Reviews - Pernicious Pursuit
Reviewed By Susan Sewell for Readers’ Favorite
The leader of an illegal multi-billion dollar international conglomerate seeks retribution from the man who betrayed him in the gripping suspense novel, Pernicious Pursuit (A Howard Knight Escapade) by Gary D. McGugan. Howard Knight embezzled millions of dollars from his crime boss, Mareno. To protect himself and Janet, his companion, from the wrath of Mareno, Howard offers his knowledge of the multinational syndicate to the authorities.
As a result, an United States agency places Howard and Janet in witness protection in the Netherlands. When police impersonators abduct Howard in the middle of the night, Janet manages to escape from their balcony. Believing Howard has been gruesomely murdered, Janet covertly travels to a safe home he selected she go to in an emergency.
While Howard dodges and skirts around his enemies, Janet begins training to assist those who are protecting potential victims of Mareno and his confederates. However, Mareno has almost unlimited resources and is actively seeking them. Can Janet and Howard escape Mareno's evil clutches? Will they ever be reunited?
Pernicious Pursuit (A Howard Knight Escapade) by Gary D. McGugan is an intense novel. The story is well-written, with a fully developed plot and characters. It covers some of the shocking facts and ethics behind human trafficking, which left me reeling. The plight of the victims is horrifyingly accurate and is a haunting, unforgettable tale.
The background is artfully set in Europe, enhancing the plotline with an international flavor. This riveting story will entertain those who love exciting, action-packed novels with vile antagonists and unsavory elements the protagonist must overcome. Because of the explicit sexual situations, language, and graphic violence, the book is only suitable for a more mature reader.
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Reader Views - Pernicious Pursuit: A Howard Knight Escapade by Gary McGugan is an exhilarating whirlwind of adventure, thrills and suspense. The risks are great and the rewards are sweet in this high-speed race to stay alive – whatever the cost. Howard Knight, former financial guru for The Organization is now in the witness protection program, safe from his nemesis, Giancarlo Mareno. Or is he? When his safe house is raided and he’s taken prisoner, Howard must do whatever it takes to escape from the men who would turn him over to the vicious crime lord. His lover, Janet Weissel, gets away undetected.
Now on the run, Janet encounters her own set of challenges, but is given an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of women all over the world – if she’s up to the task. But there’s one final mission before she can begin her new life. Organized crime, murder, revenge, betrayal and the ultimate sacrifice, Howard and Janet face impossible odds against foes with unlimited resources who will stop at nothing in the pursuit of power and revenge.
I have been looking forward to this book ever since I finished McGugan’s last book, Unrelenting Peril, the third book in his Multima Trilogy of Corporate Intrigue. McGugan excels at many aspects of writing, which is why it’s such a pleasure to read his work. He’s precise, thorough, consistent and has an incredible imagination! He writes everything from the grisly to the sultry with the same finesse.
The layers he weaves into his plot through conflict keeps readers guessing, the level of detail is unparalleled and I guarantee you won’t figure anything out that he doesn’t want you to know about ahead of time. It’s amazing to me how McGugan continues to take his stories up a notch book after book, each one better than the last.
What I missed most after finishing The Multima Trilogy was the characters and I was happy to participate in a reunion of sorts with a few of the returning players. Howard Knight was always one of my favorites and whether I liked him or not, he always got my attention. That is the key to McGugan’s characters – they have a tendency to grow and evolve into much more than you might ever expect, boldly shifting back and forth between the thin line separating good and evil. I love not knowing what to expect and it was exciting to see different sides of both Howard and Janet – what’s the expression – you’ve come a long way baby!
There are also a couple of new female characters I hope to see more of, along with a major comeback of a fierce femme fatale. Pernicious Pursuit hits many topics relative to the world we live in today and touches upon significant issues like human trafficking, a global pandemic, corporate greed, corruption, misogyny, etc. There’s no holding back and that’s just the way I like it. “Pernicious Pursuit” is a fast-paced, exciting read that will keep you on your toes from the first page to the very last sentence. I highly recommend Pernicious Pursuit and all of the other books by Gary McGugan – they are simply magnificent.
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Cheryl - I loved this book! From the moment I picked it up is was very hard to put it down. From the first three novels, Three Weeks Less a Day, The Multima Scheme and Unrelenting Peril, I had definitely formed an opinion about Howard Knight and Janet Weissel. There had been no thought that my opinion could have changed.
Reading about their challenges trying to escape the grips of the "Organization" absolutely changed my mind. The way the characters evolved was totally unexpected. As always, the thrill of reading about the different locations and the excellent descriptions made me feel like I was right there in the middle of everything.
Everything about the book was totally realistic and completely challenged my mind to figure out how all of these events could actually happen so quickly. Even if you have not read the first three books, you will love Pernicious Persuit but only if you love a fast pace, action packed, multicultural and multilocational genre with on the edge of your seat anticipation for the next page! I hope you all enjoy this book as much as I did. Can't wait for the next novel....
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Reviewed By Debjani Ghosh for Readers’ Favorite
After spilling the beans against the criminal outfit The Organization, for whom he used to previously work, Howard Knight is under the FBI’s witness protection. However, The Organization’s reach is far and wide. It does not take long to find his hiding spot in the Netherlands from where goons kidnap him.
His lover and partner-in-crime, Janet Weissel, barely escapes. As Janet tries to chart her future course of action, Howard, meanwhile, is doing everything to stay alive—barely. Will he survive The Organization’s brutal torture, or will he be another nameless victim of this nefarious criminal outfit? Read Pernicious Pursuit by Gary D. McGugan to find out.
McGugan’s Pernicious Pursuit is an action-packed, thrilling tale of survival where the odds are stacked against the bad guy with a good heart. The Organization’s boss is as ruthless and dangerous as Wilson Fisk, the crime lord in Marvel’s Daredevil. With its vast resources—goons, thugs, and top-level government employees on its payroll—it takes every iota of cunning Howard possesses to stay a step ahead of his captors.
The cat-and-mouse chase throughout the book, coupled with short chapters, maintains the breakneck momentum of the narrative. McGugan provides detailed descriptions of the working of the criminal activities; however, this is not an information dump and does not slow the action. These thorough descriptions, rather, provide an insight into the workings of a criminal mind and a deep-rooted, worldwide nefarious organization.
Against the backdrop of such a formidable organization out to grab Howard, I was rooting for him throughout. I was curious how he would thwart the combined attempts of the police and the said outfit. Let’s just say, Howard did pick up a few important survival skills during his employment with The Organization. Further, there are some bad-ass female characters hogging considerable limelight, rather than being relegated to stereotypical, secondary characters as in typical spy thrillers.
The third person POV of every major player in the story kept me in the loop of who was planning what. McGugan’s fluid writing results in an engaging, smoothly flowing story, and unlike many thrillers (spy or not), I did not have to suspend my disbelief even for a bit.
The explosive climax acted as a cherry on top. I recommend Pernicious Pursuit by Gary D. McGugan to lovers of action and adventure as well as thrillers. However, there is a brutal yet realistic description of human trafficking, hence, proceed with caution.
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Tracy - Really enjoyed this book. Best one yet. Found this book suspenseful, exciting, and thrilling. You really wanted Howard to continue to dodge the organization. Can’t wait for the next book.
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Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott for Feathered Quill
Date: April 2020
The action spans continents while real emotions grip the characters chasing each other for love and profit in this latest offering from thriller creator Gary D. McGugan.
When Howard Knight wakes up, he senses danger, and within a few minutes he’s in the middle of it, beaten, tied and tossed in the back of a vehicle moving to who knows where.
Janet Weissel, his lover, “a keeper” he calls her, wakes up just in time to save herself from the same fate. Following advice given by Knight for just such an emergency, she flees their home and goes on the run. Not long afterward, although she has no way of knowing it, Knight, transported from the Netherlands to Spain, has also escaped his captors and moves from scooter to stolen scooter, changing outfits off clotheslines and subsisting at one point on nothing but oranges.
Weissel is unsure what the pursuers want, but Knight is all too aware: he’s being hunted by one of the most powerful men on earth, a man with far more money than morals, the infamous Giancarlo Mareno, head of The Organization. There’d been a time when Mareno and he had been on the same team, but now Knight is not only hoping to save his own skin and protect his lover, but also to uphold and sustain a more rational, less destructive life plan.
In Pernicious Pursuit, McGugan has drawn from an earlier trilogy (Three Weeks Less a Day, The Multima Scheme, Unrelenting Peril ) involving Knight and many colorfully nasty underworld associates locked into corporate greed at its worst. Now he puts his protagonist in a different light, still tough, even brutal when the situation calls for it, but also capable of remorse and tender, uplifting feelings.
McGugan displays an especial sensitivity for the women in the story: Katherine, a smart but nurturing woman with a big dog and the means to control it; Klaudia, one of Janet’s protectors who is battling Giancarlo own her on battlefront - the trafficking of women for prostitution; and even Nadine, a beautiful madam who enjoys her role until she begins to realize that the “love” her bosses profess is entirely superficial.
The chapters in this fast-paced plot jump from character to character, all interlinked by the hand of fate - some scheming, some grieving, and some learning valuable lessons about how stuff really works in the world beyond the headlines. The author will bring them all together in a series of crossing paths until, in the final pages, murder finally finds a suitable mark.
Quill says: McGugan’s title says it all: a man and a woman try to save themselves and each other, searching the globe for some sense of safety, not only from a cold-hearted murdering mogul but from a scarred society that undervalues half its assets – the female half.
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TERRY - It is an enjoyable experience reading each novel from Gary McGugan. After reading Three Weeks Less A Day, The Multima Scheme, Unrelenting Peril and now Pernicious Pursuit, it is very evident that Gary McGugan’s stories improve with each novel. Pernicious Pursuit is a fast-paced adventurous thriller as it steers you through different parts of the globe. With the return of some characters from his previous stories, this is a story of strategic deception to avoid capture by “The Organization”, an underground criminal group. Gary McGugan has really honed in on character development. He has also really crafted the element of suspense, effectively drawing you deep into the novel as you find yourself lost in this world on the run. A fantastic read!
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Reviewed By Rabia Tanveer for Readers’ Favorite
Pernicious Pursuit: A Howard Knight Escapade by Gary D. McGugan is a story of survival and finding the truth. Howard Knight used to be the financial maestro for The Organization.
Now he is in a witness protection program and trying to live peacefully with his girlfriend Janet. However, that peace was short-lived. He is tied, beaten, and thrown into the back of a van while Janet slips away from the chaos. Howard knows he is being targeted by The Organization and his old ally Giancarlo Mareno.
He has to stay under the radar, move away frequently, and hope Janet is staying safe as he taught her. Howard knows it is only a matter of time before The Organization catches up to him. He has to think of a way to protect himself and Janet, look for a contingency plan, and hope he gets a second chance at life. What can he do in a situation like this?
Action-packed and filled with enough thrills to give readers chills, Pernicious Pursuit is a no-holds-barred suspense story that will keep you hooked. Howard is a wickedly intelligent and street-smart man; he understands his enemies and he knows how he can evade them. Janet, on the other hand, is very different. She is smart but is trying to make sense of everything around her.
The pace is fast, unrelenting, and enough to give you an adrenaline rush. Howard and Janet are tested, they make mistakes and learn from them. I was holding my breath and waiting to learn what will happen next. Gary D. McGugan explained emotions really well; he gave a realistic outlook and made sure the reader was in the moment with his characters at all times.
This is brilliant entertainment. I really enjoyed it.
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Linda - As with his previous three novels, author Gary D McGugan creates a captivating story from cover to cover. I particularly enjoyed the quick pace, international settings and subtle changes to the major characters. My favourite McGugan novel so far.
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