Wisdom Spring (by Andrew Cunningham)

As a thriller this story grips from start to finish. It is a pacy novel and the tension is relentless from the beginning. Jess has been working as a researcher for a potential US presidential candidate. Her research reveals a terrible secret about the candidate, and big business is going to eliminate her before she can expose the candidate! On the run, she fortuitously meets Jon. Of course, he has his own backstory, and the loss of his daughter has driven him to consider suicide.

They team up and they survive the multitude of attempts on their lives. They are trying to reach Alaska where Jon’s brother lives. The pair fall in love and decide Alaska will be a safe haven. The action is continuous and they manage somehow to escape the clutches of chasing pack and arrive in Alaska.

The action does not relent as the pair try to find evidence to bring down the candidate. Wisdom Spring is the location where young children are inculcated. As adults, they are placed in government agencies and other influential positions. Some are sleepers and others are actively involved in exerting influence in politics. Shades of “The Americans”?

Well written, with the author bringing the characters and locations to life, but (and it is a big BUT) it seems incredulous that a band of 4 people and a cohort of gun-touting friends can outwit a team of professional hoodlums financed by big business. I also found it difficult to believe in the “Voice” that helps Jess make decisions. Messages are “received” from her dead father that point the merry band in the right direction at critical points in the story.

This is an action-packed story with many twists and turns. Well worth a read.