Click on cover image to purchase a copy
MWSA Review
Writ Reveal by Ethan Burroughs is the second in a series featuring protagonist Clayton Haley. It seems Haley, a U.S. State Department employee, attracts trouble wherever he goes. This time he is sent to Kuwait, where an enemy from a previous book targets him for death. Mild-mannered Haley is drawn into a maelstrom of Middle East intrigue as he seeks to repatriate Iraqi soldiers who died in Kuwait during the first Gulf War in 1990 and discovers artifacts buried with the soldiers. Mayhem ensues but not before the reader is thoroughly acquainted with the cuisine of the region. The action is slow to start as the author seeks to educate the reading public about the region, its religion, its players, its language, and its culture. Military terms and various languages (translated in brackets) slow the read somewhat. Those who enjoy learning about other cultures and customs will find a wealth of information about little known aspects of the history, beliefs, and politics of the Middle East.
Review by Betsy Beard (April 2023)
Author's Synopsis
The thrilling sequel to Messianic Reveal, Writ Reveal takes protagonist Clayton Haley deeper into Middle Eastern conspiracy and intrigue, ferrying him up the Tigris into modern and ancient Baghdad, and stirring a combustible mix of politics and religion with deadly consequences.
Clayton Haley’s journey as a U.S. foreign service officer continues into the disconnected destinies of modern Kuwait and ancient Baghdad in search of a truth—one that is scripted on ancient sacred palimpsests, providing rare scrutiny into the exploitation of one of the world’s largest religions.
Haley’s exhumation efforts of those who died in war lead to the discovery of a map that was stolen in the 1990 Iraqi looting of the Kuwaiti national archives. This map points to the long-forgotten Round City of Baghdad, which is said to contain treasures lost to humanity in the 1258 destruction of the city by Mongols. Haley’s efforts, bolstered by an unruly team of Green Berets and intelligence friends, don’t go without opposition—a spectral Bin Laden empire scion counters his every move in a desire to foment tribal uprisings against nouveau colonialism while carrying out an avowed revenge against Haley for thwarting his Messianic Reveal.
Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle
Review Genre: Mystery/thriller
Number of Pages: 300
Word Count: 74,000