Steve P. Vincent

Mitch Herron is an assassin hired to dispose of a militant group of fanatics who intend to release a virus that will kill most of the population on earth. The story opens with him enduring a round of torture at the hands of the leader of the group - some of it will cause readers to cringe. Finally, Mitch is injected with the same time-release virus that the terrorists injected themselves and is, therefore, now a carrier of the dreaded disease of which there is no cure. He knows he will die in less than three days and goes on a killing spree to stop the group of terrorists. On the way, he rescues a biochemist who knows about viruses and agrees to help him in his quest.

As the first book in a series, I would expect to learn more about the main character, Mitch, and the organization for which he works. There is nothing about his background or why he chose this line of work.
All we know is that he keeps count of the number of people he's killed. Mitch is portrayed as a cold-blooded killer and seemingly without a conscience. I found it odd that when he engaged a fellow assassin from the same group that hired him, the two could not work together for a common cause because of a special assassins' code.

The story kept me engaged and turned out to be a short read in under three hours. The author presents a twist at the end that readers will not expect. If you are interested in a swash-buckling type story, then this is for you. I enjoyed the read but will not be pursuing the rest of the series.… (meer)

‘The Foundation’ is a fantastic thriller that doesn’t disappoint. With fast paced action and a great cast of characters, the story hooks you from the first page. At times you forget you are reading a book, the events unfolding are so scarily real.
Jack Emery is a likeable protagonist and his struggles to cope with the disasters in his world resonate. He is flawed and outnumbered but determined to do what’s right.
Michelle Dominique is a fascinating antagonist with her own moral compass, making for a compelling character.
In all, this book is the ultimate package. It offers a suspense filled read that will keep you thinking long after you read the last page.
I can't wait to find out what is next for Jack Emery.… (meer)

Having received a True Crime Enthusiast badge from Amazon on my profile should server as an indication for one of my favorite genres to read/review. So, when I hear about this marvelous collection of 20 stories of murder and bedlam on September 23rd, I didn’t hesitate to pre-order it.

While these stories might not be true, they’re sure to pique my desire to read about ingenuous crimes, dreadful murders, mysteries able to cause heart palpitations, and not to forget about plot twists will make one wonder what did I miss or what’s going to happen next.

With 20 stories, from those involving international spies and high-tech surveillance to small, hometown whodunnits and conventional page-turning courtroom dramas [like Perry Mason] to those hardboiled detectives like Mike Hammer or Sam Spade, you’re given a collection of extraordinary protagonists going up against incredible odds in stories which have all written by awarding winning or best-selling USA Today authors.

Who knows what evil lives in the hearts of men? After reading these stories you might just might find out.… (meer)

The first book in the Jack Emery series (THE FOUNDATION) looked at the potential for corruption, using a major media organisation to further somebody's political ambitions by coercion. This time around, STATE OF EMERGENCY looks at another interesting scenario: the use of a major government arm to further a personal and political agenda. It's a sobering, realistic scenario that plays out as an inexperienced president panics in the face of a series of terrorist attacks on American soil.

Handing over control to the calm, competent and seemingly unassuming head Administrator of FEMA seems like a reasonable solution in times of extreme threat, but somewhere in the Presidential advisor ranks you would have thought somebody would be whispering a version of my favourite mantra when things seem to be getting increasingly pear-shaped: Trust No-One. Believe No-One. If in doubt, see point One.

Needless to say one of the first steps of the new Emergency Management Regime is to start to remove citizens rights. Curfews, restrictions on sales of alcohol, control of the media - the sorts of things that you'd expect when a totalitarian regime rolls out. The State Guard is called into protect key sites and maintain law and order. Frequently tasked way above their capabilities they struggle to manage the fallout from rationing, the prison camps into which opponents are whisked away, and the riots that ensue. The whole country is starting to fall apart. Officials in FEMA are starting to wonder. And things aren't rosy in the ranks of the terrorist cells as well.

As with all thrillers of this nature the threat is big, the resistance is small, and... the world needs a hero. In STATE OF EMERGENCY Jack Emery is that hero, but he's supported by other journalists, every-day citizens, and importantly, a FEMA official who puts her own life on the line to expose the level of madness that's taken control of the country. Of course you're going to have to accept some of the old energiser bunny aspects of hero's of this nature - doesn't matter how tight the squeeze, or how bad the situation, they are going to find a way out (you expect), but exactly how isn't always apparent.

As with the earlier novel (and novella) in this series, the action is high-octane. There's leaping and bounding about at a rapid pace - on the part of the goodies and the baddies. The baddies are reasonably nuanced though, avoiding the madder than mad on a mad person's day out cliché. Of course Hall is a threat, and absolutely single-minded in his pursuit of his own agenda, but some of his motivations almost make sense, and there's no questioning the level of commitment that he's bringing to his task.

To be a good thriller, any book needs to allow the reader to park their disbelief and any niggling concerns about a few unlikely procedural questions, and cheer for the hero. It doesn't hurt when you can sort of see what the baddie is getting at either. STATE OF EMERGENCY is such a book, and another fun, escapist outing with Jack Emery in charge of saving the day, ably assisted, for a change, by some women with brains, bravery and chutzpah to spare.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-state-emergency-steve-p-vincent… (meer)