Review by ReyvrexQuestor Reyes -- The last Assassination

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ReyvrexQuestor Reyes
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Review by ReyvrexQuestor Reyes -- The last Assassination

Post by ReyvrexQuestor Reyes »

[Following is a volunteer review of "The last Assassination" by James E Doucette.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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The Last Assassination by James E. Doucette is an intriguing and suspenseful thriller about Politics on a global scale. The events herein told do not necessarily unfold only in the tension-charged vicinities of Syria, Israel, Turkey, and their borders, but stretch further on to engulf the Russian Embassy at Turkey, the Royal Palace of Saudi Arabia, and the high offices of the White House and the Pentagon, as among the most notable ones.

The main flashpoint, the controversial bombing of a hospital at Aleppo, Syria, alleged to have been carried out by the US drones shocked the world and prompted Washington to launch a covert investigation. It was puzzling for the US military because such bombing mission was never ordered, and the possibility for someone to hack into their system is very improbable. And yet, someone has gone around their security safeguards, and a major somewhere reports to his general their successful bombing of the hospital, with payment given to the assassin that eliminated the terrorist they have hired to man the controls of the drones.

This novel is action-packed and fast-paced. And James E. Doucette has the goodwill to drop along the way pertinent clues for the discerning minds, in case they would fancy predicting the future scenes. Our knowledge of world history and current affairs would serve us well in piecing up the story. And now, imperative to be answered is the question regarding who was behind the bombing, so important to the political leadership of the US. While as to how it was done, their technocrats are dying to find out. If the motivation is just to kill and sow fear, then the terrorists could readily be the culprit. But then, given that capability to redirect the drones, why should the terrorists choose only such meager targets? They were known to stage bigger shows, of greater impact. There must be more to this incident than mere terrorism. Obviously, this was done to discredit America in the eyes of the world. Or some parties would gain from the ramifications to this disturbance on a far-reaching economic scale. Who are they?

Mr. Doucette has done a terrific job of developing the characters, with understandable motivation for what they do. Even the assassin, Philip, who started out as a stereotype for men with hardened will and nerves of steel, took on human traits when confronted with family and domestic life, despite the internal conflict raging within him. His vindictive alter ego has done quite enough, and he wanted to retire and to live a normal life. His attempt to keep secret his covert activities from his wife is just traditional with men dealing with military affairs, even when not belonging to the military themselves. You know, wives could leak out secrets, in cases circumstance make them sleep with the enemy, or they might get shocked upon knowing what their husbands do.

It is quite apparent that the author has a good working knowledge about the behavior of the men and women surrounding the President, how they react in times of crisis. Of the women, I must say, I like the character of Amanda, very impressive for a high-level negotiator, tackling down even men in high places of power. But that of “Skip” Gilmore may be said as having exhibited needless verbal fireworks. I was almost led to assume that he has some connection with the Russians, but this thread was left undeveloped.

I will recommend this novel to lovers of action thrillers, except to children who might yet be unable to comprehend the rationale behind political assassinations. And as the editing made it hard for me to find errors, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.

******
The last Assassination
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Post by bookowlie »

Another thorough and interesting review! I like that you mentioned there is good character development. In thrillers, there is so much emphasis on the twists and turns in the plot that the characters aren't always fleshed out enough.
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Post by Sahani Nimandra »

Wow! Really a straight forward review. I don't read much related to politics or terrorist activity related books but this just blows you away. The characters have performed their job well and I am not surprised that you could not find a fault within this read. Loved to read this book if the opportunity was given. Thank you for your straight forward review!
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ReyvrexQuestor Reyes
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Post by ReyvrexQuestor Reyes »

bookowlie wrote: 08 Jun 2018, 10:52 Another thorough and interesting review! I like that you mentioned there is good character development. In thrillers, there is so much emphasis on the twists and turns in the plot that the characters aren't always fleshed out enough.
This novel highlighted the sentiments of the assassin, making him human after all. Only drawn into the situation he was in because of vendetta, his family was wiped out, he struggled to restore his life to normalcy. The human aspect is given cognizance in this novel which makes it delightful to read.

Thanks for commenting.
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Post by ReyvrexQuestor Reyes »

Sahani Nimandra wrote: 08 Jun 2018, 22:16 Wow! Really a straight forward review. I don't read much related to politics or terrorist activity related books but this just blows you away. The characters have performed their job well and I am not surprised that you could not find a fault within this read. Loved to read this book if the opportunity was given. Thank you for your straight forward review!
Yes. There is human drama amidst the political chaos. Thanks for responding.
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Post by Jackie Holycross »

Sounds like an action packed political adventure. Cool.
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Post by ReyvrexQuestor Reyes »

teacherjh wrote: 08 Jun 2018, 23:37 Sounds like an action packed political adventure. Cool.
It is fast-paced, you won't have time to get bored. I hope you would like it.
Thanks for passing by.
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Post by chesang faith »

it's just like watching an action movie .The book gives the reader the picture of what's written as per the review. I must admit that I like it
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Post by gali »

A political Thriller centering around terrorism and revenge sounds intriguing. That the book is fast pace, full of action, and well executed is to the author's credit. That the characters are well developed is another plus. I don't read the genre, but I am glad you enjoyed the book. Thank you for the review.
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Post by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda »

I usually avoid politics because I find them nerve-wracking. But then you mentioned this:
ReyvrexQuestor Reyes wrote: 07 Jun 2018, 15:13 Mr. Doucette has done a terrific job of developing the characters, with understandable motivation for what they do. Even the assassin, Philip, who started out as a stereotype for men with hardened will and nerves of steel, took on human traits when confronted with family and domestic life, despite the internal conflict raging within him.
I think it´s a huge accomplishment. Thrillers often sacrifice character development in favor of plot twists and to have both is great. Plus, I like a well-researched book.
Thanks for a very thorough review!
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Post by Strangerthanfiction »

Great review. This sounds like the perfect read for fans of action packed political thrillers. That this book not only is well written and fast paced but also has great well written characters as well as plot twists and turns makes it very intriguing. Thanks so much for sharing.
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Post by Felix Amoh »

The briefing about this book is really Good
The is one rule of war whoch means no bombing of hospitals so as to how the hospitals got bombed by a us drone demands much oh an investigation which deem it in a fit that the can be an oustide invader inside somewher.but i think this book is really gonna be interesting just by hearing a jist about it
well done author such creativity is rare
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Post by Farmgurl1 »

I read this book a few months ago and rated it a 3 out of 4 stars. I agree with the reviewer that the story is suspenseful, fast-paced and action-packed. The story is complicated and hard to follow at times. It also has some disturbing themes of how countries, including America, interact and are deceptive with it's citizens. Good book overall.
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Post by Britty01 »

Nicely detailed review. An action-packed thriller about political issues on a global scale looks like an interesting read. Clues to help the reader uncover the plot is fun. It will be interesting to read about the assassin's desire to lead a normal life and how he came to be an assassin.
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Post by Cecilia_L »

I love suspenseful thrillers, and this one sounds like a real page-turner! Thanks for the recommendation!
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