The First Casualty

Jason Peters #3

by Gregg Loomis

Armed with a powerful laser, a terrorist group threatens the US—and one government agent must race to recover the weapon before it’s too late


Air France Flight 447 is high above the Atlantic, making its way through a patch of turbulence, when its instruments begin to fail. Pilot and crew fight to regain control as the plane plummets from the sky, but death comes before they even hit the water. When investigators pick through the wrecked aircraft and desiccated bodies, they can reach only one Flight 447 disintegrated in mid-air.


The cause was a laser, the likes of which the world has never known. Based on the mad dreams of Nikola Tesla, the weapon’s destructive powers are immeasurable, and it has fallen into the hands of Al Qaeda—or its allies. It’s up to Jason Peters—a highly trained government operative who was beginning to get bored with his retirement—to recover the laser to safety. Ending this threat will force him to shed quite a bit of terrorist blood, but Peters has never minded getting dirty for the sake of Uncle Sam.

Genres: Thriller

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Gregg Loomis is an American author of thrillers. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, he spent his youth traveling the world, and has worked as a commercial pilot, a racecar driver, and a lawyer specializing in commercial litigation. He published his first novel, the bayou thriller Voodoo Fury, in 1991. His greatest success came in 2005, when The Pegasus Secret introduced the world to lawyer Lang Reilly; Loomis charted that character’s globetrotting adventures through five more novels, including The Coptic Secret (2009) and The Cathar Secret (2011). With Gates of Hades (2007), Loomis began a new series centered on Jason Peters, an international operative working for NARCOM, a private corporation that does what the CIA cannot. Hot Ice (2013) is the second Jason Peters novel. Loomis now writes and practices law in Atlanta.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The First Casualty by Gregg Loomis is a Mysterious Press/ Open Road Integrated Media publication. The release date is scheduled for November 19th, 2013.

Jason Peters is retired and in hiding. He is trying to relax and focus on his art. But, the truth is: he's bored to death.

When "Momma" finds him and dangles a dangerous mission under his nose, he tries to fight the temptation, but of course loses the battle.

This is a dangerous mission indeed. Jason would like nothing more than to battle Al Qaeda, the people responsible for his wife's death. So, part business and part personal, Jason sets out with an unlikely crew to prevent a laser like "death ray" from shooting down Air Force One. The laser was already responsible for taking down France flight 447. This laser was inspired by Nikola Tesla who had corresponded with J. Edgar Hoover once upon a time.

This is a fast paced thriller, set in unique locations, based on some real life persons and events.

Jason Peters is a funny man is some ways. He has a penchant for having conversations with himself. He has a complicated relationship with a woman, and is torn between the rush of his work and a more traditional family life.

I have heard of the possibility that lasers can be used to target aircraft, causing the plane to crash. I have also heard of Nikola Tesla, who is a real person. The oscillator was real. Just a little food for thought.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to those that enjoy thrillers with lots of action and not a great deal of heavy drama and dialogue.
My only issue with the book was that it might have been too rushed in places.
Overall I would give this one a B.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming November from Mysterious Press/Open Road Media



Thank you kindly to all for the advanced copy of this book via netgalley.



A mysterious plane crash, a terrorist plot and a weapon of destruction in the wrong hands brings Jason Peters, government operative, out of retirement and back into the world. As he tries to track down the bad guys and discover just what and where this weapon is he will need every one of his skills - but Jason has never been afraid to spill a little blood...vengeance is never far from his mind.



This had an extremely clever opening chapter that sends you straight down the reading rabbit hole, and throughout the first pages of this novel you will find yourself more and more intrigued by just what is going on. I picked it up with the intention of starting a couple of chapters but it was hours before I could actually bring myself to put it down.



The author has cleverly taken a piece of history, that of the inventions and skills of Nikola Tesla -US Patent holder for Radio and AC current amongst others, and woven an intricate and marvellous tale of secret lasers and misdirection that will keep you turning the pages until the final satisfying resolution. Jason is a marvellous character to follow...I would call him reluctantly dedicated - in a very real way a situation that was out of his control forced him to take on this mission but now he's in it he sure is in it. The evil doers are lifted straight out of today's headlines and that gives this a strangely authentic feel despite the manner of the weapon Jason is hunting down...you kind of feel that it might have happened just this way.....



One thing the author has done for me is give me an interest in finding out more about Nikola Tesla..my appetite for knowledge on this subject is definitely grumbling...as Mr Loomis says in his Authors Note at the end...was Tesla a genius? Surely. A Nutcase? A little of that too. There are a number of biographies available and I shall be purchasing one soon.



All in all a great action thriller with a mysterious heart that will intrigue and delight you. Nicely achieved!

[Jean-Michel Desire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting characters and places unfold throughout the plot. The drawback: it's another secret agent style adventure with not much enough different from others to make an unforgettable impression. On the positive side, it is entertaining, although the first half tends to be a little on the slow side. It does however build-up to a page-turner climax with an over-average good ending. I will read another book by Greg Loomis because this one had the promise of good potential for a nail biter, even if it did not fully deliver.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book through Net Galley in exchange for a review.

This is my first book by Greg Loomis. It won't be the last.

The subject matter dealing with al Qaeda is very much in the news today. Although the author did take some liberties with the truth, which he admits to, the story is highly believable with a definite suspense factor that it could possibly happen.

The action packed twists and turns certainly held my interest. Together with strong characters and a very likable main character this was an extremely entertaining and heart pounding read.

I would definitely recommend this book.

[H.R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an uncorrected proof copy while at a conference.*

The writing is done well and Loomis seems to have a very distinct voice for the characters. Jason Peters is a very interesting character on his own, as are many of the characters he meets in the story. For me, though, the story seemed to drag on throughout a number of parts. A good book and worth the read, but not really something I'd read again. I do recommend it.

[Edana Cichanowicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice break from my current binge reading of British mysteries. Good suspense. Would like to read more with this character.