Review: Suspense to the Nth Degree!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 28, 2013
I typically enjoy suspense, thrillers, and mysteries but get easily frustrated by all of the technical jargon and myriad of people coming and going throughout the book. The Orange Moon Affair was definitely not like those weighty and laborious tomes. Starting off with a devastating helicopter crash that most likely was the end for Thomas Gunn, our intrepid hero, and his beloved, Julie, and then going back six weeks to where it all began, the plot was constantly fast-paced and interesting. Everyone was suspicious to me, including Julie and Thomas' stepmother, Mary, which always makes for a fun read. Thomas' wealthy industrialist father has been murdered on a business trip to Northern Ireland, and although Thomas has eschewed the family business for a military career and then a playboy lifestyle, his father's dead face keeps playing in his mind. Family is family after all and his father's murder must be avenged. What Thomas finds is an incredible conspiracy involving very high-ranking players and spanning the globe. Luckily, Thomas has some unlikely helpers in his dangerous odyssey to the truth. Weapons, computer jargon, vehicles, and flying apparatus, plus a wealth of spy tools, are gleefully discussed and utilized reverentially by author AFN Clarke to aid Thomas in his endeavors.The greatest aspect of this book, in my mind, is the emotion that Clarke imbues in the story despite the fact that Thomas is a killing machine, according to government official Radley. Often confused by how he feels or what he is supposed to feel, he nevertheless manages to make the reader see him as a good guy with a soft heart. Tough and cold in battle, he takes care of those closest to him with a ferocity that speaks of deep love and respect. Tears are no stranger to this compassionate fighter. He mourns the casualties, the innocents caught in the crossfire of a greedy and vicious battle of global dominance. And he sings old Irish lullabies with his old friend Danny.Another unique facet to the book is that Clarke explains the hows, whys and wherefores of what Thomas is using or doing at the moment. Often, an author will assume that the reader knows why the protagonist is performing a certain action or how a piece of equipment works when, in reality, the reader is a simple layman who is left befuddled and a bit behind the action. Clarke understands this and incorporates Thomas' thought processes into the plot offering an easy-to-follow suspense with lots of surprising twists and turns. Unlike other heroes in other books who seem to know exactly what is going to happen next, Thomas is often a bit confused about what is going on and why. Therefore, he often verbalizes the maze of his thoughts and the inevitable conclusions leading us all to the surprise ending.