Quiescence Terminated by Allan Greenbrier

Quiescence Terminated by Allan Greenbrier is a harrowing terrorist thriller, following the life of Sam, desperate to make his mark on the world to free himself from a life of desperation, leading to a chilling culmination of his distorted beliefs.

The novel is exceptionally well-researched, weaving its way through Islamic culture, Catholicism, the halls of American government, and more, so the reader know they’re in the hands of an author who knows every element of his story’s environment.

A weakness in the book is that the narrative voice doesn’t change dramatically enough between characters. When it’s switching from an Islamic terrorist to an NSA agent, there is not enough delineation of tone, as if Greenbrier is writing with his own narrative scope, rather than within the voice of the character. While it is refreshing that his terrorist is a fully-fleshed person, and not just an evil caricature, his voice is sometimes too Western given the circumstances.

Those issues aside, the novel is impressively detailed and imagined with a surprisingly empathetic lead character. For those looking for for a cerebral and character-driven international thriller, Quiescence Terminated is a captivating entry into the genre.

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