I just finished reading a non- fiction book entitled Sacrament
of Fear by Will Dresser. The lead
character of the book is Wes Franklin.
This is a suspense novel set in The Netherlands and other locales. I like the Wes Franklin character. Apparently, there are two additional Wes
Franklin books. I like books with
continuing characters. You get an
understanding about the character in multiple books and feel like you know them
and their history.
In debut author
Dresser’s first Wes Franklin thriller, members of a clandestine organization
are targeted by terrorists.
The Cloister of
Akhenaten, a network of people who exchange sensitive information, loses
several affiliates to seemingly natural events: heart attack, stroke or simple
disappearance; one member is understandable, six members is suspect. American
Dr. Wes Franklin heads to Amsterdam for a friend’s funeral, but also to check
into the mysterious deaths. His girlfriend, Ashley, investigates in Edinburgh,
while Rouzbeh Aryana, Wes’ Persian muscle, searches for a missing man in
Damascus. An attempt on Wes’ life confirms his belief that someone wants them
dead, but the group learns that it’s merely the second wave in a terrorist
faction’s plan for revenge. The first volume of this planned series is a story
of espionage, but one that favors the covert aspects over the more obvious
ones. There are enough combat scenes to appease action fans, but the
investigatory sequences are most effective. The story bolsters anticipation by
relaying information early: the knowledge of a suspicious but as-yet-unseen man
with a big golden ring; the mention of a captured terrorist’s brother, his
menace aptly noted before he makes his first appearance; and a key element of
the terrorist’s design signified by three cryptic letters. The book’s pace is
steadily maintained, largely due to the three distinct settings the members of
Wes’ team find themselves in. Aryana’s story is the most intriguing; he spends
much of his time with a holy man, Mua, in the same region where the terrorists
dwell. The nefarious scheme is frighteningly simple; it does not involve a
detonation of any kind, but rather an unassuming tactic to fuel fear. One of
the story’s most refreshing merits is its refusal to present a black and white
depiction of good and evil; one character who’s given his own perspective is a
young Muslim who’s been manipulated into helping carry out the terrorists’
plan.
A global thriller that
chills with suspense in lieu of bullets.
I am not certain but it appears that this book is self-published
by the author. At least there was no
information about a publishing company in the copy I read. Will Dresser’s web
site is
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