Author Lee Goldberg has started a new series about an author who bumbles into international conspiracies. Ironically the main character, Ian Ludlow, is a pen name Goldberg used early in his career.
Killer Thriller kicks off with Ludlow getting ready to head to Hong Kong. A movie is being made about one of his books. The trip gives him the idea to set another book in China so he uses the trip also to research settings for his next story.
Little does Ludlow know his laptop has been hacked and various Chinese officials think Ludlow might be a spy. Details in his book are very close to some real events going with Chinese spies.
A cat and mouse game then starts as Ludlow tries to escape the Chinese and also uncover what they are up to. Yet at the same time his assistant Margo might actually be a spy. One more question he needs to answer if he wants to stay alive.
The way Author Goldberg writes Ludlow is fun. This is a guy who has researched a good amount about fights and spy trade. But his life is behind a keyboard. Making his ideas to get out of tricky situations very outside the box.
Overall the story is very action packed. Yet is paced out well. Intermixed with Ludlow’s view are chapters from the view of the Chinese spies. These chapters give context to the overall conspiracy and why they have miss targeted Ludlow as being involved.
This story also has humor. I have met Lee Goldberg a few times and know him to have a quick wit. That plays out in the dialogue in this story. More than once I had to chuckle at the quips characters jab at each other.
Anyone looking for some escapist reading I would suggest picking up Killer Thriller when it releases on February 12, 2019.
A free advanced review copy of this book given to my via NetGalley for this unbiased review.