Pacific Book Review

Reviewed by: Carol Davala
Rating: 4 Star Review

In the wake of recent terrorist attacks that have headlined across the globe, and with the hopeful speeches of Presidential candidates that look to eradicate the encroaching extremists, author J. Filter presents a timely and provocative modern day fictional story, infused with all the dramatic elements of militant forces, radical fighters, drug cartels and the DEA in his suspense novel Cyanide.

In Cyanide we witness a terrorist group with ties to the Middle East, as they plot to contaminate a large shipment of cocaine that has made its way into the US. The addition of a toxic chemical compound into the drugs will not only produce violent deaths for all the habitual addicts that come in contact with it, but this lethal weapon will also infiltrate the world of casual users. Meanwhile, with the death of an officer in a drug raid, Agent Ken Riley, aka Johnny, goes undercover to seek vengeance for the shootings. It is here that Filter’s suspenseful plot thickens and takes on a new dimension. A key concern arises when the drug hierarchy becomes aware of the terrorists’ intentions knowing a tainted product will not only bring the Feds down on them, but such actions will wreak havoc with their billion-dollar business. Now the conflict becomes triangular as law enforcement looks to eliminate the drug cartel, the greed of the drug lords is at odds with the radical group tampering with their product, and suddenly the DHS and fellow agencies face the challenge of this biochemical attack
on U.S. soil.

Filter’s well-paced, action-filled narrative takes readers along on a ride up and down the Eastern seaboard, and across continents to South America and the Middle East. Chapter headings designate geographic locations and lend continuity to the three-fold scenario. Within a well-crafted novel that speaks to the reality of present day concerns, Filter creates ruthless and diabolical enemy characters.

Early on we witness rebel fighters chatting on computers with young females around the world convincing them to travel to the Middle East in support of their fight. Many are raped and forced to bear the jihadists’ children, in an effort to grow their army and caliphate the states of the region. From the first test injection of the toxic chemical compound into an unsuspecting Arab woman, the result is a violent and convulsive demise. Subsequent deaths from the tainted drugs distributed throughout the U.S. leave a trail of burning and bleeding bodies that expel their internal organs. It seems a pointed commentary on the use of recreational drugs in this country, as the author portrays the horrific and untimely deaths of individuals from all walks of life. Here the effects are far reaching, including a pilot who crashes into a control tower, a collapsing prison guard, restaurant owner, EMT driver, basketball player, and more. Filter heightens the heart-pounding drama of his work with fine detail. In this caustic landscape layered in sand storms, shootouts, robberies, and attacks by drones, we witness culturally defined terrorists who eat around a communal food bowl, drugs muled across borders in female breast implants, and money transformed into sculptured gold. In this chaotic world, secret passageways provide getaways and dead bodies get directed for disposal in acid baths.

In the final moments of this work, Filter delivers both a literal and figurative cliff hanger. Undoubtedly it is a reflection of the overlapping events that bring the central characters to their precarious states. Whether there is conflict across international borders, or seeing the violence and destruction come to our own home turf, nerves are fractured and we are put on high alert. In the same way, Filter’s captivating work draws us in and rattles our peace of mind. While there is a calm in moments of the storyline when justice is served, more often it exemplifies a raw and powerful, high-stakes cautionary tale.