Clany and Grisham mixed into one
Rating:
5 / 5
I have just finished Jim Macomber's novel, Bargained for Exchange. Even though it was written in 1996, it is spot on regarding today's events. It is also very perceptive, projecting many of today's policies and attitudes towards terror and the Mid-East geo-political situation as a former special forces operative turned lawyer finds himself embroiled in a terror, espionage, legal intrigue story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The intrigue and action come quickly and are sustained throughout the book without being over-done or rendering the book as a single dimensional work. The characters, their development, the storyline and the attention to detail are exquisite and play together very well indeed. You come to know and care for the protaganists and come to understand the morbid and ideological motivations of the adversaries in a tale that keeps you glued to the pages. Macomber also sends many great messages through his story. Honor, integrity, loyalty and commitment to truth and to what is right come across clearly while political correctness and expediency, barbarism, deceit and treachory are shown for the true dangers they are. I believe Macomber's work in this regard to be the equal or better of works by Clancy and Grisham...except Macomber combines both genres into one. One word of caution...this book should not be considered a family oriented novel. You would not have your younger children or teenagers read it. There is explicit sexual content and language which was a major distraction for me given my own standards regarding having entertainement materiel with such content around the house, regardless of how well it is otherwise put together...and believe me, Macomber's work is otherwise very, very well put together.
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Rating:
5 / 5
I enjoyed 'Bargained for Exchange' even though international thrillers are not my usual choice in novels. I was intrigued by the main character John Cann and was 'hooked' in the first few pages.Then I became quickly enthralled with the other characters and found myself thinking of them as real people. Macomber interweaves many locations & characters so well that his very creative story is easy to follow. I am reluctant to give away any of the plot but will say this much....I found myself moved to tears over what happened to Janie; then felt tremendous anger. The last few chapters are page turners during which I found myself 'cheering' for John Cann against the bad guys. Imagine a novelist that combines Clancy's best 'thriller' skills along with the legal expertise of Grisham....that's James Macomber! I highly recommend 'Bargained for Exchange' and look forward to reading more of John Cann's adventures.
Exciting novel that brings out your emotions.
Rating:
5 / 5
Very original novel. While it is fiction, it was quite clear that the President and those running for Prime Minister of Israel referred to real people (that is if you call Bill Clinton a real person). It shows some of what is wrong in the Universties today and how the P.C. crwod has taken over. It ended with an exciting and satisfying climax. The characters seemed real, some likable, some the opposite. I appreciated Geoff Metcalf turning me onto the book and I cannot wait for his next one.
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