New Orleans attorney Jonathan Brooks is desperate to rebuild his law firm after Hurricane Katrina. Short on clients, he takes the only work he can find: a murky business deal in Ukraine. But after he lands in Kyiv, his client’s executive vanishes. Suspecting foul play, Jonathan enlists the help of a U.S. diplomat. But the next day they are brutally ambushed. Injured and racing against the clock, Jonathan embarks on a frantic search for clues through the back alleys of Kyiv to an abandoned town near Chernobyl. Meanwhile, Jonathan’s ex-wife Linda, a journalist, lands in North Korea to report on historic nuclear disarmament talks. She begins probing local officials, not realizing that she and Jonathan are both on a collision course with a deadly web of hackers, spies and assassins. To uncover the truth and save them both, Jonathan may have only one option: to go to Pyongyang with as much leverage as possible and try to make it out alive.

The Pyongyang Option by A. C. Frieden is an espionage thriller setup in Pyongyang, North Korea. The book portrays the adventurous journey of Jonathan Brooks, the protagonist, to unveil the truth behind a fellow business man’s disappearance. A. C. Frieden is one of the few western authors who has visited North Korea as a part of the research for this novel.

I have not read such a story before that takes place in different countries across the globe. The reader would come across around five countries in the book. It is indeed a delight to experience those places through words.

The language used is lucid. The incidents like Chernobyl nuclear explosion, Katrina Hurricane and the Non-Proliferation Treaty are important events in the story, so those help to enhance the reliability of the book. The factor in the novel which excites me a lot is the sophisticated information from cybersecurity to the functioning of various intelligence bureaus of nations. I must say it’s an informative read too. And kudos to the author who has done effective research for this novel.

The Pyongyang Option is the latest book in the Jonathan Brooks series. So the character building of the main protagonist, Mr Brooks, has already been done through the previous books. I think to know more about characters, it is better to read previous books in this series. At the same time, you could pick this up since each novel in the series tells you different stories.

Hello guys!🙂
The review of “The Pyongyang Option” by @acfrieden is up on my blog. Do check it out.
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LINK: https://t.co/34IQnQeANR
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— Neslin Najeeb (@nomadicbrainz) April 29, 2019

Even though the plot building is spot on, there are a few loose ends. After having read the book, I was puzzled by one or two mysteries that left unsolved. The story seems to lag at points due to the vast descriptions on topography, characters etc.  The novel could have been even more exciting if the author had added more twists and turns. Despite these, it is an action-packed thriller that would keep readers on the edge of their seat.

The storyline is new, so I think, it has the potential to feature into a film. I would recommend this book to everyone especially those who love a thrilling world tour through books.