Bookish Thoughts: The Prophet by Ethan Cross

The Prophet by Ethan Cross
The Story Plant, 2012
Crime Fiction; 400 pgs

From the Publisher:  

OLD ENEMIES

Francis Ackerman Jr. is one of America’s most prolific serial killers. Having kept a low profile for the past year, he is ready to return to work – and he’s more brutal, cunning, and dangerous than ever. 

NEW THREATS

Scarred from their past battles, Special Agent Marcus Williams cannot shake Ackerman from his mind. But now fully integrated into The Shepherd Organization, an underground law enforcement agency, Marcus has to focus on catching the Anarchist, a new killer who drugs and kidnaps women before burning them alive. 

HIDDEN TERRORS 

Marcus knows the Anarchist will strike again soon. And Ackerman is still free. But worse than this is a mysterious figure, unknown to the authorities, who controls the actions of the Anarchist and many like him. He is the Prophet – and his plans are more terrible than even his own disciples can imagine. 

With attacks coming from every side, Marcus faces a race against time to save the lives of a group of innocent people chosen as sacrifices in the Prophet’s final dark ritual.

Serial killers make for interesting reading, especially being able to get into their heads and figure our what they are thinking--why they do what they do.  Albeit, it can be scary too.  And no matter how a person grew into a serial killer, how sad his or her story is, it is still hard for the average person to wrap his or her mind around it.    

I used to gobble up books like this on a regular basis, and while I still read these types of thrillers occasionally, it's not nearly as frequently.  So often books like this become too familiar after awhile and it's hard to tell one apart from the other.

Ethan Cross's The Prophet is one of the better ones in terms of execution and characterization.  Cross did a great job of bringing the many threads of his story together.  There are quite a few unexpected twists mixed in with more predictable ones.  Every character, down to the most minor, was well drawn out.  I appreciated the depth of back story for the Anarchist, and especially liked getting a glimpse of him in his personal life, with his family. 

Marcus is one of those all-testosterone male characters, which could easily have been a turn off, but I came to really like him.  He is smart and extremely gifted. He isn't full of himself and he's very dedicated and loyal to his team.  Marcus struggles internally with what he does for a living, and I really liked that aspect of his story.  Although sanctioned by the government to go after violent predators and use any force necessary to find and stop them, he still struggles with the ethical side of his job.  He wonders if he is much different than the killers he is going after.

Ackerman . . . Now he was an interesting character.  I never came to like him--not that I was ever intended to.  He's one scary man.  His obsession with Marcus is explained in the course of the novel, but it doesn't make him any less creepy.

Although I didn't warm up to her right away, Vasques character was one I came to respect quite a bit.  She didn't let ego get in the way of her getting the job done, something that too many people do in her situation.  Or at least in novels like this.  And she definitely held her own with the men in the book, I thought.

Having not read the first book in the series, The Shepherd, I am not sure how much back story I missed in regards to the continuing characters.  Regardless, The Prophet stands well on its own and I felt the author did a good job of setting up the characters and their stories for first time readers.

I liked so much about this novel, and yet . . . And yet I was weary of the violence and, while I liked part of the ending, I wasn't thrilled with another part of it.  I came away from my reading of The Prophet with the realization that this type of novel doesn't hold the same thrall over me that it once did.

Just the same, Ethan Cross definitely is a talented author with a gift for spinning a thrilling story, and I am glad I took a chance on The Prophet.

Rating:  (Very Good)



To learn more about Ethan Cross and his books, please visit the author's website.

I hope you will check out what others had to say about The Prophet on the Partners in Crime Tour route!

Many thanks to the Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this book tour. E-copy of The Prophet provided by publisher.

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© 2012, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Bookish Thoughts: Sweat by Mark Gilleo

Sweat by Mark Gilleo
Story Plant, 2012 (ISBN-13: 978-1611880519)
Crime Fiction; 366 pgs

It’s been awhile since I last read a political thriller.  This one had a lot going on and quite a few smarmy characters.   

From the Publisher:

When Jake Patrick took a summer internship at his estranged father’s corporation, he anticipated some much-needed extra cash and a couple of free meals from his guilty dad. He would never have guessed that he'd find himself in the center of an international scandal involving a U.S. senator, conspiracy, backroom politics, and murder. Or that his own life would hang in the balance. Or that he’d find help – and much more than that – from a collection of memorable characters operating on all sides of the law. Jake’s summer has turned into the most eventful one of his life. Now he just needs to survive it.

From the sweatshops of Saipan to the most powerful offices in Washington, SWEAT rockets through a story of crime and consequences with lightning pacing, a twisting plot, an unforgettable cast of characters, and wry humor. It is another nonstop thriller from one of the most exciting new voices in suspense fiction.

Mark Gilleo takes his time setting up the story and introducing the characters.  It by no means slowed the story down, however.   If anything, it built a good foundation, especially given everything going on in the novel.   And there was A LOT going on.   I was particularly drawn to the story of Wei Ling, the seamstress in the sweat shop and her plight.  She was being held prisoner against her will and forced to endure terrible circumstances.  I thought the way her fellow seamstresses attempted to come to her aid initially was ingenious and gutsy.

Many of the characters were well developed, the author getting into their heads about why they made the choices they did.  Still, I really wanted to know Jake more—he at times seemed too perfect.  He was the character, however, to which I most identified.  He and Kate, another character I wouldn’t have minded getting to know better.   Jake clearly has a good heart, wanting to do what is right.  Jake’s dad, Peter Winthrop, was a much more complex character.  He’s a person who likes to bend the rules.  I admit I didn’t like him from the start and never really warmed to him.  I’m not sure I was meant to.  Even so, I was fascinated by the man and curious as to the direction his and Jake’s relationship would go.

Which also has me thinking about Lee Chang and his father’s relationship.  The two men, like Jake and his father, seem to have a somewhat estranged relationship.  Lee Chang, being in Saipan, as sort of a punishment for a past failure.  He feels the need to prove his worth –and value to his father.  Jake, on the other hand, never really seemed like someone with something to prove.  He obviously wanted to get to know his father better, learn what kind of man he was, but he had no delusions as to what he would find.  Nor did he seem all that surprised. 

The conditions in the sweatshop in Saipan were quite different from the lifestyle led by those pulling the strings, both in Saipan, China and Washington D.C.  It was hard to feel sorry for the blackmailed Senator Day given his actions and attitude.  If anything I felt bad for his wife and unborn child.

The author has a gift for storytelling and bringing multiple story lines together.  The tension increased as the novel went on, really taking off during second half of the novel.  I found Sweat to be an entertaining read overall.  I really hope the author explores Kate and Jake’s relationship further in a future book, as well as Kate’s family. I see a lot of potential there, especially since it seems as if there is more to the Sorrentinos than first meets the eye.

Rating: (Good +)

To learn more about Mark Gilleo and his books, please visit the author's website.

I hope you will check out what others had to say about Sweat on the Partners in Crime Tour route!

Many thanks to the Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this book tour. E-copy of Sweat provided by publisher.

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© 2012, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.