Review of "Chameleon Chronicles: Book One- The Missing Lieutenant" by Barbara Kruk

Score: 91/100 (9.1 out of 10)

It's the worst news a mother can get: Your child is dead.
Your son is missing in action or presumed dead—fallen in combat.

This is similar to the heartbreaking news that around 2,500 families of US military personnel had to receive—the news that their son, daughter, husband, or wife wasn't coming home or wasn't coming home alive (or in one piece).

Imagine your world crashing down, the earth shattering, your heart breaking.
And imagine the additional pain of not knowing for sure if your loved one was dead or alive, having no body to confirm either way.

That's part of the fascinating premise of Chameleon Chronicles: Book One- The Missing Lieutenant by Barbara Kruk.

Abigail Baxter is the recipient of the tragic news that her lover, Major Michael Pearson, is missing in action and presumed dead, apparently having gone radio silent at the end of a special operation to rescue hostages in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Now, that whole premise really gets twisted, warped, and somewhat wasted early on when we learn that Major Michael Pearson isn't Major Michael Pearson at all, but a notorious con artist named Tony (full name: Anthony C. Perrilli).

Tony is known by many aliases, but is known to intelligence and law enforcement agencies the world over as the London thief, one of the most elusive and audacious grifters alive—a master of disguise, deception, and emotional manipulation. His specialty isn’t just financial fraud or stolen identities; it’s people. He reads them, plays them, becomes what they need most—and then vanishes with everything he wants.

In Abigail’s case, Tony targets more than her wealth. He exploits her vulnerability as a grieving widow still emotionally raw from her lover's tragic death. He weaves an elaborate persona—decorated military officer, single father, grieving soldier—all tailored to draw her in, build her trust, and ultimately, control her heart and home.

How in the blue heck are you supposed to sympathize and side with this guy?
This highlights one of the book's biggest dilemmas.

It really seems like the book tries to get you to see Tony's point of view and to get behind him a little, almost like a charismatic, clever, and desperate bank robber in a heist movie.

We learn that Tony is a supergenius who is not only able to read people but also understand advanced and complicated concepts on the fly. For example, he was tagged for impersonating a doctor, performing successful open-heart surgery with little to no formal training!

So, you almost get the sense that he's supposed to be a bit like Michael Schofield from Prison Break or Walter White from Breaking Bad.

Unfortunately, he doesn't quite have the likability or charisma of either of those two characters. In fact, he's incredibly unlikable.

The book tries desperately to pain Tony as some kind of victim. We're reminded time and time again that his father was an alcoholic who abused and neglected Tony and his sister.

Something that's repeated over and over again is that Tony's father never called him by his real name, instead he called him "Loser" and told that he wouldn't amount to anything. Yes, this is sad, but it's also very cliche.

Essentially, his whole origin story hinges on the tired old trope of daddy issue.
This leads to Tony wanting to prove himself and prove his dad wrong.
We're told that his primary motivation for what he does is a fear of failure.

Apparently, the author based him on an antagonist she encountered/experienced in real life.

He is opposed by Commander Jonathan Meyers, the leader of a global Intelligence Crime Unit. Meyers is determined to not only apprehend this international criminal but also to save Abigail from his clutches.

Meyers is portrayed as a seasoned and highly competent intelligence officer, known for his unblemished record in capturing elusive criminals. His involvement in the case adds a layer of tension and urgency to the narrative, as he races against time to outmaneuver the cunning conman and prevent further harm.

The dynamic between Meyers and Perrilli serves as a central conflict in the story, highlighting themes of deception, justice, and the complexities of human behavior.

There's a real hat-and-mouse feel to this dynamic, and you can't help but want Meyers to get his man.

Now, while all of this sounds compelling and interesting, there's something about this book that just doesn't hit like we think it should.

A lot of the tension and emotion are lost by knowing that Major Michael Pearson isn't even a real person, but a false identity created by Tony. So, when Abigail is heartbroken and mourning, we know she's heartborken and mourning over something and someone who isn't even real. That's messed up, and it really robs the reader of what could have been a lot of emotional investment.

Another thing is that—in our experience—this book just isn't as exciting, thrilling, or action-packed as it should be. In fact, we felt it was rather flat and maybe even a bit boring, especially in the first half when we're pretty much just following Abigail as she's being emotionally torn apart over a total farce. While that sucks and all, the weight of this (again) is lost by already knowing what Tony is up to in the prologue. We aren't even spoiling much! It's pretty much spoiled for you by the time you get through the opening.

Why do that? Why not hold your cards close to you and let this cat-and-mouse detective mystery actually be a cat-and-mouse detective mystery?

Really, the only things we remember about Tony—the character around which this book and series seem based on—are his lingering daddy issues and genius intellect/savant status.

There's a lot to work with here. A lot of substance and potential. But we really encourage the author to try maintaining some of the mystery, building more tension, and making Tony significantly more likable. As it stands now, there isn't much mystery, there isn't much tension, and we really, really, really didn't like Tony.

Maybe you'll have a different experience.

Check it out on Amazon!