Saturday 5 October 2013

The Field of Blackbirds Review

I do not read a lot of crime thrillers but Thomas Ryan's The Field of Blackbirds has made me rediscover an affection for the genre. I very rarely give out five star reviews but this was one of those rare books that was hard to put down.

What begins as a New Zealand vineyard owner's quest to find his missing friend, Arben Shala, in Kosovo after he disappears turns into an international hunt for a terrorist network that are blowing up the European landscape. There's double crossing, corruption at the highest official level, secret agencies and murder.

While the story is fictitious it feels very real. The characters, both Jeff, Morgan, Sulla and their enemies are all well crafted characters with their own personalities. The bad guys are not shady, pantomine figures which you never see, they feel like real people.

Thomas Ryan has hit the nail on the head with HIS crime thriller, offering a believable portrayal of the covert world of terrorist hunting with a balanced mix of danger, humour and romance thrown in. A story with many twists that will keep you turning the page. I hope to see Jeff Bradley returning in a sequel.

It gets 8/10 and can be purchased here.

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