Review of Field Of Shadows.

Ebele Ekelobi · Post by **Ebele Ekelobi** » 09 Apr 2023, 07:27

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Field Of Shadows." by James McKenna.]

4 out of 5 stars

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Field of Shadows by James McKenna is about a young, capable Liam Fitzgerald, who is intent on retiring from his work at the OSR (Office of Strategic Research), an intelligence agency in the military. His superior, Selby, tries and fails to convince Liam to join his special team in hunting down a drug cartel that aims at distributing many tons of heroin across the country and overseas. Liam reluctantly accepts the offer to work with them, but not for them, after being promised a no-violence policy. He is assigned an investigative relationship with a young Portia Anderson. Portia is an investigative journalist following the same case as Liam but with direct connections to Hugo and De Quincy, the major players in the drug trafficking pipeline. Liam and Portia grow beyond this assignment and inevitably form a bond while they brave the lies, murder, and deception they face from both the agency Liam worked with and the drug lords they battled. Along the way, they make many frenemies and acquaintances, battling for who keeps the load of the drug money Liam retrieved from Lodge 22 while Portia, Ms. Brady, the Selby team, and the Fitzgeralds try to escape Lodge 22 and De Quincy’s grasp.

The book brought the most authentic perspective to the crime-thriller genre involving drugs and drug trafficking, with the absurd amount of deception in this story. I could never at any point tell the true intentions of certain characters, and that made the story even more exhilarating; the plot twists came on very strongly. I have to commend the author for brilliantly writing the character of Megan Brady; she was definitely the star of the book. She made every scene worth it.

My dislikes could be classed as subjective but are worthy of note. The portrayal of Liam as a righteous and soulful character seemed a bit overdone. Liam seemed a little too perfect for the book, never making a flaw or overstepping. The show of vulnerability with Portia was barely enough to make him feel like a genuinely complete character. Liam was righteous to a fault, and this made him less relatable. Though the book was professionally edited, I found some avoidable errors in it.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Some readers may not appreciate how lightly certain themes were discussed in this book, especially sexual assault, and how it seemed to be used throughout the book, although completely by the characters themselves. It could be triggering to some, and even those that wouldn’t be triggered would find Ms. Brady’s story with Meecham a bit disturbing. Other than this, the plot made up for whatever else the book lacked. Field of Shadows is incredibly engaging, and I enjoyed every bit of it. The reason I removed a star is a combination of the negative points in this paragraph and the ones in the third paragraph.

Field of Shadows would be a steal of a read for fans of crime thrillers and mafia-related stories. Anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery should also pick this book up. The author’s pacing was perfect, and the climax couldn’t have been more satisfying; it was a great read.

******
Field Of Shadows.
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powell Rumsfeld · Post by **powell Rumsfeld** » 11 Apr 2023, 08:28

The story captures the attention of many crime audience since the plot twist is way too good for one to even try and resist the captivity of the story.The creativity of the author is mind blowing.

Giovana Arévalo · Post by **Giovana Arévalo** » 11 Apr 2023, 21:21

This seems like a great read. I like crime thrillers and mafia-related novels, so this is something I would definitely pick.

Thank you for your review!

Elina Tshabalala · Post by **Elina Tshabalala** » 12 Apr 2023, 03:30

Lies, betrayal, money, illegal activities make for an intriguing story. I might just read this one.

Prosper2000 · Post by **Prosper2000** » 17 Apr 2023, 04:09

Mafia stories are the absolute best. Lovers of such stories should check this one out. Great review.

CrossK · Post by **CrossK** » 17 Apr 2023, 05:48

Crime thrillers present intense storylines. I'll check this out when I find time between reviews. You did a great job. Well done.

Alexander C Schmoock · Post by **Alexander C Schmoock** » 17 Apr 2023, 06:34

A book that brings the most authentic perspective to the crime-thriller genre involving drugs and drug trafficking should a great read for lovers of crime fiction stories.

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 16 May 2023, 14:58

Despite the issues you pointed out, this seems like an engaging crime thriller about mafia activities that can certainly appeal to the fans of this genre. Thank you for your great review!