“A new era is coming, but we can’t afford any mistakes. If you were careful before, I want you to be meticulous now. Trust no one outside the people in this group. No wives, no girlfriends, nobody.” Dr. Brent Holcomb is a physician, a doctor with a conscience. It might be surprising to know that he is the son of convicted criminal, a man who made his fortune through human trafficking, among other things. Brent was determined to bury his sordid past by doing good, but his temper and his own family tragedies interfered and he ended up finally working for a charity hospital and moonlighting as an animal rights activist with an eco-terrorist group. With his knowledge of his father's evil doings, Brent was able to con the cons, although in the process more people he loved were killed. The man who had suffered an almost irretrievable downward spiral had resurfaced as a man of justice, one who would see the wrongs of society made right, but not through a terrorist plot.

Dr. Sean Dow is a master of mystery, political intrigue and thrilling terrorist plots. He manages to move the story along with multiple shifts, twists, and turns. What begins as a sad tale of a man's life gone awry, turns into a clever story of espionage and terrorist plots. The main character, Brent, appears to be such a sorry character in the beginning. It's rather difficult to believe that he had an about-face change of attitude towards the justice system that had failed him so often in the past. But, with the clever escapades and scenarios, the sudden change is made somewhat believable. This was an interesting, and at times exciting read.

A Leafy Green World by Sean Dow is a thrilling novel about Dr. Brent Holcomb and his involvement in an eco-terrorist organization. After his pregnant wife and young daughter are killed by a drunk driver, Brent finds himself in a downward slump, unable to hold down a job. Seeking out his wealthy mother’s help, Brent moves to Portland, gaining a fast-paced position in a hospital. He seems to have everything he’s ever wanted, including a chance at love again. However, Brent’s new companions are not all they seem, as he finds himself embroiled in a dangerous situation, leaving him questioning if the people he’s with really want to save the environment, or merely destroy the people who are doing it.

Told from Brent’s perspective for most of the chapters, I was a bit thrown when other third person aspects were introduced. The story itself though is fast-paced, a whirlwind of information being thrown at the reader, but certainly not boring. I liked Brent as a character, and he had many witty quips. I thought it was particularly funny how he described Robyn’s vegetarian foods. The supporting characters were just as interesting, but it is really the plot surrounding the eco-terrorism that drives this novel. I am fully against animal testing, however, Animals Are People, Too took it to the extreme. It’s difficult to explain a lot about what I liked in the book without giving away any of the plot details! I believe anyone who enjoys reading thrillers will enjoy A Leafy Green World by Sean Dow.

After losing his wife and unborn child to a terrible accident, Dr. Brent Holcomb moves to Portland, Oregon, with the hope of starting over. Mired in debt, jaded and angry over the failure of the justice system to convict the person responsible for the accident that destroyed his family, Dr. Holcomb soon makes an unlikely friend: a local barber. Not long after he encounters the mysterious and beautiful Robyn, a femme fatale of Dashiell Hammett proportions. After learning that both the barber and Robyn belong to an eco terrorism group eager to recruit him, Holcomb joins them, largely so that he can pursue a relationship with Robyn. He ends up in over his head, eventually helping to mastermind the terrorist group’s actions (though always with the intent of subverting them by protecting the innocent). Things go really sideways after a botched mission that results in a murder, and Dr. Holcomb realizes his only way out is to destroy the terrorist group from the inside.

The plot of A Leafy Green World by Sean Dow might be a little far fetched, but it’s coherent and logical enough to allow the suspension of disbelief. Dr. Holcomb is an entertaining protagonist, if a little lacking in human emotions. Brilliant, cocksure, and quick on his feet, the book is at its best when Dr. Holcomb presents idealized visions of the future for the eco terrorists. His descriptions of how to win over the public are both believable and hilarious, as are the portrayals of the “useful idiots” at the outermost ring of the terrorist structure. The weakest aspect of the novel is that Dr. Holcomb doesn’t seem to experience much in the way of human emotion when facing a number of horrific experiences. As a medical doctor it makes sense that he might be a little more detached and logical than most, but his treatment of Robyn is so expressly cynical that it made him a little hard to like. That said, when the book focuses on the way that Holcomb solves problems, thinks on his feet, and works against the terrorists, it makes for a pleasurable read.

The writing is clear, concise, and readable, if a bit reliant on telling. There’s plenty of humor sprinkled in the pages of A Leafy Green World, and some fantastic one-liners and zingers. I found myself laughing aloud on more than one occasion. Entertaining, well-plotted, and often hilarious, A Leafy Green World is a worthy thriller with an interesting protagonist with a unique world view. I hope to see him again in the future.

A Leafy Green World by Sean Dow is a riveting story about a doctor who loses his loved ones and is trying to find new meaning in his life. When Dr. Brent Holcomb loses his wife and child in a car accident, he discovers something that adds salt to his wound, so to speak. Moving to Portland to start anew, he finds himself in a state of agitation, unhappy with his colleagues, and feeling completely like an outsider in his new job. The doctor had an unusual childhood and is estranged from his rich family, but he is forced to reconnect with them to meet his financial obligations. He eventually finds a new job and what follows is a roller coaster ride involving human rights activists, terrorists, and the beautiful Robyn who will lead him to the secret and dangerous world of extreme activism.

A Leafy Green World is a mixture of drama, thrills, and sarcastic humor. Sean Dow has certainly come up with a novel that is quite original and entertaining. As one follows the novel’s plot, it is difficult not to notice the wry humor and cynicism that leaps out of its pages from time to time. The characters are varied and interesting, like the rabid environmentalists, the sweet talking physicians, the secretive terrorists and a lot more. The main protagonist, Dr. Brent Holcomb, is himself a very interesting and unusual character who gets entangled in curious circumstances. And as he becomes more involved with Robyn and her group of animal activists, it also becomes more difficult to put the book down. Events unfold quickly and Brent’s innermost feelings are revealed; as we get to know him, we also get more involved in his remarkable life’s journey.