Soldier. Liability. Assassin.
These are the identities of Thomas, a Mossad Agent who finds himself on a brutal and secretive journey filled with action, death and intrigue in
author Daniel Eagleton’s novel, The Sweet Oil of Vitriol. Here is the synopsis:
Ever get the feeling the staff want to kill you?
After a government sanctioned hit goes spectacularly wrong, Mossad agent Thomas is blamed for the mission’s failure by his superiors, ousted before completing his very first job. Desperate to prove himself, Thomas accepts an offer from his former handler, Yakov, to assassinate Jacob Okonjo, the head of the African Union. It seems Jacob is allowing certain parties to control Africa’s lucrative diamond trade, and in doing so has made some powerful enemies. But like that Mossad hit-team caught on camera in Dubi a few years back, how is Thomas supposed to terminate such a prominent figure without being caught on CCTV? The answer: to work undercover as a room-service waiter at a top London hotel, where, in a few months’ time, Jacob Okonjo will be staying. It’s the perfect plan. Jacob is to be administered an untraceable poison, and afterwards, even if there is an investigation, a trusted member of staff like Thomas will be above suspicion. That’s the idea, anyway. In the meantime, he’s to suffer month after month of boring, menial employment, serving rich, famous people dinner, when he should be making a name for himself amongst the intelligence community. Because you can bet this never happened to Bond or Bourne. Never had to work for tips, subjugating themselves like some average, everyday citizen…
This story is full of espionage thriller action, brimming with lots of death and destruction as Thomas navigates the world after he’s been stripped
of his government duties. Without a purpose, Thomas flings himself into the world of a mercenary and assassin, determined to prove his worth and
his talents as an agent to not only his former superiors, but to himself. Yet his confidence and his inability to find a healthy relationship could
spell his downfall.
The book was well written, delving into the mind of a man in search of a purpose, and the desperate lengths he will go to to achieve his goals. It’s
filled with deceit, murder and room service as Thomas navigates the complicated world of a hotel worker. The suspense and tension between the characters
in the book was thick enough to cut with a knife, and lent to the story immensely. The characters were the highlight of this fun and entertaining
spy thriller, as you got to see that Thomas, the spy and assassin, isn’t always the one you can’t trust in this story, and everyone has secrets
to hide. You just have to know where to look.
Overall this was a fantastic read. While I’d love to see more of Thomas’s backstory in a future story, I think this was a great introduction into a
new series in the thriller genre, and I hope you guys will go check it out. Filled with suspense, action and a whole lot of mayhem, this is a
series you don’t want to miss as author Daniel Eagleton masterfully brings a unique tale that skirts the lines of spies like Bond and Bourne, but
brings a unique look at the psyche behind that spy. Overall I give The Sweet Oil of Vitriol an 8/10 score, and I hope you guys will go pick up
your copies today!
Rating: 8/10
