Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Simon Monk was raised to follow in the military footsteps of his father and all the males in his line. Highly decorated for his time in Delta Force and his five tours of duty in war zones, Simon expected to serve in the military until he could go no further. But his lover betrayed the US by defecting to Beijing with Intelligence secrets and that not only ended their relationship but Simon’s life in the military as well. After he ruthlessly hunted the man down and executed him, he served out the remainder of his time and quietly retired with an honorable discharge.
Recruited by the CIA into a largely unknown group within the organization, Monk is sent to Cairo when the head of station there and his husband disappear suddenly. Knowing the man well, Monk realizes Jack would never just abandon his post, and he’s determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. He and his team, which includes a man he not only highly respects but who happens to be his sometimes lover, manage to discover the remains of the couple, but it turns out Monk and his team have only scratched the surface of the mess going on in Egypt.
As the mystery gets deeper with each layer Monk peels off, he and his lover, Ben, become more involved with each other at the same time they are falling further in danger from unknown powers. The story is very, very full of graphic violence, including torture and descriptions of executions and fight-to-the-death battles. But it’s also full of political intrigue, Middle Eastern culture, and quite fascinating facts about Intelligence forces.
I found it to be an amazingly complex, action-packed, and gritty drama. When I finished the story and read the author notes about his fascination with Doctor Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia, I instantly recalled having the same feelings he described as I sat in the theater watching those big screen movies for the first time. And I’m happy to say the author absolutely nailed that sense of an epic saga with this story.
The book wasn’t something I originally planned to read, but an opportunity to read it for review came up and I’m so glad I took it! If you like very complex, action-packed, intriguing mysteries, heavy on the military and paramilitary action, and you don’t mind blood and gore, by all means don’t hesitate to read this book.
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The cover by Reese Dante shows a silhouette of a man’s torso and head done in sepia tones on which is superimposed pyramids, a golden fox head, two military men in full gear, and a band of desert fighters on camels. All are symbolic of the content of the story, and it’s very well done; however I had no idea of the significance of the cover until I completed the story. So the bottom line is that the cover didn’t attract me to the book but I can see the significance now that I’ve completed it.
Sales Links: DSP Publications | Amazon
Book Details:
Since this is an anthology, my review is broken up into mini reviews of each section:
Robert Johnny just turned thirty, and his life is pretty much in the toilet. His writing career is on the skids. His love life is nonexistent. A stalker is driving him crazy. And his cat is a pain in the ass.
Its Our 4th of July Weekend!
This collection of stories included the 6 main books of the series as well as 4 shorts the author calls “flings”. The stories follow the 4 guys that make up the band Heaven Sent and their manager. Each story focuses one couple but the rest of the band members are in each book and we follow their journey along the way.
Christian Chatsworth-Brandeis has a problem. A huge one. The US senator he works for has run away with his latest mistress on the eve of a make-or-break fund-raising event, and it’s up to him to cover his boss’s irresponsible tracks.
When Christie Landon, a thirty-year-old graphic designer from Manhattan, arrives at the Lancaster County farm he inherited from his aunt, all he wants is to find peace after a near tragedy involving partying with alcohol and pills. Though it was his best friend and roommate who nearly lost his life, Christie’s life has been irrevocably changed—for the better, he hopes. When he meets his neighbor, Mennonite farmer and forty-something widower, David Fisher, he’s struck by the man’s masculinity, his quiet nature, and his simple lifestyle, and he wants to learn so much more.
