Reviews

The Sequel to The Apollo Murders, still set in the 70s set in the Nasa/Military area. Zak is spending a holiday in Israel and during his holiday a Russian fighter pilot fakes a collision when he is shot at and lands at a airport asking to defect to USA just as Israel is attacked by Syria and Egypt.

The pilot is sent to America but the Russians belief he is dead and he reveals all he knows about the USSRs capabilities and they even get their hands on his plane. But little do the Americans know that he is hiding things and has plans that he must not get caught trying to implement.

the_tilly0405's review against another edition

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informative mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

matthrog's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The Defector is a strong sequel to the Apollo Murders that continues to follow Kaz during the late 60s - early 70s. The book uses characters from the prior story to get the reader comfortable with the world again while also introducing new characters. The story holds a steady pace that will keep the reader wanting more. My only complaint is how fast the final 75 pages of this book move the story. It gets moving at a break neck pace that makes it feel like the ending was a bit of an afterthought.

fierygecko's review

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

This book is very different than the Apollo Murders, and even more tense but it takes longer to build up, and you’re in the dark about the overall plot of the book for longer too. If you’re a little patient, the payoff is worth it. I liked having Kaz return as the main character and seeing how his relationships have developed over the past eight months. I genuinely feared for his life near the end. The politics of this book are a bit more complicated - it’s not just NASA and the US government involved this time. But he does a great job of setting the scene keeping you hooked with these short, cinematic chapters that show you just enough to follow the plot but not enough to understand it right away.

Content Warnings

steveshik's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted tense medium-paced

Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

snaper's review

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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