High Treason By John Gilstrap

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Sandra Murphy

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Check out details on how to win a copy of this book at the end of this review.

Jonathan Grave is in the business of kidnap recovery also known as covert rescue–pay the ransom and get the victim home again, safe and sound. This time he’s not in the middle of a Mexican jungle, but the urban jungle of Washington D.C. and searching for no less than the First Lady of the United States, code name FOTUS. As First Ladies go, she’s pretty rebellious and likes to take unplanned trips to seedy night clubs, much to the dismay of her Secret Service detail. On one such outing, there are shots fired, explosions and when the dust settles, she’s nowhere to be found.

The pace picks up even more when a reporter gets involved via his buddy, a D.C. cop. Things are not going so well there either and for once, the reporter can’t charm his way out of a situation.

The thing is–when crimes go this high into the government, is the government itself involved or is somebody really stupid enough to take on the President through his wife? The alphabet agencies are too secretive and too intertwined to help. Information is power and leaks, authorized or not, too readily available. The motto has to be “trust no one” which becomes a problem for Jonathan, as he acquires more and more help along the way.

Jonathan has to use every bit of his experience, ingenuity and skill to get himself, the target and his crew out of this mess, because there’s a lot more going on than a missing person, even if she is FOTUS. The American way of life is in jeopardy as well.

Image source: Pinacle Books

Gilstrap once again weaves a tale that doubles back on itself with twist and turns you won’t see coming. The addition of Striker as a last minute hire for the team is a good one. This is no cozy– bodies abound, gunfire and explosions are rampant, while the snappy banter and absolute trust between partners is steadfast.

The side characters are as interesting as Jonathan himself–Boxer, always ready to make things go boom, Venice who’s a whiz on the computer, Striker who comes out of retirement to lend a hand and Irene the government contact with the code name, Wolverine.

Reader Warning: Be prepared for a sleepless night and dark circles under your eyes. Come up with a convincing story of why you’re missing work. Have snacks on hand. It’s 500 pages of fast paced action, camaraderie and intrigue. You won’t be able to put it down once you get started!

At the back of the book, there are two bonuses. One is a short story titled, Discipline. It’s an exclusive that provides a lot of insight into Jonathan’s character and a good read on its own. There’s also an excerpt of Soft Targets, an e-book exclusive coming from Pinnacle in October, 2013.

Previous books featuring Jonathan Grave include: No Mercy, Hostage Zero, Threat Warning, and Damage Control (reviewed by KRL).

To enter to win a copy of High Treason, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Treason”, or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 28, 2013. U.S. residents only.

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the arch, in the land of blues, booze and shoes—St Louis, Missouri. While writing magazine articles to support her mystery book habit, she secretly polishes two mystery books of her own, hoping, someday, they will see the light of Barnes and Noble. You can also find several of Sandra's short stories on UnTreed Reads including Bananas Foster.