The Major by Stephen Lawrence
Unfamiliar territory, not knowing what lies ahead. Betrayal and murder dominate from start to finish.
Stephen Lawrence adopts the mystery, thriller and suspense genre and admits to being influenced in his writing by James Patterson, Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin and Clive Cussler.
Pete, as the protagonist in this thriller is an interesting mixture of aggression and brutality combined with a sense of guilt and wrongdoings or what I would simply call humanity. He almost becomes a real life James Bond! The mystery is this. Pete longs for the camaraderie and the adrenaline rush, the thrills and spills of army life but he has been medically discharged and he seems to be in retirement mode, happily married to Jess, a talented freelance architect. Okay so far?
Something is missing. He wanted to recapture his SAS days in the Glorious Glosters, craving the excitement and danger of former times. He reflects on his Falklands' experience in June 1982 with hand to hand combat and death.
The air was filled with smoke and fumes of cordite. Atmospheric.
He had strayed past the enemy line and came face-to-face with his enemy. He killed him of course. That's what he was trained to do.
Once a killer, always a killer.
How can a mercenary settle for a mundane, domesticated life and existence? A suburbanite, a retiree who longed for that unfamiliar territory, not knowing what lies ahead, that danger.
Pete was beginning to feel trapped and admitted that he wasn't really content with his life. His salvation, the well-needed tonic arrived on his 45th birthday, a late mid-life crisis halted-a proposition, an offer too good to refuse: special operations, highly confidential work. Very tempting.
To digress, we have a steamy sex scene after Pete's birthday bash. He was knocked out in the barn, bound to a chair, hooded with a gag tied round his mouth and stripped of his clothes. When he started to return to part-consciousness he thought back to his days of being trussed up ready for interrogation OR torture OR EVEN WORSE execution! Horror. He thought it might be a sexual, deviant or ritualistic torture. You can probably work this out for yourself. X-rated.
Inevitably, Pete agrees to work for the Major. His senses become hyper and after making the decision, he felt confident that it would give him a purpose in life, self-belief and restore his shattered confidence.
He goes into each of his assignments metaphorically blindfolded, uncertain as he performs his role of playing God or more accurately, playing the devil's advocate. There were many moments when Pete simply felt out of his depth and wanted OUT. Could he? No. Pete was stupidly caught in a compromising position so the Major blackmailed him in such a way that it could have jeopardised his marriage and endangered his family.
Having to eliminate a person unnerved him, it clawed at his insides. He assassinated his victim by shooting him through the heart, followed by a clean hole in the back of his head followed by a third bullet in the centre of his bare back. That's what I call thorough. If you enjoy a bit of horror you'll like this.
Pete knew his face would have blown away and his heart would be in shreds.
This is the Spanish connection-Guardamar del Segura. A cold-blooded killing.
Anger and hatred gnaw away at his insides as his bank balance explodes and Pete's mission, in fact his sole purpose in life is now to locate the monster and destroy him. A tall order.
In his pursuit of this fiend he also discovers the truth of what really happened to his brother Mark who had been allegedly killed in a freak car crash.
The heat had been so intense that nothing recognisable remained.
Steve Lawrence.
The narrative builds up to a dramatic and unexpected climax with a number of surprises or shocks to keep you on your toes from start to finish. Is it all's well that ends well? Well not quite so in this case but ENJOY!
Publisher: Author House UK. ISBN: 978-1-4772-4342-8
COPYRIGHT. March 2013. Permission must be obtained from the author to reproduce any part of this review.
Stephen Lawrence adopts the mystery, thriller and suspense genre and admits to being influenced in his writing by James Patterson, Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin and Clive Cussler.
Pete, as the protagonist in this thriller is an interesting mixture of aggression and brutality combined with a sense of guilt and wrongdoings or what I would simply call humanity. He almost becomes a real life James Bond! The mystery is this. Pete longs for the camaraderie and the adrenaline rush, the thrills and spills of army life but he has been medically discharged and he seems to be in retirement mode, happily married to Jess, a talented freelance architect. Okay so far?
Something is missing. He wanted to recapture his SAS days in the Glorious Glosters, craving the excitement and danger of former times. He reflects on his Falklands' experience in June 1982 with hand to hand combat and death.
The air was filled with smoke and fumes of cordite. Atmospheric.
He had strayed past the enemy line and came face-to-face with his enemy. He killed him of course. That's what he was trained to do.
Once a killer, always a killer.
How can a mercenary settle for a mundane, domesticated life and existence? A suburbanite, a retiree who longed for that unfamiliar territory, not knowing what lies ahead, that danger.
Pete was beginning to feel trapped and admitted that he wasn't really content with his life. His salvation, the well-needed tonic arrived on his 45th birthday, a late mid-life crisis halted-a proposition, an offer too good to refuse: special operations, highly confidential work. Very tempting.
To digress, we have a steamy sex scene after Pete's birthday bash. He was knocked out in the barn, bound to a chair, hooded with a gag tied round his mouth and stripped of his clothes. When he started to return to part-consciousness he thought back to his days of being trussed up ready for interrogation OR torture OR EVEN WORSE execution! Horror. He thought it might be a sexual, deviant or ritualistic torture. You can probably work this out for yourself. X-rated.
Inevitably, Pete agrees to work for the Major. His senses become hyper and after making the decision, he felt confident that it would give him a purpose in life, self-belief and restore his shattered confidence.
He goes into each of his assignments metaphorically blindfolded, uncertain as he performs his role of playing God or more accurately, playing the devil's advocate. There were many moments when Pete simply felt out of his depth and wanted OUT. Could he? No. Pete was stupidly caught in a compromising position so the Major blackmailed him in such a way that it could have jeopardised his marriage and endangered his family.
Having to eliminate a person unnerved him, it clawed at his insides. He assassinated his victim by shooting him through the heart, followed by a clean hole in the back of his head followed by a third bullet in the centre of his bare back. That's what I call thorough. If you enjoy a bit of horror you'll like this.
Pete knew his face would have blown away and his heart would be in shreds.
This is the Spanish connection-Guardamar del Segura. A cold-blooded killing.
Anger and hatred gnaw away at his insides as his bank balance explodes and Pete's mission, in fact his sole purpose in life is now to locate the monster and destroy him. A tall order.
In his pursuit of this fiend he also discovers the truth of what really happened to his brother Mark who had been allegedly killed in a freak car crash.
The heat had been so intense that nothing recognisable remained.
Steve Lawrence.The narrative builds up to a dramatic and unexpected climax with a number of surprises or shocks to keep you on your toes from start to finish. Is it all's well that ends well? Well not quite so in this case but ENJOY!
Publisher: Author House UK. ISBN: 978-1-4772-4342-8
COPYRIGHT. March 2013. Permission must be obtained from the author to reproduce any part of this review.
Thanks Carol for taking the time to give me a great review, i am honoured. Kindest regards, Steve.
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