Soon Dies the Day continues the gritty, unabashed narrative of a man weathered by the elements of living the violent life of a special operator finally coming to crossroads in the new Shadow Warriors thriller that takes your breath away and grips you in terror and excitement. It’s Stephen England at his finest.
Harry Nichols is a man cast out of the light into the darkness. He’s on the run from his own country in addition to being an international criminal. He’s captured in Germany but instead of turning him in, the Germans have another use for him; to infiltrate a domestic terrorist cell and weed out the enemy. While his expertise certainly qualifies him for the job, his mental state has deteriorated over the events of the previous books as he’s gone through mental havoc like few men have before him. With a powder keg ready to explode with racially motivated sentiments, Nichols must go undercover to stop the bloodshed. Is he up to the task? Are there interests within the government working against him?
Stephen England phenomenally builds up the characters and situations brick by brick to deliver the maximum blow when everything comes crumbling down. For those following this series from the beginning, it’s such a delight to read Harry’s realistic descent into hell with all the trauma he has faced and now struggles to overpower the darkness that comes with the hard decisions made by all the brave souls working undercover. Major kudos to Stephen England for not shying away from the hard calls made in such dire circumstances; no easy outs. Every action comes with a heavy dose of responsibility and consequences that make this narrative feel so real and powerful. This also comes quite handy in augmenting the realistic action sequences as Nichols powers through the barrage of bad guys but his rusted skills genuinely raise the anxiety of the shootouts and hand-to-hand combat, holding you on the edge of your seats to wonder if Nichols may actually get out of the predicament alive.
I also deeply admire the philosophical connotations that England injects into the thriller-paced story. The characters don’t merely talk, they speak with heavy wisdom that stays with you beyond ordinary dialogue. This elevates the reading experience for readers looking to get that extra kick out of their thrillers.
Soon Dies the Day is a special breed of thriller that emphasizes high-quality storytelling with focus on multiple characters, all leading to an explosive finale where Nichols leads a one-man assault against those only he can stop. The ending brings about a satisfying resolution to a grand story and it only adds to the excitement of where we’ll see Nichols next.
Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.
Purchase Soon Dies The Day
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)
Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
