A little break from technology - here's a review of an entertaining read:
The Handler introduced me to Jeffrey Stephens as an author. Decades of reading about terrorist plots, bad guys, and evildoers and the agents, officers, heroes, as well as anti-heroes attempting to frustrate their plans and bring them to justice, tends to make one a bit leery of new entries.
Could the adventures of agent Nick Reagan hold my interest. Or, would it lapse into cliched crudities, obvious plot-lines stitched onto the latest fashionably/culturally-correct evils that too many authors can't seem to avoid?<
Mr. Stephens provides a very well-written and entertaining story of agent Reagan's adventures. He balances intense action, reflection, problem-solving analysis, and romance in a way that holds your attention and keeps you turning pages.
Mr. Stephens poses believable challenges to his characters along with reasonable solutions that (generally) work as intended. He establishes believable settings and interaction among his characters. The action takes place internationally and realistically. He is adept at establishing a genuine feeling for each location with an economy of detail. Having been to both Washington and Paris, I believe he does them justice. I look forward to visiting the Mall of America.
To summarize, I'm hooked. I look forward to reading more about agent Reagan assuming Mr. Stephens continues to tell the stories. If you want believable, straight forward characters, and an honestly, entertaining read; you will find it in these pages.
