I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Inspector William Fox must team up with an FBI agent to track down someone from his past who has stumbled into a massive treasure trove from 15th-century China and gets kidnapped by the Triads in author Peter Thomas Pontsa’s “Outfoxed: An Inspector William Fox Adventure”.
The Synopsis
Sometimes Inspector William Fox likes to go off script, like when chasing gangsters in his cigarette boat on the St. Lawrence River. For one case, the RCMP officer with a penchant for luxury fashion finds himself teamed up with FBI Special Agent Patrick Reilly, an Irish lad who prefers absinthe to Guinness. The pair travel overseas to track down members of a gang who have kidnapped Tracy Jordan, an American academic and archeologist with teenage ties to William. In China, Tracy has been stealthily searching for evidence of Admiral Zheng He’s 15th-century connections to the area that would later be known as Nova Scotia. It’s here that Tracy and her team discover what might be Ming dynasty artifacts transported by Zheng He’s “massive treasure ships” left behind on Mi’kmaq peoples’ ancestral land.
Outfoxed — a William Fox Adventure is a slick, globe-trotting adventure that involves the RCMP and FBI chasing the Foo Dog Triad operating in Hong Kong, mainland China, and New York City. Like Tracy and Kevin Steptoe, a Mi’kmaq lawyer, the gangsters are after the ancient Chinese treasures. Outfoxed is also a political thriller, diving deeply into the power struggles of the Communist Party of China and its shadowy operatives. It wades into the Fox family’s political past in South Korea, where a tragedy took place that still haunts William years later.
The Review
This was such an incredible action thriller. The shifting perspectives between this cast of characters helped highlight the international intrigue that the narrative brought to life, and the fast-paced atmosphere kept the feeling of adrenaline pumping through the reader’s veins as the plot began to reveal itself. The tension was felt heavily early on, as with the protagonist’s encounter on his boat or when Tracy finds herself having to evade locals looking to imprison American travelers, especially those who begin to seek out information regarding ancient treasures.
However, for me, the heart of this thriller came from the balance of high-octane action with nuanced personal character development, especially when William Fox’s past and present began to collide. The way William’s previous life growing up begins to seep into his present and the conflict this brings into his life, as well as the intrigue, and the way the larger plot uses this personal development to add to the stakes at play made this so enjoyable to read as a fan of the genre. The imagery and emotional depth of these characters’ backstories and chemistry together allowed the reader to truly connect to the character and the journey as a whole.
The Verdict
Thrilling, heart-pumping, and entertaining, author Peter Thomas Pontsa’s “Outfoxed: An Inspector William Fox Adventure” is a must-read international mystery and suspense thriller filled with action, adventure, and romance. The twists and turns will keep the reader hanging onto the author’s every word, and the author does a wonderful job of leaving just enough breadcrumbs or loose ends to allow room for more adventures for fans of the next great international action hero in the literary world. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
Now retired from his dental supply business, Peter Pontsa enjoyed sharing his knowledge through writing techno-clinical articles. He was also president of the College of Dental Technologists of Ontario, where he helped develop the quality assurance program. Now he combines his passions-British cars and writing. During his tenure as president of the Headwaters British Car Club, Pontsa wrote numerous stories about cars in its newsletter, “British Driven.” He’s currently a member of the Wordsmiths, a writing group based in Alliston, Ontario, and is also a member of the Crime Writers of Canada.
Peter Pontsa lives in Loretto, Ontario, with his wife, Angela, and their orange tabby, Mr. Tee.
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