Pax Britannica/ The Friends of Eddy Relish by Paul Dalzell-reviews

PAX BRITANNICA
(Golden Anvil #1)
by Paul Dalzell

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 18, 2019

Forget anything you know about history in the last 400 years. England’s Glorious Revolution failed. A descendant of the Stewarts, King James the Fifth occupies the British throne in 2006 and the British Empire is the dominant world power. The British Empire monopoly on nuclear weapons is challenged by the theft of five atom bombs. Imperial Secret Service Chief, Sir Anthony Raja, summons Mick Doyle to recover the missing weapons, suspected to be hidden in a German run gold mine in British New Guinea. Doyle is warned at the beginning of the mission that ‘everything in New Guinea will be trying to kill him.’ It seems as if New Guinea is trying to make good on that promise.

The recovery of the nuclear weapons is the toughest mission Doyle has ever undertaken. From the start, the mission is dogged by bad-luck and an ingenious enemy, always one-step ahead. His team must survive hostile New Guinea warriors, man-eating sharks and crocodiles, venomous snakes and a Chinese military force allied to the Germans.

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REVIEW: PAX BRITANNICA is the first instalment in Paul Dalzell’s GOLDEN ANVIL adult, slightly dystopian, fictionalized story of alternate history that follows UK’s Imperial Secret Service (ISS) agent Mick Doyle as he is tasked with recovering five missing nuclear explosives believed to be hidden, in a German run gold mine, in British New Guinea. Along with fellow ISS agents Alexandra McCall, and May Pilgrim, Mick Doyle goes under cover in an attempt to locate the bombs, and take down the people in charge.

NOTE: Due to the graphic nature of the story line content, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.

The year is 2006, and the British Empire is the world’s dominant power. Having lost three wars to the United Kingdom, Germany, along with China, gain a foothold in the arm’s race as they prepare to ransom their stolen ‘wares’ to the highest bidder. From the outset, our hero has been targeted by the enemy, an enemy that is determined to take down ISS agent Mick Doyle, at all costs. Not only does Mick have to defend himself against potential assassins but the wilds of British New Guinea continues to make an example of our story line hero.

PAX BRITANNICA is an intricately detailed story of what if. An action packed, fast paced look at politics, espionage, vengeance and authority. The British Empire’s ISS agency is desperate to recover the missing nuclear weapons, weapons with enough power to wipe out most countries. The political content is vast, varied and comprehensive; the numerous characters are colorful, energetic and ambitious; there is a building romance and relationship between Mick Doyle and Alexandra McCall.

As to the meaning of ‘Pax Britannica’, it translates to British Peace: a state of relative international peace between the Great Powers regarded as overseen by the UK, originally observed during the nineteenth century.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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THE FRIENDS OF EDDY RELISH
by Paul Dalzell & Gerard Radley
Genre: contemporary, adult, political suspense

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 16, 2019

Failed Hollywood actor Eddy Relish falls into the hands of bible-quoting gangster, Bill Blake, and must become a drug mule. Eddy is menaced not only by Bill Blake but also by Abdul Madbul, an Albanian superspy turned Islamist terrorist. A chance encounter in Paris makes Eddy the only person who can identify this terrorist. Cynthia Tzin, whose Hollywood bar is a front for Chinese intelligence, rescues Eddy. She offers Eddy a Faustian pact: become a Chinese intelligence asset, and she will protect Eddy and help rebuild his Hollywood career. Eddy’s first assignment is simple—become a star again and bait a trap set to catch Madbul. The trap is set at a Las Vegas party hosted by a Chinese billionaire. Madbul and Bill both appear at the party to collect their dues from Eddy. Cynthia’s abilities are put to the test to ensure Eddy emerges alive and unscathed from this ordeal.

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REVIEW: THE FRIENDS OF EDDY RELISH co-authored by Paul Dalzell and Gerard Radley is a contemporary, adult, political suspense story focusing on former Hollywood star Eddy Relish, whose life is no longer his own. A washed up actor who found himself in the seedy underbelly of sex, drugs and alcohol addiction, Eddy will unwittingly become a pawn in the world of high stakes espionage, intelligence and international terrorism. Hoping to reinvigorate his career, Eddy unknowingly becomes the bait to take down an Islamist terrorist, a terrorist who has targeted Eddy for termination. A deal with the devil pushes Eddy into dangerous circumstances, danger of which he knew little about.

Told from several third person perspectives, THE FRIENDS OF EDDY RELISH is a slow building story line that follows several intersecting and diverging paths that culminates in Las Vegas where all of the significant people, and events that have played a part in Eddy’s journey will be pushed together in an explosive reveal. From a bible spewing loan shark, to Islamist terrorists and Chinese intelligence, Eddy’s life spirals out of control but a spiral Eddy is blissfully unaware. At times I questioned what appeared to be the unnecessary introduction of yet another character, circumstance or situation but eventually everything and everyone fell into place in orderly fashion. The premise is intriguing and fascinating; the characters are colorful, diverse and eclectic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy