Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsNeeds more Zolner, less product placement
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2022
I've enjoyed the Quinn series for a while now, especially when I get a story like this that is a stand alone - no cheap cliffhangers like the author has thrown into the last series installments. Read this and know you'll actually get a full story beginning to end. I'd say this is probably my favorite Quinn book since the debut novel. Admittedly it's not anything original - This is the third book out of seven that has Quinn dealing with a biological attack on the USA. Still, it's a well written story that pulled me in.
That said, there are a few missed opportunities here, mainly with the villain Feliks Zolner. No major spoilers here. He's by far the most interesting character in the book, a highly skilled Russian sniper who apparently has been killing native Alaskan hunters for decades, earning himself a place in their legends as the "Worst of the Moon". A brilliant setup, but there's no explanation as how/why he started doing this, or why he is involved in the story at all. We get one quick flashback from when he first started shooting as a child, but then nothing. I would have loved to find out more about him, his motivations, and what led him to eventually cross paths with Quinn. No such luck. It's the biggest waste of a great villain since Darth Maul.
There's also the usual overkill in detail that has plagued this series. Whether it's a handgun, knife, rifle, or motorcycle, the brand name is always mentioned. I really don't care which company manufactured the combat knife Quinn carries, or who made the scope Zolner uses on his rifle. Just let me read the story!
A 3.5 star book, but I'll round up since it kept me interested, had really no profanity, and gave me a proper ending. Despite the problems mentioned above, the good outweighs the bad here.
