Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

The Consultant by Tj O'Connor is a fast-paced action thriller in which Jonathan Hunter, an AWOL CIA consultant, learns that running from life has a way of catching up with you in the worst way possible. Jonathan and his brother Kevin have been estranged for years, but when he gets home, he has some surprises that he never anticipated. Things get worse very quickly when he and his brother are caught in gunfire and his brother dies in his arms. Enraged and thirsty for answers, Hunter is now on a quest to find the people who killed his brother and why they did it. However, he soon realizes that things are far more complicated than he ever anticipated. The stakes are high and they are much more than Hunter or his brother. A war is brewing and it seems like there is nothing that can be done to stop it. With terrorists planning to attack from multiple directions, there is nothing an AWOL CIA consultant can do. Fear is everywhere and he does not know who to trust. Can he find out what really happened and avenge his brother?

The Consultant is a very satisfying thriller, one that you will not be able to put down. I think I read it in one go, without any breaks, and I had the time of my life. You rarely come across a novel that just clicks with you and you get lost in it. I enjoyed Hunter’s progress, his thirst to find answers and his determination to make it work. The pace was fast and the plot grew at a heart-thumping rate, which made the story even more enjoyable. I just loved how sarcastic Hunter is throughout the novel. He matures, but you still find that fire in him until the very end. He is not one for apologies, but he knows he is good. That confidence and charisma had me hooked right from the beginning. The author kept the tension and the momentum going and ensured that once I started reading, I did not want to stop.