JR

Needs to Bake Longer

Revisado: 03-17-25

This is NOT a thriller. It follows an old, but tried and true, story line about the hero and his girlfriend getting into trouble. The dialog is weak. I had to walk away about halfway through. My time is spent better on other things and other forms of entertainment.

Note on Virtual Voice:
I realize the budding author probably cannot afford a narrator and virtual voice is more affordable. But, it is bland. Nor, does it get all the pronunciations correct.

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This guy can write

Revisado: 07-09-23

I recently heard an interviews of the the author, Joshua Hood. So, I was happy to see this title being offered in the Plus Catalog I thought I would give it a try.

As ex-military and SWAT officer, I figured had enough experience to sound credible. HE DOES!
Of the many authors in this military fiction field, soo many can't get the details correct, or can't seem to get the protagonist into the right rhythm. I know Hood writes other titles and I may get a couple,
The story line is vague enough to be plausible. Not over the top. The hero gets hurt -- isn't indestructible. While there isn't a real romantic sub-text, there is a hint at one.
Other characters are also different than the norm.

About my only criticism, is the character Rene may not understand who she is working for. Or, maybe that is part of the back story and we have to wait for Book #2.
Some of the dialog between various characters may not have been necessary as it was difficult to discern the good guys from the bad. All said, I give it a 4-5 rating.

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Made it to Chapter 36 before giving up

Revisado: 07-01-23

I am SOO sorry I bought this series on sale. It could be a great story but it is just too:
+ filled with angst
+ has too many inconsistencies in the story line - parachute from a plane, 3 on one chute, with equipment. Later they manage to cram all the equipment behind the seat of a snow plow. ??
+ too much repeated back-filling the story. It is like the author believes the reader did not comprehend the reason one of the characters did XXX. So, 10 pages later, he repeats why something happened.
+ over-the-top, explanations on ALL the details.

Can I trade these in for something else??

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Hmm. Tired Dialog -- I just had to turn it off

Revisado: 06-27-23

I made it to chapter34. That's it.
Too much detailed background for each action. Much of it just doesn't make sense. Not over the top crazy fiction, but little things that just undermine the story. The narrator isn't helping things. Emphasis placed on the wrong dialog, Character voices sound wooden and covering his Jersey accent.

At least this one was a freebie. Now I know why.

If you are really desperate, go for it. I value my time more.
Since this one is so weak, I am not even going to fool with Book 2.

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Very slow

Revisado: 06-25-23

In the past, I have liked Rosenberg's work. This one, not so much. It is too long and drawn out. In the first 49 chapters, there are only about 3 points made toward the storyline. Ugh!. I made the mistake of buying the series on sale. Now, I know why it was on sale. Since I own part of the series, when I am really bored, I will start another. Hope it picks up.

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Regurgitating stories

Revisado: 11-18-22

Just a bunch of repetitive stories.
There are much better books that cover the Same material.

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Beginning of the downfall

Revisado: 06-17-22

I have loved WEB Griffin for more than 30 years. This series had merit. But, like his later books, and series, the quality of writing degrades. At various places in the book the obviously inserted dialog is juvenile and out of character. Maybe it sounded better in print??

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New Life to Old Characters -- Good Job Gentlemen

Revisado: 12-12-21

Two books back, I decided that anything by WEB Griffin was offering lost its luster. Being kind, the story lines were just too sophmoric. Andrews and Wilson have breathed new life into the storyline. They not only salvaged the story and main character but borrowed an iconic character from The Corps series. At least a decendent of Killer McCoy -- with a credible history that leaves lots of room for back stories. They have a whole generation to work with.

Realistic, or At Least Plausible
This story is set in present day. Several times, I had to stop and think about how Charlie Castillo has aged. Was it appropriate to the timeline --- YES!. Same with the new PK "Killer" McCoy, his story fits the timeline. Good start with both characters.
These characters make mistakes, get tired, get beat up. Some of the authors in this genere seem to develop "Superman" as their central character. Their stories might move across 10 time zones chasing bad guys but nobody ever gets jet lag. A&W are covering this bit of realism.

Charlie's Family
I did, and do, wonder what happed to Svetlana and her family. I expected Charlie to have at least a couple of kids with his hot Russian spy wife. But, maybe next title --I am waiting to see. Maybe she and the kids were hangiing out in the family Schloss. Is the Russian arms dealer, cousin, still living the good life in Argentina?

For those who like this genre, this will be a great read (or listen). I found myself sneaking back for short listens when I should have been working.

Gadgets and Technical Stuff
Nothing too farfetched. No James Bond toys. They get the weapons right; as I expected. And, the narrator gets them right too.

Scott Brick is a master at delivering up mulitple characters. No Metronome here.

Gentlemen, good work! I await your next project.

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esto le resultó útil a 9 personas

This is his first book. He gets better

Revisado: 08-29-21

Vulcan's Forge is an easy read/listen. Fast paced, not a lot of depth. Similar to a Dirk Pitt novel. I have read or listened to just about all of Du Brul's books. He is a good author. I had not listened to this title until it was offered free from Audible. I would not pay full price for it, but on a discount it isn't bad.

Du Brul gets better over time.

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Slow Paced Recap of Fatal Event

Revisado: 06-29-21

This title sort of presents itself as a "tell all" book by one of the protective detail agents -- Mr. Blaine.

While the author is certainly a part of this significant history, he only provides minutia for filler material down to dialog between various agents. I have read many books on this subject and found nothing new except that it was likely the protective details were over-worked and under-staffed. At least, the book would have you believe this. Yet, the author mentions how the Service calls on field agents for support. So, if there are field agents available, why work an agent to the point of failure due to fatigue? Agents going 40-60 hours without sleep? Agents being paid 120 hours of overtime in a month? Not, that it didn't happen, but who was responsible for managing this recipe for failure?

This is a 17 hr book. It should be condensed to about 60% of this time. Between the abundance of detailed information and the slow pace of the narrator, it will make you drowsy.

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