Book Review – ‘Escape to Perdition’ by James Silvester

Genre: Political thriller, conspiracy thriller

Stars: 5

The Blurb:

Sometimes the only choice is an escape to perdition.

Prague 2015. Herbert Biely, aged hero of the Prague Spring, stands on the brink of an historic victory, poised to reunite the Czech and Slovak Republics twenty-six years after the Velvet Revolution. The imminent Czech elections are the final stage in realising his dream of reunification, but other parties have their own agendas and plans for the fate of the region. A shadowy collective, masked as an innocuous European Union Institute, will do anything to preserve the status quo. The mission of Institute operative Peter Lowes is to prevent reunification by the most drastic of measures.

Yet Peter is not all that he seems a deeply troubled man, desperate to escape the past, his resentment towards himself, his assignment and his superiors deepens as he questions not just the cause, but his growing feelings for the mission target. As alliances shift and the election countdown begins, Prague becomes the focal point for intrigue on an international scale. The body count rises, options fade, and Peter’s path to redemption is clouded in a maelstrom of love, deception and murder can he confront his past to save the future?

My Review:

A conspiracy-cum-political thriller, complete with spies, romance and murder, this is a fast and brutal look at how cheap life can be when those charged with keeping the peace take their role to extremes.

Peter Lowes, an employee of the elusive EU Institute and stationed in a Czech Republic grappling with the possibility of reunification, grows increasingly disgruntled and distrustful of his mission, his superiors and his friends. As the countdown to local elections begins, so does the body count…

Dripping with intrigue, history, politics and culture, this is conspiracy at its best. With multi-faceted characters, complex relationships and unexpected (yet very human) reactions to the events that unfold, this thriller is one that doesn’t leave you after you’ve finished reading the final page. Highly recommended.

* I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.