Have you ever immersed yourself in a John Grisham novel? A book where there is no sensational plot twist, no sudden cliffhanger.. a throwback to when storytelling dealt more with the minutiae rather than self flagellation of characters, which felt like you had to channel your inner vibe with the MC to feel the tale - this novel is none of that.
What it is , however, is a SLOW, SEMINAL, TEXTBOOK THRILLER - no lengthy back stories, just a matter of fact rollout of a series of events, their consequences, effects and repercussions, laid out in fascinating detail by a master!
It has been a while since I picked up a Grisham, and i was hoping for more legalese in this one - while that remained unfulfilled, the phenomenal unfurling of a kidnapping with political, prejudice based justice, was mesmerizing! I polished the chapters off, in quick succession, and completed the book in a day!
The core plotline spins around the kidnapping of honeymooners in Paris, with the ransom set at $2 million per person, the bride released without consequence, but the groom, with ties to the military is detained, even after the ransom is paid and subject to visceral treatment and numbing capture. The brutality of unmonitored captivity and the inhumane subjugation techniques are ruthlessly explored, as are the procedures and regulations governing the involvement and bureaucracy of governmental departments orchestrating a time sensitive negotiation. Grisham being the mastermind, doesn't soften any blows nor does he side with any ideal - he just states it as it is, like the stoic sea of intrigue that he so effortlessly embodies!
My thank yous to Netgalley and Double Day Books for this Arc - it has been a throwback thursday kind of feel!
#SeptemberReads #TheFrenchIllusion #Netgalley #DoubleDayBooks
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