Power Play
Author: Tony Kent
Published by: Elliot & Thompson
Pages: 501
Format: Paperback (Proof Copy)
My Rating ★★★★★
The breakthrough thriller from the most exciting new name in crime fiction.
When controversial US presidential candidate Dale Victor is killed in a plane explosion along with hundreds of passengers, it appears to be a clear-cut case of terrorism. But as criminal barrister Michael Devlin and agent Joe Dempsey investigate, all the evidence starts to point to the very top of the US government. And now someone is determined to stop Dempsey and Devlin from discovering the truth. At any cost. Together they must find a way to prove who’s pulling the strings, and free the White House from the deadly grip that has taken hold of power.
My thoughts
This is a fast-paced political conspiracy thriller that grips from beginning to end. It all begins with an explosion on a plane flying across the Atlantic, killing all 534 passengers on board, including the popular presidential candidate, the charismatic Dale Victor.
The characters felt very real and were mostly really likeable. Perhaps the two most central characters are Devlin, the gritty high -lying lawyer, and Dempsey, the complete powerhouse agent who stops at nothing to do what is right. I found Dempsey really intriguing and impressive in the way he handles himself. He is obviously a remarkably intelligent guy, which combined with his many physical strengths and sheer determination, immediately puts him at a great advantage to be the hero of the story.
Power Play follows several characters, each of them as interesting as the other, but what I really fell in love with was the plot. It is a perfect combination of political drama and lethal action. Alongside the thrilling action scenes, I also really enjoyed reading about the court case and police interviews in London. The book travels back and forth between New York, London and Afghanistan, and I really loved the level of detail the author uses for each of these locations. It’s clear he has done his research, and his writing is just so readable and engrossing.
There are echoes of Michael Dobbs's House of Cards but there is also more of a James Bond action feel to it. The plot is fast-moving, exciting and full of twists and turns that’ll quickly grab your attention and have you up reading into the late hours of the night.
Kent weaves an outstanding political thriller here with many twists and turns. This fast-moving and exciting plot will keep you guessing right up to the final moments. The kind of rapid action thriller that keeps you hooked until the very end. I loved it. The book has just been released in paperback and is also available on Kindle. I can’t recommend it enough!
** Thanks again to Elliot & Thompson and Bloomsbury Publishing for sending me out an advanced copy of the book!
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