KEVIN      KELLEY

I was surprised at the timeliness of this truly gripping story. It could happen today with the seemingly never-ending line of ruthless and dangerous dictators in North Korea. The author gives us a realistic look inside the Hermit Kingdom and how the U.S. might respond to the dilemma of a captured U.S. serviceman like Lt. McCarty. It starts as a love story and then pivots to an intriguing, action-packed story of survival. I didn't want to put it down, certainly not during much of the story. The characters all have believable background stories, and I cared about what happened to each of them, at least the good guys. This is the first of three books by this author with Lt. McCarty at the center, and they only get better! I highly recommend this one, then I bet you'll want to read the other two. Great story-telling!! —Kindle Customer

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This book is so timely, with a plot that centers on the abduction of an American serviceman by North Korea and its attempt to use him for their own propaganda purposes. The ripple effects of this act are enormous, and you feel for the many affected characters who don't know what to believe or how to maintain hope in the midst of an upsetting and confusing situation that has turned their lives upside down. The captive Marine has suddenly lost his good reputation, his credibility, and his physical and mental health, while the world of his wife and son has been rocked, not only by his disappearance and apparent collaboration with a political enemy but from an inability to hang on to any semblance of their pre-incident lives due to the intrusion and targeting by the news media and the U.S. government. The tables turn very quickly in this story! I particularly enjoyed the insights into the unfamiliar and often closed-off worlds of the U.S. military and government personnel, as well as the glimpse into the strange alt-reality that is North Korea today. A fast and enjoyable read! —Lisa L.

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I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, but it kept pulling me in. I started caring for the characters pretty quickly and was totally engrossed with what they did, and what was done to them. The tension kept growing to the point that I couldn't put it down. It's very clever and surprising. I also learned a lot about life in North Korea, which is helpful these days. Buy the book, you'll enjoy it. —Gail R. Phelps