The Method by Matthew Quirk Book Review

About the Book:

Actress Anna Vaughn is fearless—on screen, at least. She tends to play doomed brunettes with a badass streak, and has put in countless hours training for parts and learning how to fight, shoot, and drive like a pro.

She likes to believe she is as tough as her characters, but off-camera she leads a far quieter life: trying to keep her acting career alive so she can take care of her younger sister.

When her best friend Natalie, her rock, disappears after a night out with a mysterious new man, the signs point to foul play and a circle of spies operating in Manhattan. Anna must use all the tricks she’s learned for her roles to hunt for her missing friend. She quickly learns the dangers are all too real.

She crosses paths with Kevin Matthews, an FBI agent on the same trail, tracking a string of killings and disappearances and a powerful clique of oligarchs. With Matthews as her handler, she has only days to prepare for the greatest performance of her life—going undercover. She will follow in her friend’s footsteps through the gilded mansions, yachts, and secret clubs of New York to infiltrate the conspiracy and bring Natalie home.

As the killers close in, her only chance for survival is to become as lethal as the characters she once played.

No camera. No script. Just instinct.

My Review:

This book just did not have what it takes for me to rate it as engaging. The beginning of the book is rather slow. The action does pick up about half way through but it is sporadic and not very engaging. There is a great deal of character background and support information, even for minor characters. This book is nearly a hundred pages longer than most in this genre and I think at least fifty pages could be easily removed, speeding up the plot movement.

Anna is an interesting character, capable because of her research and study for the television parts she has played. She knows attack and defense moves. That she could outsmart professional bad guys is a bit beyond belief, however.

The plot is complicated and has to be revealed layer by layer in the end. It is a plot that could come out of today's headlines, however. There is a good twist that adds to the suspense. This is the first novel I have read by Quirk. I don't think it is his best.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

About the Author:

Matthew Quirk is the New York Times bestselling author of The 500, The Directive, Dead Man Switch, Cold Barrel Zero, and The Night Agent. He spent five years at The Atlantic magazine reporting on crime, private military contractors, terrorism prosecutions, and international gangs before turning to fiction. An Edgar award finalist and winner of the ITW Thriller Award for Best First Novel, Quirk lives in San Diego.

William Morrow, 416 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)