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Forsaken Patriots #2
Nightmare Exodus
TRAFFICKING OF SOULS
With a federal warrant issued for his arrest, Jack Bradshaw has fled the United States. His destination: Indonesia, a non-extradition nation.
Bradshaw manages to stay under the radar…until he intervenes against a crime in progress, killing the brother of a powerful crime lord with connections to the government.
As the focus of a nationwide manhunt, Bradshaw is once more targeted by both sides of the law. With the assistance of a pair of highly-trained vigilantes, Jack Bradshaw will do what he does best: attack.
With a federal warrant issued for his arrest, Jack Bradshaw has fled the United States. His destination: Indonesia, a non-extradition nation.
Bradshaw manages to stay under the radar…until he intervenes against a crime in progress, killing the brother of a powerful crime lord with connections to the government.
As the focus of a nationwide manhunt, Bradshaw is once more targeted by both sides of the law. With the assistance of a pair of highly-trained vigilantes, Jack Bradshaw will do what he does best: attack.
385 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 10, 2019
About the author
Steven Hildreth Jr.
11 books65 followersSteven Hildreth, Jr. is an author, Iraq War veteran, and firearms enthusiast. He resides in Tucson, Arizona.
All publications on this page ©Steven Hildreth, Jr., unless otherwise noted. Any unauthorized use of material on this page is prohibited.
All publications on this page ©Steven Hildreth, Jr., unless otherwise noted. Any unauthorized use of material on this page is prohibited.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 31, 2019
Bradshaw is back. . .having greatly enjoyed Fault Lines when it first came out early this year, I was very excited to learn that Book #2 of the Forsaken Patriots series was already out this summer.
And Steven Hildreth does not disappoint, delivering another action-packed military thriller filled with the kind of hardcore scenarios, equipment, and tactics that readers have come to expect from his writing. Following Jack Bradshaw's flight from the US at the end of "Fault Lines," "Nightmare Exodus" finds him, months later, having sought refuge in Indonesia.
The intent is to stay below the radar, but when Bradshaw intervenes in an attempt to save a young woman from sex traffickers, he draws down all the wrong kind of attention. And as the dragnets of a corrupt government in bed with the traffickers close around him, violence will once again be Bradshaw's only option.
"Nightmare Exodus" is a great tactical military/vigilante thriller in its own right, and does a great job of setting up where the series goes from here. I look forward to the next book. Highly recommended--5 stars.
And Steven Hildreth does not disappoint, delivering another action-packed military thriller filled with the kind of hardcore scenarios, equipment, and tactics that readers have come to expect from his writing. Following Jack Bradshaw's flight from the US at the end of "Fault Lines," "Nightmare Exodus" finds him, months later, having sought refuge in Indonesia.
The intent is to stay below the radar, but when Bradshaw intervenes in an attempt to save a young woman from sex traffickers, he draws down all the wrong kind of attention. And as the dragnets of a corrupt government in bed with the traffickers close around him, violence will once again be Bradshaw's only option.
"Nightmare Exodus" is a great tactical military/vigilante thriller in its own right, and does a great job of setting up where the series goes from here. I look forward to the next book. Highly recommended--5 stars.
June 17, 2019
Picking up directly where the first book left off, former army Ranger Jack Bradshaw, now a fugitive wanted by the US Government, arrives in Indonesia, where he hopes to stay off the grid and out of jail. Things do not exactly go as planned, however, and Bradshaw soon makes enemies with a politically-connected Indonesian criminal element that deals in drugs and sex slaves, but he also forms a loose alliance with two international vigilantes, one of whom is former Marine and CIA operator Danny Pace, the book's stand-out character who steals every scene he appears in.
Also involved, as part of the series' larger, ongoing storyline, which entails a political conspiracy that goes back to Russia and Bradshaw's time in Afghanistan, is a rather odious senior White House staffer who has reason to make sure that Bradshaw does not survive, and then there are those within the CIA who have also taken an interest in Bradshaw's case for altogether different reasons.
While the book deliberately hearkens back to old school action series like "The Executioner," Forsaken Patriots also retains the gritty, realistic, and authentic feel of modern thrillers, with real-world tactics and technical details applied to the often brutal actions scenes. The series is also set firmly within the current political climate of the Trump era. Local detail on Indonesian settings and culture are vividly sprinkled throughout, without going overboard in unnecessary detail. Even minor characters are well developed and come across like people. The interactions between Bradshaw and Pace, though, are by far the highlights of the book. Hildreth's prose is confident and tight, with no wasted words.
This seemed mostly like a transitional book, and by the end, it seems that this series will be in full swing, with Bradshaw and Pace off to Africa to confront the Russians, with hints also dropped of other elements for future stories.
There was recently a very popular and much acclaimed novel by a former navy SEAL that, on the surface, covers somewhat similar ground; government conspiracies, corrupt politicians, rogue intelligence operations, and a special ops veteran turned fugitive and vigilante, but Steven Hildreth's Forsaken Patriots is more interesting, thoughtful, and relevant. Highly recommended.
Also involved, as part of the series' larger, ongoing storyline, which entails a political conspiracy that goes back to Russia and Bradshaw's time in Afghanistan, is a rather odious senior White House staffer who has reason to make sure that Bradshaw does not survive, and then there are those within the CIA who have also taken an interest in Bradshaw's case for altogether different reasons.
While the book deliberately hearkens back to old school action series like "The Executioner," Forsaken Patriots also retains the gritty, realistic, and authentic feel of modern thrillers, with real-world tactics and technical details applied to the often brutal actions scenes. The series is also set firmly within the current political climate of the Trump era. Local detail on Indonesian settings and culture are vividly sprinkled throughout, without going overboard in unnecessary detail. Even minor characters are well developed and come across like people. The interactions between Bradshaw and Pace, though, are by far the highlights of the book. Hildreth's prose is confident and tight, with no wasted words.
This seemed mostly like a transitional book, and by the end, it seems that this series will be in full swing, with Bradshaw and Pace off to Africa to confront the Russians, with hints also dropped of other elements for future stories.
There was recently a very popular and much acclaimed novel by a former navy SEAL that, on the surface, covers somewhat similar ground; government conspiracies, corrupt politicians, rogue intelligence operations, and a special ops veteran turned fugitive and vigilante, but Steven Hildreth's Forsaken Patriots is more interesting, thoughtful, and relevant. Highly recommended.
January 9, 2022
After his fight with Nazis, Russians and other supporters of his president, Jack Bradshaw escapes from the US to Indonesia. He's trying to lay low but can't just observe when a girl is attacked on the street and intervenes, killing the brother of a powerful sex trafficker. Soon he encounters two vigilantes and together they fight the mighty criminals and their supporters with the government and the police force. Action from start to finish and looking forward to the next one in the series.
June 24, 2019
Nate Granzow said the first Forsaken Patriot's book was the best one so far by this author. This one knocks it even further out of the park. Loved the reference to Grant Cogar. Yes that was a plug for you to check out Nate's books. Back to Nightmare Exodus. After killing some federal agents that were trying to murder him, staying in the States was not an option. Bradshaw makes his way to Indonesia, which doesn't have a extradition treaty, and gets work on the docks. He befriends a young girl in the village where he is living and when she gets dragged off by some thugs, he ends up killing the gang leader. Thus starts the unraveling of a huge ball of yarn, because the thug happened to be the brother of the head of a syndicate that deals in sex trafficking of very young girls. Jack's life is saved by two other Forsaken Patriots, Danny Pace and Lucas Tan, who are determined to take down this house of cards. Teaming up, they use whatever contacts they can and one very determined newspaper reporter to get the job done. Explosive action on seemingly every page!
October 28, 2019
Excellent!
This one was great, the characters, the pace and the setting. Jack has a bright future ahead of him if he can stay alive and Danny P. will help him out in that arena. The only beef I have with story is it was a little too easy for Jack to fall in with his new partners, other than that a solid effort and I am eagerly looking forward to the next installment.
This one was great, the characters, the pace and the setting. Jack has a bright future ahead of him if he can stay alive and Danny P. will help him out in that arena. The only beef I have with story is it was a little too easy for Jack to fall in with his new partners, other than that a solid effort and I am eagerly looking forward to the next installment.
August 1, 2019
This book didn't disappoint me. The first book of the Forsaken Patriots series—Fault Lines—set both my expectations and the bar of excitement very high. I'll be eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!
July 23, 2019
There's a timeless appeal to the story in which a good man is faced with either ignoring what's wrong or doing what he knows to be right - even at great personal risk. Hildreth takes that paradigm and ratchets up the tension in "Nightmare Exodus."
Although in many ways this novel pays homage to the Mack Bolan-style men's pulp fiction of old, it also surpasses it. Bradshaw and his newfound partners are not some thinly drawn cutouts or Rambo-esque operators: They're tangible, flawed characters with relatable struggles and doubts. They make mistakes. They long for a different life. They bleed.
The antagonists are equally authentic: At times I found myself twisting uncomfortably in my seat, knowing such contemptible people certainly exist in reality, and undoubtedly commit equally despicable acts.
Hildreth shines, as always, when it comes to research and authenticity. But he's also proven, yet again, that he's a master of dialogue and character development.
I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
Although in many ways this novel pays homage to the Mack Bolan-style men's pulp fiction of old, it also surpasses it. Bradshaw and his newfound partners are not some thinly drawn cutouts or Rambo-esque operators: They're tangible, flawed characters with relatable struggles and doubts. They make mistakes. They long for a different life. They bleed.
The antagonists are equally authentic: At times I found myself twisting uncomfortably in my seat, knowing such contemptible people certainly exist in reality, and undoubtedly commit equally despicable acts.
Hildreth shines, as always, when it comes to research and authenticity. But he's also proven, yet again, that he's a master of dialogue and character development.
I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
August 2, 2019
Readers of indie thrillers should already know what to expect when they hear the author's name: pulse-pounding action that feels like it could send the crack of a bullet past your head as you read, characters so vivid and alive that you expect them to walk into the room with you, events that you think you would've seen in the headlines yesterday.
Nightmare Exodus delivers all of those in spades. Anyone who may have been put off by its predecessor's more overtly political tone will be glad to know that those themes only hover in the furthest background of the story, with the issues of human trafficking and governmental corruption taking the center stage this time around, and Mr. Hildreth, Jr. pulls no punches in taking the reader into the hell that young women worldwide are enduring. A grisly affair, but he deals out literary justice in near-biblical measures.
An excellent read and a book I know I will return to again and again. Keep 'em coming!
Nightmare Exodus delivers all of those in spades. Anyone who may have been put off by its predecessor's more overtly political tone will be glad to know that those themes only hover in the furthest background of the story, with the issues of human trafficking and governmental corruption taking the center stage this time around, and Mr. Hildreth, Jr. pulls no punches in taking the reader into the hell that young women worldwide are enduring. A grisly affair, but he deals out literary justice in near-biblical measures.
An excellent read and a book I know I will return to again and again. Keep 'em coming!
August 3, 2019
Jack Bradshaw is back, and on the run following the events of Fault Lines. Picking up immediately where its predecessor left off, Bradshaw flees to Indonesia and builds a small, inconspicuous life for himself.
After befriending a local street urchin, and then intervening when she is assaulted, Bradshaw finds himself the target of a powerful drug and sex trafficking ring, which has connections to local law enforcement and politicians. As tensions escalate and the stakes become more deadly, Bradshaw teams up with a pair of unlikely allies and an intrepid reporter... and draws the attention of certain, powerful American watchdogs back down upon him.
Hildreth presents a tightly-woven fast-paced narrative that serves as both a solid jumping-in point for new readers and a worthy follow-up to Fault Lines, his best novel to-date. The plot is brisk, the action intense and, by the end of the novel, you will be eagerly awaiting the next installment. As with his previous novels, the real strengths here are the meticulous research and top-notch action sequences, and readers will quickly be drawn into the story of bringing justice to some despicable people who truly deserve it.
After befriending a local street urchin, and then intervening when she is assaulted, Bradshaw finds himself the target of a powerful drug and sex trafficking ring, which has connections to local law enforcement and politicians. As tensions escalate and the stakes become more deadly, Bradshaw teams up with a pair of unlikely allies and an intrepid reporter... and draws the attention of certain, powerful American watchdogs back down upon him.
Hildreth presents a tightly-woven fast-paced narrative that serves as both a solid jumping-in point for new readers and a worthy follow-up to Fault Lines, his best novel to-date. The plot is brisk, the action intense and, by the end of the novel, you will be eagerly awaiting the next installment. As with his previous novels, the real strengths here are the meticulous research and top-notch action sequences, and readers will quickly be drawn into the story of bringing justice to some despicable people who truly deserve it.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews