Book Review: "Countdown in Cairo" by Noel Hynd

When federal agent Alexandra LaDuca travels to Egypt to investigate the possible sighting of a former mentor, she is thrown into the deadliest game of double cross in her career. An American woman working alone, she must rely on her wits, her training, and her skill with lethal weapons not just to succeed, but also to survive.

As I have stated before, this has got to be one of my favorite suspense series of all time. The writing is just top notch, the lead character is wonderful and I love the jet setting travel that takes place. The research is done extremely well and I really appreciate the fact that modern political figures are actually used as opposed to fake figureheads. As a history major, these books are also wonderful in examining the political history of countries that aren't knowledgeable to the average reader.

In this story, we are taken to many destinations with the highlight being Egypt. I would love to one day visit the pyramids and see all the ancient sites but after reading this book, I think I might wait. I really felt like I was a part of the story. Alex is a wonderful character. Yes she's female but she can totally kick butt like any other male spy. One thing I really like is that the author does not try to push a romantic relationship with her just because she is female. She can handle things totally on her own and is brave and resourceful when in a tough situation. There are several intense situations in the book, and things can bet a bit squeamish at times so be prepared for a thrill ride while you read.

I don't find these books to be preachy at all. I mean the main character is a Christian yes, but she smokes and she drinks. She's not a chain smoker nor is she an alcoholic. She just enjoys doing both and neither are a detriment to her faith. Are they evil? No, obviously this book shows that one can handle both, still be a Christian and won't be called a hypocrite. In fact, as I have stated before with the previous books in the series, I wouldn't call this book a Christian fiction novel, just a fiction novel under a Christian publisher. I absolutely adored this book and I was REALLY sad to see it end. I love Hynd's style of writing and am looking forward to finding his backlist in my library so I can read his other books. This has got to be one of the best suspense series I have ever read and I honestly cannot stop praising it. VERY HIGHLY recommended.

One small quibble though that I needed to point out was the mention of the basketball team the Washington Bullets. As someone that lives in the DC Metro area and watches the sports news every night, I wanted to point out that the Bullets don't exist anymore. The team changed their name to the Washington Wizards back in 1997. I only point this out because this seemed to be the only factual error I found in the book, and because I live in the area it just really stood out to me.

Countdown in Cairo by Noel Hynd is published by Zondervan (2010)

This review copy was provided by the author