Top Hook

Rating:
Summary: shoot em up thrill a paragraph
Review: Everything looks great to Alan Craik and his spouse Rose Siciliano. The CIA appears ready to tap him for a highly regarded espionage position and the astronaut school has accepted Rose. Much faster than their rise to the top is their collapse caused by the machinations of someone else.

A woman in Venice blackmails CIA treasonous mole George Shreed. Panicking and already over the edge with his wife near death from cancer, George needs a fall guy who would have been on the project but not quite visible and with little protection to dub as the double agent selling secrets to the Chinese. He selects Rose. His covert actions lead the CIA to stop the promotions of Craik and Siciliano pending the results of an investigation into the activities of the duo. Their careers come to a halt but refusing to idly sit by as the taint of treason is painted on them, Alan and Rose begin their own inquiries into what short circuited their lives.

The third Craik-Siciliano thriller is loaded with action, action, and more action somewhat at the cost of character development. The story line emphasizes the shoot em up thrill a paragraph that never slows down, but for new readers Alan and Rose never seem quite real. Strangely the double agent is probably the most complete player in the tale as the audience understands his fears, doubts, and motives. Fans who enjoy an energizing espionage thriller will want to read Gordon Kent's latest global stimulating novel.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Good Stuff
Review: This is the third in the Alan Craik stories and while you don't have to read the previous two, I would suggest that Peacemaker would be worth reading first.
Fast paced, perhaps the authors have spent less time on the characters and more on the action, and this works if you feel comfortable with the characters from previous novels. If, however, this is your first Craik novel then you might find that the characters are glossed over and the authors assume you understand the relationships.
Having said that, an in context of the three novels, I enjoyed this and look forward to more.

Rating:
Summary: Top Hook is the best Gordon Kent book yet!
Review: This was my favorite of the three Gordon Kent novels. It has excellent action sequences and a wonderful air of suspense. Read Rules of Engagement and Peacemaker as well. The three books are chronological and I would read them in order. Top Hook is filled with great high-tech action, devious spying, a great international chase, and one of the best concluding battles I have ever read.