Review of Family Business

[Bettny Andrade]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Family Business" by James Jack Fauser.]

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1 out of 5 stars

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J.J. Fauser is a covert operative working for a non-state entity fighting terrorism and organized crime in Europe. This group maintains discreet ties to various international government intelligence and law enforcement agencies as an additional layer of civic protection. Assigned a seemingly straightforward intelligence collection mission, Fauser and his team quickly become the victims of inexplicable attacks by unknown aggressors. Their perilous investigation uncovers an intricate organized crime network, a presidential election campaign riddled with deceit and corruption, and cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology that harbors hidden secrets worth killing for. Amid these challenges, there might also be a traitor within their organization. Who can be trusted in the espionage crime thriller Family Business by J.J. Fauser?

A complex, plot-driven narrative takes the reader on an international adventure. The author adds a distinctive flair by including a personalized music playlist that complements each chapter thematically. I appreciated that the story grabbed your attention from the beginning and kept you guessing. I also enjoyed the abundance of twists, turns, and blinds. Nevertheless, the author fails to capitalize on these strengths.

Numerous grammatical issues (incorrect word order, missing infinitives and articles, shifting verb tenses, and homophone errors) suggest that English is not the writer’s native language. These problems greatly hindered the reading experience and made it difficult to comprehend the material. The author’s storytelling technique focuses on narrating the entire story rather than using descriptive language to bring it to life. As a result, the reader may find themselves less engaged and immersed in the narrative. Encountering repetitive language, filler words, and overused intensifiers was bothersome and monotonous. While the narrative provides some clues, there is no way for the reader to arrive at the conclusion, which can be disappointing for this genre.

I wish the author would have spent more time fleshing out the characters and simplifying the plot. The interpersonal relationships had a distant quality that made it difficult to engage with their struggles or feel genuine empathy for the characters. The dialogue appeared contrived and often juvenile. The main character needed more credibility. Fauser had a pervasive uncertainty about him, and his actions indicated incompetence, making him hard to like and believe in. For example, he is a secret agent who practices zero operational security despite incessantly talking about it. Fauser tells his family the “basics of clandestine operations” and only “outlines” his missions. After knowing her for a few weeks, he confides in Serenella about his mission. Then, Fauser extensively updates his partner in the presence of his cousin. Additionally, he is repeatedly targeted on six separate occasions before he finally becomes aware of the fact that someone is tracking him, a realization that should have dawned upon him after the second incident. His character always seems caught off guard, even with his careful surveillance tradecraft skills. He requires saving on multiple occasions.

Throughout the book, Fauser primarily goes by his real name (despite being undercover). However, there are instances where he adopts a disguise, believing that wearing dark-framed glasses will render him unrecognizable, akin to Clark Kent. Numerous fortuitous abilities arise at the perfect moment (sailing, Jump School training, building heating units), which adds to the sense of ridiculousness. The repeated references to his training and explanations of how things can happen become tiresome and unconvincing. The portrayal of Fauser's character as a morally conflicted operator is inconsistent, implausible, and further undermines the story's credibility. No one who tries to kill him is ever left unattended or untreated, even if in the middle of an escape attempt or posing a threat to the mission as a whole.

The details could be better managed, resulting in a more realistic story. There are instances of misspelled character names, characters taking part in a scene when they had just left, and the most concerning issue was the presence of a tin can on Fauser’s forearm during a sexual encounter without acknowledgment from the partner (it would definitely be noticed). The narrative had numerous unresolved questions, including the enigma surrounding Lisbeth’s full role, the perplexing third bullet, and the shocking elimination of a critical character. For these reasons, I rate this book 1 out of 5 stars. If this book received the necessary editing, I would recommend it to fans of crime thrillers who crave fast-paced action and intricate plots.

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Family Business
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This book piques my interest. I understand what you mention because for me the development of the characters and the construction of the story and its development are very important. The issues regarding spelling could be corrected by the author, hopefully they will improve the book and the story.

[David Awunor]

A very detailed review. I like that you highlighted the good and the bad. Like everybody said, I will wait until the author re-edits the book before reading it.