Title: Rising Phoenix
Author: Kyle Mills
First published August 1, 1997
374 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9780061012488 (ISBN10: 0061012483)
Rating: 3.9
Overview
In the thrilling novel “Rising Phoenix” by Kyle Mills, readers are introduced to Special Agent Mark Beamon, a man who doesn’t play by the FBI’s rules. He’s been relegated to a low-level position in a remote area, but when a dangerous extremist group starts attacking emergency rooms across the country, Beamon is called back to Washington to stop them.
Working alongside a highly efficient female agent, Beamon faces a daunting challenge: stop the killing, even if it means going against the will of millions who secretly support the group’s cause. As the body count rises, Beamon discovers that his enemy is someone he knows well – a former law enforcement colleague who is now one of the most dangerous killers he’s ever faced.
With his own life on the line, Beamon must use all his expertise to bring the killer to justice, and in the process, he begins to question why he was chosen for this perilous mission. Fans of pulse-pounding suspense will be on the edge of their seats as they follow Beamon’s race against time to stop the rising phoenix of terror.
About the Author
I spent my childhood in Oregon but have lived in many different places throughout my life, including D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and London. My father worked for the FBI, so I was a “bureau kid,” similar to an army brat.
This meant that I moved around a lot, but I fared better than some of my peers.
One positive aspect of my upbringing was that I absorbed a lot of information about the FBI, CIA, and Special Forces. As a young boy, I was fascinated by stories of chasing criminals, imagining it all in the most romantic terms possible.
Little did I know, this esoteric knowledge would end up being useful in my future career.
I came into writing from a strange angle. When I graduated college in the late eighties, I had the same dream as everyone else at the time: a corporate job, a nice car, and a big house.
But it turns out that lifestyle wasn’t for me. I did take a corporate job, but I drove a beat-up Jeep and lived in a small house in a so-so Baltimore neighborhood.
Most of my money just accumulated in my checking account, and I found myself increasingly drawn to unconventional, artistic people.
Then I discovered rock climbing. I read an article on climbing in college and thought it looked amazing.
One weekend in the early nineties, I took lessons and unknowingly began an obsession that still hangs with me today. I started dating a girl who also liked to climb, and we decided to move somewhere with taller rocks and more open space.
Wyoming was the best decision we ever made.
The people in Wyoming are incredible. You might meet someone on a bike ride and find out they were in the Olympics, climbed Everest, or just got back from two months trekking in Nepal.
In a roundabout way, it was these people who made it possible for me to write a novel. They seemed to have no limitations.
Everything was possible for them, and I wanted to be that type of person too.
At the time, I was working for a small bank in Jackson Hole, spending my days making business loans and my afternoons and weekends climbing. For some reason, it finally occurred to me that I’d never actually tried to be creative.
Maybe I could make something from nothing. My wife suggested I write a novel, which seemed like a dumb idea at first since I majored in finance and avoided English courses in college.
But eventually, the idea nagged at me long enough that I felt compelled to put pen to paper. Eight months later, I finished Rising Phoenix, and about a year after that, I managed to get it published.
The success of Rising Phoenix and my subsequent books has allowed me to make a living as a writer, which isn’t bad work if you can get it. Other than that, my life hasn’t changed all that much.
Aging elbows have forced me to replace climbing with backcountry skiing and mountain bike racing. I also had the not-so-smart idea of restoring an old pickup to replace the dying Jeep.
And of course, I still live in Wyoming.
Editoral Review
Rising Phoenix by Kyle Mills is a thriller novel that was first published on August 1, 1997. Mills is an American author who received high praise for his Mitch Rapp series, which he started writing after taking over the legacy of Vince Flynn.
This particular book is a standalone novel that follows the story of a father who takes it upon himself to take down an international arms dealer who killed his wife and child. The novel is a fast-paced thriller that follows Jim and his friend Steven as they go on a global quest to take down the arms dealer who destroyed Jim’s life.
The characters are well developed, and the relationships between them are dynamic and complex. The setting is varied, taking the reader from the suburbs of Virginia to the mountain ranges of Afghanistan.
The book is a reflection of the time it was published in, where terrorist attacks and international arms dealing were very much in the public eye. It explores themes of revenge, justice, and the consequences of violence.
It also raises questions about government corruption and the effectiveness of the military-industrial complex. The strength of the novel comes from Mills’ ability to write action scenes that are both engaging and realistic.
The pacing is well done, with just the right amount of exposition and dialogue to keep the story moving forward without losing the reader’s interest. The themes are explored in depth, but never to the point of moralizing or lecturing.
On the downside, the novel relies heavily on cliches and tropes that are common in thriller novels. There are moments where the story feels predictable, and the ending is somewhat anticlimactic.
Furthermore, there is limited character development outside of the main characters, making it harder to connect with some of the peripheral figures. Overall, Rising Phoenix is a well-written thriller that will appeal to fans of the genre.
It is an engaging book that moves quickly, explores important themes, and draws upon real-life situations to create a compelling story. While it has some flaws, it is still a solid read, and one that is worth checking out.
For those who enjoy fast-paced thrillers with a heavy dose of action, Rising Phoenix is an excellent choice. The detail-oriented writing style and realistic action scenes will keep readers engaged from beginning to end.
Despite its flaws, this is a well-written and thought-provoking novel that will leave a lasting impact on readers. For these reasons, I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an exciting and meaningful read.
Rating: 4/5
