I was well invested for the first half of the book. Max McLean, an assassin, is a solid character, despite his 'profession'. But, my interest waned during the second half as it descended into incredibility.

After a mission that doesn't end the way his handlers commissioned, Max is dispatched to Sierra Leone to find the cause or the person responsible for the slaughter…vicious, evil slaughter...of people in jungle villages. What he discovers is hideous and horrific beyond belief. When he eventually finds the person responsible, he has to face difficult truths and the fact that he was probably not destined to return home.

An action-packed political spy thriller this certainly is. Brabazon is a very articulate writer, but apart from my disbelief as I approached the second half, I did get a little confused with who was working for whom and who was double-bluffing…or not.

I have to say that the reference the virus passed from fruit bats to deer, who then passed it on to humans, was a bit jaw-dropping. The book was published in 2018. Uncanny, or what? ( )

Wow-- great suspensful thrill ride that constantly kept me guessing. This would make a great movie. My son is reading it now, and is liking it as much as I did. I am eager for more of this series. ( )

Assassin Maximilian McLean, working as part of an elite group of British intelligence operatives called the Unknown, broke with following the rules when he didn’t take out a target and allowed a woman to live. Max, believing the target to be a mistaken identity, didn’t want the responsibility of having killed an innocent.

Perhaps he’s outlived his usefulness, but it’s decided to send him to Sierra Leone where the jungles are harboring someone . . . or something . . . that’s slaughtering villagers.

And Max may well become the next victim.

This techno–thriller offers readers a complex protagonist, unexpected plot twists, and, while grisly and cringe-worthy at times, ever-mounting tension that keeps the pages turning at breakneck speed. A strong sense of place adds to the telling of the tale, but the continual use of expletives is, at times, off-putting. ( )

The Break Line- A Brilliant Thriller

The Break Line is a brilliant debut thriller from James Brabazon and has brought his skills as a journalist and filmmaker to bear. He knows how to hook a reader and keep them hovering up the pages like an addict on crack.

This is one of the tautest thrillers out at the moment, dealing with the British covert operations, with a mix of Mi5 and Mi6 making an appearance. Along with the ‘unknowns’ British operatives who did the ‘wet’ work better known as killings. So strange it could be true, because who does really know what the secret service gets up to in the name of the British people.

Max Mclean picked out at an early age to be a sniper officially did not exist according to the British government and all the relevant military arm of the country. Max and his masters have started to lose faith in each other and is sent on a mission to see if he can still be trusted.

He visits a comrade at arms who is in a military facility and is not well. Sonny Boy was one of the bravest and strongest men he knew but was locked away rambling about they were coming for him. He had been to West Africa and was suffering from mortal terror.

Max heads to West Africa for his mission, alone and with no back up, when he comes face to face with the enemy he has to liquidate. What he learns scares him and he has to try and get back home alive. Even though there would be those who would not be too pleased to hear that he is alive and back in the UK.

This really is a great thriller that will get you gripped and keep you hooked from beginning to end. This is a seriously hardcore thriller, complex and a case of who is the good guy here?

A really brilliant debut thriller, hope there is more to come. ( )