The Pawn

1st in the Patrick Bowers series. I enjoyed this book. It had great characters and killers. The intricacies between the murders and the suspects kept me guessing. Pat is an interesting conflicted lead and his step daughter is in the background as he tries dealing with her and a recent death and trying to solve the murders. Rounding out the team is fellow agent Ralph and newcomer Lien-hua who work the case with Patrick. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series

Yeah, you read that right...Steven James really makes me mad. I'll tell you why in a moment, but this is a review of his novel and I'll start with that. On the surface, "The Pawn" looks to be yet another in a long, somewhat wearying string of serial killer novels. I mean, how many more of these can we read before the genre dies? Pun intended. The reason the genre remains strong, however, is because of well-crafted thrillers such as this, ones that include believable characters and original villains. In fact, I suggest that "The Pawn" elevates and transcends its market niche. The book's protagonist, Patrick Bowers, is struggling to understand his wife's death from cancer and the resulting estrangement from his step-daughter. He doesn't have much time for such things, though, while trying to track down a ruthless and brilliant games-man, a killer who leaves chess pieces at the site of each murder. These are workable elements for any such novel, yet nothing that new to the market; it's the manner in which James ties them together with larger conspiracy theories and historical mysteries that turns this into a true page-turner. Not only do we care about this killer being stopped, we care about Bowers and his relationships. We care about the future victims. We care about others caught up in the dizzying maze of deception. So why am I mad? Well, as a published novelist myself, I often wrestle with my own inner editor while reading other novels. This makes it hard to enjoy some of them. In the case of James, I found myself challenged instead to sharpen my craft even more. Not only that, he combines in "The Pawn" some of the elements that it's taken me two or three books to explore--a love of coffee, an eye for chess, and an interest in history. In fact, I've had some readers doubt the history in my novels, and I've told them to go read the facts. I thought, in the case of Mr. James, maybe I'd catch him sleeping on the research, but no...I looked up his underlying historical premise--and it's right on target. Wow! In his debut thriller, he's trumped my books and raised the bar. Yeah, that really torques me! And I can't wait to read his next, "The Rook."

Steven James takes us into the world of FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers in this exceptional psychological thriller. A serial killer is at large in the Appalachian area of North Carolina, and Bowers, known for his expertise in environmental criminology, is called in to help make sense of this baffling case. The killer has dubbed himself "The Illusionist," thriving on misdirection and confusion to further confound the authorities at every turn. As Bowers and his team search for clues, they realize they are facing a madman who is as cunning as he is evil. As answers are uncovered, more mysteries surface, linking the Illusionist to a charismatic cult leader with ties to the infamous Jonestown cult. Patrick Bowers now faces seemingly insurmountable odds as the case becomes larger and more dangerous than anyone ever anticipated. Steven James writes at a break-neck pace, effortlessly pulling the reader along on this incredible thrill ride. With the backdrop of the Jonestown disaster, James has added a clever dose of history that brings a sense of relevancy to the story. The plot twists and turns while never hinting at the destination, and the characters are rich and absorbing. Patrick Bowers is an intriguing hero who is extremely brilliant, yet very fallible. While he excels in his professional career, his personal life is in shambles, and his struggles in parenthood are real and pertinent. While The Pawn holds its own both as mystery and a suspenseful thriller, the strength of the novel is found Patrick Bowers' spiritual journey. As Bowers is drawn closer to danger, he finds that he must also face his difficult past and come to grips with some hard, yet hopeful truths about life and death. In the end, James leaves us enough to satisfy and whets our appetite for more. With this first installment of The Bowers Files, Steven James has left his mark as a writer to watch for. Armchair Interviews says: With this first installment of The Bowers Files, Steven James has left his mark as a writer to watch for.

Ok, I admit it. I'm a huge CSI fan. I'm also a big fan of James' previous writings. However, this genre is a huge change of pace for him (though you can see a little of the darker side of his prose in the story, "Creatures of the Night" in Astonishing Tales) That being said, I couldn't put this book down. The characters were multi dimensional and well developed, and the plot (and multiple subplots) raced along to an enge-of-your-chair climax. I started reading it one night, and spent the entire next day immersed in the world of Patrick Bowers. For those of you who are worried that an author known for his spiritual writing can write fiction without preaching, breathe easy, and don't wait another minute to pick up a copy. While its certainly a different style than his other works, this is storytelling at its best.

The Pawn, a thriller written by Steven James, is at once a book that you want to stop reading so you don't have nightmares, but one you don't want to put down either. Thriller readers familiar with James Patterson's "Alex Cross" series will find themselves thinking of Alex Cross and his Washington D.C. home, but Special Agent Patrick Bowers is a strong character in his own domain: North Carolina. Further, his specialty in environmental criminology is apt considering the newsworthiness of environmental issues in the present time. Further complicating Bowers's work is high powered political figures, such as North Carolina's governors and higher ranking bureau officials, including his supervisor. We hear news stories often where police officials are criticized for not doing their job and then when the story comes out, it turns out their ability to do this work is being blocked by other parties. This is very much the case in this story, leading a real world feel to this work of fiction. Although there are numerous characters that appear in the story, it isn't a challenge to keep them straight, and some such as Tessa, you can't help but grow attached to. Another testament to the author's abilities, the characters come to life and the reader almost expects to meet them when they go to town. The author's background in storytelling, in which he received his MA from East Tennessee State University, shows clearly throughout the book, allowing the reader to feel as if they are hearing a personal account of the tale. Further, he uses simple words, such as `pawn' with multiple meanings and to keep the readers thinking. In a manner similar to John Grisham writing about the Delta locations he knows best, Steven James brings North Carolina to life in readers' eyes. This is the first of a planned trilogy, and I look forward to reading more of Patrick Bowers's cases and Steven James's work.