The Right Side of Wrong is a sharp, high-stakes FBI thriller that kicks off with the mysterious massacre of a cargo ship crew in Baltimore and spirals into a tense web of espionage, corporate greed, and justice. We follow Teddy Jay, an ex-operative turned banana plantation owner, as he tries to uncover the powerful players behind a brutal crime tied to a pharmaceutical heist. The story spins through the Caribbean islands, FBI offices, and secret deals, while introducing gritty, memorable characters like Special Agents Marina Butnari and Doug Hill. It’s a fast, layered read, packed with tension, heart, and a touch of moral soul-searching.

What really grabbed me from the start was the pacing and how naturally E.A. Coe sets the hook. Right out of the gate, the prologue detailing the Butterfly cargo ship murders feels ripped from the headlines. There’s a gritty realism to the newspaper-style report that doesn’t feel forced; it feels downright chilling. Coe doesn’t waste time with slow build-ups; he knows readers today want to be thrown into the fire, and that’s exactly what he does. That opening scene made me genuinely uneasy, in a good way, the kind of page-turning discomfort you expect from a thriller but don’t always get.

The characters, though, are where Coe shines brightest. Teddy Jay is a brilliant lead, a guy who’s tough but full of hidden scars. I loved the little details, like him lifting fingerprints off a water glass, showing he’s never really left his shadowy past behind. But the real star for me was Samantha Jenkins, aka “No Te Metas,” whose fierce, almost mythic reputation adds such a cool, dangerous energy to the story. The moment when Harold Stinson learns what “No Te Metas” means was priceless; you could feel his stomach dropping through the page. Coe writes these tough, layered characters without making them cartoons, and that kept me caring even when the plot got wild.

In the middle chapters, the book does lean a bit more heavily on exposition, especially during the sections about the banana plantations, Tiburon Cay, and Teddy’s backstory. These slower moments contrast with the faster-paced, action-driven scenes I loved, and I did catch myself eagerly anticipating the next ambush or interrogation. That said, even the more deliberate sections added rich layers to the world, creating a lived-in atmosphere that’s often missing from quick-paced thrillers.

The Right Side of Wrong was an intense ride with just the right blend of action, mystery, and heart. I finished it in two long sittings because I had to know how it would all crash together. If you love stories where the line between right and wrong gets blurred, where good people sometimes do bad things for the right reasons, you’ll eat this one up. I’d recommend it to readers looking for a thriller that respects your intelligence while still kicking your adrenaline into overdrive.

Pages: 369 | ASIN : B0F384T422