BOOK REVIEW: Code Of Darkness by Chris Lindberg

Code Of Darkness is a Suspense Thriller.

The story surrounds three men, Rage, a wanderer and a drifter who saves the life of a cop, Larry Parker and a innocent bystander, Mira Givens, when a bank robbery goes awry.  He does an incredible feat and Larry is unable to put his cop instincts aside and is intrigued with the mysterious stranger.

Elias Todd, a hired assassin with numerous kills under his belt.  He has the ability to be discreet and loves to live life extravagantly.  He is unaware that there are people who have a special interest in his abilities.

Colonel Nolan Hayes, Executive Special Agent to NSA and the head of Project Safeguard.  Colonel Hayes is very interested in attaining assests number one and two so that he can further investigate scientific findings surrounding the genetic makeup of the two men.  Colonel Hayes will stop at nothing to capture these two men and he has every resource at his disposal.

When Elias is captured, he is unaware of the circumstances around his incarceration.  He is taken to a secluded, underground laboratory where unspeakable acts of science are performed upon him.  Loretta Barnes, a scientist working on the project has come to the conclusion that things aren't as they appear and she begins her own investigation and the results she uncovers are beyond her scope of imagining.

Rage has befriended Mira and the two come to realize that their lives are in danger as the NSA has ordered Mira to be brainwashed and Rage to be captured.  Along the way, Larry is caught up in the intrigue and his life has been forfeited for knowing too much.  After his family is kidnapped, Larry and Mira team up to bring the truth to light while dodging special ops, the police and their own demons.

I thought this was a great read and was soon caught up in the mystery found within the pages.  I liked the characters and found they all worked well together to bring the story alive.  I liked Rage and found his inner thoughts to be a great addition to the story.  I would've liked to have seen more from Elias and had a better knowledge of his inner machinations.

I was captivated by the plot, I had to know what was going on and found myself perusing the pages to get to the end.  I found some of the storylines weren't tied up as good as I had hoped.  I still do not know why any of them had the special abilities that they did and I was waiting for the climax and the answers to all my questions, however, it fell flat and I was left with only more to ponder.

I thought that Hayes was a decent enough antagonist but his motivation often eluded me, I know why he wanted them but not for what he wanted them for exactly.  I have my own opinion but I felt that the author didn't convey the message clear enough.

I would give Code Of Darkness a three and a half stars out of five.  I found it slow to pick up and a bit cliched in the beginning but then the story finds its own and you are soon caught up in the mystery surrounding the characters.  I wish the reasons had been clearer as I was left with an impression that the author wasn't sure what the reason was himself or it was being set up for another installation and perhaps a series.  I am unsure but I would read another book by Chris Lindberg, he has a great writing style that captivates the reader to continue to read more of his work.

Code Of Darkness

SYNOPSIS:
When a routine bank robbery takes an unexpected turn, veteran Chicago Police officer Larry Parker witnesses a heroic act by a mysterious intervener. But seconds later the Samaritan disappears, leaving Larry only with unanswered questions.

Suddenly, vigilante activity begins popping up all over the city -- including several murders. Larry begins to gather the missing pieces of the puzzle, and finds evidence the Samaritan might be tied to them. When he learns the man's identity -- a loner known only by the name Rage -- he prepares to move in for the arrest.

But there is much more to Rage than meets the eye: the case has also drawn the attention of a covert Black Ops division within the Pentagon. Their mission: find Rage, while keeping their operation out of the public eye. Seen as knowing too much, Larry suddenly finds himself in the crosshairs as well. When Rage is captured in a deadly standoff, Larry is forced into hiding, and must search for answers while on the run.

The deadly chase leads cross-country to a top-secret military facility in Virginia, where Rage and Larry uncover the greatest danger of all -- and only they can stop the unthinkable from happening.

 ** Disclosure: I did not accept any compensation from the sponsors other than review copies, my views are my own, reviewed by me..as I see it~!! **