{A Kelly Coffee Review} The Orphan Factory by James & Lance Morcan

Title: The Orphan Factory
Series: The Orphan Trilogy (#2)
Author: James & Lance Morcan
Publisher: Sterling Gates
Genre: Action/Suspense

Synopsis:

An epic, atmospheric story that begins with twenty three genetically superior orphans being groomed to become elite spies in Chicago’s Pedemont Orphanage and concludes with a political assassination deep in the Amazon jungle.

The Orphan Factory, a coming-of-age spy thriller novel, is book two in The Orphan Trilogy and a prequel to The Ninth Orphan. Go on another frenetic journey with the ninth-born orphan as he busts out of the clandestine orphanage he knew as home and goes on the run across America.

In the late 1970’s, in Chicago, Illinois, the secretive Omega Agency initiates the Pedemont Project – a radical experiment utilizing genetic engineering technologies – to create twenty three orphan babies with the plan to turn them into the world’s most effective assassins.

One of the prodigies will rebel: meet Number Nine, an orphan with a mind of his own.

In 1998, when Nine reaches adulthood and graduates with honors from the Pedemont Orphanage, he is already an adept of the deadly espionage arts. Ordered by his Omega masters to assassinate a survivor of the Jonestown tragedy in Guyana’s Amazon rainforest, Nine is forced to draw upon all of his advanced training just to stay alive.

 This is the second book in the Orphan Trilogy series, even though it's a prequel. I enjoyed this second installment, but it took a bit to get there. The beginning starts slow, with a goodly amount of (often repetitive) exposition. There's a lot more telling than showing going on. However, once Nine makes up his mind to leave, the book begins to move, reminding me why I plowed through the first book so quickly. The details about how he makes his way, his decision-making, and watching the characters feels not unlike reading a movie script. It's very clear, easy to picture and definitely keeps you reading. 

The following plot and action pulls the reader along, almost without realizing it. The suspense and tension is well-done, the sense of danger immediate. There is a rather unfortunate epilogue tacked on that sort of killed my enthusiasm for another book in this world, but overall, a satisfying read. If you enjoy action/suspense novels or conspiracy theories, you'll enjoy "The Orphan Factory."