Conspiracy of Silence, Tox Files #1, by Ronie Kendig

• Series: The Tox Files (Book 1)
• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (December 6, 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764217658
• ISBN-13: 978-0764217654

About the Book:

Kendig Ratchets Up the Action in Her New Suspense Series! 
Four years after a tragic mission decimated his career and his team, Cole "Tox" Russell is persona non grata to the United States. And that's fine--he just wants to be left alone. But when a dormant, centuries-old disease is unleashed, Tox is lured back into action.

Partnered with FBI agent Kasey Cortes, Tox has to pull together a team to begin a globe-spanning search for answers--and a cure. As their quest leads them from continent to continent, it slowly becomes clear they're not just fighting a plague--but battling against an ancient secret society whose true goals remain hidden.

With time running out and opposition growing on every side, the key to everything may rest in an antique codex, the Crown of Jerusalem--but will Tox and his team be able to trust each other enough to break this century-spanning conspiracy of silence?

My Thoughts:

I struggled with "Conspiracy of Silence" at first.  It took me about three attempts to read the book (see my previous post on depression): this is Kendig's most ambitious military suspense book in her career.  You can see the rich detail, feel the intense research, and track the multiple threads as you read each page.

The question is did all of this extra intensity pay off for the reader?

OOOOOH, boy, howdy, did it EVER pay off!  By the sixth chapter I was flipping pages so fast I got a chill...or maybe that was from the powerful writing I discovered.  I can truthfully admit I've read every single book Kendig has ever written and, while "Conspiracy" isn't my favorite (I'm sorry, but NOTHING tops Embers and Accelerant!), this book tops her Rapid-Fire Fiction book list!

The amount of historical research is astounding.  Kendig truly loves her readers, and she diligently does her homework before giving us one page of her fictional tale.  In "Conspiracy", she goes back into the Old Testament to the days of Moses and the rascal Korah and his minions.  Then she traces the fallout of those events (some real, some imagined) to modern days.

Cole Russell (aka "Tox") has more than just a chip on his shoulder--this guy has an entire tree weighing him down!  I can't really blame him, since our government---whoops!  Almost gave you a spoiler there! Let's just say the good old USA doesn't always play fair with our heroes.

The cast is fantastic, and the interactions between Tox and his military co-horts is worth reading the book just for that alone.  Kendig thrives on the intimate brotherhood in our military men and women and the bond that never breaks--and it makes for some funny stuff, too!

Just when you think you've figured out "Conspiracy of Silence", remember this: yeah, right!  Kendig throws a curve ball better than the current best pitcher in the league (I know books, not sports!).  She's set the bar high for herself and anyone else writing gripping military suspense, and I'm eager to see what's next!

A piece of advice: it would help if you read the prequel novella (also known as "Let's tease Deena with just a little bit of the book in advance!"), "The Warrior's Seal", available now.  Both released last year, but since this is my blog, I'm calling "Conspiracy of Silence" Best of 2017, and giving it my "Such a Time" award.

In the political climate we're living in, yeah...for such a time as this fits.

Until the next page,

Deena