Review of The Expansion

[Sarah J Callen]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Expansion" by Christoph Martin.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Expansion, written by Christoph Martin, takes us into a dramatic tale of international espionage, divided loyalties, and surprising betrayals. Dr. Max Burns leads a team of experts in planning for an expansion of the Panama Canal--a project that garners attention from nations around the world. Along the way, Dr. Burns learns that other factors are at play, and there’s more going on than meets the eye.

This book is written very well. The pacing, in particular, kept me engaged from start to finish. Each chapter is short and written from the perspective of one character. This constant jumping from one character to the other, combined with the strategic use of short sentences, created excitement throughout. The decision to structure the plot in this way was helpful in increasing the story's momentum.

The author is incredibly intentional in taking us into each main character's world to let us know more about them. He expertly crafted the right situation to shed light on who these characters are in the most efficient way possible. Each of these revealing conversations or situations comes at just the right time to answer a question we might have about a particular character. I finished The Expansion feeling like I knew not only the main characters, such as Dr. Burns, Fredo, and Karis, but secondary characters like Fisher, Paco, and even Roebuck.

Another impressive element in the book is the dialogue. There is a lot of speaking throughout the book, but it all feels pretty natural. There were very few moments that seemed like the dialogue was just filler. Each conversation had a purpose; it either helped move the plot along, showed us something about a character, or both.

I don’t have many negative things to say about The Expansion. If I were being picky, I would have liked to see more three-dimensional female characters earlier in the book. However, that wasn’t a huge distraction for me, especially because we spend so much time with Karis in the second half of the book.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because The Expansion is well-written and is a blast to read. It’s filled with exciting characters, intersecting plot lines, and a very well-thought-out ending. The story’s perspective switches from character to character at just the right time to keep the story’s momentum moving forward. And Christoph Martin’s writing is so lean that we don’t ever get caught up in unnecessary detours in the plot. It’s a quick read that’s a pleasure to get lost in for a few hours.

I would recommend The Expansion to readers who enjoy stories of corporate espionage. Those who like strong characters and intersecting storylines may also enjoy this book.

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The Expansion
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