Review: A fast-paced, fun thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 23, 2012
Secrets is a good, action-packed pot-boiler/thriller/mystery. With it, SL Pierce joins the growing ranks of independent authors who have met and exceeding the quality and professionalism of the protégés of the legacy publishing industry. Authors like Pierce, Rogers Eschbacher, James Wallace Birch, Richard Sanders, Paul Dorset, Elise Stokes, Mike Wells, Russell Blake, Alan McDermott and RS Guthrie, among many, many others, are proving that the commercial publishers, big or small, can no longer look down their noses as independent writers and scoff at their lack of quality, attention to detail or ability to craft taut stories that keep audiences reading.Secrets has a solid plot with no holes. There is one big coincidence, which is the maximum that any novel can sustain. And the fact that the coincidence is what launches the story, it makes perfect sense.The style is lean, active and compelling. The characters are mostly believable, and with the exception of the main character, I can identify with most of them, at least a little.A brief synopsis: Gwen Michaels is a former US government assassin who leaves the death business for a quiet life with her husband, a lovable nebbish without a clue (aren't we all?). The story begins with an attempt on her life that is not related to her former trade. Gwen then uses all her talents and training to solve the mystery: who's after her, and why?The book starts with action, and keeps up the pace to the end. It's a fun read. The only problem is that this the lead character is too strong for my liking. She's not infallible, but she's hard to identify with. And she's quite cold in some respects--I won't write more about that aspect so as not to spoil the ending.The ending is satisfying, in a chilling way. There are no loose ends, but there is an open door for a sequel, and from Pierce's website, it appears there is at least one, with more to come.If you're looking for an action-packed read, Pierce delivers. You can get it from any retailer through Pierce's blog.4*