The Latest Thriller From John Reinhard Dizon - The Standard - Out Now At Amazon & All Good Bookstores!

Online, July 22, 2013 (Newswire.com) - John Reinhard Dizon's latest novel, The Standard, has just been released by Tenth Street Press. This suspense/thriller epic is his sixth published work, combining action and adventure with current events scenarios providing ample room for debate and discussion among the most discerning readers.

In the not too distant future, a coalition of international groups is planning a return to the gold standard in resolving a global recession. A criminal network of drug cartels and financial speculators are plotting to convert their holdings into bullion before launching attacks against major gold depositories in three countries to give them a monopoly in the new market. MI6 assigns William Shanahan to disrupt Operation Blackout with the help of Jack Gawain, a Ulster Defense Association volunteer serving a life sentence in Northern Ireland. Their target, Enrique Chupacabra, is an assassin for the Medellin cartel who is coordinating a nuclear attack on the American mainland.

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5.0 out of 5 stars All That Glitters? July 20, 2013
By John R. Dizon
Format:Kindle Edition

John Reinhard Dizon's action/adventure epic provides the steak and sizzle of a controversial topic seasoned with dynamic characters and snappy dialogue, served on a platter of spellbinding action. This Shakespearean character study focuses on William Shanahan, a preening egocentric whose personal standard (a term used liberally throughout the novel) helps him resolve the conflicts he faces in the duplicitous world of espionage. He is teamed with UDA racketeer Jack Gawain, paroled by MI6 in an effort to derail Operation Blackout. This ruse by an international crime syndicate is designed to disrupt the global economy after an imminent return to an economic gold standard. The no-holds-barred philosophy adopted by MI6 in stopping the terrorists provides both Shanahan and the reader with a smorgasbord for thought in this novel.

The conflict between the judgmental Shanahan and the ruthless Gawain creates psychological tension throughout the story. Shanahan is forced to question the integrity of MI6, and ultimately that of Queen and Country, as Gawain is given carte blanche in wreaking havoc from Montreal to Florida in disrupting the conspirators' network. The leftist White House administration keeps the CIA on the leash as its hounds of justice, backing the MI6 agents on the field in their efforts to foil the terror plot. Shanahan questions whether too much will be considered enough as Gawain stops at nothing to terrorize the terrorists in earning his parole.

The element of romance in the storyline challenges the world view of the protagonists as they are forced to reconsider their core values. Shanahan falls in love with Morgana Mc Laren, an Irish-American stewardess, making him forsake his ultimate goal of marrying into British nobility. Gawain's romance with Fianna Hesher exposes his own vulnerability, forcing him to consider the safety of another person at the cost of his own interests. In exploring different facets of their own personalities, the agents see different qualities in one another, revealing similarities that help them reconstruct their relationship and reunite towards the common goal.

The travelogues along the East Coast take us through the playgrounds of the wealthy and the desperation of its ghettoes as the agents pursue their objectives. The element of irony is consistent as Shanahan courts upper-level gangsters with hedonistic flair, while Gawain descends into the sewers of society alongside those who deal drugs and death on a daily basis. The stark contrasts help us realize the cost incurred by society as narcoterrorism continues to proliferate within the global community.

Yet we, along with Shanahan, are forced to question how far we are willing to go to prevent the disasters of international terrorism. The Guantanamos and Abu Ghraibs of our past are juxtaposed against the Boston Massacres of the present and the possibilities of the Jack Gawains of our future. The question of sacrificing the few to save lives of many will always be a major issue facing 21st century society. The Standard presents the argument with relentless impact.

For action/adventure fans and suspense/thriller buffs, The Standard is a tale not to be forgotten.

Available Now at all Leading Bookstores and from Tenth Street Press