The Locket and Monster Grilled Cheese
There they were in the Czech Republic, chasing the thief that is believed to have stolen an enigmatic locket that is said (cue the dramatic music please) to destroy the world. Only a ragtag of secret agents have a hope of tracking this thief, getting a hold of this locket, and avoiding the deadly cult that is looking to possess it all over again. Now isn’t that a synopsis to get your heart racing? Michelle Locke’s thrilling spy novel, “The Locket” is just the book you need to read if you love a bit of intrigue.
The Story
A team of secret agents who are being led by the stoic and logical Hunter Burgh are sent to a special mission in Prague. They are to retrieve a locket from a thief that has slipped into the secret archives and has stolen a locket that is not just any piece of jewelry but a weapon of mass destruction. Knowing this, the team has to find this thief in order to retrieve this weapon and keep it out of the wrong hands.
These wrong hands are a crazy cult that looks to harness its deadly powers as a means to their own evil ends. Only Hunter and his team can find this thief, get the locket back, and keep the cult away. However, this is going to be easier said than done. Not only is this thief elusive and intelligent and the leader of this cult is unknown to the them but the team itself is continually butting heads with each other. So, this mission could go either way. But the more that they find out, the more things are not as black and white as they had originally thought.
Will they make the right decisions and come together in the end? Only one way to find out.
My Review
Very intriguing! There are plenty of moments where I could not put the book down because I had to know what happened next. The storyline made sense even though there were a few complexities where I thought I missed some things. Luckily, you can always read a few pages back and everything will click again.
The characters were well-written. Each one had their own quirks, strengths, and weaknesses that you can see why the General (the real man in charge of this agency) had chosen them to work this mission. You have the fearless leader Hunter who you can always count on to make sound decisions even though all he wants to do is be home with his wife Evelyn. The shy but capable Tia and the sassy, strong-willed Lexa who are opposites but good friends despite their differences. A cocky thief named James and quiet but troubled tech expert Curtis are also along for the ride even though it is a rocky one.
I really liked how these characters were not perfect people. When you think of secret agents, you think James Bond; debonair and devil-may-care. But with this group, it is anything but. Sure, they are brave but also have a lot of struggles when it came to dealing with what was happening. A person can relate to how they are taking the news of how the supernatural is real and to be faced with some painful realities that can’t be avoided. This I enjoyed.
The supernatural in this book makes a person question what is real and what is just an illusion that the cult is trying to create. It does kind of leave you with some questions but I take it the sequels will answer some of that.
The way the author describes the city of Prague was very sensory. It felt like you were really there and experiencing what the characters were going through. Everything from what was happening on the streets to the impressiveness of the various buildings was well painted with the words on the page. I always wondered what we were going to get a view of next.
The Pairings
When you go undercover or out on a stakeout you are going to need something to eat while you wait. In this book’s case, they always bring sandwiches along for the ride. Not just any sandwich but something bulky, hardy, and tastes like home. So, what kind of sandwich would this be? That would be a monster grilled cheese sandwich where you put all kinds of crazy ingredients that you desire in it. A true comfort food that helps you get cozy whether you are waiting in the car or sitting in front of your computer working. It is packed with all kinds of good things like tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, secret sauces, and at least 2 to 3 different kinds of cheese. Yum!
The characters in this book are always eating sandwiches but I specifically remember Curtis eating a grilled cheese sandwich at his desk. But it wasn’t just a grilled cheese but an odd concoction that he just loves and others find nasty. So why not get your own cheesy goodness with its own unique zip? We all need our own special grilled cheese just the way we like it.
Final Thoughts/Rating
8/10
Quite an extraordinary book. It was a thrilling, sometimes chilling story that a person could easily get lost in. A definite adventure to get lost in but with characters that you can relate to and actually picture being friends with in real life. The only drawback is that the book is a little long and does have places where it can get a little slow. You have to carve out a lot of time to read it but it is time well spent and with a little patience you will find yourself interested all the way to the end. What surprised me the most is that there was quite a bit of humour in this story too. Sometimes various characters would just peck at each other and it leads to hilarious results. Great book Michelle! I look forward to reading your sequels.
