Let’s talk Thriller:

EVERY CROOKED PATH by Steven James is a prequel novel to the Bowers chess series.

 

Every Crooked Path

by Steven James
 
Series: The Bowers Files

Paperback and Kindle

590 pages

 

FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers investigates a murder, and simultaneously, investigates a suicide where the man’s clothing reveals an envelope which reads: Open only in the case of my death. The note inside says—he never did the things she claimed he did. Bowers also gets drawn into investigating the abduction of a small boy, and learns that NYPD Special Agent Tobin Cavanaugh’s, eight-year-old daughter was abducted and found dead eighteen months later. They compared that cold-case to the case of the missing boy to search for similarities.

But how do all these cases relate, or do they? The themes intertwine to reveal a path. The crooked path Patrick Bowers stumbles onto, which leads him deep into the dark world of child abduction/exploitation and human trafficking. He finds that the Web is involved and enlists the aid of an expert; Francis Edlemore, who is a wiz on the computer and software, and helps the agents go deep into the Dark Web and Tor. But that’s not deep enough. They must find someone else who actually knows how to maneuver the backstreets of Tor. And like any crooked road, the story has plenty of heart-pounding twists and curves. So hold on while James spins an eye-opening thriller.

The book does not show any graphic scenes but refers to the perpetrators of such crimes and how law enforcement in this story goes about finding them. In the first part of the book, the pacing was slower than the last half, but in doing so, the author is able to delve into the Dark Web, TOR, etc., that the offenders use and explain how the perpetrators work to lure children. That was interesting. Every Crooked Path enlightens the reader to how deep, dark, and dangerous the Web can be for young children. This is the type of cybercrime that could hit any unsuspecting family. 

I highly recommend Every Crooked Path to parents of schooled-aged children, but it is also an informative read, and a good thriller, for all adults. The book shows how the Web can actually help child abductors. James also did a brilliant job weaving the subplot through the story. 

Disclosure of Material Connection in accordance with Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255, which guides the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. I received a copy of this book from the publisher in hopes that I would read it and give an honest opinion/review, which I have done. All the above comments are my own and the way I view this book.