328
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #73,776 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★★★☆
Really good, but not a standalone story.
I have good news and bad news to report about my First Reads choice, THE DEEP SLEEP. THE DEEP SLEEP is the first novel by prolific author, Steven Konkoly, that I have read. It won't be the last, because I do enjoy a good Spy vs. Spy story.
The Good News: THE DEEP SLEEP delighted me right away. It starts out with a BIG BANG and pulled me into the story instantly. A dead woman has left a top secret message for her son, to read after her death. She is a disgraced CIA agent, suspected of being delusional for making unsubstantiated claims regarding a Russian Sleeper network operating in the US. Her family has suffered career setbacks in the 20 years since the CIA cut ties with her. As a result her estrangement from them is complete.
When her son gets the message, he is set on the course of an extremely clever treasure hunt, of sorts. This was my favorite part of the book. It was well done and fascinating. The rest of the book is absolutely non stop action. There are several scenes where two opposing clandestine groups face off in battles, leaving a swath of destruction, death and mayhem, to be puzzled out by local authorities. The weapons are awe inspiring and the maneuvering is impressive. THE DEEP SLEEP was a rollicking good fun read. I liked it very much
Now, for the Bad News: THE DEEP SLEEP is the first novel in a 2 part series (I think there is only 2). It is not complete in this volume, nor is there any attempt at a real conclusion. THE DEEP SLEEP is just not a stand alone novel. I (and you) will have to read the next book to get any kind of closure. I know readers hate this, because I do. I would ask that Amazon not include books that are incomplete in future First Read selections. It is such a let down!
You'll have to decide for yourself if the good news of it being a great story, outweighs the glaring bad news, that it is not a standalone. For me, It does. Had I known it wasn't a standalone, I probably wouldn't have picked it, so I'm actually glad I didn't know before I selected it.
