The Saladin Strategy: My favorite book so far this year!

“Norm Clark has two action packed thriller novels available (“Resurrected” and the recently published “The Saladin Strategy”) in the Jack McDuff series in e-book and print formats. Work has begun on number three.

The genre and writing style of his work was dictated by his upbringing and choice of friends through the years. He was born and raised in a military environment, which, to a large degree, set the tone for the genre. Input and stories from friends (a couple of Navy Seals, a Force Recon marine, and a Viet Nam era Air America pilot) greatly influenced the plot-lines and writing style.” (Purloined from Norm’s web page)

Synopsis, from Amazon: “Jack McDuff’s ‘blind meet’ with an unknown contact in Vienna pulls him from the ‘good life’ with Mary Conlan and thrusts him back to the dark world of murder and terrorism.

Survival from assassins and the discovery of a secret Jihadist plot unknown to our intelligence services forces Jack into an unsanctioned mission, which ultimately takes him to our nation’s Capital.

Details emerge and elevate the plot to the highest level. The Jihadist mission’s success will upset the global political balance and eliminate America’s influence in the Middle East with no support from her allies. Faced with an imperative to negate the threat, Jack deals with a dilemma. His opposition reaches high into the White House hierarchy and he trusts no one.

Filled with twists and turns, Jack’s rogue mission races to a dramatic finale.”

My review: I’ve just finished reading Norm Clark’s The Saladin Strategy and dammit I’m tired! This wonderfully written yarn doesn’t stroll through the park, or anything else for that matter. The pace is energetic and the mood is immediate. Every page had me thinking that Jack Calder was going to triumph before plunging me into nerve-wracking anxiety, lightly laced with despair when yet another twist was revealed. My heart was literally racing every moment I spent with Jack and his cohorts.

My biggest difficulty with The Saladin Strategy was putting it down long enough to attend to my duties. I found myself resenting my students and their blasted lesson plans. I wanted to get back into the action and find a way out of a situation that could very well have destroyed the nation as we, and the rest of the world, know it.

Clark’s plots, subplots, and characters are astonishingly well-developed and believable. His narrative is crisp with no wasted dialogue or descriptions. In short, The Saladin Strategy is a must-have for the bookshelf (or eReader) of every fan of the international thriller. If subterfuge and espionage served with a side of politics is your cuppa tea, waste no time in buying or downloading this book today. I’m giving this book five stars and the Ol’ Big Jim Seal of Approval.

You’ll find The Saladin Strategy at Amazon.

You can find Norm at:

Weebly

Norm Clark – Author Blog

About Ol' Big Jim

Jim L. Wright is a storyteller with a lifetime of experiences as colorful as the characters he creates. Born and raised in Piedmont, Alabama, Jim’s connection to the land, history, and people of the region runs deep. His debut novel New Yesterdays is set in his hometown, where he grew up listening to stories of the past—stories that sparked his imagination and curiosity for history. Today, Jim lives in Leeds, Alabama, with his husband Zeek, a tour operator who shares his passion for adventure and discovery. Known affectionately as “Ol’ Big Jim,” he has had a diverse career that includes time as a storekeeper, an embalmer, a hospital orderly, and a medical coder. There are even whispers—unconfirmed, of course—that he once played piano in a house of ill repute. No matter the job, one thing has remained constant: Jim is a teller of tales. His stories—sometimes humorous, sometimes thought-provoking—are often inspired by his unique life experiences. Many of these tales can be found on his popular blog, Ol’ Big Jim, where he continues to share his musings with a loyal readership. Jim’s adventures have taken him far beyond Alabama. For seven years, he lived in Amman, Jordan, the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city. His time there, spent in smoky coffee shops, enjoying a hookah and a cup of tea while scribbling in his ever-present notebook, deeply influenced his worldview and his writing. When Jim isn’t writing, he’s thinking about writing. His stories, whether tall tales from his past or imaginative reimagining is of historical events should read from his past or imaginative reimaginings of historical events, reflect a life lived fully and authentically. With New Yesterdays, Jim brings readers a rich tapestry of history, fantasy, and human connection. Visit his blog at www.olbigjim.com to read more of his stories, or follow him on social media to keep up with his latest musings and projects, one of which is a series that follows Bonita McCauley, an amateur detective who gets into some very sticky situations. His book, New Yesterdays, can be found at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble.

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