Fiction Review

The Devil's Halo
by Chris Fox
ISBN-10: 0091794994
Review by Heather Froeschl

This action adventure spy story is a wild ride of a read. From the very beginning readers will be sucked into the story and held captive for however long it takes to accomplish the mission of devouring the entire book.

Terry Weston, a contract CIA agent, is not usually directly in harm's way. His typical assignments don't involve killing machine watchdog men, irrational Russian masterminds, pleading with the Secretary of Defense for do or die assistance, or global failure of the Global Positioning System's satellites. But this isn't your typical story and so Terry takes on an assignment, to retrieve a stolen movie file worth billions, and finds himself in much deeper trouble than he ever anticipated. What's more is that his wife, a power to admire in herself, and their six-year-old daughter, become deeply involved as well.

Nothing is what it seems in the spy world. You can't trust anyone but yourself, and possibly your spouse. This leaves Terry and his wife Maria in some tight spots, but also with the best possible partners they could ask for. Throughout the book their missions turn from one objective to the next, each more dangerous than the one before. Each chapter grows more intense and suspenseful. It basically comes down to the Weston's saving the world...as best as they can.

Chris Fox's "The Devil's Halo" is a well-written web of fictional suspense, technological intrigue, and entertaining story with personable appeal. His characters, as highly specialized as they are, are downright human and likable. His plot is intricate and enticing, fast paced, and well executed. I don't normally read tales of technological intrigue nor those of spy infiltrated storylines, but I very much enjoyed this one. I highly recommend the read to anyone with an inkling of an interest in these things. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this book were made into a movie in the very near future.

The plot has some points that I will not discuss so as not to give them away, but I can say that the ideas presented here are right on target for today's adventure and "what if?" fans.