One Word: Wow!

Twisted Reasons by Geza Tatrallyay was an epic, suspenseful thriller that kept me hooked at every turn!

This thriller novel follows an international story revolving around stolen uranium - trailing across Russia, Vienna, Georgia, and other beautiful landscapes. While I don't know much about those areas or the atomic bombs, I found Geza's retellings to be enough to get me really hooked to the story. Mix in Geza's skill of weaving a beautiful story, epic character arcs and the suspenseful twists and turns and you've got one awesome novel!

DISCLAIMER: There were some R rated scenes in this novel (both sexual and horrific in nature), so if you are not comfortable with brutal topics, this book might not be for you.

My pros: The chapters are short (which makes it great for little caffeine breaks for this reviewer!), relatable characters who grow over the novel, epic twists and turns (some I saw coming, but I've watched too many soap operas), incredible descriptions (landscapes, history, etc), and the story comes to a "close". There is a sequel, but I like when a book can be it's own entity and have an ending.

My cons: The cover is boring. I am the type of person who will pick up a book because the cover looks cool (yeah, I know, don't judge a book by it's cover but some covers are just SO awesome), so I might have skipped over this book. Luckily, I didn't, because this book is a real gem and a must read for those who love suspense and thrills!

Overall, this book was intense and awesome. I really enjoyed it and I want to read more! I liked it more than most famous/popular thriller novels are out there. It felt more real and not "typical". While it does have a "typical" story line - thriller, suspense, mystery, politics, war - it felt unique by the way Geza wrote it. He knows his material, he is clearly a very talented writer, and he makes characters we get invested in. Most stories follow the same old, same old path with the same story arc - Geza made this feel different, and I really enjoyed it. That being said, I will definitely be picking up the sequel!

Five out of five stars!!

I received a free copy of this book from the author Geza Tatrallyay in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I first conceived of, and started writing, TWISTED REASONS, when I was living in Vienna and traveling throughout the former Soviet Union. I had read a great little book called THE ATOMIC BAZAAR, by William Langewiesche, that talked about the ease which with terrorists could get their hands on nuclear material from one of the secret cities where Stalin developed the atomic bomb. Delving further into research on the Soviet bomb, I learned about the many accidents and the utter disregard for human life and the environment in the Russian nuclear program right through to this day. With the International Atomic Energy Agency headquartered in Vienna, and its role in monitoring the disposition of nuclear material from the various sites in the former Soviet Union, I thought this could all form the basis for a great thriller set at least partly in a a city I knew well and loved. In thinking about it further, I found that Graham Greene’s novel, THE THIRD MAN, and Carol Reed’s wonderful film based on it, set in post-War Vienna, which takes the story of two friends, one of whom gets involved in trading tampered antibiotics, would serve as an excellent template for the beginning of my thriller. The two friends in my book have Hungarian-American backgrounds, and this adds an extra layer of depth as I am able to weave some of my own family’s experiences in to the novel.
I hope you enjoy the book!
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