I found this book listed as one of the best thrillers of last year, and it turned out to be a pretty good book.
This might be the first thriller I’ve read where the main character is black. I’m sure I’ve read other books where the main character was black but it didn’t really register as pertinent. In this book the character’s color is an important part of his identity, and maybe because of the area of the USA where he lives the author makes sure to point out the colors of the characters in this story.
The action in this book was fast-paced and the writer often invoked what you expect from cliche scenes of action movies as a device to upend the reader’s expectations. I liked the main character, he is a guy who is trying to do the right thing by his family but also somehow get ahead of his financial obligations.
The bad guys in this book are suitably evil and interesting, and the story often hints at behavior that happens beyond the reader’s view – we just kind of infer and that makes the story more interesting.
I felt like there was an overuse of similes throughout the book – so much that it was distracting. Maybe some people like to save these up and use them at their next party but it felt a little forced to me. Maybe just a writer’s quirk.
Overall I liked this book – a step up in intensity for me, but still entertaining and a good read.
Next I’m reading Exit Strategy by Martha Wells.
