Arlene Germain reviews The Value of Valor in this issue
The Value
of ValorBy Lynn Ames
Intaglio Publications
ISBN: 1-933113-46-4
Paperback
$16.75
282 pages
The Value of Valor
Katherine Kyle, Press Secretary to the President, and Jamison Parker, Time magazine writer, return for the third installment of Lynn Ames’ immensely popular Kate and Jay trilogy. The unthinkable has happened and our two lovers’ once happy existence has been irrevocably affected. Or has it? A diabolical organization has set its sights on the advancement of its global timetable which necessitates, at any cost, the elimination of the President of the United States. Will this tragedy occur? Add to the mix a riveting series of unexpected plot twists, suspenseful turns of events, and fascinating secondary characters, and you have an entertaining, gripping, and romantic race to the finish line.
Lynn Ames’ focus in her novels has been to create a socially relevant and thoroughly entertaining reading experience. The first two novels in the series, The Price of Fame and The Cost of Commitment, delivered both in an engaging and timely way. Here with The Value of Valor, Ames has taken a giant leap forward. This is her best work thus far. The action sequences rocket along at incredible speed, the intimacy depicted is both exciting and steamy, and the characters display a depth of credibility. That necessary element to any good piece of fiction, the suspension of disbelief, is so masterfully developed and sustained that the reader becomes engaged and completely submersed in the storyline. The author has achieved this effect so seamlessly, which is a credit to both the writing and the editing, that the reader, indeed, will not want to put the book down until that last word has been read.
Another hallmark of this novel is the Ames’ creative ability to make the political events seem not only possible but plausible. Perhaps, twenty or even ten years ago the storyline would appear too fantastic to sustain the interest of the discerning reader. However, with Ames’ insider savvy regarding political machinations and the not too distant events all have experienced, any sort of global agenda directed toward the country and its leaders is not beyond the realm of reality. It is with both this knowledge and understanding that Ames has fashioned a work of fiction which can be understood on several conceptual levels. The Value of Valor is so much more than just another adventurous romantic story. It is a suspenseful and absorbing novel that provides the reader with many issues to ponder long after the cover has been closed. This novel emphatically represents the impressive growth in the author’s writing style and technique. It is for all these attributes that this reader eagerly awaits the next installment in this series.