28 Pages, by Allen Mitchum

I was sent a copy of 28 pages by the author asking if I would read it and review it.  I was happy to agree to do that.


For a first book this was very well done.  I believe that Allen took a plot and developed it well.  He followed a good story line through the book, weaving in a couple of sub plots that added to and did not detract from what he was trying to accomplish.


His development of "driftwood" who turns out to be Fadi Kahlum is well done.  You don't want to like this character because he is an assassin, but then as the story unfolds you want to really like him, but then his old habits keep coming up.  So, you end up conflicted on whether you like him as the hero or you dislike him because of the life's vocation that he has been living.


The other main character, Heather Grahl, is a lawyer who is defending a young woman in a case of sexual abuse against the Ambassador to the U.S. from Saudi Arabia.  This is a no win situation as the Ambassador has diplomatic immunity, but can Heather draw a bead on him and shame the consulate and the U.S. government into deporting the Ambassador?


There are some political overtones (or might you say undertones) that work their way through the novel.  Mitchum is not a fan of Saudi Arabia or of terrorist or of our rules for Diplomats.  At least the writing would leave you with that assumption.


You will want to stop and think while you read, but then again you will be so caught up in the story that you will just want to plow your way through to the end to know how things turn out.


I enjoyed Mitchum's book and believe you will as well, below is my review that I posted on Amazon.com for their book reading clientele.  I hope you enjoy the review and the book.


Now for the actual book review;


Allen Mitchum's book is a great read. The story line is well conceived and well plotted out and keeps you turning pages wanting to know how things will end. It is not your typical everything turns out well at the end and all pieces are tied up nicely, which can be a breath of fresh air. There are a couple of things that are left hanging, such as was the death of a certain police official accidental or a murder, and does it matter? Is a certain romance going to blossom or not, and does it matter?

The book introduces a term, Islamophobia and leaves me wondering if the book was a political statement or just a well crafted novel that uses Saudia Arabia as the fall nation for the plot line? But because our antagonist / hero, Fadi, is Muslim and is in the long run the Good Guy, then the Islamic Phobia should be able to be put to rest. But is it?

The title 28 pages deals with the concept that there are 28 pages missing from the 911 Report that was delivered to Congress by the commission charged with looking into the events of the September 11th terrorist attacks on New York, the Pentagon and what most likely was the white house or Capital building.

Those missing pages would most likely implicate Saudi Arabia in the crime as co-conspirators with Osama Bin Laden and his merry band of terrorist. If not Saudi Arabia at least with the Saudi Royal family.

The story brings Heather Grahl, an American lawyer with Ancile Cole, a former U.S. Military officer and now Islamic expert and with Fadi, a Saudi Arabian Assassin. How do they all fit together? Well they are all working from different ends to try and wake up the American People to the fact that Saudi Arabian government is trying to wage a quiet Jihad with America but infiltrating our country and culture with disinformation and sleeper cells or at least deep plant spies who will cause major turmoil in America and lead it be become, dare we say, an Islamic state?

The book is well crafted, the characters well developed and the tension will keep you turning pages to find out the solutions to the different plots that our main characters (hero's) are trying to achieve.

I found the writing crisp and clean and enjoyed every minute of the book. Not everything turned out the way I would like. Not every theme was to my general liking, but it did entertain and give me reason to pause and think about our World's government structures and how we allow certain activities to go on with "Diplomatic Immunity" from prosecution.

If you love Tom Clancy or Vince Flynn style writing you will love this book.

Enjoy!