$50 GC – The Kate Preeacher Thriller Series #MichaelMaloof #KatePreacherSeries PartnersInCrimeVBT

Posted on May 2, 2026 by fundinmental

THE KATE PREACHER THRILLER SERIES

by Michael Maloof

March 30 – June 5, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

RELENTLESS

Kate Preacher thought she had left the CIA—and that life—behind.
She was wrong.

When a devastating terrorist attack rips through Paris, Kate is pulled back into a deadly game she never agreed to play. The attack makes international headlines. Someone wants the truth buried. And the closer Kate gets to it, the clearer one thing becomes:
She is no longer just investigating the conspiracy.
She is part of it.

As powerful enemies close in, Kate becomes the target—hunted by forces that know how to erase anyone who asks the wrong questions. Every answer tightens the noose. Every move brings the cost closer to home.

And stopping what’s coming may demand more than she can survive.

Relentless is a ripped-from-the-headlines thriller and the explosive first book in the Kate Preacher Thriller Series. Featuring a fiercely intelligent female lead, white-knuckle action, and emotional stakes that linger long after the final page.

If you like smart, fast-paced thrillers with heart, danger, and a heroine who refuses to break, this is your next late night.

Praise for RELENTLESS:

“I was on edge reading this book. I cried reading this book. I can’t get the characters out of my mind.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“What a Debut! As one who devours books in this genre, I am thrilled to say this one seems more like a bestseller by one of your favorite authors.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Taut and energetic, Relentless lives up to its name in action and suspense. An engrossing first-rate thriller.”
~ DIRK CUSSLER, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

“Michael Maloof’s RELENTLESS is a heart-pounding thriller that grabs you from the very first page and doesn’t let go until the explosive conclusion.”
~ Ryan Steck, The Real Book Spy and author of OUT FOR BLOOD

UNSTOPPABLE

Betrayal in Paris. Survival in Africa. The world’s deadliest game has a new player.

Former CIA analyst Kate Preacher returns to Paris searching for answers to the terrorist attack that shattered her world—only to find herself in the crosshairs of a sniper who is always one step ahead. Every move she makes is anticipated. Every escape feels temporary. And the deeper she digs, the clearer it becomes that the conspiracy she uncovered is far larger—and closer—than she ever imagined.

When a trusted ally is ambushed and left for dead, Kate realizes she is no longer chasing the enemy.

She is the target.

Her pursuit of the elusive sniper draws her across borders and into Africa’s most dangerous battlegrounds, where warlords, mercenaries, and corrupt powers collide over the fate of a fragile nation. Loyalties shift. Truths fracture. And survival depends on knowing who is lying—before it is too late.

Every enemy hides a secret.
Every ally has an agenda.
Every move Kate makes risks igniting a firestorm that could topple an emerging democracy.

With seconds to spare and a sniper locked on target, Kate faces an impossible choice—risk everything to stop what’s coming or walk away and let a nation fall.

Unstoppable is the pulse-pounding sequel to Relentless—a globe-spanning thriller of betrayal, survival, and high-stakes deception.

This is where Kate learns how far her enemies will go.
And how much it will cost to stop them.

Praise for UNSTOPPABLE:

“Wow, what a sequel to Relentless! Non-stop action and plenty of unexpected plot twists.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This thrilling and intricate follow-up to the series debut will keep readers glued to their seats and begging for more!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The plot is fast-paced as the story hits the ground running, and the action and intrigue are unrelenting and non-stop. Dangerous secrets, hints of unknown agendas, and shocking plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat as Kate got ever closer to her goal, and those working against her tried to stop her or, at a minimum, manage her discoveries and limit the consequences.”
~ Karen Siddall, for Reedsy Discovery

“The Kate Preacher Thriller Series has everything fans of this genre expect: genuinely compelling characters, a solid fast-paced storyline, unexpected twists, bad politicians, and some seriously high stakes. There may even be a touch of the paranormal, as a Maasai named Nuru and a prowling lion leave their marks.”
~ Reviewed by Terri Stepek for Reader Views

DEFIANT

Amazon | Kindle | Goodreads | BookBub

A Funeral in Paris. A Reckoning in Russia. An Endgame in Davos.

Former CIA analyst Kate Preacher has tracked the cabal that shattered her world across continents—but only now does she glimpse the true enemy behind the curtain. A new leader has stepped from the shadows to seize control of the Coalition—and a weapon that could reshape the balance of power forever.

“Sometimes,” Jake warned her, “the only way to win is to sacrifice everything.”

Kate’s hunt races from the rain-soaked boulevards of Paris to Beslan, a Russian city haunted by unanswered questions—where memories she buried long ago surface with deadly force.

In New York, a trusted ally is killed. Another vanishes.

High in the Swiss Alps, Kate undertakes her most dangerous mission yet— infiltrating the labyrinth beneath Davos—before world leaders walk blindly into a trap from which there may be no escape.

A bioweapon counts down to catastrophe. Her team is scattered and fighting to survive. And Kate is one move away from exposing the conspiracy that took everything from her—if she is willing to pay the ultimate price.

Defiant is the explosive finale to the Kate Preacher Origin Trilogy—a globe-spanning, high-stakes thriller for fans of Jack Carr, Gregg Hurwitz, and Mark Greaney.

This is where Kate’s story comes full circle.
And where the final move changes everything.

Praise for DEFIANT:

“Your heart will pound… your eyes will mist”

“You’ve created a compelling world for the Preacher, Trident, Bella, and Ronin characters.”

“Jack Reacher used to be my favorite hero. Now it’s Kate Preacher.”

“DEFIANT by Michael Maloof delivers exactly what its title promises, a heroine who refuses to back down… It’s a satisfying, adrenaline-fueled conclusion that will resonate with readers who enjoy intelligent, character-driven suspense.”
~ IndieReader

Details:

Genre: Action-Adventure, Thriller, Terrorism Thrillers, Conspiracy Theory, and Global/International Crime
Published by: Golden Oak Writer’s Guild, LLC
Series: Kate Preacher Thriller Series | Amazon & Goodreads

Read an excerpt from Relentless:

FRIDAY, APRIL 17, THE PRESENT
6:15 AM EDT
UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

Nomad flexed his right wrist, and with the palm of his hand, eased the joystick forward. The motor on his wheelchair hummed, and he maneuvered toward the center of the workstation. This environment was his creation. The height set to accommodate his chair with room beneath to manipulate the joystick. With subtle right or left pressure on the stick, he could navigate the full semicircle desk and jump between clients and projects.

There were traditional keyboards and mice, but the layer of fine dust revealed little use. Nomad’s world was one of proprietary speech recognition technology and the pressure-sensitive controls he designed and added to his chair. His forearms, wrists, fingers, head and voice all served as system navigation and command-and-control interfaces.

A matrix of monitors, stacked three high and eight across, spanned the arc of the desk and formed his window on the outside world. As a C6 quadriplegic, what he lost in physical mobility he regained in the virtual world. He chose the name Nomad for the irony, and believed his world offered freedom, control, and safety.

Nomad scanned the monitors. His building’s security cameras, global news feeds, random engineering musings of a few MIT grads on Slack. Another monitor was hammering away on a client’s file with one of his decryption algorithms. No challengers yet on any of his virtual chess boards, and that brought him to the Frenchman, his favorite opponent.

The central monitor was a live, split-screen camera feed from the Frenchman’s Paris apartment. One feed came from the Frenchman’s laptop, and the other from the camera embedded in the smart TV. It was Nomad’s practice to plant malware on the systems of anyone in his inner circle. What began as a safety protocol became something more, and he watched and lived vicariously through his contact’s living rooms and their digital and social media lives.

Nomad glanced at the camera feed’s system clock. Twelve-fifteen. It was almost time. He hoped the apartment would be empty, but saw Francois scurrying about, preparing for the meeting. Nomad knew it was pointless, but he had to try one more time.

Francois’s laptop rang with Nomad’s encrypted call request. He watched the Frenchman approach the laptop and press cancel. Nomad tried again, and this time he watched Francois accept the call.

“I admire your determination,” Francois began, “but there’s nothing left to discuss.”

“Look, I know how it sounds, but I’m begging you to trust me,” Nomad said. “You need to leave.”

“You ask for trust, but hide in the shadows.”

“Who I am is not important. All you need to know is that your life is in danger.”

“Nonsense,” he said. “For one thing, I know who you are, but rest assured, your secret is safe with me. Why you’ve chosen this life, I will never understand, but that is your business and now you must leave me to mine.”

“Is that a threat?”

“No, no, my friend. You misunderstand,” Francois said. “This is just a promise that I will keep you out of the discussion, but Moore Industries needs to know what you found. They believe the device is impenetrable, exceeding even the capabilities of quantum computing, and with millions relying on this technology, I have no choice. There is no room for debate.”

“You’re missing the point,” Nomad said. “Tens of millions of customers is exactly why Moore will do anything to protect the NanoVault’s reputation.”

“Again with the conspiracy theories,” Francois said. “You watch too much American TV. I am a respected academic meeting with a representative of a major corporation, not the KGB.”

“I pray I’m wrong,” Nomad said.

“Au revoir, my friend.”

“Wait,” Nomad said. “Before you hang up, what makes you think you know who I am?”

“I understand some hackers have a signature, patterns of behavior, code or techniques they use, that help identify the author.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“So do chess players.”

Nomad heard the knock at the Frenchman’s door. Francois called out to his visitor, and the call ended.

* * *

FRIDAY, APRIL 17
12:17 PM CEST (Central European Summer Time)
PARIS, FRANCE

Francois LeGrande imagined his meeting with the Moore Industries representative. They’ll want to see my research and review my findings. A lucrative offer for my work would be nice, but it would be an honor to receive one of Moore’s Distinguished Fellowships.

Francois rushed to answer the door. He never saw what the masked man pressed into his side, but the effect was immediate. His body convulsed, knees buckled, and his head struck the floor. Next came the duct tape over his mouth and around his wrists and ankles. He lay on the floor of his apartment, dazed and in pain, only half-aware of the large black boot that passed over his face.

Adrenaline surged. His heart raced. He fought to focus his thoughts. Blinked and squinted to clear his vision. He squirmed and wrestled against the restraints. Tried to call out, to scream. Nothing worked. In the futile struggle to free himself, his breathing was rapid and shallow. His vision blurred, and the room spun. Don’t pass out, he thought. Just breathe. Slow down. Listen.

From the hallway, it was difficult to know what the stranger was doing. Was Nomad right? No. Can’t be. If he was here to kill me, I’d be dead already. Then what? What does he want? His head throbbed as he thought back to the fleeting image of opening the door and looking up at the face. There was no face. Just a blur of gray and white rectangles. The man’s ball cap and hoodie obscured any chance of street cameras catching his approach to the building, and the camouflage mask stretched tight from his forehead to his neck prevented facial recognition.

Francois tried to follow the sound of the stranger’s steps. The attic apartment, converted from an 18th-century mansion, was elegant but small. While it suited the Frenchman, it took only moments to explore. He heard the wheels of the office chair as they rolled across the hardwood floor.

He’s in the bedroom.

The bedroom served as his home office. Stacks of books and papers shared his bed, and most of the floor. He pictured the stranger seated at his laptop and cursed his decision to close the connection with Nomad. If he knew, if he saw, he would call the police.

There was an odd sound. An electronic chirp beeping slowly at first, then faster and louder, then slow again. Finally, a solid tone for a moment, then silence.

Francois heard the tones of a cell phone. Too many digits, he thought. Not a local number.

“I have it,” the man said. “No, it has to be tonight. And count yourself lucky I could make this work on short notice.” There was another brief pause and then the call wrapped up. “Yes. Yes. I’ll keep it safe. Now, send me the drop site.”

American, Francois thought, and at that moment, all hope vanished. The businessman he thought might still arrive, might somehow intervene. The man he was expecting was already here. Despair wrapped him in an ice-cold blanket and he trembled. He stopped fighting back the tears and sobbed.

The American dragged Francois down the hallway and into the living room, and the tears gave way to terror when he surveyed the room. A chair from the small kitchen table was in the center. A rope stretched over the ancient oak beam that framed the ridge-line of the apartment’s ceiling, and a noose hung above the chair.

The duct tape muffled his attempts to cry out, and the masked man had little trouble setting the slight Frenchman on the chair. He slipped the noose over Francois’s head and pulled on the rope. Francois stiffened his back, lifted his chin, and gasped for air. The man kept one hand on the rope and the other drew a knife. With a flick and click, the blade locked into place, and in one sudden move he cut the tape binding Francois’s feet. He pulled the slack from the rope and Francois’s only escape from suffocation was to climb up on the chair.

The American tied the rope to the radiator, then stood directly in front of Francois and stared. The mask was disorienting, and Francois found it difficult to focus. He saw a black leather jacket and a gray hoodie. He saw dark blue jeans, and the boots. Large black boots. He could be anyone on the streets of Paris, even one of my students. What is he waiting for? What does he want?

“Let’s talk.”

The words startled him and Francois wobbled atop the wooden kitchen chair. The noose made it difficult to breathe, much less answer questions. When he raised up on the balls of his feet, he could almost take a full breath, but the old chair flexed and creaked when he moved. He knew at any moment it might collapse and he would hang.

“I’m going to remove the duct tape,” the masked man said. “I suggest you remain still. And quiet,” and he gave the rope a slight tug. “Understand?”

Francois nodded, and the stranger ripped the duct tape off the old man’s face. The Frenchman scrunched his eyes, gritted his teeth, and wrinkled his nose. Tears and snot seeped into his mustache. The American balled up the tape and noticed the collection of gray hair.

“Trust me,” he said. “Faster is better.” And then he reached into his jacket, fished out the shiny black device, and held it out for the Frenchman to see.

“Did you crack it?”

Laying in the palm of his glove was a Moore Industries NanoVault. The polished black onyx device, about the size of a woman’s lipstick, was ringed with seven combination dials that controlled access to the device’s unique properties. For the first time since the masked man crashed through his door, Francois thought he understood what was happening. He thinks I’m after the bounty. He thinks I’ve cracked the encryption.

The offer of a bounty, paid in anonymous, untraceable, and tax-free Bitcoins, intrigued cryptographic researchers and enticed the hacker denizens in every corner of the Darknet. Crack the encryption on a Quantum NanoVault, known affectionately as a portable Swiss Bank account, and you’d learn the location of 1,000 Bitcoins. What started as a clever promotional stunt became a worldwide phenomenon when Bitcoin values rose exponentially, and the bounty, still unclaimed, grew to tens of millions of dollars.

“No. No, Monsieur. I assure you, this device is worthless.”

“My client insisted I retrieve this specific device,” he said. “And paid handsomely to recover it immediately. I’d like to know why. What makes this device so valuable?”

“Please. Just take it and go.”

Francois imagined his ordeal might soon be over. He has what he came for. He can just leave.

The American slipped the device back into his pocket and glanced at his watch.

“What’s the combination?”

“It’s not locked.”

“What’s on it?”

“Nothing. I assure you, it’s completely blank,” and Francois nodded toward the laptop. “Go. See for yourself. You will see. It’s empty.”

The American took the device back to the desk, and the NanoVault connected automatically. He returned moments later.

“You’re right, it’s blank,” he said. “But if you’re not using it, why have one?”

“Research,” and Francois nodded toward the back wall. The American turned to see a lifetime of achievement and accolades. Among the faded degrees hanging on the wall were journal clippings, edges curled and fraying, a small shelf of dusty mathematics awards, and a handful of student group photos. Missing was any semblance of a life outside of academia. No wife. No family.

“Then, tell me Professeur,” he said, exaggerating the Frenchman’s academic position. “What makes this device so special?”

“Oh, but it’s not. It’s like any other. Available at any—”

The slap caught him before he could finish.

***

Author Bio:

Michael Maloof is the author of the Kate Preacher Thriller Series—Relentless, Unstoppable, and Defiant—known for its global scope, emotional intensity, and hard-won authenticity. His novels draw readers into high-stakes worlds where intelligence, courage, and consequence collide. A lifelong adventurer, Michael has traveled to more than forty countries across six continents, experiences that deeply inform his writing. His real-world pursuits have ranged from gold dredging in Honduras and artifact hunting in Guatemala to acquiring uncut diamonds in Liberia and surviving an elephant charge in Kenya. He has also trained alongside Navy SEALs, Marine Raiders, Army Rangers, Green Berets, and the CIA—firsthand insights that lend his fiction uncommon realism and respect for the craft of service.

Catch Up With Michael Maloof:

www.MichaelMaloof.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads – @MichaelGoWrite
BookBub – @MichaelMaloof
Instagram – @MichaelGoWrite
X – @MichaelGoWrite
Facebook – @MichaelGoWrite
YouTube – @MichaelGoWrite

Tour Participants:

Click through the other tour stops for can’t-miss reviews, insider interviews, exclusive guest posts, and more chances to win!

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A Global Conspiracy, A Final Mission… And A Giveaway

This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Michael Maloof. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

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The Tiger Among Us by Chris Warner #chriswarner #thetigeramongus

Posted on December 30, 2025 by fundinmental

One day I walked into Florabama, a fabulous bar that sits on the Alabama Florida Line, the Redneck Riviera, and lo and behold there was Chris Warner with a stack of his books. How could I say no?

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I bought a signed copy of The Tiger Among Us by Chris Warner from the author during a visit to Florabama. If you are looking for some southern reading that’s a bit outside the norm, come join me.

First off, I would like to salute and send out a huge THANK YOU to those who serve and protect to keep us safe.

We will be doing some traveling from Louisiana to El Salvador and Washington DC.

Michael Stein was born to be a Marine. Two years and he’s out…until…the NSA wants him. The NSA is an independent entity but operates under the Department of Defense. It’s purpose is to encode and decode intelligence communications and protect us from hackers taking sensitive classified information on government computes. Echelon…does it exist?

LSU…here he comes. It had been his goal to go to college, but not this way. Michael thinks the LSU chicks are hot, especially when he meets his teacher, Kimberly. Rule #1…Don’t get sidetracked…broken. He’s not a virgin, but ten years in the military as a Recon Marine, his life was not conducive to relationships. He is a hard man and when he metes out punishment, he does it with no hesitation, no remorse.

Being at LSU, ya can’t have a story without talking about food, fun and football.

WOW…as I was reading along, watching the Seal Team operate, I was impressed with Chris Warner’s ability to bring to life the action, the bangs of bullets and booms of claymore mines.

The twist wasn’t what I expected, though should have. I think I was distracted because of my mood. The troubling times we are experiencing through Covid and protests makes me realize that there is no reason to heap more on our military by asking them to battle those they are sworn to protect…us.

I got way more than I expected and I can recommend The Tiger Among Us by Chris Warner.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

…in the spring of 1990 a terrorist cell of Muslim computer science students exacts a brute force hack into the computer system of the Counter-Anti-Terrorism-Assistance-Program (CATAP) at Louisiana State University. Two traveling Israeli Mossad agents teaching counter-terrorism at the LSU instructional program are murdered in Athens, Greece outside their hotel. It is perceived as an international terrorist incident. Dr. Bobby Lee Broussard of the National Security Agency (NSA) discovers a terrorist cell at LSU trying to undermine the government’s efforts to combat terrorism. The United States civilian masters order a lone Marine Corps operative to LSU to locate, exploit and eliminate the terrorist threat in the name of national security…Michael Stein is an exemplary 28-year old Recon Marine. Nearing ten years of service, he is ready to retire from the military and pursue a degree and a family. However, Michael is offered a mission that alters all plans… Louisiana, his area of operation, is unlike any he’s encountered, containing a host of pitfalls and distractions… Stein survives these worldly impediments to fulfill his deadly mission in a thrilling, unforgettable climax.

MY CHRIS WARNER REVIEWS

Saved at the Alabama Florida Line

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$25 GC – Fade In by Kyle Mills @partnersincr1me @KyleMillsAuthor

Posted on September 22, 2025 by fundinmental

FADE IN

by Kyle Mills

August 18 – September 26, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

When an ex-Navy SEAL ends up injured and imprisoned, a shadowy ring of power brokers offers him the only way out—through a high-stakes military mission—in this knockout punch of an international political espionage thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kyle Mills.

When ex-navy SEAL Salam “Fade” al-Fayed steps in front of a sniper’s bullet, he assumes that he’s reached the end of the road—his death wish has finally been answered.

Instead, he wakes in a hospital. As one of the deadliest operatives in U.S. history, he’s now incapable of even standing without assistance. Alone and wanted by authorities, he’s destined to spend the rest of his life lying in a prison infirmary.

So when a shadowy organization offers him a new identity and next-generation medical care, he has no choice but to agree. Nothing’s free, though. After a grueling rehabilitation, he’s drafted into an elite paramilitary unit. But who’s in charge?

When a dire threat—a highly contagious pathogen—explodes out of China, his question is quickly answered: A select group of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful people has decided that governments are no longer capable of controlling the chaos erupting around the globe. It’s a power grab by billionaires who’ve decided that it’s their time to rule.

With panic rising, the leaders of both democracies and dictatorships prove equally willing to destroy anything and anyone to save themselves. Forced into action before he’s fully ready, Fade finds himself at the sharp end of a mission to stop a menace unlike any he’s faced before. If he fails, the consequences will be unimaginable. But what if he succeeds?

No one elected the people he’s working for. And God sure as hell didn’t ordain them. Has he signed on to save the human race . . . or to help quietly enslave it?

Fade In tackles the complex threats of international espionage, power imbalances, and global terrorism–and introduces a character destined to take his place among legends like Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp, Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne, Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, and Daniel Silva’s Gabriel Allon.

Kyle Mills is the author of nine New York Times bestselling Vince Flynn novels featuring Mitch Rapp.

Praise for Fade In:

“Fade is a badass operator whom even a coma can’t stop. . . . Plenty of action, plenty of fun.”
~ Kirkus Reviews

“Fresh and incredibly relevant to today’s geopolitical landscape, Fade In is a slow-burn thriller that explodes with violence and leaves you stunned. . . Thriller fans will enjoy Fade In on its own merits but will also be excited for the potential of where this series can go in the future.”
~ Steven Netter, Best Thriller Books

“The most fun I’ve had reading a thriller in a while . . . (Fade is) an invigorating, witty, and highly-likable protagonist.”
~ Kashif Hussain, Best Thriller Books

“Kyle Mills is a master of the page-turner. His attention to detail and his smooth style will keep you reading well into the night.”
~ Vince Flynn

“A new genius for taut, compulsive adventure writing.”
~ Tom Clancy

“One of the best thriller writers on the planet.”
~ The Real Book Spy

“Writing in the Tom Clancy tradition, Kyle Mills has produced a power-packed drama about the men and women who battle the bad guys to protect us all.”
~ William H. Webster, former director of the FBI and CIA

“Spicy, smart, and entertaining. Kyle Mills knows what he’s doing.”
~ Steve Berry

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller
Published by: Authors Equity
Publication Date: July 29, 2025
Number of Pages: 336 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9798893310399, Hardcover
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Simon & Schuster

Read an excerpt:

Thompson Training and Rehabilitation Facility
Near Fayetteville, West Virginia
USA

FADE MANAGED to achieve a state between sleep and consciousness that he could more or less maintain. His eyes were open but didn’t register the hospital-like room he’d occupied for the last three months. And the dreams didn’t come. They were out there, though. Hiding under his bed. Peeking through the crack in the bathroom door.

A sound slipped through his barriers, but it was hard to say if it was real or just one of those monsters on the move. In the end, it turned out to be both.

“Hajjiiiiiiiiiii!”

The shout was followed by ham-sized fists hammering Fade’s locked door. The handle rattled uselessly, followed by more pounding, this time hard enough for dust to rise off the jamb and hang pale in the air.

“Come out and play, Haji! You’re going to die soon anyway! Haven’t you heard? All you old bastards!”

Fade frowned. He was only a few years Thor Erickson’s senior, and it was almost three in the morning. Apparently, the NFL lineman he was sharing the facility with found a way into the pharmaceutical cabinet.

Fortunately, the door was original to the old building, lovingly created from solid oak. Back before robots, assembly lines, and particleboard. When craftsmen learned at their fathers’ sides and took pride in what they did.

“Thor!” A woman shouted. “What’s wrong with you? Go back to bed!”

Fade groaned and muttered to the empty room. “What are you doing, Lisa? Lock yourself in your room.” The pounding went silent.

“Are you high? Have you been taking drugs?”

Heavy footsteps, still slightly off rhythm from his knee injury.

“Stop it! Go back to bed! Now!”

His response was muted but intelligible. “Oh, come on. You said you’d do whatever it took to put me back together . . .”

Then running. Light footsteps with a quick, even beat. But then the chase was on. It shook the entire building.

Fade swung his feet off the bed and stood, stretching his back and registering once again that it felt good. Probably not good enough to save him, though.

When he arrived at the open door to Lisa’s office, she and Erickson were on opposite sides of the desk, staring at each other like the lecherous boss and pious secretary from an old sitcom. When he feinted left, she moved right. When he feinted right, she moved left.

Of course, he could go over or through that piece of IKEA plywood any time he wanted. The question was whether that was really what he had in mind. So far, his violence had been limited to the psychological kind. Would it stay that way?

Best to hang back and wait for an answer. Fade knew his involvement would only escalate the situation. If this was nothing more than a little harmless fun, better to let the god of thunder get bored and end it on his own.

Erickson’s knee brace was conspicuously absent, exacerbating some residual instability to the outside. It caused him to move right more confidently than left. The power, size, and incongruous grace that had made him famous on the field were all there, though. As was the laser-like focus on destruction.

“Okay, this isn’t funny anymore,” Lisa said with impressive calm. “It’s time for you to go back to bed. If you don’t, you could do damage that I can’t fix. It could end your career, Thor. Do you understand?”

The discipline necessary to conjure such a serene tone was noteworthy but also a complete misreading of this piece of shit’s psyche. He fed off the fear he instilled in others. Denying him that would just cause the fire to burn hotter.

Erickson threw himself forward and managed to get hold of her upper arm. She tried to break free but, despite being a hell of an athlete in her own right, had no chance. Instead, she was dragged over the desk and spun around. With his hand now clamped around the back of her neck, she ended up bent at the waist with her cheek shoved into the blotter.

And so it began.

Fade tore himself from the wall he was leaning against and walked to the doorway.

“Hey, big guy.”

Erickson spun, knocking Lisa to the floor. Instead of using her newfound freedom to bolt, she waved Fade off. “Go back to your room! It’s okay.”

He wondered if she actually believed that she could control this douche-bag or if she was just willing to take the bullet to keep her first— and unquestionably most charming—client safe. Not that it mattered. Either she had an unwavering faith in humanity or bigger balls than anyone he’d ever met. That made her worth something. If Lisa Thompson existed, maybe humanity was actually worth saving.

“Looks like you got a hold of a little too much, Thor. Why don’t you and I go outside and walk it off. Let Lisa hit the—” It was impossible not to marvel at the man’s charge. It was like getting shot at by a hippopotamus cannon.

Options were limited, and Fade had already considered all of them. Showing up to this fight in nothing but boxer shorts was intentional. Not just because it was becoming a bit of a tradition, but because football players tended to make good use of their opponent’s clothing to gain control.

The second decision had been even harder than condemning himself to being beaten to death in his underwear. He’d committed to not retreating into the hallway. While bigger than the office, it was certain death. Outrunning this prick over a quarter mile would be a piece of cake, but not so much over the length of that passageway. Further, there was nothing out there that could be used as a weapon. Going up against this bulldozer empty-handed wasn’t going to end well. Anything short of an RPG was going to feel light.

Fade slipped into the office, staying on Erickson’s weak side and ramming a shoulder into him as they came even. The hope was to nudge him in line with the door and let his momentum carry him through. Then they could barricade themselves inside and wait for whatever he’d taken to wear off.

It turned out to not be that easy. Hitting the guy was like colliding with a sack of wet cement. And the idea that his momentum could be counted on to carry him anywhere turned out to be a complete fantasy. The son of a bitch could stop on a dime.

Erickson spun, swinging an arm that caught Fade in the shoulder he’d used so ineffectively a moment before. The force nearly lifted him off his feet, sending him crashing into— and then over— Lisa’s desk. He landed face-first in her chair, which immediately rolled away and sent him to the floor. The illusion of having a bit of cover disappeared when Erickson swept the desk away like it was made of papier-mâché.

Admittedly a bad start, but finally, part of Fade’s master plan worked. Sweaty, bare skin was hard to hold on to. It wasn’t a lengthy reprieve, but it provided an opportunity to throw a magnificent punch directly into the man’s groin. Perfect leverage, great technique, propelled by Mystery Machine–enhanced muscles.

The motherfucker didn’t even notice.

A moment later, Fade felt himself being lifted. His head penetrated the acoustic tile ceiling, providing him with a brief view of the AC ductwork before he was yanked down again. The bear hug he ended up trapped in was centered on his lower back, and he expected his spine to fail. It didn’t, though. Whoever performed his surgery was due a gold star. No numbness or paralysis from the waist down. Just a complete inability to breathe.

A quick review of his situation uncovered a number of problems, the worst of which was that he was being slowly crushed to death. On the brighter side, he was facing his opponent, and his arms were free. Also, Lisa was releasing a steady stream of obscenities that would have made even his old master chief blush.

Hilarious.

He leaned forward and bit down on Erickson’s nose while simultaneously trying to drive a thumb into his eye. Accustomed to having his face protected by a helmet, he was taken by surprise, and Fade once again found himself sailing through the air. This time he landed on the sofa, which wasn’t too bad until he went over the side and landed on Lisa’s guitar. It shattered beneath his weight, driving a sizable shard into his left triceps. By the time he yanked it out, Erickson was coming at him, adding his own screamed epithets to Lisa’s.

The sofa took the brunt of the collision, but the lineman was still able to get a handful of Fade’s hair. Putting up a fight would just waste energy, so Fade allowed himself to be dragged, focusing on keeping hold of what was left of the guitar. Erickson’s knee finally started to show signs of weakness, reducing the force with which he was able to slam Fade onto the desk. Still hard enough to loosen a few fillings, but not sufficient to prevent Fade from winding a couple of the guitar’s strings around the man’s nearly nonexistent neck.

A massive fist connected with his ribs, but Fade ignored it as he tried to fight his way into a position where he could exert some force. Then Erickson made the fatal error of jerking back.

The strings tightened, opening a deep gash that caused his incredible strength to falter. Fade held onto the broken neck of the guitar with one hand and the detached bridge with the other, allowing himself to be pulled to the floor. Erickson kept swinging, connecting repeatedly, confused as to why he was inflicting so little damage.

Lisa appeared from the right, pressing a cloth to his neck in an effort to stop the fountain of arterial blood. A swipe of the man’s hand was still enough to send her spinning across the floor.

Fade got a hold of wrists too thick to wrap his fingers all the way around, gaining a certain amount of control. “You’re dying, man! Pay attention!”

Erickson’s eyes widened, revealing pupils dilated into manhole covers. Imminent death was a hard thing to process. Fade knew that better than anyone. But it was something to be stared in the face. No one should be cheated out of life’s last and most profound experience. Not even this tool.

Erickson finally went still, and Fade tried to stand, using the edge of the desk for balance. He righted Lisa’s chair and sat, not sure for a moment whether it was spinning or if it was just his head. He looked down at a desk drawer hanging broken to his right, trying to bring the image into focus.

When his vision finally cleared, one of his many suspicions was confirmed. It was refrigerated.

He retrieved an icy Coke and then forced the drawer above, revealing an elaborate junk-food stash. Ho Hos. Twinkies. Chips of various crunch profiles and flavors. The mother lode.

His first sip of Coke in years tasted like blood, so he spit it out. The second was heaven.

“Help me!” Lisa was on her hands and knees, once again pressing a cloth to Erickson’s neck.

“You’re wasting your time.”

“Then do something!” He opened a packet of Pop-Tarts and took a bite. Cinnamon. What kind of sick taco bought cinnamon? “He’s not going to make it, Lisa. Take my word for it.”

“Call an ambulance!”

He made a show of searching his nonexistent pockets. “No phone.”

She retrieved hers from her sweatpants and threw it at him. He scrolled through her contacts until he found one that said Matt. No last name. It took six rings, but a familiar voice finally answered. “Lisa? Is everything okay?”

“We’ve got a problem.”

A full second passed before Egan responded. “How big?”

“About three hundred and twenty-five pounds.”

The next pause was longer, accompanied by what sounded like fingers on a keyboard. “It’s going to be a few hours before I can get anyone there. Can you not screw anything else up until then?”

“Sure. No worries.” Fade disconnected the call.

Despite not being a particularly long conversation, sometime during it, Erickson had expired. Lisa fell back into the blood pooling behind her, blond hair glued to the tears and sweat on her cheeks. Fade grabbed a bottle of chocolate Yoo-hoo and rolled the chair alongside her.

“Here. Drink this. It’ll make you feel better.” She grabbed it and removed the lid with a practiced twist, draining almost half before coming up for air. “Better?”

No response.

“Are you hurt?” When she shook her head, he put a hand under her arm and lifted her to her feet. “Good. Now let’s get you cleaned up before the cavalry arrives.”

***

Author Bio:

Kyle Mills is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-two political thrillers, including Enemy at the Gates, Total Power, and Lethal Agent for Vince Flynn and The Patriot Attack for Robert Ludlum. He initially found inspiration from his father, an FBI agent and former Interpol director, and still draws on his contacts in the intelligence community to give his books such realism. Avid outdoor athletes and travelers, he and his wife split their time between Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Granada, Spain.

Catch Up With Kyle Mills:

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National Parks Thriller – Leave No Trace by A J Landau @jondland

Posted on February 27, 2024 by fundinmental

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Leave No Trace (National Parks Thriller, #1) is a collaboration between Jon Land and Jeff Ayers. I am excited to be on the adventure, traveling coast to coast to sniff out the danger.

The headers for each short chapter include snippets of the history of the National Parks. I love the combination of fact and fiction.

First stop on our adventure…Danny and his family are visiting the Statue of Liberty. He is very observant and notices something is not right. Before he can say or do anything, there is an explosion. The Prologue set the hook and I am looking forward to hanging out at the National Parks, even under such trying circumstances.

Agent Michael Walker of the National Park Service is on the case and he’ll be working with Gina Delgado of the FBI. I love diverse characters. Michael has a prosthetic foot. Gina is the youngest FBI ASAC and a Latina woman to boot.

A young boy walks up to Michael and asks, “Have you seen my parents?” He becomes the most important witness because of the vital information he has. Does it put a target on his back? What do you think?

The more they investigate, the deeper, more terrifying the conspiracy grows. No one or no thing can be one hundred per cent protected. Michael and Gina will be mobile, putting out fires and defusing catastrophic bombs.

Jeremiah is out for revenge after his family’s home was taken by the Park Service.From coast to coast, no national treasure is safe from those that want to tear them down, not caring how many innocent lives they take with them. A conspiracy surrounds the investigation and reaches within the government. What is their agenda?

I’m getting a terrible feeling. Hold on to you ASS people! Knowing Jon Land, I was waiting for the danger and suspense to ramp up. I was moseying along before thinking these rogue military terrorists were not alone, but now…I quit taking notes because from here on out, mum’s the word.

I felt jaw dropping suspense, anger and rage, and outright shock at the depths people go to and the reasons for it..I don’t know who to trust.

Opposing forces will, eventually,collide. Who will be left standing? The addition of Danny appearing here and there, is a touch that I love. I feel there is a warning here. The government might want to rethink the selling of any old military equipment, bases, etc.

Explosive. Too real! I can let my mind go there.

The shifting points of view, can be a tool for creating suspense and a need to know, or a detriment, slowing down and interrupting the pace and tempo. For me, it was the former.

GOODREADS BLURB

In a daring, brutal act of terrorism, an explosion rocks and topples the Statue of Liberty. Special Agent Michael Walker of the National Park Service is awakened by his boss with that news and sent to New York as the agent-in-charge. Not long after he lands, he learns two things – one that Gina Delgado of the FBI has been placed in charge of the investigation as the lead of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and two, that threats of a second terrorism attack are already being called into the media. While barred from the meetings of the Joint Task Force for his lack of security clearance, Walker finds a young boy among the survivors with a critical piece of information – a video linking the attackers to the assault.

As a radical domestic terrorist group, led by a shadowy figure known only as Jebediah, threatens further attacks against America’s cultural symbols, powerful forces within the government are misleading the investigation to further their own radical agenda.

Genre: Action and Adventure, Conspiracy, Mystery, Suspense, Terrorism,Thriller
352 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 27, 2024 by Minotaur Books
Series: National Parks Thriller, #1

ABOUT JON LAND

Jon Land is the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of 36 books, including the bestselling Caitlin Strong Texas Ranger series that includes Strong Enough to Die, Strong Justice, Strong at the Break, Strong Vengeance and, most recently, Strong Rain Falling. The Tenth Circle marks the second return engagement of his longtime series hero Blaine McCracken on the heels of last year’s Pandora’s Temple which was nominated for a Thriller Award and received the 2013 International Book Award for Best Adventure Thriller. Jon’s first nonfiction book, Betrayal, meanwhile, was named Best True Crime Book of 2012 by Suspense Magazine and won a 2012 International Book Award for Best True Crime Book. He is currently working on Strong Darkness, the next entry in the Caitlin Strong to be published in September of 2014. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude from Brown University, where he continues to maintain a strong volunteer presence, in 1979.

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Review – The Toymaker (Jake Pendleton #2) by Chuck Barrett @chuck_barrett

Posted on June 28, 2023 by fundinmental

I have had The Toymaker by Chuck Barrett on my TBR since 2012. I was so excited to grab it and don’t know why I waited so long to read it.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Toymaker by Chuck Barrett is a continuation of The Savannah Project, so this review will be short and sweet.

I LOVED IT.

Jake Pendleton will learn the all the grisly details of the ills that have befallen him, as he faces his worst foes. One is familiar, Ian Collings, the assassin. One is new, a terrorist, and will test all his skills. He will travel the world, dodging death with colleagues old and new.

The more I read, the more lost I got in the story, wondering who would live and who would die. Hopefully, it will be the villains, but with Chuck Barrett, you can never be sure.

GOODREADS BLURB

Former NTSB Investigator Jake Pendleton faces a dilemma as the line blurs between right and wrong. After his judgment comes into question, Jake is entrusted to his new mentor, an eccentric old man who sees beyond Jake’s flaws. A man who makes ‘toys for spies.’

A man known as The Toymaker.

Jake’s first assignment reunites him with Gregg Kaplan in a daredevil mission to rescue a fellow agent held captive in Yemen. He risks his life to stop the first attack of an al Qaeda mastermind. But now, with no one to trust but himself, can Jake stop the terrorist from destroying what is most precious to the free world?

Unfortunately, more trouble comes his way as a killer from his past threatens something more important to Jake than his own life, leaving him to make the hardest decision any man ever has to make—

Who to sacrifice.

Fiction, Action and Adventure, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Terrorism, Espionage

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 21, 2011

ABOUT CHUCK BARRETT

Chuck Barrett is the award-winning author of The Savannah Project, The Toymaker, Breach of Power, and Disruption of his Jake Pendleton series, and Blown, and Last Chance of his blockbuster Gregg Kaplan series. He is a graduate of Auburn University and retired air traffic controller. He also holds a Commercial Pilot Certificate.

He and his wife, DJ Steele (also an author) currently reside in Northern Colorado.

Awards:
—BLOWN
2016 Writers Digest Self-Published Book Awards

—Breach of Power
Winner of the 2013 Indie Excellence Award in Political Thrillers.
Finalist in the 2013 International Book Awards Thriller/Adventure category.

—The Toymaker
Finalist in the 2013 International Book Awards Thriller/Adventure & Mystery/Suspense categories.

—The Savannah Project
Finalist in the 2011 International Book Awards Thriller/Adventure category.
Second Place in the 2011 Reviewers Choice Awards Mystery/Thriller/Suspense/Horror category.
Honorable Mention in the 2011 ForeWord Reviews Book-Of-The-Year Awards Thriller/Suspense category.

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MY CHUCK BARRETT REVIEWS

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Tick Tock – The Pendulum Files by P M Terrell @pmterrell

Posted on March 1, 2018 by fundinmental

OMG! The colors for The Pendulum Files by P M Terrell will jump off any bookshelf. I would grab the book for that reason alone, but the story inside kept me reading long into the night.

Cover Design: Nightman1965/Shutterstock.com

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

The beginning of The Pendulum Files by P M Terrell slapped me awake!

Dylan’s Song was soooo good, I just had to jump right into The Pendulum Files by P M Terrell and it began with a sense of foreboding and danger that more than met my expectations. Reeled me in, hook, line and sinker.

Each book can stand alone, with recurring characters and occasionally a new one added. They have become my family and I don’t want you to miss anything, so I do recommend beginning at the beginning. I believe, once you start, you won’t want to stop.

I love P M Terrell’s ability to layer plots, with multiple storylines running throughout.

The story will take us back to WWII and the lost riches of the Germans.

A premonition…

Oops, they missed that one and I wonder what will bite them in the ass because of it. OH NO! We take a terrible twist and Vicki becomes a primary target.

Brenda may be a second tier character, but I love her. She is a badass, take no prisoner type of gal, tough as nails. She will not stand still and let HIM take her out. She has her issues, has crossed the line and back again, but no one can accuse her of sitting idly by and letting life happen to her. She would fight on her own terms.

She brought Christopher to life. She is wild, passionate, unpredictable, and there is nothing he won’t do for her.

In Chris’ apartment…Gabucci…Brenda…the balcony…the fall…OMG! I fought along with Christopher…I was terrified for Brenda…OMG…I don’t believe it. P M, what are you doing to them. The author is not afraid to put her characters through the ringer, and make me wonder who will be left standing in the end.

The pendulum haunts Vicki. She is the only one to hear it. What does it mean?

Dylan has some of the craziest, funniest, ridiculous superstitions and insists, “It’s true.” I smile and shake my head at each and every one. Now, that’s some great writing P.

The political machinations read as if they are current events and, of course, there is misconduct, conspiracy, maybe even treason.

Even though the bombing of the ships mystery is solved, the story is far from over. What this family will face in the next dangerous adventure I can only guess, and I am eager to find out. Sooo, I eagerly being reading Cloak and Mirrors.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Pendulum Files by P M Terrell.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

CIA operative Dylan Maguire joins forces with psychic spy Vicki Boyd to find out who is bombing merchant vessels bound for the United States from China. Their mission will lead them to Black Sites, the high seas and into covert operations. And when an assassin escapes from prison determined to finish the job he started, they find their personal lives and their missions are about to collide in ways they never could have imagined.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

p.m.terrell is the pen name for Patricia McClelland Terrell, the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 21 books in four genres: contemporary suspense, historical adventure/suspense, computer how-to and non-fiction.

Prior to writing full-time, she founded two computer companies in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. Among her clients were the Central Intelligence Agency, United States Secret Service, U.S. Information Agency, and Department of Defense. Her specialties were in white collar computer crimes and computer intelligence, themes that have carried forward to her contemporary suspense.

She has been a full-time author since 2002. Vicki’s Key was a top five finalist in the 2012 International Book Awards and 2012 USA Book Awards nominee, and The Pendulum Files was a national finalist for the Best Cover of the Year in 2014. The Tempest Murders was one of four finalists in the 2013 International Book Awards, cross-genre category.

Her historical suspense, River Passage, was a 2010 Best Fiction and Drama Winner. It was determined to be so historically accurate that a copy of the book resides at the Nashville Government Metropolitan Archives in Nashville, Tennessee.

She is also the co-founder of The Book ‘Em Foundation, an organization committed to raising public awareness of the correlation between high crime rates and high illiteracy rates. She is the organizer and chairperson of Book ‘Em North Carolina, an annual event held in Lumberton, North Carolina, to raise funds to increase literacy and reduce crime. For more information on this event and the literacy campaigns funded by it, visit www.bookemnc.org. She is also the founder of The Novel Business, mentoring authors in the business end and selling of books.

She sits on the board of the Friends of the Robeson County Public Library. She has also served on the boards of Robeson County Arts Council, Crime Stoppers and Crime Solvers and became the first female president of the Chesterfield County-Colonial Heights Crime Solvers in Virginia.

MY REVIEWS FOR P M TERRELL

The following books are lined up in order, first to last. I will be reviewing them all.

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Beware if Leine Basso has you in her sights – The Last Deception by D V Berkom @dvberkom

Posted on December 12, 2017 by fundinmental

The cover for The Last Deception by D V Berkom shows Leine Basso as I see her. I love when a cover fits the characters and the story.

I have been reading D V Berkom’s novels for some time now, and eagerly grab them and begin reading as soon as they arrive. Check out this and some of my other reviews and you will see why.

So…let’s not waste any more time.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

I love kickass female protagonists and D V Berkom supplies me with one of my favorites in the Leine Basso series and The Last Deception. These books stand alone, so no worries there, but once you start, you won’t want to stop.

We start right off with action, kicking down doors and bullets flying, as she heads off to Libya to rescue 15 year old Munira from terrorists. She had been kidnapped, brutally abused, then when they were finished with her, they sold her to sex traffickers.

Leine thought she left her past behind, until a friend calls her for help.

Maskinovka – Deception. American lives are on the line and the clock is ticking. Danger and political intrigue. Who to trust. How do you find answers without tipping your hand to the wrong person?

Some would call Leine’s actions rash, but she called them expedient. Sometimes split second decisions must be made, to accomplish the mission. Leine will put her life on the line to do what is right. I know, or at least I think I know, that DV Berkom will not kill her off. 🙂

I love a character who knows who they are. I have been with her through many trials and tribulations and love the person she has become. BUT, I loved her before, too.

The cover depicts my image of Leine. I can see her, laden with all the latest military goodies, crawling through the jungle, reconning, taking fire and dishing it out.

The writing and pacing keep the story moving and I travel from place to place, danger to danger, reading and wondering where it will all end. Sometimes your enemy is your friend and I love D V Berkom’s ability to make the story and characters read true. She does her research and it shows through her words. Great job D.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Last Deception by D V Berkom.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Lies. Deception. A nation on the brink of war…

In the Cold War, you knew who your friends and enemies were. In war today, there’s no difference.

Just when former assassin Leine Basso thinks she’s free from the business of murder and deception, a desperate call from a friend drags her back into the dark world of espionage and arms dealers.

Leine uncovers information that implicates a well-known Russian businessman in a horrendous deception that affects national security and could have global repercussions. It’s up to the former assassin to persuade the powers that be to ignore the obvious and trust her, or disregard the information and bring the world to the brink of a devastating war. Can she make it in time to warn them before The Last Deception?

ABOUT DV BERKOM

DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages.

Raised in the Midwest, she received her BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves (and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle, Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned contractor, and writes every chance she gets.

For more information, please visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.
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Author Pages: Amazon / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble / itunes / Kobo

My Reviews DV Berkom’s Leine Basso Thrillers:

My Reviews for DV Berkom’s Kate Jones Thrillers:

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Teaser Tuesday #97 – The Last Deception by D V Berkom @dvberkom

Posted on November 7, 2017 by fundinmental

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by The Purple Booker, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

~~~~~~

I have read a lot of DV Berkom’s novels and enjoyed everyone tremendously. If you are looking for an author to follow, I recommend her. She has strong female characters that manage to get into some thrilling situations.

The Last Deception is D V Berkom’s sixth novel in the Leine Basso series. They can all stand alone, but I have loved each and every one, so I recommend starting at the beginning.

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

MY TEASE

“How would they know it their patient was my son? This letter states he was on a clandestine operation.If true, he would not have carried identification.If he had, then the bombing would have wiped out any credentials.”

(page 69 in paperback published in 2017)

GOODREADS BLURB

Lies. Deception. A nation on the brink of war…

Just when former assassin Leine Basso thinks she’s free from the business of murder and deception, a desperate call from a friend drags her back into the dark world of espionage and arms dealers.

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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Horror of the SciFi Kind – Nomad by Matthew Mather @phuturenews

Posted on October 5, 2017 by fundinmental

Nomad by Matthew Mather is Book I of The New Earth Series.

This is one of those books that left me with tons of questions and what ifs.

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Action packed, thought-provoking, could this really happen novel that held my attention as the clocked ticked down.

“At most, we have a year, perhaps only months, until the anomaly reaches us.”

It’s the end of the world and I can’t imagine the fear and panic. All kinds of questions came to mind. Would I want to know, seeing as how there is nothing I could do? Would I want to be one of the last ones standing? How would I spend the last moments of my life? Who would I spend them with?

I quickly became involved with the characters, especially Jess. I love a strong, independent, kickass female, and she surely fits the bill. She is into extreme sports, served in Afghanistan, and left a leg there because of an IED. She may be a bit more than self-confident, maybe a bit reckless, but she does not have a death wish.There is nothing that will stop her from doing the right thing.

My first thought would be to let bygones be bygones, but would others think that? What about other countries? Would they want to take the last shot before the Earth ceases to exist?

A free for all, no holds barred human slaughter.

Matthew Mather did his research for Nomad. I don’t understand all the technical jargon, but he broke it down into easy to understand language. Well enough for me to me to be totally engrossed in the story, instead of thinking of it as a school subject.

The end of the world is coming and I felt it on every page, especially after watching the Solar Eclipse on 8.21.17. The danger and suspense just kept increasing, and it wasn’t just because of Nomad.

There is no ending. There are four books in the series, and I WANT THEM!

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Something massive is coming…

And it’s heading for Earth.

That’s what Dr. Ben Rollins, head of Harvard’s exoplanet research team, is told by NASA after being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night. His first instinct is to call his daughter, Jessica, who’s vacationing in Italy with his wife. “Something’s coming,” he tells them. “A hundred times the mass of the sun. We can’t see it, don’t know what it is yet, but they’re calling it Nomad–and in just months, the Earth may be destroyed.”

But what is it? And how did they miss detecting it until now? In a frantic race against time, Dr. Rollins must unravel Nomad’s secrets. A mysterious clue surfaces in his old research papers from the end of the Cold War, more than thirty years earlier…

The world erupts into chaos as the end approaches–and Ben discovers that his wife and daughter are trapped in Europe. The key to humanity’s survival rests in the final answers Dr. Rollins pieces together, in the midst of his desperate scramble across continents to find his family before Nomad swallows the planet.

MORE ABOUT NOMAD

A story of family and redemption set amid a brand new category of cataclysm–all the more plausible and terrifying as the science behind it is vetted by a team of world-class astrophysicists from CERN, SETI, the Keck Observatory and more. It even has its own simulation video, included at the end of the book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matthew is the million-copy bestselling author of CyberStorm and Darknet, and the hit series Nomad and Atopia Chronicles. He started out his career working at the McGill Center for Intelligent Machines, going on to become one of the world’s leading members of the cybersecurity community. In between he’s worked in a variety of start-ups,everything from computational nanotechnology to electronic health records to weather prediction systems. He spends his time between Montreal and Charlotte, NC.

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One Sentence Review for Dark Waters by Chris Goff @christinegoff

Posted on August 26, 2017 by fundinmental

Dark Waters: A Raisa Jordan Thriller by Chris Goff is a wonderful debut novel that deals with conspiracy and terrorism in the middle east.

I won Dark Waters and the next in the Raisa Jordan Thriller series, Red Sky.

Thanks to Peg B and Chris Goff.

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

Bullets fly, while a very ill young girl and her father witness two murders in an exchange gone wrong, drawing in two fierce women warriors who must band together in a battle against time in this fascinating novel of conspiracy, murder, politics, hidden agendas and terrorism that smacks of reality.

4 Stars

Raisa “Rae” Jordan, an agent for the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service, isn’t in Israel for more than a day before her predecessor is killed in a Tel Aviv square. Assigned to investigate the assassination of one of her own, she must also protect Judge Ben Taylor and his teenage daughter. They may be the sniper’s next target and are most certainly being threatened by a desperate cadre of terrorists with their sights set on the Secretary of State’s upcoming visit. But is an attack on the Secretary of State all that they have planned or is that just the beginning?

There are no protocols for this kind of a situation, and following the rules is exactly the kind of thing that could get the Taylors killed. To subvert an attack that could crush the fledgling peace in the Middle East, Jordan must trust her instincts and bring together a contentious team of agents from Israel, the U.S., and the Palestinian territories to uncover a conspiracy years in the making.

With millions of lives hanging in the balance, Dark Waters, Chris Goff’s explosive new thriller, is a series debut that mirrors global headlines and will have you frantically turning pages.