Lewis’s nonstop debut thriller careens from a dangerous sting against the Russian mob to a deadly battle aboard a skydiving plane as two unlikely heroes fall in love. Jennifer Williams, a real estate agent in her 40s, is driving through the Nevada desert to escape a broken heart. She stops at a convenience store just as a robbery is going down. Another customer, Matt Crocker, a firearms instructor grieving the line-of-duty death of his SWAT officer fiancée, manages to gun down the three armed robbers. The robbers worked for mob boss Vladimir Dudka, who’s furious that the cops now have the money his thugs were carrying. In revenge, he kills Jennifer’s boss and kidnaps her colleague Ashley. Jennifer and Matt concoct a scheme to retrieve Ashley that leads to a dramatic parachute dive off the Stratosphere Tower, a double-cross, and a lot more gunfire.Lewis makes good use of his past as both a real estate agent and skydiving instructor. The parachute scenes are believable and informative. His depiction of Las Vegas is rich with detail, from Jennifer’s glitzy hotel to Matt’s grimy trailer, and the cast is well-drawn. Readers will love quick-thinking Jennifer, though some will be dismayed that she and others sometimes make deprecating remarks about her age.
Crocker comes across as a modern, more sensitive Jack Reacher, one who faints after killing the robbers (which the sheriff’s deputies tease him about) and is quick to swoon for Jennifer. While listening to mobsters speak Russian, he takes a moment to regret having studied Latin in college instead. Witty dialogue (the sheriff tells Jennifer, “You couldn’t’ve been any luckier if you’d been choking and found yourself seated next to Dr. Heimlich”) lightens the mood amid violence and tension. This highly entertaining novel will keep readers hooked.
Takeaway: Fans of zippy, high-tension thrillers with romantic and humorous elements will be enthralled by this fresh and original novel.
Great for fans of Ocean’s 11, Lisa Jackson’s Liar, Liar.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: -
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
