Official Review: Random Targets by James Raven

[L_Therese]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Random Targets" by James Raven.]

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Detective Chief Inspector Jeff Temple never saw it coming when a traffic pile-up heralded a crime spree that would bathe the United Kingdom in fear and anxiety. By shooting at drivers on the highway, one individual can make an entire nation feel unsafe, even during mundane, daily activities like driving home from work. As the number of casualties mounts, Temple and his team must catch the criminal before he or she creates more tragic mayhem and paralyzes Britain with terror.

Random Targets by James Raven is an incredible edge-of-your-seat ride. The action starts quickly and never stops, keeping your heart racing the whole way through. Readers should be warned that time might just fall away from them while the book lasts because they won’t want to glance away. There is a driving need to know what happens next.

One of the elements that, in my opinion, really makes this book great is the relevance to real life. We live in an age where terrorism is a real thing and random shootings happen all too often. When elementary school classrooms, movie theaters, and passenger jets aren’t immune from random acts of violence, how long will it be before highways become targets as well? This novel is horrifyingly feasible, and Mr. Raven deserves full credit for the sensitive way that he deals with the ramifications of the tragedy as well as the investigative twists and turns throughout the book.

On a related note, another example of excellence in this book is the humanity of the characters. Detective Chief Inspector Temple, the protagonist, is fully rounded. He is dedicated to his job and as jaded as might be expected of a man in his position, but he is also vulnerable and very human. Even secondary and minor characters show multiple facets of their personalities as they react against events in the plot. Mr. Raven skillfully employs complex human beings even for the minor roles and side twists.

If you've read this far in the review, it will come as no surprise that I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. There is no doubt in my mind that Random Targets thoroughly deserves my highest accolades, and I would gladly recommend it to others as well. It’s highest appeal would definitely be among readers who enjoy suspense or thriller novels, but by virtue of its real-world relevance, it may be interesting to readers who are not usually attracted to that genre as well.

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[Kappy]

Excellent review. But I am skeptical that one person by himself can make an entire nation feel unsafe. The mainstream media and government officials have a huge self-interest in blowing things out of proportion, to draw attention to themselves. More than a million people die throughout the world every week (more than 100 per minute).