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Nefarious

by Steven F. Freeman

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275858,287 (3.63)None
"A heady thriller that gathers force with the understated menace of a tidal wave, then smashes home...Readers will be absorbed by Freeman's never-flashy expertise...Superb touches of eeriness creep in." Kirkus Indie Reviews When Army Communications Captain Alton Blackwell takes a hit to the leg while on active duty in Afghanistan, both his self-confidence and his leg are shattered in the explosion. Assigned to a desk job while recovering, Blackwell nonetheless manages to prove his resourcefulness as he matches wits with Al-Qaeda operatives in the dangerous regions of Kabul. Unable to fully heal, he resigns himself to the abrupt end of his military career as well as any hope to win the affections of the beautiful and intelligent Lieutenant Mallory Wilson. Upon returning state-side, the quiet civilian life is quickly left far behind when Blackwell's colleague Zach Lambert calls him from a weekend camping trip in the throes of a devastating illness with forbidding implications. In a story out of today's headlines, Blackwell and now-FBI Agent Wilson explore the possible diversion of a biotech's project to develop an improved vaccine, scouring leads at the CDC and biotec company, putting their Army and professional skills to the test, and narrowly escaping agents with a murderous agenda at every turn. The closer they come to the truth, the quicker the bodies pile up, along with the suspects. To get to the bottom of the sinister scheme, can Blackwell still use wits when his body has failed him? And will he survive long enough to tell his colleague of the feelings for her he has long kept secret?… (more)
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Showing 5 of 5
Steven F. Freeman has written nine books in The Blackwell Files series. I had already read Tears of God and The Dig (books 7 and 9) and enjoyed them so much I wanted to start at the beginning. That brought me to Nefarious. (The precis is below this review)
I am not usually a reader of war stories and although Nefarious begins during the war in Afghanistan I would not class it as a war story. I think it would be described better as action, mystery, thriller and intrigue, sweetened with just a touch of romance.
The story starts in Afghanistan then switches to what appears to be an unrelated story back in the USA. Having read two of Mr Freeman’s other Blackwell Files stories I trusted he would bring these together. He did and he did it skilfully.
The combination of alternating locations and stories with short chapters has the reader turning the pages to read “just one more chapter”. There is never a dull moment. Mr Freeman is a skilled writer able to combine effective descriptive passages with conciseness.
The greatest appreciation I had of Mr Freeman’s writing was when it came to military terminology and jargon. Being totally ignorant in this field I did not struggle with the war zone or military descriptors. Any acronyms used are explained and don’t have the reader running to Google to find out what it is about.
Although the first of a series, like Mr Freeman’s other Blackwell Files, it can be read as a stand-alone. You won’t want to stop at one though; his stories and characters are addictive and will have you coming back for more.
The characters are strong and very likeable (well, the goodies are anyway).
Having read later books in the series, I was familiar with the main characters and already liked their personalities, intelligence and compassion. I was particularly interested in how the relationship came about between Alton and Mallory and also how they met Mastana. I wasn’t disappointed and look forward to their personalities and relationships developing as I read the other stories. The other characters are also well developed and easy to like or dislike according to their actions and beliefs in the story. ( )
  Hostie13 | Nov 26, 2017 |
I very kindly received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very different read for me. I'm not familiar with war or its procedures, so some of the terms should have gone straight over my head, but thanks to the author's detailed explanations I understood every word, and boy oh boy was this story gripping. I loved every minute of it.

We start off learning about Captain Alton Blackwell's tragic accident to the leg, injuring him for life, and possibly ending his military career for good. He sees his current and future life as bleak, and things only get worse when he is relocated to a desk job away from the fast paced action of field duty. He resigns from the army and returns state-side where, with a couple of friends from the military days, he investigates a case where all is not as it seems.

It almost seems like this book is split into two halves - the military scene, and then back in the US, and it's not until the last gripping few chapters that the US half links back to the military half, and everything is just twisty turny and all links in with each other perfectly. The author writes succinctly, but doesn't forfeit any vital information, rich dialogue or vivid descriptions in doing so. I'd say this was definitely a masterpiece with regards to the way this story is written.

Each character is developed so well and you really get to feel for them, and just want everything to be alright for everyone in the end. I think a lot of the time great plots come before character development, or character development comes before the story line, but in this novel both live harmoniously and provide a wonderful read.

I have the second in the series and cannot wait to start reading it. This book received my highest recommendation and regard. ( )
  kerryelizabeth | Apr 4, 2014 |
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Nefarious is one of those books that grips you from the very first chapter. It was a fast paced book filled with lots of action. I can't say there was a dull moment in this book. I wouldn't say that I am typically drawn to war stories, yet I really liked this book. Even though it was a little out of my typical tastes. I believe that this book would make a great movie.

In my personal opinion I think that there was too much military scheming and not enough science. It was clear through reading that the author had a military background and therefore the story felt rather realistic. It was obviously very well researched, which I can definitely appreciate. I would have liked to have gotten better descriptions of the characters, I feel like I only have a vague idea of what they looked like. I think that the ending of this book was a little too tidy, a little to 'happily ever after'. ( )
  manka23 | Mar 26, 2014 |
This is the first 5 star Indie review I’ve ever given. Nefarious is a first class mystery thriller that starts in a military setting but doesn’t limit itself to the military world. This story will rope in both civilians and veterans alike.

While great mysteries are a dime a dozen, what sets this tale apart is how well the author explores serious, real world issues. He brazenly takes on uncomfortable subjects, such as injured veterans’ challenges with overcoming shattered self-confidence, emotional disconnection from reality and struggling to find new goals in life. He deftly drops the reader into the shattered warrior’s shoes in such a way that you aren’t just interested, but you really care what happens next to the character. All without coming across overly depressive and still crafting this emotional angle as an integral part of the story rather than a side diversion.

Now, the author does take some extreme “artistic license” with the details of military operations. For example, officers wandering around off base in Afghanistan to some civilian bar to drink, flirt with locals and “hang out.” Many veterans would find that annoyingly fictitious. Still, I admit that’s a personal bias that doesn’t detract from the narrative, but rather makes for a more wild story.

The only issue that’s somewhat negative is the rushed ending. While the conspiracy is wrapped up tightly and logically, the method doesn’t fit with the rest of the book’s smooth tone. During the journey you’re fed tantalizing hints, grim foreshadow and believable twists. The “who done it?” feeling rises to a fever pitch by the last chapter… and then the heroes just have a eureka moment and unravel the whole sordid tale in one scene. Rather anti-climactic, in my opinion.

However, none of that changes the fact that this is one of the most addictive page turners I’ve had the pleasure to read in a while. The tale is both fun and emotionally engaging- a thriller with a soul. Definitely worth both the money and time to read. ( )
  RichardPeters | Jan 11, 2014 |
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"A heady thriller that gathers force with the understated menace of a tidal wave, then smashes home...Readers will be absorbed by Freeman's never-flashy expertise...Superb touches of eeriness creep in." Kirkus Indie Reviews When Army Communications Captain Alton Blackwell takes a hit to the leg while on active duty in Afghanistan, both his self-confidence and his leg are shattered in the explosion. Assigned to a desk job while recovering, Blackwell nonetheless manages to prove his resourcefulness as he matches wits with Al-Qaeda operatives in the dangerous regions of Kabul. Unable to fully heal, he resigns himself to the abrupt end of his military career as well as any hope to win the affections of the beautiful and intelligent Lieutenant Mallory Wilson. Upon returning state-side, the quiet civilian life is quickly left far behind when Blackwell's colleague Zach Lambert calls him from a weekend camping trip in the throes of a devastating illness with forbidding implications. In a story out of today's headlines, Blackwell and now-FBI Agent Wilson explore the possible diversion of a biotech's project to develop an improved vaccine, scouring leads at the CDC and biotec company, putting their Army and professional skills to the test, and narrowly escaping agents with a murderous agenda at every turn. The closer they come to the truth, the quicker the bodies pile up, along with the suspects. To get to the bottom of the sinister scheme, can Blackwell still use wits when his body has failed him? And will he survive long enough to tell his colleague of the feelings for her he has long kept secret?

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