First in the Nick Woods Series
If you are a fan of suspense thrillers, you should enjoy this author and his series. With his background as both a Marine and a journalist, the author knows how to weave both into this complex, fast moving novel.
Mr. Mitchell has five books published to date, so is a fairly new author, but one you shouldn’t miss. I found it a terrific story.
The Characters
When a journalist, Allen Green, hungry for recognition and a Pulitzer, reveals a military cover up from decades past, he exposes secrets that affect national security. He also unleashes a costly hunt for those who had been involved long ago.
That hunt leads to Bobby Ferguson, living in his isolated home in the woods with his wife. Bobby has hidden himself and his real identity, though always a little paranoid that some force would find him.
Turns out he was right. Now on the run, he is once again Nick Woods, former sniper, with some within the federal government out to kill both him and the man who broke the story.
The Cover Up
The cover up not only involved another nation, but there was still more to the story. With a shadow force involved, it is difficult to know who is behind it. Would the government sanction the decisions made?
It would seem reasonable to me that our government needs to keep some things secret. But who decides what? In the hands of the wrong person that decision can easily be misused, as a cover or an excuse.
The other question is at what cost should the secret remain? The cost of lives? There you have that fine line that some may cross, justified or not.
We often read of circumstances where an original choice begins with good cause, but once entangled it becomes more important to protect the originator than to protect the secret itself. At exactly what point does it become wrong?
It’s an easy book to get wrapped up in, with an engrossing plot and likable characters Nick was so capable, trained to get out of tough situations. When you are reading a thriller, It is good to have confidence in the hero.The language and the violence was a little much at times, yet it wasn’t much more than many other thrillers.
Great Listen From Audible
The audio version of the book is wonderful. The narrator, Jay Snyder, kept an excellent pace throughout the fast moving story, including a tone that added to the suspense of the story when it was needed. The story and the narrator draw you right in from the start.
The Series
Sold out is the first book in the Nick Woods series. Mexican Heat is the second, and the third, released October 1, 2015, is entitled Afghan Storm.
I definitely recommend you pick up a copy, whether audio, paper or electronic. Book two is already in my cart. I am curious to know where the author will lead Nick next. Or perhaps it will be more a case of Nick leading the author. Either way it should be a terrific novel.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
