Steven James's The King ~ Reviewed

The King, Patrick Bowers Files Series #6
By: Steven James
Number of Pages: 512
Vendor: Signet
ISBN: 0451239784

Description

Settling into a new post at the FBI Academy, Patrick and his fiancie Lien-hua Jiang are planning their future together with his stepdaughter Tessa. But just when his life seems normal, a demon from the past returns to draw him down a dark road he hoped had closed forever. Forced into a desperate hunt to save the two women he loves most, Patrick is in a race against time to stop an international conspiracy from becoming the most widespread act of terrorism in U.S. history.

Review: Let me begin with a warning...kind of like they have on rides at the amusement park. If you are under a certain height, pregnant, with heart problems, or bothered by intensity, you might just want to wander on down to the merry-go-round. 

Yes. All this is true for this particular thriller. However. If you love edgy, intense, on-the-edge-of-horrifying coupled with great writing, then click and order this one now. James is a master with tension. I honestly emotionally chewed all my fingernails to nubs and missed way too much sleep for various and assorted reasons. Even those moments in the book that should have dropped my tension level into the comfortable zone were zinging with what-if and where-is-this-going and the desire to scream "Don't go into the basement!" I was home alone for a week after starting this novel and couldn't read it at all, even in the broad daylight. 

I have not read the complete series of the Patrick Bowers Files. But I was able to get right back into the characters lives and not feel that I was missing chunks of good stuff, but also didn't feel like there was too much back story given either. Even though this story is intense and filled with action, some pretty violent, the characters are well-developed and relatable. 

A terrific plane or beach read or a great gift for someone who loves gritty fiction. 

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer