Red Cicada, by Gregg Luke

This book is set to be published on May 2nd, 2022.

Imagine you’re getting a routine check up, and the doctor asks you what your brain surgery was for, and you go all: »What brain surgery? Never had any!«, and he goes: »Sure you did. There’s a metal plate in your skull. It even has a russian inscription!«

That’s not exactly how this tale starts, but not far from it either. Immediately this tale cast a spell over me, and together with Lana I started to wonder about the how, and the when, irrevocably followed by those other questions: by whom, and why? And also that most important question, gripping me tightly: what the heck?

You can also read the interview with Gregg Luke about this tale!

You know, »what the heck« is not necessarily a bad question. On the contrary, with regards to mysteries it is a most welcome question (provided the novel answers this question during the course of it’s tale). And the best part is: It’s just the start of this story, which gets curious and more curious as it unfolds.

And when the military enters the play, the suspense kicks in. Suddenly it’s not just about a disk in a skull, it’s about life and death! And our heroine does something very sensible: After getting a bad start by falsely trusting the wrong person, she starts to distrust everyone. And honestly, I would have done the same thing!

I mention this because it makes our heroine Lana very relatable to me, and that’s important. Over the course of the story, we’ll be taking alternativ viewpoints between her and Lance, and both characters are actually well developed. When sharing their thoughts, I had the feeling of dealing with real people.

What was a little downside was the villain – a Russian straight outta a collection of cliches. It was a wonder he was able to charm one or two people, as everything about him screamed »I’m the bad guy!«!

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So, in the end, it’s s suspenseful and solid thriller, you could even end up reading it in one sitting (it’s fast paced enough). Besides the cliche villain, there is a rather expected and predictable twist about Lana’s father that can be seen from miles away. Which brings my rating to 4 excellent stars. Thriller fans won’t be disappointed, I think.

Disclaimer: I’ve received a free Advanced Reader’s Copy and are leaving this review voluntarily.