Book Review: Sleeper

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Sleeper     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Gene Riehl
Class/Genre:   Mystery   FBI   Government Agency
Series: Puller Monk # 2
St. Martin’s, Mar 2005, $22.95

In 1992 Paris, sixteen years old Samantha Williamson of Asian descent watches the Americans kill her adopted parents. The North Korans “adopt” her following the tragedy insisting she is one of them and renaming her Sung Kim. They train and brainwash her to be the ultimate spy-terrorist causing havoc in the United States.

NSA Director Philip Carter learns that an Asiatic woman stole the Madonna, valued at $15 million, from the home of Lyman Davidson. Philip believes the deadly Sung Kim is the culprit and fears she is escalating her campaign to devastate those in power. He assigns FBI Special Agent Puller Monk to stop her. Besides a gambling problem, Puller believes he inherited from his recently deceased father, Alzheimer’s and that he is already in the second perhaps third phase. Now the games begin.

SLEEPER is an intriguing sequel in which the fascinating character is the villainess though Sung Kim is more comic book than flesh and blood. Puller in spite of his concerns and his addiction lacks fullness (unless you read his previous appearance in QUANTICO RULES). Still although the key combatants seem two dimensional, espionage thriller fans will appreciate their spy vs. spy war in which both will do anything necessary to triumph.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner