I don't often get excited about a new book as I do with Robert Parker, James
Patterson, David Baldacci or Janet Evanovich and it takes a very good read, humor
and plot to turn me on. I found a book that has done that, and even if I didn't
know the author and had read this book I would still put it up to high praise.
I recently had the opportunity to read an advance copy of "A Touch of Revenge",
the sequel to "A Touch of Deceit" by Gary Ponzo and I am totally impressed. I
enjoyed the first book but this one just blows the sox off. I can honestly say
that I haven't enjoyed a book as much as I did with this read and I think others
will agree.
If you haven't read the first book, Nick Bracco and his sharpshooting partner,
Matt McColm, are two of the top men in the FBI terrorist squad. In the first book
they have to stop Kurdish terrorists from blowing up the White House and the
action and plot in that book was of high caliber.
This sequel now finds Nick is a sheriff in Payson, Arizona after leaving the
stress of the FBI. His friend Matt is along for the ride and the peaceful
tranquility and good news that Nick's wife is pregnant, is broken when a sniper's
bullet finds Nick the moment he finds out he is going to be a father. All this
right from the first paragraph of the book. Matt understands what has happened
and goes after the sniper, taking him out. From there things get going uphill.
Nick is in the hospital and he and Matt figure what has transpired, it's
revenge on Nick for taking out the Kurdish leader in the last book. But there's
more than they both know.
Enter Tommy Bracco, Nick's cousin and a mob figure who helped in the last
book to find the terrorists. Tommy wants his own revenge now but he and Matt see
things differently. Matt on the law side, Tommy with mob justice. After a good
number of investigations by everyone, the plot quickens. We are now finding that
a second man to the original dead leader has taken over and is bent on taking
out Nick and his loved ones, but also taking time to threaten the U.S. with a
calamity of biblical proportions (pun intended).
Lots of action, bombings, attacks on terrorist safe houses, murder of citizens,
specialists brought in, and the White House is in a turmoil whether to withdraw
troops from Turkey as the terrorists want, all pepper the plot. Oh and throw in
a most dangerous Russian assassin, who's killing former members of Nick's old
unit, is everything you need to keep you going.
Gary writes with an understanding of human emotions and the technical
knowledge in the workings of the governments of the world to make a very
plausible and realistic story line. I can believe what I read and it is an easy
read, no complicated plot devices to confuse, just simple straight to the point
writing.
This is a wild and exciting ride. I don't often say I read a book from cover
to cover but I was up late reading this one. The ending has just the right amount
of humor, terror, suspense and excitement to keep you reading. Will the terrorist
destroy a major city and who will walk away and why?
Watch for this one on the online bookstores soon, it is worth the read no
matter what the cost. Gary Ponzo has a hit.
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