Hendricks Book Reviews

...this series just keeps getting better & better!

Revisado: 11-16-24

Audiobook Review – Bad River – Marc Cameron
It is no secret that former U.S. Marshal Marc Cameron is one of my top favorite authors and does another outstanding job with his sixth Arliss Cutter novel, “Bad River.”

Cameron captures the beauty and brutality of both man and nature in this high-stake suspense thriller where Cutter is on the trail of a murderer, and he also searches for answers surrounding his brother’s mysterious death in both the heart of the Alaskan wilderness and in the Badlands of South Dakota.

I greatly enjoyed – as usual – the educational storytelling and the strong emphasis on personal responsibility, family, country, and the detailed depiction of Alaskan life. This series pays great tribute to our 49th state, Alaska, and its pioneer spirit, its native peoples, and of course, its beautiful scenery. The series has been a tremendous adventure with the exciting exploits of the man character, Arliss Cutter and the Alaska U.S. Marshals. I also enjoy Cameron’s “Grumpy-isms” - rules of life quotes – and the awesome family comradery told in every novel.

This was an incredibly interesting storyline that was easy to follow and suspensefully told. I glad Cameron masterfully tied all the unanswered questions about the brother Ethan’s death from the previous novels and rendered a gripping action thriller that was absorbing and captivating.

Cameron’s batting a thousand on this series and I’m hoping to see it continue. Another brilliant crime thriller by one of my favorite authors and read by an outstanding narrator in David Chandler.

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...an exciting military action thriller!

Revisado: 09-10-24

This audiobook was "gas" [ meaning good]! Lots of action and kept me listening and pushed me to listen longer. I easily got into it and now I'm looking forward to listening to the second one. Even recommended it to my Coast Guard son. Two thumbs up to Joshua Hood for writing such a good action thriller book that keeps one's attention. High Five Josh! Clear By Fire kept my attention for hours... Again, thanks!

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...a C.J. Fox-like story that was exhilarating!

Revisado: 02-15-24

Audiobook Review - Ricochet - Taylor Moore/Jeremy Arthur
Author Taylor Moore’s Book 3 of the Garrett Kohl series, is a refreshing modern-day western that I thoroughly enjoyed! It was a high-octane, adrenaline-fueled, action-laden thriller that I couldn’t put down. Main character DEA Special Agent Garrett Kohl and his ‘ragtag’ team of outsiders embark on an off-the-books investigation to stop a group of Middle-Eastern bad guys from destroying the Kohl’s Texas High Plains community. Returning home to Texas in hopes of settling down and carving out a normal life and rebuilding his devastated cattle ranch, Kohl - a former US Army Green Beret - learns that some Iranians are blackmailing employees at a nearby nuclear weapons plant and were planning a devastating act of sabotage and destruction. Kohl rallies his CIA contacts and a miscellaneous crew of outcasts to some of whom he once put behind bars to take down the blackmailing extortionists and dismantle their devious operation. Intense, Powerful, and Energetic, Ricochet covers all the bases of a well-written, well-plotted, well-told action thriller narrated by Jeremy Arthur. It is C.J. Fox-like story that kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend reading/listening to Taylor’s two other Garrett Kohl books in the series - “Down Range” and “Firestorm” but know that Ricochet, Book 3, can standalone. Great addition to a splendid series.

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...very good 2-hour novella!

Revisado: 12-13-23

AudioBook Review – The Honeymoon Heist – Brad Taylor
Bestselling author and former Army Special Forces officer Brad Taylor’s thrilling new novella, “The Honeymoon Heist,” sets main characters Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill on Italy’s beautiful Mediterranean Coast for their long-awaited honeymoon along with their adopted teenage daughter, Amena – where they encounter art thieves with strong connections to the Italian Mob. When Amena and Pike uncover what appears to be a priceless Renaissance painting hidden in a cave, they soon find themselves in the center of a black-market art scheme where a powerful Italian crime lord had arranged to take possession of the rare and important Italian artwork through less-than-legal means. Once he encountered the three Americans who ultimately interrupted his illicit plot, the mafia boss makes the mistake of threatening Pike and his family, and quickly learns the terrible error in doing so! One can only imagine the ‘violence of action’ that ensues from here! Taylor has become a ‘master’ at writing and telling outstanding short stories and novellas. The Honeywood Heist joins the other short stories in the Pike Logan series as a ‘must read’ or ‘must listen.’ Great short story – narrated by an awesomw reader in Rick Orlow - and written by one of the best action thriller authors in the genre.

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…each tale gets better and better! Very good listen!

Revisado: 11-04-23

Audiobook Review – Harm’s Way – John Gilstrap
Author John Gilstrap’s Jonathan Grave series is one of my ‘top favorite’ thriller series and Book 15, “Harm’s Way” is one of the reasons why. With breathtaking action and deep emotional characterization of the various regular characters, Harm’s Way touches all the elements of an exhilarating action thriller. Twelve Christian missionaries have been kidnapped in Venezuela and unbeknownst to the kidnappers is a missionary tied to the US President. FBI Director Irene Rivers ask black ops rescue expert ‘Digger/Scorpion’ and his team – ‘Big Guy,’ ‘Gunslinger,’ and ‘Mother Hen’ – to rescue the ‘precious cargo’ and the other missionaries, strictly off the books, without starting an international incident. However, while rescuing the missionaries, the black ops rescue team stumbles onto a dangerous and lethal threat to American security involving a vicious Russian drug cartel. Committed to saving and protecting the ‘precious cargo,’ Grave and team encounter and foil the Russians with fatal consequences. Gilstrap pens another stunning, action-packed, adrenaline-laden narrative that was explosive, fiery, and powerfully intense. As usual the cast of characters were skillfully developed, and the plot and storyline were proficiently told. And although the conclusion was chaotic, violent, and ferocious, it was climatic and momentous! Gilstrap continues to amaze me with this highly entertaining and distinctive series, and I continue to promote it as one of the best in the thriller genre. Basil Sands’ narration is awesome!

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Another outstanding penning by T. J. Newman

Revisado: 08-08-23

Audiobook Review – Drowning – T.J. Newman
Former flight attendant turn author T.J. Newman surely knows how to write suspenseful aviation thrillers. Newman’s debut standalone “Falling” was exciting and dynamic and so is her sophomore penning “Drowning!” Another unique standalone tale, Drowning is a turbulent, non-stop aviation thriller that reminds me of the 1970s aircraft disaster films. From the take off to the conclusion, this book defines the “page-turner” analogy! Six minutes after taking off from Honolulu in route to San Francisco, an Airbus jetliner crashes into the Pacific Ocean and sinks some 200 feet or more below the surface. Teetering on the edge of an underwater cliff, an elite rescue team - led by the mother of one of the trapped passengers on the oxygen sealed airplane – along with the soon-to-be-ex-husband – is tasked with saving the remaining entombed passengers. Emotionally powerful, heart throbbing action, and intensely suspenseful, Drowning is a breathtaking action thriller! I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. Great plot, noteworthy characters, and fascinating storytelling, Newman does it again with this gripping and remarkable story! Another ‘must-read’ by this fantastic new author!

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Intense, Suspenseful and full of Intrigue…

Revisado: 07-10-23

Audiobook Review – The Devil You Know – Chris Hauty
Author Chris Hauty’s fourth Hayley Chill novel, “The Devil You Know” is splendidly written and entertainingly told in this audiobook. Hauty delivers yet another suspenseful and exciting tale that kept me anxiously listening until the wee hours of the morning! The ‘twist and turns’ were prevalent; the plot and storyline was creative and imaginative and the characters – especially main character Hayley Chill are all well developed. When a Supreme Court judge is murdered by a member of his protection detail, Chill is ordered to look after another Justice who happens to be vacationing in Maui, Hawaii. Also, a school bus full of kids in Maui is taken hostage, subsequently connecting the two events, and causing a serious conundrum for Hayley Chill. Consequently, she is charged with rescuing the children while also protecting the Supreme Court Justice. Intense, suspenseful, and full of intrigue, The Devil You Know was another stellar Hayley Chill thriller by Chris Hauty! I enjoyed it as expected and hope the series continues as it has become one of my favorites. A great listen!

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...awesome audiobook by TR Hendricks, WOW!

Revisado: 05-28-23

Book Review – The Instructor – T.R. Hendricks
New author T.R. Hendricks – "my brother from another mother" – delivers a pulse-pounding action thriller in his debut novel, “The Instructor.” All seriousness though, Hendricks - no true relation to me - penned an exhilarating thriller that delighted and enlightened me about the basics of wilderness survival initiatives through its entirety. While reading this suspenseful work of fiction, one would never believe that this is Hendricks’ first novel. The main protagonist, Derek Harrington, a retired Marine Force Recon and Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) ‘instructor,’ was an appealing and formidable character. When one of his survival students presents him with $20,000 to instruct a private group on SEREs for 30 days in upstate New York – Harrington reluctantly takes the job, despite his reservations about the strange group that ends up being a terrorist organization. It doesn’t take long before the training takes an unexpected turn and Harrington – with the help of the FBI – goes undercover and is charged with stopping the terrorists from committing some evil doings. Hendricks’ research of SERE Training (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) as well as his references to firearms, tactical gear, and survival techniques was outstanding! The plot, storyline and characters were all well developed and remarkable! T.R. Hendricks executes a phenomenal action thriller! He interjects just the right amount of realism, tension, drama, and intensity and was incredibly consistent with how he told this rousing tale. His writing style was clear and precise, and again, he obviously took the time to research the very specific terms of the bushcraft and wilderness survival industry. This was a wonderfully told story narrated by Jay Snyder! I was extremely impressed with Hendricks' debut novel and highly recommend it to all thriller readers!

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…wonderful series that gets better with each new book!

Revisado: 05-24-23

Book Review – Breakneck – Marc Cameron
Author Marc Cameron’s fifth installment of the Arliss Cutter series – “Breakneck” – is thrilling, chilling, captivating and suspenseful, all with a ‘tad-bit’ of Hallmark Cards-like moments thrown in for sentimental value. This book is literally a wild and intense train ride on the Alaska Discovery Train through the vivid Alaskan wilderness. As usual for this series, Cameron uses the picturesque Alaskan wilderness as the backdrop for telling this story. Main character Deputy US Marshal Arliss Cutter and his partner Deputy Marshal Lola Teariki are assigned to security detail for a Supreme Court Justice and her daughter at a judicial conference in Fairbanks, Alaska. Teariki is tasked with guarding the justice’s teenaged daughter while Cutter manages the entire protective services assignment. It’s a simple and routine assignment until the mother and daughter decide to explore the Alaskan wilderness on the famous Glacier Discovery train—which is key to the storyline. No one is aware of the danger lurking around until a group of Russian mafia terrorists – hiding onboard – launch a surprise attack on the Justice and her daughter. The Russian Mafia leader bears a deep seeded grudge against the Justice and is hellbent on revenging the death of his late wife by assassinating the Justice while she’s attending the judicial conference in Alaska. When the action starts, Cutter manages to escape the moving train with the Justice by jumping off into the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness. Cameron then guides the reader through this adventurous narrative with plenty of daring thrills, unexpected scares, courageous feats, intense action, and sentimental moments offset with some very real and well-developed characters – both good and bad. The plot twists-and-turns provided unpredictable situations that kept me turning pages with high anticipation and curious wonderment. There is a lot going on in this story – with additional subplots – but Cameron pulls it all together in this action-laden crime thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout its entirety. Marc Cameron knows his stuff – a retired US marshal himself, specializing in dignitary protection – which is why this series is so appealing, and so authentic. Breakneck is a thrilling and intense Alaskan ‘train’ ride with tons of action, plenty of intrigue and lots of vivid imagery that engages the reader like no other crime thriller. Probably my favorite in the five-book series now. Awesome listen which I absolutely enjoyed!

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..another 'must read' thriller by Gilstrap!

Revisado: 05-20-23

Book Review – White Smoke – John Gilstrap
“White Smoke,” the third book in the Victoria Emerson series by John Gilstrap is some wonderful eye-opening fiction. It's suspenseful, well written and scary relevant. The story moves along at a decent pace and the characters are all interesting and appealing. It’s a very intense action-drama encircled by unimaginable circumstances. Gilstrap’s narrative points out human behavior during times of crisis. He paints a picture that's both uplifting and horrifying at the same time. This story brings main character Victoria Emerson back to the government bunker where the remaining members of Congress and other government officials are being held captive by a group of bandits. The security of the bunker was penetrated by the bandits who took for themselves after the nuclear attack and terrorized struggling survivors. Roger Parsons, a former professional wrestler, has taken charge of the raiders making himself judge, jury and executioner of the remaining government officials/politicians and has vowed to put them on trial for their roles in causing the nuclear disaster. The former Speaker of the House, now acting President manages to get a message to Victoria Emerson asking her to come help save what's left of the United States government. Victoria and her loyal followers answer the call, and the story leads to a final showdown between the two leaders of a post-apocalyptic environment – Victoria Emerson and Roger Parsons. White Smoke is a riveting and engrossing story that makes the reader take a hard look at the nature of humanity. The concept of leadership and putting the good of the overall over immediate sentiments and personal ambitions is very telling in this well written novel. Gilstrap’s penning of the effectiveness of partisan politics in a time of crisis is brilliant and Victoria Emerson’s moral character and leadership is amazing! One could only hope that there's a ‘Victoria Emerson’ around if something like this ever happens in real life! Intense. Shocking. Heartbreaking. Stressful, and way too close to reality, White Smoke is a ‘must-read’ action-drama thriller! I thoroughly enjoyed this series and recommend all three books to any thriller enthusiast.

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