Author: TJ O'Connor
ISBN: 978-1-60809-283-3
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing
Type of book: Spying, thrillers, CIA, terrorism, Middle East, family, fragmented relationships, Maryland, government, secrets, operatives, deaths
Year it was published: 2018
Summary:
When a rogue CIA consultant goes AWOL from his Middle Eastern post in response to his brother’s plea for help, he arrives just in time to witness his brother’s murder. For years, Jonathan Hunter and his brother Kevin Mallory had not spoken―until Kevin’s final words, “… Khalifah … Not Them … Maya.”
Pursuing his brother’s killer, Hunter stumbles into a nest of horrifying terrorist activity by Middle Eastern refugees, which sparks a backlash across America. In the shadows, Hunter’s mentor, the omnipotent Oscar LaRue, is playing a dangerous game with Russian Intelligence. Neither Hunter nor LaRue realizes that a new threat―the Iranian threat―has entered the game. Stakes rise as two shadowy players are one step ahead of Hunter and LaRue―Khalifah, a terrorist mastermind, and Caine, a nomadic assassin who dances with the highest bidder.
As attacks escalate and the country drifts toward another Middle East conflict, innocent refugees become trapped between the terrorists and the terrorized. Prejudice, hate, and fear vent everywhere. Is this who we’ve become? Before the country explodes, Hunter must find Khalifah, learn the next terror target, and pray he’s in time to stop further annihilation.
Characters:
Main character includes Jonathan Hunter who has spent considerable time in Middle East acting as a spy, but then he returned to America when his brother asked him. Jonathan doesn't do things by The book, but instead is best described as a loner and someone who isn't afraid. Other characters didn't have much of personalities that the reader can get to know, but instead were there just to be there.
Theme:
Nothing is at it seems
Plot:
THE story is in first and third person narrative point of view. First person is Jonathan talking, while third person are other characters, including the villains. I think because a lot of characters played a lot of roles and neither the readers nor the audience knew whom was who, or which side was playing, the characters had a hard time sticking to me. I also felt distanced from the characters. The narrative itself is best described as octane powered, and I am not quite sure how much was real and how much it's played up to The audience, but the tale seemed to lack the human perspective or roles. That is, if someone is to ask me about the characters, I would be hard pressed to describe them.
(From iRead Book Tours
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Tj O’Connor is the author of The Consultant, the first of The Jonathan Hunter Thriller series from Oceanview Publishing, and four paranormal mysteries from Midnight Ink and Black Opal Books.
Tj is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. He was raised in New York's Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Labrador companions in Virginia where they raised five children.
Dying to Know, Tj’s first published novel, won the 2015 Gold Medal from the Independent Publishers Book Awards (IPPY) for mysteries and was a Finalist for both a 2015 Silver Falchion Award and the 2014 Foreword Reviews’ INDIEFAB Mystery Book of the Year.
Connect with Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
Opinion:
Imagine that one is going out on a book date where it seems that the date and the chemistry should four or five stars, but instead neither the book nor you could connect, which is what happened to me when I read THE CONSULTANT. The writing and the story are addictive and it's written very well, but i just couldn't connect to the story nor the characters nor the plot. I imagine that part of my issue is the fact that a lot of women desire Jonathan, and I couldn't see the attraction he had over them. Also I had some trouble in remembering the characters and whos who in the story.
This was given for an honest review
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(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
