Official Review: Smoke on the water by Jon May

[Sam Ibeh]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Smoke on the water" by Jon May.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Have you been in the middle of a conspiracy that involved powers that were higher than you? Have you ever been in a precarious situation that threatened to take away everything that mattered to you? If any of these scenarios ever played out for you, then you'd resonate with the story in Smoke on the Water: A Cold War Thriller Novel by Jon May. However, if you've never been in any of these situations, you'd still have a great time reading this book.

In the winter of 1969, a trawler named Star Altair disappeared at sea. Investigations into the disappearance of the trawler went dead as everyone involved was silenced one way or another. Many years later, the wrecked trawler was discovered by some offshore workers. This development raised new interest in a case that everyone thought was dead and buried. Paul Scott and his wife, Annie, began investigative research in the hopes of both writing a book and finding out what happened to his father during the initial investigation into the matter. However, the Scotts' interest in the case attracted attention from the people who covered the conspiracy for years. These powerful men would do anything to ensure the truth didn't come out. Would the Scotts overcome the challenges they'd face to uncover the truth?

Smoke on the Water: A Cold War Thriller Novel is a familiar story of the dark activities involving secret agents of the government. Over the years, we've heard of operations that went south, and people had to take the fall for it. Most times, all we get to know is that they did what they had to do for the greater good. Events in the past have proven that giving so much power to secret government agencies always comes around to haunt the people. There have been far-reaching effects when these agencies acted in ways that connoted they're above the law. Jon May brought this crucial matter to the fore through this work of fiction.

What I liked most was the author's descriptive writing style. He did an excellent job of laying solid foundations for every subplot he introduced. I relished the fact that I had a basic understanding of what was about to play out before it did. This made it easier for me to follow the storyline without getting confused at any point. The characters were not left out in the description. At some points, he shared backstories that helped me understand some characters' antecedents in the book. I commend the author for this great work.

One of the unique things about this book was the handful of characters the author used. I've read tons of fictional novels, and one recurring decimal is the tendency of flooding a story with too many characters. However, that was not the case with this book. I could almost mention every character in the book in one breath. Beyond this, the major characters were well developed. I could see them evolving as the story unfolded. The author did well to create relatable characters that portrayed the message of the book appropriately. For instance, Annie was a fearless woman that would not cower under any circumstance. Her bravery came to bear in many ways during the investigative research with her husband.

The only thing I disliked about this book was the plethora of grammatical errors I found in it. This made me believe that the book wasn't professionally edited. I kept taking breaks to make notes on the mistakes, and this ate into my reading time. This book could use another round of editing. Therefore, I rate it 3 out of 4 stars. Anyone who enjoys stories of top-secret government operations would have a swell time reading this book.

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Smoke on the water
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[NetMassimo]

This seems a good thriller that needs another round of proofreading to be really great and engage its readers without distracting them. Thank you for your terrific review!

[Wuoketch]

I'm sorry for the grammatical errors encountered but this sounds a great book. Nice review.

[Munachimso_Nwaogazie]

I love women like Annie. Reading about her must be really soothing to the mind. Thanks for your honest review.

[madhur_mehta005]

I have been on a lookout for an amazing thriller. This book sounds like one. Thank you for the terrific review. Would love to pick this book up.

[Samgum50]

Great review! Hopefully the errors will be fixed, this seems like a very good book.

[derialist]

I would have a swell time reading this book! It must be an intriguing story; unfortunately, it's riddled with errors, I might have to wait for a second edit. I'm glad to have stumbled on this review.

[Nisha Ward]

Seems like a great thriller with a fascinating premise. Thanks for this!

[Priyanka2304]

The title is so intriguing and I was sure it would be a thriller. The review adds my interest to reading this book. So I will definitely add it to my bookshelf.

[JohnWStemmons74+]

This read and its title leads the reader to investigate the actions and the who's of what went on and thr plots have reality introductions as to the goverments and its servants into what would they do to protect themselves or the others that employ them. The rest is up for grabs as others will turn upon themselves for the greater good?!

[Shown]

I think the tittle is good, the book is interesting, I would definetly add it to my bookshelf.

[drwcroaker]

Sounds like a great premise for an exciting thriller. Thanks for your review. I'm convinced it's at least worth checking out a sample chapter to see if I get hooked.

[GNerd]

I hope the author does the needful by putting it through another round of proofreading. Your review was honest and I appreciate that.