Review: get used to sleepless nights when you begin reading...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 7, 2012
my favorite author once again delivers a spell-binding tale of excitement, adventure, treachery, bravery, justice... The subject matter could be lifted from the daily news... in fact, the inspiration for the novel appears to have its origins here.The author's "voice" is quite unique & carries the reader along quite believably deeper & deeper into yet another "unbelievable" non-stop adventure ... He has such a breadth of knowledge of his subject matter: weapons, tactics, spy-world, etc. This results in his meticulous, but comfortable style of providing a depth of detail which helps the reader "see" the scenes easily.His unique prose is only getting better in this his 4th novel in the "Friends from Damascus" series...Here's just a quick example, (the author is talking of one of the new protagonists in this story-- describing her extreme drive to excel--  while rehabilitating from a traumatic injury)-- ...(ignoring the pain)..."... she treated her body like a piece of iron under the blacksmith's hammer."This is just a line like so many others he throws out as he aptly defines one of his characters in the story.Anyway, I'm sharing this review even though I am no where near finished reading "The Merchant"... I'm only about 1/3 to 1/2 way in. I am having to keep pausing to go to bed; keep a normal life... but that is so difficult with so much going on-- and while the adventure just keeps on mounting...I find myself saying, "just one more chapter..." and that's why I am up 4 AM despite having "things to do" with the fast-approaching morning... but not willing to put the darn book down...Oh, Mr. Happy! You're such a sleep-depriving guy! But, I have to ask, "Where's the next novel? What can I look forward to?"(meanwhile, I think I will start over again with book one & read back through all of the "Friends" adventures... ).But for now, I need to go to work & look forward to later in the day when I can continue, thinking, "How in the world are they going to get out of this one? Where is this all going to end?"