Steve O'Brien

I received "Redemption Day," by Steve O'Brien via the LibraryThing.com Early Reader program. I enjoyed the book but was disappointed at the poor editing--wrong words, omitted words, and inconsistencies (like Fourteenth Bridge vs. 14th Bridge). Those issues don't make the book bad, but they are unprofessional and distracting.

"Redemption Day" is about a far right-wing militia group, called the Posse Comitatus, bent on purging Washington, DC and bringing the sovereignty of individuals and show more states back to the forefront. Our protagonist, Nick James, is a domestic terrorist intel agent who's fired from his job due to budget cutbacks. But when he's framed for the murder of a local sheriff, who has information about the recent kidnapping of a Supreme Court Justice, James goes underground to figure out what's happening. Eventually his past association with the Posse comes into play and makes for some nice tension.

The book is fast-paced and has some good action sequences. But the ending didn't make a lot of since as the lengths the militia group go to seem a little strange given what they're trying to accomplish.

I was glad that this book wasn't overtly political. Generally, conservatives are ridiculed in mass media, but the Posse was so over the top and "right wing" that parallels to mainstream conservatism wasn't there. Some of the history, according to O'Brien, was accurate and quite interesting. There's no question the Federal Government has over the years taken more and more power from individual and states, but the way to reverse that isn't through terrorism--it's through the ballot box. show less

Bullet Work is a thoroughly enjoyable book. Whether you are involved in the horse racing industry, a casual fan, or just enjoy mystery novels, the story will involve you and provide a great ride. The knowledge and terminology of horse racing and the backside is so accurate that I worried that less familiar readers may be lost. No so. The author Steve O'Brien provides enough information to the reader that no one is left behind or unable to understand. At the same time, the explanations are show more subtly woven in and not so cumbersome as to weigh the story down if you are familiar with the racing world.

The characters in Bullet Work provided a realistic cross section of the people that make up racing. From the pauper to the elite, good guys and bad, it's all there. Mr. O'Brien's development of the personalities, and portrayal of the bond between horse and human, involves the reader in a personal way. You will thrill in the ride, rejoice in the highs, and agonize over the lows. Your heart will go out to A.J. and you will get a glimpse of the very specialized relationship that can be present between the horse and those on the autism spectrum. You will share Dan's race day nerves over his filly, and the love that Beth shares with her. You will hunt for the bad guys as the story unfolds, all the while reaffirming that most people are genuinely good, even under the gruff exterior.

I would recommend Bullet Work to anyone who loves horses or racing, as well as to any mystery lover. Take this book to the backside or to the beach. It will be equally at home. Only one question remains: When is the next book coming, Mr. O'Brien? We'll be looking forward to it! show less

Suspense, intrigue, domestic terrorism what more can you ask for when the story has great characters and moves at a pace that leaves you breathless. This was a book that I stayed up all night reading because I just could not put it down. The scary part is that it was way too real. The author uses an understanding of the Posse Comitatus and the historical underpinnings of the Oklahoma City bombing to create a novel of home grown, grass roots terrorism brought to a national stage. Nick James show more is a governement contract worker specializing in domestic terrorism, with a special understanding and appreciation for local militia groups upset with the government. One day he is fired because the contract he is working on is not renewed. The same day a Supreme Court Justice is kidnapped and a small town sheriff looking for Nick is found dead outside Nick's Washington, DC apartment. How is it all related, Nick must find out before he winds up in jail or even worse - dead. This is simply a must read for those who read mysteries with FBI and police elements. show less

1) I read a lot of this type of fiction so I was interested to see what the author could do.

2) The introduction drew me in but left me a little confused. It was only about 1/3 of the way through that I better understood some of the details of the first couple of pages.

3) The characters were reasonable. Nick was well-formed and deep. His ex-girlfriend was less so. She seemed like a bit of a ghost. Her boss, Javier Lozano, was pure stereotype. Always a hard charging screamer. The member of the show more Supreme Court was new as they don't usually make it into a ton of books. Nice angle there.

4) The domestic terror angle is newer in fiction and was well done. I like books that make me set them down to do a bit of research on the 13th and 14th amendments.

5) I moved through this in one sitting

6) Final Thought - A reasonable way to spend a few hours. Nice work show less