The Queen,: A Patrick Bowers Thriller (The Bowers Files) [Kindle Edition]

Steven James (Author)

Book Description

While investigating a double homicide in an isolated northern Wisconsin town, FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers uncovers a high-tech conspiracy that twists through long-buried Cold War secrets and targets present-day tensions in the Middle East.

In his most explosive thriller yet, bestselling author Steven James delivers a multi-layered storytelling tour de force that not only delivers pulse-pounding suspense but also deftly explores the rippling effects of the choices we make.

The Queen is a techno-thriller that will leave you breathless, offered by the author Publishers Weekly calls a "master storyteller at the peak of his game."

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

While investigating a mysterious double homicide in an isolated northern Wisconsin town, FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers uncovers a high-tech conspiracy that ties together long-buried Cold War secrets with present-day tensions in the Middle East.

In his most explosive thriller yet, bestselling author Steven James delivers a pulse-pounding, multilayered storytelling tour de force that will keep you guessing.

The Queen is the latest Patrick Bowers thriller from the author Publishers Weekly calls a "master storyteller at the peak of his game."

From the Back Cover

"A masterpiece of a thriller."--Special Agent R. Wayne Smith, FBI (retired)

"Steven James continues to raise the bar in suspense writing. The Queen takes readers to a new level of suspense and is the best book in the Patrick Bowers series hands down!"--Suspense Magazine


Praise for Steven James's novels

"Thriller writing at its highest level."--TitleTrakk.com

"James clearly knows how to spin a yarn."--Booklist

"Exquisite."--Fiction Fanatics Only

"Pulse-pounding suspense."--FictionAddict.com

"John Sanford might have to start looking over his shoulder."--Crimespree magazine

"Exhilarating."--Mysterious Reviews

"Seriously intense."--Pop Culture Tuesday

"Steven James has mastered the thriller."--The Suspense Zone

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 982 KB
• Print Length: 529 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0800733037
• Publisher: Revell (September 1, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005HF2VGE
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,316 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #97 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Literature & Fiction > Mystery

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 Stars . . . Long Live the Queen! September 4, 2011

By Eric Wilson TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition

Steven James has created a real dilemma for himself. He has written four Patrick Bowers novels to date, fashioning some of the best suspense fiction on the market, and so the bar is raised high when readers come to this fifth in the series. "The Queen," on so many levels, surpasses those expectations.

This time around Patrick, Lien-Hua, and Tessa find themselves in the frozen landscape of a wintery Wisconsin. A mother and daughter have been murdered in their own home, and the father is nowhere to be found. Is he the murderer? Or another victim? This mystery leads them into an ever-expanding conspiracy that involves a Russian assassin, a radical eco-terrorist group, and the deeper truths and lies regarding Patrick's old nemesis, serial-killer Richard Basque.

James does two things here as well as he's ever done them. The snowy wasteland becomes a very real character in the story, and Patrick almost becomes a victim to this harsh reality in one of the best scenes in any Patrick Bowers book. In that same scene, he encounters a man named Alexei Chekov, who is one of the most refreshingly three-dimensional villains in suspense fiction. While brutal in his methods, Chekov also shows empathy and traits of heroism. As the book wraps up, Chekov's dimensions are expanded even more, and I can't wait to see what happens in his next confrontation with Patrick.

While raising the bar--and boy, does he!--James also risks losing the attention of readers who must juggle multiple viewpoints and plot threads. There is more going on here than in any other Patrick Bowers novel, enough material for two novels by most authors, including a nuclear missile attack. We also discover entire new levels of Patrick's own family history. This lends that much more richness to the fantastic conclusion, but some readers may take longer getting there than they have in the earlier books.

For those who find themselves plodding early on, don't lose hope. There is a point to this journey through the cold and ice. There is a Queen to be revealed. There is a killer's true identity to be exposed. And there are moments of forgiveness that are real but do not come cheap. Long live the Queen!

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read! September 8, 2011

By Travis Hutchins

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I LOOOOVVVVEEEE Steven James' Patrick Browser Series. They are great books. Very clean. I am so glad that I can read a thriller novel that doesn't have any dirty scenes or tons of cussing. Thank you Steven James! I am so excited to get started on this book, and I am already excited about the next one!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Thriller But Not The Best In The Series October 17, 2011

By Steve Taylor TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

First let me say I'm a big fan of Steven James to the point where he's on my short list of must-read authors. He truly is a gifted storyteller and a fantastic writer - one of the best ever. I've highly enjoyed all of the Patrick Bower series and The Queen was no exception. In this book Patrick not only deals with a freed serial killer who's killing again but a possible world shattering catastrophic event. The writing is superb as usual. The story is very good but here is where I have an issue. Half of the story is personal drama dealing with Patrick's family, mainly his brother and sister-in-law. Although it's well written and the spiritual questions and thoughts on forgiveness are quite powerful, it took way too much time away from the thriller aspect of the story. In the past the family drama was just a side thread but in The Queen it cover's way too many pages and slows the story down. The world-shattering plot could have made this the best Bower's book yet but unfortunately that did not happen. Don't let this stop you from reading this book; it's still worth buying. When the thriller aspect picks up you'll be losing a lot of sleep and the whodunit question will keep you guessing until the last page.

The surprises at the end of the book made me sit for a long time and try to think if they made sense. Obviously I can't tell you what happens but if you're the thinking type you may be in for a brain spasm. To me there were no clues to whom the main villians were even though it was explained how they were figured out in the end. Was it a cheap shot by the author or was it really thought out? Read it for yourself and find out.

1 Star = Pathetic
2 Stars = Fair
3 Stars = Good
4 Stars = Excellent
5 Stars = Life changing

For those who give me a negative vote on my review please comment and let me know why. I'd like to improve my reviews so they can be helpful to those who read them. Please understand I choose not to give a synopsis of the book because it's already given at the top of the books page. In doing so too many reviewers give away too much of the plot. Thank you.

More About the Author

Critically acclaimed author Steven James has penned 30+ books spanning the genres of psychological thrillers, dramas, YA fantasy, and more. Steven has received wide critical acclaim for his work, including four Storytelling World Honor awards, two Publishers Weekly starred reviews, and 2009, 2011 & 2012 Christy Awards for best suspense. His thriller, The Queen, won the 2012 Christy Award for Best Suspense Novel, the 2012 ECPA for Best Christian Novel, and it was a finalist for an International Thriller Award.

Steven earned a Master's Degree in Storytelling from ETSU in 1997 and is an active member of International Thriller Writers, The Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, and International Association of Crime Writers.

Steven serves as a contributing editor to Writer's Digest. He appears regularly as a keynote speaker at events throughout North America.