Nikita. Lisbeth. Now meet Stephanie. An innocent woman goes deep undercover to hunt down those responsible for her family’s death in this action-packed thriller–the basis of a major motion picture. Stephanie Patrick is devastated after her whole family dies in a plane crash. But when she discovers that the downing of flight NE027 wasn’t an accident but an act of terrorism, Stephanie enters the … terrorism, Stephanie enters the fight of her life to achieve her one goal: revenge.
When she’s recruited by a covert intelligence organization, Stephanie sees a means to an end. Now, with nothing and no one left to lose, Stephanie undergoes rigorous training to become “Petra,” a mercenary terrorist based out of Germany, and “Marina,” an international businesswoman based in London. Her immersion into the world of international espionage teaches Stephanie how to numb her feelings and act on instinct alone. But as her missions become more brutal, and the stakes grow ever higher, she begins to question everything she knows about flight NEO027. Is her organization telling her the truth about what really happened? Is avenging her family worth the risk of her own life? And if it isn’t, will those who created her ever let her go?
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The writing is just gorgeous.
The movie has come out, but as you know by now “THE BOOK IS MUCH BETTER”.
Very good. Kept my interest throughout.
Mark Burnell’s thriller ‘The Rhythm Section’ was a revisit for me. I had read the book initially back in 1999 when it first came out. It was a great read back then, in context with the times we lived. Everything changed two years later, though, with 9/11. Even then, the storyline was seen as prophetic, the author being asked how he could possibly know about the WTC terrorist attack almost two years beforehand.
Recently I learnt a movie based on the book was due out shortly. This piqued my curiosity. To ‘appeal’ to today’s audiences, they would surely have to modify, read ‘update’, the premise of the novel. The audience had evolved: some would not understand the context at all as their frame of reference, dictated by their young age, was the more complex world of today, with intelligence satellites and cameras monitoring everything we do. Others, perhaps, having lived those times as adults, would see the tale as dated, unoriginal, even, given the plethora of similar stories in books and movies in the last ten years.
I decided to re-read the novel, this time on my Kindle, with as fresh a mind as my quirky memory would allow (I remember almost everything I have ever read), to see if author Burnell’s words still had the resonance I felt back then.
The verdict? Yes, they do! This is a tribute to Mark Burnell’s skill in crafting not just an intriguing tale, but populating it with a set of characters and situations which strike a chord in the imagination of the reader.
The protagonist, Stephanie Patrick, goes through an evolution, complete with name changes, which is wholly believable and devastating in its plausibility. Despite her circumstances, irrespective of whatever Life decides to throw at her, she’s a fighter. Burnell subtly changes the tone of the distinct incarnations of her personality thus maintaining the believability of her personal transition. She is, easily, the lynchpin of the novel. Creating this character was a laudable feat in itself, yet the author then went on to populate her world with others with which to interact. Some are good; many, the majority, not so. Even these figures, including those we meet briefly, are tangible persons with their personal foibles, history, and agendas, all of which establishes a solid landscape for the tale.
Yes, time has marched on and our world has changed considerably, yet Mark Burnell’s ‘The Rhythm Section’ remains a fresh today as it was when first published. A five star read you should not miss! Highly Recommended.
Lots of action and thrills. Covers many different countries and cities. Good character development.
I liked The Rhthym Section because it takes you through dark places where the heroin finds herself. I love the theme of the book- keeping your heart beat under control. The writer does a good job at weaving the theme. Now I’m ready to watch the movie.
The characters in this terrorism-inspired novel are intriguing and fascinating; somehow they work through their own flaws on the way to redemption. The opening features one of the most gritty airplane disaster narratives I’ve ever read—not sure I’ll ever fly again. But it makes us understand the motivation behind Stephanie’s drive for justice, and we are cheering her on, we can’t help ourselves. Burnell makes me want her to win. Wonderful book.
An international spy thriller that is among the most original I have ever read. You find yourself immersed deeply into this character to the point of caring. I found myself cheering her on – to find some happiness in her life & a certain relationship she develops. Excited it’s being made into a film – with the right casting should be very good. Highly recommend for thriller fans especially.