Robert Finn (1)

Not bad for a first published novel but I felt it suffered from a less than page-turning pace as well as a noticeable number of adverbs used in dialogue tags, as in: "he said softly," or "she said agreeably". A few I wouldn't have minded, but when I, a writer aspiring to be published and constantly reading experts who say essentially "Don't use any adverbs unless absolutely necessary," I notice them and it detracts from my enjoyment of and immersion in the story.

I will say the protagonists show more were distinctive and not run of the mill. The slight bit of 'sci-fi' or 'fantasy' contained in the plot was believable as was the story arc. The ending was a bit predictable, but presented in a fresh way, although the climax was a bit too contrived to really sell me. It seemed like the cavalry rode to the rescue from out of nowhere, even though it was explained afterwards.

I highly recommend this book to unpublished authors so they can see that a less than technically perfect book can get published if the characters and plot are fresh enough. show less

I came to this knowing next to nothing about it, so I had no expectations at all, which makes a nice change, as I often have a little background to books before reading, whether it's through reviews or recommendations. It's rather mysterious yet rather down-to-earth and realistic in a way that Dan Brown's Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code were perhaps lacking a little. It's also set in England, which makes rather a refreshing change for this kind of thing.

There's a lot of intrigue, show more suspense and general mystery throughout, as well as some interesting characters that are very well-written. I got the feeling I'd want to be friends with David and Susan if I met them. I was especially glad they didn’t just jump into bed together the first chance they got (as is often the case with this kind of book).

I had to laugh when I came across a passage where David and Susan discussed the fact that James Bond always had exactly the gadgets he needs and never has any left over, nor does he ever forget to bring one along so that it's missed later. Susan commented that she was sure she'd seen a comedy sketch along those lines. I know exactly what she's talking about - it's Eddie Izzard and I know it backwards. I almost spoke the lines out loud, "What are you doing Mr. Bond?" and "I will sit in the back where I can see you with my eyes" (all done in a preposterously unidentifiable accent). It was a nice nod towards a timeless piece of modern culture and cleverly done.

I will most certainly be getting hold of the sequel, Ex Machina when I get the chance. show less

David has carved a niche for himself in the world as a security consultant for an old established insurance firm, he recovers lost goods. However the latest investigation brings him into the world of strange abilities and superhuman powers. A building his firm insures has been broken into and 2 out of 3 of the villans are dead, the other one survived a fall that's impossible.
He recruits the help of american academic Susan Milton because one of the items stolen is a very old talisman. The show more stories about this talisman are far fetched, but what if they're true.

Billed as a British answer to the Da Vinci Code and the Rule of Four this is an interesting read, it kept me reading and curious to see whats going on. I also want to hunt up further books in this series, brain candy but fun. show less

Finn, has written a perfectly enjoyable romp of a thriller, as long as you don’t look too deeply with no other pretensions than for it to be a thrilling book to read.

Read my full review at:
http://www.bartsbookshelf.co.uk/2008/03/23/adept-robert-finn/