The Einstein Pursuit by Chris Kuzneski

review by Maryom

When a laboratory in Stockholm is blown up and the scientists working there all killed, Interpol in the form of Nick Dial is called in to investigate. Working with local detective Johann Eklund, he soon discovers that something very hush hush has been taking place there and that the blast seems intended to remove all trace of it
- but can't find who would blow the place up and why.

Meanwhile over in the USA, elderly Swedish scientist Mattias Sahlberg realises someone is out to kill him. The only person he can turn to is Jonathon Payne, son of his former employer, head of Payne Industries and ex-special forces guy - a good man to have on your side when someone is after you with a gun! Along with his best friend, another ex-special forces man, David Jones, he starts to put the pieces together and realise the link with the bombing in Sweden.

I found The Einstein Pursuit a very enjoyable light read and very funny at times (especially Jones' trip to the dentist which I insisted on sharing with anyone with hearing distance!).
After a dramatic and explosive opening, followed by a gun fight round the streets of Pittsburgh I was a little surprised how much of the 'action' took place at a computer terminal uncovering the links between the various plot threads or tracking people's movements on CCTV There are a few huge set pieces of gunfights or chases but most of the detection is done from a desk. This doesn't stop it from being a very compelling read - perhaps it might even improve it, particularly if like me, you find so many thrillers actually slow down during blow by blow fight scenes.

Maryom's review -  4 stars

Publisher - Headline 
Genre - thriller, action adventure, adult

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The Hunters by Chris Kuzneski

review by Maryom

Fearing the advance of German troops in WW1, the Romanian government organised the removal of the country's treasures - art, jewellery and lots of gold. Shipped to Russia it somehow got lost during the turbulent years of war and revolution. Now a team is being put together to try and track it down...

The Hunters is the first of a new series from Chris Kuzneski - and it has a little bit of feel of the TV pilot programme about it. A crack team has been assembled of three men and two women, all experts in their fields - from leading military operations, stealing to order, knowing all there is to about computers or guns to an in-depth knowledge of languages and history. They're still at the stage of getting to know each other - trying to prove their worth, a combination of bonding and jostling for position in the team - and this takes up rather a lot of the story-line.
The opening chapters really had me gripped but then I felt things sagged a little before coming to an all-action climax. It wasn't quite my sort of action thriller. There was far too much detail on guns and armaments - I know this sort of detail probably thrills a lot of readers but for me a gun is a gun. I'd have liked it balanced in the team's research methods which mostly seemed to be take a lucky guess.

Taken all round, an interesting start to a series that I hope will improve as it goes along.

Maryom's review - 3.5 stars
Publisher - Headline Publishing
Genre - Adult Action Adventure

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