Bradley Wright (2)

I enjoy novels of international intrigue, and this novel captured my attention as I was curious as to what is "The Secret Weapon?" It is not what but who. Alexander King is the who, and I didn't realize until adding my review on GoodReads that although I read the first in the series about this character, multiple Alexander King prequels were introducing Xander King. I enjoyed the title as a stand-alone.

In exploring the author's background, I smiled to learn that Bradley Wright is from show more Kentucky; when the character of Alexander King talks of his home, there is a true sense of home that shines through his descriptions. The old saying is, "Home is where the heart is." I felt the descriptions of King's Kentucky home were the most vivid and sensory descriptions in the novel.

I would suggest that this novel is an addition to the tbr list for all who enjoy books by Brad Thor, who created the respected character of Scot Harvath (also an ex-Navy SEAL). show less

Even when reading, it is always exciting to meet a new character in law enforcement that if ever someone was in some type of situation when he/she (or in his/her family) needed justice that there would be someone to call upon, to rely upon, with absolute faith that the person would see the case through to the end regardless of the danger and with absolute confidence that the person was incorruptible. I knew that I had read about that guy when I "met" Jack Reacher as created by Lee Childs. show more [Also to clarify, that is not the Jack Reacher that Tom Cruise is portraying in the movies as he "doesn't even come close" to my imaginative character portrayal which I prefer to retain.]

Now there's "a new kid on the block" in law enforcement in Lawson Raines as created by Bradley Wright. Especially if you're on the East Coast, you may not have heard about him as he's been in prison for the last 10 years but Lawson was considered a rising star in the FBI out in Las Vegas. I have to emphasize the past tense as a rising star as he's been serving a life sentence for murdering his wife. Justice failed him 10 years ago. Is justice still possible after all this time? Will he ever be able to see his daughter again? What has she been told for the last 10 years?

This was a fast-paced thriller with some unexpected twists in Lawson's journey for justice that I didn't see coming. I couldn't seem to read fast enough to get the answers I wanted and yet I didn't want to miss a clue to figure out everything. That's a good story!

After finishing this novel, the first thing I did was to check to see whether this novel might be a series opener and was so excited to discover that Lawson's story will continue in "Shooting Star" (Lawson Raines #2). show less

Definitely page turning suspense, but at times, I thought the plot dragged on as if the author had a page count to fulfill and hadn't gotten there yet and so had to put in yet another obstacle.

I have not read the other books in this series or in the prequel series. I see one other reviewer states this is the final book in the series--I suspect these characters may appear in another story or series because of the many unanswered questions at the end of the book.

I was a bit disappointed that show more the book starts with Sarah and Xander on the morning after. I had to wonder why Sarah slept with him when she apparently knew that he loved Natalie--even if Natalie was supposedly out of the picture to protect her (supposedly anyway).

Not knowing the history of the characters made it a bit hard to figure out why they all are so loyal to Xander. There are some previous incidents referenced in this book that are not fully explained. It will not stop your enjoyment of the book if you haven't read the previous ones in the series, but you might understand more if you do read the books in order.

So, the unanswered questions:
*Will Xander really be able to stick to his decision to not be part of the new team that's been given approval? (My guess is no--but whether he goes back to what he does or only intervenes when someone he cares about is in deep danger is another question to be answered.)
*Will Xander and Natalie end up together?
*Will Kyle and Sarah end up together? There's interest. Will it spark? show less