Thursday, June 28, 2012

Book Review: Executive Actions by Gary Grossman

Lovers of political thrillers are certain to want to get their hands on Executive Actions by Gary Grossman.

In a sinister plot that is all too real, an assassin takes aim at presidential hopeful Teddy Lodge. Adored by the media, when the bullet meant for Lodge kills his wife, the outcome of the election is irrevocably changed. Special Secret Service Agent Scott Roarke is sent in to investigate. What he uncovers is a deadly plot hatched in the old days of the Soviet Union that could alter America's allegiances in the Middle East. Instigated by a power hungry Middle East heir to the throne, a sleeper is awakened to take a prominent role in American life.

While I don't read them as often as I would like, political thrillers are one of my favorite genres. In this superb offering from Emmy Award-winning television producer and print and television journalist Gary Grossman, readers find a story of a decades old plot that is thrust into action by a power hungry heir to the Libyian throne. Spies lurk everywhere and a dangerous assassin is working to tie up loose ends.

Grossman does a fine job in creating Scott Roarke and the numerous other characters filling the pages of Executive Actions. He digs deep and comes up with a winner. His sense of setting and pace create a thrilling tone for the book. It's a can't put down until you get to the last page kind of novel. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and several new characters are introduce in the later half of the book as cabinet members of the current administration and military personnel for a mission, but Grossman's style allows the reader to keep up and keep track of everything. I did, however, have one challenge with the book. Details are important, but when a reader is forced to work through extraneous details for fear of missing anything, it takes a tiny bit away from the experience. For example, does the reader need to know the details of how the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution were proposed and ratified? Now, there's a good reason Katie, an attorney and Scott's girlfriend, is reading the U.S. Constitution, but how the Bill of Rights was proposed and ratified isn't important to her discovery. And just like the lengthy, although tastefully handled, sex scenes, I want to move on and find the clue (the detail) that matters most in order for me to figure out the puzzle alongside Roarke.

Executive Actions is an intriguing, suspense-filled thriller. Grossman has created a plot that could play out in American today--and it's frightening to think about it. I look forward to reading the sequel, Executive Treason.




File Size: 897 KB
Print Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Diversion Books (January 11, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B006WOEPCC
SRP: $2.99 for Kindle (Also available for Nook and directly from the publisher)



I received a free electronic version of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

This is the 32nd book I've read for the following challenge:


It is the 9th book I've read for the following challenge:


It is the 19th book I've read for the following challenge:



It is the 7th book I've read for the following challenge:








3 comments:

Robyn said...
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Lauren Smith said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lauren Smith said...

This looks like a good thriller! I can't wait to read it. I love political and conspiracy theory novels. I just finished up a really good one called, "The Rx Factor" by author J. Thomas Shaw. I started reading it and couldn't put it down until the very last page. I was up all night long! Well worth the loss of sleep.

This is a fiction medical thriller, which is about a failed cancer researcher who meets a female scientist who reignites his passion and interest in medical researcher when she decides to open a low cost clinic in Mexico for terminally ill patients. She plans to offer them an experimental medication. An explosion on the island leads them into a journey of twists and turns as they discover that the United States Government will stop at nothing to block their efforts.
http://www.therxfactor.com/