Customer Reviews

Iron Butterfly

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

 

 

If you've ever read a paperback thriller at the beach or on a plane or on a rainy Sunday, enjoying the action and the fast pace, but wishing that the writing was of a higher standard, or the facts better researched, or the plot a little more believable, then this is the book for you.

The narrative is in the first person, and Lysander Dalton is an easy guy to listen to: he's smart and sophisticated and has a sense of humor - when he's explaining something, you nod your head in understanding. He likes fast cars and good booze and fine women, and has excellent taste in all three.

The story is multi-layered, and when these are revealed, one after the other, toward the end of the story, it's like a magician pulling rabbit after rabbit out of a hat. Never is a sleight of hand revealed - rare in paperback thrillers.

Pretty much anyone will enjoy this novel, but it will particularly please readers looking for something more stylish, more intelligent, and more artfully constructed than the usual book of this type.

Both of Brace's books open with a bang and get better and more in depth as one reads further. However, in this book, I find it very hard to swallow the premise that our hero, Lysander, ex marine captain, court martialed, etc., would be presented - free - an exotic, antique automobile, presumably worth $15 mil., publicly, with TV cameras rolling, etc. and there is no questioning from any of the media as to just who is this person and why is he getting this very expensive auto? Where are the paparozzi?
Also, why is it that every stunning woman just falls over into his arms and his bed, or wants to end up there. He doesn't seem to be an Adonnis, so just what is his secret? This book kind of takes off on a James Bond type plot line. Why is this reclusive billionaire welcoming Mr. Dalton into his home, not just for an evening and to see the antique car, but for days. Not realistic and very hard to believe.
However, still a very fun read and well worth your time for a few hours good entertainment. I am looking forward to his next book.

The main character is an ex-Marin special forces officer. He is recruited by a Washington big shot (who is literally big: 300 lbs) to find some black market plutonium. Kind of James Bond, but without the fancy gadgets. He follows a long and entertaining path with eventually leads to the compound of Xerxes Antullis, a software billionaire living in the middle of the Nevada desert.

The main female character is a very stylish and capable gal.

Great story, and I don't want to give things away, but safe to say you never guess what is happening or what people's motives really are. When the twists are revealed, they don't seem forced: they just fit right in with what came before, you you wonder how you didn't get them yourself.

Very detailed technical descriptions, but these never get in the way of the fast pace and great interaction between characters. Highly recommended; I would love to see a movie made of this book.

Bought the book to read on an airplane. Found it really nice, despite some possible inconsistencies - like did the fast E-type Jag had a V-12 engine or a straight 6? Baroque worries, I know. But has taut action, a likeable anti-hero, and a few unexpected plot twists. I even ended up liking the evil guy...

Brace's 2nd novel is better than his first - Black Tiger.

However, it still had some of the 1st book's cliches, such as every woman is beautiful and wants the main protag. OK, I'll try to have fun and believe.

Then everything is handed to him. A major muscle car, along with a billionare playboy who lets him stay at his mansion, of course filled with tons of luscious flesh.

Even though all this is kinda hard to swallow, I have to admit, Brace writes it all with vigorous aplomb. It is easy to get caught up in it and have some fun.

But about a little over halfway thru it, I start to get a little bored. Not enough action and adventure. I skimmed the last 1/3 of the novel, feeling it to drag a bit. But most of the novel was a good, decent read. For the most part, Brace sets a good pace, filled with exotic women, cars, and locales.

The only problem is - I personally feel he needs to further it with high-octane action sequences, along with large scale destruction action, to better fit how the rest of the novel feels like. In order to not drag so much at the end.

Overall, if you are looking for the latest, up-to-date James Bond-ish type of read, then this should be your cup of soup.

Lysander Dalton,the hero from "black Tiger" is the central character in the newest Robert Brace book.The shadowy figure
from Washington D.C.,Mr.Dortmund once again contacts Lysander
Dalton with an assignment.A bank account in the British Virgin
Islands holds the secret behin who is trying to obtain plutonium.Dalton departs America and goes to the British Virgin Islands.By using a computor Dalton is able to lift a name from
the bank account.The bank accounty is titled "Iron Butterfly".
After further investigation he finds the actual name to be
Xerxes Antullis.This is a billionaire who has become wealthy after selling his companyXA Corporation.He now has a net worth of 8 billion dollars.Dalton now has to infiltrate his Las Vegas compound to see if he is indeed going nuclear.With Mr. Dortmund's help he acquires a race car that Mr. Antullis wants to purchase.He is then invited to the compound.He begins his search in earnest.He first battles then joins forces with Yamina Malik,the chief of security for Antullis.This has an exciting ending that has a shrewd plot.This is a fast moving
book that you will enjoy.