Sunday Books & Culture - Fiction
Penny Parrish tackles Traci Hunter Abramson's newest book, "Novel Threat."
Novel Threat
By Traci Hunter Abramson
Shadow Mountain Publishing, 320 pages
Amazon
Kindle
Reviewed by Penny A Parrish
I read a wonderful book last week and I’m going to review it here – but first I want to tell you about the author. Traci Hunter Abramson may be one of Fredericksburg’s best kept secrets, a best-selling novelist who few locals know about. I hope that changes.
Traci graduated from BYU, and was recruited by the CIA where she spent six years as a finance officer. She left that job to raise a family, but her experiences there, and interacting with other government and law enforcement agencies, provide the perfect background for her novels. She has written more than 50 books, sold millions of copies, and has several series going on at the same time. All of her books are “family friendly” making them a good choice for adults and teens to read together. Since the books involve the CIA, every story Traci writes has to pass through their approval process to make sure she is not exposing confidential information.
I interviewed Traci this week and found out some fascinating tidbits about this talented and energetic woman. Most amazing to me is that she writes while walking (pretty fast) on a treadmill. (I would fall off and kill myself!). She says she doesn’t like to do research, but in reality her jobs, her family, her friends and her travels all conjure up situations and plots for her books. Her research is life itself.
I’ve changed careers a few times in my life (understatement) so I could identify with the two main characters in her new book Novel Threat. Kimber Seidel is a CIA finance officer who has written a few unpublished novels. Her dream is to become a best-selling author, but she doesn’t have the confidence to share her written words … yet. Brandon Hale is a CIA operative who wants to leave undercover spy-work and do editing at a publishing firm. He has an Ivy League degree in literary arts, and wants a chance to live a more cerebral and quiet life. Little do Brandon and Kimber know when this book begins that their career changes will come about in an unexpected way.
A terrorist group called Labyrinth has some nasty plans in mind. The leader wants revenge on those in Britain and the USA who killed his family. The CIA knows that a member of the group works at Monroe Publishing. So they plant Kimber and Brandon in that business, but at first neither knows the other is also CIA.
The characters are fleshed out and the twists and turns make this one hard to put down. Readers will be pleased to know that this is the first in a series, so fans of Kimber and Brandon just have to wait a while for part two.
Locals have a chance to meet Traci at Barnes & Noble on Saturday July 19, where she’ll hold a book signing for a few hours starting at 1. Many of her stories are also audiobooks, perfect for summer vacations with long rides or flights.
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