Pretty bummed by the lack of character development, pace and overall storyline.

The story started out strong for me and held my attention until 1/4 of the way in. I quickly lost interest and the writing felt a little flat.

I had a really hard time getting into this one, I felt like the characterization was a bit flat and while I love things set in the 80's, I think this book wasn't my cup of tea at all. I was bored and my mind had a hard time staying in the book. As it's the start of a series, maybe the author will hone his skill to make the reader more invested.

I really wanted to like this book, but I didn't. My thoughts, upon reading the blurb, went to a time in recent history that puzzled me as I lived through it and became clear only after reading DRIFT, by Rachel Maddow. Her explanation of the Iran/Contra scandal brought it all into perspective. I have always found that fiction based in fact often brings the needed color commentary to historical events. Alas, TRIGGER POINT fails in this regard.

Fictional retelling of an event, or series of events, needs to remove references to anything not of the time of the story. There is a reference to 'grabbing a water bottle.' In the mid-80s, water bottles were not ubiquitous as they are today. Mentioning 'clearing airport security' was not a thing in Reagan's America. It was, in fact, something that would not be instituted for at least fifteen years. These are little things that could be overlooked if the thriller aspect of CIA black ops actually thrilled. If anything, TRIGGER POINT is an homage to the claim of many in law enforcement that the 'job' is not all that exciting… paperwork and surveillance. The agents plan and proselytize, and drink… a lot.

Nick, the farm boy CIA recruit, is pretty bland in everything he does. His legend… his alter ego… Sean is equally bland. There is a line where Nick/Sean makes martinis and asks, "Do you want that shaken or stirred." It is a clear homage to James Bond and the spy game. I don't recall Bond ever sitting around reading reports, dining with his handler, or waking up hung over.

The problem with TRIGGER POINT is that nothing about it is memorable.

This is a solid spy novel. I like that it is early in the spies career and he doesn't always have the answers. I feel the author did a great job of providing a great story for anyone. It is a great work of fiction aligned perfectly with a historical situation. There is even a love story sprinkled in.

I try not to read similar books back to back as I can't help compare them. But sometimes it can't be helped as review copies come up. That is how I came to read Trigger Point a Cold War-era spy novel right after reading the fantastic Cold War-era spy thriller The Bucharest Dossier. And while I knew that whatever I read after that novel would probably pale in comparison, I still held out hope that Trigger Point would be an interesting and enjoyable spy novel set in Central America. I have little knowledge of the political situation in this region during the 1980s and was looking forward to expanding my knowledge.

I think even if I hadn't just finished a spy thriller, I would still have been disappointed with Trigger Point. I found it boring, the characters felt like caricatures rather than real people, I wasn't ever really sure what the plot was, and there wasn't any historical context given.

The book really needed a good polishing. I'm not talking about formatting issues and typos, I expect some of that in an Advance Reader Copy. I feel that a good development edit was still needed. It felt like I was reading a detailed outline as we hopped from scene to scene with little in the way of transitions. There was also more telling than showing in the beginning. However, when we started to have more character interactions and conversations they felt stilted.

I was an elementary student during the period portrayed in the book, and the events were too recent to be included in my history lessons as I got older. So I would have appreciated more historical context so that I could understand who the players were and what was at stake. I was more than halfway through before it was even mentioned that there was a Peace Accord that Reagen wanted to negotiate with Central American countries. While there is a lot of killing there is absolutely no tension. As other reviews have mentioned it often felt like I was reading a debriefing report. The one scene that could have infused tension into the storyline, we are left with being told about it after the fact instead of seeing it.

More historical facts would have enriched the storyline. As it is, it felt like it could have been set anytime and anywhere.

The characters are flat. There is a veiled reference to the Bond movies and they mention that the characters in the films are comical. It was exactly what I was thinking about the characters. There are several mentions of cover stories. It was the reason for Nick to marry Anna, but I didn't see how it helped his cover story of being a graduate student doing an internship with USAID. Also, I had no idea who the various people in Colombia thought he was.

And would a foreign operative really be allowed to sit in on clandestine operations planning meetings? Nick's handler's partner is part of the intelligence service in Germany (presumably West Germany). I'm not sure how realistic it is that a CIA handler would be allowed to be personally involved with a member of a foreign intelligence service.

I think the author needed to do more research into the history of the period as well as how clandestine operations and the CIA operated. It often felt like this was just a boy's fantasy of what it would be like to be a spy. Therefore, the story felt unauthentic and often illogical. Without a tension-filled plot and interesting characters, it was hard to believe in the world Nick, Vicent, and Jon were operating in.

It is rare that I can't find at least one redeemable quality about a book but I just wanted to give up on this book. I did see a few reviews comparing it to the Bond film franchise. As I have neither watched a Bond movie nor read a Bond book, I cannot make such a comparison.

Trigger Point is the first book in The Nicholas Ford series, but as I struggled to even finish this one I have no desire to read a second book in the series.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Monday, April 4 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2022/04/trigger-point-by-tony-roth-review.html

Cash, Guns, and Drugs By the Tons

Trigger Point is the fascinating fictional account of Nicholas Ford, a young CIA operative who's taken fresh from college recruitment and training and thrown into active duty. The scope of his objectives, however unthinkable, are written on the true pages of history.

I love the period covered in this book. I would dismiss the events as too far-fetched to be real if I didn't know the outrageous details of the Iran-Contra investigations. Tony Roth has the deep background needed to make what he describes feel completely authentic.

Set in the Cold War era before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Nick is in charge of conducting the CIA's complicated shell game in Central and South America. Pitting one adversary against the other, Nick must perform any action necessary to prevent the USSR from gaining a foothold near enough for their weapons to reach the mainland United States.

But, he's aware that this noble goal is far removed from the actual day-to-day mechanizations he's responsible for. He's elbow deep in some increasingly shady spy games as he tries to achieve his objectives. As money is laundered, arm sales are brokered, and drug deals are expedited, he can only rely on the word of his handlers that the crimes he commits are for the greater good. And, that double crosses don't overcome his efforts to manipulate outcomes.

Nick, or his cover identity, Sean, keeps his emotions tightly wrapped. It's part of his training to compartmentalize trauma, though it seems apparent that he's done this all his life. Though his family seems loving and supportive, it also seems aggressively critical. In consequence, Nick doesn't just rationalize conflicts to protect himself. He has largely divorced his internal feelings from what he has to do, acting like one hand doesn't need to know what's happening to the other one.

The frigid, analytical style the author uses often feels as dispassionate as a written report. Nick's dialogue with his wife is stiff and it's apparent that his married life is based on lies, on who he should be, not who he is. He seems to only be going through the motions in his real life. In most ways, Sean is his real identity and Nick is only an act.

I came to understand that the constrained style the author used to convey his story better portrays Nick/Sean's struggle for control. When his raw feelings do peek through, they make him a more sympathetic character, deepening the story's impact.

I was glad but also feared for him when his conscience finally aches so much he can no longer suppress it, and he dreads getting more blood on his hands. As the plot unfolds to a climax, I cringed at the jam he gets himself into, and my worry for him made me burn through the rest of the book. The smooth blend of fiction and fact informed me in a personal way and I was left feeling uneasy about the whole sordid history of regime change and how its effects are still felt today.

I'm grateful to Kendall Ross of Meryl Moss Media, NetGalley, and of course, the author, Tony Roth, for the gift of a free advanced review copy of Trigger Point. As always, my honest review and endorsement is given without any obligation to any. Trigger Point is a believable, thought-provoking, suspenseful thriller and I recommend it highly!

It is the 1980s and Nick, who grew up on a farm in the Midwest, is recruited into the CIA by his former coach, He is sent to Colombia undercover, as Sean, a student.

Unfortunately this went nowhere for me. There is little to no character development and nothing about this novel is compelling. Nick goes from point A to B to C with little suspense or drama. Even when he's killing someone, the writing is flat. It's as if the whole thing is being relayed by a disinterested reporter. I find Nick constantly being described as a "farm boy" demeaning. What's wrong with using the words farmer or son of farmers?

This one did not work for me. It's the first in a series, and unfortunately, I have no interest in reading the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

The synopsis for Trigger Point promises this: "You'll love this first novel in the Nicholas Ford series, torn from the pages of history and shows the struggle in Central America in a way you never imagined it. "
But I didn't love it. It's a gruesome tale of a young CIA operative dealing (and doubledealing) with drug lords and Communists in Colombia and Central America. The more he gets involved, the more corrupt he himself becomes. It is not pretty. I won't spoil it for other readers, but "Nick" cheats on his wife and kills people. All for the greater good? That seems preposterous as we look at that period in history today. The writing is serviceable with little flourish. I can see that the author had the best intentions, and I hope his next book is a sure winner.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Although Trigger Point is a work of fiction, the way the story is written and interwoven with real facts, it is almost difficult to believe that is not the way history was played. For those who read about all the drug dealing, money laundering, and weapons trading that happened under Daniel Ortega's rule, there is so much truth in the fictional story written by Tony Roth. Nick/Sean has all doubts as a human being, his conscience and his actions leave much to be desired by family values but not so much as a spy. Espionage asks a high price from him but the brotherhood he finds with Vincent, Richard, and John is stronger than that he finds with his brothers. For those readers who enjoy reading fast-paced stories, mix fiction and reality, and have quite a few interesting characters, Trigger Point is a must-read, it'll be fun, thrilling, and entertaining!

Reads like a poorly done police report.
Sean did this, then he did that, he said, they said….not much rounding out of the story. If I did not already know much of the Iran Contra real story, I would be completely lost.
In a word, boring.
Sorry, just how I feel about this one.