Exciting political/corporate thriller

The Candidate: Luxembourg Thriller

By Daniel Pembrey

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Before I review this thrilling novella, I want to say a few words about my love for Kindle Singles. Kindle Singles are short essays or fictional works usually between 30 to 100 pages. They are available from Amazon and usually run between 1 and 2 dollars. I find them to be a perfect brief read between longer novels and a bargain at the price. The basic concept of Kindle Singles is a winner as they present well known authors and often introduce lesser known ones, allowing a cheap way to explore new writers. If you have not checked out these nifty short reads, do so very soon.

In regards to The Candidate: Luxembourg Thriller by Daniel Pembrey, it is a bit longer than the usual Kindle Single at slightly over 100 pages.It is also a very good poli-corporate espionage novel. Corporate headhunter Nick Thorneycroft is working in Luxembourg attempting to lure a Russian executive to his company for the purpose of expanding their business in Russia. When he meets the woman he has a nagging suspicion that he knows her, which might be related to the fact that he woke up alone in bed that morning accompanied by a pair of women's panties with no visible owner in sight. Not to mention that he was obviously drugged and have no memories of what occurred the night before.

At this point, I would be yelling, "Get another job, moron!". Fortunately for the writer and for the reader, he does no such thing. Pembrey has a intelligent and subtle style that moves us along quietly in the development of the mystery. It is to his credit that this novella has a very realistic scenario and easily passes my eye-rolling test. If I roll my eyes over the plot devices more than 3 times, I deem the plot a mess. I was so involved and convinced I didn't roll my eyes once. I could see this sort of thing happening easily...which is why I am not working in an international corporation.

What "this sort of thing" is will not be spoiled. Let's just say that if you enjoyed suspense thrillers with corporate hi-jinks laced with a good dose of paranoia, you will enjoy this novella. Daniel Pembrey is a new name for me and that only emphasizes why I think Kindle Singles are so helpful. I will definitely be checking out Pembrey's other books.

I received a review copy of The Candidate from the author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. However I would have enthusiastically paid the 99 cents for this exciting read.