[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Death's Companion" by James Meenagh.]
4 out of 4 starsShare This Review
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After ten years as an assassin for the United States Government, Nick Parker resigned. He went to work for the Washington State Criminal Investigation Division (CID) in Seattle, Washington. When he decided he'd had enough of law enforcement, he left it all behind and began rebuilding his mountain cabin, which had burned down a few months prior. Death's Companion, a fictional crime thriller by James Meenagh, is the second book in Nick Parker's story.
Nick received a call from Reggie Flannigan, his former CID partner, who wanted to discuss a current case he had been investigating. Reggie told him a gang called "The Disciples" from Chicago had expanded into the Seattle area. They were abducting teenage girls for a human trafficking ring. Reggie has gotten reassigned to security for a Congressman in the same community where the gang kidnapped two girls. He suspects the Congressman could be involved, and maybe some law enforcement officers. Reggie didn't know who to trust, so he asked Nick to see what he could learn.
Nick was known as a 'legend' during his black-ops years, and death seemed to follow him wherever he went—even in his dreams. There was a saying that "being on Parker's bad side was a bad place to be." Reggie knew he could count on Nick to find out where the girls were. Nick was determined to rescue the girls when he found them and stop the human trafficking ring for good. No longer bound by the government or law enforcement, Nick had his own ideas. Reggie had informed him the gang had a notorious shooter called 'Killer B' who never missed his target. Nick also learned rich and powerful people controlled the human trafficking ring; he just wasn't aware of how far up the rich and powerful ladder they went. Could a former government assassin take on these people? Nick had plenty of ideas up his sleeve, but could he bring this trafficking ring down alone? What happens when Reggie gets involved? Will these two men be triumphant, or will this be their last hurrah?
James Meenagh has written a riveting, spine-chilling novel that will keep the reader holding their breath page after page. The characters are dynamic, yet a little unbelievable, especially the protagonist, Nick Parker. However, Nick's uniqueness keeps the story moving at a whirlwind pace. Another important character in the story is Nick's one-hundred-pound German shepherd companion named Coop, who had wandered up to his cabin one day and decided to stay. The strange thing about Coop is he never barks—but he never needs to. You will discover why as you read the book. The story has a significant amount of profanity and graphic violence, which are typically ingredients I do not relish when I read a book. However, the storyline is so well-written and so intense I found the book difficult to put down. There is some sexual content with obvious innuendos but no actual graphic scenes.
What I liked most about this book is that it kept me in suspense to the end, made me laugh a few times, and made me cry. It has all the elements of a great novel. Although it's the second book about Nick Parker the author has written, I had no trouble reading it as a stand-alone. However, I plan to read the first book as soon as possible. Although I cringed at some of the more violent scenes, I could not make myself stop reading. I held my breath during the last couple of chapters, waiting to see how the story would end.
There is nothing I disliked about Death's Companion. It is professionally edited, with only a few errors, masterfully written, and exciting from beginning to end. James Meenagh is now one of my favorite authors. For those reasons and more, I am happy to rate this book a well-deserved 4 out of 4 stars. I highly recommend it to those who love crime novels with plenty of action mixed with a bit of humor and even a surprise heart-wrenching moment. Due to the profanity, violence, and sexual content, I would not recommend this book to anyone under eighteen or to those who would be offended by the aforementioned content.
