James R. Hannibal has taken a break from his espionage themed material and written Elysium Tide.  If one is expecting this book to be just like the previous books written by Hannibal, you might be disappointed.  If you are expecting a detailed action/adventure book, you will get that; it just takes a while for the plot to build.  In fact, it was quite a few chapters before things really started happening.

I know many will find one of the main characters, Dr. Peter Chesterfield, a pompous, British snob who says whatever he is thinking. It reminds me of a certain show about a rude British doctor.  True, Peter is all of the negative things mentioned; however, there is something about his character that is appealing.  Perhaps it is the shear level of his egotism that makes him interesting.  Even more compelling is the indication that he is starting to change and watching him start to think more about others…although this transition will likely take more time than the books cover. On a personal level, I enjoyed him more than his counterpart Lisa Kealoha.  She did not really seem all that appealing. 

One of the things about Hannibal’s writing that is especially enjoyable is the way he focuses more on the events happening than on the romances or potential romances of his characters. It is refreshing to find an author who can cover detailed criminal events and still keep the reader interested in the characters.  Once the plot gets moving, things keep happening all the way up until the end of the story.

Review of an Advanced Reader Copy provided by the Publisher

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: None

Violence/Gore: Multiple incidences in which characters fire weapons at one another, some fatalities included; several scenes in which a character is murdered, including mentions of blood; a character is involved in a detailed surgery which is described; several instances in which characters are involved in physical altercations with their fists and other objects.

Sex/Nudity: None

Mature Subjects:

Gangs, death of friends

Drug/Alcohol Use: 

Report that drugs are being sold at a certain location.