Slave Queen

Slave Queen by H.B. Moore is a powerful entry in the thriller category, a compelling story featuring Special Agent Omar Zagouri and a complicated case. A meticulous killer is out there, and he seems to be on a revenge mission that could hit so close to home that Special Agent Omar Zagouri could be among the top targets on his list. A story with powerful historical undertones, Slave Queen investigates a mystery that could alter the history of the Ottoman Empire irrevocably: a royal conspiracy plot that dates back to the sixteenth century. The enemy is moving very fast, and Omar Zagouri has to move faster before his own life gets ended and the destiny of a nation gets altered, tragically.

H.B. Moore has won my heart as a gifted writer and a master entertainer. Slave Queen scores many literary successes. The characters are well developed, compelling, and exciting to follow. Agent Omar Zagouri is taciturn, intelligent, and relentless, and so is his opponent, the king of the black trade. Naim is the son of the Agent’s archenemy and getting to work with him could seem like playing with fire; a risk the agent is prepared to take. Suleyman and his wife, Roxelane, are other interesting, well-developed characters, and readers will develop a lot of interest for them.

The writing is tight and enjoyable. The historical setting sets a beautiful and colorful allure for a fast-paced, complex story. The conflict is monumental and raises the stakes for many characters. Zagouri is the kind of character that will stay with readers for long, like Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne, like James Patterson’s Alex Cross, and like Child Lee’s Jack Reacher. There is a lot to make readers care about Moore’s characters and story, like the powerful sense of mystery and suspense that make the reader itch to find out what will happen next before it happens, the excellent prose and the engaging dialogue, plus the intense, unstoppable action that opens and ends this story. I loved Slave Queen exceedingly.