BLOG TOUR: The Network by L.C. Shaw @LCShawAuthor @suzyAPbooktours @harperbooks #thenetwork

Fast-paced and intense! What I love about The Network by L.C. Shaw is that it is a true thriller. Not a psychological thriller, not a suspense thriller, not a mystery thriller—but a thriller through and through. Conspiracies, secrets, good guys vs. bad guys, and a man and woman on the run trying to uncover the truth! This book had it all!

About the Book

A pulse-pounding, page-turning thriller involving corruption, secrets, and lies at the very deepest levels of government and media.

Late one night, investigative journalist Jack Logan receives a surprise visit from U.S. Senator Malcolm Phillips at his New York apartment. Disheveled and in a panic, the senator swears that he’s about to be murdered and pleads with Jack to protect his wife Taylor, who happens to be the only woman Jack has ever truly loved.

Days later, Phillips is found dead in a hotel room in Micronesia, the apparent victim of an allergy attack. While the nation mourns, Jack and Taylor race to find the one man who knows the truth. As they’re pursued by unknown assailants, their desperate hunt leads them to the Institute, an immense facility shrouded in mystery that has indoctrinated a generation of America’s political and media power players. Led by the enigmatic Damon Crosse, the Institute has its tentacles everywhere—but Taylor unknowingly holds the secret to the one thing that Crosse needs to carry out his plan.  

Taking readers on a thrill ride from the back halls of Congress to the high-rise offices of Madison Avenue and a remote Greek island, The Network is a provocative, pulse-pounding novel that dares to ask the question: who’s really in charge?

Reflection

Told in the past and present, The Network features investigative journalist Jack Logan who receives a surprise visit from a US Senator at his apartment telling him that he needs Jack’s help and he thinks he will be murdered. He asks Jack to take an envelope and a garage remote, to find his wife Taylor, and to bring Taylor to see a man named Jeremy.

To make things even more complex, Jack and Taylor know one another. They actually grew up together and Jack loved Taylor, but something happened between them that ruined their trust in one another. When an alert comes through about the Senator, Jack knows he must find Taylor and help save her. When he arrives, it becomes clear that they only way to uncover what is going on is to evade whoever is chasing them.

Meanwhile, an alternate storyline in the past is unfolding. In 1975 a pregnant woman is imprisoned in an institute with no means of escape. I won’t say too much more about that now, but you’ll find out what is happening at the Institute and how it ties to Jack and Taylor on the run.

I really enjoyed the sort of Dan-Brown-feel to this thriller. Themes of faith, historical artifacts, hidden treasure, and conspiracies are all driving the plot. Add in a male and female duo who are working with key people while on the run to help them uncover the truth, and you have a fun and fast read that will definitely have you stepping out of whatever is going on in life and enjoying the ride!

As with most thrillers, this is a bit over the top and that’s really what makes it fun. Expect some subtle (and some less subtle) commentary on politics, morality, religion, and the dark side to power. The storyline in 1975 is truly captivating in my opinion. There’s a character in the present storyline that we meet who probably helped lead my favorite section of the book (not going to say which because I don’t want to spoil it).

All-in-all a fun and intense thriller that promises to be the start of a great series about our leading male, Jack Logan!

Thank you to Suzy Approved Book Tours for my copy. Opinions are my own.

About the Author

L.C. Shaw is the pen name of internationally bestselling author Lynne Constantine who also writes psychological thrillers with her sister as Liv Constantine. Her family wonder if she is actually a spy, and never knows what to call her. She has explored coral reefs all over the world, sunken wrecks in the South Pacific, and fallen in love with angelfish in the Caribbean. Lynne is a former marketing executive and has a Master’s in Business from Johns Hopkins University. When editing her work, she loves to procrastinate by spending time on social media, and when stuck on a plot twist has been known to run ideas by her Silver Labrador and Golden Retriever who wish she would stop working and play ball with them. Her work has been translated into 28 languages. https://lcshawauthor.com/


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