The Year of the Locust opening lines: I once went to kill a man. At other times, in younger days, I had followed my work through the neon-lit alleys of Tokyo, watched the sun rise over the Mosque of the Nine Cupolos and waited on the waterfront in Old Istanbul as a woman’s tears fell like rain.
My blurb:
He is a Denied Access Area agent tasked with a mission he feels cannot fail. All he has to do is get over a border undetected, find his way to the crossroads, and rescue a man. But nothing goes to plan, and he ends up captured by a man who has a mission of his own. Kane needs to find a way out, and then he needs to stop the Russian, and thwart his mission. Can he do both, and survive?
The Year of the Locust
If, like Kane, you’re a Denied Access Area spy for the CIA, then boundaries have no meaning. Your function is to go in, do whatever is required, and get out again – by whatever means necessary. You know when to run, when to hide – and when to shoot.But some places don’t play by the rules. Some places are too dangerous, even for a man of Kane’s experience. The badlands where the borders of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan meet are such a place – a place where violence is the only way to survive.Kane travels there to exfiltrate a man with vital information for the safety of the West – but instead he meets an adversary who will take the world to the brink of extinction. A frightening, clever, vicious man with blood on his hands and vengeance in his heart…
My verdict:
This book is 663 pages long, and for the first three quarters I was hooked. A great plot, interesting characters and concepts. Then there is a small detour into a realm I was not expecting, and did not enjoy. But this in no way detracted from an excellent read and a book I wholeheartedly recommend. I have not read I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes, but this novel means I am adding his first one to my list.
About the Author:
Read an extract:
Click here to read an extract of The Year Of The Locust.
Publishing information:
Penguin Random House South Africa sent me this novel to review.
See the links below for blog posts I published on February 25:
- 2022: Orange And Cranberry Shortbread
- 2019: Fruit And Nut Truffles
- 2018: The People Vs. Alex Cross
- 2016: Paul Hollywood’s Pastry
- 2015: Foreign Exchange
- 2014: Ommiberg Ticket Give Away
- 2011: Chocolate And Sour Cream Ingredient Challenge
Thanks for your mindful review, Tandy. You have me intrigued about the book. Wishing you a great new week. Hugs.
Sending the same wishes to you!
sounds like an exciting read!
It really was!
HI Tandy, an interesting review. I rarely read books over 400 pages though.
This one was worth it 🙂
Hi Tandy, this sounds good. 663 pages should keep mom going for a while.
It was a really good read 🙂