Wheels of Fire
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This has to be one of the best novels I've read for years. It was so action packed that I literally couldn't put it down and just read from cover to cover. Jeff Hawkins is a totally believable hero; tough, ruthless but with a soft centre. The action in war torn Bosnia gives a completly different perspective on what really went on. And the love interest was first rate.
Can't wait fot the release of his next book
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Interesting setting, disappointing storyline
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The main interest of this book resides in the detailed descriptions of (fictitious) events in a real war. It was a good idea from Mr Strong to set his latest novel in the complex setting of the Bosnian war in the 1990s. The book helps to appreciate the relationships between the warring factions (Muslims, Bosnian Serbs and Croats) and the roles of the various UN-sponsored organisations. It also help to appreciate the convoluted behind-the-scene actions and decisions which peace-makers have to take.
However the book is let down by a poor storyline, caricatured characters and a large number of unbelieveable events. Every 50 pages or so, the main character makes a decision so outrageous that you would think he should be sacked on the spot. Well, it does not happens: it always turns out that his (outrageous) decisions are always the right ones. I found the book decreasingly engaging as I read on. The last 100 pages were definitely of no interest. How is that for a thriller?
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