Book Review - The Paris Betrayal

I learned a very valuable lesson from The Gryphon Heist and Chasing the White Lion: When James R. Hannibal releases a new book, jump on it like it's a live grenade in a crowded square. This lesson served me well when Hannibal was looking for a street team for his upcoming release and I digitally raised my hand. *pick me! pick me!* And I did NOT embarrass my nephews in a public place when I was notified that I had been chosen, but they might tell you a different story. Speaking of a different story, I'll outline my conclusion for this one and then tell you how I got there. Are y'all ready for this?

I could tell you that I was hooked between Hannibal and Betrayal, but that would be judging a book by its cover. That made me want to read the synopsis, and that, my dears, was the hook in the nose. After an op in Rome goes sideways, Ben Calix returns to Paris to find himself under attack. His Company contacts have him pegged persona non grata. This is severance. The Director has closed the door on him, and Ben has no reasoning for what is happening. But one man is on the prowl and ready to scoop Ben into the folds of his own organization. Jupiter is poised and ready to welcome Ben with open arms, and the antidote to a plague of his own engineering.

The thing about Ben Calix, is that he knows he hasn't done anything to deserve severance. This is a set-up, and if he has been fed bad intel then he needs to find the right information and find a way to get it to the Director. Because it's the right thing to do, even if it is no longer his job. The action hits like a strike to the solar plexus followed by a series of rubber bullets to the kneecap and topped off with a KA-BAR hilt to the temple, but no worries, since you'll shake it off and beg for more. Why? Because Ben needs to push through to the answers and deliver them to the man who turned his back on Ben, but can still save the world.

You wouldn't know that the majority of the writing for The Paris Betrayal, including the threat of pandemic, was done before our world faced its own pandemic. I appreciate the work James R. Hannibal did to frame this masterpiece respectfully in light of what we've all experienced over the past year, but there's also no denying that our pandemic experiences make Jupiter's plot even more terrifying. And make you crave Ben's success maybe more than ever.

The Paris Betrayal by James R. Hannibal releases May 4, so you can preorder now to receive your copy as soon as it becomes available. Also, check out the super awesome preorder giveaway from James R. Hannibal, for all you super awesome preorder-ers!

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Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are completely genuine.