OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Man in Control" by Harry E. Gilleland, Jr.]

"A Man in Control" by Harry E. Gilleland, Jr is an intelligent thriller awash in crime, suspense, and drama. It is not a whodunit book but more of a psychological thriller, with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure, and it explores themes such as friendship, love, loss, manipulation, resilience and human connections. The strength of the book lies more in its human interest story and the carefully constructed characters and less in its plot.

Meet David Wynthers, a microbiology professor from Fort Collins and a control freak. After his wife has died in a skiing accident, Dave is guilt ridden and inconsolable. He feels responsible for her death since the accident occurred after a disagreement between him and his wife. Dave takes a year off work and goes on a sabbatical. He spends that year in Mexico where he is supposed to work on a mutual project with a colleague. After a much needed time off there, he successfully collaborates with his colleague to their mutual benefit. At the end of the year Dave is ready to head back home and take on his faculty duties at CSY (Colorado state university). Even the year away in Mexico hadn't completely healed the wound in his heart, but he returns home with a lighter heart than when he left a year ago.

Dave is all set to resume his former life, when he gets shocking news. He then becomes entangled in a whirlpool of murder, conspiracies, and life threatening situations. Along the way he suffers another loss, meets an intriguing police detective named Lorrie and tackles with the FBI. Add to the mix vicious Muslim terrorists, Ebola and a cast of rich believable characters and you have got a dynamic plot.

The story is mostly character-driven, and as such focus more on the traits and emotions of the characters, but there is some action as well. The rhythm is fairly steady with a few twists along the way. I did predict a few of the plot twists, but the author managed to surprise me with a couple of twists which took my breath away. It isn't the edge of your seat suspense mind you, but it has enough action to keep the reader interested through the whole story.

The author weaves together several plot lines to form an intriguing story. In the second half of the book the story shifts to Lorrie and the reader gets to know her better. I liked Dave at first but as his truth character was revealed, my like changed to dislike. I preferred Lorrie to him, rooted for her and could relate to her struggles.

I felt that the author tried to spin too many side plots and the story lost direction at one point, but eventually he got the story right back on track. Most parts were riveting, but other times the book seemed to drag a bit. That being said, I greatly enjoyed the story. It was well written and filled with enough suspense to keep me guessing and wondering how it all will end. The author wrapped up neatly all the loose ends and the end was very satisfactory. Therefore, l rate it 3 out of 4 stars and recommend it to lovers of the genre and to those who like to spice their reading with a bit of drama. If you are looking for a compelling read, this is the book for you!

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Great review! Sounds good. *adds to reading list*

Skillian wrote:Great review! Sounds good. *adds to reading list*

Thank you

Oh I must read this book! From your review you now have me wanting to check this book out and read it! Thank you for sharing this.

Nicki18229 wrote:Oh I must read this book! From your review you now have me wanting to check this book out and read it! Thank you for sharing this.

Thank you

This sounds like an interesting book to read. I like what you said about it being character driven rather than plot driven. It makes it sound like it would be easy to get involved in once you've gotten to know the characters. I like feeling like I am with the characters as the plot unfolds and I like it when stories have twists so you can't always predict what is going to happen. I also like when stories resolve nicely. I don't like to be left hanging or disappointed at the ending after I've spent the time reading the book. Thanks for the nice review. My 'to read' list is getting so long.

Amheiser wrote:This sounds like an interesting book to read. I like what you said about it being character driven rather than plot driven. It makes it sound like it would be easy to get involved in once you've gotten to know the characters. I like feeling like I am with the characters as the plot unfolds and I like it when stories have twists so you can't always predict what is going to happen. I also like when stories resolve nicely. I don't like to be left hanging or disappointed at the ending after I've spent the time reading the book. Thanks for the nice review. My 'to read' list is getting so long.

Thank you and I feel the same about the ending.

Thanks for a nice review!

PashaRu wrote:Thanks for a nice review!

Thank you

Great review. It's strange that the book is less plot driven vs. character driven. Most books in this genre are mainly about the plot. You made the book sound so interesting. Sigh...another book to add to my crazy long reading list.

bookowlie wrote:Great review. It's strange that the book is less plot driven vs. character driven. Most books in this genre are mainly about the plot. You made the book sound so interesting. Sigh...another book to add to my crazy long reading list.

Thank you.

My reading list is just as long.

We will have to live a long life so that we can read and discuss all of them.

bookowlie wrote:We will have to live a long life so that we can read and discuss all of them.

Indeed!

Very nice review! I like the idea of a character-driven book, as it mirrors real life in a way. Once you've developed a bond with someone, you're more likely to stick with him/her regardless of how circumstances change. In the literary world, this translates as maintaining an interest in the story even when the plot becomes tedious. I'll have to check this book out!

LivreAmour217 wrote:Very nice review! I like the idea of a character-driven book, as it mirrors real life in a way. Once you've developed a bond with someone, you're more likely to stick with him/her regardless of how circumstances change. In the literary world, this translates as maintaining an interest in the story even when the plot becomes tedious. I'll have to check this book out!

Thank you for your comments.