Did you ever have one of those dreams where you’re supposed to be in a particular place but unforeseen events are conspiring against you and keep you from getting there? If so, then you will certainly relate to the main character of this novel, Duncan Luke, who knows what he should do and where he needs to be. But circumstances (mostly external, though there are plenty of internal ones too) are interfering and he can’t quite get there.
The same could be said for the book’s other characters. I found myself turning the pages quickly and rooting for this cast of strange bedfellows as they are forced to pivot (on more than one continent) to find creative solutions to unexpected circumstances upending their personal and professional lives. The action in this legal thriller is lively; the subplots intriguing. Don’t worry that the book’s title (“Beginnings”) and designation (“Volume 1”) mean that the novel will leave you unsatisfied. It won’t. It’s an enjoyable read from start to finish. Looking forward to Volume 2.
I couldn’t put BIG: Beginnings down because I love legal thrillers; but this one delivers so much more! With its subtly gorgeous prose, BIG: Beginnings regularly drops pearls of wisdom amidst its suspenseful and sensitive plot. Here’s one of my favorites: “Sometimes the truth is so terrible that the line between hope and falsehood blurs and we tell ourselves lies just to survive.” Just as the Paper Chase defines the law school experience, and The Shadow of the Law the early lawyer’s life, the Duncan Luke novels present an auspicious promise—it turns out that 25 years into practicing, suffering, and loving, gritty lawyers don’t just survive, they become wise. Read this book.
What if you could read a book that had the page-turning pace of a Grisham novel but with the intricacies and international complications of Le Carre? Well, look no further. Greyson Bryan's BIG is an international thriller with complex, compelling characters and surprises around every turn. I hear rumors that a second book is on the way and I can't wait to read that.
Fantastic novel! Bryan has an incredible knack for weaving together sophisticated business issues wrapped in global intrigue and cultural nuance. His characters are convincing; each tormented by family dysfunction and stress that propels things to the breaking point. This is a fast paced, smart and intricate story that left me wanting more. We really get to know Bryan’s characters, Ghislaine Bingham, M.D., Rob, Ward and of course, Duncan Luke, but are also left with a sense that there is so much to learn about them. This is an amazing first effort and sets up beautifully for a series of novels and, yes, movies. Duncan Luke might very well be the thinking man’s Jason Bourne.
