Book Review: Dance with the Enemy by Rob Sinclair

Title: Dance with the Enemy (The Enemy Series Book 1)
Author: Rob Sinclair
Published: 6 February 2014
Publisher: Clink Street Publishing

Twitter: @RSinclairAuthor
Blog/website: www.robsinclairauthor.com

Synopsis

Carl Logan was the perfect agent. A loner, with no real friends or family, he was trained to deal with any situation with cold efficiency, devoid of emotion. But Logan isn’t the man he used to be, or the asset he once was. Five months ago his life changed forever when he was captured, tortured and left for dead by Youssef Selim, one of the world’s most violent terrorists. When Selim mysteriously reappears in Paris, linked to the kidnapping of America’s Attorney General, Logan smells his chance for revenge. Pursuing his man relentlessly, oblivious to the growing trail of destruction that he leaves in his wake, Logan delves increasingly deep into the web of lies and deceit surrounding the kidnapping. Finally, he comes to learn just what it means to Dance with the Enemy.

Review

I was provided with a copy of this book by the author in return for an honest review.

This is the first thriller that I have read for a while and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book was a real page turner from start to finish.

Dance with the Enemy introduces us to Carl Logan, an undercover operative for a covert international intelligence agency. Logan is on medical leave after being tortured by violent terrorist, Youssef Selim. When the US Attorney General, Frank Modena, is kidnapped and it appears that Selim may have some involvement, Logan is called in to rescue Modena. A natural loner, he reluctantly pairs up with FBI Agent Angela Grainger and the story follows their attempts to successfully complete their mission to rescue Modena whilst Logan also deals with his own need for revenge against Selim and the psychological repercussions associated with that earlier assignment.

The writing is descriptive and gripping, taking me on a fast-paced adventure through Paris and the French countryside. For a first attempt at a novel, Sinclair proves that he is more than capable of writing a great thriller. The characters of Logan and Grainger feel real and well-rounded, as we slowly get to know them and understand their motivations. The dialogue between them feels true to the situations that they find themselves in. The plot is well-constructed and I did not notice any major plot gaps. I found it easy to follow the story. This book sets off at a run and does not slow down, it is full of non-stop action which kept me gripped from the first chapter.

I particularly liked the character of Logan. He is a stubborn and flawed person, struggling to return to his ‘normal’ way of life. However, despite his flaws and weaknesses, I found him to be an intriguing character and part of the pull of the story for me was to learn what had happened in that previous assignment to have caused him such mental trauma.

I found the story to be exciting and gripping until the end. The bonus for me has to be that I did not guess the ending in advance. I love it when I’m kept guessing right until the last moment.

To me, the book seemed to be of a James Bond/Jack Reacher-style. I think this is a book that most people would enjoy and I am happy to recommend it as such.

I note Dance with the Enemy is supposed to be the first in a trilogy and I am excited to read the second book, Rise of the Enemy, which I understand is due to be released shortly.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The book is released in electronic format and is currently priced at £1.19 on Amazon UK or a paperback version is available for £7.99 at Amazon UK.

About the Author

Rob began writing in 2009 following a promise to his wife, an avid reader, that he could pen a ‘can’t put down’ thriller.

Dance with the Enemy, the story of embattled intelligence agent Carl Logan, released in June 2014, was Rob’s first published novel and the first in a trilogy of novels following Carl Logan. Rise of the Enemy is the second book in the Enemy series, due for release in early 2015.

Rob is a qualified accountant. He has worked for a global accounting firm since graduating from The University of Nottingham in 2002, specialising in forensic fraud investigations at both national and international levels.

Originally from the North East of England, Rob has lived and worked in a number of fast paced cities, including New York, and is now settled in the West Midlands with his wife and young sons.

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