Review" MURDER IN PANAMA" by ROBERT HATTING
MURDER IN PANAMA by ROBERT HATTING is the first part of crime/adventure trilogy. REVOLUTION OF FOOLS is the second and HART RULES the third. All three parts are stand-alone books, connected by the main character Jimmy HART.
Jimmy Hart, retired S.E.A.L. member, lives his unconventional life in the island near the cost of Panamanian shore province Chiriquí. His attention is divided between his boat, his inventions and his strong trait for justice and altruism. Seems to be boring? Not at all!
Two Peace Corps volunteer female members in Panama during their day off lost their boat and spent a night on the uninhabited, unwelcome coastline. They were lucky to be noticed by a stranger, probably American, but evidently Panamanian resident. His straightforward attitude and body signed by evident burned scars spoke loud about his adventurous life. He rescued them and offered the hospitality of his house to recover and contact their officials. Jimmy Hart and his friend Lowdown evidently left an impression on Coreen and Sue. The chemistry between them and the eccentric surrounding of Jimmie’s existence became the main story line and exciting experience for a reader.
Author Robert Hatting is master in creating genuine and believable rescue missions for his main characters. They are always very sympathetic and while operating generally in a rough environment or conditions, they offer the company of a gentleman with a strong protective character towards women and dominating, unwavering attitude in every deed. After Ben Reed, the main character of the novel “Alaska be Damned!” Jimmy Hart is next, always a step ahead before an unexpected circumstances, uncompromising his high level of morals. Author creating this strong fictional character added an electrifying element to the story; however the special wit and ambiguous situations expect also matured, broad-minded reader ready to comprehend the depth of author’s wisdom and style.
Coreen, her boyfriend and Sue during the friendly visit of their rescuers became the first high pitch of the story. Coreen seeing her muscle-bound, by the testosterone driven boyfriend in the light of the responsive and caring, gentle attitude of Jimmy Hart realized the futile meaning of her factitious relationship. In the way to terminate it, she became the object of his abusive treating. However, the author added an unexpected twist to that scene and from the kidnapped and bitten Coreen became victim of the rape and life threatening from the trio of scoundrels.
Jimmy Hart on his rescue mission loosens his military drill and applies decisive command engaging new characters and background story. The medical emergency of the Coreen brought the flexibility and fast paced actions to a plot. Five murders and sixth awaiting over the unpublished manuscript describing repulsed advantages of ozone therapy by the traditional monopolistic health care providers brought to the front connections with other’s fictional characters of ROBERT HATTING’s books. Earlier mentioned Ben Reed, former governor of Alaska and Jerry Harding, former Jimmy’s teammate.
After Coreen’s recovery she became enthusiastic in applying the ozone therapy to practical use in the private clinic, established by Jimmy Hart. Quickly evolved emotional and sexual relationship between Coreen and Jimmy brought to the story a romantic element, believable and thanks to author’s style emotive while realistic.
Second apex and second Coreen’s involvement as a victim of poisoning with diethylene glycol, ripples the story to a complex, interconnected plot-lines: Coreen’s recovery and use of ozone therapy, search for an assassin, security of the 6th potential victim, CIA involvement.
Author deals with the intelligence in a convincing way: rather from the position of an operative than researcher, applying action driven scenes without a need to explain or describe preliminary facts. Managing descriptive elements of the story, author set the pace to be relaxed but fast flowing.
ROBERT HATTING living in Panama used his natural environment and the knowledge about to set the place for his scenes: authenticity of the site and familiarity with the habits makes this book “exotic” especially for readers out of Americas.
Combination of a strong male character with a romantic elements and rarely known real facts about the ozone therapy and other inventions mentioned in the book on the background of an intelligence operations, place the MURDER IN PANAMA by ROBERT HATTING on the shelves of internationally acclaimed bestsellers in a genre of espionage thrillers and crime/action thrillers.
I give MURDER IN PANAMA by ROBERT HATTING 5 stars for context and reader’s experience.
For the technical evaluation I give 4 stars. Technical evaluation is a private assessment, only for the author.
Reviewed on 6th September 2014
Gabrielle de la Fair
Editor-in-Chief
