Behind every great spy thriller franchise is an iconic character. Typically, those characters are cut from an idealized cloth—sharp, resourceful men with names like James, Jason, or Jack and an unwavering moral compass. The appeal of a fully-formed, ass-kicking protagonist is obvious, but it can sometimes be hard to identify with someone who, for all intents and purposes, is bulletproof. And therein lies the secret to Matt Rogers’ BE SOMEBODY (A Dante Jacoby Thriller). In addition to the superbly-crafted action sequences and the breakneck pacing, Rogers’ latest novel revolves around a woefully unimpressive drunk who just so happens to be one of the most dangerous people in the world.

To those that know him best, Dante Jacoby is a colossal disappointment. At the age of twenty-six, the only thing Dante has to show for his lifetime of privilege and advantage is a massive drinking problem. Fed up with his son’s inability to right himself, Dante’s father decides to cut him off from the family coffers. With little in the way of options and no one else to blame for his misfortune but himself, Dante seems content to wallow in his failure. That is until he receives an unexpected invitation from a workout buddy. What begins as a routine session at the gym quickly takes a left turn when Dante willingly volunteers to try out a mysterious new machine. Never one for the ‘fine print,’ Dante unwittingly undergoes an irreversible procedure called Flash Reflex Training. Not long after leaving the gym, Dante learns that he has suddenly entered the game of international espionage. With assassins on his trail and a lone-wolf operative serving as his one and only ally, Dante soon discovers that superhuman reflexes will only take you so far in a world where information is the only currency.

For avid fans of the action/spy/thriller genre, Matt Rogers hardly requires an introduction. With dozens of well-received novels under his belt, the Australian author has earned a reputation for intricate, twist-laden plots and hyper-realistic combat (largely informed by his personal expertise in a variety of martial arts). In that regard, BE SOMEBODY offers more of what readers have already come to expect from Rogers. Still, the combination of the author’s crisp, no-nonsense prose and air-tight plot construction makes for a thoroughly enjoyable read. Of course, the real selling point here is the opportunity to be there from the beginning with what is certain to be an ongoing saga. BE SOMEBODY is essentially an origin story, which affords Rogers the opportunity to lay a solid foundation for Dante’s future motivations. Rather than assume there’s a reason behind the ‘how’ and ‘why,’ every move Dante makes is rooted in an incredibly relatable fall from grace. It may buck the current leading man trend, but the results are nonetheless effective.

With BE SOMEBODY (A Dante Jacoby Thriller), Matt Rogers pairs impeccable writing with a highly effective origin story template that makes for a must-read series debut.

~James Weiskittel for IndieReader