Countdown - James Patterson and Brendan DuBois

James Patterson's latest collaboration - Countdown - is with Brendan DuBois.

This is a follow up to Out of Sight, featuring Amy Cornwall, but can absolutely be read as a stand alone, as I did.

Amy Cornwall was Army intelligence and she’s now in the CIA doing the same thing. She’s out on a what seems to be a straightforward mission. But, something is just off and - you guessed it - she’s going to follow her intuition. Well, she does and what she finds is a tangled web of deceit, treason, terrorists, and plans for a horrific outcome… 

Amy is a great kick butt female lead. You can’t help but be behind her all the way. She has no idea who to trust. The British agent that says he’ll help her? Her own boss wants her gone. But why? 

Patterson and DuBois have concocted a multi levelled plot that twists and turns many times on the way to the final pages. It really made me wonder about what does go on in the 'alphabet' agencies. 

Over the top you ask? Yes, it was in places, but just go with it, as it makes for a roller coaster of a read. 

Is there going to be another entry in this series? I think there's a chance of that, as Amy has some debts to settle...

See for yourself - read an excerpt of Countdown. 

The Expats - Chris Pavone - Review AND Giveaway

Chris Pavone's debut novel The Expats has been nominated for an Edgar Award - Best First Novel. And with good reason - it's a real page turner.

Kate Moore has a secret - she's worked for the CIA since she left college. Along the way, she decided she wanted a family and married Dexter. Nice, safe, comfortable Dexter - of course she fully investigated him. And they've been blessed with two little boys. When Dexter gets a job offer in Luxembourg as a banking security specialist, Kate decides it's finally time to quit and just be a mom and wife. But can one really ever leave that kind of life behind? Will the past let you quit? And is your husband really who you thought he was?

Kate joins the ranks of the expats in Luxembourg, trying to learn the language, navigate a new country and deal with the loneliness -  Dexter's job keeps is keeping him away from home more and more. For a male writer, I thought Pavone nailed Kate's emotions - the boredom, the frustration, the loneliness, the uncertainty that she's made the right choice.  But old habits die hard and Kate finds herself second guessing everyone she comes into contact with.

Secrets is the name of the game here - everyone has them and the winner is the one who can figure them out first. Pavone certainly keeps the reader on their toes. He's chosen to tell the story in two narratives - past and present. Different typefaces help us distinguish which is which, but I will admit that I had difficulty in the beginning. In the present day narratives, we (mostly) know what has happened. Switching back to the past, we know more that Kate does as she tries to figure things out. But we still don't know it all - Pavone provides lots of twists to keep the story moving.

I enjoyed having a woman as a protagonist in a 'spy' novel and I liked Kate as a character. There were a few times when an obvious clue seemed to elude her that I thought was out of character, but this is a minor complaint.

The Ex-Pats was an excellent cat and mouse game, with the roles changing constantly between four main players. I can see this as a movie. Read an excerpt of The Ex-Pats.

OR - Leave a comment to be entered to win a copy for yourself!

Open to US and Canada. Ends Feb. 23. Thanks to Crown Publishing.

Pavone himself has lived in Luxembourg and I think this added an extra level of authenticity to his settings and descriptions of both this country and others nearby.
Wondering how the book came to be? Check out this feature from Crown Publishing. You can find Chris Pavone on Facebook.

See what others on the TLC Book Tour thought. Full schedule can be found here.

Rules of Betrayal - Christopher Reich

Rules of Betrayal by Christopher Reich is the third book in his Dr. Jonathan Ransom series. This was the first book I'd read by this author.

Ransom is a physician with Doctors Without Borders and is married to Emma, who just happens to be an international spy. Emma has disappeared and no one, not even her handlers are sure what side she's on anymore - America's or Russia's.

Jonathan is brought in by the head of 'Division' - they want to send him to try and find Emma and the arms dealer she may be with. The dealer is looking to use a weapon of mass destruction against the US.

Lots of crosses, double crosses, espionage, intrigue and plot lines taken straight from current headlines. The story moves along quickly and there's no lack of action. Although this book could certainly be read as a stand alone, I did feel a little out of the picture as I didn't have a firm grasp on what had gone on before. Emma is a shadow figure until 3/4 through the book. Ransom is an interesting character and it would be worth going back to start at the beginning to know him better. And there's definitely a fourth book in the works.

I can see this series being made into a movie a la Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Fans of Brad Thor and Vince Flynn would enjoy this series.

Read an excerpt of Rules of Betrayal.