Snatched from a safe house in The Netherlands in the middle of the night, Howard Knight finds himself in the crosshairs of a vindictive crime boss relentlessly determined to even old scores.His lover, Janet Weissel, barely escapes the grasp of the unwelcome intruders. Her daring getaway takes an unconventional path to another country, a clandestine outfit, and a new purpose.With The … The Organization’s vast resources as a backdrop, Pernicious Pursuit is a tale of survival, cunning schemes and dogged determination with seemingly insurmountable odds—while surreptitiously fighting back against deep-seated misogyny, abuse and the degradation of women by the nefarious criminal element.
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“Pernicious Pursuit: A Howard Knight Escapade” by Gary McGugan is an exhilarating whirlwind of adventure, thrills and suspense. The risks are great and the rewards are sweet in this high-speed race to stay alive – whatever the cost.
Howard Knight, former financial guru for The Organization is now in the witness protection program, safe from his nemesis, Giancarlo Mareno. Or is he? When his safe house is raided and he’s taken prisoner, Howard must do whatever it takes to escape from the men who would turn him over to the vicious crime lord. His lover, Janet Weissel, gets away undetected. Now on the run, Janet encounters her own set of challenges, but is given an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of women all over the world – if she’s up to the task. But there’s one final mission before she can begin her new life. Organized crime, murder, revenge, betrayal and the ultimate sacrifice, Howard and Janet face impossible odds against foes with unlimited resources who will stop at nothing in the pursuit of power and revenge.
I have been looking forward to this book ever since I finished McGugan’s last book, “Unrelenting Peril,” the third book in his Multima Trilogy of Corporate Intrigue. McGugan excels at many aspects of writing, which is why it’s such a pleasure to read his work. He’s precise, thorough, consistent and has an incredible imagination! He writes everything from the grisly to the sultry with the same finesse. The layers he weaves into his plot through conflict keeps readers guessing, the level of detail is unparalleled and I guarantee you won’t figure anything out that he doesn’t want you to know about ahead of time. It’s amazing to me how McGugan continues to take his stories up a notch book after book, each one better than the last.
What I missed most after finishing The Multima Trilogy was the characters and I was happy to participate in a reunion of sorts with a few of the returning players. Howard Knight was always one of my favorites and whether I liked him or not, he always got my attention. That is the key to McGugan’s characters – they have a tendency to grow and evolve into much more than you might ever expect, boldly shifting back and forth between the thin line separating good and evil. I love not knowing what to expect and it was exciting to see different sides of both Howard and Janet – what’s the expression – you’ve come a long way baby! There are also a couple of new female characters I hope to see more of, along with a major comeback of a fierce femme fatale.
“Pernicious Pursuit” hits many topics relative to the world we live in today and touches upon significant issues like human trafficking, a global pandemic, corporate greed, corruption, misogyny, etc. There’s no holding back and that’s just the way I like it. “Pernicious Pursuit” is a fast-paced, exciting read that will keep you on your toes from the first page to the very last sentence. I highly recommend “Pernicious Pursuit” and all of the other books by Gary McGugan – they are simply magnificent.