Broken Monarch by Tom Schneider

There are countless novels inspired by government conspiracy theories, and the most famous may be MK-Ultra, a CIA program that created highly trained sleeper agents. Tom Schneider, author of Broken Monarch, writes with the passion of a true believer as he welcomes readers into a world of deception and assassination.

Glen, an unassuming chef, is also missing chunks of time in his memory, and it quickly becomes clear that his life has been tied up in a much larger conspiracy. With the imminent arrival of the First Lady of the United States, Glen must wrestle with the new revelation that he is a proficient killer, trained to be an assassin, programmed like a machine to be turned on at the command of another. Assisted by the mysterious Lindsey, who may also not be quite who she seems, Glen is thrust into the role of a two-faced hero – forced to uncover the mystery of his own past, and exact revenge on those who sought to control him.

The plot is straightforward and familiar, and unfolds at a quick pace, sometimes to a fault, as much of the book feels rushed. Coming in under 100 pages, the novel could be read in a single sitting, but Schneider could also have taken more time in crafting the story. While a brisk and entertaining read, more effort spent on creating scenes, filling in expositional holes and developing characters beyond common tropes and archetypes would make the book far more enjoyable.

All in all, Broken Monarch is a flawed novel, but with an exciting, rapid-fire race to the finish, there’s plenty here that will appeal to fans of conspiracy thrillers.