Into the Fire

Hard Shadows by J.B. Turner is Book 16 in A Jon Reznick Thriller Series.

I’m a solid fan of the Jon Reznick series, having read every title. The character is well-written somewhat in the fashion of an anti-hero in that he’s a former Delta Operator, worked Black-Ops, and for the CIA, and eventually as a consultant in special cases for the FBI. He’s a Dexedrine-chewing, hardcore assassin when he needs to be and has been all over the world doing what’s necessary for his country: the USA. He’s made his home in Maine, has a daughter who’s employed by the CIA stationed in Jakarta. Jon Reznick is the man who’s called when something deadly is required with no guarantees for a safe return.

Having said that about my feelings for the Jon Reznick character and the way J.B. has written him, I almost chose not to comment on and/or review this one. The reason for that is what I perceived to be an unfavorable political slant to the story. Most people today know that history has shown bad actions at different times by government establishments/agencies/politicians. This goes for any country worldwide. Certain groups gain the power and unleash it like a plague or fight filthy dirty to regain it when lost. Others are motivated by love of country and preserving its best interests while trying to make life better for its citizens. Needless to say, leading a country is a daunting task and should never be abused.

There are certain references in this story that alluded to an actual facet of recent history (that had little to do with the rationale in the real event) and took it to evil extremes engineered by the CIA with the president’s approval. It should never have been sanctioned and because it was opposed by a high-ranking CIA member, that member was framed and hidden.

A tangled set of circumstances leads Jon to finding out about this highly classified plan and puts him in the crosshairs of those who designed it.

That’s all I’m going to say about this one. It didn’t end in a cliffhanger per se, but the story will continue in the next installment.