THE ATROPOS MAKER by author N. J. Lujan features a shadowy government organization called Atropos, whose goal is to carry out nearly impossible missions all across the globe. As such, this novel goes all over the world, from the well-waxed halls of Washington, D.C. to the rugged Lesser Caucasus Mountains.
Leading the charge throughout the novel is Norma. In the distant past, Norma was one of the founders of Atropos. She and others gave the organization its culture of toughness, expertise, and deadly efficiency. However, Norma had a falling out and decided to call it quits. As the novel begins, Norma finds herself back in the fold. The reasons are many, but chief among them is the proposed decommission of a secret weapon created by Atropos. Norma is called in to investigate and make sure that the weapon does not fall into the wrong hands. As the story progresses, the cynical and world-weary Norma recognizes that Atropos, her baby, may be planning to remove her. The government agency wants to Norma to help them create an even deadlier weapon.
THE ATROPOS MAKER places a premium on both action and tough-talking dialogue. Norma, although deceptively smart, fluent in Latin, expert in classical history, and a connoisseur of Mozart, is not someone to be trifled with. She never holds back her punches, which is not surprising for a girl raised in the mountain town of Martinsburg, West Virginia. The frequent targets of her invective are Donovan, the second director of Atropos; Alex, her self-proclaimed “soul mate” and a Greek Adonis; and the wide assortment of shady characters who make up the ranks of intelligence operations.
THE ATROPOS MAKER is (probably) wide of the mark when it comes to describing real-world espionage, but that is of secondary importance. What is more consequential is the plotting, which moves at a breakneck pace and ends in a shocking conclusion. In between Norma’s intellectual musings, she and the faithful have to do battle, not only with a corrupted Atropos, but also against foreign enemies intrigued by the idea of acquiring all-American weaponry.
THE ATROPOS MAKER is a fast-paced and expertly plotted two-fisted political thriller focusing on corrupt international and domestic organizations, secret weapons, and conspiracies.
~Benjamin Welton for IndieReader