If you feel like reading a fast-paced, action-packed novel with realistic plot, characters, and dialogue, then “Flash Bang” by Kellen Burden is the perfect choice for you. The author works in the field of loss prevention, security, and organized crime investigation, and his novel is based on his own experience in military and civilian law enforcement, as well as on the many interviews he conducted with the purpose of writing his debut novel. Thus, “Flash Bang” presents a truly realistic story of an ex-US Army infantryman/CID agent-turned-bounty-hunter that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
After being dishonorably discharged from the Army, Sebastian Parks doesn’t feel like getting a real job, or a real life, for that matter. He and his ex-military friends, John Harkin and Eric “Etch” Echevarria earn a living by finding wanted felons on Facebook and bringing them to the good guys who hire them. Things get complicated when the body of a teenage Muslim boy is found in front of a nightclub. Just as always, Parks and his friends have to find the bad men, but this particular mission might be more complicated than they initially thought.
What makes “Flash Bang” a very realistic story is the writing style the author chose to adopt. Readers might find it a bit unusual and eccentric, but the truth is that Kellen Burden decided to forgo the basic writing structures and grammatical rules in order to let the main character speak directly to the reader. The whole novel gives the impression that Parks is actually having a conversation with the readers, telling them what happened and how the action unfolded, drawing them in by expressing his thoughts and feelings in an uncensored manner. This technique helps readers relate to the character, and offers the book more veracity.
Even though the narrative is very different from what people are generally used to, “Flash Bang” is very easy to read, and truly enjoyable. The readers are never distracted by the writing style because they are completely immersed in the story, something the author has achieved specifically by letting the character speak to them in his own language. There is some violence, there is self-loathing, and there is some foul language that might bother some people, but there is also the truth that most of those working in the military talk like this. With the risk of not being understood by some of his readers, Kellen Burdern has decided to stay true to his story and characters, and let Parks’ personality shine through the way he talks and acts.
Find “Flash Bang” on Amazon.
