Blown Circuit Review
“A fast-paced spy, action thriller”
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The plot
Michael Chase is an independent CIA contractor searching for his father (a theme continued from the first book in the series, Lethal Circuit). A message from his father, intercepted by the NSA, brings him to Istanbul, Turkey where he is soon forced to outrun a bomb. There is no time for Michael to catch his breath as he is thrust into the hunt for a 60 year old ultra-destructive device. He must find it before a terrorist group gets to use it for their own gain. Finding the device and working out who he can trust is one part of the problem, but staying alive is something else altogether.
The hero
Michael Chase is a fearless hero who finds himself in over his head on many occasions as he is tossed from one life-threatening situation to the next. Driven by his desire to find his father and to thwart an international incident, he is always committed to the end goal. He seems to be a pawn in everyone else’s plots but keeps on fighting with his ultimate goals in mind. He is quick thinking, which combined with his sheer grit and determination, helps him through the chaos, although Lady Luck does look after him on occasion. Only once does he let his emotions get in the way of what needs to be done, but that makes his character seem more believable.
The cast of supporting characters
The most interesting supporting character for me was Meryem. She changed like a chameleon between a waitress, a bride, a spy, a terrorist and a friend – but who was she really? She was well described and her actions became clearer as you grew to understand her motivations.
The ‘could not put it down’ parts
When Michael was buried alive – you felt like you were there with him. Not a pleasant thought.
When Michael’s rope anchor failed as he was climbing up the castle wall. Avoiding certain death seemed unlikely – very “Mission Impossible”.
The craziest part
Plummeting to his death, Michael was saved by the wind as it tossed a fat electric cord to him like a big yellow beanstalk – crazy convenience!
Where I was left wanting more
I really wanted to get to know Michael better as I followed his crazy adventure. Perhaps I’m missing some background from book 1, Lethal Circuit, but I found him a bit one dimensional. Other than the odd reference to his father, there was little information to make me really get inside his head and feel for him as opposed to any secret agent going through this exciting sequence of events.
Why it was good
Lars Guignard has a real knack for packing action and adventure into a book. The twists and turns are plentiful, unexpected and keep on coming. Tension is prevalent throughout and the plot keeps moving with mini-cliffhangers appearing at the end of most chapters.
There is a lot going on but nothing too complicated that you lose track. The ‘who can he trust’ question is a regular theme throughout the book and it will be interesting to see how Michael learns from these discoveries in the third book.
If you like spy thrillers where there is constant danger and non-stop action, then this is the book for you.
If you would like to read more about “Blown Circuit” or meet Michael Chase in the first book of the series, “Lethal Circuit”, you can read the first 10% for FREE via the “Look Inside” feature on Amazon.
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Website: http://www.larsguignard.com/
