Darktown by Thomas Mullen

Atria Books

It's a very different story from what I'm used to read. Here, no disillusioned main character who fights his demons to succeed in his investigation but two Afro-American cops who are fighting the system to bring justice. 

The social dimension is really great and interesting and if you liked Dennis Lehanne's "The Given Day", this book is for you! 

You'll follow the political stakes at the dawn of major changes in the country, the injustices of segregation, the various mentalities, between elementary racists and progressives. 

Between Dunlow, the hateful cop, for whom the life of a black man is not a subject, protected by his colleagues, who embodies a "traditional" way of seeing the place of everyone that nobody wants to reconsider and Rakestraw, who realizes the injustices but hesitates to take sides not to be alone in front of his colleagues and also because the system in place is comfortable when the challenge brings a novelty that can be scary. 

Boggs and Smith also have two different ways of approaching their difficulties, one wants to rebel, the other play with the system. Who is right, who is wrong... and can they investigate without Rakestraw's help? How to conduct an investigation without risking their life despite all the injustice and hostility?

In a nutshell

A very good story, a beautiful social Lehanne's style saga and a well-crafted story.

What's the story ?

Responding to orders from on high, the Atlanta Police Department is forced to hire its first black officers, including war veterans Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith. The newly minted policemen are met with deep hostility by their white peers; they aren’t allowed to arrest white suspects, drive squad cars, or set foot in the police headquarters.

When a black woman who was last seen in a car driven by a white man turns up dead, Boggs and Smith suspect white cops are behind it. Their investigation sets them up against a brutal cop, Dunlow, who has long run the neighborhood as his own, and his partner, Rakestraw, a young progressive who may or may not be willing to make allies across color lines. Among shady moonshiners, duplicitous madams, crooked lawmen, and the constant restrictions of Jim Crow, Boggs and Smith will risk their new jobs, and their lives, while navigating a dangerous world—a world on the cusp of great change.

​Disclaimer: An e-galley of this title was provided to me by the publisher. No review was promised and the above is an unbiased review of the novel.

I am Pigrim

Terry Hayes
Atria/Emily Bestler Books (May 27 2014)
624 pages - 29.99 $

I am Pilgrim was released in the UK in 2013 and has now been released in North America (a shame when you know part of the story takes place in New York!) I started to hear about it on the social networks and I heard only praise. I am Pilgrim is a spy novel. However, espionage is not the kind of novel I love to read (but I enjoy watching a good James Bond or Bourne flicks). So I was not a priori particularly attracted by this book... so I took my time to read it and what a mistake!

                                                             *************************

An intelligent and taut debut thriller that depicts the collision course between two geniuses, one a tortured hero and one a determined terrorist.

In a seedy hotel near Ground Zero, a woman lies face down in a pool of acid, features melted off her face, teeth missing, fingerprints gone. The room has been sprayed down with DNA-eradicating antiseptic spray. Pilgrim, the code name for a legendary, world-class secret agent, quickly realizes that all of the murderer’s techniques were pulled directly from his own book—a cult classic of forensic science written under a pen name.

In offering the NYPD some casual assistance with the case, Pilgrim gets pulled back into the intelligence underground. Meanwhile, his adversary—a man simply known as “the Arab”—is plotting his next move in service to jihad. What follows is a thriller that jockeys between astonishingly detailed character study and breakneck globetrotting. It takes us from Pilgrim’s hidden life of leisure in Paris to the Arab’s squalid warrior life in Afghanistan, from the hallways of an exclusive Swiss bank to the laboratories of a nefarious biotech facility in Syria. Secrets are exposed and tension builds until Pilgrim and the Arab arrive in Turkey—where the two masterminds inevitably meet to face off in the shocking finale.

Like #1 New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor, Terry Hayes takes you on an action-packed adventure to the world’s most dangerous countries in this thrilling, twisting, beautifully orchestrated novel.

What's about that book ?

Because this book is actually a blend of James Bond (for the cultural side and espionage) and Bourne (for the action and tough side). This is excellent, well paced, the outcome takes guts, it's pure pleasure!

The book is written from the point of view of Pilgrim who explains everything, really everything. That is why, even if it always happens something, it's not always in relation to the ongoing story but always linked to the story. We discover the past of the main characters which allows us to better know them and understand what brings them together.

There are books that you love the atmosphere, the pace, the characters, the tone or whatever so much, that you do not grow weary and this is the case here. While some authors could make the book tedious with details and context, Hayes managed to make me appreciate all the parts of the story because he really masters the art of story-telling. Everything is connected, everything comes together, the different experiences of the characters explain their presence in the story and the tone of the book is excellent with just the required touches of humor when needed.

Speaking of characters, we meet Pilgrim, a former very secret services agent, " retired " - despite his young age - who is being called again because he's the only one who can save the country from the imminent threat. We know that Pilgrim was one of the best agents, if not the best, since he said it... I admit that I would have liked more anecdotes about his past to get an idea of why he's the best one as the only details explaining its soaring in the hierarchy of the secret world are a little flimsy. Saracen, the terrorist, is a character that we discover as a teenager and that we follow throughout his journey leading him to his will to destroy humanity, so that you can't completely hate him. And finally, Ben, the New York cop, a hero with a big heart, loyal and reliable. There are other characters that we not follow long but just as well written and who, despite their brief appearance, leave a strong impression in the novel.

I appreciated that the tension rises gradually, as Pilgrim gets close to the Saracen and finishes with a stressful race against the clock. I really enjoyed the clues planted by here and there by the author, foreshadowing what will happen - and it sets thinking - we know that this clue is important but not why till the twist and I must say that a lot of time I found it very good! I also enjoyed the trips we made ​​to cities and countries according to where Pilgrim goes - from Paris to New York, Turkey, Saudi Arabia...

In a nutshell

A first book for this author but what a book! Humor, suspense, a race against the clock, well-written characters and travels. It is a 5/5 for me.


Warning: An e- galley of this title was provided to me by the publisher. No review has been promised and chronic above is an unbiased review of the novel.

Game

(The Game Trilogy, Book 1)

by Anders de la Motte

384 pages - 11,99 $ (kindle)

Atria/Emily Bestler Books

I heard about this trilogy based on a game and technology. Not just any game, of course, a global game and a game master who pulls the strings and plays with the lives of his players. Anders de la Motte is a former cop, a consultant in international security and now a recognized and honored author for this trilogy. Thanks Netgalley and Atria Books for this book.

Synopsys

Follow the rules and everybody gets hurt . . . 

One Sunday morning after a long night of partying, Henrik “HP” Pettersson, a slacker with a lot of ego and very little impulse control, finds a cell phone of an unfamiliar make on a commuter train. Through insisting and slightly uncanny messages that refer to him by name, the phone invites him to play a game. HP accepts without hesitation. 

The rules are that HP must complete tasks that range from childish pranks to criminal acts, as allocated by the mysterious Game Master. HP is the perfect contender—alienated from society, devoid of morals, and desperate for fame. His completion of the assignments are filmed and uploaded onto a protected server where viewers rate the Players’ performances. 

The Game starts out innocently enough and then becomes increasingly risky, threatening the safety of someone close to HP. He is determined to become a superstar, but when the dark and tragic secrets of his family’s past are at stake, HP must make a choice. Will he suffer the humiliation of defeat, or will the need to win push him to the limit—no matter the cost? 

First in a fast-paced and riveting trilogy, Game will leave you guessing. Follow the rules, andeverybody gets hurt . . .

What I think of it

The story mostly follows Henrik (HP) and his sister Rebecca who are very different from one another. HP is a very intelligent waster but a rotten family history has left traces in him, as in his sister. The result is that he has a fundamental need for recognition. It's this need that the game master uses to get him into the game. Rebecca has a need to control everything in her life up to leave messages on her answering machine not to forget to do something and finds herself drawn into the game. We don't really know why these two are targeted by The Game at the end of the book but it's clear that there is an underlying reason which will undoubtedly clear at the end of the trilogy. I confess that I have not really hung out with the two characters. HP lacks a bit too much moral for my taste to make him friendly. As for Rebecca, she is too much aloof so I really appreciate her.

The coolest in this book is to explore the many a time discussed theme of international conspiracy but from the (almost) inside said plot. Of course, we don't know who pulls the strings in the first book but to know how it works, it's interesting. Each stunt is the result of a multitude of actions issued by the players. Everything is very well explained in the book and it makes the game credible. Finally, the book end with a cliffhanger and answers a question (who recruited HP?) but that answer is just what you need to want to read the other books (if you didn't already).

The pace and way of writing are well chosen to reproduce the idea of ​​a game. We move on to each character, one after the other like in a game. Paragraphs are sometimes very short, there are emails and texting. This gives the impression of being live, which reinforces the impression of being a spectator of The Game.

In a nutshell

While it's unfortunate that the two main characters are not the friendliest, game enthusiasts or international conspiracy lovers will love this book. I give it 3/ 5.