Book Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
Series Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The first eBook that I ever read was John Simpson’s Condor One. This would hook me into the mm romance genre. I have followed the series over the last several years and have enjoyed it very much. Now, the series comes to an end as Mr. Simpson has published Condor and the Shifting Sands.

David Windsor, the former President of the United States and current US Ambassador to the Court of St. James (in other words, US Ambassador to the United Kingdom), where his cousin King William sits on the throne. He receives a call from the Duke of Somerset, also know as Darren Wilson the son of the current US President. He tells his David that his mother would like him to call him as soon as possible. Knowing something must be wrong if the President was not using official channels to contact him, David places the call.

President Victoria Wilson asks David and his husband Shane Thompson-Windsor to stop by Washington on the pretense of visiting Shane’s ailing father. However, she has other plans for the men. There are two world problems that are growing quickly and there are no other options than to send David and Shane to try to diffuse the situations. It appears that ISIS is about to take over and destroy a key dam in Iraq that if destroyed will flood a lot of the country. Also, Vladimir Putin is doing some sabre rattling around the border of Ukraine. She would like the pair to fly over there to find solutions to both problems without starting World War III. It is up to David to find diplomatic solutions while Shane once again protects his backside and gives his own unique opinion of the situation.

Shifting Sands is a good send off for the series but there was something missing from it to make it an excellent one. First, readers are used to books in the series being about twice as long as this one and the story felt a bit rushed. While most of the supporting characters make an appearance in the book, I felt that they should have been featured more during this book, especially their son Jack. But Sands does give you the romance and action from David and Shane that you have come to expect from this series.

The cover art by Maria Fanning has been consistent throughout the series. The same models for David and Shane have been featured on most of the covers. This cover has the pair standing in front of a window presumably at Winfield House. Above this, a picture of a swirling sand dune take the to third of the cover. It is a solid cover for the book.

The Condor One series started with David Windsor running for election for President while being guarded by Secret Service Agent Shane Thompson and their budding romance. The first three books deal with the election and David’s term as president and being the first openly gay president. Then next four books deal with the time immediately after David’s presidency and building a family with Shane and their adopted son Jack.

In the series, Mr. Simpson tackled marriage equality, the war in Iraq, the military industrial complex, don’t ask-don’t tell, energy policy, radical Islam, sleeper cells, Al Qaeda, ISIS, Ukraine, homelessness, gay teens and more. Mr. Simpson has tried to keep the series relevant but real life current events can sometimes get in the way of that. (Osama bin Laden and Muammar Gaddafi were still alive in his books after both were killed due to the lag in publication.) The only small quibble I had with the series is some continuity issues through the books. It seemed that the ages of Brandon Wilson and Jack Thompson-Windsor seem to bounce around. Also, David and Shane were first going to retire to Palm Springs but wound up in New Jersey. But these do not take away in the enjoyment of the series. Here is hoping that David and Shane have a fulfilling retirement away from their political stage.

Sales Links:   Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

EBook, 82 pages
Edition: English
Published: August 16, 2015 by John Simpson
ISBN: 978-1-1516905089

Series: Condor One
Condor One (Condor One #1)
Talons of the Condor (Condor One #2)
Condor and Falcon (Condor One #3)
Out of the Gilded Cage (Condor One #4)
Condor and the Crown (Condor One #5)
Royal Love (Condor One #6)
Condor and the Shifting Sands (Condor One #7 FINALE)