Sweat

This is the second book by Mark Gilleo and the complaints I had about his first book, Love Thy Neighbor, had me leery but I really enjoyed it! It was a fast read, interesting and suspense-filled. 

SYNOPSIS:

When Jake Patrick took a summer internship at his estranged father’s corporation, he anticipated some much-needed extra cash and a couple of free meals from his guilty dad. He would never have guessed that he'd find himself in the center of an international scandal involving a U.S. senator, conspiracy, backroom politics, and murder. Or that his own life would hang in the balance. Or that he’d find help – and much more than that – from a collection of memorable characters operating on all sides of the law. Jake’s summer has turned into the most eventful one of his life. Now he just needs to survive it.

From the sweatshops of Saipan to the most powerful offices in Washington, SWEAT rockets through a story of crime and consequences with lightning pacing, a twisting plot, an unforgettable cast of characters, and wry humor. It is another nonstop thriller from one of the most exciting new voices in suspense fiction.

Jake's mom just died and his globe-trotting dad, Peter Winthrop, pops back into the picture.  Jake isn’t above using his slightly guilty dad into giving him a summer job so he can pay off the bills and get ready to head back to grad school after a hiatus to take care of his sickly mom.  While on the job, he reads an interesting fax that implicates his father with a pregnant sweatshop seamstress.  Like his counterpart, Mark in Love Thy Neighbor, Jake has the good guy role down pat.  Must do the right thing.  It’s almost too much, in how they MUST do it.  Why? Other people could take this on, people with experience, but NOPE.  They must do it.  So what does he do? Hooks up with a homeless ex-CIA operative and takes on a very impressive Chinese family with deadly connections.

I liked this book, it isn’t going to win any best book evaaaaaaaaar prizes, but it’s solid.  I would recommend this one over Love Thy Neighbor if you want to check out Gilleo’s work.  I do wish there was more character development.  More questions answered and a more clear cut reason for why people decided on X , Y,  & Z move.  Sometimes it just didn’t flow right, it needed a bit of a connection in thoughts of the characters, if that makes sense. 

Do you ever wonder how your clothes are made? Do you avoid things made in third-world countries?

AUTHOR BIO:

Mark Gilleo holds a graduate degree in international business from the University of South Carolina and an undergraduate degree in business from George Mason University. He enjoys traveling, hiking and biking. He speaks Japanese. A fourth-generation Washingtonian, he currently resides in the D.C. area. His first two novels were recognized as finalist and semifinalist, respectively, in the William Faulkner-Wis- dom creative writing competition.

I reviewed this book through Partners In Crime Tours.  All thoughts and opinions are my own!