ABBEY, by Ron A. Sewell, is one of those books you cannot judge by its cover. From appearances, it would seem to be a drama or a femme fatale, but in fact, it is a global thriller through and through, and full of surprises. Sewell's style reminds me of Tom Clancy. He builds up his characters very well so that one can identify with them, but then he throws in these surprise wrenches just when you wouldn't expect it - and the surprises can be brutal. In a way, the book reads quite realistically. One minute someone is alive, the next they are dead - there is no build up. The overall plot plays out very well, and compels one to read to the very end to find out what really happens. Abbey, one of the main characters, is a young Londoner who has just found out that her biological father, whom she never really knew, and frankly, hated, has passed. From that the story springboards us into a world of cyber-jackers who have managed to crack the code on nuclear arsenals, which sends the British authorities into a tailspin trying to figure out how to stop an impending nuclear attack. There's good police action in this story, and the military component reads as if one is right there - realistic. No spoilers - just read the book.
