Let me tell you what I love about Dick Wolf's Jeremy Fisk novels. THE ULTIMATUM is the third in the series, and they cannot be beat for intense, clever, thrill-a-page plots. Wolf is an incredibly detailed author and -- as you might expect from the creator of the "Law & Order" franchise -- he knows police procedure and New York City backwards. Reading each scene, you get a sense of how everything looks, how the people are acting, what the weather is, not so much as to be tedious, but enough that you can picture it all very clearly. He introduces you to even minor characters, so that they become real people -- and sometimes those individual idiosyncrasies figure in later.
Wolf is also a master of tying in the latest technology, trends in crime and terrorism, and current events. Many times a plot point will remind me of something I've seen in the news this week and had to marvel that Wolf wrote the scene months ago. I'm quite sure that months from now, something similar to a point in this novel will be making the headlines. In THE ULTIMATUM, we have covert surveillance, cybersecurity, and drones. Detective Fisk enjoys having advanced tools to fight crime, but in this novel he sees firsthand the dark side in having every aspect of your life tied in to the grid. Playing devil's advocate, at least part of the time, is reporter Chay Maryland, who's ready to go to prison to protect a man who stole and leaked dangerous classified documents.
THE ULTIMATUM is like a braided rope. Three distinct threads make up the plot and they twist and curve together, then split off again. It is amazing, fast-paced, thoughtful and intelligent, and it will surely delight readers who enjoy thrillers, spy novels, police procedurals, and mysteries. You can probably read THE ULTIMATUM without reading the two other Fisk novels -- THE INTERCEPT and THE EXECUTION -- but I recommend starting at the beginning. They're all excellent reads and much of the plot in the third book builds off events in the first two.
Detective Jeremy Fisk tracks a serial sniper who has mastered state-of-the-art airborne technology to hunt his prey in this chilling thriller from the
New York Times bestselling author and creator of the Law & Order franchise.
When a leaker named Verlyn Merritt releases sensitive documents from the NYPD Intelligence Division to WikiLeaks, some of the deadliest criminals have access to Detective Jeremy Fiskβs unlisted home address. Within hours, three mysterious assailants arrive at his Sutton Place apartment. Who are they and why do they want Fisk dead?
Authorities quickly identify and arrest Merritt. But the case takes a sinister twist when an anonymous third party makes threats if authorities donβt release Merritt immediately. Forced from his home and his bank accounts drained, Fisk confronts Chay Maryland, a reporter who has been covering Merrittβs case. Fisk wants the journalistβs help to get close to the leakerβto find out what Merritt really wants and who else is involved.
The investigation is nearly derailed when a serial sniper begins shooting people on the street who seem to have no connection to Merrittβs case. The killerβs aim is eerily accurateβand Fisk believes the shooter might be using a drone rigged with unusual sighting capabilities. Then the sniper contacts the New York Times and promises to kill one person every day, βfor the greater good of the citizens of America.
With the clock ticking and millions of lives at stake, Fisk and Chay must find the mastermind before he can wreak havoc on a city paralyzed by fear.
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