Review: Edge of Disaster

Edge of Disaster by Thomas Puck
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Friends are there for each other. Friends for more than a decade have had each other's backs. Friends who have saved each other's lives have a bond forged in destiny. So, if such a friend asks you for a favour and offers to pay you well for your time, what reason would you have to say no?

Edge of Disaster is a fast-paced suspense action thriller and boy does it take you on a ride! Tasked with negotiating the sale of his friend’s tech company, Max Kline soon finds himself fighting for his life and answers as things quickly spiral out of control. Initially, I thought I had the ending figured out, but Thomas Puck excels at planting red herrings and flipping the story when you least expect it. Reading it felt like diving into a much less predictable Jack Reacher book, making it a thoroughly enjoyable read.

There were several aspects I loved about this book. In the first chapter, the main character is in the Middle East fighting with the military. Almost unavoidably in this type of story religion is thrown in, but it was very refreshing to not be focused on Muslims which seem to be the default option in this genre of late. As the story progresses, it becomes very tech-focused. Coming from a tech background, nothing lands a book on my DNF (Did Not Finish) list faster than wildly inaccurate depictions of technology within a realistic setting. Puck, however, has done his research. The technology is portrayed accurately, allowing for some creative licence, and he does a commendable job of explaining complex or unusual concepts in layman’s terms. The pacing was spot-on, never letting the story fall into a lull.

However, there were a few elements that let the book down a bit. Occasions of overused words, such as emblematic twice in almost as many pages felt a little jarring. While the characters were interesting, they lacked significant depth. This didn’t affect the action or mystery, but it did hinder personal investment in them. This lack of depth had an impact later when the romance subplot came into play; it felt flat and shoehorned in. The story would have been stronger with a focus on friendship rather than romance. It is rare for an action book to weave romance in successfully, so while this wouldn’t put me off reading more from the genre, I wish authors would stick to their strengths.

Overall, Edge of Disaster is a well-paced, genuinely intriguing story that manages to dodge most of the clichéd pitfalls of the genre. It is a commendable debut novel that leaves me eager to see what Puck will come up with next.

Thank you to Discovery and Mill Pond Ventures for providing me with this eARC. All opinions are my own.