Review of Iconoclast

[Mtibza eM]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Iconoclast" by Laurie Buchanan.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Iconoclast is a crime thriller novel written by Laurie Buchanan. The author is someone who is described as an observer of details, and this is shown throughout this sequel. This book continues what first happened in the prequel. It follows different writers who went to a retreat so they can focus on their Passion, not knowing that there is an imposter among them. This book will keep you on your toes with the twists it is filled with.

The book opens up with a prologue, where we are introduced to Toni, who is in a confessional. After praying to God to forgive her for she is about to sin, Toni shoots the pastor five times. She then gets out of the church without any sense of urgency whatsoever and dispossesses the car in a junkyard.

In the first chapter, we are introduced to several people. Firstly, we are introduced to Pamela Williams. Pam is a lawyer who is passionate about fighting racism and educating people about it. Her practice is still in construction, so she takes this time to go to Pines & Quill, a place where writers go to focus on their writing without any destruction, so she can finish her manuscript. Pines & Quill is like a sanctuary for writers. Another person we are introduced to is Tom Goodson. He is a war veteran who has lost his legs in service, and now he is a band member with people like him. He also plans to go to Pines & Quill to work on his manuscript. Finally, we are introduced to Mick Duprey and Linda Washington.

Going forward, we learn that when they get there, one of these people who came to Pines & Quill is not who she says she is. Among them, there is an imposter who is very dangerous and who is on a mission to assassinate someone. But who is that imposter? Also, who is this person she wants to kill, and why? What length is the assassin willing to go to fulfil his mission?

I enjoyed reading this book. I savoured every page of it. I was turning the pages viciously. I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next. It had me drooling nonstop and asking for more. The author managed to make sure that as a reader, I got hooked from start to finish. The consistency was commendable. Most books lose their grip in the middle, but this book was not one of them. The pace, in the beginning, was fast, then in the middle, it slowed a bit, only to be fast again nearing the end.

The characters were well developed. Although I understood that this was book two in the series, I still got familiarised with the characters. So I can say the book can be read as a standalone. It still made me wish that I had read the first book before I read this one because now I wish to have experienced first-hand what happened to Emma and not experience it in flashbacks as I did in this book. Niall is one character that most readers would fall in love with. She brought favour to the storyline.

The storyline wasn’t that epic. It felt realistic. The guns weren’t flying around gratuitously.

The dialogue and narration were well developed. The dialogue was flowing without any glitches. I loved the authenticity of each character’s dialogue. The dialogue also made me feel included because I was discovering along with the characters. The narration was a perfect window into this world. I felt like I was inside, not outside looking in. The descriptions were provided in a way that only just enough were given to paint pictures in my mind, without giving out too much.

I didn’t dislike them, per se, the literary quotes by famous authors and writers at the beginning of every chapter, but I felt like they weren’t really necessary. They felt like it was the way of the author blowing her own horn because I didn’t understand what role they played in the storyline, except showing how good the author was. But they weren’t too much that they made me uncomfortable. This is just me fishing for something to dislike because it isn’t about this book.

Taking everything into great consideration, I have no choice but to rate this book a perfect 4 out 4 stars. It is definitely a must-read for everyone who likes crimes thrillers and loves wondering what would happen next. I only came across two errors, so I can say the book was professionally edited. The book doesn’t discriminate against any group of people or against any religion.

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Iconoclast
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[Chukwuebuka Ifedigbo]

This book deserves a perfect rating. Reading your review alone is totally grasping. Thanks.

[Ellylion]

I would appreciate a realistic storyline in case of a crime thriller Seems like a very captivating read! Thank you very much for this insightful review!