The Kremlin Conspiracy
By Joel C Rosenberg
Release Date: March 6, 2018
Ebook Available from WV Reads!
2.5 Stars - This weighty action thriller was certainly interesting. Our hero Markus Ryker as well as his Russian opponent Oleg Kraskin are well matched and have in depth, interesting backgrounds that really pulled me in fast. For anyone looking for a new political action series, this one's worth a shot.
This book starts off with a literal bang. There's a terrible fire sweeping through a residential building in Russia, terrifying many citizens. We transition into the life of Mr. Kraskin who is eagerly trying to wed his beautiful girlfriend but it's not going according to plan. He instantly came off very human and even likable. We leave him then and we're the opposite side of the globe learning about Marcus Ryker. Ryker's got one heck of a juicy backstory. Coming from a tough childhood, he decides to spend his adulthood serving his country, fulfillling his thrillseeker side. I instantly liked him as well, and I could appreciate he was a Christian family man. That's pretty rare in this genre, probably a pleasant surprise for fans of Christian fiction. Maybe at times just a bit much for those who are not.
Quite a few years back, I read the first three books in Rosenberg's Bennett & McCoy series. It was actually pretty memorable, but while I enjoyed them, I wasn't hooked. I think for me this author's style and mine just don't quite mesh. One other reviewer said they read this book expecting old school Tom Clancy but found it to be more James Patterson. Even from the first ten or so chapters, I'd have to agree. For some readers that will work out great but unfortunately, not me. I have nothing against 3rd person viewpoint but this had so many "he"s and "him"s that I got confused and needed the names used more for reference. While Rosenberg's heavy details were at points interesting, at times they added nothing to a scene. For example, early on, things are told from Marcus and then Elena's viewpoint and it was like too much info rehashed. We hear from Marcus that his father died when he was eleven and again from Elena a few pages later. Why? At nearly 500 pages, some trimming was warranted to create a sharper feel and a smoother background for the action. That said, I loved the set up. Particularly, the character introductions and flashbacks that really illustrated their lives.
(NS)
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