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Codename: Chandler #1
Flee (Codename: Chandler) by J.A. Konrath
CHANDLERShe's an elite spy, working for an agency so secret only three people know it exists. Trained by the best of the best, she has honed her body, her instincts, and her intellect to become the perfect weapon.FLEEThen her cover is explosively blown, and she becomes a walking bulls-eye. Stalked by assassins who want the secrets she holds, and those who'd prefer she die before talking.Now Chandler has twenty-four hours to thwart a kidnapping, stop a psychopath, uncover the mystery of her past, retire five equally-trained contract killers, avoid a tenacious cop named Jack Daniels, and save the world from nuclear annihilation, all while dodging 10,000 bullets. Buckle up. It's going to be one helluva ride.
Paperback
First published February 22, 2011
577 people are currently reading
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About the author
J.A. Konrath
206 books3,008 followersJoe Konrath has written over twenty novels in the Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels thriller series. They do not have to be read chronologically to be enjoyed, but the order is: Whiskey Sour, Bloody Mary, Rusty Nail, Dirty Martini, Shot of Tequila, Fuzzy Navel, Cherry Bomb, Dead On My Feet, Serial Killers Uncut (with Blake Crouch), Shaken, Stirred (with Blake Crouch), Dying Breath, Everybody Dies, Rum Runner, Last Call, White Russian, Shot Girl, Chaser, Old Fashioned, Bite Force, and Witch Brew. More coming soon.
Wow, that's a lot of Jack.
If you like your thrillers on the dark side, check out the Konrath Dark Thriller Collective, which includes the books The List, Origin, Afraid, Trapped, Endurance, Haunted House, Webcam, Disturb, What Happened To Lori, The Nine, Second Coming, and Close Your Eyes.
Joe also wrote the Stop A Murder mystery puzzle series, where you become the sleuth and solve brain teasers to try and catch a killer.
He also wrote the sci-fi trilogy, Timecaster, Timecaster Supersymmetry, and Timecaster Steampunk. Even if you don't think you like sci-fi, give them a try. They feature Joe's well-known characters from his other series, and are insane.
With Ann Voss Peterson he wrote the Codename: Chandler thrillers, including Flee, Spree, Three, Hit, Exposed, Naughty, Fix (with F. Paul Wilson), Rescue, and Free.
And, finally, he writes erotica under the pen name Melinda DuChamp, also with Ann Voss Peterson. Those books are probably too spicy for you, so only the brave and bold should seek them out.
Joe writes a lot. You should probably read everything.
You can visit Joe and sign up for his newsletter at www.JAKonrath.com/mailing-list.php
Wow, that's a lot of Jack.
If you like your thrillers on the dark side, check out the Konrath Dark Thriller Collective, which includes the books The List, Origin, Afraid, Trapped, Endurance, Haunted House, Webcam, Disturb, What Happened To Lori, The Nine, Second Coming, and Close Your Eyes.
Joe also wrote the Stop A Murder mystery puzzle series, where you become the sleuth and solve brain teasers to try and catch a killer.
He also wrote the sci-fi trilogy, Timecaster, Timecaster Supersymmetry, and Timecaster Steampunk. Even if you don't think you like sci-fi, give them a try. They feature Joe's well-known characters from his other series, and are insane.
With Ann Voss Peterson he wrote the Codename: Chandler thrillers, including Flee, Spree, Three, Hit, Exposed, Naughty, Fix (with F. Paul Wilson), Rescue, and Free.
And, finally, he writes erotica under the pen name Melinda DuChamp, also with Ann Voss Peterson. Those books are probably too spicy for you, so only the brave and bold should seek them out.
Joe writes a lot. You should probably read everything.
You can visit Joe and sign up for his newsletter at www.JAKonrath.com/mailing-list.php
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
August 20, 2025
Spy on the Run!
Small backstory:
Chandler is a badass spy who has all kinds of baddies pursuing her as the mission she was on becomes compromised and as she tries to flee the bad guys are on her tail! Chandler becomes entangled in a web of action, intrigue, and mystery as she tries to figure out what happened and who blew her cover!
That is about all I can hand out with a small backstory so if you want to know more then go read this book and series!
Thoughts:
This book was one action fest from beginning to end! There is no time to breathe as the character Chandler is on the constant move from place to place shooting her way out of situations! I was exhausted with reading this book as there was so much action that I had a hard time sleeping after reading this story! 😂
I wanted to go relax every time I put the book down for a little bit as there is constant action! I felt like I was in a movie with Bruce Willis and Jason Statham at 300 miles per hour! 😂😂
The character of Chandler is hard to get a fix on as she is moving way too fast and you do not have time to introduce yourself to her as she is too busy shooting bullet holes in your kindle pages! 😂
Another great book by author, J.A. Konrath and I was able to get my first taste of author, Ann Voss Peterson and looking forward to reading the rest of the series at some point especially when I want to be wrapped up in an action fun entertainment ride! Giving this book five "Action Packed Thriller" stars!
Small backstory:
Chandler is a badass spy who has all kinds of baddies pursuing her as the mission she was on becomes compromised and as she tries to flee the bad guys are on her tail! Chandler becomes entangled in a web of action, intrigue, and mystery as she tries to figure out what happened and who blew her cover!
That is about all I can hand out with a small backstory so if you want to know more then go read this book and series!
Thoughts:
This book was one action fest from beginning to end! There is no time to breathe as the character Chandler is on the constant move from place to place shooting her way out of situations! I was exhausted with reading this book as there was so much action that I had a hard time sleeping after reading this story! 😂
I wanted to go relax every time I put the book down for a little bit as there is constant action! I felt like I was in a movie with Bruce Willis and Jason Statham at 300 miles per hour! 😂😂
The character of Chandler is hard to get a fix on as she is moving way too fast and you do not have time to introduce yourself to her as she is too busy shooting bullet holes in your kindle pages! 😂
Another great book by author, J.A. Konrath and I was able to get my first taste of author, Ann Voss Peterson and looking forward to reading the rest of the series at some point especially when I want to be wrapped up in an action fun entertainment ride! Giving this book five "Action Packed Thriller" stars!
March 2, 2017
Doesn't even deserve one star.
This author is on my red lined list of never again writers list. Too many killings, bad language and very detailed sex.
This author is on my red lined list of never again writers list. Too many killings, bad language and very detailed sex.
October 1, 2011
How does one assign stars or ratings to such a book. Candy for the mind with double the normal dose of sugar. The book has no character development, no intellectual stimulation, precious little humor**, but goodness what a rush. I stayed up all night to see what was around the next corner.
An operative, Carmen, whose real name we don’t know but who has numerous identities has had her cover, and that of her controller, Jacob (although we’re not really sure what they’re professional relationship might be,) blown and she is under attack from all sides, each time barely escaping. And the attackers resemble her both in looks and prowess. She also has to deal with Cory, an escaped convict who had kidnapped Kaufmann, her former parole officer. The reader has no idea what is happening or why. The back story gradually emerges.
Since the plot has few surprises and a certain inevitability after the 14th time Carmen has escaped certain death (the fall from the 95th floor window was fun) it won’t be much of a spoiler to reveal that a government Project Hydra had trained seven twin sisters to be Jason Bourne wannabes, or should I say, better-thans and one of them (take a guess) has a transceiver duplicating one carried by the president, that has the capability of launching a nuclear strike. One of the sisters, in concert with a Russian bad guy, an evil twin, one might say, heh, heh, wants it to get it from her sister to control the world; our heroine wants to stop her.
Once one gets past the extraordinary implausibility of the action, it’s like a roller-coaster ride than never seems to end, each twist and turn, a little more devious and gravity-defying than the previous. Even Jack Daniels makes a cameo appearance for some totally bizarre reason.
**exception: “Incompetence and fragile egos happen. A few jokes about your small cock, and you’re willing to fuck up the simplest task just to get payback. You men take size so personally.” She lets a smile play across her lips. “Especially those who are not so well endowed.” The fingers of his right hand twitch, as if they long to fondle a trigger. “I didn’t hear any complaints from you last night.” Hammett cups Victor’s cheeks. “A little sensitive, comrade? What you lack in size, you make up for. In speed.”
An operative, Carmen, whose real name we don’t know but who has numerous identities has had her cover, and that of her controller, Jacob (although we’re not really sure what they’re professional relationship might be,) blown and she is under attack from all sides, each time barely escaping. And the attackers resemble her both in looks and prowess. She also has to deal with Cory, an escaped convict who had kidnapped Kaufmann, her former parole officer. The reader has no idea what is happening or why. The back story gradually emerges.
Since the plot has few surprises and a certain inevitability after the 14th time Carmen has escaped certain death (the fall from the 95th floor window was fun) it won’t be much of a spoiler to reveal that a government Project Hydra had trained seven twin sisters to be Jason Bourne wannabes, or should I say, better-thans and one of them (take a guess) has a transceiver duplicating one carried by the president, that has the capability of launching a nuclear strike. One of the sisters, in concert with a Russian bad guy, an evil twin, one might say, heh, heh, wants it to get it from her sister to control the world; our heroine wants to stop her.
Once one gets past the extraordinary implausibility of the action, it’s like a roller-coaster ride than never seems to end, each twist and turn, a little more devious and gravity-defying than the previous. Even Jack Daniels makes a cameo appearance for some totally bizarre reason.
**exception: “Incompetence and fragile egos happen. A few jokes about your small cock, and you’re willing to fuck up the simplest task just to get payback. You men take size so personally.” She lets a smile play across her lips. “Especially those who are not so well endowed.” The fingers of his right hand twitch, as if they long to fondle a trigger. “I didn’t hear any complaints from you last night.” Hammett cups Victor’s cheeks. “A little sensitive, comrade? What you lack in size, you make up for. In speed.”
May 12, 2020
A wild, action-filled adventure. Really, just a fun espionage thriller than lands on my must-read list.
May 3, 2011
Fast, fun, and furious. The kind of book you probably won't be able to put down between chapters. There were a few typos and proof-reading misses, but it wasn't significant and wasn't enough to pull me out of the story. The switches between first person POV past tense (for Chandler), third person POV past tense (for Fleming) and third person POV present tense (for the bad guys) was a smidgeon distracting, but then I really don't like reading books written in present tense, and that may be why. Again, it wasn't enough to make me lose interest in the story. All in all, it was an exciting, good read, and well worth the price.
May 13, 2011
Flee by J.A. Konrath and Ann Voss Peterson is a non-stop thriller on enhanced steroids with the wildest combination of sexy women, nasty women, nasty guys and enough weaponry to start a war. This has to be the fastest moving novel I've ever read---indeed, the pacing of my own work in progress picked up speed just by osmosis! Konrath's own ever popular female star Jack Daniels makes a sweet cameo, but the heroine of this sexy beast is another female named Chandler, who finds herself in the unenviable position of having her cover blown with not a friend or sister to turn to. Assassins are after her because she has something they want. Oh and there's a lot pain, sweat, pleasure and tears. But that's all I'm going to say about the story, as it would pain me to ruin your pleasure.
What's amazing about this loaded .45--er book--is that it is so seamlessly written by two people. Except for one scene, I dare anyone to accurately differentiate between Konrath and Voss. Back to that one scene in a moment. Whether Chandler is using a Tec-9, a Mercworx VORAX double-edged combat knife or a bottle of 2007 MacPhail Pratt Pinot Noir to smack her would-be assassins silly, she is a veritable Baedeker of how to survive against all odds. But she gets so beat up, so bruised and so battered while trying to outwit and outshoot her opponents that I was too exhausted to read more than a dozen pages an evening. Or my eyes hurt from all the wincing I did every time Chandler got herself on the wrong end of the two-timing, double-crossing sons of a gun who were out to kill her.
Now, about that one scene. Well...how can I put this more delicately than Konrath/Peterson? There's a scene early on in the novel that has Chandler wanting some hot sex. Warily, she hooks up with someone she met on line---oh, she's careful, she meets him in a restaurant, eliminates any trace of her whereabouts on the computer, uses her slightly rusty hacker skills to make sure he's who he said he is, and goes back to his apartment with him.
Being who she is, Chandler handcuffs him to a table and then proceeds to climb atop him, after pulling his pants down. There's oral sex...her to him, him to her, and I have to say, it's the hottest sex scene I've read in a long time. Now, this from a woman who sleeps with women...make that one woman. But the question is: which writer wrote that scene? I think I know. At first glance one might think Konrath wrote the bj scene because some uninformed people might think every male's first favorite fantasy only could be written with as much gusto as this one if a man wrote it. But are you so very certain? Heh. (The second favorite male fantasy being the entirely ridiculous illusion that two women would actually WANT to be with a guy...I'm kidding, I’m kidding: of course it exists, but I don't' know any. ;-) Now, for the second part of that sexy scene, I'm torn---it could be that Konrath wrote that second part, too, but let's not forget that Peterson is one cunning linguist, also. OK, groan, but…so, I'm not sure about that part. Wonder if I'll ever know?
Bottom line, you'll excuse the phrase, is that this book at $2.99 is the best buy out there right now for a good read, a great escape, a fantasy steam bath, followed by a sauna following a triathlon workout that'll drop that last 10 pounds you've been trying to lose. Don't read this book if you've got breathing problems, though, because it will take your breath away faster than Chandler can...well, you know...shoot. Or whatever.
I was going to give this book four stars, but after I slept on it (yes, I literally fell asleep on my iPAD after finishing the book), I realized that any two people who put that much energy, action, passion and old-time good story-telling into a book like Flee is a great friend of thriller readers, hell, all readers, everywhere. I bought it on Amazon. I downloaded Kindle for iPAD, paid me my three bucks and got me my thrills.
Five Stars all day long.
What's amazing about this loaded .45--er book--is that it is so seamlessly written by two people. Except for one scene, I dare anyone to accurately differentiate between Konrath and Voss. Back to that one scene in a moment. Whether Chandler is using a Tec-9, a Mercworx VORAX double-edged combat knife or a bottle of 2007 MacPhail Pratt Pinot Noir to smack her would-be assassins silly, she is a veritable Baedeker of how to survive against all odds. But she gets so beat up, so bruised and so battered while trying to outwit and outshoot her opponents that I was too exhausted to read more than a dozen pages an evening. Or my eyes hurt from all the wincing I did every time Chandler got herself on the wrong end of the two-timing, double-crossing sons of a gun who were out to kill her.
Now, about that one scene. Well...how can I put this more delicately than Konrath/Peterson? There's a scene early on in the novel that has Chandler wanting some hot sex. Warily, she hooks up with someone she met on line---oh, she's careful, she meets him in a restaurant, eliminates any trace of her whereabouts on the computer, uses her slightly rusty hacker skills to make sure he's who he said he is, and goes back to his apartment with him.
Being who she is, Chandler handcuffs him to a table and then proceeds to climb atop him, after pulling his pants down. There's oral sex...her to him, him to her, and I have to say, it's the hottest sex scene I've read in a long time. Now, this from a woman who sleeps with women...make that one woman. But the question is: which writer wrote that scene? I think I know. At first glance one might think Konrath wrote the bj scene because some uninformed people might think every male's first favorite fantasy only could be written with as much gusto as this one if a man wrote it. But are you so very certain? Heh. (The second favorite male fantasy being the entirely ridiculous illusion that two women would actually WANT to be with a guy...I'm kidding, I’m kidding: of course it exists, but I don't' know any. ;-) Now, for the second part of that sexy scene, I'm torn---it could be that Konrath wrote that second part, too, but let's not forget that Peterson is one cunning linguist, also. OK, groan, but…so, I'm not sure about that part. Wonder if I'll ever know?
Bottom line, you'll excuse the phrase, is that this book at $2.99 is the best buy out there right now for a good read, a great escape, a fantasy steam bath, followed by a sauna following a triathlon workout that'll drop that last 10 pounds you've been trying to lose. Don't read this book if you've got breathing problems, though, because it will take your breath away faster than Chandler can...well, you know...shoot. Or whatever.
I was going to give this book four stars, but after I slept on it (yes, I literally fell asleep on my iPAD after finishing the book), I realized that any two people who put that much energy, action, passion and old-time good story-telling into a book like Flee is a great friend of thriller readers, hell, all readers, everywhere. I bought it on Amazon. I downloaded Kindle for iPAD, paid me my three bucks and got me my thrills.
Five Stars all day long.
May 7, 2011
This is a hard one to rate. The story is intriguing and action packed with suspense. However the execution of that story could use some work. Written in first person and it is very difficult to distinguish between the voice for the two main characters. At first thought you might think that is acceptable, but they have such different personalities, motivation and character that it just seems absurd that you aren't able to tell the difference until a name is dropped. Loved the cameos by Jack and Harry. Loved the pacing. All in all it was a solid read. I just wished it had been polished up a bit more in terms of the voice and the loose end of what happened to the Instructor.
July 16, 2020
The book starts off with a bang and I am thinking this is going to be something, but I quickly realized this is going nowhere. The characters are so underdeveloped and without personality. The first part of the story read like it was book two of a series, we are given no background. This is a writing style that some authors can pull off but it did not work here, mainly because I had no interest in Chandler. Is she good? Bad? Root for or against her? Did not know. Then we have a sex section that reads like a transcript of a porn movie. Then back to the action. And then Jack Daniels appears, she knows more than then entire U.S. government and proceeds to trade stupid one liners with Chandler. After more action we meet our old friend Harry. And the dialogue was so bad during his cameo I thought I was reading a story from a third grader. So I read some stuff written by third graders and found that their dialogue was better than this part of the book. There are indeed entertaining parts of the book but the story and writing styles go in so many different directions it is hard to enjoy.
July 14, 2019
Very entertaining. I really liked this book (audible review)
This was an action packed book. I really liked it. Lots of stuff happening all the time. Twists and turns and Chandler is a badass bitch! I am on to the next book in this series and I already like it.
If you like strong female kick ass characters you will like this book.
As for the narration, it was good. I liked it. I think Angela Dawe does a really good job with this story. She gave everyone their own distinct voice and reads with emotion.
This was an action packed book. I really liked it. Lots of stuff happening all the time. Twists and turns and Chandler is a badass bitch! I am on to the next book in this series and I already like it.
If you like strong female kick ass characters you will like this book.
As for the narration, it was good. I liked it. I think Angela Dawe does a really good job with this story. She gave everyone their own distinct voice and reads with emotion.
October 15, 2011
A pulpy, implausible, page-turner. Complete mind candy of the nonstop action variety. Seven identical twins with the same fingerprints? A cell phone that can launch nuclear weapons against anyone in the world? All of the action happens in about 24 hours? The lead character gets her shoulder dislocated first thing then spends the rest of the day fighting with people and falling out of 100-story buildings? Not likely, of course. Impossible, really. But if you just want to give your brain a little thriller vacation, this is fine for that purpose.
April 17, 2017
A little far fetched but enjoyable.
May 17, 2013
Book Info: Genre: Spy Thriller
Reading Level: Adult—explicit sex scene
Recommended for: Fans of high-octane thrillers
Trigger Warnings: violence, murder, sexual assault, statutory rape
My Thoughts: I read the first Jack Daniels book several years ago and really enjoyed it. I've been slowly building up my library of J.A. Konrath books ever since, and am a bit aggravated that I have to read this book before I completed it and was ready because of the new Terms of Service with Vine running me on Three, the third book in this series, but that's neither here nor there...
Say whatever else you will about this book, it was really entertaining. It is so fast-paced that the entire story takes place over the course of a single day, and it just never stops—other than that one sex scene, which was rather gratuitous and over which I skipped altogether, and which led to the rating decrease. I had no idea how accurate the weapons information is, how realistic the overall idea is, but I was entertained, and couldn't stop turning those pages, so for me, it was a success as a book. Recommended for adrenaline-junkies, fans of high-octane thrillers, fans of Konrath's writing, and fans of thrillers in general. Check it out.
Series Information: Flee is the first book in the Codename: Chandler series.
Exposed is a novella featuring Chandler, and may be read after Flee
Book 2: Spree, to be read next
Book 3: Three, upcoming
Disclosure: I purchased this book for myself so I could read the whole series after receiving the third book through Vine. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: CODENAME: CHANDLER
She's an elite spy, working for an agency so secret only three people know it exists. Trained by the best of the best, she has honed her body, her instincts, and her intellect to become the perfect weapon.
FLEE
Then her cover is explosively blown, and she becomes a walking bulls-eye. Stalked by assassins who want the secrets she holds, and those who'd prefer she die before talking.
Now Chandler has twenty-four hours to thwart a kidnapping, stop a psychopath, uncover the mystery of her past, retire five equally-trained contract killers, avoid a tenacious cop named Jack Daniels, and save the world from nuclear annihilation, all while dodging 10,000 bullets.
Buckle up. It's going to be one helluva ride.
Reading Level: Adult—explicit sex scene
Recommended for: Fans of high-octane thrillers
Trigger Warnings: violence, murder, sexual assault, statutory rape
My Thoughts: I read the first Jack Daniels book several years ago and really enjoyed it. I've been slowly building up my library of J.A. Konrath books ever since, and am a bit aggravated that I have to read this book before I completed it and was ready because of the new Terms of Service with Vine running me on Three, the third book in this series, but that's neither here nor there...
Say whatever else you will about this book, it was really entertaining. It is so fast-paced that the entire story takes place over the course of a single day, and it just never stops—other than that one sex scene, which was rather gratuitous and over which I skipped altogether, and which led to the rating decrease. I had no idea how accurate the weapons information is, how realistic the overall idea is, but I was entertained, and couldn't stop turning those pages, so for me, it was a success as a book. Recommended for adrenaline-junkies, fans of high-octane thrillers, fans of Konrath's writing, and fans of thrillers in general. Check it out.
Series Information: Flee is the first book in the Codename: Chandler series.
Exposed is a novella featuring Chandler, and may be read after Flee
Book 2: Spree, to be read next
Book 3: Three, upcoming
Disclosure: I purchased this book for myself so I could read the whole series after receiving the third book through Vine. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: CODENAME: CHANDLER
She's an elite spy, working for an agency so secret only three people know it exists. Trained by the best of the best, she has honed her body, her instincts, and her intellect to become the perfect weapon.
FLEE
Then her cover is explosively blown, and she becomes a walking bulls-eye. Stalked by assassins who want the secrets she holds, and those who'd prefer she die before talking.
Now Chandler has twenty-four hours to thwart a kidnapping, stop a psychopath, uncover the mystery of her past, retire five equally-trained contract killers, avoid a tenacious cop named Jack Daniels, and save the world from nuclear annihilation, all while dodging 10,000 bullets.
Buckle up. It's going to be one helluva ride.
September 12, 2015
I wish I could go higher than 3 stars here...I had high hopes. I don't dislike the book but it get's a 3 by what might be called the proverbial skin of it's proverbial teeth. I mean it could have been much better. I liked Konrath's other series pretty well. Here while the idea is good there are some...egregious flaws.
The book in many ways put in mind of a comic book. The characters verge on being superheroes and super-villains. I'll give the book this, there is plenty of action. I mean I love a good action book. The problem is that a book needs more than just action to be "good action".
You get another assassin working for an organization so secret that not even the government it serves really knows about it. Now I've said before that an idea not being completely new is not necessarily a problem. I mean how many truly new and unique ideas could there be after thousands of years of story telling. The thing is that while we get a lot of good ideas from the spy/fi and action genres we also get almost every cliche that's ever been in those genres also.
Look, the book is readable and since I bought 3 at once I plan to follow it up. That said what you'll get is some good action with a plot you've seen before and characters from Protagonists are Us.
I'll say a little more under a spoiler warning ...but over all i can recommend this as a read most who like thrillers, action and so on will like. Just not really as good as I think it could have been.
The book in many ways put in mind of a comic book. The characters verge on being superheroes and super-villains. I'll give the book this, there is plenty of action. I mean I love a good action book. The problem is that a book needs more than just action to be "good action".
You get another assassin working for an organization so secret that not even the government it serves really knows about it. Now I've said before that an idea not being completely new is not necessarily a problem. I mean how many truly new and unique ideas could there be after thousands of years of story telling. The thing is that while we get a lot of good ideas from the spy/fi and action genres we also get almost every cliche that's ever been in those genres also.
Look, the book is readable and since I bought 3 at once I plan to follow it up. That said what you'll get is some good action with a plot you've seen before and characters from Protagonists are Us.
I'll say a little more under a spoiler warning ...but over all i can recommend this as a read most who like thrillers, action and so on will like. Just not really as good as I think it could have been.
June 4, 2012
"Flee" is one hell of a page turner, but not without flaws. An early subplot involving an escaped convict struck me as a bit contrived and sorely lacking in effective resolution. It was too extraneous to the overall plot and was an unnecessary addition that, in retrospect, appears to have been created simply to help the main character get out of a jam. In some ways, it seemed as if the writer's had begun the story with one idea, but changed tracks as it evolved and couldn't quite figure out how to reconcile the different threads. In the end, they attempted to use it as a way to shed light on the main character, a woman known as Chandler, and in that part it was successful. However, in a book that's already stuffed with ever-expanding ideas and plot points, it ended up feeling hollow. My only other quibble is that too many of the character spoke a bit too often in puns, a cliche of the action-movie genre that this book operates comfortably within (for instance, after stabbing somebody with a fork, Chandler makes it clear to them how much trouble they're in by telling them they're forked.). Overall though, it is a fun popcorn read and authors Konrath and Peterson keep the story moving quickly, and it's impossible not to stay engaged. It's a lean, fast-paced read that constantly keeps the stakes high and by book's end, most readers (myself included) will be ready for book 2.
March 19, 2019
And I thought my first Chandler book was insane
Another one of those stories that seem too incredible to believe, but fun to read. I could not imagine having to survive numerous attacks by siblings or having to kill family just to survive, and without knowing they were family and later having to deal with that.
Chandler has some down time and looking forward to a date when she finds herself being hunted, and not knowing who to trust. And from there on, she's running, fighting, shooting, and basically doing feats that most normal people cannot just to stay alive and stop the Russians and her crazy siblings from getting their hands on a remote device that can launch bombs from anywhere in the world.
We get a little bit of Jack Daniels and a whole lot of killing too, but Chandler does come out slightly on top with an ally or two too.
Another one of those stories that seem too incredible to believe, but fun to read. I could not imagine having to survive numerous attacks by siblings or having to kill family just to survive, and without knowing they were family and later having to deal with that.
Chandler has some down time and looking forward to a date when she finds herself being hunted, and not knowing who to trust. And from there on, she's running, fighting, shooting, and basically doing feats that most normal people cannot just to stay alive and stop the Russians and her crazy siblings from getting their hands on a remote device that can launch bombs from anywhere in the world.
We get a little bit of Jack Daniels and a whole lot of killing too, but Chandler does come out slightly on top with an ally or two too.
September 12, 2011
Flee by J. A. Konrath and Ann Voss Peterson is the second collaboration between these two talented authors.
Combine all the action of a Bourne movie and a Jason Statham flick, make the action star hero be a woman, and you've got Flee! Now in the Bourne trilogy and The Transporter franchise, the heroes occasionally have slower-paced scenes of rest and recuperation. What a bunch of sissies! The heroine of Flee could teach them a thing or two about fighting, advance preparation, and just plain staying alive.
Flee is a roller coaster of twists and turns that keeps you on a razor's edge of tension. In true nail-biting storytelling tradition, I was exhausted by the time I finished the book.
Combine all the action of a Bourne movie and a Jason Statham flick, make the action star hero be a woman, and you've got Flee! Now in the Bourne trilogy and The Transporter franchise, the heroes occasionally have slower-paced scenes of rest and recuperation. What a bunch of sissies! The heroine of Flee could teach them a thing or two about fighting, advance preparation, and just plain staying alive.
Flee is a roller coaster of twists and turns that keeps you on a razor's edge of tension. In true nail-biting storytelling tradition, I was exhausted by the time I finished the book.
June 18, 2011
I received a complimentary copy of the book for review, and would first like to say thank-you for the opportunity to read it.
Basically the plot line revolves around a highly trained female special ops type spy on the run from assassins. The action is literally non stop from start to finish. Violent, raw, sexy and gut wrenching all at the same time. It will really get your heart pounding.
Basically the plot line revolves around a highly trained female special ops type spy on the run from assassins. The action is literally non stop from start to finish. Violent, raw, sexy and gut wrenching all at the same time. It will really get your heart pounding.
February 2, 2013
I love this author but wasn't sure I would enjoy this book. Boy was I wrong! This book is a fast-paced, amazingly exciting read. I didn't want it to end. I really think this book would make a great movie.
July 16, 2015
Nice spy novel
Action, intrigue, and sex..what more can you ask for. Very good and never a dull moment at all. Chandler could be the next Jason Bourne or maybe the next james bond. I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series.
Action, intrigue, and sex..what more can you ask for. Very good and never a dull moment at all. Chandler could be the next Jason Bourne or maybe the next james bond. I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series.
June 25, 2016
This story would have served better as a movie. Totally unbelievable plot line, but some parts are riveting nonetheless. Chandler is some strong character. The 4 stars are just for her.
August 1, 2013
Setting: Chicago – streets, alleys, subways, Lake Michagan, restaurant on 90th floor, 5th floor apartment, bunker, gym, apartment,
Theme: survive, solve who’s after her and why, stop the nuclear bomb,
Characters:
Hydra project: 7 identical septuplets, with identical fingerprints – unheard of; girls became Hydra project and given code names of 7 different mystery writers; the government placed them with different kinds of parents… in Clinton era, project lost funding… our hero’s parents killed in accident – sent to foster homes with varying stresses… government picked her up again, and placed her with a tough army man who was abusive to her… she joined the army, and out of boot camp was taken into a special training program… where she was trained to be an assassin – just her – the Instructor – and various other specialists for short spans. The six sisters had similar experiences – some better, some worst, and all were trained to be assassins - and one sister was better than Chandler;
Chandler (aka Carmen Sawyer, aka Velma): she has one hell of a day… she’s highly trained, she is intelligent, she is moral… and we get deep insight into her psyche with how she responds to each challenge…
Fleming aka Jacob: as Jacob, she is Chandler’s handler – giving her assignments, helping her match them out, saving her butt when necessary; it ends up that she is one of the Hydras / sisters; she had an accident and lost the use of her legs, and is confined to a wheelchair (but what a wheelchair – guns in the arm rests, blades that pop out from the wheels, etc); in the end she is the only sister who is like Chandler – and the two of them hopefully will have a long history as sisters;
Jacqueline ‘Jack’ Daniels: character of Konrath’s other novels; thrown in as one who figures out that Chandler is acting in self defense , and deducts that she is a spy – and she helps her with some info, and to keep her fingerprints out of the ‘system’
Victor Cormach: for months has been Chandler’s online friend… he’s sexy, he’s a paramedic, he has a sense of humor, and they finally agree to meet for dinner; she has done all she can to check him out; when she doesn’t know where to go, she decides to go to his apartment… and he’s home, though earlier he said he’d be at work… she ties him up… leaves him for a few hours… handcuffs him to a radiator… interrogates him with a B-9 shot that elevates his heart and causes itching, but tells him it’s a poison… and she’s fairly convinced he is what he says he is… she has sex with him (still handcuffed) (has to do something with an adrenaline overload and earlier attraction)… leaves him on the sex with his pants down when she gets a call from the Instructor… but he is Russian, and Hammett’s partner (though he plans to kill Hammett once he has the phone and nuclear codes)…
The Instructor: tough; unemotional (during training, she keeps a journal – and at some point writes about being horny – and the next day the instructor tells her sex is a normal biological need, and he passively offers to have sex with her – she declines first time, but asks later – only one time – he remains unemotional, gives her two climaxes, no kissing, and he does not ejaculate); honest – though doesn’t tell her all; mid way, he calls her (when she is at Victor’s apartment); he tells her about the Hydra project, that sister codename Hammet (the #1 sister) has gone over the edge and recruited 4 of her other sisters (Chandler has killed 3 of them by now in self defense) to capture her; they were each implanted with a tracking device in their stomachs (when unconscious after their graduation exercise, suffering through interrogation, and almost being drowned), and Hammet tortured and killed his wife and kids (killed them after he told all, as he wanted their torture to end) so how Hammet knows what she knows… and that Hammet wants her special cell phone. Chandler jabs him with a knock out drug – seeing a moment of pride before he passes out – and he’s gone when she next goes to the car… hmmm
Cory: When Chandler 14 years old, and rebellious, older, psychotic Cory took her in – taught her about sex, and started to expose her to petty crimes… then to murder (although she only watched, did not participate)… busted when she was 16… and through the influence of her parole case worker (Kaufman), she testifies against him, and he is put in jail for life… but on this day of hell, he broke out a month earlier, and calls her (just after she got the call from Jacob that her cover was compromised and to get out) and he has Kaufman, and she is to show up in 2 hours with $30,000 or else – when she’s late, he cuts off Kaufman’s finger… and he has a new 14 year old ‘assistant’… Chandler rescues Kaufman, hurts Cory… he catches up with her after she is betrayed by Victor – tied down to counter, tortured with water and stun gun… and with a bit of manipulation of his ‘assistant’, she gets free, and kills Cory once and for all…
Kaufman: the parole officer who saw something more in Chandler – he helped her through her 3 years in juvie, and continued to be her friend; she takes him to Victor’s apartment (where Victor is tied up), she sews is finger, and gives him something so that he will sleep… right before he falls asleep, he tells her that he is as proud of her as can be, as if she were his daughter… unfortunately, when Victor and Hammett can’t torture the info from her, they threaten Kaufman… and she tells them the phone is at the restaurant – but when she bad talks Victor (saying he’s compensating for a small penis), he overreacts and kills Kaufman before she discloses the exact location of the phone; Kaufman shows us a very human side to Chandler – he is the only one she can let her guard down with and to trust;
Hammett: ahhh… the evil, almost invincible psychotic sister… she enjoys killing, and draws out the terror in those assigned to kill; she is motivated by the words of one ambassador she killed, who told her (when she asked) that getting to the top is what is important… and that is what sends her in the Instructor’s way, finding out about her sisters (one thought to be dead)… the tracking devices; and that Chandler carries one of two phones that could spur a nuclear attack (president carries the other one)…
Summary:
Like Burn Notice, as Chandler surprised at each turn, she recalls some training from her Instructor, that guides her response.
She goes from one painful situation to another… situations where we can’t believe she survived… she and Fleming/Jacob join forces, take care of the dead sister’s id-ability but cutting off finger tips and removing their tracking devices, getting Victor and Hammett to think they are somewhere else, and then going to the restaurant; Fleming/Jacob does her best to aid Chandler… but in the show off with Victor, Hammett, Fleming, and Chandler… Chandler gives them to phone in exchange for Fleming not being harmed… she gets pushed out the window (but manages to snap the window washing setup, wrenching her shoulder out of the socket)… and Fleming taken unconscious onto the boat with Hammet and Victor; Hammet figures out the encryption (come on now, in an hour?)… and Chandler retrieves a glider she buried on top of her parent’s grave, and zeros in on the boat with the trackers…
The phone goes overdeck… they take care of Hammett and Victor (or do they?)… Fleming (who originally programmed the phone), handcuffed to the anchor, goes overboard to get the phone and stop the countdown… and she stops it with 2 seconds left… Chandler follows her overboard, and frees her from the handcuff – and both become unconscious – to be rescued by the coast guard…
And jack Daniels is in the hospital when she wakes up, assures her she has done what she can to protect her identity… and that her sister is being held in the other wing being questioned by men in black…
Next story…
Memorable scenes:
Training – to desensitize, towards the end… taken to a cow with a broken leg and told to kill it… (Chandler reluctantly does)… second time the cow is fine, the Instructor breaks its leg with a metal bar, and tells her to kill it – she reluctantly did and then threw up… third time told to kill a healthy cow, she did it… and fourth time told to kill cow with a metal bar… lastly, shown a video of a bag guy torturing and killing women… then taken to a cell with the man it, and told to execute… (the #1 sister the first time (with injured cow) took her time killing it, shooting it’s legs out from under it first…)
Thinking her phone is how her siblings can find her, she decides to hide it where she can retrieve it (per her training)… she goes up to the tower restaurant… and when she can’t find a place… she finally leaves it with the bartender, telling him she found it in the bathroom… and watches as he gives it to the maitre d’ who places it in a locked drawer at the front station, with other lost items;
Theme: survive, solve who’s after her and why, stop the nuclear bomb,
Characters:
Hydra project: 7 identical septuplets, with identical fingerprints – unheard of; girls became Hydra project and given code names of 7 different mystery writers; the government placed them with different kinds of parents… in Clinton era, project lost funding… our hero’s parents killed in accident – sent to foster homes with varying stresses… government picked her up again, and placed her with a tough army man who was abusive to her… she joined the army, and out of boot camp was taken into a special training program… where she was trained to be an assassin – just her – the Instructor – and various other specialists for short spans. The six sisters had similar experiences – some better, some worst, and all were trained to be assassins - and one sister was better than Chandler;
Chandler (aka Carmen Sawyer, aka Velma): she has one hell of a day… she’s highly trained, she is intelligent, she is moral… and we get deep insight into her psyche with how she responds to each challenge…
Fleming aka Jacob: as Jacob, she is Chandler’s handler – giving her assignments, helping her match them out, saving her butt when necessary; it ends up that she is one of the Hydras / sisters; she had an accident and lost the use of her legs, and is confined to a wheelchair (but what a wheelchair – guns in the arm rests, blades that pop out from the wheels, etc); in the end she is the only sister who is like Chandler – and the two of them hopefully will have a long history as sisters;
Jacqueline ‘Jack’ Daniels: character of Konrath’s other novels; thrown in as one who figures out that Chandler is acting in self defense , and deducts that she is a spy – and she helps her with some info, and to keep her fingerprints out of the ‘system’
Victor Cormach: for months has been Chandler’s online friend… he’s sexy, he’s a paramedic, he has a sense of humor, and they finally agree to meet for dinner; she has done all she can to check him out; when she doesn’t know where to go, she decides to go to his apartment… and he’s home, though earlier he said he’d be at work… she ties him up… leaves him for a few hours… handcuffs him to a radiator… interrogates him with a B-9 shot that elevates his heart and causes itching, but tells him it’s a poison… and she’s fairly convinced he is what he says he is… she has sex with him (still handcuffed) (has to do something with an adrenaline overload and earlier attraction)… leaves him on the sex with his pants down when she gets a call from the Instructor… but he is Russian, and Hammett’s partner (though he plans to kill Hammett once he has the phone and nuclear codes)…
The Instructor: tough; unemotional (during training, she keeps a journal – and at some point writes about being horny – and the next day the instructor tells her sex is a normal biological need, and he passively offers to have sex with her – she declines first time, but asks later – only one time – he remains unemotional, gives her two climaxes, no kissing, and he does not ejaculate); honest – though doesn’t tell her all; mid way, he calls her (when she is at Victor’s apartment); he tells her about the Hydra project, that sister codename Hammet (the #1 sister) has gone over the edge and recruited 4 of her other sisters (Chandler has killed 3 of them by now in self defense) to capture her; they were each implanted with a tracking device in their stomachs (when unconscious after their graduation exercise, suffering through interrogation, and almost being drowned), and Hammet tortured and killed his wife and kids (killed them after he told all, as he wanted their torture to end) so how Hammet knows what she knows… and that Hammet wants her special cell phone. Chandler jabs him with a knock out drug – seeing a moment of pride before he passes out – and he’s gone when she next goes to the car… hmmm
Cory: When Chandler 14 years old, and rebellious, older, psychotic Cory took her in – taught her about sex, and started to expose her to petty crimes… then to murder (although she only watched, did not participate)… busted when she was 16… and through the influence of her parole case worker (Kaufman), she testifies against him, and he is put in jail for life… but on this day of hell, he broke out a month earlier, and calls her (just after she got the call from Jacob that her cover was compromised and to get out) and he has Kaufman, and she is to show up in 2 hours with $30,000 or else – when she’s late, he cuts off Kaufman’s finger… and he has a new 14 year old ‘assistant’… Chandler rescues Kaufman, hurts Cory… he catches up with her after she is betrayed by Victor – tied down to counter, tortured with water and stun gun… and with a bit of manipulation of his ‘assistant’, she gets free, and kills Cory once and for all…
Kaufman: the parole officer who saw something more in Chandler – he helped her through her 3 years in juvie, and continued to be her friend; she takes him to Victor’s apartment (where Victor is tied up), she sews is finger, and gives him something so that he will sleep… right before he falls asleep, he tells her that he is as proud of her as can be, as if she were his daughter… unfortunately, when Victor and Hammett can’t torture the info from her, they threaten Kaufman… and she tells them the phone is at the restaurant – but when she bad talks Victor (saying he’s compensating for a small penis), he overreacts and kills Kaufman before she discloses the exact location of the phone; Kaufman shows us a very human side to Chandler – he is the only one she can let her guard down with and to trust;
Hammett: ahhh… the evil, almost invincible psychotic sister… she enjoys killing, and draws out the terror in those assigned to kill; she is motivated by the words of one ambassador she killed, who told her (when she asked) that getting to the top is what is important… and that is what sends her in the Instructor’s way, finding out about her sisters (one thought to be dead)… the tracking devices; and that Chandler carries one of two phones that could spur a nuclear attack (president carries the other one)…
Summary:
Like Burn Notice, as Chandler surprised at each turn, she recalls some training from her Instructor, that guides her response.
She goes from one painful situation to another… situations where we can’t believe she survived… she and Fleming/Jacob join forces, take care of the dead sister’s id-ability but cutting off finger tips and removing their tracking devices, getting Victor and Hammett to think they are somewhere else, and then going to the restaurant; Fleming/Jacob does her best to aid Chandler… but in the show off with Victor, Hammett, Fleming, and Chandler… Chandler gives them to phone in exchange for Fleming not being harmed… she gets pushed out the window (but manages to snap the window washing setup, wrenching her shoulder out of the socket)… and Fleming taken unconscious onto the boat with Hammet and Victor; Hammet figures out the encryption (come on now, in an hour?)… and Chandler retrieves a glider she buried on top of her parent’s grave, and zeros in on the boat with the trackers…
The phone goes overdeck… they take care of Hammett and Victor (or do they?)… Fleming (who originally programmed the phone), handcuffed to the anchor, goes overboard to get the phone and stop the countdown… and she stops it with 2 seconds left… Chandler follows her overboard, and frees her from the handcuff – and both become unconscious – to be rescued by the coast guard…
And jack Daniels is in the hospital when she wakes up, assures her she has done what she can to protect her identity… and that her sister is being held in the other wing being questioned by men in black…
Next story…
Memorable scenes:
Training – to desensitize, towards the end… taken to a cow with a broken leg and told to kill it… (Chandler reluctantly does)… second time the cow is fine, the Instructor breaks its leg with a metal bar, and tells her to kill it – she reluctantly did and then threw up… third time told to kill a healthy cow, she did it… and fourth time told to kill cow with a metal bar… lastly, shown a video of a bag guy torturing and killing women… then taken to a cell with the man it, and told to execute… (the #1 sister the first time (with injured cow) took her time killing it, shooting it’s legs out from under it first…)
Thinking her phone is how her siblings can find her, she decides to hide it where she can retrieve it (per her training)… she goes up to the tower restaurant… and when she can’t find a place… she finally leaves it with the bartender, telling him she found it in the bathroom… and watches as he gives it to the maitre d’ who places it in a locked drawer at the front station, with other lost items;
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2024
This felt like the literary equivalent of cheap action movies I sometimes watch on streaming that want to be like the high-budget productions but don't have the money or talent to actually make it happen. Money is less of an issue here than talent. As in writing talent that could craft decent characters or a logical plot.
So "Chandler" is a government agent living at the moment in Chicago. Then suddenly she's set upon by assassins who all look like her. The reason for this is actually less plausible than clones, robots, or even multiverse versions of herself. I won't give it away, but it's pretty silly and implausible. About as silly and implausible as the McGuffin: a phone that can literally call in a nuclear strike anywhere in the world with just one code. As dumb as American government could be, I hope we're not stupid enough to make nuclear strikes so easy an almost-random person could it.
There are of course villains but they're as thin as the paper I didn't read this on--because I read it on Kindle. The POV is largely first-person from Chandler but when it switches to third-person with the villains it doesn't do them any favors. Instead of adding depth, it only makes them more one-note, mustache-twirling clichés.
Even the naming system of the agents doesn't make that much sense. Chandler and Hammett were contemporaries in the 30s, but then you have Fleming from the 50s-60s, Forsyth/Ludlum from the 70s-80s, Follett late 70s-present, and Clancy 80s-2013. There's no consistency in the time periods or really even the genres. If you were giving these names out all at once, why would you do it like this? Either pick authors from the same time period or the same genre or just make it more random.
Then there are forced cameos by Konrath's other Chicago characters "Jack Daniels," a female police detective and some private eye guy whose name I can't remember and whose cameo contributed nothing and was far less subtle than Stan Lee's cameos in Marvel movies. Unless you're a fan of Konrath (which I'm not since this was the first--and maybe last one--I read) these cameos are just intrusive and don't add much.
The only standout is "Fleming," who reminded me of Barbara Gordon, who was Batgirl until she was crippled by the Joker and then became a hacker named Oracle who aided the Bat-family and other heroes. That is basically what Fleming does.
This could have been a fun read if the characters had been interesting. Since much of it is Chandler's POV she needed to have a personality, but didn't. I would recommend "The Barista's Guide To Espionage" by Dave Sinclair that was similar but much more fun and with a better character.
That is all.
So "Chandler" is a government agent living at the moment in Chicago. Then suddenly she's set upon by assassins who all look like her. The reason for this is actually less plausible than clones, robots, or even multiverse versions of herself. I won't give it away, but it's pretty silly and implausible. About as silly and implausible as the McGuffin: a phone that can literally call in a nuclear strike anywhere in the world with just one code. As dumb as American government could be, I hope we're not stupid enough to make nuclear strikes so easy an almost-random person could it.
There are of course villains but they're as thin as the paper I didn't read this on--because I read it on Kindle. The POV is largely first-person from Chandler but when it switches to third-person with the villains it doesn't do them any favors. Instead of adding depth, it only makes them more one-note, mustache-twirling clichés.
Even the naming system of the agents doesn't make that much sense. Chandler and Hammett were contemporaries in the 30s, but then you have Fleming from the 50s-60s, Forsyth/Ludlum from the 70s-80s, Follett late 70s-present, and Clancy 80s-2013. There's no consistency in the time periods or really even the genres. If you were giving these names out all at once, why would you do it like this? Either pick authors from the same time period or the same genre or just make it more random.
Then there are forced cameos by Konrath's other Chicago characters "Jack Daniels," a female police detective and some private eye guy whose name I can't remember and whose cameo contributed nothing and was far less subtle than Stan Lee's cameos in Marvel movies. Unless you're a fan of Konrath (which I'm not since this was the first--and maybe last one--I read) these cameos are just intrusive and don't add much.
The only standout is "Fleming," who reminded me of Barbara Gordon, who was Batgirl until she was crippled by the Joker and then became a hacker named Oracle who aided the Bat-family and other heroes. That is basically what Fleming does.
This could have been a fun read if the characters had been interesting. Since much of it is Chandler's POV she needed to have a personality, but didn't. I would recommend "The Barista's Guide To Espionage" by Dave Sinclair that was similar but much more fun and with a better character.
That is all.
Read
May 15, 2025Apparently, when I wasn't looking, a new genre appeared: erotic-thriller. Nobody told me, I wasn't looking for it, and I haven't stumbled on any. Until now. So I came for the thriller, and got an erotic bonus. It took me by surprise (as you can see, as it seems to be all I'm able to talk about). On the bright side, this book is 95% thriller, 5% erotic, so I mostly got what I came for. The surprising bits were mostly surprising, but thankfully arrive quickly, made a brief appearance, and mostly left as abruptly as they had arrived. I survived. I am experienced now, know what to expect in future books in the series. Which I will read because I 95% enjoyed this book. (95% thriller -2% for reliance on too-fantastic a McGuffin +2% because who doesn't enjoy a little unanticipated sexy time). I will not create a new shelving category in Goodreads for erotic thrillers. I will continue to be confused by the thriller vs espionage tags (I really crave the espionage thing, and anything with a "spy" in it gets the tag from me, but the world loves thrillers, so that's what I frequently get instead, and I do enjoy them every time one comes in an espionage disguise). And I'll read the rest of the Chandler series because they're fun little bites to enjoy between slogs (I'm looking at you, Original Dune series).
March 9, 2017
This book wasn't my cup of tea. I like to read about women spies, so I gave it a shot but...
Just... no.
Action packed (literally, there's no time that the pace slows down), full of gory violence and foul language and some explicit stuff, and I was still as bored as I was disgusted. I ended up skimming the last half of the book just to see if there was any redeeming ending, but no. I could have told you what would happen, it was that predictable. The characters were boring; they were so cookie cutter that their next move was never a doubt. Well, except when the author completely changed a character for the sake of the plot, but that was just annoying. All of the men in the book were portrayed as incompetent, sadistic, and sexist, unless they met an untimely end. The villains were very cliche () and so implausible. This book did not entertain me or do much more than annoy me. I didn't like any of the characters at all. So. Yeah. Not my cup of tea.
Just... no.
Action packed (literally, there's no time that the pace slows down), full of gory violence and foul language and some explicit stuff, and I was still as bored as I was disgusted. I ended up skimming the last half of the book just to see if there was any redeeming ending, but no. I could have told you what would happen, it was that predictable. The characters were boring; they were so cookie cutter that their next move was never a doubt. Well, except when the author completely changed a character for the sake of the plot, but that was just annoying. All of the men in the book were portrayed as incompetent, sadistic, and sexist, unless they met an untimely end. The villains were very cliche () and so implausible. This book did not entertain me or do much more than annoy me. I didn't like any of the characters at all. So. Yeah. Not my cup of tea.
December 12, 2021
Flee — J.A. Konrath and Ann Voss Peterson//Narrator: Angela Dawe (4 titled chapters) Dec. 11, 2021
I found this hiding on my To Read list dating back to 2017 but it was not on my Goodreads list. I am so glad I found this again and read it.
Chandler is an operative on a top-secret team. Some one burned her and she attempts to find out who it is and why. Several people close to her are eliminated as she attempts to track down the killer.
A criminal from her past is a subplot in the story; because he appears at the almost the same time as her burn, she wonders if the two things are related.
This was a very fast paced thriller from the first page to the end.
Though a stand alone, it is also the first of a trilogy that I know I will need to pick up later and finish. Hopefully I won’t have to wait another four years to get to it.
I also listened to the audio of this. There was only one portion where the written word did not match the audio.
Five stars.
I found this hiding on my To Read list dating back to 2017 but it was not on my Goodreads list. I am so glad I found this again and read it.
Chandler is an operative on a top-secret team. Some one burned her and she attempts to find out who it is and why. Several people close to her are eliminated as she attempts to track down the killer.
A criminal from her past is a subplot in the story; because he appears at the almost the same time as her burn, she wonders if the two things are related.
This was a very fast paced thriller from the first page to the end.
Though a stand alone, it is also the first of a trilogy that I know I will need to pick up later and finish. Hopefully I won’t have to wait another four years to get to it.
I also listened to the audio of this. There was only one portion where the written word did not match the audio.
Five stars.
March 19, 2024
The Equation of Survival
In a world of shadows, an underground operative known only as Chandler is thrust into a deadly game where the past collides with the present. Her mentor, snatched by a psychopath entwined with her own history, signals the start of a perilous chase. With her identity compromised and lethal assassins on her trail, Chandler's resilience is tested to its limits. Reunited with her handler, Jacob, they uncover a plot that threatens the very essence of American security. Discover the reason behind the cryptic equation '7-5=2' in a novel where turning the page is as instinctive as the fight for survival.
Review by SRD
#CodenameChandler
#ThrillerBooks
#SpyThriller
#ActionPacked
#FemaleProtagonist
#SuspenseNovel
#readingchallenge
#readingcommunity
#readingisfun
#booklovers
#LinkedInfamily
In a world of shadows, an underground operative known only as Chandler is thrust into a deadly game where the past collides with the present. Her mentor, snatched by a psychopath entwined with her own history, signals the start of a perilous chase. With her identity compromised and lethal assassins on her trail, Chandler's resilience is tested to its limits. Reunited with her handler, Jacob, they uncover a plot that threatens the very essence of American security. Discover the reason behind the cryptic equation '7-5=2' in a novel where turning the page is as instinctive as the fight for survival.
Review by SRD
#CodenameChandler
#ThrillerBooks
#SpyThriller
#ActionPacked
#FemaleProtagonist
#SuspenseNovel
#readingchallenge
#readingcommunity
#readingisfun
#booklovers
#LinkedInfamily
Read
October 27, 2025The plot twists really had me on the edge of my seat! The book Flee, by J.A. Konrad and Ann Voss Peterson, is a spy thriller novel about a spy named Chandler who makes some big discoveries. She has 24 hours to stop a kidnapping, take down a psychopath, and save the world. I got hooked on the plot within the first few chapters. It was something I wanted to keep reading even after I finished the book. This book wasn't hard to read whatsoever, and had really good details to where it wasn't confusing. The writing style is good for beginning readers who want to read something intense but will actually understand it and be able to visualize it in their head. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read thriller-dramas, as well as good plot twists.
July 8, 2021
Action packed thriller
An edge-of-the-seat thriller with twists, turns and some times what seemingly would be physically impossible acts. However, as with a lot of spy type thrillers, what might seem impossible sometimes makes the action just that much more enticing. As long as one doesn’t spend too much time wondering if that was just possible, I found it to be a great read! I personally don’t mind stretching the imagination as long as it’s not too far fetched. I didn’t find anything in this novel that was too far fetched.
Action packed from front to back and includes some detailed sex.
Looking forward fo reading the next in the series.
An edge-of-the-seat thriller with twists, turns and some times what seemingly would be physically impossible acts. However, as with a lot of spy type thrillers, what might seem impossible sometimes makes the action just that much more enticing. As long as one doesn’t spend too much time wondering if that was just possible, I found it to be a great read! I personally don’t mind stretching the imagination as long as it’s not too far fetched. I didn’t find anything in this novel that was too far fetched.
Action packed from front to back and includes some detailed sex.
Looking forward fo reading the next in the series.
January 2, 2024
For someone so well trained Chandler gets in a lot of scrapes and takes a lot of damage and her sisters/clones are all in the same boat. If such a phenomenon really happened it would be plastered all over the papers within an hour of their birth and as for using them for espionage their faces would be known world wide like trying to use the Kardashians. It's a fun read with lots of violence and a bit of sex and not supposed to be plausible I think. Like I've been drugged what should I do ? Take crack cocaine to offset it. Yeah right but apart from that it's a romp and introduces a couple of other series characters to draw you in.
March 16, 2017
Pure adrenaline. That's what this book is about. Chandler is an elite covert operative, and generally a badass chick. Her cover gets blown in spectacular fashion, and she has to go on the run to figure out what's happening. It turns out that what's happening is pretty crazy. The secret government agency she works for is up to some strange stuff.
There's no time to slow down and think. There's no time for a lot of plot or character development. Just go, go go! Overall, I think it works pretty well. I definitely didn't want to put it down.
There's no time to slow down and think. There's no time for a lot of plot or character development. Just go, go go! Overall, I think it works pretty well. I definitely didn't want to put it down.
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