Strait of Hormuz (A Marc Royce Adventure) by Davis Bunn

About the book:  An under-the-radar phone call from the U.S. State Department puts Marc Royce once again on assignment--ferreting out rumors of a clandestine operation stretching from Asia to the Mideast. At stake is Iran's threat to blockade the narrow Strait of Hormuz, cutting off vital shipping routes and escalating global tensions beyond the breaking point. Under the guise of investigating money laundering via high-end art purchases in Europe, Royce finds himself in Switzerland with only sketchy information, no backup, and without a single weapon other than his wits. His appointment with a gallery owner in Geneva is a dead end--the man is on the floor with a bullet through his chest. But it turns out Royce does have backup. The Mossad has sent someone to keep an eye on this undercover op, which is of more than casual interest to the Israelis. And it's someone Royce knows... My thoughts:  I continue to be amazed at the writing of Davis Bunn. He is capable of writing on so many levels. This series, the Marc Royce Adventures, features an uncompromising man who is a determined warrior for the United States. But his loyalty is also to truth, honesty, and right. Working as an off-record CIA agent, his reputation for effectively handling impossible situations and his integrity still brings trusting involvement directed to him from high officials in the US Government. Straight of Hormuz begins explosively. It ends sweetly. Not a bad combination but it is the pages between explosive and sweet that matter. It is the international intrigue, deception, and identification of who is a good guy and who is not that create the suspense, the drama, the story. This is a story of finding God and finding oneself. It is a story of discovering what you love most in this world.  Bunn has beautifully described each and every scene and drawn believable word pictures. His characters are clearly identified yet leave room for the reader's imagination to draw their own mind pictures.  His treatment of international and terrorist threats and intervention is exciting and right on target. Again, a good book by Davis Bunn. DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Bethany House a division of Baker Publishing Group for the purpose of review. No compensation was received. No requirement for a positive review.

Davis Bunn is the award-winning author of numerous national bestsellers with sales totaling more than seven million copies. His work has been published in sixteen languages, and his critical acclaim includes three Christy Awards for excellence in fiction. Formerly a business executive working in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Bunn is now a lecturer in creative writing and Writer in Residence at Regent's Park College, Oxford University. He and his wife, Isabella, divide their time between the English countryside and the coast of Florida.