By J. F. Kirwan
Rating:
Source: PR Copy for blog tour
After two long years spent in a secret British prison, Nadia Laksheva is suddenly granted her
freedom. Yet there is a dangerous price to pay for her release: she must retrieve the Russian nuclear
warhead stolen by her deadliest enemy, a powerful and ruthless terrorist known only as The Client.
But her mysterious nemesis is always one step ahead and the clock is ticking. In 37 hours, the warhead will explode, reducing the city of London to a pile of ash. Only this time, Nadia is prepared to pull the trigger at any cost...
The deadly trail will take her from crowded Moscow to the silent streets of Chernobyl, but will Nadia find what she is looking for before the clock hits zero?
I went into 37 hours without having read Kirwan's first novel in the series, titled 66 meters, but I can't say that it affected my enjoyment of the novel as I finished this book very quickly at the start of the month, I almost didn't finish it in a day -but I managed it. There is a lot of character/relationship development that I feel would have been more impactful had I read the first book before this one, but it was still a very intense read.
For example the main antagonist is the same as in the previous novel, much like the protagonist -and for the record I do really like this idea, even if I didn't get the full effect.
When I read the blurb for this book I knew I'd enjoy it, criminals, nuclear weapons, badass female characters... What more could you need from a book? Oh wait, stealing a submarine and the aforementioned nuclear warhead, fighting sharks and a visit to Chernobyl. Hows that for an action packed book?
The diving element of the book series is very unique too, or at least I've never read about it before -maybe it's a trope I've missed, but that was a whole other level of exciting that you don't get with car chases.
It's been a while since I read, or even watched, a spy thriller, so the graphic nature of the book did hit me a little harder than it might have done at the start of the year, Kirwan never over did it though, the scene was set perfectly and I found myself being fully immersed in the series of events he had created.
Nadia is amazing too, I really enjoyed reading about her and I'll definitely be picking up 66 meters at some point because I'm intrigued to know more about her and the relationships that seemed to develop in this book. Although she is a killer, and ruthless at that, she commands the attention of the reader and I was rooting for her the whole time. You'll come to understand that Nadia has a very complex person with a past that would explain some of the decisions she's made.
I would recommend this book to any fans of sci-fi, thrillers and spy novels, there is a lot to like about this book and it only lost a star because I think to be read as a standalone it needs a little more for me to understand personal relationships and more intimate feelings, but I would read the rest of the series too when I have the chance/as it's released.
Thanks for reading!
J.F. Kirwan is a writer for Harper Collins, under their HQ digital imprint. By day he works in aviation and nuclear safety, but at night, during bouts of insomnia, he writes thrillers with significant body counts. He’s an ex-diving instructor, so there is an underwater element in each of his two novels, 66 Metres and 37 Hours. Most readers find his writing has a cinematic feel, as if you are there with the characters. The original inspiration for the protagonist, Nadia, came from Stieg Larsson’s Girl with the dragon tattoo, though David Baldacci and Lee Child have had significant impact on the writing style, plotting and pace. He is currently writing the third book in the series.
Website: http://www.jfkirwan.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kirwanjf
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/66metres
Thanks a lot Rebecca, great review! So glad you enjoyed the diving - as you say, a whole other world!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant book, thank you for the chance to read!
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