Travis Brock is a redactor for the US Department of Defence, which means he works in the depths of the Pentagon, reading endless documents in response to official information requests, and deciding what information can safely be released to the public without endangering the security of the USA and her citizens … and what can’t.
Brock has an unusual gift (which could also be seen as a curse).
He has an eidetic memory—better known as a photographic memory—which means he never forgets anything he sees or reads. That comes in handy in his job as a redactor, because he can link odd facts from different documents he’s read. It’s less good when it comes to forgetting his dead wife, or the pain of the injuries he sustained trying to save her.
Brock gets a new request for information that is dated 18 months earlier—the date of the first that killed his wife. What looks at first to be a fairly routine request has some unusual aspects …
And we’re neck-deep in action.
Brock is a fascinating character both because of his gift and his job. He’s an odd character—as one would expect—and his scenes are written in first person point of view, which enables us to really get inside his mind. The other characters are written in more traditional third person, and add to the suspense as the reader is made aware of information Brock and his colleagues don’t yet know.
Broker of Lies is a fast-paced thriller that reminds me of the TV show “24” in terms of the cleverly woven plot where every detail is potentially critical, the seemingly unrelated characters, and where the suspense starts on page one and doesn’t let up until the end.
But Broker of Lies is more than just a fast-paced well-plotted thriller.
It asks some serious questions about the nature of justice in our broken world, and how far is too far to go in search of justice. It also challenges readers to think about the concept of justice, and our role in creating a just world (spoiler: we have a God-given role).
Broker of Lies is only the second Steven James novel I’ve read, with the first being Synapse, his first and only venture into science fiction. Both novels are definitely Christian fiction, but with a twist: instead of merely showing us Christian characters, James challenges readers to examine some of the tough questions of faith ourselves.
Overall, Broker of Lies is an excellent thriller that introduces a fascinating character and asks big questions, questions without easy answers.
Thanks to Tyndale Books and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
About Steven James
Steven James is the critically acclaimed, national bestselling author of sixteen novels.
His work has been optioned by ABC Studios and praised by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, the New York Journal of Books, and many others. His pulse-pounding, award-winning thrillers are known for their intricate storylines and insightful explorations of good and evil.
When he’s not working on his next book, he’s either teaching master classes on writing throughout the country, trail running, or sneaking off to catch a matinee.
Find Steven James online at:
About Broker of Lies
The man who knows all our secrets has a secret of his own.
When Travis Brock, a high-level Pentagon redactor with an eidetic memory, finds a clue to solving the tragic arson that took his wife from him, he risks everything to find the truth—and chances losing himself in the process.
With a terror attack looming on the horizon and a pair of assassins on his tail, Brock drops off the grid and joins forces with a disavowed Homeland Security operative. Together they race to stop the attack before Brock is neutralized by the people he trusts the most.
Cathy Gohlke is the three-time Christy Award-winning author of the critically acclaimed novels Secrets She Kept (winner of the 2016 Carol and INSPY Awards), Saving Amelie (winner of the 2015 INSPY Award), Band of Sisters, Promise Me This (listed by Library Journal as one of the best books of 2012), William Henry Is a Fine Name, and I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires (listed by Library Journal as one of the best books of 2008), which also won the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Book of the Year Award.
Courtney Walsh is a novelist, artist, theater director, and playwright. Change of Heart is her fifth novel and is set in the same town as Paper Hearts. Her debut novel, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists and was a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category. She has written two additional books in the Sweethaven series, as well as two craft books and several full-length musicals. Courtney lives in Illinois where she and her husband own a performing and visual arts studio. They have three children.