Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Review # 221: No Safe Place by Taylor Wilmering

Description: (from GoodReads)
      Shortly before September 11, 2001, Joe Biden warned, "The question is not if we will be attacked by terrorists, but rather when and where." In the pages of No Safe Place, terrorism has come to America once again. Sleeper agents for a radical Islamic terrorist group that calls itself Ansar Inshallah have managed to blend into American society and go undetected - until now. As Ansar Inshallah's sleeper cells awaken, Americans discover that appearances can be deceiving and the people around them may not be who they seem. Homeland Security Counter-Terrorism Division agent John Anderson and his field partner, Agent Erin Walker of the FBI, are racing against the clock to uncover and bring down Ansar Inshallah. But how do you fight a war when your enemy is hidden among you?
Review:

     I support all authors no matter what they write, because it takes a certain type of person to jot down ideas and make them into coherent and enjoyable stories. So when I received a request for first time author Taylor Wilmering's No Safe Place, I jumped at the chance to sample some new talent! I am a fan of law enforcement procedurals and political thrillers, (especially TV shows like 24 and Covert Affairs), and the book blurb was reminiscent of something you would expect Jack Bauer to tackle. When I began reading, I could immediately tell that Taylor had done her homework; the research she put into every chapter was well integrated into the suspenseful and action filled plot. I is not often that I come across such a detailed - yet short, (166 page) - book that manages to keep the reader "dodging bullets", while simultaneously offering likable and developed characters. I found myself imagining that I was working with John and Erin trying to track down sleeper cells of the Ansar Inshallah terrorist group, while also predicting their next move - always a favorite pastime. Although, I anticipated how some of the sequences were going to play out, I was quite surprised by some of the outcomes. The fact that the book is so realistic and timely adds a new dimension of fear and distrust into the chaos; particularly since the 9/11 terrorist attacks have raised awareness of the possibility of future breaches in national security. There was not much that I did not like about this book, but I noticed a few "mechanical" sets of dialogue, and some of the character detail was too nitty-gritty; these things could easily be fixed with a little more editing. I would love to see these characters in future novels, and hope to have the chance to review those as well! Kudos to Taylor Wilmering for such an in-depth and thrilling first novel! She definitely has a lot of promise, and her books can only get better with experience! Recommended to readers teen and up who enjoy their books fast-paced and edgy.

Rating: On the Run (4/5)

*** I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

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