Evil From Within

    Robert Hardwick feels like a caged animal waiting to go home from his friend’s compound in north Georgia. A greedy congressman has waged war against the compound with the intent of overtaking it and occupying it. During the current stalemate, Robert has an idea that might get the congressman to leave them alone. But, at what cost to Robert and his friends?

Horton’s third novel in The Locker Nine series, Compound Fracture see Grace and her friend, Tom have made it to Robert’s compound where they are awaiting his return. Robert declined to leave with Grace so that Sonyea had time to heal enough to travel. Now, with Author’s compound in lockdown, there seem to be limited options for them to leave.

This fast-paced book is full of surprises. There’s betrayal and new found resolve. The true meaning of friendship is tested. Family dynamics are examined. There’s a little bit of something for everyone.

5 out of 5 stars.

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Revenge Is Not Always So Sweet

Conor Maguire, aka the Mad Mick, has decided that the community needs to come together and help watch out for one another. While he is rallying the locals the boss of his daughter’s kidnappers is hunting him down. Seems he is none too happy about Conor killing his men. Will the folks around the mountain agree to ally with each other in time to stop this growing army?

Horton’s second novel in The Mad Mick Series, Masters of Mayhem is his best work thus far. It is so well written that it was able to bring out almost all my emotions. The pacing of the action is perfect. It’s a fast read and very hard to put down.

With the addition of some new characters that seem like that will be hanging around for a while I can see this series going for several more books. I am looking forward to the next installment.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Second Civil War Is Here

Charlie will have to dig deep to become part of a coordinated team fighting against the DHS thugs and their allies. The new kids on the block are the Chinese heading for the west coast and the Russians and Cubans coming up through Florida. Pockets of resistance are everywhere and slowly coming together to overthrow or at least put a hurting on the president’s draconian regime.

Browning’s and American’s fourth book in the Charlie’s Requiem series, Retribution, shows us what is happening outside of Charlie’s immediate area and how it impacts what direction the resistance must go. Having the Russians and Cubans side-by-side with DHS is a game changer. The resistance is outmanned and outgunned but has hope and determination.

The farther we get into this series the more it ties into American’s The Survivalist Series. I can’t wait until the two series crossover.

5 out of 5 stars.

 

The Right Thing Gone Wrong

Ryan Decker, a former CIA operative turned mercenary, is framed in a hostage rescue gone bad. Most of his team were either killed during the op or murdered shortly thereafter along with their families. After serving only part of his sentence Decker is mysteriously freed. With the help of private investigator, Harlow Mackenzie, he goes on a quest to find the truth.

Konkoly’s first novel in the Ryan Decker series, The Rescue, pulls out all the stops in this high-speed thrill ride. The character development is some of the best I’ve read. The story is so compelling that you cannot put it away. The hairpin twists will have you going “What!?!?”

Seems like everyone wants Decker dead. But, why? There are many layers to this story. Peeling back each one to reach the core is more exciting than a theme park ride.

5 out of 5 stars.

Family Means Everything

Morgan Carter’s life in the new reality never seems to settle into a comfortable rhythm. Almost always something ominous is on the horizon. With the Russian and Cuban invasion advancing nearby death follows. Unless the military steps up their game Morgan’s group isn’t going to be much more effective than slingshots against a hurricane. Yet, there are still a few silver linings to be found.

American’s tenth novel in The Survivalist Series, Home Coming is a little more sedate than many of the previous books. Don’t get me wrong, there is still plenty of action. The feel is much more melancholy. The thrill of the fight seems to be subdued. I think it was supposed to be a feel-good story, but I didn’t get into that so much.

It is written somewhat different than the rest as part of it is told in the first person by Morgan. The switching back and forth within the same chapter takes a little to get used to. It was also a rather short book. I would have liked more.

**SPOILER ALERT** Some of the following commentary contains spoilers.

There were a couple of story arcs that went nowhere. The threat by those on the motorcycles was teased and then dropped. Lee Ann wanting to learn how to ride Jeff’s Harley never went anywhere. I’m hoping they are followed through in the next novel.

A ‘compare and contrast’ should to be discussed somewhere (a book club maybe?) about the mercy killings meted out in this book versus the killings of the unsustainables and undesirables in the companion series Charlie’s Requiem.

Ashley, aka Little Bit, discovers a baby squirrel and takes it on to raise as a pet. I find this very ironic since she probably shot its parents to add to the food needed by the group.

Overall, it was okay and probably a bridge to something greater.

3 out of 4 stars.

Can We Stand?

Ian and his group of security professionals that some call mercenaries are leaving El Paso. They have killed Dr. Sanjay and retrieved intel on safe houses throughout the United States. In the process, a man named Ram that was being used to inject variants of the virus into was rescued, and he and his partner, Jesse have now joined Ian’s group. The writing is on the wall for El Paso and Ft. Bliss. With millions of infected attacking the walls each day and food and other supplies running low for the over four million refugees something has got to give. It’s only a matter of time before tensions explode.

Hanson’s novel in the Five Roads To Texas series, For Which We Stand: Ian’s road follows Ian on his quest to find answers and those responsible. It is a much more zombie-ish tale than I would have liked. But, that is my opinion and in no way reflects on this review. The story is full of hard-hitting action and nail-biting suspense. The pace is quick.

This storyline is my favorite of the five. The mystery of who and why are explored along with the response from those able to rise and fight back. There are moments to cheer and moments for anger. I found this to be an emotional book. The fate of the United States is not so clear. Will Ian’s group be enough to make a difference?

As much as I’d love to give this book 5 stars I cannot. It has too many errors and is not as well edited as the other two books in the series. Therefore,

4 out of 5 stars.

An Assassin Is Born

Daniel Petrovich starts out as the authority adverse, Lieutenant Junior Grade in the Navy. He goes on to become the cold-blooded assassin, Marko Resja in the off the books Black Flagged program. He meets all the requirements and is easily molded into his new identity. And, he is most deadly.

Konkoly’s novella Black Flagged Series Prequel, Inception, is Daniel’s origin story. While he is not the easiest protagonist to like, he grows on you if you continue with the series. It always amazes me the amount of detail and precision the Konkoly goes to in his stories.

I was excited to get this novella at first. It starts off well and grabbed my attention. It is action-packed and very intense. What disappointed me was the lack of information regarding the actual training at General Sanderson’s camp. I wanted more and felt a bit shortchanged.

4 out of 5 stars.