Review of Balaclava

[Rebecca De Figueiredo]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Balaclava" by M. G. Field.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Title: Balaclava
Author: M.G.Field

This exciting, 'nitty-gritty', riveting little thriller has all the ingredients for a satisfying weekend of reading. The first page drew me in, and I was hooked. Initially, we think we know everyone, which gives us a temporarily comfortable feeling. The reader soon begins to experience nagging questions, and suspicions soon arise. The people in his life are not who they seem to be, and everything seems to become off-kilter as the story progresses.

I like the way M. G. Field writes. He develops this story well, and our protagonist, Dan, looks under more and more proverbial 'stones' as the novel goes on, causing the reader to turn the page eagerly in anticipation of what will be discovered next. The tone is always pleasant, with none of the incessant profanity, gore, or sex often found in this type of book, which is refreshing (although it is not totally devoid of these). The book swings back and forth from his past to the present day, so we get a good taste of who he is and what makes him tick. We read about his wife's killing. Florida is his new home, but we can sense how much he misses his home state and its cooler weather.

I would watch this if it were a movie or a TV series. I can even envisage possible cast members. The story is fast-paced, so a series could detrimentally drag it out too much. Family is important to him and his brother Nate, and sometimes brings a human and rather beautiful edge to the book.

I found the editing perfect throughout the book, and I enjoyed how it was divided into three parts, with short chapters. This strangely added to the storyline. I disliked absolutely nothing and recommend this book to all adult readers. I will award a full five stars.

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Balaclava
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