Thursday, March 13, 2014

The Joshua Effect by P.S. Meronek Review

I won a copy from Goodreads First Reads.


"The rooftop reception on the skyscraper in lower Manhattan is an elegant affair right up until the moment the murders occur. With the lives of sixty-three of his friends and business associates snuffed out in one horrifying blink of an eye, the wealthy and enigmatic Jonathan Strickland boards a dangerous roller coaster ride of a lifetime in this clever, nail biting who-done-it.
Following the nebulous clues left behind at the scene of the crime, Strickland finds himself kidnapped and taken to a clandestine meeting in the middle of the Syrian dessert beneath the ancient ruins of one of the oldest civilizations known to man. The lines between good and evil blur as the suspect list narrows. Strickland races against time to find the invisible killers who have even more carnage in mind; they call their sinister plan the Joshua Effect.
Strickland also struggles with the essence of a life thrown into question by the gnawing epiphany that he is losing the one thing which actually gives his existence meaning. All of his fantastic achievements pale when compared with the desire to possess the love of the one woman who can understand him - but who can never be with the man he is.
As the clock ticks relentlessly forward to a catastrophe of truly Biblical proportions, the hunt for those responsible nears its climax. From a brazen gun battle among the rich and famous in the exotic streets of glamorous Miami Beach to the discovery of the secretive Catskills hideaway of a reclusive scientist in upstate New York, the thrilling ride never lets up.
All the while the personal war inside Strickland rages on. Who is he? More importantly, who will he end up becoming? For a man who thought he had everything, why does he suddenly find his life so empty?
For Jonathan, the revelation that a life with nothing in it worth dying for isn't much worth living shakes the very core of his being. Then why does it feel so right? The Joshua Effect is a taut, suspense filled page turner with a stunner around every corner."

The Joshua Effect is actually pretty good. It's no Alex Rider or James Bond, but there's some characters who are similar to those guys. This is more like the Q story. You know Q, right? He's that guy who makes Bond all his toys. You know what? I have an alternate title for The Joshua Effect. Chasing the Qs. How about that? But that's not really what The Joshua Effect is about. It's about this rich guy named Jonathan Strickland, with a lot of dead friends. Seventy-two or something like that. Seventy-two dead friends. 

Poor guy. Revenge sounds very good right now, right? But The Joshua isn't a story of revenge (ha! suddenly reminded me of Revenge and Emily Thorn), it's a story of mystery and intrigue. Honestly, the author is a very opinionated man. I don't know what to think of it, but it's great that he talking about his thoughts and feelings. Hey! Even a guy needs to give out a little feeling. Whether it's loosing some steam after fighting with his father-in-law or picking up laundry from the dry cleaners. You have to annoyed when you find out that the dry cleaners missed a spot, right? Greasy stain, right on the pocket.

The plot goes by pretty fast. Strickland (the main character) goes around the world and escapes threats on his life many times along with his girlfriend. He's lucky since there's a lot of close run ins with Lord Death.

The most awesome part of The Joshua Effect: The part when Strickland insults the director or that leader of Homeland Security. It's kind of hilarious showdown between two little, immature, young girls. Yes, I'm calling both of them girls. It's the best name for them, you see.

The true enemy of the main character is perhaps the most shocking reveal. Even if I tell you right here, right now, you wouldn't believe me. It's the most surprising part of the story. It's a great plot twist, I admit. I didn't even see it.

Any weeds? Yes, there are some stinks and horrible parts. There are always horrible parts. Well, I can complain about how small the font is, but that's not going to help you. Well, I can complain how the author drags everything along. It's like, seriously? Can't you tell us the mastermind behind this charade? I guess not.

Rating: Four out of Five

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