Storm Warning

Call Sign: Wrecking Crew #1

by David McKoy, Lynn Hallbrooks

CIA Special Ops Team, Call Sign: Wrecking Crew is sent overseas on a Top Secret mission. Once the mission is completed, they rapidly realize they are merely Pawns in an International Chess Game that turns into a Political Firestorm. As a result, they are disavowed. Accompanied by Firefights, Fate, and Faith, they finally find a way home. After arriving, they discover governmental abuses of the Constitution. Will they survive long enough to thwart these enemies of the State?

Genres: Action

Nook

First published January 10, 2011

Reviews

[Joshua Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

When taking their oath, soldiers vow to defend their country from enemies at home and abroad. This holds especially true for Wrecking Crew, an elite group of soldiers in Lynn Hallbrooks and David McKoy’s Storm Warning. After being sent on a mission, they discover there’s more going on than meets the eye. Storm Warning is action packed and full of twists that any Executive Decision or Rainbow Six fans can enjoy!

[Jeff Dawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

US Government under Attack from within!

Three and-a-half stars

Today, a lot of books are being written as suspense thrillers surrounding our current President and the terrible path the country is being propelled with a potential chance of "no return." Some are good while others are best forgotten. This one falls right in the middle of the road.

The reader is whisked from a clandestine covert mission in Iran to the inhospitable ranges of southwest Texas. In between you are introduced to a highly professional group of men and women who take protecting their country (from enemies:foreign and domestic) very seriously no matter what office they hold. Yep, that includes the president.

The parts I found most intriguing were the well thought out plots and how they (in the end) tie together nicely. Imagine being part of an elite group carrying out the assigned mission and have it successfully sabotaged (this was a very good twist) while carrying it out and then all your contacts are recalled to Washington or fired while being in enemy territory. How's that for a starter? The group makes it back to friendly lines only to find themselves in the middle of thwarting an invasion by extremely hostile forces. The group consisting of Mac, Deb, JD, TK, Deano and a few other characters (along with a pick-up from the US Embassy) make their way back to Texas to work for their former (burned) boss of the CIA, Bill Winchester.

At times the story line is a bit hard to fathom with so much going on in a very short time frame. The characters never get a chance to breath and regroup. It does distract from the story a bit when it comes to believability.

This is the first government thriller by Lynn Hallbrooks and David McCoy. Not too bad for a first attempt. The plot is well thought out. The characters are believable but need more bite to them. They seldom have their own "sense of worth." They appear to be "cookie cutter" and require more depths of quality. At times the dialog is sweeping and captivating while at others, it drags a bit with too many inserts on whose talking. This can be easily remedied.

Will there be a possible sequel? Read the book for your own determinations. Oh, there appears to be a mole in the group, or is there? I will be getting the next one in the series to see if my convictions and suspicions are correct.

Good job David and Lynn.

[Doug DePew · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Call Sign: Wrecking Crew (Storm Warning)" is quite entertaining. There is a lot going on in this book! It has adventure, action, suspense, intrigue, and even romance! I enjoyed reading it thoroughly. It's a quick moving book that held my interest from prologue to epilogue. It strikes me as an alternate future much like the alternate histories that have been written. The style is much like the writings of Dick Marcinko (who is acknowledged as an influence). I think it does justice to that type of hard-hitting action adventure.

There is a lot of military jargon in the book that could lose some readers. If you find something you don't understand, skip to the back of the book where you'll find an extensive glossary. The book is written from a distinctly conservative viewpoint that I personally enjoyed. If you don't share that viewpoint, you might look elsewhere. If you do, I think you will find the book entertaining. It's a fun book with a lot of layers. I look forward to more works by these authors.

[Shawn Callon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a long (700 pages) political thriller with an easy-to-understand, linear plot. It comes with plenty of action, a host of characters and a fund of military acronyms. President Moore of the USA has been poisoned and incapacitated by his VP. He takes over as President with the support of the Progressives who control both Houses of Congress. The alphabet soup of government have all been corrupted and the few patriots left are the Wrecking Crew, the Texas Militia and some former officials loyal to President Moore. The new President (Lyons) decides to end military assistance to Israel, withdraw the tax-free status from all religions except Islam,remove guns from all civilians and encourages the Mexican Army along with narco-terrorists to invade the USA. The patriots embark on a plan to stop him.
A lot of the book consists of many conversations that don't really drive the plot forward- they are somewhat repetitive where information is repeated several times between the characters or they are inconsequential fillers which I guess are meant to bring some levity to the story. The number of characters are abundant but unfortunately rather flat. They are stereotypically either heroes or traitors or incompetents with little light or dark to round out their personalities. The villain President Lyons plays a minor role in the story; not much is shared about his thoughts or strategy. He is more of an angry actor on behalf of his father.
There are few surprises with one exception - Dark Cloud. He or she appears towards the end as an NSA mole feeding intel to the patriots. This character could have been developed more to give the story an extra edge. I was impressed with the way the authors kept on top of so many characters.
I was given a complementary copy of this book.
This review was written by Shawn Callon author of the Diplomatic Spy.

[Mistress of the Dark Path · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "Call Sign: Wrecking Crew" the recent history and near future of our country have taken a different path than the one we know and expect. It starts off with a team of ex-military covert agents working for the CIA being called upon to conduct a sensitive mission from Iraq into Iran. They understand it to be dangerous, but what they don't realize is the threats they face will come from unexpected places. Though they carry out their mission as ordered, nothing goes right from there on out. Before long they are on the run for their lives and can no longer count on the support they normally have. The US government has become corrupt from within. The current elected president is taken out of the picture and a fraudulent Vice President takes his place. Even getting back into the United States takes becomes an obstacle as everything they have ever loved about their country seems to be falling apart.

It only becomes worse after they finally arrive home. Those people still loyal to the constitution and American way of life depend on this now civilianized team to aid them in protecting the US and its interests. They soon begin to realize the corruption within the government goes far deeper than they thought possible. Yet while facing ever growing difficulties in doing what they believe is right, they will also gain allies and friends that prove they are not alone in their quest. The battle for survival is difficult and will test the team members abilities to adapt and overcome, but they keep faith that somehow they can save America from the dangerous path its political leaders have taken it. Regardless, nothing will ever be quite the same again.

This book was written with a particular audience in mind. I do not rate stories on whether I agree or disagree with the politics in them, as my mind is rather open, but I do feel fair warning should be given. This is a novel best read by active military, veterans, military and gun enthusiasts, Republicans and/or conservatives. I would tell those that are of a more liberal mindset that this book is not for you, unless you have a very open mind. In addition to this, the story is very detail oriented with extensive depictions on weaponry and military equipment. There are those that might find this tedious while others will delight in it, depending on preference. It should be known to prospective readers that a glossary of terms is included in the back of the book for those who need it. The story is told in third person omniscient, which is the most suitable POV for the large number of main characters involved. Also be prepared that at over 190k words, it is a long read, but don't worry about it being dull at any point. I found it to maintain a good pace.

Call Sign: Wrecking Crew is a suspenseful and action packed novel that is certainly unforgettable. It takes a speculative look at today's politics and puts an extreme spin on them that can be rather comical, but also very scary. In some ways it is a reminder that we can never be lulled into a false sense of security about our freedoms, as they could be taken away at any time if the wrong people get into power. If fictional stories like this intrigue you, I would highly recommend checking this novel out.

[Tim Greaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Politicians beware, the Wrecking Crew is on call...

You need only to read an interview about these two authors to know what a spectacular creative match they make. In other hands a CIA special ops teams might amount to only a few weapons and a tough line or two, but with David McKoy and Lynn Hallbrooks the Wrecking Crew is truly a full cast of characters with real lives and real relationships. In fact, you'll get at least two team romances coming right out of the gate. David's in depth knowledge of all things military shines through as well.

The Wrecking Crew is actually sent to the border of Iran for a secret mission, but when the President falls ill and our country changes political hands, all hell breaks loose. As the crew covertly reenters the country and makes their way back to Texas, it quickly becomes obvious that law is changing and a new order is about to break loose. Suddenly it's the government versus patriots, and you can be certain Mac, Deb, JT, TK and the others are on the side of the people, and not with the men in suits who have twisted up everything that freedom stands for.

With the help of recently expelled CIA agent Bill Winchester, the Wrecking Crew begins their first mission on home soil. It isn't long before they all realize that corruption has seeped up through the very tree of liberty and now rests solidly within the White House. This new battle is for keeps and, be they allies or foes, the sides quickly begin to form. Left with no choice, the Wrecking Crew leads the fight for clean government and the powers-that-be begin to quake....

If you've ever questioned the US system and its representatives, the themes within these pages are certain to stir your soul. The fact that you'll grow to love the characters is just icing on the cake. Be sure to read this military adventure...but don't be surprised if it encourages you to interpret tomorrow's news in an entirely different way.

Reviewed by "Maine's Other Author"(TM) Tim Greaton

[Sarah Ballance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wasn't at all the type of story I typically read, so I was really impressed by the way it grabbed me from the first pages. The book is packed with tension and high action, and there's a LOT going on. There's a large cast of characters with well-developed personalities (some of whom seem to be somewhat stilted in the personality department, though this appears intentional) and there's quite a journey from the first page to the last. The story kicks off with a mission behind enemy lines, then leads readers on a harrowing escape back to the states and into the dangerous field of private and border security. It's not a light read, and it's not something you'll breeze through in a sitting, but the length and depth work for it. The voice here is unique, but once I settled into it as a reader, it worked for me.

Disclosure: I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Marla Blowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can not imagine all the hard work it took to write, edit and publish this book. The way I understand it the co-authors do not even live in the same town. Even though there was already a military background I am sure a tremendous amount of research was needed to write this book. This book was not my normal genre but I am glad I took the time to read it. I would love to see or should I say hear this book in an audio version. With all the hurdles the authors had I'm sure one more hurdle of an audio book would be a breeze for them. I look forward to reading more by either of these authors. This book is fiction, but still it makes you wonder what really happens behind the scenes in war and political situations.

[David Dalton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very poorly written book. This is the book I use as the classic example of a poorly written book. The writing is so simple. The authors have the characters tell you what they are thinking and it is like they are reading cue cards. I actually read the entire story just so I could give it an honest review. Terrible. I will never, ever, never, read another book by these authors. Any 4 or 5 star review has to be written by a fellow author doing them a favor so they will review that author's book. I was expecting a good story, check out my reviews here or on Amazon and look at my list of books on my action shelf. If I could give it zero (0) stars I would.

[Quentin Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting military-based story. A group of ex-military personnel working for the CIA are sent to the Middle East on a mission and are left high a dry as the government back home changes. On their eventual return to the US they create a private security company that keeps running into the government officials that left them to their own devices in the Middle East. The book is well written but in some cases there is repetition of thoughts from the characters in verbal exchanges in the very next paragraph. Interesting and thought provoking.

[M.J. Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

An action packed, thrilling military covert mission which is well told and keeps your interest from start to finish. If you enjoy military books you will love this. The weaponry etc are described very well and the characters are interesting and believable. An all round good read which will keep you entertained and fire your imagination.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A group of ex-military CIA agents are called upon for an undercover sensitive mission in Iraq. Betrayed by their country due to a corrupt government they find themselves on the run. This book is a great mixture of action and details. It is more geared toward the military minded but it was a great read.

[Lynn Hallbrooks]

With the new labeling in Goodreads the title reads backwards - it should read
Call Sign: Wrecking Crew Storm Warning

Lynn Hallbrooks

[John Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We can only pray there really is a 'Wrecking Crew' operating in real life. God knows we need these people.

The story is well written, fast paced, and mostly realistic.

The name 'Wrecking Crew' is unfortunate however and I wish it would have been more mature.