Downfall moves our hero, Sam Capra, away from the story that has dominated the first two books into new adventures with some level of success. The good: the story features a villain with a plan that is both high-enough stakes to matter without being so over the top evil that it strains your credulity too much. The bad: the ending didn't entirely make sense to me. ( )

A fitting element of the Sam Capra series. Some events are a bit predictable, but I love the characters that carry through the stories of the series (Sam, Leonie, Mila). Really want to read what's next for them. ( )

I’ve read and enjoyed Panic by Jeff Abbott but hadn’t yet read any of the Sam Capra series. This book is number 3 and whilst it would be an advantage to have read the previous two, I felt there was sufficient backstory for this to easily be read as a standalone.

Sam Capra is an ex-CIA agent, who owns a string of bars across the globe whilst working undercover for a powerful and mysterious secret network called The Round Table. They are seemingly the ”good guys”. He has no desire to go looking for trouble and just wants a quiet life with his young son, but when he gets caught up with murderous Russian mobsters and a sinister network of people who will stop at nothing to achieve power and success; he ends up fighting for his life.

I really liked the character of Sam. He is tough - he knows how to look after himself and can kill when he has to but he is not a villain. He is loyal to his friends and if you were in a corner, you would want Sam on your side.

Jeff Abbott has created a ruthless cast of characters. Even the good guys like Sam and his female boss Mila, have nerves of steel. There is a lot of violence however it is neither gratuitous nor graphic. The story centres around one man, John Belias and his hunt for a young woman named Diana Keene, the daughter of one of his operatives. Diana Keene has information that could destroy Belias' network. A man so powerful, he can invoke feelings of terror in those he instructs to carry out his murderous deeds if they don’t succeed. It seems that nothing can stand in his way, he is able to control the authorities to ensure there is no hiding place for those he has his sights on – and he now has his eye on Sam Capra.

This was certainly an action packed thriller from start to finish. Some elements of the story may seem a little far fetched and at times complicated but who cares. I don’t want to give away any spoilers as it is a story best discovered by reading it but this is a pacy read, full of twists and turns and double crossings which will keep you turning the pages. I’m sure this would appeal to fans of Greg Hurwitz and Simon Kernick. I for one will certainly be catching up with Sam Capra's history and look forward to reading future books.

My thanks to The Crime Vault for the paperback copy to review. ( )

I received this at an ALA conference. It is a good story, well written and past-paced. The fact that you didn't know who to trust adds to the suspense. ( )