Review: Didn't Live Up To Potential
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 06 3, 2014
I enjoyed the first 1/3 of this book.  The story was engaging and I am always hopeful that I'll find a really great thriller in the same vein as Tom Clancy. (a person can dream, can't they?)I was especially pleased when an early scenario came to a satisfying, timely resolution.  I looked forward to enjoying the rest of a fast paced read.Sadly, this wasn't meant to be.  The last 2/3 of the book could have been told in half the time.  The story started to drag and meander.  The reader can see where the book is going, but it takes such a long, round-about way to get there that I found myself skimming trying to get to the inevitable conclusion.Two other negative points were: 1) It was difficult to get in the government's corner over the root issue.  Without giving anything away, I could definitely see the terrorist's point when it came to their outrage against the U.S.2) The suspense of this book took a hit when it became apparent that the only truly 'together' group in this tale was the mafia portion.  Neither the government agencies nor the terrorist group were very bright or formidable.  Some of the passages were truly cringe worthy.A HUGE turn off for me was the inclusion of a romantic twist.  I absolutely HATE that.  I would love to find a well written mystery/ thriller that does not pander to the unnecessary tendency to include a love story.To me, nothing weakens a thriller like having some soppy mess thrown in just to satisfy...what?  I don't even know.  It's completely ridiculous.  In this tale you have agents navigating the woods in search of a terrorist stronghold.  These are supposedly the 'best of the best' and the situation is of dire national importance.  So what does the author do?  He throws in romantic schlock so that two of the agents can become distracted and waste the reader's time with idiotic inner musings.  The middle of a life and death situation is not the time for that crap.  It's a cheap device and I abhor authors who employ it.Along that same vein, I quickly became tired of the protagonist's wife whining about his job and its effect on their marriage.  She knew it going in, but takes every opportunity to make him feel guilty...even in the midst of a terrible national crisis.Perhaps the subsequent books in this series are better.  This one, however, seems disjointed and covers too much ground to be plausible or enjoyable.I would hesitate to read another book in this series because this one was so difficult to slog through until the end.