Tommy Jump is an out-of-work stage actor approached by the FBI with the role of a lifetime: Go undercover at a federal prison, impersonate a convicted felon, and befriend a fellow inmate who knows the location of documents that can be used to bring down a ruthless drug cartel. By award-winning author Brad Parks.
This novel packs on the suspenseful surprises and plot reversals that made Parks a mainstay on the best-seller lists, but it's not just gritty and dark. With a lighter approach, Parks focuses on enduring characters and sharp wordplay, perfect for those who like their thrillers witty rather than bloody. Even if they aren't fans of Broadway musicals, readers will want to seek out this one.
May be [Parks'] best yet ... The Last Act possesses two notable virtues. One is excellent characterizations. Parks not only makes Tommy believable but does the same for numerous others, including his admirable girlfriend, his difficult mother, his huge, possibly dangerous cellmate, the poker-playing convict who has the secrets and the slippery FBI agent he trusts, perhaps unwisely. The other is a roller-coaster plot that serves up endless surprises. Whatever you think is coming next probably isn’t.
A Brad Parks novel offers two pleasures. One is watching a stunning talent at work. The other—operating almost apart from the first— is getting wrapped in the coils of a fiendishly clever thriller. Parks here works his magic ... The prose is hypnotic, the emotions genuine, the characters warm and alive. And the revelations as the masks drop are for Parks to reveal. Readers are not likely to scorn Tommy because he got fooled. So will they.
