Penumbra (Spook Squad #3), by Keri Arthur (review)

Agent Sam Ryan wants out of the Special Investigations Unit. She’s sick of the attitude from her partner, Gabriel Stern. She’s sick of the paperwork. Most of all, she’s sick of feeling lonely. But her boss isn’t about to let her go that easily. He gives Sam a choice: either stay stuck in her office or guard a clone replacement of Dan Wetherton, a government minister. Sam reluctantly chooses the latter—even though she suspects she’s being used as bait to draw out the SIU’s elusive nemesis.

Gabriel would like nothing better than to be on his own, without a partner to hold him back. Then he learns that Sam has been assigned to protect Wetherton—or whatever it is that’s replaced him. Wetherton’s clone could have come from only one place: Hopeworth, the military base that contains the secrets of Sam’s past. Determined to protect her, Gabriel is drawn into a fight against unspeakable evil. And all too soon, Sam and Gabriel discover that the connection between them is far more powerful than anyone could ever have imagined.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

Review

The third and probably last book in the Spook Squad series, Penumbra answers most of the series’ questions and resolves many – but not all – of the problems. We learn who and what Sam is, as well as the identities of some of the other major and most mysterious players, including Joe Black and Joshua. We get a better sense of what Hopeworth was up to, and the brutality of its tactics. And Gabe and Sam finally start telling themselves — and each other — the truths they’ve been hiding or holding back.

The book is almost nonstop action, and as in the first two, it can be challenging to keep track of the players, particularly with multi-shifters and clones involved. But I found the storyline easier to follow than in the middle book, Generation 18. Arthur paces each revelation perfectly, interspersing aha! moments with suspense and almost non-stop action, keeping me reading late into the night.

Sam and Gabriel are both compelling characters, though I got frustrated with Gabe’s insistence on keeping everyone, especially Sam, at a distance. As you might guess, he can’t keep that up forever, though I’m not going to give away any specifics! But this is paranormal suspense, not romance; the focus remains primarily on the multiple-but-related mysteries.

As I said in an earlier review, I really like Sam. She’s torn between wanting to know about her past, and fearing what she might find out. And what she discovers over the course of the three books is pretty hard for her to take. But she’s stronger than she knows, both emotionally and in other ways, and in this book, she seems ready to take a more active role in uncovering her past – and in pushing Gabriel. Although no-one in these books is completely good, Sam has always had a strong sense of justice and right, and she stays true to it.

The resolution of Gabriel’s and Sam’s relationship seemed a little abrupt to me, and perhaps a little out of keeping with Gabriel’s cautious nature when it comes to trust, but I found it satisfying anyway (and no, I’m not going to tell you how it’s resolved, only that it is — and that certain aspects came as a surprise to me.)

As I mentioned earlier, Penumbra doesn’t resolve ALL the issues. There’s at least one major loose end, which leaves open the possibility of a sequel or sequels. I’ve got my fingers crossed! However, given that the first two books originally came out in 2004 and Penumbra in 2009, I’m not holding my breath for a fourth book.

The Spook Squad series really drew me in. I’m now a Keri Arthur fan, and I’ll be looking for more of her books!

Note: The Spook Squad trilogy was published in 2004 and 2009 by ImaJinn Books, and is being reprinted with new covers by Dell.

10/27/14 Update: Due to a prolonged and ferocious spam attack on this post, I’m temporarily disabling comments for this post only.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• COYER Summer Vacation 2014

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