I doubt I'll ever take a trip to Cuba, but the author team of Noel Carroll
made me feel I was there in their thrilling new novel, Broken
Odyssey.
Carl McCormic, recent college grad, and his father, Pat, a retired
Philadelphia police captain, decide to take a year off and go sailing. Both men
needed time to mend. Carl's mother, a Cuban immigrant, had recently passed
away.
Broken Odyssey is told in a first person narrative through Carl's diary,
written as he drifted alone at sea. He writes about the events that led to
meeting Nicola, how he and Pat rescued her from Cuban thugs, and his unplanned
trip into his mother's homeland. He would help Nicola rescue her mother from her
politically connected father.
Carl is the reason I enjoyed this book. His voice makes me see and feel an
island nation Americans are banned to visit. I got a flavor of Cuban life,
its vibrant people, and the poverty so many of them endure as a backdrop to this
political thriller.
The novel is filled with interesting characters. Alex, the CIA agent is in
charge of the McCormic case. His comments throughout the book give us some
insight into the cat and mouse game Americans play with our Cuban neighbors. His
Cuban counterpart, Tomas, shows us a man respectful of power while avoiding the
trappings of abuse. Then there's the enchantress. The author writes, "Nicola has
had a difficult life, not in a material sense, but emotionally." She's beautiful
on the surface, but beneath the beauty bubbled a troubled soul.
Broken Odyssey is a page-turner. The author team goes to great
lengths to delve into the minds of their characters and describe a Cuba most of
us will never see. Like their previous book, Never by Blood, the
reader is blessed with a thriller that can't be resisted. I highly recommend
Broken Odyssey.
—Adventure for Ebooks
Broken Odyssey is a masterfully crafted work. The narrative is told in the first person through Carl's diary. The relationship between the two men, Pat and his son Carl is plausible. Discord resulting from the addition of Nicola is ample The conflict is resolved in satisfactory, if not completely agreeable manner. The writers Noel Carroll mix a well known political figure, political games, gritty dialogue and enough descriptive prose to bring the story alive. Carl's diary, written as he is adrift at sea, tells of the meeting with Nicola and his unplanned trip to Cuba, his mother's homeland. The book is filled with exciting characters. CIA agent Alex' comments sprinkled throughout the book prove a glimpse into the games played between America and Cuba.From the opening lines Broken Odyssey is a fast paced page turner carrying the reader on a blasting adventure filled with mystery, intrigue and machination. Bloody fingerprints catches reader interest. A keenly focused tale captured with wit and style carries the reader forward in this masterfully engineered tale. Voices of the principal characters are natural, believable, and well thought out.
First class dialogue, spine tingling action and pleasantly puzzling incertitude Broken Odyssey has it all. Excellent book for a long evening spent in front of the fire while a storm rages outside Enjoyed the read. Recommended.
—BOOK PLEASURES REVIEWS; 5 STARS
excellently crafted... kept you on the edge of your seat... wear loose-fitting clothes when you come to this feast. You will leave the table satisfied.
—Sime Gen
