Review by blevi3 -- Disappearance by Julien Ayotte
-
blevi3
- Posts: 25
- Joined: 22 Oct 2019, 18:14
- Currently Reading: How to Define Yourself
- Bookshelf Size: 28
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-blevi3.html
- Latest Review: The Date Farm by Jack Winnick
Review by blevi3 -- Disappearance by Julien Ayotte
[Following is a volunteer review of "Disappearance" by Julien Ayotte.]
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
WITSEC. If you watch crime shows on television, or have seen a thriller in the movie theatre, you’ve probably heard of it. Also known as the witness protection program, it’s run by the US Marshals Service and has been around for close to 50 years. And in all that time, the almost 10,000 witnesses who have started a new life by continuing in the program have all stayed alive and safe. Until they didn’t.
Two witnesses have recently been assassinated and another had an attempt on her life. So there’s obviously a leak in WITSEC. And the director needs to find out quickly who that leak is, before more people under his protection die. He calls for help from a retired FBI agent, and together they start the search.
Julien Ayotte tells a fast-paced story in Disappearance. He quickly introduces us to the many characters in the book, and does a nice job of giving the reader a good understanding of the life stories that shape the characters; however, he keeps enough information hidden to keep you guessing throughout the book.
I love a good thriller and this book is both suspenseful and captivating. I actually read it in one sitting. Not only did Ayotte keep me guessing, he introduced me to a part of the witness protection program that tends to slip your mind. Many of the folks in the program were criminals themselves, and only provided help to the authorities in order to save their own lives from the outlaws they associated with. And so for those men and women, just a change of location didn’t necessarily change everything about their life. In some cases, they still participated in criminal activity. Yes, they had a new name and a new life in a new city, but old habits die hard.
Certainly, not everyone in the witness protection program is a former criminal. Some were just in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnessed a horrible crime. But no matter what the reason for being a part of this program, Ayotte gives us clarity into how hard it must be to give up everything and everyone you’ve ever know and start anew.
What I liked most about this book was how it jumped back and forth from past to present tense. In this way, as the reader was learning about a character, we got to go back to his or her time before they joined the program and find out more about what made them tick.
Also, aside from the “victims” in the book, we got a pretty good view of how law enforcement officers deal with their job and the frustrations they must face in their careers as they try to get the bad guys off the street, while also protecting the “less” bad guys (in some instances). Not everything is black and white when it comes to criminals and the law, but the author did a great job of showing us the gray and allowing us to be empathetic at times.
What I disliked most was how choppy the writing seemed in the beginning, but that quickly passed and I found the book very easy to read. Since I stayed engrossed and guessing throughout the book, I would rate Disappearance 4 out of 4 stars. It had very little profanity, was perfectly edited and was a good length. If you like a suspense novel, I’d recommend this one.
******
Disappearance
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
WITSEC. If you watch crime shows on television, or have seen a thriller in the movie theatre, you’ve probably heard of it. Also known as the witness protection program, it’s run by the US Marshals Service and has been around for close to 50 years. And in all that time, the almost 10,000 witnesses who have started a new life by continuing in the program have all stayed alive and safe. Until they didn’t.
Two witnesses have recently been assassinated and another had an attempt on her life. So there’s obviously a leak in WITSEC. And the director needs to find out quickly who that leak is, before more people under his protection die. He calls for help from a retired FBI agent, and together they start the search.
Julien Ayotte tells a fast-paced story in Disappearance. He quickly introduces us to the many characters in the book, and does a nice job of giving the reader a good understanding of the life stories that shape the characters; however, he keeps enough information hidden to keep you guessing throughout the book.
I love a good thriller and this book is both suspenseful and captivating. I actually read it in one sitting. Not only did Ayotte keep me guessing, he introduced me to a part of the witness protection program that tends to slip your mind. Many of the folks in the program were criminals themselves, and only provided help to the authorities in order to save their own lives from the outlaws they associated with. And so for those men and women, just a change of location didn’t necessarily change everything about their life. In some cases, they still participated in criminal activity. Yes, they had a new name and a new life in a new city, but old habits die hard.
Certainly, not everyone in the witness protection program is a former criminal. Some were just in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnessed a horrible crime. But no matter what the reason for being a part of this program, Ayotte gives us clarity into how hard it must be to give up everything and everyone you’ve ever know and start anew.
What I liked most about this book was how it jumped back and forth from past to present tense. In this way, as the reader was learning about a character, we got to go back to his or her time before they joined the program and find out more about what made them tick.
Also, aside from the “victims” in the book, we got a pretty good view of how law enforcement officers deal with their job and the frustrations they must face in their careers as they try to get the bad guys off the street, while also protecting the “less” bad guys (in some instances). Not everything is black and white when it comes to criminals and the law, but the author did a great job of showing us the gray and allowing us to be empathetic at times.
What I disliked most was how choppy the writing seemed in the beginning, but that quickly passed and I found the book very easy to read. Since I stayed engrossed and guessing throughout the book, I would rate Disappearance 4 out of 4 stars. It had very little profanity, was perfectly edited and was a good length. If you like a suspense novel, I’d recommend this one.
******
Disappearance
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Date Farm by Jack Winnick
