Review: IndieReader Review
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 8, 2013
Samuel Ackerman is a man with a dream and some serious resentment issues stemming from his father's verbal and physical abuse. As Ackerman pursues his goal of becoming a Navy SEAL, he systematically destroys anyone who stands in his way.High School student Beth Fisher is a talented basketball player with dreams of college scholarships until an injury changes her life course and she finds herself entangled with Ackerman who has landed himself the temporary position of a recruiter for the United States Navy.A gripping and mysterious prologue sets the tone of controlled and tight suspense that is deftly maintained throughout the story, as the lives of Ackerman and Fisher become entwined. Author Dani Amore's language is stark and sensual that heightens a paradox of grittiness and sensuality, violence and eroticism.The balanced mix of emotion and activity adds to the tension and quick pace of the unraveling plot, whether it is Ackerman's memory of Hell Week, Beth's basketball maneuvers or an erotic scene filled with murderous thoughts. Amore skillfully gets inside the mind of her characters with a disturbing efficacy that brings out their strengths, vulnerabilities and obsessions. This glimpse into the machinations of the mind are extremely effective especially during the erotic scenes, for example when, in the midst of obligation sex with his boss, Ackerman "focuses on the blood lust that seeps through [his] body at the memory of killing . . ."Except for minor typos and some over explanation of points that are already made clear in the narrative, Amore's writing is taut. Short, fast-paced chapters snap from one character's perspective to another, while the to-the-point dialogue and straightforward language, bullet point descriptions add to the growing tension of each chapter.THE RECRUITER is a tight, well-written and suspense-filled joy-ride.Reviewed by Maya Fleischmann for IndieReader