Review: As good as the first one
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 23, 2014
Double Down continues the story in The Morning Star, with the same fast paced rhythm and delirious humour. In the second instalment of the adventures of Templar’s team, they must face a new challenge: A cat burglar who is stealing high tech gadgets which afterwards appear mysteriously in the Russian market. This thief’s modus operandi and tools are an exact copy of those used by Jeremy Archer. That’s why Simon decides to ask Jeremy for help, which brings about unexpected consequences…The book is clearly divided in two parts: In the first one, Simon and his team set the trap to catch Simon’s double, who turns out to be very closely related to Jeremy’s past. His refusal to properly identify the thief, even though he helps them to set the trap, strains his relationship with Simon and the whole FBI team. The second part of the book starts after their failure at trapping the elusive thief, when they discover that there is a mole in the FBI. The identity of the mole confronts Jeremy and Simon, and brings about a series of events which end up with Simon on an institutional leave and bordering a breakdown. It is Jeremy who eventually forces him to get over his guilt and brings his back to his not very normal self. The relationship between Simon and Jeremy is as bizarre and stressful as in the previous book, but there is an evolution. We learnt many things about Jeremy’s past, which helps us understand his idiosyncrasy. Simon’s past, on the other hand, remains a mystery, and it is a pity because I think it would provide answers to why Simon continues behaving like such a jerk with Jeremy. Of the two main characters, Jeremy is the most likeable one who keeps being brushed aside and trashed by Simon. But I cannot help reaching the conclusion that the more Simon mistreats Jeremy, the more he cares about the thief. It is just his twisted way of showing that he cares. As for the rest of the team, they continue to be a gang of lunatic misfits who are unconditionally loyal to their beloved boss… are they?I really liked the book. I recommend it as much as the first one. It is like Casino Royale meets the madhouse. Action-packed, fast paced, with likeable characters and full of humour and even drama, it has everything you can enjoy in a book. I am just moving on to the third book. I cannot wait.