The past few reviews I've done have been of well-established writers with long series under their belts. It's always nice to come across a new-to-you author that has a significant back-list. However, there is no greater thrill (if you'll pardon the rather obvious pun) than finding a brand new talent. And wow, is Stevens a talent.
If you like your thrillers filled with thrills (let's see how many times I can use a variation of the word "thriller" in one posting), this one will be more than enough to... thrill you. The pacing is tight and fast, the action is enough to make your temples throb in time with your heartbeat and once you start the sucker, there's very little chance you'll get your nose out for anything less than a four-alarm fire. As far as I'm concerned that's the thriller triumvirate.
For everyone else, you need to read this for an amazing new writing talent. What really struck me, especially in a first novel, was the depth of characterization and complexity of the prose. The richness with which she depicts Africa... the place, the culture, the feel of it... almost defies description. This is another one of those rare thrillers that elevates the genre. If there was ever a thriller for to check out, this is the one.
This is a new author to take a risk on. And it's not much of a risk. Just read the other reviews. You can check them out (plus buy a copy) by going here.
No comments:
Post a Comment