Review: "Knock your socks off" Plot!!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 2, 2013
Reprisal: The Gauntlet by Author Cliff RobertsTalented author Cliff Roberts has done it again! He has managed to immediately capture my attention in this political/military fictional thriller. His style of writing is very appealing to me with his no frills approach and his well-researched and true-to-life plots. At first blush, this action packed novel reads like a movie. It is extremely descriptive and I could easily envision the different scenarios taking place as they are so adeptly described.An American Security Team is set in motion to capture a terrorist before he finds permanent sanctuary with the assistance of his Middle East cohorts. He is presently in hiding at the guest quarters of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade Headquarters.  The Israelis want to zero in on David Ashrawl, a well known terrorist for much the same reasons as their own...The American Security Team is at the headquarters of the Kilaula Security Middle East Command Center. They are glued to the video screen to watch what is supposed to be a carefully orchestrated attack to capture this much wanted terrorist as the well planned maneuver unfolds.  However, in no time flat, it becomes very apparent to its viewers that the attack by the Israeli team is expected and something is going terribly wrong. The lights on the roof top of the Brigade Headquarters turn on and clearly leave these soldiers wide open to a full retaliation from the Palestinian defence team. This attack is extremely brutal and effective as they pummel away with a variety of artillery at their Israeli counterparts while the American Team watch in helpless horror. Immediately, the first guess offered is that the Israelis walked into a well set trap. It is very evident that there is a possible traitor involved in the attempt on this "snatch and grab mission" of the much wanted David Ashrawl...American involvement is now much more complicated and frustratingly complex. What was once perceived as a relatively easy mission, their work is now cut out for them as they no longer know the location of Ashrawl.  On the home front, a special meeting is called at the White House to address the possibility of a nuclear strike against Israel by the Iranian religious fanatic, Ahmadinejad.  However, President Sparks is not taking this threat too seriously and is foolishly more concerned about his ratings in the polls. His nemesis Steven Howard is making headway in the political arena and the President will stop short of nothing including fabricating lies to discredit him and one of his main supporters, Senator Bains.  The American Security Team shifts into high gear under the secret command of now retired General "Chip" Clarett partner to Steven Howard. Then the real work begins for these well-trained soldiers and their all out effort to capture Ashrawl alive...Author Cliff Roberts has penned one heck of an interesting and incredible story in "The Reprisal: The Gauntlet". To quote him..."The most important part of any book isn't the cover, or the writer's style, or the grammar or punctuation. It's the story! If the story doesn't knock the socks off the readers, it doesn't matter where the comas go!"Yes...he is definitely true to himself and to his style of writing.  I'm sure he will be "knocking the socks off" several of his readers in this series of fictional novels.  In my opinion, Author Cliff Roberts is one talented author who knows his stuff and has honed his skill as he shares his story-telling abilities with his reading audience.Inspirational Author & Book Reviewer ~ Dolores AyotteI'm Not Perfect and It's Okay