Publishers Weekly
The risks in Riehl's follow-up to the successful espionage thriller Quantico Rules are literary as well as cloak-and-dagger. There's a sexy, dangerous villainess, a blonde assassin born Samantha Williamson but now named Sung Kim; the sleeper of the title, she was stolen from America as a child and trained in North Korea in various martial and felonious arts. Series hero FBI agent Puller Monk matches wits with her in an extended game of cat-and-mouse. But Monk's also besieged by serious personal problems, and Riehl devotes equal space to these in the novel. Monk's father finally dies after a long battle with Alzheimer's, and Monk wonders if he's losing his own mind to the same disease. Nevertheless, he accepts a secret assignment to find a priceless stolen painting. The reader knows from the beginning that the heist is the work of Sung Kim, now a killer agent of the dangerous North Korean regime. Indeed, some of the best chapters involve Washington insiders riffing on the current political situation here and abroad. Even Monk's involvement in the top-secret investigation has a stressful personal twist: William, the NSA operative who recruits Monk for the mission, catches him in a delicate moment with lady love Bethany. Could this possibly affect their working relationship? Riehl's second effort has a terrific surprise twist, but it lacks the substance to support the story's more serious concerns. Agent, Jean Naggar. (Mar.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Never mind WMD, it's those baby spies that make North Korea really scary. Consider Sung Kim, for example. She, like all ten of "the adopted children"-as North Korea euphemistically puts it-began her life as an American. Samantha Williamson she was called before being kidnapped for clandestine purposes, specifically as a future star in North Korea's dark and devious Division 39 Program. Brain-washed until the Yank in her is totally wiped out, trained within an inch of her life in languages and martial arts, as well as in the nether side of spy-craft: lying, cheating, tactical whoring-this aspect of her education in the hands of a distinguished array of top-level American criminals-she is then turned loose to commit unspeakable acts on behalf of her adopted country. So there's the redoubtable Sung Kim on assignment in the US, sent by her boss Cho Hyun to wreak terroristic havoc. And there's NSA Director Philip Carter, suddenly aware of the viper in the American midst after a painting worth $15 million is lifted: Sung Kim's sneaky signature style writ large. Enter Special Agent Puller Monk, making his second series appearance (after Quantico Rules, 2003), tapped by the director to tangle with North Korea's enfant terrible. Not that Monk is everybody's idea of a white-haired spy boy-far from it. Hopelessly addicted to gambling, a thorn in the side of entrenched bureaucracy, Monk and his ascension give rise to a legitimate question from a Carter colleague. With 15,000 agents to choose from, why him? It's a question echoed by Monk himself. "Because," says Carter, ever and unabashedly pragmatic, "you're a winner." But then so is Sung Kim, who's been sent by her masters to take aim at he whowalks tallest in the US corridors of power. Okay, winner against winner, winner take all. Thin characters, so-so plot. After a promising debut, the sophomore jinx. Agent: Jean Naggar/Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency
From the Publisher
A must-read, a suspense-packed cautionary tale of corruption told by an ex-FBI agent who isn't afraid to show us the ugly stuff on the inside. With this stunning debut novel, Gene Riehl has brought a fresh new voice to the world of crime fiction.” —Harlan Coben, bestselling author of No Second Chance and Gone for Good on Quantico Rules
“Quantico Rules is my kind of story. It is full of high tension, intrigue, and the details of life as an FBI agent that could have only come from a career agent himself. Gene Riehl has taken his experiences and turned them into a thriller that is good till the last page. But it is more than a page-turner. It is an incisive study of an agent battling the obstacles of bureaucracy to finally make his stand.” —Michael Connelly, bestselling author of Lost Light and City of Bones on Quantico Rules
“Stock up your refrigerator. Unplug the telephone. A master spy has arrived, and you're not going to want to leave home until you finish his smart debut thriller. In Quantico Rules, former FBI agent Gene Riehl swings wide the doors of Washington's secret back rooms in a search for power gone wrong. Full of authentic detail, bristling with fascinating characters, Quantico Rules proves Riehl is a new master of suspense.” —Gayle Lynds, bestselling author of Mesmerized and coauthor of Robert Ludlum’s The Altman Code on Quantico Rules
“Reading this debut novel is like finding a gold nugget when all you were expecting was a few pretty stones. The author, a former FBI agent, writes like a pro, and this is one of those thrillers you genuinely wish wouldn't end…Tightly plotted, with a couple of nice twists, the novel is jam-packed with atmosphere and behind-the-scenes detail. Riehl is writing about what he knows. But it isn't just verisimilitude; Monk is a strong lead, a believable character full of contradictions and obsessions we've only begun to explore. Further Monk adventures aren't just welcome; they're absolutely necessary.” —Booklist (starred review) on Quantico Rules
“Gene Riehl gives us something new, and possibly unique, with the introduction of Puller Monk in Quantico Rules…a promising debut.” —The Washington Times on Quantico Rules
“This first thriller by a former agent is sharply written, expertly plotted, and full of the kind of fascinating nuggets that can only be mined from actual experience…The best thing about Gene Riehl's narrator hero, Puller Monk, is that he is a recognizably real human being as well as a dedicated FBI agent.” —Chicago Tribune on Quantico Rules
“Riehl writes a lean, vigorous prose laced with self-deprecating humor, and as an ex-FBI man he fuels his story with fascinating insider details. . . Riehl's flawed but determined G-man should shake some of the rust off the FBI thriller genre. Readers will be clamoring for more from Agent Puller Monk.” —Publishers Weekly on Quantico Rules
“Entertaining debut thriller from an ex-FBI agent…A flawed but charismatic hero in a setting packed with authenticity.” —Kirkus Reviews on Quantico Rules
“Former FBI special agent Gene Riehl has come up with a dandy effort in his first novel, Quantico Rules. It's a combination political novel, thriller and spy story, complete with engaging characters, a racing plot and the kind of inside knowledge about the FBI that only a veteran could display...Riehl ties all this together into a tale of murder, blackmail and political corruption.” —Houston Chronicle on Quantico Rules
“Riehl has a light style and never lingers too long over background material or overdoes authentic details, surely a temptation when your insider knowledge is a selling point. Riehl's agent Monk is deeply flawed, which is an endearing quality in a fictional federal agent.” —Charlotte Observer on Quantico Rules
“[An] auspicious debut...a good thriller and an insightful look at the office politics of the FBI.” —Toronto Sun on Quantico Rules
“The plot is well crafted and suspenseful. . .Quantico Rules provides an entertaining story as well as an insider's view of the FBI.” —Chicago Sun-Times on Quantico Rules
“A dandy debut...Riehl knows the territory and portrays it with convincing and often chilling precision. To his insider knowledge, he adds the talent of a first-rate storyteller who keeps the action moving briskly while never easing up on the suspense button. With this riveting thriller, Riehl takes his place in the front ranks of San Diego's crime writers.” —San Diego Union-Tribune on Quantico Rules
“Quantico Rules will rule the FBI thriller set with its powerful investigative tale…Monk is a great protagonist…a strong tale that demonstrates Gene Riehl's real skills to spin an exciting story.” —Midwest Book Reviews on Quantico Rules
