Official Review: The Moonshadow Effect by Robert de Casares

Manang Muyang · Post by **Manang Muyang** » 13 Sep 2018, 04:40

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Moonshadow Effect" by Robert de Casares.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.
-Lord Acton, historian and moralist, in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887

The Organisation (aka The Lab) is for hire at the right price. Its main offering is SODD (Subterfuge, Obfuscation, Diversion, and Disinformation). The Professor created it in 1978 originally as a “fully deniable operation of the KGB,” but in 2022, it has expanded its customer base to include “clients from America to the European Union, the Middle East and China.” SODD is serious business and quite risky, too. To keep the service of the highest quality, The Lab needs to eliminate people as collateral damage; a “Removals” section takes care of this task. Max Dacre, our protagonist, is one of the removers. One day, however, he is suspected of being “grass”; that is enough reason to terminate him. When in doubt, The Lab always takes the safe alternative.

Max survives the drone sent to wipe him out. He is indeed a double agent as he is an MI6 operative. He promptly kills the MI6 mole who snitched on him to The Lab. The rest of the story follows his exploits as he undertakes his next assignments. But he does have a score to settle with The Lab.

While the international game of smoke and mirrors (dubbed as “Operation Moonshadow”) is taking place, Mother Earth displays her wrath, killing thousands and displacing millions. Do the world leaders care?

The Moonshadow Effect by Robert de Casares is a superb story. While the author contends that it is all fiction, there are so many uncanny similarities to world events, past and present, to keep the reader intrigued. Robert uses the Skripal poisoning in 2018, Brexit, the 2014 Ukraine uprising, Trump’s romance with Twitter, and many more true events to weave his thrilling tale. I was many times awed by his insightful analysis of international politics. I will not be surprised if his book turns out to be prophetic.

The action does not let up. De Casares knows his weapons and spy organizations. The reader who can recognize the acronyms HVA, GRU, and DHS and who can distinguish a nine-millimeter Stechkin from an SVD sniper rifle will have a treat. Those who are not so familiar with those acronyms and weapons will not get lost, either.

De Casares draws parallels between his characters and their counterparts in history. A vivid example would be his depiction of the book’s world leaders “dividing the cake” in the same fashion that Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill did eighty years ago. He also makes use of literary works masterfully. Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle and William Blake’s The Tyger have memorable spots in the story. Fans of these classics will find their inclusion fascinating.

The author takes us gallivanting around Europe: Florence, Lithuania, Bergen, Capri, and other cities. We are also brought to the diving sights in Great Barrier Reef and Cozumel. We likewise get a few language lessons in the Queen’s English, Portuguese, Dutch, and Ukrainian, among others. The reader will appreciate the touristy spots and foreign phrases in the midst of the killings.

Speaking of the killings, the author surprises us with the many means of doing away with the unwanted. Even a cat becomes a murder weapon! And the killers are a novel bunch; watch out for Cyril, the most interesting of them all.

The spies, too, are in all unlikely shapes and sizes; even age matters not.

I cannot but gush about this book and want so much to give it a perfect rating. The scenes are alive with details (the locations, furnishings, accouterments and even the wine) that put the reader there, thankfully safely invisible. One is not confused despite the many places and characters introduced. The bombastic ending is totally unpredictable and yet realistic. Alas, the editing does not make the grade. While the mesmerizing story is not affected by the technical flaws, there is a need to wield the red pencil. The errors include run-on sentences, misused punctuation (the author’s favorites are the colon and the semicolon), wrong verb forms, and a few tiny plot inconsistencies. Thus, I give this novel 3 out of 4 stars with a heavy heart.

Followers of international politics will enjoy this book. Al Gore fans and environmentalists will also find it worthwhile. The killings are gruesome, and there is significant sex in the story. There is some cursing, as well. Thus, the young and sensitive are cautioned.

I urge the reader to be vigilant, though. Someone in your immediate circle may be a spy.

P.S. The latest Forbes listing of the most powerful people in the world follows: on first place, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China; on second, Vladimir Putin, President of Russia; and on third, Donald Trump, the American President.

******
The Moonshadow Effect
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Like Miriam Molina's review? Post a comment saying so!

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 15 Sep 2018, 08:11

It's unfortunate that this book's editing was lacking. Even so, it sounds like a suspenseful story and I enjoyed your candid review.

Post by **bookowlie** » 15 Sep 2018, 10:09

Thanks for another insightful review! I don't normally like spy thrillers, but you made the plot sound very interesting. It's certainly frustrating to come across plot inconsistencies, as well as grammatical errors.

Manang Muyang · Post by **Manang Muyang** » 15 Sep 2018, 10:55

Cecilia_L wrote: ↑15 Sep 2018, 08:11 It's unfortunate that this book's editing was lacking. Even so, it sounds like a suspenseful story and I enjoyed your candid review.

It's written in British English. I even researched whether the errors were because of that. I so wanted to give it a 4. The plot inconsistencies were tiny; I only noticed them because I was looking intently.

Thanks for visiting, Cecilia_L. Being a thriller addict like me, you will enjoy this!

Manang Muyang · Post by **Manang Muyang** » 15 Sep 2018, 11:01

bookowlie wrote: ↑15 Sep 2018, 10:09 Thanks for another insightful review! I don't normally like spy thrillers, but you made the plot sound very interesting. It's certainly frustrating to come across plot inconsistencies, as well as grammatical errors.

Max Dacre is a character I will remember. I really had fun spying with him all over Europe! I wonder if Robert will use him again.

Thanks, Bookowlie!

Ruba Abu Ali · Post by **Ruba Abu Ali** » 15 Sep 2018, 13:22

What a charming review! Thrillers are my cup of tea. You piqued my interest with your engaging insight. Thank you!

Manang Muyang · Post by **Manang Muyang** » 15 Sep 2018, 14:46

Ruba Abu Ali wrote: ↑15 Sep 2018, 13:22 What a charming review! Thrillers are my cup of tea. You piqued my interest with your engaging insight. Thank you!

I hope you find the time for this charming book. Thanks for the kind comments.

MrsCatInTheHat · Post by **MrsCatInTheHat** » 15 Sep 2018, 15:46

Miriam Molina wrote: ↑15 Sep 2018, 10:55
Cecilia_L wrote: ↑15 Sep 2018, 08:11 It's unfortunate that this book's editing was lacking. Even so, it sounds like a suspenseful story and I enjoyed your candid review.
It's written in British English. I even researched whether the errors were because of that. I so wanted to give it a 4. The plot inconsistencies were tiny; I only noticed them because I was looking intently.

Thanks for visiting, Cecilia_L. Being a thriller addict like me, you will enjoy this!

I completely understand what you mean. I struggle when a storyline is so gripping but the editing is lacking.

420waystoreachthesun · Post by **420waystoreachthesun** » 15 Sep 2018, 23:32

"Trump's romance with twitter" :p
Loved that
I loved your book review. It seems like an interesting book, despite the errors.

Debjani Ghosh · Post by **Debjani Ghosh** » 16 Sep 2018, 00:35

Great review! From your review, it seems that this is a fast-paced spy thriller. I am sure if you were not combing through the book with hawk's eye, this book would have earned a 4 out of 4. Thanks for the review!

Rosemary Khathibe · Post by **Rosemary Khathibe** » 16 Sep 2018, 06:05

I don't like politics, but the book seems to have twisted it in the very satisfying manner. I like it more for the killings. Excellent review!

Post by **kandscreeley** » 16 Sep 2018, 18:54

I don't enjoy international politics nor do I enjoy explicit scenes. So I'll be skipping this one. Still, it sounds like the author researched this well. Thanks.

Manang Muyang · Post by **Manang Muyang** » 17 Sep 2018, 20:48

CatInTheHat wrote: ↑15 Sep 2018, 15:46
I completely understand what you mean. I struggle when a storyline is so gripping but the editing is lacking.

I hope the author can resolve the editing issues pronto. I will be on the lookout for his other books. I won't mind reading about Max Dacre again.

Manang Muyang · Post by **Manang Muyang** » 17 Sep 2018, 20:51

420waystoreachthesun wrote: ↑15 Sep 2018, 23:32 "Trump's romance with twitter" :p
Loved that
I loved your book review. It seems like an interesting book, despite the errors.

Thanks for the kind words. The book is plenty interesting.

P.S. Are there really 420 ways to reach the sun? Maybe you can write a book about this enlightening topic.

Manang Muyang · Post by **Manang Muyang** » 17 Sep 2018, 20:54

Debjani Ghosh wrote: ↑16 Sep 2018, 00:35 Great review! From your review, it seems that this is a fast-paced spy thriller. I am sure if you were not combing through the book with hawk's eye, this book would have earned a 4 out of 4. Thanks for the review!

I combed through the book with a spy's eyes, LOL!

Thanks for dropping a comment, Debjani Ghosh!