Landslide by Adam Sikes

On film, this might be a buddy flick, if the two buddies are separated until they aren’t. And a cynic might say this story is somewhat formulaic: Two Marine friends pledge that if one gets in a jam, the other will come to help. No questions. Just come help. You have a problem? I'm coming. End of story.

Let’s explore Landslide as it fits within that narrative.

The friendship of two men . . . Mason Hackett and Kevin Gomez . . . forged in battle (Afghanistan) . . . they make a pledge that when the SHTF for one, the other will come . . IED . . . both are injured . . . Gomez dies . . .Mason deals with his guilt but gets on with life (what choice does he have?) . . .takes a job in London . . . 15 years as a banker/deal maker for a prestigious investment firm . . . travels extensively . . . has dealt with some shady characters . . . at a meeting in a German boardroom . . . a flatscreen is tuned to an all-news channel . . . news crawl shows that Henry Delgado, an AP journalist, has been captured by Ukrainian separatists . . . the photo is unmistakably Gomez whom Mason watched die on a table in Afghanistan 15 years ago . . . mysterious email from Gomez arrives telling Mason to find ‘Doug’ in Paris . . . Doug tells him to forget it . . .fat chance . . . Mason is bound by their pledge . . . Mason heads for Ukraine . . . takes help where he can find it to fulfill his pledge.

Is the story formulaic or is the bond forged in battle a common theme in thrillers that deserves constant revisiting? You choose.

I favor the latter. Guessing you will, too. Great treatment of a common theme. Believable story filled with ups and downs as well as interesting characters that help Mason get into Ukraine heading for the separatist region bordering Russia. A book paced to zip you right through to a heart-stopping conclusion.

And I’m guessing we haven’t heard the last from Mason Hackett.

Thanks to Oceanview Publishing for placing an advance reader copy with NetGalley. 

I keep telling you all - Pay attention to a book’s publisher. Since I first discovered them, Oceanview has been consistently producing excellent mysteries and thrillers.

Due Sept 20, 2022.

ECD

p.s. what's 'Landslide' mean? In this book, it's the call for the cavalry to come now, danger close, bring everything you got, NOW.