The Intercept (Jeremy Fisk, #1) (NYPD Special Agent Jeremy Fisk, #1)

by Dick Wolf

[kimbacaffeinate]

4.5 When I was approached to review The Intercept, I thought I recognized this authors’ name. We are huge fans of the Law and Order television shows and I was immediately excited. Wolf delivered an action packed crime thriller that kept me riveted in this chillingly realistic scenario that take place over the July fourth weekend in the city that never sleeps, New York. I consumed this over the course of two evenings and cannot wait for the next Jeremy Fisk novel.

The tale begins days before the dedication of the One World Trade Center at ground zero. A group of six civilians thwart a terrorist hijacker from commandeering a plane over the Atlantic. New York Detective Jeremy Fisk, a special agent in New York’s Intelligence Division, is called in along with a dozen units of the FBI, homeland security and the CIA. While everyone is ready to assume the hijacker acted alone, Fisk’s intuition tells him this threat is far from over and the tale that unfolds is brilliant, fast paced and tightly woven.

Jeremy Fisk is complicated, dedicated and it would be safe to say he questions authority. If something does not feel right to him he pursues it. He is fluent in Arabic and highly intelligent. I easily connected with and admired him. His partner Krina Gersten is a fourth generation cop and has worked undercover gathering Intel. I liked the interaction between them; they bounced ideas off each other which helped piece the puzzle together. They have a secret relationship which helped to flesh them out, make them vulnerable and it felt very genuine. The suspects and even Bin Laden make appearances throughout the novel, giving us a feeling of authenticity that made me shiver. It was interesting getting into their mind-set. The six heroes from the flight were fairly fleshed out and each had a unique voice.

Wolf brought this tale to life, and the world-building was brilliant. He blends fact with fiction giving the tale a realism that still gives me goosebumps. He takes us back and forth between Fisk, the six and the terrorist giving us a panoramic view of the tale as it unfolds. At times we know more than Fisk making the wait for him to catch up very suspenseful. Wolf has a firm grasp on the city, the different governmental agencies involved and protocol. He delivers all of this while unfolding the tale at a gripping pace. The twists and turns held me captive. I will admit to figuring it out, but until the last final chapters I was not able to confirm who. A gut-wrenching event near the end devastated me, and I honestly did not see it coming. I found myself vested in the characters and solving the mystery and turned the pages at a dizzying pace. As I read the outside world slipped away, and my only thought was I hope the terrorist are never as diabolical and clever as Dick Wolf.
I want to thank HarperCollins for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review. Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer