THE CHRYSALIS OPTION

by Eric Coulson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2024

In Coulson’s thriller, a disgraced British soldier joins a secret organization of assassins.

As the story opens, Cpt. Kiana Azunna of the Royal Marines is in Afghanistan, where she and her team are on a mission to take out a Taliban commander. Things go as planned until Kiana notices that two young girls are in danger of being killed in the process. Her attempt to save the girls winds up sending the mission off the rails. Kiana is injured, and some of her comrades are killed. Kiana reflects on all of this when she takes leave in London following an extensive recovery. There, she’s contacted by representatives from British intelligence. Kiana’s military career may not be as washed up as she had assumed. She’s invited to join an elite organization called “Chrysalis.” As her new boss explains, “Sometimes problems exist where at least part of the solution is the elimination of certain people and problems.” Chrysalis maintains a list of people who have been approved by government officials for elimination; it comes down to people like Kiana to do the eliminating. If she can successfully complete two missions, she’ll become a Chrysalis Officer. First, though, she’s off to training in Wales. Amid the stunning scenery, she learns that Chrysalis is not an organization to trifle with. Later, she goes to Turkey for her first assignment. She’s provided with plenty of cool gear to help her in her tasks, like a Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC motorcycle, but that doesn’t mean her assignments will be easy.

Kiana certainly makes use of the many gadgets at her disposal: Whether she’s taking someone down with “4.6x30mm ammunition” or feeling eager to make use of the “H&K P30 strapped to her hip,” there’s plenty of conflict on offer. The author’s inclusion of technical details is extensive; in addition to references to such things as the “Klimov TV3-117MT turboshaft engines” of a military helicopter, the book has many elaborate culinary descriptions. For all of Kiana’s deadly prowess, she’s also a foodie—one of her breakfasts is catalogued thusly: “Shirred eggs and wheat toast were complimented by black Vietnamese coffee from Whittard of Chelsea, two turmeric shots, and a large bowl of fresh fruit.” While such luxurious meals sound appealing, this is not particularly thrilling information. The surfeit of material in this vein delays more important story elements, like the introduction of the Chrysalis organization and the assignments of its newest potential officer. Still, readers come to know Kiana well, right down to her fondness for whisky and waxed cotton motorcycle jackets. She sometimes reflects on what she hears in the news: A report from the BBC about a group of migrants who have drowned in the Mediterranean leads her to think about the plight of “Poor people affected by huge forces they could not begin to comprehend much less control.” The story offers much more character depth than one might expect from a typical thriller—Kiana may be a rugged professional killer, but she’s a complex, fully dimensional one who will leave readers curious as to where she might go next.

A detail-rich adventure with a nuanced hero and plenty of explosions along the way.

Pub Date: March 5, 2024

ISBN: 9798988866206

Page Count: 345

Publisher: Self

Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

THRILLER | ESPIONAGE | POLITICAL, MILITARY & TERRORISM