BookBrowse:

A debut thriller with a dashing new hero, written by a former FBI agent

Looking for a page-turner to while away the weekend with? 17 out of 18 BookBrowse readers gave thumbs up to this heart-pounding thriller and its hero. Here's what they had to say:

From the first page to the last I was completely engaged with the characters and the story line, and at 390 pages this one is no wimp. And still, it ended too soon. There were so many twists and turns in this thriller that I could not figure out what was happening next - and I'm the queen of figuring out the ending by the middle of the book. As an added bonus, I have fallen in love with Steve Vail (aka the Bricklayer) and am so thrilled that this is just the first book in a series. I can't wait for the second book to come out. So you better get this one on your wish list quick because you cannot have my copy (Rebecca C)!

A new action character has arrived on the scene: Steve Vail - James Bond and MacGyver rolled into one (Janice M). Airy and intense bantering with both a love interest and outlaws makes Vail a character to rush back to at every chance until the literal, flirtatious last sentence (Jan P). Vail joins the ranks of Jack Reacher, Harry Bosch, and Joe Pike. I thoroughly enjoyed this newest entry in the thriller fiction genre. It's a fast-paced, entertaining read. I hope this is the beginning of a series (Maryanne K).

Some readers wished it was even better, though…
The story unfolds with ever-increasing challenges through a maze of setups that fool the FBI, and leads Steve Vail deeper into a web of anger, greed, and romance. However, the developing romance between Kate and Steve could have been handled with more sophistication at the end to make a truly great read (Jim T). The dialogue between Vail and Bannon is primarily sexual innuendo and suggestiveness which grows tiring as the story stagnates three-quarters of the way through. Tacked-on plot twists seem formulaic and forced in an attempt to revive the story's former pace... Ultimately, Steve Vail is an exciting new character whom fans can anticipate reading more about in future books from this series. My hope is that with experience, Noah Boyd will soon weave a tale that remains as riveting to the end as is most, but not all, of The Bricklayer (Amy M).

The bottom line:
Steve Vail, my new favorite rogue agent! Loved the fast paced twists and turns of this book, a good read for anyone that likes a mystery. I'm a big fan of Michael Connelly and John Sandford and I'm now adding Noah Boyd to my list of favorites. This book keeps you guessing and intrigued from page one… enjoy (Diane D)!

This review was originally published in The BookBrowse Review in February 2010, and has been updated for the January 2011 edition. Click here to go to this issue.

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