Humphrey Hawksley

Fast-paced plot with believable characters, much like Man on Ice - Book 1 in the Rake Ozenna thriller series.

The storyline evolved around a multitude of characters, but they were very well developed and written. Main character - Rake Ozenna - is an army captain - is back although after the events of Book 1, his engagement to trauma doctor Carrie Walker has ended. There is no definitive answer to the ending of the engagement but the reader can infer that the two are still in sporadic contact so there aren't a lot of hard feelings on either side.

There are many secondary characters in government roles, because many of them made an appearance in book 1, there is not a lot of confusion with who-is-what and who-does-what. There are more secondary characters added and they are done in such a way that it is not such an information dump as with the previous book in the series.

Man on Edge was loaded with geopolitical intrigue, ramifications and plot lines, just like Man on Ice. There is an overabundance of globe-hopping travel for Rake, some that pushes the edge of credulity in this fast-paced book. It seems like no one needs sleep and doesn't get loopy when going days without rest. Speaking of credulity, there are some instances where it's lucky plot twists that save characters, not truly something believable, but that is why it is fiction - things are supposed to strain the bounds of truth.

This is a very quick read as the storyline is engrossing and the plot moves very fast while being filled with twists, turns, blizzards and lots of horse poop.

Recommend?

I recommend this to everyone! All ages will get something from this action-packed thriller.

This review appeared on my website.

Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was asked to review this book from the author's publicist, but I received the digital book via the OverDrive/Libby app from the Harris County Library system. It was read as a Kindle Book.

I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”… (altro)

Fast-paced plot with believable characters.

The storyline evolved around a multitude of characters, but they were very well developed and written. Main character - Rake Ozenna - is an army captain and takes his trauma doctor fiancé to meet his family on a small Alaskan island. Once they land, multiple events happen leading to an invasion of the island by Russian troops, supposedly for a humanitarian mission.

There are many secondary characters in government roles, which in the first two chapters is a bit of information overload but all of the characters quickly become known and easier to keep track of. What I really appreciated is that many of the characters had intertwined backstories which explained the ease of access and familiarity.

Man on Ice was loaded with geopolitical intrigue, ramifications and plot lines. As I grew up during the tail-end of the Cold War, I had a basic understanding of USA — Russia history but I believe if someone has no prior knowledge of the relationship between the 2 nations it would still be a thrilling read.

This is a very quick read as the storyline is engrossing and the plot moves very fast.

This review appeared on my website.

Recommend?
I recommend this to everyone! All ages will get something from this action-packed thriller.



Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was asked to review this book from the author's publicist, but I received the digital book via the OverDrive/Libby app from the Harris County Library system. It was read as a Kindle Book.

I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”… (altro)

I missed Book 2 of this series after greatly enjoying book 1. Mr. Hawksley writes about Rake Ozenna and his family and friends realistically, without mythologizing or hammering on poverty and cultural dissolution of their arctic life. That's what I liked about Book 1. But I think that Mr. Hawksley is stumped by the difficulty of continuing Rake Ozenna stories in this narrow location and cast of characters. So here, and perhaps in the previous book, he tries to move Rake into the larger geopolitical arena as a counter terrorist agent. There is a lot of competition in this space, and I am not sure Rake can survive. This book was a bit thin for my taste. Good, but perhaps not good enough.

I received a digital review copy of "Man on Fire: Rake Ozenna 3" by Humphrey Hawksley from Severn House through NetGalley.com.… (altro)