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Jump to navigationJump to searchTripwire by Steve Cole and Chris Hunter (view source)
Revision as of 13:33, 3 April 2018
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{{infoboxinfobox1
|title=Tripwire
|author=Steve Cole and Chris Hunter
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=256
|publisher=Corgi
|date=April 2010
|isbn=0552560839
|amazonukcover=<amazonuk>0552560839</amazonuk>|amazonusaznuk=0552560839|aznus=<amazonus>0552560839</amazonus>
}}
And, by and large, I got them. I liked the near future setting for ''Tripwire'' - what would happen if terrorists levelled Heathrow? Would we really consider child soldiers? Perhaps not, but it's an interesting what if, isn't it? And it's much more credible a set-up than many similar books have. Felix, interestingly, has been radicalised, if you will, by a personal loss and so his psychology is interesting too. The plot and the writing are both smart and pacy with a goodly few red herrings to stir up the mix a bit. But the stand-out parts of ''Tripwire'' are the scenes when Felix defuses explosives. It's utterly chilling, edge-of-the-seat stuff.
I'll confess to a bit of a hover over the star rating - this book is enjoyable but standard fodder in a rather overheated genre market. This is not a criticism at all, since it's a very popular genre and children enjoy reading within it. That's a good thing. But you really do need to bring something new to the table if you're going to stand out from the crowd. In the end, I went with four stars for ''Tripwire'' as the bomb disposal sections - courtesy of Chris Hunter, one assumes - are absolutely riveting, and much more credible than many of its peers. It's also set in the near-future rather than the present, and I always think that adds an edge. Don't let that make you think the book does anything more than what it says on the tin - deliver a high-octane, page-turning thriller with a contemporary edge - although it does that very well indeed.
My thanks to the good people at Corgi for sending the book.
If action thrillers are their thing, then they are pretty much spoiled for choice - try [[Sharp Shot by Jack Higgins]] or [[Danger Zone: The Devil's Breath by David Gilman]].
{{amazontext|amazon=0552560839}} {{waterstonestextamazonUStext|waterstonesamazon=68578300552560839}}
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[[Category:Thrillers]]
[[Category:Steve Cole]]
[[Category:Chris Hunter]]
