The String

Author: Caleb Breakey
Genre: Thriller/Suspense

Welcome to the string. Let's go over the ground rules.

Rule #1: Participation is mandatory.
Rule #2: If any one person refuses to play, the threats to all players will come to pass.

Since this is my game, allow me to introduce myself. I am the conductor. Just as musicians in a symphony must follow the conductor's direction, the selected students and staff of Trenton University must submit to my commands . . . or risk massive chaos and deadly consequences. Even that pesky university cop, Markus Haas, who thinks he'll find a way out of the impossible dilemma in which I've trapped him. Oh, the surprises I have for him. 

Ready to play?

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Reviewer: Mindy Houng

“Life and death - we think of these as destinations, but they’re not....they’re NOT. They’re choices. And you have a choice to make.”

I must confess that I was first drawn to the book by the blurb and James Rubart’s endorsement for this debut thriller from Caleb Breakey. And, indeed, this book is one electrifying, intricately plotted, fast-paced psychological thriller that is like a masterpiece of art emerging through a fog to reveal its true beauty once the fog is cleared away.

There are quite a few secondary characters that play vital roles in the plot who provide third person narratives and one real main character named Markus Haas who speaks in first person narrative. The jumps between narratives take a bit of getting used to, but, once the story starts rolling, it isn’t difficult to switch from Markus’ thoughts to those around him. It is definitely a book that is difficult to put down, since the “conductor” seems always two steps ahead of Markus and the breadth of the conductor’s reach seems almost too great for Markus to overcome.

With each chapter, more of those controlled by the conductor are introduced and the reader, along with our hero Markus, is left wondering why the conductor is performing these heinous acts and what the finale will be. The ending is a burst of revelation that will leave you shocked and re-reading previous chapters to find the clues you may have missed. Faith element is not overt but a steady presence in the plot that allows Markus to truly see himself as he wages war against evil. 

I am looking forward to the next book this author will release. The ending of this book is like the end credit teasers for the Avengers movies....you know it’ll be bigger when the sequel comes out. 

I received a copy of the book from Baker Publishing Group through Interviews and Reviews and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

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