Official Review: The Diamond Seekers
Posted: 30 Aug 2017, 11:35
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Diamond Seekers" by Jack Everett & David Coles.]
4 out of 4 stars
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The Diamond Seekers by Jack Everett and David Coles is a fast-paced novel that lands itself squarely into the crime/thriller genres. This dizzying escapade expertly mixes in many of the key elements that bring readers of these genres back time and time again: Italian mafia, the Russian mob, Secret services, espionage, murder, and betrayal! Strap yourself in for an exciting ride accentuated by long-standing international tensions between the descendants of Machiavelli, Russian crime bosses, and the debonair agents of MI5/MI6 that have been chasing these men for years.
This fun novel follows a retired MI5 agent, an ex-code cracker, as he is ripped back into international feuds from his past. When Philip is contacted by a man claiming to be his son from a long-ago (but not forgotten) liaison, he falls once again onto the radar of the various international players. A Russian/Italian deal gone south many year’s back is resurrected and Philip finds himself being pursued, shot at, and hounded for information from the very depths of his memory. Not only does Philip not remember the details from the codes he is supposed to have broken, if he doesn’t come up with some answers, people will begin to die. Alberto Lorente, an ancient relative of Niccolò Machiavelli himself and nicknamed for “Il Principe” for the "kingdom" he rules over, will do anything to get his blood diamonds back. With help from his old employers, Philip needs to avoid getting killed, recover long-lost information, and potentially stop this Italian tyrant in his tracks.
The Diamond Seekers was a fast-paced book that keeps the reader guessing throughout. From the very beginning Everett and Coles weave a tale of deception and intrigue that makes up an excellent read. The characters have colourful pasts, the international locations are beautifully described, and the nuances of UK military intelligence was on par with that of a verified “insider”. I really enjoyed the complicated relationships between “the good guys” and the “the bad guys” that the authors weaved. Not only was the book fast paced enough, it was interesting enough to keep my interest page after page. What I liked the most about this book, something that tends to play a prominent role in books like these, is how the twist and turns of the plot can keep you on your toes and doubting every aspect of who to trust in the book.
There is very little that I didn’t like about this book. Potentially both a positive and a negative aspect of this book would be that it can be classified colloquially as an excellent “airport novel”; it is a relatively quick read, that is compelling enough to get you through a few hour layover, but not likely to win any awards for literary genius. It is simple enough not to get the reader bogged down, but that also means that it isn’t likely to stand the annals of time like a work by Steinbeck or Dostoyevsky.
Since I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, I have no qualms giving The Diamond Seekers a perfect 4 out of 4 stars. There is no reason why I would dock this book a star as it fits perfectly within its intended audience and realm. I 100% recommend this book to lovers of the crime/thriller genre but if you are definitely not into that genre, this will most likely not be for you.
******
The Diamond Seekers
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4 out of 4 stars
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The Diamond Seekers by Jack Everett and David Coles is a fast-paced novel that lands itself squarely into the crime/thriller genres. This dizzying escapade expertly mixes in many of the key elements that bring readers of these genres back time and time again: Italian mafia, the Russian mob, Secret services, espionage, murder, and betrayal! Strap yourself in for an exciting ride accentuated by long-standing international tensions between the descendants of Machiavelli, Russian crime bosses, and the debonair agents of MI5/MI6 that have been chasing these men for years.
This fun novel follows a retired MI5 agent, an ex-code cracker, as he is ripped back into international feuds from his past. When Philip is contacted by a man claiming to be his son from a long-ago (but not forgotten) liaison, he falls once again onto the radar of the various international players. A Russian/Italian deal gone south many year’s back is resurrected and Philip finds himself being pursued, shot at, and hounded for information from the very depths of his memory. Not only does Philip not remember the details from the codes he is supposed to have broken, if he doesn’t come up with some answers, people will begin to die. Alberto Lorente, an ancient relative of Niccolò Machiavelli himself and nicknamed for “Il Principe” for the "kingdom" he rules over, will do anything to get his blood diamonds back. With help from his old employers, Philip needs to avoid getting killed, recover long-lost information, and potentially stop this Italian tyrant in his tracks.
The Diamond Seekers was a fast-paced book that keeps the reader guessing throughout. From the very beginning Everett and Coles weave a tale of deception and intrigue that makes up an excellent read. The characters have colourful pasts, the international locations are beautifully described, and the nuances of UK military intelligence was on par with that of a verified “insider”. I really enjoyed the complicated relationships between “the good guys” and the “the bad guys” that the authors weaved. Not only was the book fast paced enough, it was interesting enough to keep my interest page after page. What I liked the most about this book, something that tends to play a prominent role in books like these, is how the twist and turns of the plot can keep you on your toes and doubting every aspect of who to trust in the book.
There is very little that I didn’t like about this book. Potentially both a positive and a negative aspect of this book would be that it can be classified colloquially as an excellent “airport novel”; it is a relatively quick read, that is compelling enough to get you through a few hour layover, but not likely to win any awards for literary genius. It is simple enough not to get the reader bogged down, but that also means that it isn’t likely to stand the annals of time like a work by Steinbeck or Dostoyevsky.
Since I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, I have no qualms giving The Diamond Seekers a perfect 4 out of 4 stars. There is no reason why I would dock this book a star as it fits perfectly within its intended audience and realm. I 100% recommend this book to lovers of the crime/thriller genre but if you are definitely not into that genre, this will most likely not be for you.
******
The Diamond Seekers
View: on Bookshelves
Like Scerakor's review? Post a comment saying so!