Drachen by Brendan le Grange is an exciting and fast paced thriller of a story. Brett is on the trail to find the treasure from the ancient wreck of the Drachen, but is pursued by Sam, Roman, and Patrick. Piecing together mysterious clues from different sources, the four dash across Northern Europe in an attempt to locate and find answers and the target before Finnish hit man Kalev and his men, who follow orders from the mad Hiko, can thwart them. The trail takes them through dangerous tunnels and deep waters, and they miraculously and skilfully dodge bullets, manage car chases and escape capture. Meanwhile police investigator Matthys has clues and leads to follow up himself as he perseveres in his pursuit of tracking down and stopping psychopath Hiko and his terrifying vengeful plans.
Drachen is an exhilarating and exciting story. Packed with intrigue and action, it is a wonderful mixture of the mystical, the mystery of ancient legend, modern day villains and a thriller. I loved the ‘flashbacks’ to times of old offering explanations for the origins of the treasures. Brendan le Grange is a brilliant writer who knows how to create a really gripping story. The first chapter hooked me in from the start, and I really couldn’t put the book down. The intricate plot moves at a good pace, taking the reader on a roller-coaster of a journey through thrills, dangers, near disasters, and awesome discoveries. In the end, it all comes to a satisfying and believable end. The characters are excellent – well developed, very believable, and I was rooting for Brett from the start. The motivations for their actions make sense – from the crazy Hiko and his dangerous psychopathic ways to Brett and her determination to finish what she has started, and Sam the ex-soldier wanting to conclude something his grandfather had not been able to. An enjoyable thriller. Recommended.