Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading
Written on Dec 19, 2015
Every once in a while, you may come across a book that requires you to take your time and savour it. For me, Silent Cats by J.D. Wallace is one such book. This is a wonderful story about two people who are as different as night and day but were perfect for each other. This is the author’s debut novel and I enjoyed every thrilling moment. I can’t wait to see what else he has in store for his readers.
Based on the synopsis, I was aware that there was going to be a tragic event. However, what I was not prepared for, was to be so deeply connected to the victims in such a short space of time. Therefore, when the tragedy unfolded, I felt it to the depth of my soul. Therefore, I was able to understand how the victims' husband and father felt. Can you imagine losing your entire family under such tragic circumstances? This is what happened to Marcus Pantera. It was evident that this tragedy was motivated by revenge. It sets the pace for the remainder of the story. I was encouraged to continue reading to discover the events that led to this tragedy.
Readers are then transported sixteen years in the past where they are provided with insight into the protagonists’ lives. They see how they met and the kind of life they lived.
Marcus and Alyn are complex characters. Alyn is a Kidon Katsa Agent and a deadly assassin. She is a force to reckon with. However, like most human beings she has emotional scars. She was not fond of men. This stemmed from the fact that at a young age, she was molested by someone she trusted. Her main goal in her personal life was to gain her father’s approval who did not approve of her profession.
Marcus is a former army ranger. Currently, he works as an operative for the CIA. His cover is that of being a medic for a unit known as the Shadow Warriors. He is a genius who lacked empathy for mankind. It is believed that the higher one's IQ the less empathy one has. It was this lack of empathy that made him the perfect interrogator. He feels nothing for his prisoners when conducting an interrogation. He is portrayed as a misogynist. Therefore, it came as a surprise when it was revealed that he had a soft spot for Alyn. As the story progressed it became clear why he was drawn to her. Marcus loves it when a woman is strong and willing to stand up for herself.
It was fun watching these two try to best each other. Marcus had no idea that Alyn was a Mossad Agent and she had no idea that he worked for the CIA. They were not your typical couple. However, it was evident that they brought out the best in each other.
The pacing was well balanced which was fitting for this type of story. I thought it was well developed and easy to follow. It was exciting and thrilling, and it kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The manner in which the author described the details of the life of an operative would suggest that he had experience in the field or he had conducted adequate research prior to writing this novel. The vivid descriptions helped to bring the story to life.
The story was action packed. The torture scenes were vivid and gruesome. There were times when I cringed at some of the scenes. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart. What made me come to terms with it, was that the act was being carried out on sadistic criminals in exchange for pertinent information, that would help to save innocent lives. I guess in a case like this the end does justify the means.
The story was told from a third person omniscient POV. There was head hopping between the major and minor characters which proved to be confusing at times, as there was no scene break. What I found frustrating was that translation was not provided for all the dialogue written in a foreign language. In the instances when no translation was provided, I had to google it which was distracting.
Overall, I thought this was a good story. It was sad, funny and engaging. If you enjoy stories that are suspenseful and action packed then Silent Cats would be a worthwhile read.
N.B. Due to the graphic nature, this book is suitable for mature readers only.