A Cause to Kill for

Rating:
Summary: A cause to read a promising writer
Review: Eric Jackson's self-published A Cause to Kill For is a political thriller that grabs the reader from the very first chapter; better yet: from the intriguing tittle and suggestive cover design.

Its tight plot is well thought-out, with the necessary twists and turns, interesting protagonists and antagonists, and rapid succession of action and reaction sections that readers would love to find in any best-seller.

Imagine the President of the United States of America, motivated by the discovery of huge oil deposits in a colonial territory and, who in cahoots with Congress, is more than eager to impose the statehood to an island nation through a plebiscite.

Now imagine a terrorist group, having nothing to do with any of the known axis of evil, determined to do whatever it can to defeat such proposal.

After trying unsuccessfully to kill the Governor of Puerto Rico, a radical group called September Twenty-third kidnapped the First Lady. The group's leader demands the cancellation of the federal government sponsored plebiscite in exchange for the governor's wife.

The local police and the FBI get involved, realizing that for the terrorist group to be successful, it must have had help from the outside. An aggressive and influential television reporter and her cameraman, a leftist local congressman and college students, enter the list of suspects.

Some very creative twists, turns and leads guide law enforcement authorities to the culprit's hideout. Is it going to be easy to arrest or kill the terrorist leader and his accomplices? Will they find the First Lady alive? Will the plebiscite be canceled? These are the questions that the author skilfully drags all the way to a vivid tour de force ending.

This book goes beyond its entertainment value. It teaches about the possibilities of unknown political dramas rarely presented outside of the Island's Spanish-language fiction and literature realm. This international politics fiction piece attempts to brake with clichés that abound in books written about the American conflicts of recent memory. Is about the enemy within; about a century old issue involving a colony populated by American citizens, that remains in limbo.

With his deep understanding of both countries historic ties, Jackson writes a chilling roller coaster drama that not only keeps the reader turning pages, but ends up teaching more than a thing or two about the ignored realities of Puerto Rican and American politics.

The author throws in some popular culture elements, recognizable places, one strong character here and a caricature of another there, giving the story a real sense of authenticity.

Structurally, the book works very well: short chapters defined by dates preceding the plebiscite, rushing with adrenaline driven anticipation. The first chapters present the needed details, picking up the pace towards the end, delivering the essential elements of a good thriller.

Some minor annoyances, not rare on first self edited and published books, can distract an avid reader's attention from an otherwise tight plot and sub-plots, and a timely succession of prose and dialogue. They're mostly repetitive descriptions of locales and objects, of character's expressions and moves, and some unnecessary dialogue lines. These overseen stylistic flaws can be corrected and polished by a professional editor in future editions.

Having said that, and giving the talent for plotting a thriller the right way displayed by Eric Jackson in his first book, it will be a shame if a publisher doesn't pick up this one and make it in what it should be: a best-seller.

Before that happens, buy the print-on-demand edition of A Cause to Kill For, and become one of the first readers of a promising new writer.


Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary....
Review: You will not put this book down! From start to finish A Cause To Kill For will leave you gasping for air!!
--Excellent Read