Kingmaker

Alex King, Book 16

By: A P Bateman

Narrated by: Joe Mills

King battles with his conscience and ruthless enemies as he deposes an African dictator and installs a new leader. But is he the best man for the job, and can King make a difference in a region known only for corruption and killing?

©2023 A P Bateman (P)2023 A P Bateman

The book is good, and I like the series, BUT...

Of course there is a BUT.
BUT, the series keeps jumping around in time. Book 13, Congo Contract, was a prequel of sorts-- shifting us back 20 years into the past. Dead Man Walking and Sovereign Power-- Books 14 & 15, shifted us back to the "present" and to where Book 12, Hunter Killer, had left off.
Well, Book 16, Kingmaker, transports us back in time to just following when Book 13 was set. The jump is never explained, never acknowledged and it is jarring! It just makes it difficult to figure out which Alex King the reader is in store for-- the young brash man still finding his way, or the older, wiser and settled down King in a happy relationship with Caroline. If the jumps in time were at least acknowledged or part of the plotline in some way it would make more sense and, quite frankly, would result in a more polished series that would be more enjoyable.