Trigger Point

Tom Rollins Thriller #16

by Paul Heatley

Tom Rollins is having some down time. But bad guys don’t do vacations.

Ex-special forces operative Tom Rollins is enjoying some much-needed down time in Vermont when he meets Ella and seven-year-old Kit, a mother and son in trouble.

They’re being targeted by a highly organised and well-trained group and don’t know why. Tom feels obliged to help and slowly the picture becomes clear…

Kit is neurodivergent and has perfect recall. Their attackers, terrorist affiliates, believe that he has seen something which could expose their plot to launch a major chemical weapons attack somewhere in New York City.

But Kit is non-verbal, so he can’t tell Tom exactly what it is he knows.

Can Tom help Kit and Ella stay one step ahead of their pursuers? And can he find out when and where the planned attack is going to happen?

The clock is ticking. If he fails, a terrible new weapon will be unleashed. And the consequences could be devastating - not just for New York City, but for the entire world.

Trigger Point – Book 16 in the outstanding Tom Rollins action thriller series. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, Jason Kasper and David Archer.


What readers are saying about Trigger Point:

“…gets into the action right from the start. Mr Heatley knows how to write at breakneck speed.” -Booksprout Reviewer

“It's another fast moving, seat of your pants adventure in the Tom Rollins series. Check it out and you won't be disappointed!” -Booksprout Reviewer

“…amazing stories… They are ones I can't put down, and then long for the next.” -Booksprout Reviewer

“I was hooked by the story… Once again Heatley managed to capture my interest and kept me enjoying a good book. …he is a very good storyteller.” -Netgalley Reviewer

“Another gripping action thriller from the master of suspense. Brilliant storytelling, good characterisation and a great plot as always. Excellent!” -Netgalley Reviewer

Genres: Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Action

306 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 2, 2025

Reviews

[Abibliofob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger Point is another adventure with Tom Rollins by Paul Heatley. This time we find Rollins in Vermont where he stumbles upon a woman crying for help at the roadside. This one actually took me a little while to get into but suddenly I was hooked by the story and it's complications for our hero. Once again Heatley managed to capture my interest and kept me enjoying a good book. If you haven't tried any of his work I think it's about time that you do. He has created some great characters and he is a very good storyteller. I must thank Inkubator Books and Netgalley for letting me read this advance copy of a book that is available in the beginning of March 2025.

[Mary Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you follow this series, you know what to expect. Tom has a habit of finding himself in certain troublesome situations and it's great fun reading how he rights the wrongs in each situation. This time, he tries to help a woman in trouble and finds himself involved with a gang who are planning something awful. The woman's son is autistic and non-verbal but has come across knowledge of the upcoming plans.

What follows next is a great cat and mouse game as a group of men track Rollins, the woman and her son as they try to find out what he knows before getting rid of them. There's lots of action as usual and a fantastic finale. This series is totally flying and it's hard to believe we are at the sixteenth book already. It shows no signs of getting stale. Look forward to the next one.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emerald Maple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 16 in the Tom Rollins series, and like the others, very readable as a standalone. Tom is very Reacher-esque, nomadic, special ops type background and no matter where he goes, trouble finds him. I enjoy the series and this was a decent read but not my favourite. The villain is a bit off-putting with the overuse of sweetheart etc and honestly, kind of an idiot for someone who made it onto Interpol's list and managed to evade them through years of crime. But vengeance makes you do stupid stuff I guess.

This one starts covers where Tom has been in the time since the last book, making his way up to Vermont to camp out in the cold and recoup from his time in San Francisco and Texas from the previous two books that took place over weeks. Somehow Tom gets kidnapped while helping Ella and Kit and you know that won't last, because right at the beginning of the book and it is Tom Rollins.

We go from backwoods murders to a terror plot in NYC with plenty of murder and mayhem in between. The Tom Rollins books are quite violent if you are not into that. There is also a softer side to this one as Tom connects with Kit in a way Ella, his mother, has not seen before in order to help them.

As usual in Tom Rollins books, you know that he will get it done at the end, and in a dramatic and loud way before slipping away ready for the next book.

Overall, a good read with a slightly annoying villain but the storyline would make a good action movie so if you are into that sort of book, this one is for you.

Thanks to Netgalley and Inkubator Books for the copy for review

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC through "Booksprout" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The story begins with Rollins taking a break in the forest of Vermont. As Spring is approaching, Rollins feels it is time to move on. As he is driving out, a woman races out of the forest calling for help. Rollins stop and is shortly attacked and taken along with the woman to a cabin. Rollins is securely tied, but he eventually is given an opportunity to break free. He winds up saving Ella, the woman. and her son Kit. As a result of this action, he and the two others are followed and targeted by Lincoln, the Boss. It seems that Lincoln has something planned and needs to prevent Rollins and the other two from preventing it.

Follow along and read the various obstacles that Rollins and to overcome as well as finding what Lincoln's plan is. The ending is well-done and if you like a lot of action, then this book is for you.

[Ricki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom has been spending a few months in the woods of Maine, camping out and recovering from injuries sustained helping his friend Cindy in the last book. Finally deciding it's time to move, he gets his car from storage and is on the road. Taking back roads, a woman stumbles out of the woods into the path of his car. As he is helping, he's accosted by her pursuers and they are both taken back to a cabin & tied up.

He turns the tables on the group of backwoods yokels and helps Ella & her non- verbal son Kit escape. They travel from New England to Brooklyn, barely one step ahead of the crew trying to track down Ella/Kit and discover that Kit has information on a planned attack in NY and that is why they are being hunted.

The book starts and ends with non-stop action with Tom the lone man who can stop the attack.

[Ganesh Subramanian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another typical Tom Rollins thriller. It begins innocuously with a woman stumbling into the road in front of Rollins' car and seeking his help to retrieve her autistic 8-year-old boy, who has been abducted by a mafia group. This blows into a full grown mystery when Tom is taken a prisoner along with the woman, Ella and her boy, Kit. the story is all about how Tom manages to escape along with Ella and Kit and discovers a sinister plan to ransome the city of New York with a new biogas that cankill thousands within a minute and leave no trace. Of Course, after a lot of chases and killings of the bad men, Tom saves the city of New York from a near disaster. It is an interesting yarn, and the pace is quick, keeping you engrossed right till the end.
Thank you ‎for providing this book for review, Booksprout. All opinions are my own.

[Linda J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 STARS ROUNDED UP

This is story 16 and my first in the series and I wasn't lost. I've now ordered a box set 1-4 to see how our H got to where he is now.

Is some of the story farfetched, yes but I enjoyed it. How many times does the good guy come out on top? Villains aplenty that's for sure and a lot of gruesome violence. I liked the little boy, who added a nice human touch to the story.

Very suspenseful, good guys die but so do the bad villains, HEA, no cliffhanger and action filled. My one thing that bothered me and ruined the flow was a villain called everyone sweetheart or darling - barf! This was a man calling men this! Lord's name used in vain and crude words.

I can't improve on the blurb, just giving you extra tidbits to decide whether to purchase. I do recommend this story. (ljb)

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Rollins is a "do-gooder" in his core and he cannot stop himself from helping a wounded woman he sees on the road claiming for help when all he wanted was to reach a new destination and to keep peace and quiet. What he'll soon discover is that the woman and her autistic son have seen and heard too much and became involved in a sinister conspiracy. An arms dealer is trying to sell a new form of killing gas to the highest bidder but he made mistakes and now those who have the formula to such a gas became his prey. Trigger Point has a good plot, is full of non stop action and the good prevails against the bad.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom Rollins spends some time in Vermont after the previous adventure has broken camp and is traveling to a nearby town when he comes upon a woman and her son trying to get away from some men. After trying to help but getting caught himself he decides he has to do something when he sees what has or is transpiring. After rescuing the three of them he begins to look into what those men are into and when he finds out he realizes he must find a way to stop it from happening, while also protecting the mother and her son. An excellent book, full of action, and one that you don’t want to put down. Very much worth the read.

[Tina Lincoln · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming out of off-grid can be murder!
Finding a woman coming out of the bushes all scratched is Tom's next adventure that he did not ask to be in, but gladly helps the Mother and special child.
I was amazed at how fast this story took off! Tom had just come out of the woods, literally, gotten his car out of storage where he had it for the past 3 months while he lived in the woods away from everyone and everything.
This grows into something that Tom is used to dealing with, and will not walk away from!
Thank you, Paul Heatley, for another great story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest review.

[Tripip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is another series featuring a wandering, ex-military lone wolf who comes to the aid of those in trouble. My cat nip! The story was fast paced and intriguing. The villains suitably evil. The action intense. I would have given this story 5 stars except for 1 point.

The villain kept calling everyone “sweetheart” and not as a term of endearment. Was it supposed to be vernacular because he was English? It is not something I have come across when in England. I found this to be very distracting and unseemly.

I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

[Sandra Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, Author never disappoints, as gets into the action right from the start. A lot of cat and mouse which is drama in of itself. Great dramatic and suspenseful finale. Mr Heatley knows how to write at breakneck speed. I loved that part of it. Characters are interesting as always. The bad guys are really bad, that's great, as you have to have worthy adversaries for Tom as his skill sets are amazing. You will not be disappointed if you give this book a go.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Bren · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Tom Rollins travels from point A to point B you can count on him being caught in the middle of some kind of drama where he uses his hidden skills and for that reason is why I keep coming back for more of Paul Heatley's TR stories I can't get enough of them. Ella escapes her kidnappers, but loses her son in the woods so when she makes it to the road she pops out in front of a car driven by no other than Tom Rollins and pleads for help to find her son. Oh Boy!! does this book get engaging from this point till the very end.

[Sandy T · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an action pack non-stop thriller. Tom Rollins is single-handedly saving the innocent from the evil. Once I start reading his books, I don't want to put them down till I get to the last page. If you like heroes with no special power except survival instincts then you will enjoy Tom Rollins in Trigger Point.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mitch Wathen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exciting ride from the start.

More great Tom Rollins action and adventure with all new (but brief) characters. Might have been a touch over the top in places but it was a good story and, of course, the good guys win - although lots of collateral damage. If you want deep character development, its not the book for you. I guess its hard to write a page turner if you try to go to deep but I think some more depth would only make a good read much better. Keep them coming!

[Linae · Rating 5 out of 5]

In it till the end

Every single book in this series was great. If you like a lot of action, these books are it. I'm always sorry to get to the end but guess this is it. This book is easy to get into and to read. A couple typos here and there but no one is perfect, Other than Tom Rollins when it comes to self preservation for himself and who ever he decides to help. Read this. You won't regret it

[Pearl A Regis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Heatley describes action scenes with precision and excitement - while at times the dialogue between characters and character descriptions and actions seems -- "off" and incomplete. I have spent many a night nail-biting to discover the end of any scenes within the story. The voilence is brutal and sometimes unbelievable - otherwise, I'd give Pauls' books a 5 star rating....At the risk of sounding naive, do people really do things like that to one another?

[Michelle Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Tom Rollins adventure. Tom is an ex Special Forces operative who is trying to relax and unwind in Vermont when he meets Ella and her seven year old son Kit who are in trouble. They are being hunted down and have no idea why. Kit while only being seven is a neurodivergent who remembers everything he sees and some terrorists believe he saw something he shouldn't have.

[Robert Foland · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Trigger Point" is a non-stop thriller. The action begins on page one and carries on throughout the book. Paul Heatley populates the novel with an intriguing array of characters and a first-rate plot. Exciting, exhilarating, and intense.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Samantha Labanowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspense and action right from the start! Nice, short chapters. Constant suspense throughout the book. I really enjoyed the third person point of view and how it never directly followed one person for long. This book made me very interested in continuing to read more books about former CIA agent Tom Rollins.

[T Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like lots of action, this is a book for you, and this with a plot that's OK and very good characters. The main character is still quite lucky, but he must be in order to survive for the next book.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many twists and turns that it will keep you hooked until the end. Action on every page. The character is strong and complex. Good book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ken Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love the Rollins series!

I enjoy the Tom Rollins series. Trigger point didn't disappoint. Plenty of twists, turns and dramatic moments keeping me on the edge of my seat. I had to put down twice so I could sleep.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom's camping trip in Vermont is not as quiet as expected. Trouble has found him again and he must save a woman and her special needs son.

Read this, I think it's a sweet story, and find out who chasing the three of them.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[john alder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five Stars

Another great action packed read from start to finish. I have never been disappointed with any of the Tom Rollins books. A big thank you to the author Paul Heatley and from me another well deserved 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[jimmy robson]

Bit Gassy

Certainly a bit of action and a high kill count. Certainly interesting to know the collateral damage numbers. Bad guys do seem to escape the attention of the authorities easy enough.A good,no thinking action book which you need every now and again.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant Read

Now read the whole series yet again another great series by this author, hopefully at a later time there might be another book to the series .I highly recommend this author I love his work.😀

[Connie Hamby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good book

This was a very good book I read it in a couple of days and enjoyed reading about Tom Rollins I think this was the first one of his I have read you should read it you might enjoy it!

[Jim Cerone The Perfect Host DJ MC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Really Appreciate

Heatley writes great action novels. But what I really appreciate is that they’re not full of profanity. This book has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing all the way through.

[Amanda Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul heatley

I have read all the Tom Rollins book fantastic reads don't put down till finished . Look forward to next book .