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Shirley D. (Amherst, MA)
Sentinel
In this spy catcher novel, Matthew Dunn demonstrates that he is very knowledgeable about all things military, undercover missions and the dangers that accompany them He so portrays with careful precision the place and the dangers that Will and others are in, that the reader is able, sometimes with bated breath, to be right behind them in the snow. Don’t be amazed if certain portions of the novel have you not only a little anxious but even frightened for the safety of the hero. That’s what is supposed to happen. I find it hard to get into a book and feel that although I am following the hero through awful dangers I don’t really know him. This was for me the one flaw. Be sure, however, that you have the time to read undisturbed to the very end. Stopping part way to eat or go to bed or to work is very hard.
Judith M. (San Diego, CA)
Cold Spies
I just could not get interested in Sentinel. The first few pages were exciting, but afterwards the story dragged on until I finally gave up. Although the author seemed to know his facts, I just did not care about the characters so failed to form any emotional attachment to them. I gave it a 3 because I felt real dedicated espionage readers might find something to their liking that I did not.
Judith P. (Rosebud, Missouri)
Not enought character development
This is one of my favorite genre of book. This author has not created a main character that the reader care about or wants to know what is happening next. There is a lot of technical detail but very little of the human element.Perhaps the authors share too much in common with his main character. Deal well with situations but not in touch with people.
Joyce K. (Conway, Arkansas)
Sentinel
I selected this book because I thought it would be a good diversion from what I usually read. It had the prerequisite American,Russian, and British players with the idea that the United States and Russia are on the brink of war and only one man can stop the crisis. The problem is that this story never grabbed me. There were the customary beatings and torture and double cross but it never really held my interest. I felt the characters were flat. Perhaps a lead character in spy novels is not suppose to have warmth, but I would have settled for depth. I thought much of it was predictable, not necessarily plausible.
I was looking for more of the thrills of "24" or Jack Higgins or even Robert Ludlum. This book did not deliver that kind of suspense or intrigue.
Paula W. (Winfield, IL)
Not my cup of vodka
Before I read Sentinel, I read Spycatcher. I liked the first---but I think reading the second adventure was too much for me--too many spies, too many twists, too many difficult Russian names, too many descriptions of esoteric weapons (there was even a glossary!), too many locations and rapid transit between them. In the 1st of the series, I cared about the hero and the other "cast" members. But in this one, I got lost in the complicated spy-plot and place names and the multitudes of people. I must admit, I like spy novels---but this one was, for me, over the top.
Catharine L. (Petoskey,
not a page turner
I really tried to like it because I enjoy spy/political thrillers (authors Olen Steinhauer, Alan Furst), but this left me cold. The main character, Will Cochran, has no personality. He and the other characters seemed one dimensional. The story itself was interesting - rogue Russian agent setting off a nuclear bomb that would be blamed on the U.S. and war would result. But the buildup was not exciting - 18 pages describing the tracking of a defecting U.S. sailor - boring. Detailed descriptions of weapons - boring. I would rather have a complex storyline with interesting characters.
Georgette I. (Oxford, GA)
Sentinel
If you are familiar with the spy novel genre via Clancy, Le Carre and Ludlum etc., “Sentinel” by Matthew Dunn will disappoint. Although the book starts off with a bang, it quickly becomes one very long and tedious road trip. Traveling miles and miles of desolate, frozen roads from Ukraine to Russia both on foot and in cars occupies most of the novel. Granted, there are the usual forgers and counterfeiters, agents from various intelligence agencies, and double-crossers but their characters are undeveloped and pretty much left behind as the main character, an M16 field officer attempts to stop a war between Russia and the United States. The premise of the plot is not very believable and the surprise ending really isn’t much of a surprise. Hope that Dunn’s next Spy Catcher is more adept.
Elizabeth_L1
A Big Disappointment
The author may have the skills needed to write a report for one of his 70 successful missions (per the back cover) but he does not have the ones needed to write a novel. I found myself wincing at his phrasing and sentence construction on nearly every page and thus found it very hard to get into the story.
Luckily the plot was the same stone cold killer, super strategist and sexual dynamo with a (sadly alienated) heart of gold that I've read many times before - see Jason Bourne, Jack Reacher, etc. - so I didn't have to expend much brain power in following along.
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