James O. Born - Shock Wave (2005)
Reviewed by David J. Montgomery
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Bill Tasker had a bad experience working with the FBI in last year’s Walking Money. His career and reputation, not to mention his life, were nearly ruined by a crooked government agent.
As Shock Wave begins, Tasker is again working with the feds and he’s not very happy about it. He doesn’t have much choice, though, as he teams up with the G-men in pursuit of a hillbilly arms dealer with a stolen Stinger missile.
The FBI thinks they’ve got the case all wrapped up, but Tasker isn’t sure. Over the objections of the federal agents, he continues to investigate and finds that the intrigue runs much deeper than anyone suspects.
At the center of that mystery is a terrorist bomber planning the biggest “event” of his life. Somehow, though, he manages to stay just one step ahead of the authorities. Tasker begins to wonder: is the killer that smart of is he just lucky? Or is somebody on the inside helping him?
Aided by his best friend, Miami cop Derrick Sutter, and ATF agent Camy Parks, Tasker has to catch the bomber before time runs out. If they fail, numerous lives will be lost, possibly including their own.
In the character of Bill Tasker, Born has created a winning protagonist. A dedicated cop and committed father, Tasker struggles to balance the demands of his job with his obligations to his family. Like the rest of us, he doesn’t always make the right choices, but his heart is in the right place and he earns our respect for his efforts.
The plot of Shock Wave is tremendously entertaining, combining edge-of-your-seat action and suspense, an intriguing game of cat and mouse, and occasional passages of laugh-out-loud humor.
After a career in law enforcement stretching nearly two decades, James O. Born knows the way cops think, act and talk, and he draws on that experience to write with the insight and authenticity that few authors can match.
That expert knowledge wouldn’t be enough, though, to create such a winning book. Doing that takes serious writing chops, the kind of ability that most folks can’t muster. Born is the exception, though. With both street cred and talent to spare, he is ideally positioned to write top-notch crime fiction, something which Walking Money promised and Shock Wave confirmed.
James O. Born is the best thing to happen to Florida crime writing since Elmore Leonard hit the Sunshine State. This guy is the real deal.
Posted by David J. Montgomery in Book Reviews | Permalink
Comments
The title intrigued me - obviously about ID which is timely with all the stolen ID cases. Then the review showed it was a satisfying read for lovers of a good plot with good characters and twists. The best 'cherry on the cake' was it has humor - a must for me. Great review, thank you.
Posted by: Jackie Griffey | Jun 6, 2005 10:54:46 AM
