Review: The End Game

The End Game by Catherine Coulter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This series just gets better and better with the suspense and character development. In The End Game, Nicholas and Mike are back with a doozy of a case. This time, they have a terrorist group working to destroy the US power grid. This type of fanatical thinking which started out somewhat reasonable is scary because it mimics reality a bit too closely. Ms. Coulter does an excellent job of posing the "what-if" scenario. Is this an alarmist book to call to arms American citizens? No. Is this a crazy crackpot conspiracy theory to get Americas all stirred up as a misdirection? No. What this story does, is cleverly provide a way to educate readers on how good causes can go so far off the edge.

The suspense and action in the story kept me on the edge as Nicholas works against the clock to find the targets and defuse the bombs. What is scary about the bombs is how small the bad guys are creating them. Is it possible for such small bombs to be created? It's speculative yet still teases me with possibilities of current military R&D. The way the terrorist are represented is well done. Seeing how they are at the inception of the group and as they morph over time shows how objectives change. I like how Ms. Coulter shows the group of "tightly" knit protesters becoming increasingly erratic and violent.

This story is more focused on Mike. We learn more about Mike's background and her perseverance. Mike and Nicholas are a great duo who partner so well together. Mike is a good balance for Nicholas and vice versa. The supporting character, Vanessa is impressive. I really liked Vanessa as a deep cover agent. The fear she experiences as things go pear-shaped is described so well. My heart beats faster as she's threatened. When she tries to fool her compatriots, I am sweating. In addition to Vanessa, the tie ins with Sherlock and Savich showing up to help out only brings me glee. S Squared team are unbeatable. When they work on the case from a different angle, it is a pleasure to watch.


What I also liked about this book is the hefty length. I felt it was just right. The pace of the book starts out a bit slow and quickly picks up. With all the different threads going on at the same time, I'm never bored. There is something about Ms. Coulter's writing style which appeals to how my mind processes data. She provides just enough information to keep my mind stimulated, trying to figure out the pieces and anticipate the next steps. I can't wait to see the next book in the series. It keeps my attention from the beginning to end. Recommended to suspense readers who enjoy current event tie ins.

*provided by Edelweiss



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