R. J. Patterson

This novel is about two young men caught up in the world of big-time college football recruiting.

Tre'vell Baker and Dominique Martin are life-long friends, and very talented high school football players, from small-town Louisiana. Therefore, all the big southern universities (Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, LSU, among many others) are very interested in recruiting them. They verbally commit to Bryant University in Alabama, then visit the school. It's the sort of school that doesn't just show more severely bend the NCAA recruiting rules, it outright ignores them. While at Bryant, Tre'vell records something that causes both of them to un-commit, and would bring the NCAA Death Penalty down on the school. A couple of days later, Tre'vell is shot and killed by an unknown assailant.

Cal Murphy is a sports reporter from Atlanta. He is sent to do a story on college recruiting, focusing on Tre'vell and Dominique. He meets several "boosters" for several schools. They are passionate fans, whose unofficial job is to keep an eye on the recruit, and do whatever is necessary to get them to "their" school. One day, a brand new sports car is in Dominique's driveway. Supposedly, it's from his Uncle Bernard (who works as a janitor). Dominique knows that it is from one of these boosters (which is very illegal). He posts pictures of himself with the car online. He suddenly goes from Golden Boy to Radioactive; all the other schools who were very interested in him are no longer interested. As Cal gets closer to uncovering just what is going on, a burlap sack is thrown over his head, he is tossed into the back of a pickup truck, and taken deep into the Louisiana Bayou. Several hungry alligators are very nearby.

This story works on all levels. It works as a thriller. It works as a look inside big-time football recruiting, in a part of America where college football is taken Very Seriously. The author is a sportswriter, so it also feels real and plausible. This is a first-rate piece of writing. show less

Cross the Line is the second in the Cal Murphy series of thrillers. I haven't read the first one but that posed no problem in my enjoyment of this novel which would have had me chewing my nails, if I had any, worrying about the characters involved particularly a boy and his family.

The reason for this Partners in Crime blog tour is that the story is set during the week leading up to the Super Bowl. Quarterback Noah Larson of the Seattle Seahawks will, according to most people, lead his team show more to Super Bowl victory over the Miami Dolphins and their decidedly second-rate quarterback. That quarterback is a blowhard who would never admit it was their defense that got them to the Super Bowl. He thinks it's all his doing. Larson is of course thrilled that his career will end this way; he has promised his wife that he will retire after the game. His six-year-old son Jake will finally have his dad home. Dad can watch him play the game he loves - soccer.

Then Jake is kidnapped on his way to the school bus and Larson is told that unless he loses the game, Jake will be killed. He is warned not to tell the police, etc. and tries to keep it quiet, only telling his wife. Another aspect is that the FBI is informed by Las Vegas casinos about wild bets being placed on the Dolphins.

Will Jake be treated well or killed? Can Larson save his son? Will he throw the biggest game in his career? Cal Murphy, sportswriter for the The Times in Seattle knows Larson well enough to see something is very wrong. Murphy's former college roommate, an FBI agent, gets in touch with him, and suddenly Murphy is right in the middle of this dangerous hostage situation.

I really like Cal Murphy and I will certainly find the first in the series, Cross Hairs, and then settle in to wait for the third book. It helps if you're a football fan like me, but if you aren't, no worries. It's just a heck of a good thriller that just happens to be about football's biggest game. There are also issues that will be very interesting to journalists. Ethical issues that will give a journalist pause.

Highly recommended reading.
Source: Author through Partners in Crime Tours show less

My original First Strike audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Brady Hawk is an ex-navy seal now serving as a black ops assassin in Afghanistan and Iraq. He is tasked to take down terrorists quietly, making it look like they were killed accidentally, in hopes of not creating more sympathizers or more terrorists. The project is led by Senator Blunt, who will do anything to protect his power and pet project, including blackmail and murder.

When Hawk gets captured, show more he discovers a plot to bomb an American base. If he can’t escape, kill the bomb maker or warn the US, hundreds will die. With the help of his handler, Alex, the beautiful ex-C.I.A. operative, he is able to infiltrate deeper into the terrorist network. Now it is a race for time to foil the plot and stay alive doing it.

There is a fair amount of action, Hawk gets in tight jams, but always escapes with his extraordinary skills and an enormous amount of blind luck. Unfortunately, the escapes seem forced and way too easy. The terrorists are easily fooled and bungle their captures. For example, Hawk fakes an epileptic seizure to get taken to the infirmary, too bad they don’t think to tie him up or post a guard. Really?

It is an entertaining listen, but doesn’t bring too much originality to a very full genre of military/Muslim extremist/terrorist novels. The characters aren’t that interesting and tend to get pulled by the plot rather than the other way around. An easy light read if you enjoy this genre and don’t mind some less than believable escapes.

The story is performed by Dwight Kulman who does a good job. He has a pleasant voice. The characters are easily discernible and the voices are pretty good. His Middle Eastern accents could use a little work but aren’t distracting. There are production problems at the last third of the novel as chapters are repeated. An easy fix for the producer, but extremely distracting for the listener as he has to fast-forward to the next chapter to continue the novel.

First Strike is a generally entertaining assassin novel with little to make it standout in a crowded field.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author. show less

This book is completely far-fetched. An advertising exec for GM is targeted by the CIA to do some undercover work and foil a Russian plot. Seriously???
Giving this 3 stars vs. 2 stars because it was an enjoyable and fast story, but completely unbelievable.