The Paris Betrayal by James R Hannibal

 

Book description:

After a rough mission in Rome involving the discovery of a devastating bioweapon, Company spy Ben Calix returns to Paris to find his perfectly ordered world has collapsed. A sniper attack. An ambush. A call for help that brings French SWAT forces down on his head. Ben is out. This is a severance--reserved for incompetents and traitors.

Searching for answers and anticipating a coming attack, Ben and a woman swept up in his misfortunes must travel across Europe to find the sniper who tried to kill him, the medic who saved his life, the schoolmaster who trained him, and an upstart hacker from his former team. More than that, Ben must come to grips with his own insignificance as the Company's plan to stop Leviathan from unleashing the bioweapon at any cost moves forward without him--and he struggles against the infection that is swiftly claiming territory within his own body.

Award-winning author James R. Hannibal ratchets up the tension on every page of this suspenseful new thriller.

My review:

   My only complaint about this author is that he hasn't written a lot of books yet. I have enjoyed everything he has written, including his three secular novels. I was excited to see he had a new book coming out, and was admittedly a little disappointed that it did not go with the two previous books he wrote for Revell. 

  After reading The Paris Betrayal, that disappointment has gone away. This book was more than a great read, it was a great ride. And the book is more than a great suspense novel. It is a spy novel....and I loved it. This may be Hannibal's best novel so far.

 Ben, the main character, has a lot go wrong for him in this book. Sickness, betrayal, no one believing him, kicked out of the CIA, and seemingly him against the world as he tries to do the right thing in the face of total opposition. By the way, this story is based on the story of Job from the Bible.

  The book has non-stop action and suspense, and has some twists and turns that I never saw coming, especially the one at the climax of the story. There were things going on that Ben did not know about, and the author also kept the reader in the dark about. The story has its share of people who you don't know are good, or bad guys pretending to be good, and my suspicions on one character did turn out right, while I was totally surprised by another. Hannibal did a masterful job of writing an awesome spy/suspense novel that pulls you in, keeps you entertained, and also keeps you guessing. And it has what any novel of this kind should have: a likable hero who triumphs in the end. That really isn't a spoiler, because isn't that what always happens? And after all that happened to poor Ben, he did deserve to come out on top. :)

  I definitely recommend this book, and if ever there was a Christian fiction novel that men would enjoy, this is it......though there really is not any overtly Christian content in it, just a Christian worldview. It does appear to be a stand alone novel, though I wouldn't mind a sequel.

I was provided a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own.

About the author:

James R. Hannibal is no stranger to secrets and adventure. This former stealth pilot from Houston,

Texas, has been shot at, locked up with surface-to-air missiles, and chased down a winding German road by an armed terrorist. He is a two-time Silver Falchion Award winner for his children's mysteries, a former Thriller Award nominee, and a 2020 Selah and Carol Award finalist for The Gryphon Heist--the opener for the CIA series that now includes Chasing the White Lion. James is a rare multisense synesthete, meaning all of his senses intersect. He sees and feels sounds and smells, and hears flashes of light. If he tells you the chocolate cake you offered smells blue and sticky, take it as a compliment.

The Paris Betrayal is available from Revell, part of the Baker Publishing Group.

Check out his two previous novels from Revell: