US Review of Books

Falcon: Birds of Flight - Book Four

"Burns found himself at odds of normally being able to figure out things fast but not having a clue as to what was happening to him now."

Former FIA Agent Alexander J. Burns returns in the fourth installment of this fast-paced series, this time in a bind that he is unable to escape from alone. After allowing himself to be captured by his former boss and current nemesis, Eric Icarus Daniels, Burns is heavily drugged and transported to an unknown location while chaos surrounds him. The FBI is interested in locating both Burns and Daniels for the damage they've caused to America's global relations, but also for personal reasons including love and vengeance respectively. Another former FIA operative, Jeffrey Glenn, has unfinished business after being used by Daniels as a pawn and being dragged into Burns' affairs. As the paths of these highly trained and deadly men intersect for a final conflict, Burns must decide if he needs to be saved, or if the recent supernatural dreams he has been having are calling him to do the saving.

The latest entry of this series takes a few unexpected directions, but fans of the series and these characters will be satisfied with the conclusion and closure this book provides. There is still action for those who like that most about the series, but the plot is advanced on two major threads: the manhunt for Burns and Daniels and a collection of brief visits Burns has with old friends in the apparent afterlife. Because of the latter, readers can reunite with characters from the earlier books as Burns tries to find a way to save himself and others, both physically and spiritually. With a decidedly different tone, this is still a great read that offers plenty of closure without total finality. Like any good thriller, this book leaves just enough threads untied to make readers hungry for more. - Michael Radon