At seventeen, the big plans for his life are supported by his exceptional intelligence and mastery of data collection and disguise. This will give him power and control over the Galaxy. Nothing and no one is getting in his way. A trail of dead bodies early in the book establishes his position and character in the story.
Maximus has been allocated the task of uncovering the mole in the company. The greatest irony is that he is the mole. But because of his unique skills, he is able to manipulate all information – coded and otherwise – to his benefit, shielding himself from suspicion by creating smoke screens.
The only threat to Maximus’ ambition is Anneke Longshadow who has vowed to bring him down. Anneke is a warrior; courageous, capable, focused, and determined. She appears equally as intelligent as, and apparently more resourceful than Maximus. She has different things to prove.
Both characters have secrets and secret pasts; have experienced grief and loss of family. They are action super-heroes similar to those of the comic books, warring against the good and evil inside and outside their selves. Their violence, energy and power are matched to the forces of nature that surrounds them in the Galaxy.
Mole Hunt is action-focused, vicious and bloody. The characters are constantly challenged by their fast-changing circumstances. This trilogy would make a terrific movie. Visual scenes are formed vividly in the reader’s mind due to the extraordinary writing style, and the tension is palpable throughout the book.
A trailer for the book can be found here.
- this review by Anastasia Gonis
Title: The Maximus Black Files: Mole Hunt
Author: Paul Collins
Publisher: Ford Street Publishing, $19.95
Publication Date: 1 June 2011
ISBN: 9781921665264
Format: Soft cover
For ages: 12+
Type: Young Adult
