Into the Fire

Deadlock by Robert Liparulo is the follow-up to Deadfall where we met billionaire Brendan Page’s two sons Declan and Julian under horrific circumstances in a tiny town in the Yukon. The much older Declan proved himself to be a sociopathic killer with a wicked device developed by his father. The younger Julian, forced to conceal a tender heart while accompanying his crazy brother’s shenanigans, survived the terrors foisted upon the town by his brother by linking up with John Hutchinson and a woman and her son trying to survive the onslaught of evil.

We are reunited with “Hutch”, the divorced Denver newspaper columnist, the woman Laura and her son Dillon, and Julian in this new story plus we get a closer look at Hutch’s kids, Logan and Macie. Laura and Dillon arrive to visit Hutch in Colorado for the first time after many long-distance conversations. Hutch is thankful to be able to see them again and intends to show them a good time, but his “obsession” with his desire to expose Brendan Page for who Hutch suspects he is once again gets in the way of everything he loves including his two children who come to join Hutch and his guests.

Hutch is positive that Brendan Page was behind his son Declan’s indiscriminate use of the killer weapon detonated on Laura and Dillon’s small town, killing Laura’s husband (Dillon’s father) among others in the chaos. Since Hutch’s survival and return, he’s been obsessed with Page’s professional training facility “Outis” where he develops everything for war and fighting using the most sophisticated methods high-tech has to offer. The optimum result seems to be producing more Declan-like killers. Hutch has been trying to get an interview with Page to no avail, digging up all the dirt he can and writing articles about Page. Suddenly Page invites him to his Outis facilities in Washington state when Laura, Dillon, Logan, and Macie have finally gathered together for the first time. His editor virtually insists that Hutch take the overnight trip knowing it’s probably the only shot he’ll get to meet the man face-to-face. With insufficient explanations to his kids, Hutch takes off for Washington.

Once Hutch gets to Outis, the action ratchets up and continues non-stop to the final page.

With fantastic special effects—more movie material here—Page has a surreal ability to confound every effort to gain an advantage and absolutely no regard for laws. His “soldiers” appear to be almost invisible until things go unpredictably wrong.

If you enjoyed Deadfall, you will like this sequel, but it should be noted either novel can be read as a stand alone. Deadlock is the classic tale of the ordinary guy with a few skills thrust into the impossible place of being a real hero against incalculable odds. Of a gutsy woman, brave children, a solitary youth with a tender heart forced into combat against his twisted father.

No one does pacing better than Robert Liparulo, and once the course is set, get ready for the obstacles heading right for you at virtual speeds! Another good, entertaining thriller in Deadlock from Robert Liparulo.

Father, you see Robert’s heart and you know his specific needs as a man, as a husband, as a father, and as a writer. You are the supplier of those needs, and I pray you would provide exactly what Robert needs in his different roles. Bless him for his generosity to others. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.