Review of Last Shadow of the Crown
Posted: 15 Dec 2022, 17:00
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Last Shadow of the Crown" by Mardi Lynn Roselius.]
Last Shadow of the Crown by Mardi Lynn Roselius is a fascinating novel filled with mystery and intrigue. The story takes place in Iran during the 1970s. Iran was governed by the Shah at that time and was an ally of the United States of America. When the Shah decided to expand Iran’s military, America provided helicopters and a training center that employed American pilots and mechanics. During the late 1970s, Iran began to have internal conflicts between pro-Shah citizens and fundamentalists who were against the Shah. This led to violence and the safety of Americans living in Iran became uncertain. It was during this time that Carter McBride arrived in Iran to work as a photographer at one of the training facilities.
Carter McBride was previously employed as a photographer with the Newark police department. After a particularly gruesome crime scene that impacted him on a personal level, he decided to leave his position for something dramatically different. When he arrived in Iran, his first assignment was to photograph the location of a helicopter crash. Carter learned that he replaced the deceased man as the photographer assigned to this training facility. Carter’s background in investigations and his curious mind led him to question several unusual occurrences at the facility. Carter does not know who he can trust as he delves into the mysteries surrounding him. There is never a dull moment in this fast-paced thriller.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It kept me guessing until the very end. The author created a suspenseful story that kept me engaged and interested. I particularly liked Carter’s backstory. His experience with the police department explained his inquisitive nature and need to investigate. Carter becomes a sympathetic and relatable character as readers learn more about his history. I enjoyed the characters in this book immensely. They were multi-dimensional and interesting. Each character had a unique perspective and added to the story. I also loved the mysteries involved and how they gradually unraveled. There was nothing that I disliked about this book.
The author worked as a graphic designer in Esfahan, Iran for two years. This provided her with a unique perspective on the history of Iran. She provides details about the people and the locations that are realistic and help readers to visualize the locations with ease. She also included some terms in the native language of Farsi. This added to the realistic aspects of the story. In addition to the mysteries and fast-paced action of the story, there is also a romantic aspect to the book. When Carter meets the beautiful Leyla, he learns more about the customs of Iran. As readers, we learn more about the country and its people as she explains things to Carter.
I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy fast-paced thrillers or mystery novels. It will also appeal to fans of crime or romance novels. There were very few errors in the book, so I believe it was professionally edited. I like the author’s writing style and intend to read more of her books. For the reasons stated, I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. I would not rate it any less than a perfect score because it was beautifully written and interesting. It also maintained the suspense and mystery until the end of the story.
******
Last Shadow of the Crown
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Last Shadow of the Crown by Mardi Lynn Roselius is a fascinating novel filled with mystery and intrigue. The story takes place in Iran during the 1970s. Iran was governed by the Shah at that time and was an ally of the United States of America. When the Shah decided to expand Iran’s military, America provided helicopters and a training center that employed American pilots and mechanics. During the late 1970s, Iran began to have internal conflicts between pro-Shah citizens and fundamentalists who were against the Shah. This led to violence and the safety of Americans living in Iran became uncertain. It was during this time that Carter McBride arrived in Iran to work as a photographer at one of the training facilities.
Carter McBride was previously employed as a photographer with the Newark police department. After a particularly gruesome crime scene that impacted him on a personal level, he decided to leave his position for something dramatically different. When he arrived in Iran, his first assignment was to photograph the location of a helicopter crash. Carter learned that he replaced the deceased man as the photographer assigned to this training facility. Carter’s background in investigations and his curious mind led him to question several unusual occurrences at the facility. Carter does not know who he can trust as he delves into the mysteries surrounding him. There is never a dull moment in this fast-paced thriller.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It kept me guessing until the very end. The author created a suspenseful story that kept me engaged and interested. I particularly liked Carter’s backstory. His experience with the police department explained his inquisitive nature and need to investigate. Carter becomes a sympathetic and relatable character as readers learn more about his history. I enjoyed the characters in this book immensely. They were multi-dimensional and interesting. Each character had a unique perspective and added to the story. I also loved the mysteries involved and how they gradually unraveled. There was nothing that I disliked about this book.
The author worked as a graphic designer in Esfahan, Iran for two years. This provided her with a unique perspective on the history of Iran. She provides details about the people and the locations that are realistic and help readers to visualize the locations with ease. She also included some terms in the native language of Farsi. This added to the realistic aspects of the story. In addition to the mysteries and fast-paced action of the story, there is also a romantic aspect to the book. When Carter meets the beautiful Leyla, he learns more about the customs of Iran. As readers, we learn more about the country and its people as she explains things to Carter.
I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy fast-paced thrillers or mystery novels. It will also appeal to fans of crime or romance novels. There were very few errors in the book, so I believe it was professionally edited. I like the author’s writing style and intend to read more of her books. For the reasons stated, I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. I would not rate it any less than a perfect score because it was beautifully written and interesting. It also maintained the suspense and mystery until the end of the story.
******
Last Shadow of the Crown
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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