06 June, 2017

#BookReview :: The Ulterior Motive by Jack Coleston

Stanley Carmichael is an intelligent and hard-working member of the Central Intelligence Agency. Yet, he never expected to be named Deputy Director of the CIA so soon in his career. Nonetheless, he finds himself stepping into shoes that feel impossible to fill. 

Anna Carmichael is a legend. She’s one of the fiercest ex-members of the Special Activities Division, where she saw more than enough blood and war for a lifetime. Now, she’s still CIA, but stuck behind a desk and bored. Luckily for her, it seems her fieldwork isn’t done yet. For as soon as Anna’s partnered with rookie FBI Special Agent Blayze Phillips, she realizes his investigation is a lot more dangerous than it seems—especially when it turns its attention to the mysterious Caliph al-Maqasid.
They know that the Caliph spent the last few years successfully uniting fractured terrorist groups in the Middle East. Now he's formed the most well-funded, strategically efficient operation that’s on its way to becoming a true global caliphate. But who is the Caliph, really? Why doesn’t anyone know anything about this infinitely clever, charismatic, and terrifying man? And what, exactly, is he plotting next?

The Carmichaels will have to work together to find out, because the Caliph is about to strike at the heart of America. 



This was an interesting read!

Stanley and Anna Carmichael are a married couple working for the CIA. While Stanley finds it a daunting task to fill the position of Deputy Director of CIA a daunting task, Anna is stuck behind the desk pushing papers. When a field opportunity comes up, Anna is quick to grab the opportunity to partner up with FBI Special Agent Blayze Phillips for the hunt of Caliph al-Maqasid. The Caliph is a mysterious character who seem to round up the terrorist organizations and bring them under one banner. He is clearly a mastermind but the problem is that no one seems to know who it is. Will our protagonists be able to catch him before he dismantles the Middle East or worse; attack America?

The book is a thriller through and through. The story picks up quite quickly and the drama and action keep it going till the end with the help of a few well-placed twists. The plot feels simple and it is the antagonist that knocks the level of the game up. The author seems to have done a great deal of research and it shows in the plot and his writing. The settings are well painted and the dialogues are mostly crisp. I quite liked the main characters – they are properly developed and well balanced.

The winner for me in this book was the multiple POVs. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book from multiple angles. It is one of my personal quirks that I like multiple POVs. To get into the mind and heart of more than one character involved always make me feel more attached to the story. However, from experience I also know that it might confuse some readers and for some it may feel tedious. So, choose wisely before picking the book up.

By the looks of it, there is going to be a sequel and I will be sure to pick it up.


Review Copy received from the Author




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