Monday 26 February 2018

The Lost Codex by Alan Jacobson

The Lost Codex (OPSIG Team Black #3)The Lost Codex by Alan Jacobson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not my first Alan Jacobson novel but my first in this OPSIG Team Black series. I was a little daunted by the length of the book, but I should not have been as it is excellent and the pages flew past. Ancient documents threaten to destabilise the current world order. Religion as we know is very divisive and responsible for most of the world conflicts. These ancient religious scripts stand at the centre of a battle between foreign governments and religious extremist groups, endangering the lives of millions.
What makes this book exciting is the inclusion of all the right ingredients of spies, politics and a good dose of terror. The OPSIG team are tasked to find the documents and capture/eliminate those responsible for the attacks in the US. The story moves at a fast pace, providing a very thrilling and exciting read you don't want to put down. The author has skillfully linked current terror threats that are commonplace today to the existence of old religious scrolls to weave an excellent thriller.

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The Scandal ( Beartown ) by Fredrik Backman

BeartownBeartown by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My version of this novel is titled "The Scandal", "Beartown" was the title used for US publication. I think this alternate name provides a better clue to the content. You are also dragged along waiting for this scandal to happen. I say dragged as the major part of the book deals with the story of a small community deep in the Swedish forest struggling for survival and where the sport of ice hockey is everything. At the ice rink the junior team is preparing for the semi-finals in the national tournament, something that has never happened in recent history , promising the riches of national recognition and subsequent investment in the town.
The author quietly builds up to the match profiling the main characters and their relationships, this part is not a thrilling read but is compelling as you wait for the scandal.
It is a very good novel which examines the lives of people in a harsh and demanding environment, how can anyone live here during the long winter months without having some reason to stay. For them it is ice hockey.

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