Author: Lars Guignard
Narrator: Ben Sullivan
Published: August 8th 2013
Publisher: Fantastic Press
Lenght: 8 hrs and 26 mins
Source: Blog tour review copy
Buy: Audible
A Chinese satellite is on crash course with Earth.It contains enough plutonium to irradiate a large city.And that's the good news...In the tradition of Tom Clancy, Michael Crichton, and Robert Ludlum, comes a new hero.Michael Chase is a twenty-six year old backpacker, a recent college grad, an amateur. He flew to Hong Kong to find his missing father. Four hours later, he's running for his life. The Chinese Secret Police want him dead. The Conspiracy wants him dead. And the one person who he thinks is on his side, may want him dead too. If Michael is going to live, he'll need to find a hidden piece of Nazi technology lost since World War II. And he'll have to do it before anyone else. Because if he doesn't, a little plutonium is going to be the least of his problems.
In the two years since I started The Nocturnal Library, I’ve never once reviewed a spy thriller, and Lethal Circuit was such an excellent choice for a beginner. The fact remains, however, that I have no experience reviewing these, but I’ll try my best.
Although Michael’s father is a businessman who was mostly absent during his childhood, he raised Michael lovingly and they are, even in Michael’s adulthood, very close. So when his father suddenly goes missing somewhere in China, Michael is devastated, until he learns, several months late, that his father might just be alive after all. Upon receiving the news and the video to confirm it, Michael packs his bags and travels to Asia to locate his dad. But what awaits him in this foreign and often hostile country is more danger than he’d anticipated and quite a few surprises along the way.
The story is told mostly from Michael’s perspective, but Guignard included short chapters that focus on Michael’s pursuers. I must admit I found those chapters somewhat disruptive, especially since there was very little to indicate the change in perspectives. I’m not a fan of multiple points of view at best of times, but at least these chapters were short. While I could have done without them, they didn’t bother me nearly as much as I’d assumed when the first one started.
I quite liked Michael. There’s certain calmness in him that was reflected perfectly in Ben Sullivan’s excellent narration. Some might consider it dry at times, but he never slipped into an overly dramatic mode, which was especially important during the action scenes.
Reviewing a book like Lethal Circuit is extremely tricky. Everything I write or even hint at is potentially a spoiler, and I’d like to avoid those at all costs. I enjoyed every curveball this book threw at me and I wouldn’t want to rob you of the same experience. Suffice it to say that nothing is as it seems in Michael’s life. If you decide to read this, and you should, be ready for quite a few surprises.
A copy of this book was kindly provided through CBB Promotions for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinions expressed in this review.
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This intrigues me. Michael's character is definitely suited for this type of books. The calmness to contrast the turmoil around him.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Maja!
I'm so glad you enjoyed this one, Maja. Like you said, it's different from what you usually read - and different from what I read as well! I'm not sure if it's for me, but it sounds fascinating. Great review, dear!
ReplyDeleteA good spy thriller sounds so good right! So glad this was a good place for you to start int he genre Maja!
ReplyDeleteI so agree this genre is tricky to review since a lot of the plot reveals things. I am delighted you enjoyed this. I love this genre and try to read a few a year. I am actually thinking this might be a good second experience with audio.
ReplyDeleteSpy thrillers aren't something I really read either so I was glad I enjoyed it so much. And I'm glad you did too! It was hard to review without spoilers! I liked the parts with Mobi, even though it happened at cliffhanger moments with Michael much of the time. I liked getting a little something different thrown in.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for hosting a tour stop and reviewing this!
oh a spy thriller! sounds like fun. Hard to say when was the last time I read one that didn't include romance, but it sounds like this one was decent! I can understand why the sudden view points can be disruptive, especially when you just got with the flow with one of them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking Lethal Circuit for a spin. Great review and no spoilers, which is always tricky with these genres. Cheers! Lars
ReplyDeleteI've never tried an audiobook, but I should one day to see how it is...
ReplyDeleteThat's great you enjoyed this one, especially since it's a genre you don't read as often. It sounds pretty exciting!! I have yet to listen to an audiobook. I know, I need too!
ReplyDeleteI think I would enjoy it more as a movie
ReplyDeleteThis is new to me, but I quite like the sound of it! I can't say that I read very many spy thrillers either, but I imagine that this might just be the sort of thing that I'd enjoy. The multiple perspectives worry me a little, but overall this sounds like a worthwhile read. Thanks for sharing, Maja!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds good! I always have an audiobook that I am listening to, as well as a book I am reading! I have come to love audio books so much! I can clean my house, and still "read" a book! It's awesome! I cannot sit and read all day, much to my dismay, so audio books have been great! Having said that, if the narrator isn't good, it ruins the whole book for me. I recently listened to a book and the narrator was so bad I couldn't even finish! I tried to read the actual book, but now all I can hear is the horrible voice in my head...Thanks for the great review!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the POV changes. Those almost never work for me, and I found they took away from the intensity and suspense, rather than adding to it. But they didn't bother me too much in the end. It's very hard to review this without spoilers, but you did a lovely job! :-)
ReplyDelete