Review of Clifford's War
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Rowayda Van der Ross
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Review of Clifford's War
[Following is a volunteer review of "Clifford's War" by J Denison Reed.]
Clifford's War: Without End by J. Denison Reed is a well-written story with several intertwined subplots that kept me eagerly invested in seeing the final reveal. It takes a while to unravel the puzzle, and that kept me completely engaged throughout the book.
Clifford Dee, a former Army Ranger, now manages his own Private Investigation Firm and is often contracted by Badger's government agency.
Badger was Clifford's commanding officer before he was medically discharged. Not only was he a friend and respected mentor, but he was also a father figure to Dee.
Senator Reeves was under the surveillance of Clifford's private investigators for infidelity when he paid the ultimate price. Murdered by a lethal kiss from his alleged lover.
It is rumored that around 1630, Giulia Tofana created a strong poison called Aqua Tofana. Four drops were enough to kill an abusive husband. It seemed that the assassin used it in a highly sought-after, velvet-finish, five-hundred-dollar lipstick!
A few days later, three lobbyists who supported the senator were killed in a gruesome accident.
Sheet music and lyrics for songs that were recorded but never released were stolen from James Goldman, also known as Jimmi from Philly, aka JFP to his fans. His manager, Ray, requests that Clifford's team investigate.
Bailey, the tech genius, tracks down the music files as well as some suspicious double-encrypted files on a rival musician's hard drive.
In a bizarre turn of events, the rising rap artist is shot in front of his music studio. It has all the markings of a gang-related drive-by shooting, even though Jimmi never had any gang ties. Even more bizarre is that his manager was found dead a day later!
How are these seemingly unrelated deaths tied together?
I like the pace that the author sets for events to follow and how the clues from the various subplots are meticulously revealed.
The encrypted files have come back to bite Clifford Dee in the backside! Why else would he be shot at? Who would engage him in a near-fatal high-speed car chase with his Mustang or break into his home, drug him, steal his gun, and corrupt his phone and laptop with electromagnetic pulses? The final straw is when the FBI arrests him for the murder of his boss!
J. Denison Reed cunningly captivated me and kept me turning the pages with new twists as the tale progressed.
Sara bumped into a man clutching a bible as he entered a church and waited his turn for the confessional. She also witnesses a woman watching Kevin leave, enter the confessional, and leave with the same Bible. Sara later identifies the man as Badger's second in command.
When it looks like Dee and his team are chasing their tails and running into dead ends, they find an ally in the most unlikely place.
The team hands over the videos, reports, and findings to Agent Sims from the FBI for further investigation. The clandestine meeting in the church confessional baffles everyone! What is more baffling is when there's another death and Sims is "requested" by his director to close the case. The only way Sims will find answers is to secretly work with Dee's team.
I had a great time putting together the pieces of this puzzle! The author masterminded a great criminal story!
I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. The book is very well edited. The only problem I had was that the dialogue seemed a bit stilted and did not flow organically. The book has quite a bit of profanity, but it does not detract from the story. This book will appeal to a wide audience, including readers of political thrillers, police procedurals, and crime investigations.
******
Clifford's War
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Clifford's War: Without End by J. Denison Reed is a well-written story with several intertwined subplots that kept me eagerly invested in seeing the final reveal. It takes a while to unravel the puzzle, and that kept me completely engaged throughout the book.
Clifford Dee, a former Army Ranger, now manages his own Private Investigation Firm and is often contracted by Badger's government agency.
Badger was Clifford's commanding officer before he was medically discharged. Not only was he a friend and respected mentor, but he was also a father figure to Dee.
Senator Reeves was under the surveillance of Clifford's private investigators for infidelity when he paid the ultimate price. Murdered by a lethal kiss from his alleged lover.
It is rumored that around 1630, Giulia Tofana created a strong poison called Aqua Tofana. Four drops were enough to kill an abusive husband. It seemed that the assassin used it in a highly sought-after, velvet-finish, five-hundred-dollar lipstick!
A few days later, three lobbyists who supported the senator were killed in a gruesome accident.
Sheet music and lyrics for songs that were recorded but never released were stolen from James Goldman, also known as Jimmi from Philly, aka JFP to his fans. His manager, Ray, requests that Clifford's team investigate.
Bailey, the tech genius, tracks down the music files as well as some suspicious double-encrypted files on a rival musician's hard drive.
In a bizarre turn of events, the rising rap artist is shot in front of his music studio. It has all the markings of a gang-related drive-by shooting, even though Jimmi never had any gang ties. Even more bizarre is that his manager was found dead a day later!
How are these seemingly unrelated deaths tied together?
I like the pace that the author sets for events to follow and how the clues from the various subplots are meticulously revealed.
The encrypted files have come back to bite Clifford Dee in the backside! Why else would he be shot at? Who would engage him in a near-fatal high-speed car chase with his Mustang or break into his home, drug him, steal his gun, and corrupt his phone and laptop with electromagnetic pulses? The final straw is when the FBI arrests him for the murder of his boss!
J. Denison Reed cunningly captivated me and kept me turning the pages with new twists as the tale progressed.
Sara bumped into a man clutching a bible as he entered a church and waited his turn for the confessional. She also witnesses a woman watching Kevin leave, enter the confessional, and leave with the same Bible. Sara later identifies the man as Badger's second in command.
When it looks like Dee and his team are chasing their tails and running into dead ends, they find an ally in the most unlikely place.
The team hands over the videos, reports, and findings to Agent Sims from the FBI for further investigation. The clandestine meeting in the church confessional baffles everyone! What is more baffling is when there's another death and Sims is "requested" by his director to close the case. The only way Sims will find answers is to secretly work with Dee's team.
I had a great time putting together the pieces of this puzzle! The author masterminded a great criminal story!
I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. The book is very well edited. The only problem I had was that the dialogue seemed a bit stilted and did not flow organically. The book has quite a bit of profanity, but it does not detract from the story. This book will appeal to a wide audience, including readers of political thrillers, police procedurals, and crime investigations.
******
Clifford's War
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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Latest Review: Bashert by Larry G. Goldsmith
