First and foremost, a large thank you to Reedsy Discovery and Robert P. French for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Having binge-read all four previous books by Robert P. French in as many days, I was eager to get my hands on this latest novel in the Cal Rogan series. When a terrorist bomb explodes in Ottawa, the reverberations can be felt as far away as Vancouver. Cal Rogan is approached by one of his friends from his life on the streets, asking that he look into finding the next of kin for a fellow homeless man who was recently killed. Rogan agrees, knowing that this will be a pro bono case, something he will have to sell to his partner. At Stammo Rogan Investigations, Nick Stammo is meeting with a man whose wife has a habit of disappearing weekly for unknown reasons. After meeting together, Stammo and Rogan pursue their cases, only to discover a connection between the dead homeless man and the terrorist attack in Ottawa. Further documents on the man’s possession show that there may have been illegal goings-on at the top of the Canadian Government. While Stammo follows his own leads, he discovers something equally disturbing and a woman roped into staying quiet. As Rogan and Stammo work to reveal just how sinister things are within the Canadian Government, their lives are thrust into danger, alongside an intelligence officer and a journalist who knows how to press just the right buttons. The safety of all involved hang in the balance in this stunning crime thriller that exemplifies how some use power to pursue nefarious actions. French continues to impress with this series, sure to pull any curious reader into the middle of something exciting. Recommended to those who love crime thrillers with a political twist, as well as those who enjoy something with a little more Canadian flavour.

Any good series deserves some binge reading and Robert P. French’s novels surely rank above some of the best I have read for a long time. Over the past few days, I have learned a great deal about Cal Rogan and his rise back to a degree of normalcy, but also the constant blips on the screen when it comes to his family and the heroin habit that haunts him. Rogan seems to have accepted that he will never be able to find solace with his ex-wife and daughter, as he thrusts them into constant danger no matter what happens. He keep in touch as best he can, but is also willing to move forward and find new sparks in his life. Those sparks are tempered with a return to heroin, something that can be attributed to the loss of his family. However, Rogan will not set aside his passion to help others, pursuing mysteries wherever they lead him. This was the most harrowing story in the series to date, seeing Rogan head to the nation’s capital to track down a killer and collection of villains whose entire purpose is the cause havoc. Nick Stammo remains a strong secondary characters as well, coming out of his shell but also putting himself at risk to the extreme. There are other key characters who place writhing the book could surely enhance the series, should they stick around. That being said, any solo character appearance in this piece enriches the narrative and adds depth to the various plots. The story remained as strong as any other French novel and kept moving at a break-neck pace, only adding to the reader’s enjoyment. With a mix of perspectives woven into the different chapters, I am eager to see what else French has to come, keeping the reader on the edge of their seats while injecting some harrowing plots throughout. This is definitely strong thriller writing with a Canadian flavour, something I thoroughly enjoy. I hope others will take the time to enjoy this series as well.

Kudos, Mr. French, for another explosive thriller. I am eager to see what else Cal Rogan and Nick Stammo might face, allowing me to further my interest in this series.