“Saving Sophie” by Ronald H. Balson – A Parental Determination
The second book, titled Saving Sophie, tells the story of a father who is not only accused in a massive embezzlement case, but also whose wife just died and daughter just got kidnapped by her maternal grandmother, a suspected terrorist in Palestine.
Ronald H. Balson Presents the World's Most Hapless Father
The majority of parents thankfully go through their trials within the scope of what's considered normal, and even so they'd likely all testify to it being a baptism by fire. In Ronald H. Balson's Saving Sophie, the second book in the Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockhart series, we make the acquaintance of a father whose trials are largely in the realms of the abnormal.
Jack Sommers spent much of his adult life as a relative unremarkable accountant in Chicago, until everything was flipped on its head in an instant. First, his wife passes away. Second, his daughter is kidnapped by her maternal grandmother, a suspected terrorist in Palestine. Third, Jack also becomes the main suspect in a major embezzlement case, of which he is definitely guilty.
The only thing left for Jack to do is go on the run and hope to outrun the feds long enough to get his daughter back. However, Jack isn't left to face the darkness entirely on his own as Liam and Catherine enter the scene, as well as a new CIA operative.
They begin planning a secret mission hoping to kill two birds with one stone: rescue Sophie from her captors, and prevent a major terrorist attack from occurring in Hebron. Time is running short, especially for Jack, and there is no shortage of roadblocks for them to get through.
The fire of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is still burning strong, and the CIA team is bound to find itself at the very centre of the crossfire. The question only remains as to how much they're willing to sacrifice to bring Sophie home and save the lives of countless other people who may never even know they were in danger.
The Flaming Puzzle of the Middle East in Saving Sophie
With this being the second book in the series, I think it's only fair to compare it to the first one, at least on a surface level. You certainly don't need to be acquainted with the first book to enjoy this one, though I would recommend you take a look at it for its own merits.
In any case, I found the second entry into this series feels a lot more action-packed and even better-paced than the first one, truly adopting the structure of a legal thriller. The events unfold through short and sweet chapters narrated by different characters, and none of them drag their heels in the development of the story.
At first, the story is laid before us through crucial bits of information here and there, creating a sort of mysterious puzzle which ultimately points us to the Middle East. As the reader, I found myself heavily engaged in trying to connect all the dots together, between the kidnapping, the death of Jack's wife, the terror plot and the stolen money. There's more than enough food for thought to keep you busy.
The plot doesn't tease us with all of these elements for too long, taking us on a trip from Chicago, to Hawaii, to Israel and finally to the city of Hebron in Palestine. When all the details of the puzzle are all aligned, the story turns into a full-blown thriller with plenty of action, twists and betrayals which actually felt fitting and understandable.
From a pure entertainment perspective, this is a novel I can comfortably qualify as a page-turner, further reinforced by the simple, effective and concise prose which remains highly enjoyable from start to finish. The Middle Eastern setting and the underlying tensions it brings are also used quite effectively to create an atmosphere of omnipresent danger, giving the plot an extra bit of urgency.
The Schemes of Evil
On one hand, this novel is a fast-paced thriller focused on entertaining the reader and carrying the action from point A to point B in as straight a line as possible. On the other hand, this novel also finds time for some interesting character development and thought-provoking insights into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In my opinion, this is a rather remarkable feat which most authors in the genre aren't exactly able to replicate. To begin with, we learn a good deal about Jack through his actions and dialogue, rather than being faced with an exposition of his past. As a matter of fact, this goes for most of the characters in this book, integrating their development into the progression of the story.
Rather than being just a vehicle for us to drive through the pages, Jack becomes, with time, an increasingly interesting protagonist as we get to peer deeper and deeper into his inner world, his hopes and dreams, and his love for his daughter, the sole remaining driving force in his life.
The villains in this story are also something to behold, with their evil schemes being of the kind to surpass the worst man-made calamities we've seen yet. Nevertheless, Ronald H. Balson manages to make their actions and philosophies explainable (but naturally, not justifiable).
As far as Catherline Lockhart and Liam Taggart are concerned, this novel is one which focuses much more on the latter of the two. While we do get some scenes with Catherine here and there, Liam is our lead for this excursion. Their new CIA operative, Kayla Cummings, is also a welcome addition to the story, having her own agenda and concerns which seem to far eclipse everyone else's problems.
Finally, there are also the few short sidesteps we take away from the main story to learn about the history of Israel and its people. As far as I am aware, Balson is correct in every fact he presents, and in case you were worried, he doesn't take any sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, preferring to focus on the horror and death it brings for everyone involved.
The Final Verdict
Saving Sophie by Ronald H. Balson is an amazing addition to the Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockhart series, in my opinion being even slightly superior to the first novel. It's a remarkable work with complex characters, an exciting story and revealing excursions into historical topics.
If you're looking for a unique and memorable novel mixing Jewish literature and legal thriller together, then I highly recommend you give this book, and the series as a whole a try.
 | Ronald H. BalsonRonald H. Balson primarily considers himself as an attorney with the firm Stone, Pogrund and Korey, operating in the Chicago area. His many cases have taken him across the U.S. as well as on the international scene, and he even became an author when he wrote his widely-acclaimed book, Once We Were Brothers. |
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