Overall Rating and Opinion of "The Expansion"

[aussiebooklover]

I loved every page! 4/4 ... recommended it to friends who also read it and agreed that it was a entertaining, smart, well edited and captivating read!

[Soumeg]

Having been through all the reviews on this book, I would definitely let this one pass.

[AhsokaLives]

Hmm just now getting into thrillers, but this one does not seem like it would be an easy read for me.

[Innocent chinenye]

The intrigue, the deals made under the table, sabotage and even murder-sounds like politics, right? I think that Martin did an incredible job setting the scene. Now I've never been to Panama but I certainly feel like I have now! It was a page turner and I flew through it, definitely the right amount of suspense and mystery to keep you wanting more.

[Zelinda]

I like the genre. I like the writing, though I'm not finished with the book. However, it caught my attention right away. Reading over the different posts about this book gives me a realistic outlook on what I can expect, but so far I like this book and I'm going to continue reading it. Maybe when I'm done I'll have a different opinion.

[boringyanks]

What a fascinating political-stakes thriller. The Expansion is a careening tale that starts off with a bang and doesn't let you go until the end. And, even at the end, you just want more. I already can't wait for the sequel in 2018. There's a decent-sized cast in the books but I found the characters each distinct enough to keep track of. I enjoyed the multiple POV style as well as it lends an intimacy to the cast and also fuels the 'something under the surface' feeling of the story. The setting is fascinating as well. While I have never been to Central America, it was alive in the book. Great read!

[LINA M-EMBER AMA]

I am not interested in politics but cannot run from it. It surrounds me in every way so I would not mind reading this book to yet again behold reality on book pages.

[Lori Gibson]

This book is a slow journey then you are giving a cliffhanger at the very end. While I normally love cliffhangers, I was expected a little more within the book, maybe just a faster pace would have benefited readers and drawn them in.

[aussiebooklover]

What a fascinating political-stakes thriller. The Expansion is a careening tale that starts off with a bang and doesn't let you go until the end. And, even at the end, you just want more. I already can't wait for the sequel in 2018. There's a decent-sized cast in the books but I found the characters each distinct enough to keep track of. I enjoyed the multiple POV style as well as it lends an intimacy to the cast and also fuels the 'something under the surface' feeling of the story. The setting is fascinating as well. While I have never been to Central America, it was alive in the book. Great read!

I agree! I loved the book and it’s cast as well!

[mercy wangechi]

i am not a fan of politics and i don't like genres that the ending is a cliff hanger. i lost the desire to read it.
thanks.

[boringyanks]

In reading the Expansion I realized that I was delving into a debut novel about the Panama Canal and Central America, an area that I had very little knowledge of, but was aware of the historical importance and the part the canal played in international politics in the 20th century. Getting into the book was a little slow as the characters were being developed. I was initially put off by the basic profanity wondering what effective part it played other than shock value, in the plot development. As I got into the lives of the characters, the book took off into a fascinating mixture action and intrigue. You get a bit of everything after a turn toward the CIA training and missions. The initial profanity now made sense.
I couldn’t put it down. I was fully into the characters and the action of the story. This is not a good start, but a great start for a debut. I want more.

[hepto]

The Expansion by Christoph Martin.I rate this book 3.5 out of 4 stars.The Expansion opens with one of the most fast-paced, explosive prologues that I’ve read in a long time. It sets the scene for a novel that is packed full of international espionage, murder, intrigue and the beautiful setting of Panama.


The novel follows British engineer Max Burns as he works on a complex project to expand the Panama Canal. It gives Max the opportunity to work with an old school friend, Godfredo Roco, and his mercurial father Paco. But projects like this are rarely straightforward, and there are forces at work behind the scenes to complicate matters.


Working in Panama also introduces Max to Karis Deen, a research scientist working in the area. Max feels he can trust her, even if he can’t trust anyone else, but Karis has a secret of her own.


Compared to its explosive opening, the first part of The Expansion feels quite slow burning. That makes sense when you consider that this is the first in a series of four books. Christoph Martin is introducing the reader to characters who they will be following through different countries and different challenges. And he gives his characters real depth.


Max Burns comes across as more than just the protagonist of the book. The novel explores the layers of his character, earned through a life that is both privileged and tough. Likewise Paco Rico isn’t a stereotypical villain, he is a ruthless man with subtle layers to his cruelty.


But for me, the most intriguing characters in the book are the women, and that’s often unusual in this kind of novel. Karis Deen and Erika Fisher are strong, driven women with their own agendas. They won’t easily be distracted from their goals. I really enjoyed these characters, they seemed to be portrayed much more believably than women often are in espionage novels.

[jimthorne2]

Fascinated by the Panama Canal I found myself very interested in the details of this book that I rated a 4. There were many details that made the story worthwhile.

[BEN KIMANI]

The book is incredibly rich in it language use,simple to understand,mind blogging and jostling,important lessons in life can be deduced from it.I can recommend someone to read it.

[jimthorne2]

I'm not so sure about the "life lessons" of this book. Probably better to refer to "life experiences" because the people in the book don't seem to learn anything but go on in their own merry ways.