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Rennie Vogel Intrigue #1
Miles to Go
All Rennie Vogel wants is to serve her country.
Rennie has devoted her life and body to training as an FBI counterterrorism operative. The brutal pace has slowly stripped away her private life until only the most fleeting contacts with other women are possible. When her ambition of being the first woman ever considered to join CT3 is finally realized, she pushes herself to the limit to earn the position.
When one disaster after another befalls her, Rennie finds herself abandoned. Only then does she begin to unravel the misdirection and deceit that surrounds their first assignment, and to wonder if her failure, not her success, was part of the plan.
Ultimately, with miles of an inhospitable landscape and an ambiguous enemy between her and safety, Rennie must decide if she can trust the one thing she never has before: another woman.
Rennie has devoted her life and body to training as an FBI counterterrorism operative. The brutal pace has slowly stripped away her private life until only the most fleeting contacts with other women are possible. When her ambition of being the first woman ever considered to join CT3 is finally realized, she pushes herself to the limit to earn the position.
When one disaster after another befalls her, Rennie finds herself abandoned. Only then does she begin to unravel the misdirection and deceit that surrounds their first assignment, and to wonder if her failure, not her success, was part of the plan.
Ultimately, with miles of an inhospitable landscape and an ambiguous enemy between her and safety, Rennie must decide if she can trust the one thing she never has before: another woman.
264 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
About the author
Amy Dawson Robertson
4 books54 followersAmy Dawson Robertson is a native Virginian and graduated from St. John's College in Annapolis. She lives in the Washington DC are and her writing interests include genre fiction and short stories.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 20, 2018
Great series! incredible introductory opening to an awesome series:- good storytelling,well defined & developed characters,good dialogue,suspenseful,action pact,intriguing and it's well written. Recommended series to everyone!
February 25, 2010
You know that thing that sometimes happens when your consciousness threads so far into a story that you forget you’re reading a book? That happens in Miles To Go.
Amy Dawson Robertson deftly takes command of many characters, locales and plot twists with confidence. From senators to terrorists. Washington D.C. to Tajikistan. Men and women all caught in a global struggle. This is a superb action adventure and a political thriller with some romance thrown in for good measure. And it’s not all brains, but heart too. The inner monologue of some characters is deeply wise and emotional and fresh. I felt this book on a visceral level.
And what’s interesting too is that we learn just what we need to know about Rennie Vogel for this particular story. Yes, we come to understand much and care deeply for her, but one suspects there are many more layers to this woman.
It’s going to be one hell of a series. Bring it on!
Amy Dawson Robertson deftly takes command of many characters, locales and plot twists with confidence. From senators to terrorists. Washington D.C. to Tajikistan. Men and women all caught in a global struggle. This is a superb action adventure and a political thriller with some romance thrown in for good measure. And it’s not all brains, but heart too. The inner monologue of some characters is deeply wise and emotional and fresh. I felt this book on a visceral level.
And what’s interesting too is that we learn just what we need to know about Rennie Vogel for this particular story. Yes, we come to understand much and care deeply for her, but one suspects there are many more layers to this woman.
It’s going to be one hell of a series. Bring it on!
May 1, 2017
Rennie Vogel is compelling. This story never takes a breath. I was completely held captive by the suspense and the intense narrative. Loved the pacing and the detail.
Amy Dawson Robertson wrote a book that, for me, is unforgettable.
The first thing I noticed was how quickly I fell into the story and started rooting for Rennie Vogel. Her guts and determination drew me in immediately. The story took twists I didn't expect but I never once doubted that I was running by her side. And I was thirsty-- all.the.time. Now how did she do that?
I've never read anything so compelling that held us with almost completely narrative! This is a new style of really "fresh" writing.
Amy Dawson Robertson wrote a book that, for me, is unforgettable.
The first thing I noticed was how quickly I fell into the story and started rooting for Rennie Vogel. Her guts and determination drew me in immediately. The story took twists I didn't expect but I never once doubted that I was running by her side. And I was thirsty-- all.the.time. Now how did she do that?
I've never read anything so compelling that held us with almost completely narrative! This is a new style of really "fresh" writing.
November 2, 2009
So excited to see this come out in February! I have been lucky enough to have a sneak peak ahead of time. It is a fast paced thriller, action packed & exciting. And also satisfyingly contemplative & lyrical. With one of the sweetest endings I've ever read. Don't miss it!
December 22, 2009
I had the good fortune to be one of the folks who read a draft of this book & I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a fun, exciting read. I can't wait 'til it's published so I can read it again in its final format!
September 27, 2013
My colleague wrote this book!
August 19, 2011
http://threedollarbillreviews.com/201...
Despite the inclusion of women throughout the military and government agencies, there are still certain areas where the overriding belief is that women do not belong, period. One of these in particular is special forces teams where there is both a strong bond among team members and a reliance on the superior strength of every member of the team during a mission. Miles to Go focuses on an FBI special forces team and a female character who is particularly suited to join such a team.
The pet project of FBI Director Stephen Wilson is an international counterterrorism special forces team, known as CT3. The head of the committee approving funds for the project has an eye on the inclusion of women in such projects and the approval of funds for the trial program comes with a stipulation. Of twelve positions, two teams of five plus two alternates, two must be given to women. This opens the door for Rennie Vogel, a woman whose overall strength and abilities match those of her male counterparts better than many of the men have ever seen before. She pushes herself to her own limits, and fights the beliefs of the men around her, throughout the grueling training in order to claim one of the two open positions. In the end, a taxing obstacle course decides whether the position Rennie has earned will be as a permanent member of one of the teams, or as an alternate.
The story of Rennie's fight to earn a spot on the CT3 team as well as the resulting mission is a engaging and well written. The book understandably evokes images of the movie G.I. Jane, but it goes so much further with a character that has depth and internal struggles when getting embroiled in an impossible situation. The story begins with the candidates enduring the grueling training and this is the part of the book that I enjoyed the most. I couldn't put it down while wondering what would come next for Rennie.
While Rennie and her team are out on a mission things unfortunately go drastically wrong and Rennie is forced to make difficult decisions and rely on her own inner strength to survive. The book maintains the fast pace that is set at the beginning as Rennie tries to continue with the mission. She is trying to prove both to herself and others that assigning a woman to a special forces team was not a mistake, and the fact that she's willing to go to almost any length for this raises the tension of the story and makes it an even more engrossing experience for the reader.
Throughout the book, the POV shifts between characters which provides some unique insight to the overall story as some of the POV's are from the "enemy." This works well within the book, and the shifts are clean and well differentiated. My only issue came near the end of the book when the majority of the POV's are not Rennie's. Though it is clear why these are included, to drive the story toward the ending, I found myself missing Rennie. At times there might have been a few too many secondary characters with their corresponding POV's. The plot and resolution could have still been reached with a bit less confusion from the multitude of additional characters.
Rennie is a lesbian, and due to demands from her job she has little time for a relationship. Within the book we get a glimpse of a couple women Rennie has spent time with, mostly as a way to kill time and satisfy base needs. Within the book, Rennie forms a particularly strong connection with two female characters. Both are introduced to Rennie under extreme conditions, adding a rare intensity due to shared experiences. The second connection was expected yet was well detailed and developed to make it easy to embrace. It was the first connection that I was more intrigued by, and I can't help but hope that there will be a return of the character. Through her relations with the women, we learn more about Rennie and it helps make her an even more well-developed character.
The ending of the book is quite abrupt and a lot of questions about Rennie's future are left unanswered. This can work in one of two ways for readers. Some readers might be frustrated by the lack of a "happily ever after" ending, but I expect that many will be like me, clambering for the next book in what I can only hope the author intends to be a series. At the end of the book I was left quite curious about what will come next for Rennie and I definitely want to read more about this character.
Overall this is a very well executed story about a fiercely strong woman who challenges herself and others by attaining a position on a special forces team, a feat most around her think is impossible. The action moves quickly and it's easy to quickly become invested in the story. Rennie is a fascinating character and it's clear the author has barely cracked the surface of possibilities. I anxiously await another book about this character and definitely recommend Miles to Go for anyone who enjoys reading about strong female characters.
Despite the inclusion of women throughout the military and government agencies, there are still certain areas where the overriding belief is that women do not belong, period. One of these in particular is special forces teams where there is both a strong bond among team members and a reliance on the superior strength of every member of the team during a mission. Miles to Go focuses on an FBI special forces team and a female character who is particularly suited to join such a team.
The pet project of FBI Director Stephen Wilson is an international counterterrorism special forces team, known as CT3. The head of the committee approving funds for the project has an eye on the inclusion of women in such projects and the approval of funds for the trial program comes with a stipulation. Of twelve positions, two teams of five plus two alternates, two must be given to women. This opens the door for Rennie Vogel, a woman whose overall strength and abilities match those of her male counterparts better than many of the men have ever seen before. She pushes herself to her own limits, and fights the beliefs of the men around her, throughout the grueling training in order to claim one of the two open positions. In the end, a taxing obstacle course decides whether the position Rennie has earned will be as a permanent member of one of the teams, or as an alternate.
The story of Rennie's fight to earn a spot on the CT3 team as well as the resulting mission is a engaging and well written. The book understandably evokes images of the movie G.I. Jane, but it goes so much further with a character that has depth and internal struggles when getting embroiled in an impossible situation. The story begins with the candidates enduring the grueling training and this is the part of the book that I enjoyed the most. I couldn't put it down while wondering what would come next for Rennie.
While Rennie and her team are out on a mission things unfortunately go drastically wrong and Rennie is forced to make difficult decisions and rely on her own inner strength to survive. The book maintains the fast pace that is set at the beginning as Rennie tries to continue with the mission. She is trying to prove both to herself and others that assigning a woman to a special forces team was not a mistake, and the fact that she's willing to go to almost any length for this raises the tension of the story and makes it an even more engrossing experience for the reader.
Throughout the book, the POV shifts between characters which provides some unique insight to the overall story as some of the POV's are from the "enemy." This works well within the book, and the shifts are clean and well differentiated. My only issue came near the end of the book when the majority of the POV's are not Rennie's. Though it is clear why these are included, to drive the story toward the ending, I found myself missing Rennie. At times there might have been a few too many secondary characters with their corresponding POV's. The plot and resolution could have still been reached with a bit less confusion from the multitude of additional characters.
Rennie is a lesbian, and due to demands from her job she has little time for a relationship. Within the book we get a glimpse of a couple women Rennie has spent time with, mostly as a way to kill time and satisfy base needs. Within the book, Rennie forms a particularly strong connection with two female characters. Both are introduced to Rennie under extreme conditions, adding a rare intensity due to shared experiences. The second connection was expected yet was well detailed and developed to make it easy to embrace. It was the first connection that I was more intrigued by, and I can't help but hope that there will be a return of the character. Through her relations with the women, we learn more about Rennie and it helps make her an even more well-developed character.
The ending of the book is quite abrupt and a lot of questions about Rennie's future are left unanswered. This can work in one of two ways for readers. Some readers might be frustrated by the lack of a "happily ever after" ending, but I expect that many will be like me, clambering for the next book in what I can only hope the author intends to be a series. At the end of the book I was left quite curious about what will come next for Rennie and I definitely want to read more about this character.
Overall this is a very well executed story about a fiercely strong woman who challenges herself and others by attaining a position on a special forces team, a feat most around her think is impossible. The action moves quickly and it's easy to quickly become invested in the story. Rennie is a fascinating character and it's clear the author has barely cracked the surface of possibilities. I anxiously await another book about this character and definitely recommend Miles to Go for anyone who enjoys reading about strong female characters.
July 15, 2017
What a ride! Not at all what I was expecting, not entirely satisfying, but very very good.
December 22, 2010
I received this book in a giveaway. Though it was finally great to read that a woman actually pulled off a coup, totally alone for the most part, under duress, and terrible circumstances, there were parts of the book I did not enjoy. When I read a book of this nature, in this case, FBI counterterroism, I read it for the story involved in the events of the character as relates to her/his work with the agency they are with. However, in reading the book, I wonder why in many of these types of novels, as in many of Ken Folletts, why sex has to be an underlying factor. That was the reason for example I stopped reading Folletts, he got very explicit about sex. Though this book in no way compares to his with regards to how explicit he was, it was bordering on it none the less, while there was absolutely no reason for it to be part of this book. Like a good movie, you are watching it with great anticipation because of the story, then bam, sex is part of it. Why the writers feel we all want that I have no idea. I am married with five children so it is not like I do not know about the birds and the bees. I just do not want to read about it. Why, with a great story, does sex have to play a big part? I read the novel because of the basic storyline, intrigue, espionage, but not because I want to read about the characters sex life so to speak. I feel it detracts, as in any novel, from a great story. Then that is me. I am just giving a very honest opinion. A great story ruined by the fact that once again, as in many great novels, sex has to be a part of the storyline. Not my cup of tea.
March 2, 2010
"Miles to Go" is an impressive, ambitious page-turner of a novel set in the shadowy and brutal world of international terrorism. This is an exciting, fast-paced adventure that introduces us to Rennie Vogel, a superwoman of sorts, at least physically, driven by the need to live on the sharp edge of life. Not surprisingly, she occasionally gets cut.
The story is presented from almost every character's point of view, offering us a glimpse into not only the minds of the "good" guys, but also the minds of the "bad" guys, one can only assume to promote the understanding that good and bad are inadequate descriptions, and that assumptions about why people do what they do are doomed by oversimplification. Why is so-and-so a terrorist? Why is so-and-so a spy? Why is so-and-so a patriot? In fact, the very definition of these terms comes into question over and over, even for a heroine more than willing to risk her life for her country. This novel speaks about the ambiguity of the heroic act. But that's the way we like our heroes--conflicted and in conflict--outcasts, living somewhere between light and dark and never sure of anything.
Rennie Vogel is an intriguing character. We've gotten a tantalizing glimpse at who she is and what she can do. Now we want more.
The story is presented from almost every character's point of view, offering us a glimpse into not only the minds of the "good" guys, but also the minds of the "bad" guys, one can only assume to promote the understanding that good and bad are inadequate descriptions, and that assumptions about why people do what they do are doomed by oversimplification. Why is so-and-so a terrorist? Why is so-and-so a spy? Why is so-and-so a patriot? In fact, the very definition of these terms comes into question over and over, even for a heroine more than willing to risk her life for her country. This novel speaks about the ambiguity of the heroic act. But that's the way we like our heroes--conflicted and in conflict--outcasts, living somewhere between light and dark and never sure of anything.
Rennie Vogel is an intriguing character. We've gotten a tantalizing glimpse at who she is and what she can do. Now we want more.
July 26, 2013
I finished this a month ago and forgot to mark it as done!
I absolutely loved the action in this book. It made me want to parkour off of things and fly through woods and take down bad guys. I was so tense the whole way through and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen.
I do believe that the romance wasn't a necessary component of the book, and it would have done just fine (if not, better) without it, but it didn't kick me out of the story too much. Gonna definitely pick up Scapegoat and read it for sure, because I can't wait to see how much the government screws Rennie over!
I absolutely loved the action in this book. It made me want to parkour off of things and fly through woods and take down bad guys. I was so tense the whole way through and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen.
I do believe that the romance wasn't a necessary component of the book, and it would have done just fine (if not, better) without it, but it didn't kick me out of the story too much. Gonna definitely pick up Scapegoat and read it for sure, because I can't wait to see how much the government screws Rennie over!
June 29, 2013
I’m finding writing a review of this book difficult because I found myself feeling remarkably indifferent by the time I finished reading it. For me the ending was unsatisfying and I couldn’t understand why the author bothered throwing in the romance at the end of the story. When I started reading the story I was really intrigued by the military/special ops component and I would have liked to have gotten to know Rennie Vogel in more detail.
December 25, 2011
"Miles to Go" was even better on second reading than the first! The first time I read it I had to read it fast because the Intrigue was so intriguing, had to rush to find out how it all ends. On second reading there was a lot of deep thinking and wisdom woven in the story that I totally missed the first time.
Am so happy the sequel, "Scapegoat" is already on its way to me!
Am so happy the sequel, "Scapegoat" is already on its way to me!
June 27, 2015
I enjoyed the intrigue of the story and physical demands required by the main character Rennie. Although grueling and pushing the body and mind to a place only some can comprehend, it was a story that makes you think about the military and the role of women on special forces teams. This is not your typical lesbian story which I thought was a good thing.
June 9, 2010
I really liked the main character and am looking forward to more to come. The intrigue got to be a little too detailed, and although I realliy liked the romance it was hard to get past the lack of showers and length of imprisonment of the captured.
May 26, 2010
I can't wait for Amy Dawson Robertson's next Rennie Vogel installment.
January 13, 2012
Intelligent and very well written. Very much enjoyed it. My review is posted at http://reviews.c-spot.net/archives/21
May 15, 2012
One of the best books I've read in a long time.
September 23, 2012
Not a big fan of war and politics kinda stuffs,but this book is really fast-paced so it didnt turn out to be boring. I look forward to the next book.
February 28, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. Fast paced and well written. I hated to see it end, so I'm definitely planning on reading the sequel.
June 20, 2013
I loved it! Lots of action and a little bit of love. I substract one star for the ending which was too unfinished for my taste and I am glad that the sequel is already available.
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November 24, 2012I really need to make a Boredom Quit shelf. Me and thrillers are just not to be apparently.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews