My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Revenge is Always Sweet, it's the Aftertaste that's Bitter.”
----Joshua Caleb, American writer
Hans Dominic Gaskin, a Guyanese writer, gripped our minds and hearts with his debut book, The Ashgabat Verdict that explores the under world as well as rich and powerful empire set across the Republic of Turkmenistan trying to build an underwater natural gas pipeline over the Caspian Sea, thus involving not only greed and power, but also revenge and justice.
Synopsis:
Suspense, intrigue and lots of action are packed together in a riveting tale of greed and revenge that's set in the obscure but gas-rich Central Asian Republic of Turkmenistan - Population: 5.1 million, Capital: Ashgabat, and home to billionaire business man Anton Nazarov whose close relatives are dropping dead one by one, for no apparent reason. Enter American Kevin Bradley, ex-Green Beret turned international trouble-shooter who is hired by Nazarov to help find the killer. Could a multi-billion dollar gas pipeline project have anything to do with Mr. Nazarov's troubles? The plot thickens as a new and far more dangerous villain oozes into the picture, with a deadly plan designed to ignite fresh conflict in the Middle East. Who stands to gain? Could this too be tied to the lucrative pipeline project? Damsels in distress create extra complications for Bradley as he toggles between his client 's assignment and his personal loyalties.
Anton Nazarov, the rich business man of Ashgabat, the Republic of Turkmenistan, hires an international analyst/hit-man, Kevin Bradley, when one-by-one his family members started dropping dead amidst of the project TAPI (the underwater natural gas pipeline. Bradley thought this will be like any other regular mission to find the killer and go back home, but eventually he realizes that he gets tangled in an international level mess that included terrorism. When his boss's daughter gets abducted, he is certain that he is not dealing with just some old-school killers, but killers with a greater motive.
What can I say about this book, a power-packed action thriller and from the very first page itself, the author took me on a roller coaster ride filled with murders, revenge, some past ghosts, world lurking below the good and light, one of the most unexplored cities in the world, Ashgabat in Central Asia Republic of Turkmenistan. Firstly, his narrative style is thoroughly riveting thus keeping us on the edges of the story. Moreover, the prose is very crisp and articulate. Even the writing is quite powerful layered with unexpected with twists and turns which are delivered at the right moments.
The cast of characters that the author featured in this story are exquisite and striking and the author drew their back-story with greater depth, thus making us acquainted with their minds. Not only the good characters, even the evil characters too, thus giving us space to see them in our own perspective.
The author told the story in such a way that at times it will send a chill down the spine- those adrenaline rushing action scenes are thoroughly enchanting. And what I loved the most was the way how the author painted the city of Ashgabat, those who never been to the city, will find it really intriguing to find out how it feels running through the streets of Ashgabat. The vivid and intricate detailing of the locations not just Ashgabat but also the Caspian Sea makes it more interesting to read the book.
Verdict: Unfortunately not many people know about this book, so I hope after reading my review people will find a way to read this intriguing book. So do read this book, if you love a power-packed action thriller that involves blood, money and natural gas right in the middle of the Caspian Sea.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Hans Dominic Gaskin, for giving me the opportunity to read and review his book.
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Author Info:
Hans Gaskin is a jewellery designer and retailer with a career spanning over three decades. He has undergone professional training in diamond grading and gemmology and has built a reputation for producing innovative and well-crafted gemstone jewellery. He started writing in 2005, completed his first novel four years later but never got it published. His new book, the Ashgabat Verdict was self-published in 2014. He is currently exploring ideas for his next novel. He has been married since 1993 and lives in Guyana, South America with his wife Han and their four children.
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Thank you so much for reading and reviewing my book. Your review is encouraging and provides much needed motivation to complete my next book.
ReplyDeleteIt is my pleasure and thank you for your kind words. I'm glad that you liked my review :-)
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