J.L. Abbott Reviews

Added August 13, 2004

The Third Corner

Author: J.L. Abbott
Publisher: Amber Quill Press
Available At: www.amberquill.com
Publishing Date: Available Now
Genre: Fiction: Historical
Format: Trade Paperback and Ebook download in PDF/HTML/LIT
Price: $14.50 paperback, $6.00 ebook
ISBN: 1-59279-998-1 paperback, 1-59279-010-0 ebook
Author Email/Website: jlabbott.com/
Reviewer: Joyce Handzo

The Third Corner puts readers on the edge of their seats from the first page! Set in post-Civil War Washington, D.C. this book is filled with suspense, subterfuge, and a touch of the spiritual.

There is a traitor in the Grant administration and the espionage organization, Dark Watch, is on high alert. Two of its best agents were killed, supposedly because they got too close to the truth. The daughter and son of these agents vow to avenge their fathers' deaths, yet put their own lives and the lives of their families in serious danger. As the fight becomes personal, the players become desperate. Struggling to uncover the truth while maintaining their undercover status has the Dark Watch agents walking a fine line between life and death.

Unusual elements are mixed together to make this book appealing to a variety of readers. The historical setting is well done and provides a touch of realism. Readers who enjoy suspense will appreciate the inner workings of the Dark Watch, as well as better understand the emotional toll espionage takes on the agents and their families. There is also romance, which softens the danger, while providing additional emotional appeal.

As if all that wasn't enough, the author has ingeniously added a touch of the paranormal. The evil therefore leaps beyond the present and into a third dimension that is equally deadly. Main characters Kathryn Devereaux and Jared Bentley are superbly drawn and captivate readers completely. Their love for each other, their families, and their commitment to their country will have readers sympathizing as well as cheering for them.

The story moves along at a rapid pace, and is propelled by descriptive action and powerful dialogue. Although there are gunfights and hard-edged moments of betrayal and espionage, the strong emotional appeal throughout the story makes a stunning contrast. The Dark Watch agents are more than hired guns, they are seen as people who love and laugh and value life. By highlighting the humanness of the agents, this book becomes richer, as it appeals to the heart as well as the head.

The Third Corner is a straight line of masterful suspense from the first page to the last!

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