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Benedek, a journalist who has written a considerable amount of non-fiction about international affairs, knows her stuff. There’s plenty of behind-the-scenes information about how terrorists plot are uncovered and investigated, and it all rings true. As a first-time novelist, Benedek sometimes tends to let these info-dumps get out of hand, but for the most part the pace moves along quite nicely. Her protagonists are likable and well-drawn. I also like the way she gives one of them a personal stake in the story, and that ties in with a satisfying ending that’s set up very early on, something I always enjoy. Also, in a book like this you’d expect the climax to involve a lot of high-tech weaponry. Instead, we get a low-tech but very suspenseful showdown. Good stuff, and the best part of the book for me.
If you like globe-trotting, large-cast, high-stakes thrillers, I think you’ll probably enjoy RED SEA. I liked it well enough to be looking forward to seeing what Benedek comes up with next.
Apparently, the market for thrillers is the only one on the upswing. I can't read them though. It's like watching the DJIA or the TV show HOUSE to me.
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