Steve Manke

Hands down, my favorite book in the series so far. Much more action and suspense than any previous release, this one ratchets things up. Jack has bad guys coming out of her ears and Harry brings comedy to a new level. Good times!

A good police procedural with clever branding. I wouldn't call it a mystery since the reader is highly exposed to the antagonist. There isn't enough rapid action for it to be a thriller, at least in my mind. Still, it remains interesting from beginning to end with engaging characters and compelling breadcrumbs for the investigation side of the narrative. I'll continue reading/listening to the series.

Another fantastic adventure taking place while Atticus cleans up the mess generated by events earlier in the series. One must read these books in order. More great humor, a staple of the series and a core element that keeps the pages flying by every bit as much as the action. In short, another great book.

These books are like popcorn. Short reads, light on calories, but satisfying by the time you're done so you feel no regrets for the indulgence.

The series is consistent in how strong the writing is. Character driven, interesting, and with well-developed antagonists. Four books in and still going strong.

The narrative unfolds for the protagonist in three separate time periods; the present is supplemented by two additional insights into Jack's past. Since they are all from the first person perspective, it's an interesting challenge for the writer. Ultimately the book comes together nicely and the effort works to great effect. Being the first book in the series to attempt something, Konrath deserves credit for attempting the fairly unconventional maneuver. It wouldn't have been as impactful earlier in the series. Now that readers are more in tune with the main character, this was the perfect time for a plot like this. Readers are invested enough for this roller coaster ride to be more consuming. It really works and made for a fun read.

The books seem to have ever more moving pieces as the characters no longer need to be grouped into a single large team to manage their objective. This shows the strength of the characters, as well as the plot development as both become more well defined and engaging. The series is a winner. I'm on to the next in the catalog.

This was my first experience with J.A. Konrath's writing. He's been on to list for a while. I should have gotten to one of his books quicker. This was an entertaining, character-driven story that kept the proverbial pages flying by. Though book 6.5 in the Jack Daniels series, I was struck by how much of the story focused on the bad guys. I enjoyed that since they were far more interesting than the fairly straightlaced police detectives. It makes me wonder if the rest of the series is written from a similar perspective. I need to start from the beginning and find out. I think the series will be worth the investment of time.

Good book. Everything I've come to expect from a Harvath thriller. The politics of the book are certainly in context with the headlines of the times, not unusual for Brad Thor. But, seriously—what's with that ending? Not cool, man. I mean, cool—but not cool! The next book is a long way off and I am not a patient person.

Jack takes a serious trip to the dark side with this book. The antagonist is about as bad as one can get. He's got his kill-on for just about every single character in the book with the exception of Jack. He wants to leave her for last. It's fairly brutal, but true to Konrath's earlier work in this series, readers are spared explicit exposure to gorry descriptors. That said, there is a whole lot of killing done in truly creative and dastardly ways.

The sequence in the killer's funhouse goes on a little longer than I would have liked, but the twist at the end makes both Jack and the reader look at the gathered evidence in an entirely new perspective. Everything we knew from page one shifts and alters what we thought we knew about the killer and his motives. This results in a creative twist that made for an interesting conclusion.

I thought I had read all of Joe's books. I missed this one, and I really missed out. I'm glad I went back to double check his catalog. The technology, specifically the hacking and references to domestic terrorism are dated now, the latter making me somewhat nostalgic for simpler times. Regardless, the story holds up. Everything I've come to expect from a Finder book: strong characters, a fast plat, suspense, and action. As a reader, it's easy to become invested in the good guys; it's even easier to love hating the bad guys. The primary antagonist in this book is particularly interesting. He's intriguing in a way that makes him almost likable. Even when he's doing the unthinkable. His boss... that's the real problem. All the trouble really started there.

Finder is known for writing plots that could, at least in theory, happen to anyone. The idea being that the protagonist isn't someone of extraordinary means who does something outlandish to trigger the events of the story. In this case, it's the story of a woman's single lapse in judgment that causes a series of peripheral events that threaten to send her life spiraling forever out of control. And the “mission” being, what can one normal person do to pull that life back from the precipice and bring order to the chaos. Maybe even stay out of prison.

Mr. Finder continues to excel in this niche as Judgement is another thriller that kept me reading long into the night. It was also something of a blend of my favorite concepts from his early books, titles where CIA spooks lurked in the shadows and government intrigue was at the heart of the plot. The CIA and government-related motivation isn't front and center in this book, but it's hiding in the shadows. All in all, a fun and intriguing thriller.

I'll admit to having seen the movie years ago. Since I have very little experience with Deaver's work, this seemed like a good place to help get reacquainted. As is almost always the case, the book had greater depth and nuance than the movie. Knowing how many books already exist in this series, I'm surprised. I wouldn't think these characters would have that sort of longevity. Certainly compelling for a single book. I can even imagine spinning them into a two or three book series. But knowing there are currently 14 books? I'm interested to see where things go from here.

The narration for this audiobook was a little challenging, in my opinion. It lacked the ability to differentiate characters in a meaningful way and the flow of the voicework was less dynamic than most of the books I've listed to over the last couple of years.

Not my favorite book in the series, but worth the time to read. The characters are going through a low point in their lives and the reader is sort of dragged along for the ride. We're dragged along a little too long in my opinion, even if it's all for the eventual plot turn and the payoff near the end. Still, I think fans of the series are heavily invested in the characters by the time they reach book #9. The last thing any of us wants to read is how life sucks for them. It's depressing.

Once that painfully long part of the book is over, things take off again and Jack gets her bad-ass on. She just takes a LONG time getting motivated. Be warned.

I'm relatively new to the Dewey Andreas series. I blasted through the first 7 books within the last year. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, I was eager to get my ears on the new book. I wasn't disappointed. Dewey continues to prove himself a character with character; his grit, determination, and patriotism particularly inspiring given all that is taking place in the real world. Another 5-star read, in my opinion. I can't wait for book #9!

A very clever concept for a book/series and well executed. Loads of action built upon a mystery that will likely play out over the course of several books. Characters that are extremely compelling. Readers will either love them or hate them, depending on their role in the story. And as it should be, readers are left wanting more.

It didn't take me long to get hooked. I've finished two of these books within the last week and I'm already looking forward to starting the next. I think that says it all!

Shameless abuse of the word ‘towards,' but I think we all have a phrase we abuse until someone points it out. I figured it was a mannerism that would've been kicked by book #4. Objectively, the use of the word seems to be getting more frequent. I think it's even more obvious in audio format. Characters are always going ‘towards' something.

That aside, a thrilling adventure with just the right mix of sci-fi, espionage, and mystery. I stand by my earlier assessment: I'm hooked on the series. Also of note: the death count seems to be rising. This book had characters been snuffed with Matthew Reilly like efficiency.

Reznick is a clever and resourceful protagonist who's not afraid to get his hands dirty. I'm excited about the rest of the series. He's teamed up with the FBI in this book, but that was a reluctant pairing. Things could go in so many directions from here.

Tough to dig into the plot of this one without giving anything important away. I can say these things without fear of spoilers:

The characters were well developed, which is a must for me. The mystery was compelling, and the character/reader understanding of the situation continued to take interesting turns. Just as important for this kind of book, the McGuffin at the heart of the adventure holds up to expectations as the novel's final payoff is revealed. The book is fast-paced, interesting, thought-provoking, and leaves you wondering, what if...

I liked the setup for this book. Something of a departure from the scenarios used for the plots earlier in the series, it played more strongly to the character's abilities and talents. The change of pace made the read refreshing and fun.

This was a great action-thriller. Exactly the sort of book I look for given its twist of sci-fi and high energy. There's a great twist near the end. The way the book is concluded, it reads like no part-two was planned. I'm excited to see there is a second release already out there. I'm anxious to read that later this month.

Reznick is back and he's teamed up with the FBI once more. That a bit of an unexpected turn for the character given that he was first introduced as an assassin. Now he's forsaken his full-black operational status to team up with the FBI as a consultant? The transition isn't logical and it's never appropriately explained over the course of the book. It almost feels like Reznick is just going with the flow, even if that flow involves terrorists and counterespionage investigations.

I'm not entirely sure I understand the character's career motivations, but the book makes for a compelling adventure. Bring on book #3!

Prichard's time a singer turns out not to be a single book experiment. And the songs intercut into the previous audiobook were just the beginning. The gimmick was repeated in this release.

This book was interesting, though everyone in Sam's town seems to be susceptible to posthypnotic suggestion. The plot device is first used to great effect, then overused, then run entirely into the ground. Still, the story was compelling and the pages kept turning. I'm enjoying the series.

Sadly, my least favorite book in the series. Still entirely worth reading... just a little uninspired when compared to the rest of the series. I kept coming back to the simple fact that I couldn't unthink: The Jon Reznick I know from the first 4 books would never have spent so much time screwing around before he rolled up his sleeves and busted his buddy out of the nuthouse. The series is based on a character who is a man of action. There is a long history of him flying in the face of federal authority to do what he believes is right. So why would he spend the majority of a book trying to make up his mind about walking into a hospital even if it meant banging a couple of heads together in an effort to spring his war-time buddy?

The rating loses an entire star for being based on a faulty plotting premise. I could overlook it, had it not been the thread holding the entire story together.

Again, entirely worth reading... just try to put this problem out of your mind, if you can.