Review of The Fugitive (The Border Series Book 5)
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- Latest Review: The Fugitive (The Border Series Book 5) by David Griffith
Review of The Fugitive (The Border Series Book 5)
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Fugitive (The Border Series Book 5)" by David Griffith.]
The Fugitive, the fifth book in The Border Series by David Griffith, opens with a feared-fatal gunshot blown into the chest of the protagonist and, from then, the tension begins to build ominously. The result is a deadly serious cat-and-mouse mystery-game that threatens Lonnie Bowers and his young family, even as it drives him to reluctantly return to the South American drug-cartel scene he left behind years before, in a desperate search for answers.
The reader is, at first, drawn in by David Griffith’s measured pace of narration and Lonnie Bowers’ steadfast decency, his stoicism and self-deprecating thoughts as he constantly faces danger. Lonnie is portrayed as a likeable, honourable man, and we soon find ourselves agonising over his setbacks and vested in and cheering for every triumph he gains.
In the general outlines of the plot and at certain bright points, including its auspicious beginning, The Fugitive holds out great promise of being a suspenseful, enjoyable read. Unfortunately, that promise swiftly fades with every page we read, which earned it a rating of 2 out of 4 stars.
Despite the novel’s early promise, Griffith’s writing is inexcusably riddled with page after page of unedited errors. In addition, the plot details that are unveiled unintentionally show Lonnie Bowers to be an incredibly incompetent – though well-meaning - field operative even though he supposedly worked for a super-secret organisation fighting against organised crime. Even Griffith himself seemed to realise that Bowers’ amateurish fumbles and missteps don’t show him in a good light as, again and again, he inserts a train of thought in Lonnie’s mind in which he bemoans his own errors. Perhaps Griffith felt these mistakes made the story more realistic, but that approach was overdone and seriously weakened the narrative. The writer’s repeated assertions of Lonnie’s supposed field-operative skills and long and honourable service do little to redeem the story and merely irritate, as Lonnie’s actions repeatedly fall short of the skills he is supposed to possess. This clumsy handling also makes some of the plot twists feel contrived and unbelievable (not in a good way).
The Fugitive is a frustrating and disappointing read. The plot has some powerful and appealing elements that Griffith failed, at critical points, to convert into a convincing, suspenseful story. Perhaps the strengths of the novel are sufficient to make reading it enjoyable - and the story will definitely appeal to readers of all ages - but I think fans of this genre will need to, ah, adjust their expectations before reading The Fugitive.
******
The Fugitive (The Border Series Book 5)
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Fugitive, the fifth book in The Border Series by David Griffith, opens with a feared-fatal gunshot blown into the chest of the protagonist and, from then, the tension begins to build ominously. The result is a deadly serious cat-and-mouse mystery-game that threatens Lonnie Bowers and his young family, even as it drives him to reluctantly return to the South American drug-cartel scene he left behind years before, in a desperate search for answers.
The reader is, at first, drawn in by David Griffith’s measured pace of narration and Lonnie Bowers’ steadfast decency, his stoicism and self-deprecating thoughts as he constantly faces danger. Lonnie is portrayed as a likeable, honourable man, and we soon find ourselves agonising over his setbacks and vested in and cheering for every triumph he gains.
In the general outlines of the plot and at certain bright points, including its auspicious beginning, The Fugitive holds out great promise of being a suspenseful, enjoyable read. Unfortunately, that promise swiftly fades with every page we read, which earned it a rating of 2 out of 4 stars.
Despite the novel’s early promise, Griffith’s writing is inexcusably riddled with page after page of unedited errors. In addition, the plot details that are unveiled unintentionally show Lonnie Bowers to be an incredibly incompetent – though well-meaning - field operative even though he supposedly worked for a super-secret organisation fighting against organised crime. Even Griffith himself seemed to realise that Bowers’ amateurish fumbles and missteps don’t show him in a good light as, again and again, he inserts a train of thought in Lonnie’s mind in which he bemoans his own errors. Perhaps Griffith felt these mistakes made the story more realistic, but that approach was overdone and seriously weakened the narrative. The writer’s repeated assertions of Lonnie’s supposed field-operative skills and long and honourable service do little to redeem the story and merely irritate, as Lonnie’s actions repeatedly fall short of the skills he is supposed to possess. This clumsy handling also makes some of the plot twists feel contrived and unbelievable (not in a good way).
The Fugitive is a frustrating and disappointing read. The plot has some powerful and appealing elements that Griffith failed, at critical points, to convert into a convincing, suspenseful story. Perhaps the strengths of the novel are sufficient to make reading it enjoyable - and the story will definitely appeal to readers of all ages - but I think fans of this genre will need to, ah, adjust their expectations before reading The Fugitive.
******
The Fugitive (The Border Series Book 5)
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Fugitive (The Border Series Book 5) by David Griffith
