Audiobook Review: Executive Order by Max Allan Collins

Executive Order
Author: Max Allan Collins & Matthew V. Clemens
Narrator: Dan John Miller
Series: Reeder and Rogers Thriller (Book 3)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (April 11, 2017)
Length: 8 hours and 21 minutes

Description: A riveting novel by MWA Grand Master Award winner Max Allan Collins.

In Eastern Europe four CIA agents are dead - geopolitical pawns caught in border dispute cross fire. Why were they there? Who sent them? Not even the President knows.

Back in Washington, the Secretary of the Interior dies from an apparent allergic shock. As details emerge, so do suspicions that she was murdered.

Investigating their respective cases, ex - Secret Service agent Joe Reeder and FBI Special Situations Task Force leader Patti Rogers recognize a dangerous conspiracy is in play. When suspects and government contacts are killed off with expert precision, their worst fears are confirmed. As the country edges closer and closer to war, Reeder and Rogers must protect the President - and each other - from an unseen enemy who's somehow always one step ahead.

The stakes have never been higher, against killers who might be anywhere, and Reeder and Rogers have no one to trust but each other.

My Thoughts: The third thriller starring Joe Reeder and Patti Rogers begins with four CIA operatives dying in Azbekistan as the Russians invade. The President calls upon Joe to find out who gave the orders sending the agents into Azbekistan since he had ordered that no agents be in that country. The deaths have brought the US and Russia almost to the brink of war with hawks in the Administration agitating for a declaration of war. 

Meanwhile, Joe is concerned about the death of the head of the Department of the Interior due to an allergic reaction. He had dated her and finds the death suspicious. He calls on his friend Patti to have her and her FBI team look into the death which quickly becomes a murder investigation. 

At first, the two cases don't look to be related but it doesn't take long for Reeder and Rogers to discovers ties to a huge conspiracy to take over the government. The conspiracy has reached deep into all branches of the government leaving them no knowing who to trust.

This was an intense, engaging thriller set in a near future USA. The characters are intriguing and the plot twisty. As narrator, Dan John Miller did an excellent job both illuminating the characters and ramping up the tension of the story. 

I bought this one June 28, 2024. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Fate of the Union by Max Allan Collins

Fate of the Union
Author: Max Allan Collins & Matthew V. Clemens
Narrator: Dan John Miller
Series: Reeder and Rogers (Book 2)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (November 10, 2015)
Length: 8 hours and 21 minutes

Description: When a retired colleague dies of an apparent suicide, ex - Secret Service agent Joe Reeder knows there must be far more to the story. Why did the man leave a desperate message for Reeder moments before dying? And what could possibly make such a seasoned veteran fear for his life?

FBI Special Agent Patti Rogers has a mystery of her own to solve: she's leading a task force investigating a brutal series of similar but seemingly unconnected murders across the DC area. Are they serial killings or something even more sinister?

Could Reeder and Rogers be tracking down different facets of the same conspiracy? And how do the continued assassination attempts on a presidential hopeful figure into an unprecedented attack on the heart of government?

The answers to these questions are uncovered in this riveting sequel to the bestselling Supreme Justice.

My Thoughts: The second book in the Reeder and Rogers series begins with the death of a former Secret Service agent. He left a message on Joe Reeder's phone, but Reeder doesn't get the message until after his former colleague is dead. Joe is suspicious when the death is declared a suicide and is determined to look into it more closely.

Meanwhile, FBI Special Agent Patti Rogers is leading a taskforce investigating a series of murders in the area around Washington, DC. All they seem to have in common is the manner of death. Otherwise, the victims are seemingly random. 

It soon becomes apparent that Joe's investigation and Patti's are connected and lead to something big coming up. Their investigation takes them to billionaire and potential third-party candidate Adam Benjamin who is pushing an agenda of Common-Sense centrism. Benjamin is one of Reeder's few heroes.

The story is packed with action, suspense, and high stakes crimes. I enjoyed getting together with Reeder and Rogers for another excellent thriller. I especially enjoyed the quotes at the beginnings of chapters which featured people buried at Arlington National Cemetery. 

I bought this one June 28, 2024. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Pike Island by Tony Wirt

Pike Island
Author: Tony Wirt
Publication: Thomas & Mercer (November 1, 2024)

Description: From the bestselling author of Just Stay Away comes a haunting thriller about a rising politician whose shadowy past threatens to end his career―and his future shot at the presidency.

What happens at the cabin stays at the cabin. Right?

Andrew Harrison “Harry” Leonard is destined for politics. Getting his start on the Rochester City Council, he quickly rose to become the youngest representative in Congress. Now the up-and-comer from Minnesota is on the brink of something big. If all goes well, he’ll be in perfect position to aim for the presidency.

Then a postcard arrives, blank except for the name on the address: Leonard. Harry hasn’t used that name since high school. Krista Walsh, Harry’s chief of staff, recognizes his old moniker, and when he dodges questions about it, she wonders what he’s trying to hide. She soon discovers the lake pictured on the postcard holds secrets too.

Krista’s investigation into Harry’s past uncovers the truth of what happened one fateful teenage summer. But as disturbing details come to light, how far will Krista go to keep Harry’s career―and her own―headed to the top?

My Thoughts: When a strange postcard arrives at the offices of Freshman Representative Andrew Harrison Leonard, his Chief of Staff Krista Walsh is concerned and puzzled. A picture of a lake in Minnesota leads to discoveries about the man she has supported since his days on the City Council in Rochester, Minnesota, to his current position and hopes to be with him until he is elected President of the United States. She thought she knew everything about Harry's past, but the postcard leads to new potentially damning information.

As Harry gradually doles out information to Krista, alternate chapters show what really happened at Cedar Lake the summer after Harry and his three best friends graduated from high school. And, the more Krista learns, the more she is concerned about Harry's political future and her own future too. 

This was an exciting and page-turning story. I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. Fans of suspenseful stories will really enjoy it. I enjoyed it especially because the setting was a part of Minnesota that was familiar to me. I also liked the moral dilemma that Krista faced as she had to decide what to do about the new knowledge she gained about her boss. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: True Fiction by Lee Goldberg

True Fiction
Author: Lee Goldberg

Narrrator: Adam Verner
Series: Ian Ludlow Thrillers (Book 1)
Publication: Thomas & Mercer (April 1, 2018); Brilliance Audio (April 1, 2018)

Length: 6 hours and 51 minutes

Description: #1 New York Times and Amazon Charts bestselling author Lee Goldberg hits the ground running in a breakneck thriller where truth and fiction collide for the unluckiest writer alive.

When a passenger jet crashes onto the beaches of Waikiki, bestselling thriller writer Ian Ludlow knows the horrific tragedy wasn’t an accident.

Years before, the CIA enlisted Ian to dream up terrorism scenarios to prepare the government for nightmares they couldn’t imagine. Now one of those schemes has come true, and Ian is the only person alive who knows how it was done…and who is behind the plot. That makes him too dangerous to live.

Ian goes on the run, sweeping up an innocent bystander in his plight—Margo French, a dog walker and aspiring singer. They are pursued by assassins and an all-seeing global-intelligence network that won’t stop until Ian and Margo are dead. Ian has written thrillers like this before, but this time he doesn’t know how it’s going to end—or if he will be alive to find out.

My Thoughts: The first in the Ian Ludlow series was a fast-paced thriller with more than a hint of humor. Ian Ludlow is an author. He writes thrillers starring Clint Straker, a secret agent who makes James Bond look ineffectual. 

When Ian hears about a plane crash in Honolulu, he's surprised. After all, he was called in with a bunch of fellow authors to dream up terrorist scenarios supposedly for the CIA. This one was one of his scenarios. And when he contacts his fellow conference attendees, he finds that all of them are dead in what look like ordinary deaths. It makes him rethink a few accidents that he's had lately including the one that has given him a broken arm.

Ian is on an author tour with Margo French as his assigned driver. She's a dog walker and aspiring singer-songwriter. When he says that they need to run and hide, Margo is thinking that his character has gone to his head. At least, she thinks so until they are almost mown down by a self-driving car.

Ian uses the things he has learned doing his research for his Straker books to help them elude their pursuers. But the villain is a corporation that wants to take over the CIA and they have many more resources than Ian and Margo do. What they don't have is Ian's imagination.

Ian and Margo make their way to the California/Nevada desert where an actor Ian wrote for in his television days has decided to live. Ronnie Mancuso has mental health issues which have spawned conspiracy theories. But he's the right guy to help Ian and Margo disappear and get away from agents of the corporation. 

The story is filled with action and humor. Most of the humor comes from Margo's attitude toward all the things that are happening around them. Of course, Ronnie who played a police detective who was half-man and half-plant and really believes his role added substantial humor too. 

I really enjoyed this first in a series mystery and look forward to reading more. 

I bought this one for my Kindle and added the audiobook. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Second Term by J. M. Adams

Second Term
Author: J. M. Adams
Publication: Oceanview Publishing (October 17, 2023)

Description: A lame duck president's desperate power grab threatens democracy in the United States— can former intelligence operative and single mother Cora Walker prevent catastrophe?

September 2012. Cora Walker, a DIA defense operative, learns of a terrorist plot in Benghazi and rushes to a secret installation to stop it. When her superiors ignore her dire warnings, she’ s forced to mount an unsanctioned attempt to thwart the attack. Her team barely repels the large force of invaders determined to kill Americans.

Sixteen years after her heroic actions in Benghazi, Cora is the press secretary for the Speaker of the House. As a single mom, she’ s struggling to balance her demanding job and her home life. Soon, things get more complicated at work as the lame duck president suspends habeas corpus and begins arresting members of Congress in a desperate attempt to retain power.

Cora springs into action to save the Speaker and prevent catastrophe. She'll have to work strategically to keep everyone safe— alliances turn sour, and her trust in others begins to falter. It’ s an uphill battle for Cora until an explosive finale exposes what can really happen to democracy when political extremism reaches new heights.

My Thoughts: This near future political thriller was filled with exiting action and a great main character. Cora Walker is a former DIA operative who made her name in an action in Benghazi but switched her career to becoming a reporter and then working for the Speaker of the House of Representatives. She hasn't lost her extraordinary military skills or strategic ability which is lucky because the lame duck president has decided he doesn't want to leave the White House and has designed a coup that just might work to keep him in power.

Cora needs to evacuate the Speaker from the House when armed assailants and extremists egged on by the President storm the Capitol in an attempt to keep the election from being certified. Cora finds herself in the middle of a plot by a congressman whom she met in Benghazi which "saves" democracy by assassinating the president. But he might not be the only one pulling strings and Cora has to sort things out while running out of time and into danger. 

Cora is an intrepid warrior, but she has more to lose than in her Benghazi days. This time she is fighting to keep her young daughter safe too. 

I enjoyed this fast-paced thriller and this patriotic character who is determined not to let anyone destroy the democracy she has spent her life fighting for. 

Favorite Quote:

Letting me off the leash is probably an unforced error on the Speaker's part, but I live by the edict, "let the bridges I burn light my way!"

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Silent Evidence by Rachel Grant

Silent Evidence
Author: Rachel Grant
Narrator: Nicol Zanzarella
Series: Evidence (Book 9)
Publication: Audible Studios (March 9, 2019)
Length: 11 hours and 24 minutes

Description: The man of her fantasies is finally hers. Sort of...

Two things haunt forensic anthropologist Hazel MacLeod: the bones of victims of genocide she examines for her work, and former SEAL Sean Logan's rejection. But within days of moving to her cousin's estate to take a much-needed break, she finds herself faced with both.

First, she's called in to examine a mass grave in Virginia; then, her politician cousin receives a threatening letter and insists Hazel needs around-the-clock protection - from none other than Sean Logan. To make matters worse, because the threat to her is classified, Hazel and Sean must pretend to be lovers to hide that he's her bodyguard.

Sean has spent years trying to avoid his boss' sexy cousin, but now he's guarding her 24-7 and even bringing her as his date to a romantic destination wedding. As the heat between them intensifies, Sean can't lose sight of the danger that brought them together. But when bullets start flying, new questions arise. Are the senator's political rivals really behind the threat, or is someone trying to silence Hazel from speaking for the dead?

My Thoughts: This romantic suspense title is the ninth in the Evidence series. Hazel MacLeod is a forensic anthropologist who is suffering from PTSD after working in Europe uncovering evidence of genocide. She is back in the States and living temporarily with her cousin who is a US Senator. 

When her cousin's wife discovers a bone dump in the bed of a man-made lake that has been drawn down for some dam repair, she calls in Hazel who agrees to take the new case despite her PTSD.

Unknown to her, her cousin has been receiving threats and one looks like it is aimed at Hazel. So her cousin assigns Sean Logan to be Hazel's bodyguard not knowing that Hazel has a major crush on him and bad memories from his rejection of her advances the last time they met. 

Sean his issues too. He has always lusted after Hazel but the fact that she's his boss's cousin and that he's always been working when they met has kept him from pursuing any sort of relationship. Add in that he's black and she's white just to complicate things further.

When the threat looks like it is going to last for a while, Sean needs to bring Hazel along to a wedding where he's best man and they need convince everyone in attendance that they have begun a new romance. Since those in attendance are either his close friends or her close friends and family, this need to lie and pretend puts a lot of pressure on both of them. 

This was an engaging story with lots of danger and some really spicy love scenes. I enjoyed it. And, even though I haven't read the whole series, I had no trouble catching on to the various characters and their relationships. It stood alone quite well for me.

 
I bought this one October 29, 2021. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Incriminating Evidence by Rachel Grant

Incriminating Evidence
Author: Rachel Grant
Narrator: Nicol Zanzarella
Series: Evidence (Book 5)
Publication: Janus Publishing (March 24, 2015); Audible Studios (September 6, 2016)
Length: 278 p.; 10 hours

Description: From enemies to allies…

When archaeologist Isabel Dawson stumbles upon an unconscious man deep in the Alaskan wilderness, her survival skills are put to the test. She tends his wounds and drags him to shelter, only to discover she’s saved the life of Raptor CEO Alec Ravissant—the man who may have covered up her brother’s murder to save his senatorial campaign.

With no memory of the assault that landed him five miles deep in the forest, Alec doesn’t know what to believe when he wakes in the clutches of the beautiful redhead who blames him for her brother’s death, but he quickly realizes he needs her help to uncover the truth about his lost hours.

Isabel never imagined she’d find herself allied with Alec, and he’s the last man she ever expected to find attractive. But the former Army Ranger-turned-politician proves seductively charming, and he’s determined to win much more than her vote. When their quest for answers puts Isabel in the crosshairs, Alec must risk everything—his company, his campaign, and his life—to protect her.

My Thoughts: Isabel Dawson is working on her Ph.D. in Archaeology and also working on trying to find out about Raptor, a military training center in Alaska, because her only family, her brother Vin died there in what was said to be an accident.

Isabel isn't buying their explanations. She has managed to get the training center shut down temporarily for safety violations which is really irritating to Raptor CEI Alec Ravissant. They multimillionaire is running for the Senate for the state of Maryland and doesn't need the bad publicity. 

When Isabel stumbles upon an injured Alec while exploring Raptor land - despite a restraining order against her - she manages to save his life. However, when he comes to, he attacks her and has her arrested. But when they finally get a chance to talk, Isabel manages to convince Alec that there is something hinky going on at Raptor and the two begin to investigate. 

They also fall in love which might be an even bigger problem than dealing with a secret weapon with considerable power and appeal to any third world dictator with dreams of conquest. After being orphaned at fourteen, Isabel was taken in by her older brother Vin who joined the service to support them both. She hasn't lived anywhere for more than six months and has long ago given up any thought of making friends. Alec was born rich, graduated from Harvard, and was on track for a career in politics before he joined the Army and became a Ranger out of a strong desire to serve.

Alec is out of the military and beginning his political career which seems to leave no place for a nomad like Isabel. But the problems at Raptor in Alaska could derail his political hopes even if they do find answers for Isabel about her brother Vin's death.

The story was filled with action - and some quite steamy love scenes. Nicol Zanzarella did a great job narrating the story. 

Favorite Quote:

She wanted a shower so badly, she could cry.

And she really didn't want him to wonder why she was reluctant to leave him alone with her computer.

I bought the Kindle book and Audiobook. You can buy your copy here.