The Terrorist Next Door
Siegel, a best selling author known mainly for his legal thrillers set in San Francisco, has now started a new series set in his home town of Chicago. I am also a native Chicagoan and looked forward to Siegels take on the city. Set within the confines of a terrorist-holds-city-hostage scenario he manages, with great skill, to give the reader a panoramic tour of the city replete with architectural and ethnic history. I am happy to say that he never hits a false note in his depiction of Chicago. The main characters, Detective David Gold and his lover, Lori Silver, are compelling and rendered as fully realized people. The other characters are a bit more of a stock thriller cast. While compellingly written with mounting tension as the terrorist sets off one bomb after another I'm afraid the same scenario with variations was played out just a little too many times. I found the identity of the bomber was rather easy to figure out especially in light of many other recent books with variations on the same theme.
On a more positive note I will say that the author knows how to construct a thriller and set a scene. The dialogue is believable and the pace and page-turning elements click along nicely. Detective Gold is an interesting man and I hope that Siegel will put him in a more original story next time out.
Steve Shadow Schwartz
For further reading in a similar vein I suggest:
PENANCE by DAN O'SHEA
IDENTITY: LOST by PASCAL MARCO
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