Beneath the Purple Dawn
Paul Drake Thrillers
Beneath the Purple Dawn is an exciting geopolitical thriller in which a war veteran and his allies hope to secure peace despite those who profit on strife.
In Brett Andrew Strange’s political thriller Beneath the Purple Dawn, an Iraq War veteran works to slow a network of black-market terrorists, including an elusive arms dealer who has bested him before.
Paul has a score to settle, and it includes an assassination plan against a prominent weapons dealer. Meanwhile, the formidable and sadistic arms dealer, Bogan, has to find a new network to move his illegal contraband through. Paul hopes that Bogan will make one mistake that will lead Paul and his team to him. Paul, driven by introspection, also struggles with his past, knowing that lives have been lost along the way. He reunites with Katya, who has been healing and training in the deserts of California after her last dangerous meeting with Bogan and his cronies and is stronger than ever. Her drive for justice for her family is unstoppable.
Built on compelling geopolitical issues, including cold war maneuvers between countries and complex underground organizations, the story is filled with palpable tension, though its details about politics and war are somewhat dense. Paul and his allies track Bogan through various countries, and the story is steady about expounding upon people’s motives and moves. The geographical imagery and is lush and descriptive, moving through Paris, Syria, and other parts of the world. However, the book’s references to Paul’s past are too few; the details of what transpired in the previous story are hazy.
Narrated at a reflective distance, the prose credibly reflects how some people meet by purpose and some meet by chance, showing how important such encounters can turn out to be. Paul reflects on this himself near the end of the story: “What I’ve learned from everything that has happened to me, and to others, is that we become important only because of our decisions.” He and the rest of the cast are further developed in terms of their personal histories and individual mannerisms, though Katya is a bit too flawless to seem real.
Working toward an action-packed ending that lays the groundwork for further series entries, Beneath the Purple Dawn is an exciting geopolitical thriller in which a war veteran and his allies hope to secure peace despite those who profit on strife.
Reviewed by
Leah Webster
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
