by M.A. Lawson
Release Date: January 17th 2017
2017 Blue Rider Press
Ebook Edition; 304 Pages
ISBN: 978-0399573842
ASIN: B01ESI3PNS
Genre: Fiction / Suspense
Source: Review copy from publisher
4 / 5 Stars
Summary
It’s been almost a year since Kay Hamilton was fired from the DEA for going rogue. Since then, she’s been employed by the Callahan Group, a covert intelligence agency based in Washington, D.C. Her job description is as dubious as the people she works for, and the undercover mission that nearly killed her in Viking Bay has Hamilton questioning the legitimacy of her employers.
When Hamilton arrives at the Callahan Group’s K Street office to tender her resignation, she unwittingly interrupts a deadly heist during which the robbers have stolen the company safe and left her boss gravely injured. She knows that Thomas Callahan doesn’t keep much cash in the safe—the men must have been after something other than money. But before Callahan slips into a coma, he whispers a name that will lead Kay to an organization even more secretive than the Callahan Group: the NSA.
My Thoughts
K Street is a great novel for those who new to suspense or to action as the chapters are relatively short and the action sequences aren't overly drawn out, and I liked the the plot, while fairly simple, still has some twists and turns to it. To someone with an extensive reading knowledge in this genre, the plot might be quite simple compared to some of the novels and authors, but I liked that the action was clean and not too convoluted. Sometimes it's nice to read one of these novels where my head isn't spinning throughout the whole novel, and I have to wait another two or three books to figure out what is happening, or there is so much going on even the author loses track of the main points.
For those who don't know, M.A. Lawson is the pen name for Mike Lawson (a former nuclear engineer in the US Navy), who also writes the Joe DeMarco series, of which House Reckoning is probably my favourite. One of the things that Lawson excels at is making the reader feel empathy for the main character. So while you may not necessarily agree with the choices Kay made (or Joe DeMarco for that matter), you still empathize with the character and understand why those choices were made. And you root for them no matter what. Kay is a tough, kick-ass character who is fun because she can be quite unpredictable. While she didn't quite display those rogue, lone-wolf tendencies in this novel as much, there was still plenty of action to be found. The last mission in which she was involved left Kay questioning the Callahan group and her part in the group, so she decides to quit the whole thing. Right from the beginning though, Kay walks into a dire situation as the office is attacked and she has no idea of the reasons behind the attack. Even though she decides to help, I liked how she questioned the investigation the entire time and didn't take anything at face value. What she did discover will definitely have repercussions into the next book and I can't wait to find out how things will transpire as she discovered some pretty deep secrets as well as some government cover-ups that will leave ripples in many different areas. I don't want to say too much and give away any details from the book, but it was fun to delve deeper into the government cover-ups and discover a bit more about the Callahan group. There is definitely a lot more to learn however.
Like I've already mentioned, the plot was quite simple, which is something I enjoyed as sometimes these action / suspense novels can get quite convoluted and complicated, but I believe this is a strength of this writer. The chapters are told from different points of view, and while it's not always something that I enjoy, it definitely worked in this novel - plus some of the dialogue was witty and engaging, with some laugh-out-loud moments, to relieve tension The characters are engaging, and we are slowly learning more about them, which is one of my frustrations, even if I understand the reasoning behind it; I would love to learn more about Kay's neighbour and see more of her in future novels. The action is non-stop, with Kay dodging bullets, being chased, learning secrets, and pretty much just kicking it when she gets a chance - fun stuff.
Verdict
K Street continues the Kay Hamilton saga and her involvement with the Callahan group, deepening the mystery of their involvement in government secrets and cover-ups. I found the writing to be engaging, and Kay to be a kick-ass heroine. The plot was simple, but engaging, and I enjoyed the story very much. I am looking forward to the next installment in the Kay Hamilton series.
Good review!
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