OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Dark Money" by Larry D. Thompson.]

Jack Bryant is back in the second installment of the Jack Bryant series by Larry D. Thompson, a political crime thriller that delves into the dreaded topic of dark money - the elusive higher power of politics. After a harrowing Halloween fundraiser shootout, Jack Bryant rushes to the defense of his Desert Storm friend and saviour, Walt. What seemed to be a clear-cut assassination soon turns into a giant conspiracy, revealing the sinister underbelly of the political underworld.

Dark Money captured my attention because of the heated topic of dark money. If you don’t know (as I didn’t), dark money is currency donated to non-profit organizations. This money is then most often spent on influencing elections. Because donors don’t have to disclose their identities, it allows these ‘generous’ donors to frequently play puppet master’s in governments.

Dark Money delves into this hidden world at a fast pace and with clear writing that makes it easy to keep up with everything that is happening. Dark Money spans a couple of months and unravels layer upon layer of political intrigue. I loved that just when I thought it was the end, another layer of the conspiracy is revealed.

Although there wasn’t much in the way of character development, except for Walt who suffers from PTSD, it didn’t hinder my reading or the story's development. It allowed the storyline to run smooth and focused more on the action and the courtrooms than the characters.

I also enjoyed the realistic feel to the court systems and the police and authorities proceedings. There were no flashy, crazy moves but instead Dark Money relied on a slower but smarter story. It maintained the realistic flow and while it wasn’t rife with tension it did capture my attention and managed to hold onto it.

My only complaint would have to be the awkward feel of technology in Dark Money. Every bit of technology was explained in detail. There was even an instance where a character said, “I booked us two rooms in La Quinta with my iPhone.” This isn’t a major problem and doesn’t happen too much but at times it made me feel like I was reading a tech catalogue instead of a book.

Dark Money is professionally edited, and I encountered no critical errors. Regrettably, there were missed quotation marks scattered throughout the text and commas were misplaced or intermittently used instead of full stops.

Taking everything into consideration, I rate Dark Money 3 out of 4 stars. The story was entertaining and intriguing, and I enjoyed the realistic feel. I recommend Dark Money to those looking for a good political crime thriller.

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Dark Money
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Like JR Mercier's review? Post a comment saying so!

I'm glad that they explained Dark Money because I had no idea what it was. Now that I know, it would be interesting to read a story revolving around that as I haven't yet. I don't think the lack of character development would necessarily be a problem for me in a story such as this. The action would be so fast-paced that it wouldn't bother me. Thanks so much for your review. It's one I'll have to put on my list.

I also had no idea what Dark Money is. I was captivated by the cover of this book. I love reading about the various layers of political intrigue. This sounds like an exciting book! Great review.

I wasn't familiar with the term dark money either, so thanks for clarifying. This sounds like an engaging read and I enjoyed your review. Thanks for the recommendation!

Dark money has been mentioned in several recent election campaigns. I would be very interested in reading Dark Money to see how the author treats this current topic. Thanks for an excellent review!

In the current political environment learning about "dark money" sounds very interesting. Although there doesn't appear to be much action in the story it appears to be interesting enough to keep you entertained as you dig into the political underworld. Thank you for your review!

I am a lover of political thriller. Love this review will sure be getting a read. Great review

kandscreeley wrote: ↑06 Sep 2018, 08:38 I'm glad that they explained Dark Money because I had no idea what it was. Now that I know, it would be interesting to read a story revolving around that as I haven't yet. I don't think the lack of character development would necessarily be a problem for me in a story such as this. The action would be so fast-paced that it wouldn't bother me. Thanks so much for your review. It's one I'll have to put on my list.

It's definitely more a thinking action book. There are a few really cool action scenes that I enjoyed. I hope you like it.

kfwilson6 wrote: ↑06 Sep 2018, 11:10 I also had no idea what Dark Money is. I was captivated by the cover of this book. I love reading about the various layers of political intrigue. This sounds like an exciting book! Great review.

I was so excited too and I know! The cover looks awesome. Thank you for commenting.

Cecilia_L wrote: ↑06 Sep 2018, 11:11 I wasn't familiar with the term dark money either, so thanks for clarifying. This sounds like an engaging read and I enjoyed your review. Thanks for the recommendation!

I hope you enjoy it!

kdstrack wrote: ↑06 Sep 2018, 11:23 Dark money has been mentioned in several recent election campaigns. I would be very interested in reading Dark Money to see how the author treats this current topic. Thanks for an excellent review!

That is one of the reasons I was so intrigued. Thank you for the kind comment.

jcoad wrote: ↑06 Sep 2018, 20:47 In the current political environment learning about "dark money" sounds very interesting. Although there doesn't appear to be much action in the story it appears to be interesting enough to keep you entertained as you dig into the political underworld. Thank you for your review!

Perfectly said. Thank you for commenting!!

topdan30 wrote: ↑07 Sep 2018, 07:09 I am a lover of political thriller. Love this review will sure be getting a read. Great review

Thank you for the kind comment!

JR Mercier wrote: ↑05 Sep 2018, 04:05 Although there wasn’t much in the way of character development, except for Walt who suffers from PTSD, it didn’t hinder my reading or the story's development. It allowed the storyline to run smooth and focused more on the action and the courtrooms than the characters.

I also enjoyed the realistic feel to the court systems and the police and authorities proceedings. There were no flashy, crazy moves but instead Dark Money relied on a slower but smarter story. It maintained the realistic flow and while it wasn’t rife with tension it did capture my attention and managed to hold onto it.

My only complaint would have to be the awkward feel of technology in Dark Money. Every bit of technology was explained in detail. There was even an instance where a character said, “I booked us two rooms in La Quinta with my iPhone.” This isn’t a major problem and doesn’t happen too much but at times it made me feel like I was reading a tech catalogue instead of a book.

Thank you for your detailed review. I was not aware of the definition of dark money so thank you for including that in your review. Some of your descriptions sound like this may be a very slow action book such as "slower but smarter story" and "every bit of technology was explained in detail." Your comment about booking rooms at LaQuinta with my iPhone made me chuckle because I would not have thought anything of it whereas you found it quite technical, that may be caused by a difference in our cultures. Even though the premise of the book sounds intriguing, however, good character development is a necessity for me. I think I will have to pass on this one.

Kareka88 wrote: ↑10 Sep 2018, 18:58

JR Mercier wrote: ↑05 Sep 2018, 04:05 Although there wasn’t much in the way of character development, except for Walt who suffers from PTSD, it didn’t hinder my reading or the story's development. It allowed the storyline to run smooth and focused more on the action and the courtrooms than the characters.

I also enjoyed the realistic feel to the court systems and the police and authorities proceedings. There were no flashy, crazy moves but instead Dark Money relied on a slower but smarter story. It maintained the realistic flow and while it wasn’t rife with tension it did capture my attention and managed to hold onto it.

My only complaint would have to be the awkward feel of technology in Dark Money. Every bit of technology was explained in detail. There was even an instance where a character said, “I booked us two rooms in La Quinta with my iPhone.” This isn’t a major problem and doesn’t happen too much but at times it made me feel like I was reading a tech catalogue instead of a book.

Thank you for your detailed review. I was not aware of the definition of dark money so thank you for including that in your review. Some of your descriptions sound like this may be a very slow action book such as "slower but smarter story" and "every bit of technology was explained in detail." Your comment about booking rooms at LaQuinta with my iPhone made me chuckle because I would not have thought anything of it whereas you found it quite technical, that may be caused by a difference in our cultures. Even though the premise of the book sounds intriguing, however, good character development is a necessity for me. I think I will have to pass on this one.

I get that and maybe it's the side effects of being a millennial. Thank you for such a detailed comment.