THE PARIS BETRAYAL
By James R. Hannibal
Published by: Revell
Publication Date: May 4th, 2021
Pages: 352 pages
Categories: Fiction / Christian / Suspense
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After a rough mission in Rome involving the discovery of a devastating bioweapon, Company spy Ben Calix returns to Paris to find his perfectly ordered world has collapsed. A sniper attack. An ambush. A call for help that brings French SWAT forces down on his head. Ben is out. This is a severance–reserved for incompetents and traitors.
Searching for answers and anticipating a coming attack, Ben and a woman swept up in his misfortunes must travel across Europe to find the sniper who tried to kill him, the medic who saved his life, the schoolmaster who trained him, and an upstart hacker from his former team. More than that, Ben must come to grips with his own insignificance as the Company’s plan to stop Leviathan from unleashing the bioweapon at any cost moves forward without him–and he struggles against the infection that is swiftly claiming territory within his own body.
Award-winning author James R. Hannibal ratchets up the tension on every page of this suspenseful new thriller.
PRAISE FOR THE PARIS BETRAYAL
“A masterful thriller is created by a masterful writer, and James R. Hannibal is at the top of my list. I devoured every page with the lights on!” —DiAnn Mills, author of Airborne
“James Hannibal once again displays his dazzling prose and ability to keep even the more experienced readers guessing. In The Paris Betrayal, Hannibal sets his hook deep and early, then drags you through a riveting, edge-of-your-seat story. Another gripping, high-octane book from one of the best thriller writers in the business.” –Simon Gervais, former RCMP counterterrorism officer and bestselling author of Hunt Them Down
“Riveting and action-packed! The Paris Betrayal is everything you want in a thriller–suspense, intrigue, and white-knuckle action. Hannibal has a knack for keeping you guessing in a plot that moves at a breakneck speed. This is one you don’t want to miss!”
—Ronie Kendig, bestselling author of The Tox Files
PURCHASE LINKS
If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to be a spy, or how to write a spy novel, James R. Hannibal’s THE PARIS BETRAYAL is an excellent place to start! Let me tell you why, dear reader:
- Spy class notes
- Hero characters – who even save the dog!
- Baddies that are reprehensible. But also, you can understand their motivation and relate to their actions.
- ACTION – car chases, explosions, a near drowning in a frozen lake – all just an average week for our hero.
Let’s break this down!
Spy Class Notes: THE PARIS BETRAYAL is liberally sprinkled with bon mots from the Company’s spy master. And I loved every one. The passages are deadpan serious. But also hilarious. (I know. I have a messed-up sense of humor.) Mr. Hannibal tells us in the Author Note that he’s not a spy, but that he’s learned from many. As Ben (our hero) replays his schoolhouse lessons, it’s clear that Mr. Hannibal has taken lessons from some of the best spies out there. From the hockey analogies to the Walmart shopping tips for bomb making materials, I think I’d make a good spy now! Or I’d be a complete disaster at it because I don’t do well with spontaneity when plans fail.
Hero characters: We’ve all seen spy movies, I’m assuming. Or read other spy books. Ben Calix is a true hero without tights in my opinion. He’s been marked as an incompetent or a traitor. It doesn’t matter which. He’s burned. But, Ben maintains his cool and is determined to get to the bottom of the who, what, and why he’s been burned. Oh, and he has to stop a massive bioweapon along the way. But what really impressed me about Ben is how he keeps Clara, his neighbor and bystander in all this spy business, safe. It really shows character development to not just leave Clara to fend for herself.
Speaking of Clara, I think she’s a standout character as well. Along with her little dog, Otto, these two bring some humanity to the spy business. Their regular everyday activities like changing the color of your hair in a random public bathroom and calling a sniper’s house ‘safe’ are a fun interlude to all the dangerous situations. Clara also does a good job keeping Ben safe on multiple occasions. The addition of a non-spy character makes the story more realistic and believable.
The Baddies are a true sign of any good spy novel in my mind. They really are the glue that holds the whole novel together! And in the case of THE PARIS BETRAYAL, Mr. Hannibal has created some excellent baddies! Jupiter is a former Company man who’d been disillusioned by the Company. I won’t spoil the story, but the way Jupiter makes room in his organization for promotion to a new position is eye-opening! Here’s a great quote:
Espionage is not a war of attrition but a war of control. Consider chess. The endgame is not to kill the king, but to own him. Control, not death. And in our far more complicated game, controlling a knight or even a pawn moves us toward the goal.
That just screams evil to me! I can also understand Jupiter’s motivation, and his disillusion with the head of the Company in particular. Jupiter and his henchmen are very well-rounded, and well-written, characters.
And finally, the action scenes! Characters being shot at by a sniper (multiple times!) really gets the blood pumping for me as a reader. And the scene where Ben is underwater made me hyperventilate with drowning issues of my own! All in all, I’d say Mr. Hannibal has a way of portraying action scenes that are very visual. And visceral.
The only issue I had with this book is my personal struggle in typing the word BETRAYAL. I just cannot with that extra “a”! 😉
Overall, I highly recommend THE PARIS BETRAYAL to fans of action\thrillers or spy novels. Or fans of well-written characters, both the heroes and the baddies! (Definitely think along the lines of Skyfall rather than Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy if that helps with your decision to read this novel!)
Thanks to author James R. Hannibal and Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing this opportunity to review THE PARIS BETRAYAL. I received the novel free in exchange for my honest review.
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James R. Hannibal is no stranger to secrets and adventure. This former stealth pilot from Houston, Texas, has been shot at, locked up with surface-to-air missiles, and chased down a winding German road by an armed terrorist. He is a two-time Silver Falchion Award winner for his children’s mysteries, a former Thriller Award nominee, and a 2020 Selah and Carol Award finalist for The Gryphon Heist–the opener for the CIA series that now includes Chasing the White Lion. James is a rare multisense synesthete, meaning all of his senses intersect. He sees and feels sounds and smells, and hears flashes of light. If he tells you the chocolate cake you offered smells blue and sticky, take it as a compliment.
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ONE WINNER receives a print copy of The Paris Betrayal, Mini Pen Camera, & $10 Starbucks Gift Card!
US Only. Ends midnight, CDT, May 14, 2021.
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I LOVE how you broke down your review into the categories that thrill and make this book a winner. I can’t wait to read it — have really enjoyed all his other books. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Thanks, Kristine! I’m glad you enjoyed my review!