Amok, a review by Joanna

Dox – short for unorthodox, because of his unconventional military escapades in Afghanistan, is a former US Marine who has returned home to Abilene, Texas, to face his father Roy, who was imprisoned fifteen years earlier for domestic abuse, but is now up for parole. Dox’s mother and sister are terrified that Roy will get out and seek revenge, but Carl still hopes his father has changed. The offer of a short-term contract with a big payday for the CIA in East Timor seems like a chance to solve his dilemma, but when he learns that the target is a beautiful young doctor intent on saving lives in a Dili clinic, Dox starts to wonder if he’s joined the wrong side…

I have only read the first two Rain books – although intend to catch up with the rest eventually, so don’t know how much of Dox’s history has already been revealed, but this book would work perfectly as a stand-alone or introduction to the later series. This was a fantastic recent-historical thriller that focuses on Timor-Leste’s struggle for independence after the Indonesian invasion – not something I knew very much about. Both Dox and Isobel are highly likeable characters, and I loved the way their relationship developed, even if it was all very fast. Bad guy Joko was a scarily sinister antagonist, and while obviously you know Dox is going to survive, this still had plenty of tension. At the end the author lists all his references including some interesting web links which indicate which aspects of the story are based on fact – much more of it than I had realised, as it turns out. I thoroughly enjoyed this and hope we’ll get more Dox adventures. 4.5 rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC.