Brilliance

This is a fast-paced techno-thriller type of book set in the near future or maybe more specifically a current “alternate” world. Brilliants are people who start being born with gifts of intelligence and at first they were just a little more frequent than they have been throughout history, but at some point, they became about 1% of births. Some had mild gifts, while others were so talented that they broke the financial system by exploiting the patterns there.

This story follows the struggle of Nick Cooper, agent in an elite force whose goal it is to track down terrorists in the brilliants community and not only to protect regular “humanity” but also hopefully prevent all-out war. He, too, is a brilliant, with the talent of being able to read body language so well that he not only is a human lie detector, but he can see the punch you're about to throw before you even start it.

This one is a fun romp. Somewhat reminiscent of the Jason Bourne novels, with action combined with just a touch of political intrigue. I enjoyed it tremendously. The characters are well-written (given the pacing, there isn't unlimited depth there) and the protagonist is likable as are the supporting cast. The situations are interesting and believable. Overall, this is a great summer read.

* This is also a Kindle Unlimited book with KU Audio included, which makes it a great choice if you subscribe to that service (as I do). Also, it is book 1 of a 3 book series (all are KU titles)