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Travis Bishop #3

Tainted Asset

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There’s a bounty out on Travis Bishop’s head.
How it’s possible, he has no idea. He’s been out of the CIA for more than five years…

And yet, two attacks on his life in less than twenty-four hours says otherwise.

Drawn into a web of conspiracy, espionage and a plan to topple the world’s financial system, Travis embarks on a mission to save his life and protect the country he loves, if he can figure out the plot in time...

If you love espionage, financial and political thriller books by authors like Steven Konkoly, Jason Kasper and J. B. Turner, then get “Tainted Asset” today!

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 17, 2022

360 people are currently reading
165 people want to read

About the author

K.J. Kalis

54 books112 followers

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5 stars
461 (58%)
4 stars
224 (28%)
3 stars
84 (10%)
2 stars
18 (2%)
1 star
3 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
2,999 reviews44 followers
August 14, 2022
This is book three of the Travis Bishop Thriller series and starts with Travis and his helper Ellie at a reining competition, where he has loads of pressure from his horse’s owners, who want top results from the contest and the bragging rights that go with it. Travis is just hoping to place well and make it to the million dollar Vegas contest, never mind the prize money and further business that placing well will bring him. He is five years away from the CIA and has made a name for himself in the horse training and reining world and that is al he really wants. He loves the wide open spaces of his Texas ranch and after being pulled into two shocking incidents that pulled him back into his old life, he was enjoying some freedom again. But danger is stalking him and is all linked to his past in the CIA. An MI6 operative he had only met once, back when he was starting with the CIA, Agent Catherine Lewis, has travelled form London, England, to warn him that the CIA have put out a kill order on him! Just as they are discussing it, an attempt is made on his life and Catherine disappears from sight, while he has to deal with his assailant. He has to continue with his competition that has only one more day to contend with, then the long drive home with his truck and horse trailer. A second attack on his life pulls Ellie into danger as well, leaving him no choice but to seek Catherine and her boss Archie’s help and disappear from his usual life.
They think he must be a link to a hedge fund, Desert Indigo, owned by a man called Jonah Hudson, but they have no real evidence of who the investors are for the fund, but suspect they are linked to terrorists and acts of terrorism. They set to work questioning what event in Travis’ past could have led to a CIA kill order and for assassins and mercenaries to be hired to kill him. He has been drawn into the world of espionage, with financial and political control at its core, betrayed by someone who is trying to cover up a past event and the acts that has forced him into, with his greed and want for more. Travis is the one to suffer and can’t figure out who would want him dead, especially after some five years away from that life. The pieces are slowly coming together and he will be left to try and protect the country he loves, as someone who used to be close to him, sets him up and places a bounty on his head, calling him a tainted asset! Washington power trips and loads of blackmail for information and financial gain, all leading to a terrorist attack on the very trading of financial stocks and shares that keep the country going! The hedge fund is hiding a multitude of terrorists and laundering their ill-gotten gains, allowing them to grow in power and influence around the world. Now their plans are in Travis’ back yard and their actions have caused him to be a target. Something that those who really knew him, would never have attempted, as Travis will keep on searching until he finds the root cause of the problem, to ensure he can go back to the live he has spent the last five years building up and which he loves.
He has already been through enough betrayal from those close to him and wants the simple life in the open lands of his Texan ranch and training his horses to do what he loves. He is an asset to many, but make an enemy of him at your own peril, as certain people should have realised. Another fine mess for Travis to be pulled into and one which he can’t just ignore, with unknown assassins and mercenaries after him. He needs to reach those higher up, with the power to cancel such an order and can’t manage this alone. Another dangerous and high octane read, showing how easy it can be to lead someone in power astray with the right enticement! Nothing good ever comes from such bargains and as they say, nothing is truly free. There is a price to pay for every action and reaction, and Travis has simply had a target painted on his back, for something he wouldn’t even have thought about, without a reminder and a face and name to place what happened in the past. He was a loose thread that was a threat to someone in power and they took what they thought would be an easy way out! Shame on them! I loved the actions of the CIA Director’s wife at the end, when she decided her husband wasn’t getting the job done. A thrill of a read that you won’t want to put down, and I can’t wait to see whatever might be coming next for Travis. A book I would highly recommend to those who love a good thriller and the mix of danger, modern terrorism and links to financial shenanigans around the world, that allow evil to prosper until good men take action. I really enjoyed reading this and read it straight through in one sitting. I couldn’t wait to see what would happen and how they would figure out who was behind it all and how it linked to an MI6 investigation and the CIA. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
Profile Image for Kim.
507 reviews5 followers
August 9, 2022
Non-stop thrills and adventure!

For someone that has retired from military special operations and the CIA, Travis Bishop sure finds himself in the middle of a whole lot of trouble. In this story, Travis finds out that danger is literally lurking around every corner as the result of a hit being taken out on him. Who is behind the kill order and why they want him dead becomes the central focus of this fast-paced, thrill-a-minute, continent-hopping adventure. I was drawn into the plot right from the start and couldn’t flip the pages fast enough to find out what would happen next. There is one scene in which Travis and an MI6 agent are racing through the streets of London trying to evade two pursuing would-be assassins in a high-speed vehicular chase that I would love to see acted out on the big screen. Their mad dash to the sanctuary of the American embassy was described so vividly that I could feel my pulse racing as I read. This is only one of the many electrifying scenes laid out in this thrilling story that I feel certain would enthrall and delight any armchair adrenaline junkie. Bottom line: excellent addition to an outstanding series – I can’t wait to see what intrigue is in store for the next book.
Profile Image for Claudete Takahashi.
2,637 reviews37 followers
August 18, 2022
Travis Bishop is again sucked into the world of espionage against his will. In this story, he will count on the support of MI6 in the UK and US to discover who has put a price on him. The plot is well put together, there is a lot of action, a lot of guessing for leads that get nowhere, and a lot of anger and sadness when finally Travis discovers who betrayed him and why. A good and entertaining espionage thriller that also deals with the issues of human nature such as greed and the need for power.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
431 reviews3 followers
April 5, 2024
Entertaining story with plenty of action and more about the money than anything else. Travis is lucky Cath is there to help him right from the start otherwise he would have been done for. The mercenary assassins were not up to much, you just can't get the staff these days even with all the money available. It would have been better without all the little mistakes like looking in the mirror and seeing the tail lights of the car following them (probably it was reversing ?) but all in all quite a good action thriller.
Profile Image for Kerry Kennedy.
Author 16 books197 followers
September 17, 2024
Brilliant, compelling and of course the third book about Travis an ex Seal operative and CIA agent.
He just wants a quiet life now retired five years only two attempts on his life are made in twenty four hours
Fast paced, action on nearly every page. Boy does Kalis keep you hooked.
This is my favorite all time genre and I'm a huge fan of Lee Child and James Patterson masters of their craft. Let me tell you, Kalis is on a par with these amazing authors.
A fantastic read don't miss this series
Kerry Kennedy Author
15 reviews
September 19, 2024
This book started so well - great story, likable characters, fast-moving.

It quickly took a turn where we had to slog through so many instances of the MC biting his lip, licking his lip, furrowing his brow, and clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white - I almost gave up on the book. Then, throw in that all of the sub-characters had the same tendencies. Finally - do not even ask me about the poor excuse for a 'world class' assassin....

I had hoped to read this entire series - but after this dismal entry, I don't think I can try another one.
Profile Image for John Thurlbeck.
277 reviews3 followers
December 22, 2024
While I read this book and enjoyed it, there were a number of issues with it that detracted from my final scoring.

I liked the novel setting at the start - the horse reining competition - but the story meandered at times, and the sections in London had some issues. For example, an English MI6 agent would not say that they were close to the freeway network, and who puts cream in tea (cream teas are another thing altogether)?

Finally, the story lacked some plausibility and I felt that the ending appeared rather rushed.
Profile Image for Billie.
5,783 reviews72 followers
August 12, 2022
This is a wonderful addition to this thrilling series!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
10 reviews1 follower
March 14, 2024
I read a previous Travis Bishop book and enjoyed it but this one had too many problems. Without giving anything away, there was someone out to kill Bishop who was way too unbelievable and the sections in London had a lot of issues. The English MI6 agent would not say that they were close to the freeway network. Nobody puts cream in tea (cream teas are another thing altogether) and I felt that the ending was very rushed.
Profile Image for Cherye Elliott.
3,397 reviews24 followers
October 7, 2022
Book 3 was great

Well. I am glad I decided to finish the series. Fast paced. Interesting. Not typical political thriller. There were a few scenes that were soooo cheesy. The stabbing, cleaning the sttalls, grabbing both suitcases loading everything in the truck and trailer THEN him showing the horse in a high stake show and placing. Hmmmm.

I read it anyway.
120 reviews4 followers
January 17, 2023
Great reading

Having read the books I reserve giving a review until the end. This is a good read with strong plots and characters in every book and I encourage anyone who likes action and believable plots to start turning pages. Great reading hope the author brings more to the reading affecionados.
19 reviews
April 3, 2023
Unintended Consequences

You just never know what will happen when you make a decision and take action. Collateral damages spin out of control and involve so many people.
This was a surprising story with many twists and turns.
Profile Image for Don.
1,028 reviews5 followers
March 13, 2024
Another good story from Kalis. Her character Travis, an ex Delta, CIA operative means to stay alive. He finds himself fighting for his life as he becomes a target and yet he doesn’t know why. It isn’t revealed until late in the book. Well done Kalis. 5
73 reviews
April 24, 2024
Action Packed !

This was a free book that sounded intriguing. It was all that and more. Fast moving,complicated,action packed. If you like bad guy/good guy stories that make your heart beat faster this is a good read. Not a love story! Definitely a mystery. Good writing.
Profile Image for Virginia Ghoniem.
Author 2 books
July 17, 2024
Fast paced and kept me intrigued all the way through

If you love mysteries and suspense this is the book for you I loved reading it Travis is an interesting and compelling character
104 reviews
September 27, 2024
Non stop action

An action film story about a retired CIA agent having a hit place on him. He flies to London in pairs up with an MI6 agent to find out who had put the head on him it was none stop action and I had to read straight through at one sitting love the book
699 reviews4 followers
October 16, 2024
Travis is blind sided by his past

Travis doesn't know what he knows. The bad guys are trying to kill him for what he knows, but Travis doesn't remember. A great action packed story.
15 reviews
December 19, 2024
Travis caught up again

Sometimes the past creeps up to on you without you knowing it. That’s what happened with Travis. Is he safe across the pond?
Once you pick this book up, be prepared for a can’t put it down read!
33 reviews
September 21, 2022
heart pounder

I love this series and this book doesn’t disappoint. I look forward to another book with the character Travis Bishop.
1,281 reviews10 followers
December 8, 2022
Even though Travis quit the CIA five years ago, he gets pulled back in when he gets some startling news.
Another edge-of-your-seat read by KJ Kalis. Full of action and tight situations.
222 reviews3 followers
December 10, 2022
Awesome Series

As,always, Ms. Kalis delivered a compelling series of three books in the Travis Bishop story. Can't wait to read more by this masterful writer.
27 reviews
January 13, 2023
Hope for Another Travis Bishop Novel

This is a good series. I am looking forward to reading the next plot and seeing how the characters interact.
160 reviews
June 5, 2023
Not as Good

This one is a bit “hokey” to say the least! Too many inconsistencies to be believable! Think I stop here and not read anymore of this series.
Profile Image for Joanne .
28 reviews
January 29, 2024
tainted Asset

This doesn’t disappoint, action packed, edge of the seat, gripping saga. Loved it. KJ does it again. Even travelled to London and got a little history in there too.
1,306 reviews16 followers
March 26, 2024
From start to finish this book is filled with danger, tension, questions, and death. Not it's your turn to be tense! Highly Recommended.
76 reviews1 follower
March 30, 2024
It could happen

Travis Bishop wanted nothing to do with his old life. But, others saw it differently. He had to be eliminated or else they could lose everything.
8 reviews
December 3, 2024
Very good read

Not exactly an edge-of -your -seat type of thriller, but very satisfactory and entertaining. I haven't read the first two installments, but I will now
239 reviews3 followers
July 25, 2025
Tainted

Not as strong as other Travis Bishop books. Too predictable and bland in story line, story development, and story resolution.
Profile Image for Mary.
34 reviews
September 7, 2025
Very good series

All of her books are very good. I would recommend this author to everyone. All of her books are very good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews

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