Author: John M. Nuckel
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Thewordverve, inc.
Publish Date: March 6, 2018 (Today!)
Source: PR
What's the Story?:
From Goodreads.com: "In the late 1800s, a secret society is formed by a captain from Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders with the support of the nation’s leading industrialists and bankers. Over a century later, the tradition continues, in the same saloons and boardrooms of New York City where it all began.
In this crime thriller, where history and current events unite, Woodbury Kane, Jacob Riis, and Roosevelt himself fight the tyranny of Tammany Hall in the first mission of the Volunteers during the turn of the last century.
In today’s New York, the descendants of the Volunteers recruit Annie Falcone, a New York police officer, who takes the oath: Et Omnia Recta. She is to provide protection to one man, America’s top technological mind, from his longtime adversary, Sheng, China’s most brutal hacker.
Annie is unaware that she’s merely a decoy to draw Sheng out for the hit squad that was sent ahead of her. Her instincts alone will be the force behind the success or failure of the mission.
Like so many other Volunteers before her, Annie’s survival depends upon her courage, her skill, and her DRIVE."
My Two Cents:
"Drive" is a dual narrative set in the late 1800s/ early 1900s and the present day. The historical part of the book is all about a group of people with the likes of Teddy Roosevelt (I will read anything about this man) and infamous journalist Jacob Riis at the forefront of the fight against the Tammany Hall machine. They are the Volunteers and they seek to make the world a better, more fair place even if it puts them in danger. The present day is a more typical thriller where Annie, a young woman who finds herself suddenly working under the Volunteers is charged with a super dangerous mission and she will have to decide whether or not this is really the path she wants her life to go down.
Both story lines were very exciting to me; however, as with most dual narrative books, I liked the historical narrative better. First off, Teddy Roosevelt is one of my very favorite people to read about ever. He's my favorite President and I love reading about his time both before and after his presidency. There was a man who really knew how to shake things up and keep things interesting. I loved reading about what he was trying to do with the Volunteers and what he was like as a leader in the dual role that he had in this book.
On the other hand, I just really don't read that many thrillers like the present day story line. They just usually don't grab my attention. I liked the present day story line though and really feel that the historical story line got me into it and I really liked how it stretched me. Annie is a great character. I liked reading about her past and how she got to where she was. I also liked seeing how the Volunteers transformed over time while still sticking to the motto of "Et Omnia Recta" - to make things right.
The writing of the book was good. I thought the author did a really good job of bringing the real historical figures as well as the fictional characters to life. In both of the story lines, the author does a great job of infusing excitement throughout the story lines to keep you guessing where it's going to go. Overall, this was a good read!
I like time lines in a story. Adds to the depth and comparison as well. Thanks for the post.
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