A review by jacki_f
Die Twice by Andrew Grant

3.0

This is the second Andrew Grant novel to feature protagonist David Trevellyan, a British Navy intelligence officer. It picks up almost immediately after the end of Even (David Trevellyan Thriller 1), but it's not necessary to have read the previous book to enjoy this one. In fact, this is the better of the two, with a more tightly focused storyline. Grant has a highly readable writing style and he keeps the action up from beginning to end. As in the first book, he opens each chapter with Trevellyan disclosing a little more information about his past or an anecdote from his naval training, and this device works really well. Trevellyan is a great hero: highly resourceful, well seasoned and likeable. While it never turns into a "can't put down" thriller, it's a pacy and enjoyable read.

Having said that, there were several things I didn't like. The plot development prioritises pace to such an extent that the reader often is playing catch up: what happened there? why are they assuming that? what happened to those guys? I disliked the way that the bad guys hail from an imaginary African country - it makes it harder for me to suspend my disbelief and buy into the story. The ending is also extremely abrupt and feels almost as if Grant lost interest. One main plotline is wrapped up (this is supposed to come as a twist, but it was fairly well signposted), but another central character is just ignored. Perhaps to reappear in the next installment?

This is significantly better written than many others in the genre and is worth your time - but it's not a "must read".