Red Energy

Alex Cave #3

by James M. Corkill

Without warning Yellowstone National Park begins to rumble. Geysers explode from the ground, raining a deluge of scalding water on innocent bystanders, desperately trying to escape the searing pain, but it is only a prelude to the devastating eruption of this Super Volcano, which will smother the planet in a choking blanket of dust and ash for a thousand years.
Can Alex Cave, an ex-CIA operative, find a way to stop the eruption? Or will all life on the planet be wiped out by . . . Red Energy.

Genres: Science Fiction

299 pages, Paperback

Published February 9, 2015

About the author

Hello. I’m James M. Corkill, a Veteran, and retired Federal Firefighter from Washington State, USA. I was an electronic technician and studied mechanical engineering in my spare time before eventually becoming a firefighter for 32-years and retiring. I’ve since settled into the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina, and I have a fantastic view from my writing desk.

I began writing in 1997, and was fortunate to meet a famous horror writer named Hugh B. Cave, who became my mentor. In 2002, I rushed to self-published a dozen copies of Dead Energy so my wife could see my book before she was taken by cancer. When my soul mate was gone, I stopped writing and began drinking heavily.

My favorite quote. “When you wake up in the morning, you never know where the day will take you.”

In 2013, I met a stranger who recognized my name and had enjoyed an old copy of Dead Energy, except for the ending. When she encouraged me to start writing again, I realized this chance meeting was just what I needed to hear at the right moment. I quit drinking and began the rewrite of Dead Energy into The Alex Cave Series, and I’m thankful for that fateful encounter.

Reviews

[Nancy Silk · Rating 5 out of 5]

"No One Writes A Faster Paced, High Action Thriller than James Corkill"

He's baaack! Alex Cave and his team are back to save the world! Alex Cave was previously a CIA agent, but now is a professor of Geophysics at a University in Bozeman, Montana. Like Indiana Jones is driven to high adventure, so is Alex Cave! He's been inside alien spaceships before, and he'll be rejoining his team aboard the research vessel, Mystic. The newly found spaceship is in good shape and will be ready to fly once the depleted power crystals are replaced. The ship holds one of many devices that are also at the bottom of the sea in the Northwest. The devices were designed to clean up the atmosphere of earth. How timely, when our Earth's atmosphere needs a cleansing! There is also found a 6-foot diameter silver ball which hopefully they will be able to learn about from Lewis Norton when he arrives to fly the ship back to Nevada...Area 51. There's a notorious organization called COBRA who knows of the ship and devices, and kidnaps Dr. Henry "Doc" Heinz to take back to their underground laboratory built into an old mine. There is a mole aboard the Mystic, working for COBRA; can this devious person be stopped? As things go awry, Yellowstone's Old Faithful is threatening to erupt big time as frequent earthquakes tremble in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. Add a revengeful Russian mobster who is tracking Alex's family to attempt pain and death to Alex. Alex can save the world, but not without help from a surprising strange-stranger. Read author James Corkill's other novels of high excitement: "Cold Energy," "Dead Energy," and you'll agree that this author is right up there with James Rollins and Clive Cussler. I guarantee this novel will spark your imagination as does his previous novels. Like his character, Alex Cave, James Corkill is a high achiever. Great talent.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all the Alex Cave fans out there, this newest installment in the Alex Cave Adventures will send you on an emotional roller coaster. James Corkill has done it again with another great Alex Cave book. This author writes so fluidly that it makes reading one of his stories so easy and entertaining. The author hits the ground running within the first page of the book and you find yourself immediately captivated by the story and the characters. I found it hard to put the book down because I was dying to know what happened next. I've read all 3 of the Alex Cave books, and I think this one was up there as one of my favorites. I love the inclusion of the side stories from other people that were effected by the pending disaster. It gives the story more depth when you can see it through the eyes of by-standers rather than just the main characters.
If you have never read this author's work, then I recommend you do so; you will not be disappointed. If you like sci-fi doomsday thrillers, you'll enjoy all three of the Energy books. Corkill has a gift of getting right to the action and sucking you in for the ride. He peaks your interest to where you can't put the book down and want to find out what happens next, and before you know it, you've finished his book.

[Sami Perez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Story starts out on an interesting level with Alex Cave and his team in the Bering Sea. They were there to retrieve the four devices that were originally created to clean the earth’s atmosphere and inspect an 800 million year old spacecraft. For some reason Alex didn’t trust one of his team mates, Rita, and his instincts proved right when she double-crosses the crew and kidnaps one of their own. At first I was a little confused by this story and found it hard to follow. Then I realized I was reading the third book in the series. I suggest you read the first two before you try to follow along with Alex and his friends on their journey. Overall this book had a great science fiction concept. Well Done!

[C McNulty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Red Energy is a book that has something going on all the time. It has plenty of action and an interesting plot with just enough pseudo technology to make it real. Alex Cave’s story seemed to be written more like a Steven Seagal movie script than a novel, except of course I have yet to see Steven Seagal star in a sci-fi film. My criticism is that the chapters sometimes felt a bit choppy and there were a few areas that needed ironing out, but looking past that you get a good story. Still, the writing style is so swift and easy at the same time that it becomes a quick read.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is the link to my published review:

http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/view...

[Magnús Friðriksson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sure many people would like or even love this book, but I'm not one of them. I have had a long standing policy of always finishing a book I've started on in the first place. That rule has only been broken once so far (Kushiel's Dart) and Red Energy almost became the second one. Since I listened to the Audiobook, it's much easier to endure what I consider being below par literature. However, I believe one of the main reasons I didn't just not like this book, but was bordering on detesting it, can be laid on the Narrator's shoulders. HE. WAS. NOT. GOOD. AT. ALL! We're talking about Paul J McSorley. He has narrated 80 titles available on Audible. I will from now on avoid anything he has narrated... and most likely this book will be the last I read from James M. Corkill. I can understand that his stories and writing style may have an appeal to some, but it made me cringe way too often and the flat monotone narration with two voices (male and female) for ALL characters killed it for me. I almost whooped for joy when it was over. I'm now off to greener pastures.

[Jan Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

James M Corkill has created an awesome character of Alex Cave in the Cold Energy series. I found this book to pull me in even more and add background to the characters. This story is full of vivid imagery, unexpected twists, and some incredible scientific what if's about Yellowstone erupting. This book my be classified as Sci-Fi/Time Travel, which is outside my typical listening genre, I found it to be a very thrilling listen. I think that Paul J McSorely did a wonderful performance bringing the characters to life. He adds the right emotions and suspense, and has distinguishable voices for the characters. I highly recommend this book and series. I received this review copy audiobook at my request, and have voluntarily written this review. I will definitely listen to more books by this author and narrator. Without giving away spoilers, the ending of this book is great.

[Elissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as strong as the previous two books in the series, this is still a robust sci-fi techno thriller with a potential apocalyptic finale which plays out with the bravura of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Still being threatened with natural elements, this time it is seismic and volcanic activity which will end the world and does, over and over, as Alex does his own version of Groundhog Day.

Can you read this story by itself? Yes, I think the background information is sufficiently presented to make this an interesting and enjoyable read. Should you? Not if you have a chance to grab the entire set and enjoy it from the beginning. I've been listening to the AUDIO version and have had no trouble visualizing the action through the excellent and entertaining narration.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red Energy (Alex Cave, #3), my third read from author James M. Corkill. Well-written and captivating with well-developed main characters reminding one of Christopher Cartwright’s Sam Reilly writings. I received an Audible copy of Pandora's Eyes (The Alex Cave Series, Book 5) back in March of this year & wanted to read the series in order so I bought this book. Paul J. McSorley’s narration adds to the book's enjoyment. I'll be reading more from this author. Next up, Gravity (The Alex Cave Series, Book 4). (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great thriller with elements of SIFi strange alien objects time travel it's all here

[Roberto Mattos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliantly written story, that develops in a fast pace . If you thought that the story of our hero, an ex-CIA agent named Alex Cave, could not get better after Cold Energy, you were completely wrong. In this episode, Alex Cave is trying to recover an alien device and a spaceship in a desert island at the Bering Sea when things get out of control and the device and one member of his team are captured and transferred to an underground facility close to Yellowstone. Playing without knowing how to properly control the alien device ended up producing catastrophic consequences. If this is not bad enough, Russian mob leader wants revenge on Alex for killing his brother and captures his nephew and it is up to Alex to save his friend/family and prevent the extermination of human race over and over again...

You will read the book on the edge of your seat. An initial heartbreaking love story develops in the middle of the action and at the end it might have a happy ending after all. I guess we will find out about that in the next episode. Every turn of a page brings more excitement and it is guaranteed that you will be entertained for hours. It took me about nine hours to read the whole book. I just hope this is not the end of Alex Cave adventures! I can hardly wait to read more! You definitely should try James Corkill's books. His intelligent plots are here to stay.

This book was written by James M.Corkill and I received an electronic version for reviewing. I was not requested to provide a positive review. Opinions expressed here are my own.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all the Alex Cave fans out there, this newest installment in the Alex Cave Adventures will send you on an emotional roller coaster. James Corkill has done it again with another great Alex Cave book. This author writes so fluidly that it makes reading one of his stories so easy and entertaining. The author hits the ground running within the first page of the book and you find yourself immediately captivated by the story and the characters. I found it hard to put the book down because I was dying to know what happened next. I've read all 3 of the Alex Cave books, and I think this one was up there as one of my favorites. I love the inclusion of the side stories from other people that were effected by the pending disaster. It gives the story more depth when you can see it through the eyes of by-standers rather than just the main characters.
If you have never read this author's work, then I recommend you do so, you will not be disappointed. If you like sci-fi doomsday thrillers, you'll enjoy all three of the Energy books. Corkill has a gift of getting right to the action and sucking you in for the ride. He peaks your interest to where you can't put the book down and want to find out what happens next, and before you know it, you've finished his book.

[Emmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What made the experience of listening to Red Energy: Cold Energy, Part 2 the most enjoyable?
A true author writes in back stories within a story! I'm so grateful to get the details within this book, instead of the lazy "in-between" books the less talented are mainstreaming.

What did you like best about this story?
Without giving too much away, the paradox of time travel was addressed beautifully. (Until the final one, in which it seems although we went back in time, events fast forwarded or eluded us.)

What does Paul J McSorley bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
I like this narrator for this series. I hope he continues with this project.

Any additional comments?
Each book peels back layers of the main characters. It also deepens the alien influence dominating the series. Each book is new and refreshing. Although this is a continuation of book 2, it gives enough background that a new reader would not be completely lost; being familiar with the series would add more value though.
Alex Cave is an incredible character. He's talented, extremely educated, and has the right friends in the right places.