Jack Be Nimble: Gargoyle Review

Jack Be Nimble: Gargoyle by Ben English
★★★★☆
Release Date: July 15, 2011
Age: Adult
Genre: Drama, Action, Suspense, Spies
Format: e-book
Source: Author
Buy it: Amazon

The boy came to her out of water, unexpected. He was smart and strong and goofy, as boys are meant to be, but peculiar - he remembered everything. In the span of a single summer, she made him fearless. Now, even as Mercedes Adams is at the height of her career, forbidding changes loom over the world. That night, in the hushed calm of a spring evening, two plain-faced killers watch her home, waiting to make their approach. A few hundred miles away, a brilliant technologist returns to his childhood town in order to begin a descent into darkness . . . in London, a military game theorist finds himself pursuing kidnappers . . . outside Prague, a hacker and a thief stumble upon plans for a weapon unique to the world . . . an FBI agent faces an unpredictable fugitive in Chicago, while in Germany, a sniper-turned-schoolteacher finds reasons to take up his ancient calling . . . and a sitting United States Senator finds his life and his work invaded to terrifying conclusion. In Paris, a widowed man begins to recognize the hints and patterns of a greater puzzle that will bring them together . . . or kill them all. Mercedes Adams is about to find herself at the center of a vast, tightening knot of mystery, intrigue, and globe-spanning terror borne of her family's legacy. Rising to her aid is a small group of specially-trained men and women. And at their center? A man who remembers everything.

Jack Be Nimble is a winding tale of espionage and intrigue. It has a fast paced story line full of exciting pages that were very hard to put down.

While this is an adult book, young adult readers will be able to connect with the story as well. Especially the story of Jack and Mercedes, which is mostly told in flashbacks of when they met as teenagers. Jack Be Nimble branches across so many genres that I think everyone could enjoy it, it even has a little science fiction in there (which I found could eerily be real one day).

This book features many three dimensional characters that Ben has created, but I really could only connect with Jack and Mercedes. Jack reminded me of Jack Bauer from the TV show 24, he's this amazing hero who is friends with everyone and is trusted by many, and he always comes through. And the adventure in the book is up there with some of my favorite action plots found in both books and film. Then there's Mercedes, she's smart, gorgeous, and successful. I loved learning about their connected past and can't wait to read more!

As for the many secondary characters, they are essential for this story, though keeping track of them felt tedious at times I'm glad I did. Ben brings all of them in and every corner of the plot falls to place, without even one of them I don't think this book would have unfolded as neatly and wonderfully as it did. At times toward the action packed end of the story I did get slightly confused as to who was speaking and who I was following but I would quickly get back on track.

There's so much to add that I loved from the great locations in Europe, US, and more, to the mystery and suspense. Jack Be Nimble is nothing short of genius, and is sure to be a fantastic series.

Ben's story is fresh and exciting all the while remaining mature and intriguing. It's a wonderfully written story that I recommend to everyone to give it a try. It's not a book I would have normally picked up for myself, and I'm very thankful that this wonderful author approached me to read it.

Make sure to check out Ben's website for more information about the book and series and also for a 30 page preview of Jack Be Nimble: Gargoyle