2 out of 4 stars
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A Tightening Noose by B.K. Berrell is a political thriller with a somewhat supernatural twist. The story follows Sam, a retired prize fighter turned criminal informant, and Vic, an ex-marine with a sordid past. Due to unlikely circumstances, the two cross paths when Sam, a CI for the ATF, is attempting to join a motorcycle club that frequents Vic’s bar. Before they know it, the two are enmeshed in a federal investigation and are forced to lay low. During this time, Vic takes a job in security at a top secret government building, but will his curiosity get him in even deeper trouble? A Tightening Noose is filled with mature content including drug use, violence and gang settings and may not be appropriate for all readers.
The author spends a lot of time developing Sam and Vic. Unfortunately, it feels like too much time is spent giving their backstory and not enough time is focused on the actual plot. Despite all that we learn about Sam, he doesn’t ever come to the forefront of the story; instead he is a background character for the majority of the current events. Even more disappointing, A Tightening Noose read like three different books. The first part tells the back story of Sam and Vic, whose pasts are totally unconnected. The second half of the book focuses mostly on Vic’s work at the installation. And lastly, the epilogue focuses on a different character searching for answers about his possibly deceased mother who resided in an asylum. If the author had focused on, or better connected these narratives, the book would have been significantly better.
Though this novel was interesting in some places and downright edge-of-your-seat-exciting in other places, much of the novel made almost no sense. In the author’s biography we are told he is currently working on a sequel which will hopefully shed some light on many of the unanswered questions and confusing scenarios that are introduced in this book. Despite the potential for a sequel, the ending was simply unsatisfying and much of what happened felt impetuous. For example, there is no build up to the main climax, making it feel outlandish. Further, the epilogue appears to have nothing to do with the story until one line at the very end; I really thought I was reading a different book!
Plot aside, for the most part, the writing flowed smoothly and the narrative moved along quickly. There were minor errors such as incorrect words or tenses, but they were occasional and not overly bothersome. However, there were major issues present in the formatting of the novel. There is a constant failure to use page breaks or chapters when a new scene begins. For instance, the narrative will be describing what Vic is doing and then the very next paragraph will involve a different character on a different day. This was incredibly distracting and hindered the readability of the narrative.
There are many good aspects of A Tightening Noose, but regrettably, the author fails to put together a cohesive, compelling story. Due to the unconnected storyline and the formatting issues, I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. Fans of thrillers, especially those involving law enforcement and armed forces, may enjoy this book.
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A Tightening Noose
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