A Layne Parrish Spy Thriller

by Jim Heskett

Heskett calls his novella 'Die Hard in a museum', and that pretty much describes it.  It's basically a shoot-'em-up with an extremely thin plot.  He treats us to every gunshot, every tremble, tic, and head-jerk of the dying, along with all the blood and gore.

Oh, yeah. . . I haven't told you about the plot, have I?  Layne takes a date to the Denver Art Museum to see a concept art show based on Game of Thrones.  As soon as they enter the museum complex, explosions level two of the museum's three buildings.  The third, in which they take refuge, is soon invaded by armed members of a white supremacist militia, and Layne must find a way to—you guessed it—save his date.  Well, along with the other hostages, of course.

So far, I've read one of his short stories and this novella, and in both, his hero must protect his date.  Does the author have a knight-in-shining-armor complex? Perhaps. . .