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Cole Cameron #1
Shattered Shield
Terrorism looms in this international thriller as a jaded CIA Officer must stop a terrorist unit with destructive designs on the United States. Cole Cameron is drawn into the corporate espionage scheme of a former CIA colleague when a research center in Tucson Arizona is attacked, setting in motion a string of terrifying events. But when Cameron finds himself drawn to FBI Special Agent Hannah Jacobs, he sees a possibility of happiness. But their dreams could be shattered by the gravity of their
mission. Cameron must now overcome his inner demons and lead the agency against the group he has analyzed for years.
mission. Cameron must now overcome his inner demons and lead the agency against the group he has analyzed for years.
333 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 24, 2019
33 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Camden Mays
5 books9 followersCamden Mays is the pen name for the author of the Cameron Cole thriller series. An avid fan of nail-biting suspense and globe-trotting spies, he loves creating characters who walk the thin line between humility and fearlessness. He finds the most fascinating stories to be those where an everyday person is placed in extraordinary circumstances and rises to the challenge.
He lives in north Georgia with his wife and a King Charles Cavalier named Toby. He is the proud father of two grown daughters but hates that the older they get, the older it makes him feel. An aviation enthusiast with a private pilot license, he is convinced that Mother Nature and economic realities conspire against him to keep him grounded. He loves to travel, watch football or a good movie, and listen to music—just don’t ask him to dance.
He lives in north Georgia with his wife and a King Charles Cavalier named Toby. He is the proud father of two grown daughters but hates that the older they get, the older it makes him feel. An aviation enthusiast with a private pilot license, he is convinced that Mother Nature and economic realities conspire against him to keep him grounded. He loves to travel, watch football or a good movie, and listen to music—just don’t ask him to dance.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 2, 2019
The good. Mays has come up with a genuinely suspenseful plot and with one reservation below, he has executed it well. Cameron Cole is a CIA officer who believes he is underappreciated, then he is put in charge of an unexpected break-in of a research place near the Mexican border that happens to have VX. I was under the impression that the CIA was not supposed to operate within the US, but what do I know? Anyway, who cares? Cole is recently divorced, his wife wants to sell the house he loves, as opposed to take money, his daughter wants to be in California and not DC so he is in bad shape. However with FBI agent Hannah he persuades them to carry out an inventory of the facility, and eventually they decide that some VX was stolen. They must find who is responsible and stop it. Great setup. Even better is a part where Cole actually comes to realise his boss is like that because she has to be: it is her job that forces it. Realization and a change of attitude is a great part of writing. My one reservation. About three quarters of the way through there is a diversion to prolonged romance/problems with teenage daughter/sorting out – a subplot! I am all for subplots, but for me they should be meshed into the story, and not have a prolonged rest for the main characters, and if you do do switch to change character perspeective, the subplot should remain in the same genre and add to the basic plot. But maybe I am too harsh. You choose.
The less good. The book needs editing. There are a niumber of "their" for "they're" type blotches, and commas seem to be randomly placed at times. The author does not make the most of the action climaxes. It is true that in reality, fights etc are usually very brief, and gunfights briefer, but you can still describe what actually happens. There is a tendency for trite sentences. A perp is lying on the ground with an officer on his back. No need to tell us he knew he was caught. The opening phrase is a contender for the opening sentence competition: "The heat of the day gave way to the cold of the night . ." is right up there, in my opinion, with "It was a dark and stormy night". But we can overlook most of this. When you read the book it does progress well and holds attention well. A really good thriller. A little editing, and not much is required, and it would have been great.
The less good. The book needs editing. There are a niumber of "their" for "they're" type blotches, and commas seem to be randomly placed at times. The author does not make the most of the action climaxes. It is true that in reality, fights etc are usually very brief, and gunfights briefer, but you can still describe what actually happens. There is a tendency for trite sentences. A perp is lying on the ground with an officer on his back. No need to tell us he knew he was caught. The opening phrase is a contender for the opening sentence competition: "The heat of the day gave way to the cold of the night . ." is right up there, in my opinion, with "It was a dark and stormy night". But we can overlook most of this. When you read the book it does progress well and holds attention well. A really good thriller. A little editing, and not much is required, and it would have been great.
March 8, 2019
Intoxicating
I t was my number one priority. I read it when I went to bed and when I woke up. I read it during wait times whoever, and off and on during the day. The story was so exciting and the characters so strong that there was just no lull. I started recommending it to my friends and family even during the early chapters!
I t was my number one priority. I read it when I went to bed and when I woke up. I read it during wait times whoever, and off and on during the day. The story was so exciting and the characters so strong that there was just no lull. I started recommending it to my friends and family even during the early chapters!
April 5, 2019
One terrific espionage thriller!
Georgia author Camden Mays makes a striking writing debut with SHATTERED SHIELD, the first in a series of novels of the Cole Cameron Thrillers.
One of the many aspects of this novel that makes it an enthralling read is the author’s ability to create credible characters whose personalities and challenges blossom fully while enacting a very well crafted plot. There is an ongoing fascination with tales about the CIA and FBI in both television dramas and films, and this book could easily be transformed to that popular realm of entertainment.
Digging into the mindset of CIA operative Cole Cameron reveals a man committed to his role yet a personality disillusioned with many aspects of that life. The story opens with an incident at the border of Mexico and the US and follows that with the introduction of Cole Cameron as he is drawn into a terrorist act in Arizona, accompanied by an FBI Special Agent Hannah Jacobs with whom he becomes emotionally interested. The intensity of the terrorist act grows to reveal a terrifying threat to national security, and it is the manner in which this threat plays out and is emotionally and professionally the target for Cameron and Hannah that drives the story to its conclusion.
The writing is stunning, the work of an author who understands the tension of espionage acts as they influence our thinking. For an opening to a projected series, SHATTERED SHIELD is most impressive!
Georgia author Camden Mays makes a striking writing debut with SHATTERED SHIELD, the first in a series of novels of the Cole Cameron Thrillers.
One of the many aspects of this novel that makes it an enthralling read is the author’s ability to create credible characters whose personalities and challenges blossom fully while enacting a very well crafted plot. There is an ongoing fascination with tales about the CIA and FBI in both television dramas and films, and this book could easily be transformed to that popular realm of entertainment.
Digging into the mindset of CIA operative Cole Cameron reveals a man committed to his role yet a personality disillusioned with many aspects of that life. The story opens with an incident at the border of Mexico and the US and follows that with the introduction of Cole Cameron as he is drawn into a terrorist act in Arizona, accompanied by an FBI Special Agent Hannah Jacobs with whom he becomes emotionally interested. The intensity of the terrorist act grows to reveal a terrifying threat to national security, and it is the manner in which this threat plays out and is emotionally and professionally the target for Cameron and Hannah that drives the story to its conclusion.
The writing is stunning, the work of an author who understands the tension of espionage acts as they influence our thinking. For an opening to a projected series, SHATTERED SHIELD is most impressive!
April 11, 2019
Though action/espionage and terrorism type thrillers are not my go to fiction genre, I gave Shattered Shield the good old college try, I really did. This is book one of the Cole Cameron Thriller Series by Camden Mays. Mays created a fairly realistic plot, characters readers could invest in and managed to write dialogue in an organic manner that is difficult for some writers. What I'm saying is, the negative I am about to expound on is not due to an untalented author.
First, as I stated before, try as I might, I can't seem to get 'there' with this type of novel, this subject matter. Perhaps it's because of the saturation of terrorism headlines and fear in today's day to day life. I guess I don't want it in my fiction, where I go for entertainment, relaxation, comfort, etc...
My other gripe is becoming redundant recently and I'm sorry but there are rules for commas and all punctuation, in fact, they aren't just sprinkled in all willy nilly. There is a difference in their, they're, and there and spellcheck isn't going to find those so I suggest hiring someone from a nifty profession called editing.
First, as I stated before, try as I might, I can't seem to get 'there' with this type of novel, this subject matter. Perhaps it's because of the saturation of terrorism headlines and fear in today's day to day life. I guess I don't want it in my fiction, where I go for entertainment, relaxation, comfort, etc...
My other gripe is becoming redundant recently and I'm sorry but there are rules for commas and all punctuation, in fact, they aren't just sprinkled in all willy nilly. There is a difference in their, they're, and there and spellcheck isn't going to find those so I suggest hiring someone from a nifty profession called editing.
April 5, 2019
Shattered Shield: Cole Cameron Thriller Series Book 1
“The heat of the day gave way to the cool of the night” – this line tells a lot more than just a mere statement of the facts. Some of us in the desert region can certainly relate to this. The book opens up with an idea that we are very much aware of which is migration, border control and a whole lot of events around it.
This is what I call a good story. A story that brings us closer to our own environment, easy to read and understand. A truly captivating series from our own favorite Author Camden Mays. The author has shown his prowess when it comes to holding attention through the lines of a novel.
Each page I read I tend to long for the next. I assure you that once you begin, you will want to continue. Just like in the days if Chase collection, I love the level of intelligence found in this book.
Camden Mays in this book draws a lot of ideas together to create this wonderful series. I will definitely be waiting patiently for book 2. It will certainly not perform below my expectation.
“The heat of the day gave way to the cool of the night” – this line tells a lot more than just a mere statement of the facts. Some of us in the desert region can certainly relate to this. The book opens up with an idea that we are very much aware of which is migration, border control and a whole lot of events around it.
This is what I call a good story. A story that brings us closer to our own environment, easy to read and understand. A truly captivating series from our own favorite Author Camden Mays. The author has shown his prowess when it comes to holding attention through the lines of a novel.
Each page I read I tend to long for the next. I assure you that once you begin, you will want to continue. Just like in the days if Chase collection, I love the level of intelligence found in this book.
Camden Mays in this book draws a lot of ideas together to create this wonderful series. I will definitely be waiting patiently for book 2. It will certainly not perform below my expectation.
April 4, 2019
Action packed
Shattered Shield is the action packed story of how Cole Cameron’s life is falling apart at the same time he gets caught up in a secret CIA espionage event. Throughout the whole novel, you get the impression that Cole is a good guy at heart; he just has really bad things that are jading him (like his divorce). The action scenes were detailed enough to get me invested, and I appreciate the romance angle that played out as well (especially considering how his home life played into his personality). I was literally on the edge of my seat with the final big showdown. I’m passing this one off to my husband to read next.
Shattered Shield is the action packed story of how Cole Cameron’s life is falling apart at the same time he gets caught up in a secret CIA espionage event. Throughout the whole novel, you get the impression that Cole is a good guy at heart; he just has really bad things that are jading him (like his divorce). The action scenes were detailed enough to get me invested, and I appreciate the romance angle that played out as well (especially considering how his home life played into his personality). I was literally on the edge of my seat with the final big showdown. I’m passing this one off to my husband to read next.
May 20, 2019
This was an amazing story. This was well written and well researched this story could be made into a TV movie. It's a Wonderful story about an agent who his literally been put through hell and his daughter who's been through more in how he is Found Love along the way it was a good book I would recommend it to others who are in love with crime dramas. The things that happen to cameron and whay hos jess was put through show how atrong they are. Hope there ate more books about them.
May 4, 2020
Tried really hard to like it
This book was just not ready.I read a lot of not great but still enjoyable books...this is not up to that level.
This book was just not ready.I read a lot of not great but still enjoyable books...this is not up to that level.
April 14, 2023
good one
Liked this one a lot - typical spy stuff, with some good wonder who done it’s. Guess there are sequels, recommend this one.
Liked this one a lot - typical spy stuff, with some good wonder who done it’s. Guess there are sequels, recommend this one.
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April 5, 2019Nail biter
This book was insanely hard to put down because I started reading and got really interested in it. I realized that little by little I was becoming more and more engrossed by the story. There is a really good plot and really good characters that really make the story what it is. It was an absolute joy to read this book.
This book was insanely hard to put down because I started reading and got really interested in it. I realized that little by little I was becoming more and more engrossed by the story. There is a really good plot and really good characters that really make the story what it is. It was an absolute joy to read this book.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews