Booklife Review

Starks’s latest thriller, the fourth in her Lynn Dayton series, after (The Second Law), takes readers on a raucous ride of misadventure with Lynn Dayton, senior executive at energy company TriCoast, as she navigates the high-stakes oil and gas industry. Dayton, stepping into a new position at TriCoast after the shocking murder of her predecessor, has a full plate: she’s overseeing a crucial merger with another energy company—one in possession of a highly-in-demand water recycling technology—and has previous TriCoast VP Henry Vandervoost breathing down her neck, thanks to Dayton’s role in ousting him from the company. When the merger goes south, Dayton’s quickly swept into a fiery blaze of scheming, rivalries, and geopolitical tension.

Fast-paced and dramatic, Starks’s novel offers a slew of fascinating characters, including spies, estranged fathers, and both upstanding and morally corrupt politicians, all while establishing Dayton as a strong female lead, succeeding in a male-dominated, treacherous industry. Starks not only showcases the profession’s heavy sexism but also its complex web of power, effectively weaving in her own experience in the global energy sector to build a sharp plot that’s bolstered by obvious insider knowledge. Those not well-acquainted with the energy industry may find the book jargon-heavy at times, but Starks works hard to balance technical details with a gripping narrative.

Despite the many subplots that eventually unfold, from corporate rivalries to international politics, the novel ultimately comes together well, offering plenty of twists and turns along the way. Dayton’s undertakings are as risky as they are critical, but Starks offsets the danger with hefty character-driven scenes that will resonate with readers. Though part of a series, this riveting page-turner can be read as a standalone—and will appeal to genre fans as well as those seeking a glimpse into the make-or-break world of global energy.

Takeaway: Gripping sprint through the make-or-break oil and gas industry.

Comparable Titles: Gary Kraidman’s Anaerobe, Tom Boles’s Brad Willis Adventures series.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A