Title: The Deadfall Project
Author: Brett James
Review: The Deadfall Project is a traditional spy thriller in the same vein as the books of Robert Ludum and Jack Higgins. Deadfall Project starts off with Grey Stark, a CIA agent who has a messy past so the government sends him somewhere so he can be quietly forgotten, until a nuclear Bomb almost goes off in Paris. Grey Stark wants to get back in with the CIA and sees the bomb as his chance to prove he still has what it takes to be a great spy. When his soon to be ex-wife Leigh busts in on a important meeting to get some papers signed because she has had enough of the "It's classified" rhetoric, little did she know she was about to be dragged into the life her husband had tried to keep secret.
The author created his character, Grey Shark, with imperfections. He couldn't shoot straight and his past was dark and seedy, a past he couldn't hide or run away from. Leigh, Grey's soon to be ex-wife, was a former police officer and a great shot which helped balance out her husband lack of shooting ability making them a great team. Leigh is a strong willed woman who wanted to love her husband but he makes it hard to get close. The author creates a character Leigh that most women can identify with or want to be like. She was strong and unwilling to fall helpless to a man. In fact sometimes she was the one who saved her husband. I enjoyed the love story because it was about being open and honest, and when that happened their marriage found a reason to exist.
The author creates a wonderful world of old vs new with the planned demise of the older spy agencies and the birth of a new breed of espionage. He creates a story that men and women can enjoy and the fast pace of the book makes it almost impossible to put down. I will say the book does feel at times like it was written to be a screenplay but that being said it also made it a very easy and fun read.
This spy thriller has everything you love about that genre with beautiful locations, car chases and shoot outs. The author is very descriptive with locations without boring the reader and gives just enough background to the characters without a lot of unnecessary details that do not apply to the story. There were a few grammatical and spelling errors, but I was able to look past them because this book was so much fun to read.
For a first time author I am very impressed and extremely excited to see what comes next.
Thank you Heidi for this review
Publisher: Published September 4th 2009 by FallacyPublications
ISBN: 9780578029184
Copyright: 2009
Pages: 412
Quick Review: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I Read It: Sent by the author for review.
Synopsis: Iranian terrorists plant a bomb in Paris, nearly killing millions, and one man must track them down before they strike again. CIA agent Grey Stark is back from two decades of retirement, searching for an elusive bomb that could level a city in seconds.
Author Biography: Brett James is a member of the New York-based art collective, The Madagascar Institute, and has installed his art in New York, San Francisco, Amsterdam, and Croatia. He has written and directed six films, and been honored at a dozen festivals. He was raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Deadfall Project is his first novel.
Other Reviews:
Like our review on Amazon here.
This does sound like it has everything people read thrillers for -- I hope the author has good luck with this first effort!
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