A review of “Terminal: Sarah Stone Book 4” by Iain Rob Wright

Full disclosure – I was provided a copy of this book by the Author as part of his Advanced Reader’s group but have voluntarily chosen to write a review. All opinions are my own.

The end of an era

Sarah Stone has spent the better part of the last decade as an officer in Britain’s Major Crimes Unit. Recruited during some of her darkest days by an organization on the brink of closure, Sarah faced down some of her darkest demons while attempting to rid her country of terrorist attacks. Nearing the end of her career, Sarah is tired and just wants to blend back into quiet society as much as her scarred face will allow.  But when a passenger jet goes down in the middle of a rural township killing almost 800 people as part of a hacking attack, Sarah once again finds herself searching for a faceless enemy who is on the run. But the MCU are not the only ones searching for the mastermind behind the crash. A local crime boss also has his sights set on the hacker for their own nefarious reasons. As Sarah gets closer to apprehending her final culprit she uncovers a web of deceit and corruption that could forever change the legal and political landscape of Britain. As the major player are revealed, Sarah realizes just who she can and cannot trust.

Terminal is the fourth and final installment in the Sarah Stone Major Crimes Unit themed series of books by author Iain Rob Wright and finally brings to closure a series that Wright initially began to pen in 2014. While quite a departure from his usual horror it can be argued that the Major Crimes Unit series is a horror series in its own right where the monsters are not zombies, or demons, but those closer to “home” who want to do unspeakable damage to our land and our homes. For me, this series was so good that I initially read it when it was first written and then a second time in the months leading up to Terminal’s release. Sarah’s character is complex, and tortured but she is by far one of the strongest female lead characters I have read in a book ever. The fact that Wright uses events that could happen as the framework for the MCU’s cases also elevates this series to something that really scares me because of the possibilities that he illustrates.

While I will miss Sarah, The Earthworm, and the other members of the MCU I do feel that this is a fitting end to the series. Wright has stepped out of his comfort zones when writing this series, but once again proves he can master any genre he chooses to write. While I will always long for a return to the MCU, even in a passing mention or a short story I am thankful for such a great series that I am sure to read again and again.