Outfoxed: An Inspector William Fox Adventure is the first book by author Peter Thomas Pontsa. Looking for a suspense thriller with political overtones? Then this is the book for you! From the sounds of it, this book could potentially become a series. It will be intriguing to find out if we will be seeing Inspector William Fox again in the future.
Outfoxed: An Inspector William Fox Adventure has a simplistic cover. A black background sets the stage for the rest of the cover. A rugged-looking man looms out of the background holding a gun. A serious expression graces his face. Taking up the other portion of the cover is a large Chinese coin. This is a clear depiction of what readers can expect. A Chinese treasure waiting to be discovered, and that many will die for.
Outfoxed: An Inspector William Fox Adventure is author Peter Thomas Pontsa’s first book. This novel will introduce readers to William Fox, an Inspector in the RCMP. The story starts off with an unfolding environmental issue. It appears to be a straightforward assignment for Fox to go out, help run patrol, and keep the chaos to a minimum. Sounds pretty basic, right? Well, it is…until it isn’t.
Cue the drama in epic fashion when Fox and his partner are targeted by a couple of Chinese gangsters. So, a simple situation that should have been a breeze turns into an epic media blitz that gets Fox in trouble, his boat shot up, and him on desk duty. Well, someone had to take the fall for a boat being exploded and chaos on the water, and Fox is it. Cue the ire, right?
Outfoxed proceeds forward by shifting to Tracy Jordan in China. She’s on a quest for information, and the quest is a dangerous one. If the true reason for her time in China is discovered it could land her in a dangerous place, so she has to take “delicate” steps to discover the information she’s looking for. What information is that? The truth about Admiral Zheng He. Did he actually touch ground in the Americas before Columbus? If so, where exactly and why were the records hidden or destroyed?
Outfoxed comes out the gate strong with healthy doses of drama and tension with the waterfront escapades. While the situation with Tracey trotting around China brings a touch of drama, the storyline mellows out for a minute. It’s expected that something will happen to her since she has a tail.
It has to be admitted though, that while this book has some expected elements it is still surprising that basically not one person steps up to help Tracy when she’s abducted. Does this happen often for the people to just stand by and watch? In the immediate moment, she’s terrified, but she’ll find a moment to rediscover her courage and assert herself…for better or worse.
As Outfoxed proceeds, the storyline slows down and begins the building process. This story is told from the third person perspective and shifts between a myriad of characters. William Fox is the primary character of the story, but Tracy is a close second followed by Ru, the Chinese gangster.
There aren’t any clear indications of who the story is following from chapter to chapter. You could be with Fox one minute, and then the story will shift to Tracy, Ru, or one of the other characters who work to bring this story to life. The dynamic cast of characters in this book helps bring it to life and create a realistic drama that will draw readers in.
Outfoxed has a slow start but gradually builds to a gripping scenario that author Pontsa ensures readers will be glued to the pages to find out what happens next. With Fox racing to rescue Tracy from the grips of Ru and the triad, there is more going on than meets the eye. Chinese politicians are making plays and plans to exact revenge for a compatriot who was lost due to “meddling” thanks to the CIA.
William Fox is an interesting character who comes off as an excellent officer of the Canadian force. He works hard and walks the line. There will be moments when you think that he’ll blur the lines of the law in order to get results, but that’s never the case. Author Pontsa showcases Fox as a doggedly determined man intent on getting his man while struggling with “demons” from his past.
When author Ponsta promises readers globe-trotting, he absolutely delivers. Readers will jet around the world from locations in Canada to China, to locations in the United States throughout Outfoxed. The characters skip from dangerous situation to dangerous situation as Tracy Jordan strives to discover answers to her questions. The Chinese government is looking to clean house and bring to heel those they choose to keep on board.
Wondering if there is romance to be found in Outfoxed: A William Fox Adventure? The answer is – yes. Readers will get some background when it comes to William and Tracy. As teens romance was budding, but due to a tragedy that took place in South Korea, it drove them apart. We know what you’re thinking – he must have failed to protect her and it cost them their friendship. Well, close, but not quite.
The romance angle between William and Tracy is rushed. They haven’t spoken in over 15 years, but when they “reconnect” things move in a whirlwind fashion. Most of the story is done in a realistic fashion, but this is where things divert and take on an unrealistic element. We would have preferred a more steady pace for their relationship to redevelop and evolve over the storyline. There is plenty of time for it to do so, so it’s a touch strange for it to be so rushed.
This book has a lot of detail. Overall, that’s a good thing and something that readers will enjoy about this story. However, some details in this story weren’t necessary to the storyline. In places, details are added that seem to just be thrown in there for no specific reason. Instead of adding to the story, they became more of a distraction and occasionally took us out of the story.
The first half of Outfoxed: A William Fox Adventure is slow to moderately paced, but when the book hits the 50% mark the story really ramps up and we are off the races. The drama ramps up with shootouts, kidnappings, shady lawyers, and Chinese officials with personal vendettas. It’s delicious chaos that will grab readers by the eyeballs and keep them page-turning to find out how it all goes down.
As Outfoxed: A William Fox Adventure draws to a close, author Pontsa drops hints that this will probably not be the last time readers see William Fox. Things are not going to end on a “nice, clean” note. Nope, there are clues that some of these characters will be back. This is something that we would be absolutely amenable to. Will it happen? We’ll have to wait and see.
Readers who enjoy suspense-filled books, with globe-trotting elements and plenty of drama, will not want to miss out on Outfoxed: A William Fox Adventure. Readers will get to know William Fox, get lots of details, and a lot of tension that will be found within these pages. When the past and present collide in just the right way, you get a good book like Outfoxed.
Pros:
- Action-packed novel
- Intriguing storyline
- Dynamic cast of characters
- Lots of drama
- Potential for more William Fox adventures
Cons:
- Romance angle is rushed and not allowed to develop naturally.
- Some details are unnecessary and distract from the overall story.
- The “political past” in South Korea is a blip in the story, and needed more attention and definition if it is supposed to be so “impactful” on Fox that it haunts him and causes him to sacrifice relationship(s).
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