Haven

Rating:
Summary: A slow paced, zigzagging going nowhere story
Review: This was my first Maxim book, but it won't be my last.

This story had a nice tight plot that answered all questions posed in the beginning. The opening scene set up the reasons and plausibility of the events to follow. By the end of the opening scene, I knew who I wanted to see "get it" in the story.

The author drops information about the characters throughout the story that makes the motivations behind their actions very easy to understand. They were very likeable and real, and aptly described. In fact, there's one character in the book that I wanted to "shake" in order to make them understand that he/she should learn to listen. But since it's a character in a book, I settled for some mumbling under my breath.

The scenes were well described too; that includes the action scenes as well as the more emotional scenes that tended to provide insight into the characters' lives. There's a pretty good balance of both, which went a long way in helping character development. And the descriptions were good enough to allow you to "see" the action as it was going on. In one scene, I felt as if I were down at the waterfront viewing the events as they happened. This happens a lot in the book. The dialog was also good and appropriate.

The pace changes according to the events in the book. But in any case, the pace was appropriate. The action scenes read faster and the character-building scenes a little slower. However, the book didn't "drag" at all, which would have quickly lost my attention.

While I would have preferred a different ending, the one provided is understandable. Would I recommend this book? Yes. It's a darn good read and worth your time and money.

Rating:
Summary: A good spy thriller...
Review: This was my first Maxim book, but it won't be my last.

This story had a nice tight plot that answered all questions posed in the beginning. The opening scene set up the reasons and plausibility of the events to follow. By the end of the opening scene, I knew who I wanted to see "get it" in the story.

The author drops information about the characters throughout the story that makes the motivations behind their actions very easy to understand. They were very likeable and real, and aptly described. In fact, there's one character in the book that I wanted to "shake" in order to make them understand that he/she should learn to listen. But since it's a character in a book, I settled for some mumbling under my breath.

The scenes were well described too; that includes the action scenes as well as the more emotional scenes that tended to provide insight into the characters' lives. There's a pretty good balance of both, which went a long way in helping character development. And the descriptions were good enough to allow you to "see" the action as it was going on. In one scene, I felt as if I were down at the waterfront viewing the events as they happened. This happens a lot in the book. The dialog was also good and appropriate.

The pace changes according to the events in the book. But in any case, the pace was appropriate. The action scenes read faster and the character-building scenes a little slower. However, the book didn't "drag" at all, which would have quickly lost my attention.

While I would have preferred a different ending, the one provided is understandable. Would I recommend this book? Yes. It's a darn good read and worth your time and money.