When hiding in plain sight is no longer possible…. Kate McFarland was born into a crumbling regime of Soviet Russia. She didn’t have much as a child, but she had two parents who cared and protected her, and that was enough. Then Fate raked its rusty nail across a blackboard and her mother became a widow. For what seemed like eternity, life looked bleak. But then her mother met a man who was not … her mother met a man who was not only decent and kind but rich. It’s how Kate finished growing up in the US. It’s how her grassroots name became Kate and since her stepfather adopted her, she wanted to show respect by taking his last name.
She was not only allowed but encouraged to make her own decisions; even if one of those meant that at age twenty-five, Kate McFarland emerged from Quantico as Agent McFarland. She had two half-brothers, a half-sister she adored and her mother was happy. But her colleagues whispered behind her back that doors opened for her because she was a billionaire’s daughter. She tried to ignore such gossip but there was no denying that it hurt…a lot.
That’s why she spent five years behind a desk, doing excellent analytical work and little else. That’s why she’s defensive when she receives her first field assignment—and is put in charge in spite of her partner having years of seniority over her. For the first time since she came to America, she feels that maybe doors are opening for her too quickly, and easily. And it’s all because she is Court McFarland’s stepdaughter.
Someone else, however, is orchestrating her rise through the FBI ranks. Someone who is able to stand on the stage and hide in the shadow at the same time. Someone who needs Special Agent McFarland out there, following leads that have only one purpose—to lure the one who is on the run, into a trap.
Because Kate McFarland has no idea that she is someone else’s last child.
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An interesting read. One I thought took a lot of concentration. This is not a one- or two-hour Sunday afternoon read. It has a different plot with well thought out characters. It might be a little too detailed for me; almost a sci fi research book.
Having been a music person in my earlier life, I am a fanatic about the flow of reading. The feeling of a breath being taken even though you are not speaking. Any way you think of it, your mind still takes that gasp or lift and restarts with the next sentence. Long sentences cause you to lose the flow of your thoughts. Typos are like a blip in your mind as if a heartbeat on a screen or scratching on a blackboard. And there were long sentences and typos in this book.
It’s a good plot. It needs an editor for help in organizing the story and a proofer. Nonetheless, this is an author who understands and uses descriptive writing quite well. One who creates characters we almost immediately like.
This book by Edita A Petrick was an entertaining mix of sci-fi paranormal with good old fashioned detective work as one immortal seeks to find his others, all in the name of revenging a centuries-old wrong. The human characters are definitely flawed and being used as pawns in the big picture game, while the reader also gets a smaller glimpse into the characters and identity of the immortal 11. The cat-and-mouse tension is nicely built through the story, with the mice being aware they are being used by the cat but are unable to stop the game. I would venture to say this would make a most interesting series if the author were to continue it. This is a voluntary review of an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Hidden Gems Books.
Thank you to Book Sirens for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntarily review. All opinions are my own.
The Children of Abydos is the first and last book I will read by Edita A. Petrick. It started out decent (which is the only reason it’s getting a 3 Star review), but midway through it got extremely slow, mundane and boring. The ending was left as if there will be a follow-up book, so if you do not like open ended books, you may want to pass on this one. I am sure many Syfi lovers will enjoy this book. It was just not for me.
Fabulous, right up until the ending
This is the third book I have read by this author, and I’m detecting a pattern. Edita Petrick is a marvelous writer, but not a good storyteller. Children of Abydos is wonderful SF, filled with mystery, suspense, and cat-and-mouse games. Ms. Petrick’s writing is lucid, expressive, full of visual imagery and infused with the emotions and personalities of her characters. I felt the nuances of anger, grief, fear, and frustration of her FBIA agents, McFarland and Harmon, as they found themselves on a potentially lethal wild goose chase and unable to extricate themselves from the manipulations of their “persons of interest.” I was totally enthralled with the fascinating search for the “immortal man” and Ms Petrick’s marvelously well-thought-out depiction of the pitfalls and powers of her immortals in hiding. But despite an end to the harrowing adventures of McFarland and Harmon, the book stops so precipitously, and with so many unanswered questions and dangling dilemmas that I was more irritated than satisfied. It felt so unfinished that I actually looked back to see if I had inadvertently skipped a chapter. Despite my disappointment, her writing is so good that I will probably continue to read Ms. Petrick’s books, and hope for better. This is a voluntary Arc review.
For the record, I received an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) of this book with the request that I leave a voluntary honest review for other potential readers. That having been said, here is my honest opinion and review of this book. This book has the most intriguing plot with so many principle characters. There are so many twists and surprises going on with plans with in plans. The background of the story and the characters is well developed and believable with exceptional world building and details. Having immortality is not necessarily all that it is cracked up to be. Zemy is my favorite character so far followed closely by Agent Harmon. The villian in this story has a disturbingly evil background and his present situation only reflects that and is not much better (maybe even worse). It will be very interesting to see where the story goes from here with two different groups trying to manipulate the same people. Personally, I think the FBI is catching onto the game very quickly. So, in my opinion, this book is absolutely worth the time it takes to read it. I look forward to reading the sequel.
This book is not for the reader that’s looking for a short easy-to-read book. I received this book free from Author’s Cross Promotion, and am voluntarily giving an honest review. It’s Scifi at its finest. The book really needs some editing, especially the second half of the book. The storyline was fascinating and I really liked how the characters were fleshed out. The Children of Abydos have lived through 6,000 years of history with many experiences and families. I love the conversations they have with the two FBI agents assigned to a case that is very confusing. I hope the author is planning another book to start with where this one ends.