Review of Cleopatra's Needle: Maelstrom

[Josephe-Anne]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Cleopatra's Needle: Maelstrom" by Tony Kayden.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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New York City’s iconic Central Park provides the backdrop for this fast-paced thriller. Cleopatra’s Needle: Maelstrom by Tony Kayden is set in 1995, but the events of the recent COVID-19 pandemic come to mind when reading this novel. The story begins with a group of wayward teenagers who vandalize the ancient stone obelisk that stands within the park. They also attack a homeless man. Then, one by one, animals and people start dying of a strange virus which seems to dry up all the fluids in their bodies. Captain Biggs Mosley and his partner, Sally Balducci, are on the case, trying to catch the criminals. Their investigation coincides with the work of two scientists, Susan Fletcher and Daniel Paine, who are trying to figure out how this mysterious virus works and how to eradicate it. Can they do it before the Big Apple is utterly destroyed by this menace?

The stunning cover design features an image of the obelisk at night with the city’s buildings in the background. A cloud of reddish sand swirls next to the Egyptian monument, and anguished faces emerge from the sand tornado. The title font is bold in gold and white. With the color scheme of blue and orange tones, the image is visually appealing. The themes include medical science, science fiction, supernatural events, history, romance, and friendship. The plot contains copious amounts of lewd humor, suggestive scenes, violence, and morbid details. Sensitive readers should be aware that the text is also laced with profanities and racial slurs. There is also a fair bit of scientific jargon relating to illnesses. Biblical scriptures are quoted, but religion is not a main component.

This novel introduces a large cast of characters whose lives intertwine in creative subplots. Captain Charles “Biggs” Mosley is one of the main characters. He is a family man who became a police officer to make the world a better place. His best friend and partner, Salvatore “Sally” Balducci, is a carefree bachelor, but he is also a skeptic who chooses to trust supposed logic over his instincts. Dr. Susan Fletcher is a single mother with an outstanding career as one of the country’s top epidemiologists. She is empathetic toward her patients, but she is also a skeptic when it comes to paranormal occurrences. Dr. Daniel Paine is a well-known clinician. After a bit of prodding from Susan, he becomes committed to solving the medical enigma. I was emotionally invested in the characters because they all had believable backstories.

I became engrossed in the plot because Mr. Kayden is a gifted storyteller. This novel reminded me of action movies from the 1980s and 1990s. It is a mixture of The Mummy films and the CSI: New York television show. I felt nostalgic, and I considered how much things have changed since 1995. The author used many vernacular terms in the character dialogues, so that made the story come alive. He also used several pop culture references to add humor to the story. Foreshadowing added suspense as I tried to guess what would happen next.

However, there are numerous errors in the text, so it needs another round of editing. Since this book features real locations, some maps, illustrations, or photos could have been included to help readers visualize the setting better. Also, in the Kindle version I read, the text was typed in a bold font which was somewhat distracting. There was too much lewd humor for my taste, and it was odd that in each section of the book, the chapters kept restarting from the number one instead of continuing from the previous part. Furthermore, I felt that the novel concluded with a dramatically stereotypical Hollywood ending.

Overall, I enjoyed this book despite its flaws. So, I have decided to give Cleopatra’s Needle: Maelstrom by Tony Kayden a rating of four out of five stars due to the errors and other issues I mentioned. I did not deduct another star because the positive aspects outweighed the negatives. In addition to the action-packed plot, readers are confronted with the harsh realities that we face in today’s world. Poverty, sickness, pain, and addictions are universal struggles that most of us have dealt with in some way or another. Tony Kayden shows us that we are all lost souls seeking a greater purpose in our lives. He also proves that when the chips are down, the best thing we can do is work together to find a solution. With this novel's cliffhanger ending, I look forward to reading more of this writer’s work.

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Cleopatra's Needle: Maelstrom
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[Kirui Collins]

The story looks lovely. I want to read it.

[Abiodunakinola]

The novel's blend of science fiction, history, and thriller elements, set against the iconic backdrop of Central Park, creates a gripping narrative that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. Nice review.

[Yasmine ZM]

The story seems fascinating. I like the mix of mystery, science fiction, history and humor. However I will stay away from it because I find that too much profanities or racial slurs take away my enjoyment of a good book. Thank you for your review.

[NetMassimo]

Despite the flaws you pointed out, this novel seems like a good mix of fantasy and realism with a lot of action for an engaging plot. Thank you for your great review!