Wednesday, August 11, 2010

"The Good Son", by Michael Gruber




My first experience reading Michael Gruber was without any doubt a enjoyable one.. The author has delivered a taunting, multilayered and riveting tale of suspense.

"The Good Son' is the believable story of Sonia Bailey Laghari who while on a peace symposium in Pakistan was kidnapped along with eight other associates and held captive by armed terrorists. Sonia a highly religious and celebrated psychologist took lead of the group . With her background and her familiarity in the culture, she was able to work her way into the kidnappers' mind and interpret their dreams, at the same time trying to keep her own group in good spirits and alive throughout this tremendous ordeal. The hostages worst fear was the terrorising prospect of being killed one by one by their captors....

When Sonia's son Theo, a professional assassin by trade, hears of the kidnapping he sets out to rescue his mother on one of the most daring plots ever undertaken, a plot that could set a new precedent in U.S. and South Asian policies...

At the same time, Cynthia Lam, an analyst for the national Security Agency in D.C. has her attention piqued while monitoring the airways. It appears their has been a theft of Pakistani nuclear material, this further heightens the state of alarm....

This novel is powered by the many twisted plots and action scenes throughout, and proves to be an ambitions work of fiction. The huge cast of characters have depth and portray a wide range of human behaviours: cowardice, cruelty, courage etc... The narration is brilliantly done it exploits the Westerner's perception of corruption in the politics of Central Asia ....Although some passages in the dialogue may seem to slow down the action , they simply serve to enlighten the reader on various religious beliefs and ideologies. This is a well-written and totally engrossing novel I enjoyed immensely.

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