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You can check out my latest book review, the debut thriller from Matthew Betley.

Overwatch

By Matthew Betley

Emily Bestler Books / Atria Books

Release Date: March 1st, 2016

In Matthew Betley’s debut novel Overwatch, the author jam packs so much action into the proceedings, you can scarcely believe that the entire story (set in 2008) takes place over a scant three days.

When retired Marine captain Logan West wakes from the depths of an alcoholic blackout, he’s a little more than surprised to find an assassin waiting for him in the basement. But rather than simply wanting to kill him, the assassin wants information that he believes only West has. And so kicks off an electrifying thrill ride that takes you from a basement in Annapolis, Maryland to the isolated wilderness of Helena, Montana and from a drug cartel’s fortress in Mexico to the Haditha Dam in Iraq; all in a win-at-all-costs mission to stop a revenge seeking madman from drawing the US into what could turn out to be another world war.

With West and his right hand former platoon sergeant John Quick teamed up to find out why they are being targeted and then effectively turning the tables on their pursuers, you get an inside feel to the quick witted gallows humor that seems to develop so strongly in military compatriots. Betley does an excellent job of developing the supporting cast despite the time constraints of the storyline. West and Quick are assisted – and then led – by Mike Benson and there are great moments featuring West’s ex-wife and some Mexican military unit members in the brief downtime between action sequences.

I enjoyed the way the backstory was fleshed out by flashing back to 2004 during West’s deployment in Iraq. The events unfolding during that deployment set the characters on the path that leads to where we find them in 2008. Those set pieces were judiciously interspersed with the main story so they enhanced, rather than overwhelmed the narrative.

The villains of the piece could quite easily have come off as stock characters simply there to be the easily overcome antagonists. It would leave the book’s quick pacing intact but the story a bit lifeless. However, Betley goes about giving Cain Frost and Juan Black their own moments and motivations. You may not sympathize with their reasoning but the sense of realism to the characters makes you invest that much more in the story.

The character traits and flaws on display, particularly with Logan West are another instance of fleshing out your characters to give them more dramatic heft. West’s alcoholism comes from a place that the author knows all too well. As for the military language, tactics and action sequences, Betley’s own service in the Marines makes what he writes feel all the more real to the reader. It may be heightened for dramatic purposes, but it doesn’t ring false.

I was a bit curious as to how West’s alcoholism to the point of blackouts didn’t affect him during the chase to stop a madman. Even for just three days, I would’ve thought withdrawal symptoms would’ve reared their head, despite West’s own near superhuman ability to lock into the mission profile.

One other small problem I had was with the epilogue. While the obvious plan was to have this book be the first in the series, I thought part of the epilogue would’ve worked better as the opening sequence to a second book. The way it was done here could have been enhanced in the cold open for Book 2.

That said, Overwatch is a breakneck speed, mad dash to save the world with characters that you instantly come to like and enjoy while serving up high intensity action sequences that make you feel as if you are in the thick of the battle. A stunningly adept thriller, Overwatch heralds great things to come from Matthew Betley.

(Full Disclosure: I received the advance copy of this book from the publisher)

For more on Matthew Betley, you can check out his website, his Facebook page or follow him on Twitter.

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