3 out of 4 stars
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With great power comes great responsibility and danger. That is what Hazel Branson learned the hard way in C. Edgar North’s Nighthawk: Chief Hazel. This is the third book in the Nighthawk trilogy. It is written in third-person point of view. I had the pleasure to read the second book in the series. However, it is not necessary to read the first two books. Nighthawk: Chief Hazel can be considered a stand-alone book.
Hazel Branson is now the Chief of Midlake First Nations Indian band. Her genuine care for tribe’s future gained the support of her people. Meanwhile, Joseph, her husband, is still on the run from the FBI for murder and smuggling. His business dealings with Igor Romanoff, a Russian arms dealer, were successful albeit some troubles. Little did he know that his exploits with Maoist and Islamic militants were observed by the CIA.
With Joseph away from home, Hazel also took over their family businesses. A complication in the smuggling operation prompted Hazel to stop their contract with the North Koreans. She never thought that her decision would bring danger to her family.
Nighthawk: Chief Hazel is a work of fiction that takes you to the different parts of the world. Joseph’s exploits take him to Nigeria and India. I was not well-acquainted with the infamous militants such as the Maoist Naxalites in India and the Boko Haram in Nigeria. I have learned many things about these militants from reading the novel. It was evident that Mr. North took time to research these radicals and incorporate them into the novel. While the characters are fictional, I could not help but think that the circumstances described in the novel also happened in real life. For example, there was a part in the book that showed how the militants recruit new members. The tactics they used were similar to the ones employed by known freedom-fighters. Additionally, I did a little research on these militants and the damage they did in their countries. Simply put, I was shocked with the things I learned on the internet. I also gained insights on how the government handles cases of kidnapping, smuggling, and terrorism. I became more aware of the gravity of some deep-rooted crimes and how it affects an entire nation.
While there were fewer action scenes, violence and turmoil were present in the novel. There was also sexual content, although it was not too explicit. The action scenes and sexual content were toned down because there was more narration. I found some errors in the book as well. For example, the Japanese term “Sensi” should be “Sensei.” I also noticed some missing punctuation marks. There were few errors, but it was enough to distract me from my reading.
Taking everything into consideration, I award Nighthawk: Chief Hazel by C. Edgar North 3 out of 4 stars. Readers of fiction, crime, and adventure genres will enjoy this novel.
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Nighthawk: Chief Hazel
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