Review by sydneytaryn -- The Kahler Files #5 -- Maxwell'...

[sydneytaryn]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Kahler Files #5 -- Maxwell's Silver Hammer" by Eric Safflind.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Adrian Kahler has special abilities that allow him to delve into the minds of others. He has a team of three: himself, ex-SEAL Stanley Egor and empath Barry Sandler that operate outside of the law to solve crimes. In The Kahler Files #5 - Maxwell's Silver Hammer the team works together to solve a mystery involving corrupt government officials, international conflict sabotage, and missiles. Ethan Blake is the only scientist able to create the crystals necessary to prevent the impending missile attack and the production in his lab has suddenly stopped. Kahler suspects Ethan knows more about the mysterious halt than he lets on and tasks Barry with cozying up to Ethan's sister, Alex, to see if he can find out his secrets.

This is the first book I have read in this series, despite it being book #5, but I did not feel like I was missing crucial backstory information while reading. Safflind does a wonderful job of including little bits of backstory gradually as the story progresses which felt very natural. I would guess that, if reading the series from the beginning, you would see Barry's abilities get more impressive and precise as the series progresses. He seems to have a pretty decent handle on them by this book, yet it is clear he is still eager to learn and perfect his skill.

I enjoyed the romance that was entwined in the story. At first I was annoyed that Barry was so casually willing to walk away from Alex after their initial interaction. They very clearly had some chemistry and I was excited to see their romance play out. I enjoyed Adrian pushing Barry into situations with her to further their relationship. Although Kahler played it off like he just thought of it as a job, I suspect he used the information from Barry's subconscious to see that he was interested in her. Alex's fascination with Shakespeare was quirky and gave us a deeper look into who she is as a person and the passion she exhibits. It was nice to see her open up to Barry as their relationship got more serious, providing not only the information that Barry needed about Ethan, but also letting us see the trauma Alex had faced and overcome.

This book was filled with description and the imagery that Safflind uses created such vivid pictures in my mind as I was reading. I enjoyed the exciting action scenes and the fight descriptions were done so well that I watched them play out as I read the words. I enjoyed reading the chapters when Alex and Barry were on the run, hiding out on trains and using Kahler's contacts to secure shelter. I've been fortunate enough to have never been in such a situation, but after reading about Barry's techniques and though processes while deciding where to go and which train tickets to book means if I ever do find myself in such a situation I will be prepared!

Overall, the editing of this book was very well done. There were no spelling errors that I was able to find during my read. I found the characters compelling and engaging and the storyline was interesting and intriguing enough that I found myself wondering how the different aspects connected to one another. This book is definitely 4 out of 4 stars for me. Anyone else who enjoys reading crime novels that are outside of the actual law enforcement perspective would enjoy this as well.

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The Kahler Files #5 -- Maxwell's Silver Hammer
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