SIMON
BARRETT
USA Today,
Reviews
August
2009
I was reading some of
the praise for this
book, and one reviewer likened
Eric Wentz to
Tom Clancy. I thought about it, and I guess the comment is valid, but only with a rider. Eric Wentz writes
in the same style, but it was way back when Tom Clancy was actually an author rather than an
industry! Eric Wentz puts his heart into his book Piercing
The Veil.
I love action and adventure books, and Piercing
The Veil satisfies my
hunger. There is action from page one until you reach the back cover. This is
escapism at its finest. As a reviewer, and a lover of books in general, I
never assign a number of stars to a book. People have their own
criteria of what they like and what they do not. My wife Jan for example, does
not read many books, but she is my bellwether on how good a book is. Her
scale is based on time. I like to read while sitting outside on the porch, the
longer she does not see me, the better the book! Piercing
The Veil scored 5 hours!
There are few books that reach that lofty height.
Good book huh? - was her comment when I finally came inside. She knows
me too well!
Piercing The Veil
hit all of my neural receptors in all the right spots. We have a secret
military unit that comes from various countries, they are so secret that they
do not even have a name, the term ‘plausible deniability’ comes to mind, a
phrase that has a long and illustrious past in politics. The secret military
force plot has been done before, but Eric Wentz manages to put a very unique
spin on it.
Lieutenant Commander Grant Chisholm looks like a life timer in the
armed forces. He has the smarts, he has the leadership qualities, but does he
have the edge? Some people think he does. It is with this in mind that they
contact him, making him a very strange offer.
The idea of a mystery assignment piques his interest, and the game is
on.
It does not take Grant long to figure out that he is indeed ‘an army
of one’. Information is plentiful, yet actual assistance is somewhat spotty.
He also starts to ’smell a family connection’.
Mostly the action takes place in England and Scotland. But, there are
lots of events in other countries that have great bearing on this story, but
to share more of the plot would spoil it.
Piercing The Veil
is a wild and exciting ride. If you are looking for a few hours of escapism
this book is for you.
From a technical perspective this book is put together very well, the
plot moves rapidly and Eric Wentz has done an excellent job of character
development. It has been well edited and the end result is a novel of the
highest quality. It will be interesting to see what his next project is like.
– Simon Barrett,
USA Today
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Web Design by Mark C. Wentz | Copyright © Eric John Wentz 2009
Military
photos courtesy of SSgt. Daniel Kozar (Ret.), United States Marine Corps
PAT
McGRATH AVERY
MWSA
Reviewer | Military Writers Society of
America
September 2009
A
story of military intelligence from 1941 and the days before the OSS and CIA to
the present day and a highly qualified team of SEALs. Lt. Commander Grant
Chisolm leads the SEAL team on a secret meeting to rescue hostages and in the
process learns the true mission of his life.
Like many thrillers, Piercing the Veil has many twists and turns, and you never
know what will happen next. However, Wentz takes us an important step further.
The action and suspense of the well-thought out plot is accompanied by multiple
layers, knowledge of historical events, a strong sense of description of places
and events, and well-developed characters.
Beyond the plot, it’s the story of countries at conflict, military strategy
and a man’s moral dilemma. Lt. Commander Grant Chisolm’s hostage rescue
assignment is complicated by the need to understand the past.
Wentz develops his characters into complex people who struggle with good and
evil.
The story displays the author’s knowledge of military affairs, history and the
human mind. I recommend this book to anyone who likes fast-paced action and a
good read.
–
Pat
McGrath Avery, MWSA Reviewer