Patriot James

By R.O. Palmer

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1589397797
• ISBN13: 9781589397798
• Release Date: September 2005
• Publisher: Virtualbookworm.com Publishing
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.03 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Don't judge a book by its cover!

Don't judge a book by its cover! Palmer's novel was one of two left on the table of about 12 books sent to fwomp (Fiction Writer's of the Monterey Peninsula) for review. A sexy dame in stilettos holding a rifle outlined against a furled American flag didn't do much for me either. Nevertheless, I took it home. I debated about whether or not to give it four quills based on the cover, but this review is all about the writing, and I couldn't put it down once I started reading. Palmer challenges us to ponder how far we would be willing to go to serve `justice' by intertwining society's age-old Machiavellian debate with a woman's struggle with her personal demons. He does so with brilliantly constructed characters in international settings so beautifully written that you can feel the fog on your face in London, and the sun on your arms in Spain. The very complicated plot unfolds in a straightforward and entertaining manner. Cynthia James joins Patriots for Freedom, a covert organization that blurs the line between patriotism and revenge. Recruited because she is unusually beautiful, a strong athlete ... and troubled ... her primary job is to kill the thugs whose weakness is, yes, you guessed it. Sex. Palmer tastefully handles these aspects of the story by focusing on the universal issues of human sexuality as it defines who we are. The reader is privy to Cynthia's deepening understanding of how her short-circuited sexuality contributed to her hunger for revenge. Her decisions to grow away from what she has become emerge as the power struggle between ambitious executives who control the organization escalates. She initiates a series of twists to foil the bad guys that help her redefine her role as a freedom fighter. I eagerly await his next book and hope this cast of characters reappears to further challenge our thinking about these powerful personal and social issues.

Couldn't put it down!

I was skeptical when I was first given this book to read. But skeptism vanished after just a couple of pages. I started reading and couldn't put it down! Not only is the theme of the book timely, it is simply a great thriller. Characters are well-drawn and you love them or hate them right from the start. If this is indeed a first book....I can't wait for more from R. O. Palmer!

A fast moving, story that captures your attention from the first page

Palmer's first novel is a well-written and nicely paced story of intrigue. If you like this genre, you will find this novel offers all of the bells and whistles with some unexpected twists along the way. The characters are particularly well developed and I hope they reappear in the next book.

Patriot James is a winner!!

Patriot James is a fast moving novel which reads like an entertaining training manual for covert operators in pursuit of terrorists. Palmer features heroines instead of the typical male heros. These heroines use their charms and quick wits to subdue dangerous and powerful men. Technical and intricate, yet every twist of the plot is believable. Palmer's main heroine, Cynthia James has potential to be for him what Mitch Rapp is to Vince Flynn!!

Sexy Page-Turner with Substance

Like typical adventures and thrillers, Patriot James hooks you on the first page and keeps the drama and twists coming until the last. What sets Patriot James apart are plusses usually missing in books that are this much fun to read. The characters are believable, each a mixture of strengths and weaknesses, like real people. Villains are on the right track about some things, but they lose their way. The flawed heroine matures into an accomplished assassin without becoming a cartoon character capable of wiping out battalions of bad guys. The fact that the protagonist is a woman makes her a welcome change of pace from clichéd, wise-cracking know-it-alls. The premise and theme of Patriot James are timely and thought-provoking. The trials of Cynthia James got me thinking about how far I would go to fight terrorism and whether some of today's patriotic rhetoric is revenge in disguise. I like the way the author invented terrorists with an off-the-wall cause to highlight how people react to crimes, not motives. The writing style is tight and easy to read. The author creates vivid images using concise descriptions that keep the story moving while still allowing me to see, hear, and smell what was happening. Reading the chapters about foreign missions, I thought I was in Spain and England, but the prose never bogged down in boring minutiae. This book is not for children. There is violence, sex, and profanity. At first, I feared that a plot featuring seductive assassins would be sexploitation, but the sex was tasteful and necessary to the story. If any one gets exploited in this book, it is men with one track minds. I recommend Patriot James to anyone 17 and over who wants heart and soul along with the melody of an entertaining novel. I look forward to R.O. Palmer's next book.