Book Review: Lights Out In Istanbul

Reviewed by Jadidsa Perez

With a looming global cybersecurity threat, Henry’s book about his previous espionage draws him deeper into danger.

Henry Vanzant, a blogger and journalist, is grappling with the aftermath of attempting to take down the nefarious Mr. S.

His team is fractured now. His cybersecurity partner, Alex, was killed in an explosion. He lost his relationship with Karyn, his former college bandmate who aided him throughout the mission.

But Henry has gained national notoriety after publishing a memoir detailing their efforts to stop Mr. S and his scheme to obliterate the world economy. Unbeknownst to Henry, his book has attracted a particular villainous fan—Faheem El Hashem.

Faheem is particularly interested in the Master Key, a piece of technology that can be used to hack into the root zone of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) and execute cyberattacks. Faheem believes that the West must crumble and to do so, he enlists the help of Mr. S to kidnap and scare Henry into cooperating. In the nick of time, however, Henry is rescued by what seems to be a ghost—Alex herself. Karyn is unfortunately kidnapped amidst the chaos, forcing Henry once more to rise to the occasion and take down the world’s new supervillain.

Lights Out in Istanbul maintains a fast pace throughout, primarily driven by dialogue but with just enough setting description. Between the high stakes of a possible post-electronic neodark apocalypse and Karyn’s life being in danger, it’s easy as a reader to dive in and devour it quickly.

The quick travel between locations also keeps the narration energetic and engaging. The authors, J. Robert Keating and Ralph O. Heatly, do a great job with cultural tidbits about each new country. The contrast between stunning landscapes and global chaos creates a tension that resonates.

Another source of tension is each character’s battle with their vices and how far they’re willing to go for their desires. It’s handled so well, particularly through Henry’s struggle between his addiction and the potential risk of jeopardizing the operation if he gives in. He is not the cliché depiction of a hero; instead, he is portrayed as a genuine, good-hearted person grappling with a challenging illness. Alex, on the other hand, is in a relationship with a new person but is unable to let go of her feelings for Henry. All of these elements play off of each other nicely, adding so much emotional depth to the novel.

There are times, though, that the dialogue can feel a bit stunted, where s a character, typically Alex, explains parts of the operation and Henry only adds in agreements here and there. In moments like these, I called for more action.

Overall, Lights Out in Istanbul is a great read for bookish thrill seekers seeking their next adventure.

Thank you for reading Jadidsa Perez’s book review of Lights Out in Istanbul by J. Robert Keating and Ralph O. Heatly! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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