Book Review- Raymond Khoury- The Devil’s Elixir

Raymond Khoury- The Devil’s Elixir (Dutton 2012) 3.75 Stars

This is a pre-release review. Look for it in stores near you in the new year.

FBI agent Sean Reilly has just received a phone call from an old flame; Michelle is ex-DEA and on the run from men who want her dead. Even odder is the fact that she is running with a son he never knew he had. Explaining this to Tess may not be so easy, but first he must save Michelle. He did not realize going in just what kind of trouble they were in, this may be more than even he can handle. Money, a new kind of drug, and powerful men seeking more power; a deadly mix for anyone who gets in their way. The question is, can Sean Reilly figure out what is going on and survive?

I found that this book started off a little bit slow, it doesn’t immediately grab your attention, but it does peak your curiosity. It also sets the stage with much needed background information. Once the prologue portion ends though, it does pick up the pace and turns into quite a fast-paced rollercoaster. It is full of heart-pumping action, with several big twists. One of these big twists is not very believable for me, but that would depend on your beliefs, as it delves into the paranormal, but I can certainly get past that. The conclusion was not the most realistic either, but it definitely added to the quick-pace. I enjoyed how the book involved great detective work and things did not come to them easily, as often times in thrillers, they just magically come up with answers; nice to see that it wasn’t so in this book. The characters also had great backgrounds and depth, so that they appear to jump off of every single page. One thing I really wasn’t fond of was the character shift from one page to the next. It was a bit distracting, but I do see where Khoury was coming from and it did help to fill out the storyline. Overall, I thought that The Devil’s Elixir was great. I enjoyed it more than I did his earlier works.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com.

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Raymond Khoury- The Last Templar

Raymond Khoury- The Last Templar (Signet Books 2006) 3.5 Stars

In 1291 the Templars are being hunted down and are struggling to hide a chest filled with secrets that could change the world. Now in Manhattan a museum is robbed of their Templar Knights display. Murders are now ripping through New York, all connected to the museum robbery. An archaeologist and FBI agent are teaming up to solve this case before it is too late.

***SPOILER ALERT***

The book was well written, with an introduction that grabs your attention right off the bat. The plot was also very good with some great twists and turns along the way. The setting was interesting, and he merged the time period shifting very well. I also had some things that I found to be fundamentally wrong with the book. The author had his characters bashing religion as a whole a lot, which I found to be frustrating, although he kind of made up for it in the end. I do not like to see any religion being insulted. The main character, Reilly, was very easily shaken from his faith, which was also kind of frustrating. Tess, the other main character, is also so willing to believe the scroll she finds is authentic and accurate, and yet she has less proof of its validity then anyone else has in their religions. I also found it hard to fathom how Reilly can so easily forgive Tess when she betrays his trust so often, which doesn’t seem very realistic.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/