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George Norris
Author
The Devil's Trident
Ten years after a top-secret mission in Afghanistan, retired NYPD Detective and Navy SEAL Michael Keough finds himself about to hit rock bottom. He’s divorced from his wife and instead married to the bottle. Then, on a cool fall evening, a volley of gunfire erupts outside his apartment. When he discovers his partner mortally wounded, it changes everything. As the dust settles, Keough learns that three of the six people involved in the mission are dead. A fourth is missing. Keough can’t help but wonder if the rounds that cut down his partner were meant for him. First Grade Detective, and media darling, Rocco Locatelli catches the case. He vows to follow the evidence wherever it leads. Locatelli, however, is ordered by department brass to stand down and close out the investigation. Having gone up against the department previously, Locatelli has been labeled a renegade – a designation he embraces. Locatelli pushes back against the department’s hierarchy in search of the truth; meanwhile, Keough is forced into a life and death situation and will have to face the consequences of his actions a decade earlier.
Plot/Idea: 8 out of 10
Originality: 7 out of 10
Prose: 8 out of 10
Character/Execution: 7 out of 10
Overall: 7.50 out of 10

Assessment:

Plot/Idea: Norris delivers a solid and often riveting military mystery/thriller. The plot is solidly composed, evenly paced, and strikes a fine balance between action and character development.

Prose: The prose is polished and propulsive, while the author also excels at character descriptions.

Originality: While the story's focus on a retired detective and former Navy Seal struggling through a divorce and substance use is a familiar premise, multiple twists keep it feeling fresh.

Character Development/Execution: Keough is a clear and vividly described character. The author effectively captures his tenacity and damaged spirit as he grapples with past trauma to unravel the mystery at hand. Meanwhile, Rocco Locatelli, a 30-year-veteran of the NYPD, is well-conveyed and charismatic.

 

 

Date Submitted: April 29, 2022

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