Chuck Barrett

First, buy this book. But before you turn to the first page, find a comfortable spot. Settle in. Because once you start reading, you won't want to stop.

Blown is nonstop action. We're running, chasing, dodging bullets, throwing punches, dangling from cliffs, and burning from the heat of it all. We have twists that threaten to derail us. This book is pure adrenaline.

The important thing, for me, is we aren't given excess action at the expense of character development. Within all the chaos, we show more have people struggling. The emotional depth feels honest. I got to know the subtleties of the characters' personalities.

I loved Gregg Kaplan's character. He is a superhero with his own moral compass. He is the ultimate badass.

I also loved the way Barrett handled the content. Often, with thrillers of this nature, authors get caught up in their own research and feel the need to educate readers. Barrett gives his readers the important facts, then trusts that we'll be able to keep up. I have no doubt that Barrett spent countless hours getting these details just right, but I never once felt that weight within his writing.

If you love breathless action, thrillers with depth, plots with unexpected twists, memorable characters, and great writing, then you'll want to read this book.

*I was given an advanced copy of Blown by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.* show less

This is my first introduction to this series. If you are like me then you will be happy to know that you can read this book as a stand alone novel. The working relationship between Jake and Francesca was a good one. They did work well together like puzzle pieces.

The start of this book got me hyped to continue reading. Which I did continue reading and liking what I read. Yet, about almost half way I got stalled some with this book and found myself reading it at a slower pace. There was show more plenty of action. Yet, I agree with another reader that it some of the events seemed unbelievable that the bad guys could so easily get away with things. It was like Jake reacted 4 steps behind. The last third of the story did pick up the pace again. Overall, this is a fine read. show less

I cracked the book open and didn’t realize it was St Patrick’s Day…here and in Savannah Georgia. The Prologue socked me in the gut and I braced myself for what was to come. I have had my eye on The Savannah Project and The Toymaker since 2012, so it is high time I Knocked them off my reading list.

Jake Pendleton will meet Ian Collins, an assassin that will change his life forever. A man who vowed an eye for an eye, a blood vengeance.

I have never really understood all the IRA, Sinn Fein show more issues, but I have read and continue to read novels about them, trying. An eye for an eye is never enough. I can never understand sacrificing innocent lives. How can that be right?

As I read along, the story grew deeper, more desperate and dangerous. Jake scrambles to understand what is happening. The action is non stop as they travel the globe creating devastation wherever they go. Bodies will fall and I wonder who will be left standing.

The story doesn’t end here and I eagerly begin The Toymaker. The characters have captured my curiosity and I have to know what will become of them, whether they are the worst villains imaginable or persons who will sacrifice their life for others.

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The Toymaker by Chuck Barrett is a continuation of The Savannah Project, so this review will be short and sweet.

I LOVED IT.

Jake Pendleton will learn the all the grisly details of the ills that have befallen him, as he faces his worst foes. One is familiar, Ian Collings, the assassin. One is new, a terrorist, and will test all his skills. He will travel the world, dodging death with colleagues old and new.

The more I read, the more lost I got in the story, wondering who would live and who show more would die. Hopefully, it will be the villains, but with Chuck Barrett, you can never be sure.

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