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SallyAnn
AGENT X
Noah Boyd’s life makes up for a remarkably authentic background for this book. His own life was a former FBI agent and his character of Steve Vail, aka Bricklayer was derived from his father’s occupation.
As I did not read his first book, this is my thought of where Bricklayer came from. He was a disenchanted FBI agent and rules got in his way of doing his job effectively. Therefore, Steve Vail becomes a nomad with the skill of an office of the law but none of the stops. Despite this, it does stand on its own without having read the first book.
Kate Banning starts the story as someone who knows something or has something someone wants. The first pages get you hooked. You do not have to wait until page 100 to get into this story. The story moved up, down, and sideways. When you think that is it, something else pops up to grab your attention.
The book is very readable. Even though Steve is a superman hero, his has Clark Kent’s romantic skills with Kate and as a result the romance falls flat in the story.
The cover is quite eye catching and would make a great Mark Valley movie!
Gina W. (Thomasville, AL)
Agent X
I enjoyed reading Agent X. I rated it 'good' because I am not a big reader of books with a spy/espionage theme, however, I think fans of spy thrillers will really enjoy this book. The main character, Vail, is very likeable. I would recommend this book to friends.
Maggie P. (Mount Airy, MD)
Agent X
Fast paced, this book offers three different storylines so the reader must focus. Not reading the first book with these characters, The Bricklayer, does not put the reader at a disadvantage. The banter between Steve Vail and Kate Bannon is reminiscent of "Moonlighting." Agent X is a good, quick, light read.
Samantha H. (Golden, CO)
Agent X - an entertaining thriller
Agent X is an entertaining thriller that is hard to put down. Steve Vail, the protagonist from The Bricklayer, is back in action again. The main characters are likable, and the plot twists keep you guessing to the end. This book is an enjoyable read.
Helen S. (Palm Desert, California)
Agent X
A page turner with a lot of twists and turns. The story held my attention throughout. The main character known as the bricklayer "Steve Vail" is fascinating although at times not quite believable . This character is very dynamic in Boyd's first book entitled "The Bricklayer" as well as in "Agent X".
Boyd covers government involvement and the necessary complex government laws and the FBI's entanglement throughout to both interest the reader as well as create an awareness of some intricacies of solving problems in our nation.
I look forward to his next exciting book with Steve Vail.
Helen S.
Laura P. (Atlanta, GA)
Light a fire, pour a drink...
...and curl up with "Agent X" for an evening of action that leaves bodies scattered all over the Washington, DC, area. Like Lee Child's Jack Reacher and Nelson Demille's John Corry, Steve Vail has never met a weapon he couldn't shoot. Along with erstwhile love interest Kate Bannon, he can decipher the most arcane clues almost instantly - why would you not think to check the edge of a CD for notched-in Morse code messages? - and is considered a whiz-bang of an investigator even by those whose instructions he refuses to follow. Hard to believe? You bet. But for a "take me away' evening this one is hard to beat. The writing is competent; the plot moves quickly and systematically with sufficient twists and turns to keep the reading interesting. It was good enough that I'll go back and read "The Bricklayer."
Carol C. (Troy, NY)
Agent X - An Entertaining Read
The writing could be more concise, the dialogue a bit smoother and loose ends wrapped up a bit tighter, but that said, the story held my interest to the point where I ran out and bought the first book in the series (the Bricklayer), which I'm happily reading. If you're looking for a fun, moderately-paced action/thriller, this should do the trick.
Ruth O. (Downingtown, PA)
Fast-paced thriller!
‘Agent X’ was a fast-paced thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed. This was the second book in a series, and I would have had a slightly easier read if I knew more of the backstory, but it was ok as a stand-alone book. The action never stopped—I’d think it was over with the villains identified, but some other twist in the story would occur to keep the book moving along. Sometimes it was hard to keep up with all of the characters! Most of the book took place in one locale, the Washington, DC area, which made it easier to follow than some thrillers which hop around the globe. The author writes in a concise manner with little embellishment, so there was not full character development but it served the story well. I think I’ll have to go back and read the first book in the series now!