Adept ~ Robert Finn

Rating:

They know enough to put them in the worst danger of their lives. Will it also be enough to save them?

Comparisons with The Da Vinci Code are unfair (and the cover does make mention both both this and The Rule of Four - which I’ve not read so I can’t comment on that one) Adept, bears little resemblance to the ‘Da Vinci Code’, it’s a better book and doesn’t rely on as many hard-to-swallow twists and coincidences for a start.

Don’t get me wrong, Adept, does have it’s faults, the main character, David Braun, is supposedly painted as an ‘every man’ who is perhaps just a little too inquisitive in his work - but otherwise a perfectly bloke (who goes to the pub and everything) during the main bulk of the story, however in the first few chapters, his work as an insurance investigator (and the insurance company he works for) alludes to be a lot more shadowy and not necessarily his ‘day job’ than it actually is. Considering the themes of the book, it’s not an unreasonable assumption to make, and yet it plays no further part in the plot.

Yet, Finn, has written a perfectly enjoyable romp of a thriller, as long as you don’t look too deeply with no other pretensions than to be a thrilling book to read.

David Braun, star investigator for an exclusive insurance firm, discovers the truth that the crime was intended to conceal. Behind it all, is a ruthless thief, who is intent on acquiring a priceless antique - an antique with a bloody history its owners would prefer to keep hidden.

Susan Milton, an expert in exotic antiques, must unearth the object’s past to make sense of the present. When she takes on the project she has no idea that her research will put her life in danger. As David and Susan learn to work together the pieces begin to fall into place, but the more they find out, the less they believe.

Caught between powerful enemies and being hunted by a killer the police cannot catch, their only hope is to stay one step ahead. They know enough to put them in the worst danger of their lives. Will it also be enough to save them?

I’ve seen some criticism of the characters and dialogue in reviews elsewhere, but I enjoyed and liked all the main ‘good guys’ and their interactions with each other, and it was nice to see the hero get his girl (or the heroine get her man - for that matter) and not leap in to bed with each other, for anything other than some much needed sleep! And the development of their relationship and the changes they need to make to accommodate each other, showed real development, and both brought them closer together and was actually needed for the plot denouement.

So, whilst Adept is not without it’s faults, it is perfectly enjoyable nonetheless.