The End Game

This was a fair addition to the Burn Notice series, but I'll have to admit I didn't like it as much as Goldberg's first Burn Notice novel, The Fix.

For me, it just felt as if there was way too much reliance on the internal narrative. I got to the point, after a while, where if I read the sentence "When you're a spy..." one more time, I was going to give up. I'd much rather see the characters actually interacting, and see the plot grow out of their actions, rather than out of all the exposition.

But maybe that's just me... ( )

Imitates the show's voice-over / internal dialogue well, sometimes insightful and amusing, but relied on too much instead of showing a story. Bland characters. Needlessly overcomplicated and overexplained plot. ( )

Michael Westen is a former spy who now resides in Miami, trying to figure out the mystery behind his burn notice. Until he uncovers the truth, Michael takes odd jobs helping people. His latest client is a man who races a yacht in a high profile race. His family has been taken hostage, and he has been ordered to lose the race if he ever wants to see them alive again. Michael must not only learn who has the man’s family, but hold off the Italian mafia who want nothing more than to win the race.

As a fan of the TV show, I had to read this tie-in novel. I was pleasantly surprised. All of the action, adventure, and humor are wrapped up in this novel. It reads like you’re watching an episode, with Michael’s frequent spy tips and snarky comments.

Michael’s friends Fiona (“former” IRA arms dealer) and Sam (former Navy SEAL) team up with Michael yet again. And Michael’s mom and brother make appearances and lead to more comedy relief as Michael must deal with trying to find his mom the perfect gift. Tod Goldberg has deftly written these colorful characters in a brand new adventure that will surely appease fans of the show. Bond fans shouldn’t miss this series on TV or in print. ( )