There’s one thing I can state with certainty: Micah Barnett sure can write a ripper of a thriller! He had me on the edge of my seat from the first page of The Rio Affair, and I nearly fell off it as I raced with Special Agent Miles Ronan from the US to Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo. Even better yet, when I thought this intense chase to rescue a kidnapped teen, the sister Miles never met, was over, it wasn’t! Talk about twists and turns. The Rio Affair is full of them. Reading this exciting novel that sometimes reads like a movie script is like watching the handsome action hero who keeps us riveted to a popular TV series. We wonder how many more impossible situations he will escape. Will he find the evil manipulator who is hell-bent on getting what he wants at any cost? Will Miles find his sister alive or dead? Will the pretty young reporter who teams up with him, both romantically and professionally, survive to see her story breaking on the evening news? The Rio Affair is so chock-a-block with greedy people on the take, including local police, that knowing whom to trust is a problem for everyone.

While The Rio Affair has an action-loaded plot, it also has a large but credible array of characters to whom readers can relate. Mercifully, Micah Barnett lets characters reveal who they are through their words and actions, thereby sparing us those lengthy backstories that plague too many thrillers. You can almost sense his desire to keep the action constant; that works for more impatient readers like me. I like to research authors whose writing impresses me. If I found the correct Micah Barnett, he’s a scriptwriter with some films to his credit. That explains everything to me about his writing style, which occasionally confused me until it became clear he was seeing scenes playing out simultaneously in his mind. Don’t let that bother you, dear reader. The Rio Affair is well worth your time. Enjoy it because I sure did.

A missing girl, an incompetent police force, a news reporter fighting the system, and an FBI agent searching for his only remaining family member all collide in The Rio Affair: A Thriller by Micah Barnett. FBI special agent Miles Ronan has always served the force with the shadow of his most wanted criminal father looming over him. He received a call to travel to Rio de Janeiro and identify a dead body believed to be his father. Miles was about to close this chapter of his life when he discovered that his father's killer had kidnapped his little sister, Leticia. Miles joins forces with Marié, a former actress turned journalist, to uncover the truth behind his father's death and his sister's disappearance. The deeper they dig into this case, the more hurdles they face, and the more they realize that this investigation is bigger than expected.

The Rio Affair is good movie material. The high level of detail concerning crime sent shivers down my spine as the story is so dark and twisted. The world is a bleak place and every day there is news of violent crimes committed against helpless people. This account puts you in their position, and Micah Barnett's storytelling makes you feel as if you are going through what the characters are experiencing. Miles is an amazing protagonist who wants to do for his sister what his father could not do for him. I applaud his determination and drive. Leticia is a smart girl with a strong fighting spirit who kept her hopes alive even in the worst of situations. I recommend this book and all of its unforgettable characters to readers who love adventure because this tale will take you on a roller coaster of emotions. Remarkable work.