Official Review: The Search by Gordon Duncan
Posted: 04 Nov 2019, 05:00
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Search" by Gordon Duncan.]
4 out of 4 stars
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After a twenty-year career in Foreign Service with the CIA, Joe Logan is looking forward to a settled lifestyle. However, his first civilian job as a consultant for the US military opens his world to the latest in the development of military drone technology. As excited as he is about the good that can come from such technological advancements, he is also concerned that the software has significant faults that could destroy civilization. In the wrong hands, there is a genuine possibility the technology can be put to sinister use. For strong moral and ethical reasons, Joe feels compelled to destroy the technology.
Joe also finds himself caught up in the search for the largest undiscovered fortune in the world. He intends to find it and use it to better the deplorable situation of women in the communities he once lived in during his time in Foreign Service. His search takes him from Boston to the streets of Paris and the mountains of northern Africa. Joe’s unique training and experience put him a step ahead of the shadowy and sinister organization that is also determined to find this buried treasure. Faced with two equally challenging and dangerous tasks, will Joe succeed?
The Search by Gordon Duncan is a well-researched and well-written book. The author weaves fact into fiction so convincingly that I had to do some fact-checking on Google. Specifically, about the “tiger children.” Although the flow of the story took some time to pick up, the writing was undoubtedly compelling. The impeccable research also serves to incorporate background perspective on places and events, further enhancing the story while broadening the reader’s overall knowledge. I was intrigued to learn about Mansa Musa and impressed with how the author weaved the plot around his “hidden” fortune. Before reading this book, I had no idea who Mansa Musa was, or that he played such a significant role in history. According to Wikipedia, he was one of the richest people in history, and there’s no way to put an accurate number on his wealth.
The only downside for me was the character development. I had a hard time relating to any of the characters as they came across as a little two-dimensional. I also found it puzzling that the protagonist often acted out of style for someone with his extensive training and background, and no explanation was given to justify his actions. One such bad judgment got his girlfriend killed and landed him in the hospital, almost shot to death. As smart as he was supposed to be, he usually didn’t appear to think things through. Nevertheless, these are personal observations, and other readers may not find them problematic.
The book appeared professionally edited as I did not encounter any editing issues. My observations aside, The Search was an intriguing and insightful read. I like books that I can learn from, and this book certainly fits the bill. It is a treasure trove of historical facts and much more. I gladly rate it 4 out of 4 stars. The book is part espionage, part mystery, and part science-fiction, well-suited to readers of any of these genres.
******
The Search
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
After a twenty-year career in Foreign Service with the CIA, Joe Logan is looking forward to a settled lifestyle. However, his first civilian job as a consultant for the US military opens his world to the latest in the development of military drone technology. As excited as he is about the good that can come from such technological advancements, he is also concerned that the software has significant faults that could destroy civilization. In the wrong hands, there is a genuine possibility the technology can be put to sinister use. For strong moral and ethical reasons, Joe feels compelled to destroy the technology.
Joe also finds himself caught up in the search for the largest undiscovered fortune in the world. He intends to find it and use it to better the deplorable situation of women in the communities he once lived in during his time in Foreign Service. His search takes him from Boston to the streets of Paris and the mountains of northern Africa. Joe’s unique training and experience put him a step ahead of the shadowy and sinister organization that is also determined to find this buried treasure. Faced with two equally challenging and dangerous tasks, will Joe succeed?
The Search by Gordon Duncan is a well-researched and well-written book. The author weaves fact into fiction so convincingly that I had to do some fact-checking on Google. Specifically, about the “tiger children.” Although the flow of the story took some time to pick up, the writing was undoubtedly compelling. The impeccable research also serves to incorporate background perspective on places and events, further enhancing the story while broadening the reader’s overall knowledge. I was intrigued to learn about Mansa Musa and impressed with how the author weaved the plot around his “hidden” fortune. Before reading this book, I had no idea who Mansa Musa was, or that he played such a significant role in history. According to Wikipedia, he was one of the richest people in history, and there’s no way to put an accurate number on his wealth.
The only downside for me was the character development. I had a hard time relating to any of the characters as they came across as a little two-dimensional. I also found it puzzling that the protagonist often acted out of style for someone with his extensive training and background, and no explanation was given to justify his actions. One such bad judgment got his girlfriend killed and landed him in the hospital, almost shot to death. As smart as he was supposed to be, he usually didn’t appear to think things through. Nevertheless, these are personal observations, and other readers may not find them problematic.
The book appeared professionally edited as I did not encounter any editing issues. My observations aside, The Search was an intriguing and insightful read. I like books that I can learn from, and this book certainly fits the bill. It is a treasure trove of historical facts and much more. I gladly rate it 4 out of 4 stars. The book is part espionage, part mystery, and part science-fiction, well-suited to readers of any of these genres.
******
The Search
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon