Checkmate by Steven James - REVIEWED!!!!

About the Book:
In Checkmate, critically acclaimed novelist Steven James offers a climactic chapter in his bestselling series, the Bowers Files.

When a clandestine FBI facility is attacked, Special Agent Patrick Bowers is drawn into the vicious, ruthless story that a killer from his past is bent on telling the world.

Clues lead to long-forgotten secrets buried deep beneath Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina. Now Bowers is caught up in trying to stop one of the deadliest attacks ever planned on American soil.

Smart, tense, and full of mind-bending twists and turns, Checkmate explodes onto the scene, bringing this cycle of the Bowers Files to an unforgettable conclusion.

My Thoughts:

“He lived to see others die.  I would die to see others live.”  (p. 515)

Patrick Bowers fights an epic battle in the final book of the Bowers’ Files!  Checkmate is all I hoped it would be – and much, much more!!  If you are familiar at all with my blog, you know I am Steven James’ number one fan!!  I’ve had the privilege to meet him, watch him win Christy awards, interview him, and listen as he shares his heart about His Savior. 

And yet….to read the Bowers’ files takes you into some of the darkest places of the human spirit.  This is a vivid display of what spiritual warfare looks like when played out in the day to day lives of day to day folks.  Patrick Bowers is no pillar of the faith, but he is a man of faith in a way only he could be.  Life has shown him the worst of the worst, and he has lost much along the way.  From police detective to FBI agent, I’ve been able to be an observer in all of it.  It has been brutal at times, and then, at times, so tender and poignant that I had to weep.

Steven James is a masterful writer!  Tessa, Patrick and Lien-hua feel like family to me.  Each one so realistically flawed, so painfully poignant in their observation of the world!  When I turned the last page – and I devoured this story in less than 24 hours! – I was sad to know I’d reached the end.  For you see, there is no end to this – only a transformational journey that ended too soon!!  I know Steven has other characters in his head, other books to write, but Patrick Bowers….well he will always  by my hero!!

This is an action-packed thriller bar none!! It just doesn’t get any better!! I cannot recommend this book highly enough!!

About the Author:

Steven James is the best selling author of more than three dozen books, including the Patrick Bowers and Jevin Banks thriller series. In May 2014 he released the first book of his teen suspense trilogy, Blur, and a book on the craft of novel writing, Story Trumps Structure. Steven's other works span a variety of genres including non fiction, fantasy and drama. He has received wide critical acclaim including two Publishers Weekly starred reviews, three Christy Awards, and as a finalist for an International Thriller Award. Publishers Weekly calls him "[A] master storyteller at the peak of his game."

Steven is an active member of International Thriller Writers, the Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, and International Association of Crime Writers. He is also a contributing editor for Writer's Digest. He has a master's degree in storytelling and has taught writing and creative communication around the world. When he's not writing or speaking, you'll find him trail running, rock climbing, or drinking a dark roast coffee near his home in eastern Tennessee.