Book Review: ‘The Short Drop’

Matthew Kim, Staff Writer

As I braced myself for the long weeks soon to follow the unavoidable at-home lockdown, I dusted off my kindle and began to browse the virtual shelves for something to satiate my growing boredom. 

As I continued my search for something to read, a book caught my eye. This novel titled The Short Drop by Matthew Simmons had thousands of reviews and an impressive 4 ½ star rating.

Curious of the mysterious title and simplistic cover, I downloaded the book not really knowing what to expect. I’m certainly glad I did; a week has passed and I’ve absolutely devoured the series reading all 5 books in the series from front to cover. 

The first novel “The Short Drop” is an intriguing thriller about protagonist Gibson Vaughn, an ex marine, criminal hacker, and son of disgraced chief of staff of the Vice President.

The novel follows Gibson Vaugn who learns of the stunning news that the case involving his  childhood best friend Suzanne Lombard who was kidnapped 10 years prior has gained a stunning new lead. 

Throughout the novel we learn of Gibson Vaughn’s troubled and painful past as he is forced to confront assassins, ex partners and those that he wished to never see again.  Along the way we see Gibson make new associates such as ex CIA agent Jenn Charles and ex LAPD officer Dan Hendricks.

Together they are forced to work together in search of Gibson’s kidnapped childhood friend. This novel doesn’t sugarcoat anything, and their relationships face hardships and conflict but this only adds depth as we see the bond between these characters only grow. 

This novel not only is intriguing and filled with thrilling twists and turns it is also very realistic and believable. While many thrillers and novels never leave the reader in doubt of a happy ending, this book will leave the reader questioning what will happen in every page of the novel. 

This novel is perfect for anyone who loves action and mystery; author Matthew Simmons creates realistic scenarios that readers can find believable and intriguing.

This book does contain lots of violence and is often graphic at times so those with queasy stomachs should proceed with caution.

Despite this, I would definitely recommend this series and novel to anyone looking for an amazing and thrilling read.