Billionaires, Bullets, Exploding Monkeys

A Brick Ransom Adventure #3

by Mike Attebery

Seattle billionaire and software titan Jeff Pepper couldn't have chosen a worse day to check up on the research project he's been funding at the university hospital for more than a decade. When gunmen move in, seizing control of the building in their search for a previously unknown weapon, Jeff is caught in the middle of a nerve-wracking hostage situation, one in which he is an all-too-valuable pawn. As tensions mount and the body count rises, his only hope for survival rests on the shoulders of Nick, a deadbeat kid trapped in another part of the building. Working with law-enforcement officials outside, Nick must guide a special team through the locked-down facility and help them save as many lives as possible, while Jeff Pepper uses every negotiating trick up his sleeve to see that he and his fellow captives make it out alive. (Cover artwork by Stephen Emond)

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Action

213 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2009

About the author

Mike Attebery is the author of ten novels, including The Grimwood Trilogy, Chokecherry Canyon, Firepower, Seattle On Ice, Bloody Pulp, and Rosé in Saint Tropez. He lives with his family on an island off the coast of Washington State.

Reviews

[Mscout · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. It reads like a frat boy's fantasy novel. Sex, boobs, and stuff what blows up. And the frat boy gets to be the hero. Never mind the typos and grammar wrecks, the stuff that is intentional (plot, action character names...) is dreadful. Only redeeming characteristic is that is was free. But I do want those three hours back.

[Su · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started out with potential but quickly went downhill into a simplified hostage situation which played out in a cliched and unbelievable way.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Onion Tartlet

Brick Ransom is now a seasoned veteran with the FBI based in Seattle. He is brought on the case when an old buddy is unintentionally taken captive during a heist gone bad by career terrorists.

Even though this is part of a self titled series, Brick is just a side character in this story, and not a very good one, or even the most interesting. There were several things that didn’t make much sense, like pieces were missing or pages edited out and ideas not fully realized. I don’t usually complain about editing but scenes or viewpoints would change from one line to the next with no indication and confuse the Brick right out of my Ransom.

If you’ve read any of the earlier books in the series, don’t stop now. It’s not the author’s best work but it’s good for a chuckle if nothing else and it’s over quickly.

[Kelly Funk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a good book!  Right up until the end.  It's not the plot:  illicit love affairs, foiled terrorist plots, egotistical special agents arguing over jurisdiction.  Or the ending:  though I found everything after that last page break unnecessary.  It's like the editor got about 50 pages out and called it quits.  There were spelling and grammatical errors, juxtopositional anomalies, and a lack of page breaks when the author reached the climax.  Like I said, it's such a good book!  If you can look past all of that.

[Rachel L · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book in a neighborhood bookshop in Seattle. I asked for a detective novel set in Seattle and written by a local author. I was recommended this novel. I apologize to the author for the 2 stars: this means I read about half the novel but wasn't grabbed by the plot. I think it would make a great Netflix show! It's not what I have in mind when I want a good detective novel.

[Amber Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ransom

I'm not sure all three books in this series take place in the same universe but it's still good. Not a lot of the title character but a thrilling adventure.

[Melissa Summers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A "Billionaire" visits a medical research facility for verification that his grant money is being spent properly. Shortly after his arrival, terrorists lock the facility down attempting to add a new bio-terrostic weapon to their arsonal. Hostages are taken...Bullets are flying..the biologic "bombs" are causing nasty work to living beings...and now I have to stop reading to go to work!!!!! What!!! I can't stop now!

Some of the action was a bit over the top. Overall, I raced through the book..and that's what makes it good.

This book was a free offering at Amazon for Kindle that is now available at $3.50.
Lending and speech are enabled.

[Christabel Seneque · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short novel at first, during the introductions to the more likable and fleshed out characters, but shortly afterwards it descended into what felt like a heavy-handed 'tell, don't show' novelisation of your average Hollywood hostage movie. The bulk of the novel insulted my ability to exercise my imagination, and my intelligence as both a reader and a woman, but if you can look past all that it was a quick and undemanding read.

[Dave Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Freebie Kindle book.

Moderately entertaining. Hostage\terrorist situation. One of the hostages is a billionaire that is a shameless copy of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Pretty adolescent: too many of the main characters are "hot."

That's pretty much it. Don't let my review fool you: it's not real exciting. I've made it sound more interesting than it is. I'm glad I didn't pay for this.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the structure of the story but the story line and writing style is a little trite for my taste. E.G. a couple of the characters all they talk about is wanting to have sex with some co-eds - personally I like my characters to have a little more depth than some meat-head testosterone crazed playboys. Believe it or not, I believe men are more than that.

[Kimber · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok; shorter novel and not as detailed as it could have been. I liked that it was told from several perspectives, but the backgrounds were too generic on a couple of characters and with no real motive ever established behind the bad guys actions, it really doesn't rate more than just ok for me.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story about a middle-aged FBI agent who is called upon to rescue his best friend, the 3rd richest man in America, from a hostage situation. Also, the terrorists are about to snag an unorthodox scientist's stash of life-ending inhalent.
I'm about to start on another book featuring the same FBI agent. It was written after this but the action takes place about 15 years earlier.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Far-fetched faintly funny action thriller

[Becky Pierce]

Not a fan...if I had looked at the cover I probably would not have read the book!I got it for free on my kindle and did not pay attention...once I started it I had to finish it though.

[Addison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice quick read. Couldn't put it down

[Kikifabulous · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun...an entertaining, explosive, sex-filled romp.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book to me. The characters were fine, the things Brick did were over the top a little, and Nick would have been shot if the gunmen did their job properly.

[Aaron Dubin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. Not enough Brick Ransom, but Nick was a very well developed character. I am looking forward to reasing book 2 of this series.

[Shauna Henderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ok, kind of all over the place at the beginning, took a while to get tto the point. 1st book was much better

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great action

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable, lots of action and believable characters.

[Bryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave up. I found I just didn't care about any of the characters or what happened. It wasn't horrible but character development was just bad. I'm getting off reading independent writers for a while.

[Anne Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not think much about this book, couldn't get excited or thrilled about any if it sorry :-( x

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. Lots of action. Quick, fun, read. Interesting images in the title completely fulfilled by the story.

[B. Barron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually pretty damn fun.

[Steve Center · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining

[Josh Randell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Brick is an idiot and everyone else isn't. Brilliant. I can't wait to read the others in the series.