsula). At the same time, her approach is so casual that if you really are only looking for a few hours of suspenseful reading, you'll still find it.