Review – The Queen

James continues the extraordinary Bowers File series with The Queen, where FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers investigates a double homicide in a small town in northern Wisconsin. The gruesome homicide of a mother and her four-year-old daughter point to the missing husband as the main suspect, however Bowers thinks otherwise. It’s too pat and doesn’t explain the FBI’s and Chief of Naval Operations interest in the case.
Searching for the truth takes Bowers into long-buried conspiracies that stretch back to Cold War secrets, extremists, the Middle East and catastrophic nuclear capabilities. As Bowers gets closer to the truth the danger and conspiracy expands to include a radical eco-terrorist group, an assassin and his old archenemy, serial-killer Richard Basque.
Though I don’t normally like villains, I came to like Alexei Chekov’s character, even though his methods were cold-blooded, brutal and grisly. That said, James also created Alexei as compassionate and capable of heroic measures, even when it wasn’t in his own interests.
James level of relational development is unlike any I’ve seen in this genre, from his relationship with teen-aged stepdaughter, Tessa, who’s into cutting, to a long-estranged relationship with his brother and wife. Issues of spirituality, grief, un-forgiveness, alcohol abuse, broken homes and relationship problems add depth and complexity to well-rounded characters.
Some find the use of first and third person an unusual writing style difficult to follow, but this author’s writing skill manages it easily. James’s multifaceted techno-thriller, where nothing is as it seems, proves once again that he is an author who deserves the praises of Publishers Weekly who call him a “master storyteller at the peak of his game.” If you like suspense thrillers that keep you guessing and have never read Steven James before, prepare yourself for an unforgettable read that will leave you wanting more.
Back Cover Copy
“Steven James continues to raise the bar in suspense writing.
The Queen takes readers to a new level of suspense
and is the best book in the Patrick Bowers series hands down!”—Suspense Magazine
While investigating a mysterious double homicide in an isolated northern Wisconsin town, FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers uncovers a high-tech conspiracy that ties together long-buried Cold War secrets with present-day tensions in the Middle East.
In his most explosive thriller yet, bestselling author Steven James delivers a pulse-pounding, multilayered storytelling tour de force that will keep you guessing. Critically acclaimed author STEVEN JAMES has written four other award-winning Patrick Bowers novels as well as many works of nonfiction. He has a master’s degree in storytelling and has taught writing and creative storytelling on three continents. He lives near the Blue Ridge Mountains of Tennessee with his wife and three daughters.