Customer Reviews

Choke Point (Simon Leonidovich Novels)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

With CHOKE POINT, author Jay MacLarty shows us, once again, as with the other three Simon books, that he writes a great story that engages both the mind and the gut; his plot and the resonatng international stakes about China, Taiwan, and America, give us a lot to think about -- and his great second half of the book - an adventure chase, appeals to the gut of any reader wanting an exciting run/jump/chase extended sequence with adventure, tension and surprises. His cleverness in plotting makes you almost wonder how one person can do this all by himself? But he does and it works -- you get both intelligence and visceral excitement in his clever plot and his terrific characters. I'd like to buy the next Jay MacLarty novel now, the one he hasn't even written yet, sight unseen - I'm a fan all the way.

In this novel Big Jake Rynerson is building a hugh gambling resort. It
is being built in Macau and is called the Pacific Pearl. It is a very
elaborate casino. Big Jake is having all sorts of problems in the building
of this enterprise. There have been several fatal accidents on the site.
Big Jake is also working behind the scenes helping the President of the
United States create the Pacific Rim Alliance. This is made up of three
countries China, Taiwan, and the United States. There are some forces behind the scenes who are opposed to this alliance. In a secret meeting
Big Jake is gunned down in an assassination attempt. The attempted killing is done by a group of mercenaries who are hired to stop the alliance. Our hero Simon Leonidovich an international courier enters the
picture to safely deliver the "Crest of Ch'in" to the Chinese. This will
wrap up creating the alliance. Kyra Rynerson enters the picture. She and Simon charter a plane to deliver the crest. They soon discover that they
have been betrayed. Simon and Kyra fight against overwhelming odds to survive as well as deliver the crest. This makes for a very good story.

Couldn't wait to read more Simon!! If you haven't read the whole series, you should!!! You'll get so hooked -- it'll only take you a few days to read because you can't put it down!!!

This is the last Simon book! Choke Point is a thriller with a message, and the message is: The race is not always to the swift, or the strong, or even the extremely well-groomed, sometimes it goes to Simon Leondovich, the man with the most common sense. Simon is a great protagonist, although not as cosmopolitan as James Bond, nor as tough as Steven Segal, he is appealing in his female-friendly-understated-wallflower persona. Up against dangers, unfortunate delays and distracting temptations of the flesh, Simon slogs though paperwork, protocol, and jungle swamps with the same unwavering determination to discover the truth and deliver his package. Does he save the world and get the girl? Sorta, but what was that 'Twisty thing'? Readers need a more detailed description.

This book is very hard to get into. I read about half of the book and just had to quit. Too many characters that are poorly introduced. A plot that is never clear. Maybe it was because I hadn't read any of the previous novels, but I just couldn't follow this one.

Simon Leonidovich is back, with all his wit and charm, to work with Big Jake Rynerson and Jake's daughter, Kyra. (Possible romance? Read it and see.) The international politics of the story are interesting and the plot is believable, with the many twists and surprises we've come to expect from MacLarty's Everyman hero. The villains are well drawn, the action scenes masterful. All in all, a great read!

On Macau, mega-billionaire and powerful businessman Big Jake Rynerson is building a casino and hotel, the Pacific Pearl that will rival all the other casinos on the island. Behind the scenes, Jake is also working as the conduit for a trade agreement between China, Taiwan, and the United States. The Pacific Rim Alliance is contingent on the two pieces of the Crest of Ch'in, a historical artifact being returned to China which Taiwan and the United States agree to do.

Jake calls special courier Simon Leonidovich to deliverer one of the pieces to him. When Simon arrives he learns that the casino has been the victim of sabotage, delaying the completion date and if that happens, the trade agreement doesn't happen. There are governments, other groups and business men that don't want the alliance to happen and one of those groups hire a mercenary band to make sure a piece of the Crest of Ch'in is not delivered. Simon and the beautiful daughter of Jake work together to see that everything goes as planned even when they are stranded on a deserted island with an unexpected traitor. Somehow they must stay one step ahead of the enemy if they are to make it off the island alive.

There is plenty of action, excitement and suspense in CHOKE POINT, a thriller that not only grabs reader interest but propels the audience into turning the pages to see how Simon gets out of his predicaments. The touch of romance between Simon and Kyra adds a believable feel to the thrilling storyline. Jay MacLarty has a great future ahead of him as a thriller writer.

Harriet Klausner

I highly recommend all four books in this series on Simon Leonidovich who is a special courier of priceless items. If you enjoyed the TRANSPORTER films duo, then these books are for you. Recommend reading them in order of publication to have continuity of the story threads. While this last in the series gives the impression of a continuance, the Author indicates Choke Point is the last. With enough positive feedback, perhaps he will enterain us with more.

A good book, but not great. Interesting storyline, but it wasn't really fleshed out enough to grab my interest all the way through. Was pretty predictable I thought.

I loved this book..!! Rich characters (as always) sharp writing (as always)..suspense/adventure, etc.. a true page turner!! All Jay MacLarty's books in the series are wonderful but this one is simply the best!!

Very sad that this will be the last book featuring Simon Leonidovich.. After I emailed the author with my high praise, I got this...(pasted unedited)

Jerry, thanks for the feedback. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the book -- one never tires of hearing that sort of thing. Unfortunately, Choke Point was the last of Simon, but I've got some big stories in the works; which hopefully you'll enjoy just as much.