Change
of Heart by Jack Allen is the first book in the Joshua McGowan series. This
is an action packed spy thriller that just does not let up until the reader has
turned the last page.

The action of Change of Heart begins with a bang (literally) and spans the entire
globe. Joshua McGowan is a government operative working with Naval
Intelligence. His mission – fly to the Sea of Othotsk off the Pacific coast of
Russia, pick up a former KGB spy that the CIA broke out of a Siberian prison,
and bring her in. Sounds simple, but nothing is ever simple for Josh. The
weather turns nasty, the Russians are trying to kill him and the girl dead, and
Valeria Konstantinova, the way too young, too beautiful and too sexy spy is not
particularly interested in being “brought in.” In fact, she has other travel
plans in mind. Complicating this already explosive situation are: an ambition
former KGB officer who needs the girl in order to bring back Communism, an
American scientist not opposed to selling military secrets to the Russian for a
price, and a lovesick member of a Russian crime family with the “hots” for
Valeria. Beyond this, there is a sub plot involving Iraq terrorists and plastic
explosives that seems to have Josh’s name on it. In fact, it seems that Josh is
on everybody’s “hit” list and in more ways than one! What is poor Josh going to
do? If you answered blow up something or for that matter a few things, you are
only partly right.

Change
of Heart is a literary roller coaster ride. The action is non-stop. The
plot twists and turns with spills and thrills and many an unseen surprise
around the bend. Every new turn seems to lead to new things to blow up and new
menaces with which to spar and shoot. With its heart pounding tension, this is
not a book for the weak of heart. In fact, this is an old-fashion “Shoot ‘em
up! Blow it up! Bang! Bang! You’re dead!”
spy novel. If you blend James Bond with Indiana Jones, add a gorgeous woman, a
few evil geniuses, liberally sprinkle with a gallery of loutish canon fodder to
shoot at, and add lots of buildings, vehicles, and other expensive toys to blow
up, you would have this novel.

Jack Allen is the owner-operator of
Burping Frog Publishing, a small press devoted to espionage and spy thrillers.
There are four books in the Josh McGowan series: Change of Heart (2001),
An Innocent Among Them (TBA), Widow of Calcutta (TBA) and The Lennox Conspiracy (TBA). Breathe
of the Flesh (TBA) is not in the series and is described as “an espionage
story set in 1942”. He is currently still at work on The Lennox Conspiracy. Jack Allen lives in Taylor, Michigan. Change of Heart is his and Burping
Frog’s first novel.

Change of Heart by Jack Allen is a fast paced explosive spy
thriller. Josh McGowan is James Bond, updated, politically corrected, but
slightly accident prone and definitely having a bad hair day or two or well,
perhaps a whole lifetime. If you like non-stop action, with plenty of bullets
flying, this book is for you! (And, Jack, best of luck with the publishing
company. I would like to see the rest of this series in print.) I highly
recommend this novel.

© 2002 Su Terry

Su Terry: Education:
B.A. in History from Sacred Heart University, M.L.S. in Library Science from
Southern Connecticut State College, M.R.S. in Religious Studies/Pastoral
Counseling from Fairfield University, a M.Div. in Professional Ministry from
New Brunswick Theological Seminary, a Certificate in Spirituality/Spiritual
Direction from Sacred Heart University. She is a Licensed Minister of the
United Church of Christ and an Assistant Professor in Library Science at
Dowling College, Long Island, NY. Interests in Mental Health: She is interested
in the interplay between psychology, biology, and mysticism. Her current area of
research is in the impact of hormonal fluctuation in female Christian mystics.

Categories: Fiction