Tautly Written: Rasputin's Legacy by Lee Jackson #YourLegacy

Review by MK French

During the Cold War, a rogue Russian agent wants to overthrow the USSR's government and control their military arsenal. The US sends the covert operator Eduardo Xiquez (Code named Atcho) to Siberia, but he is followed by a reporter convinced that he was involved in an assassination attempt and his fiancee, a former CIA agent, who is determined to save him.
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free ebook was provided for an honest review.

June 2016; Stonewall Publishers; 9780989802505
ebook, print; thriller, historical

While I don't always turn to a political/spy thriller type of novel as a way to relax (too much tension!) I got hooked in quickly and lost track of time.

The book opens with a dossier of information that the CIA has, including information on Atcho. For readers like me that haven't read the first book, this is a great way to infodump in a natural kind of setting. We're given an outline of the political situation with the end of the Cold War as Atcho's being briefed on the situation he's being called in to help, and then it's full speed ahead.

It seemed a little far fetched for the reporter to link disparate events to Atcho and fly all over to track him down, but it definitely fills in the blanks for some of the plot.

I'm sure I'm missing some of the nuance in the relationships by not having read the first book, but I'm still drawn to the action and the ways that the past history is subtly pointed to. It's very cinematic, and the tension in the chases are tautly written. There's also a helpful note in the back outlining the actual historical facts of the period, as well as a glossary for those young enough not to remember the events as actual news.

Buy Rasputin's Legacy at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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