Unthinkable

By: Jamie Steinberg

Nate Lovejoy is a lawyer turned stay at home dad. His lovely wife Jenny is a high-powered attorney at his former firm. They are living a quiet, but nice life…until Nate is kidnapped and taken to a mansion where he gets an offer he can’t refuse. Brad Parks’ latest book Unthinkable mixes action, adventure and suspense to keep readers wondering whether Nate can truly do…the unthinkable.

Upon being kidnapped Nate learns of a man named Vanslow DeGange. Apparently, Mr. DeGange has the gift of being able to see certain events in the future. He has created an organization known as the Praesidium and their members are tasked with murdering individuals that DeGange has noted to be the cause of future mass deaths. Unfortunately for Nate it seems his wife is one of those individuals that needs to be removed and he is the one tasked with taking her out. That is according to Lorton Rogers – DeGange’s righthand man.

Parks takes a while to get to the action-adventure, but it’s worth the wait. After a winding road into the backstory of Nate’s life and Jenny’s job, we hit the ground running with what it will take to get Nate to take action against his wife or to save her life. However, there is an odd moment where in the midst of gunfire Nate takes a moment to remind his wife that he finds her attractive. Additionally, when readers do finally reach the ending, it feels a bit too rushed. In fact, I got to a point where I expected the story to be broken into two books – or even several – that would lead us to an ultimate tete a tete between one or both of the Lovejoys and Rogers and/or DeGange.

For readers who love a good will they/won’t they suspenseful story, Unthinkable is right up your alley. Readers will enjoy turning the pages to learn more about DeGange’s “gift,” but mostly whether or not Nate takes up arms against the woman he has vowed to love, honor and cherish.