Rating: 
Summary: Move over Bruce Willis -- Very highly recommended
Review: Nothing is ever routine with Navy Intelligence operative Joshua McGowan, who lives by his own code of honor. His newest partner considered him as passive as an old head of lettuce until the bullets began flying and Josh did his Bruce Willis imitation. In the flicker of a moment, Josh goes from lettuce to a bloodthirsty killing machine intent upon his mission. But when the heat of the moment passes, Josh can't help wondering how he gets into these messes.Josh McGowan began his service in a Special Forces outfit, where he interfered with the function of the KGB making an avowed enemy of Colonel Mironov, the KGB controller for many Soviet operatives Josh encountered in the field. During the Cold War, Colonel Maronov had been a thorn in the side of Josh's boss. With the end of the Cold War, enemies become allies as Colonel Mironov promises the location of Valeria Konstantinova with the provision Josh is the man to bring her in. Valeria knows the location of Dr. Otto Jones, an explosive expert who is aiding the Communist Party in its effort to overthrow Russia's new democratic leadership. The CIA freed Valeria from prison and smuggled to the Siberian coast. Now Josh must bring her back to the States. Valeria Konstantinova is a serious threat to the security of the Communist Party. If she were to share what she knows with western intelligence agencies, the Party would be set back a hundred years. During her short service to the KGB and directed by Mironov, she slept with more than twenty of the most powerful men in the Kremlin. A whore for the KGB, she is determined that her service is done, and she wants nothing more than to slip away with the man she loves. Unfortunately, Mironov plays a dirty game, planning to double-cross the United States and use Valeria to resurrect Communist Russia. Novelist Jack Allen presents the sleuthing world with CHANGE OF HEART. An action packed thriller, CHANGE OF HEART keeps the heart pounding rapidly and keeps the pages turning swiftly as it moves from the murky depths of Soviet water to exotic Tokyo to the heart of the Kremlin. Espionage, betrayal of friend and country, and power provide strong motivation for this plot-driven spy thriller. Josh is no James Bond, with women clutching his elbows and supreme self-confidence. Instead, he's a refreshingly original hero with attitude, vulnerabilities, and no love life. The Joshua McGowan series will continue wit the following upcoming releases: AN INNOCENT AMONG THEM, WIDOW OF CALCUTTA and THE LENNOX CONSPIRACY, as well as BREATHE OF THE FLESH. Outstanding within its genre, CHANGE OF HEART comes very highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: THIS SHOULD BE A MOVIE...
Review: This is a well paced, action thriller that has movie written all over it. Action packed, fast paced, it would make a terrific film. The book is a wholly plot driven novel. While it falls somewhat short in terms of characterization, its fast pace and intricate plot keep the reader turning the pages. The hero of this book is Joshua McGowan, a handsome, young Naval Intelligence Officer with the Special Forces Unit, who has just been given a new mission. A top notch field operative, he is just the man for this job. He must rescue a young, Russian woman, Valeria Konstantinova, an elite member of the KGB, who has been imprisoned in Russia. The United States is anxious to secure her person, as she is presumed to have information of the whereabouts of Dr. Otto Jones, an American explosives expert who is in the process of devising an explosive that would be undetectable by most current security systems. Dr. Jones has turned traitor and is actively working for Colonel Miranov of the KGB on behalf of the Communist Party. Colonel Mironov, a sinister, double dealing, KGB capo, has engineered this entire mission, as a part of a plan to restore the Communist Party to its former glory in Moscow, and as a way of potentially getting rid of McGowan, his long time nemesis. What neither Mironov nor McGowan reckon with is that Valeria may have her own agenda. The action takes the reader from the United States to Japan, the Middle East, and Russia with many life or death, action packed, page turning sequences. Mironov will stop at nothing to derail the democratic process in Russia and start the Cold War anew. The only question is whether McGowan will be able to accomplish his mission, stop Miranov and, at the same time, stay alive. This really would make an excellent film. I see Josh Harnett or even Ben Affleck in the role of Joshua McGowan. Kathy Bates would be perfect in the role of Rear Admiral Katherine Fillmore, one of McGowan's bosses on this mission. Angelina Jolie would make a perfectly beautiful Valeria, while Arnold Schwartzenegger would be terrific in the role of the evil Colonel Miranov. Fans of Tom Clancy and Ian Fleming should enjoy this book, as should all those who enjoy a good, old-fashioned, action thriller. This is a solid, debut novel.
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