Safe Havens: Primed Charge (Sean Havens Black Ops, #2) in SSG: Spy/Spec-Ops Group

Jan 31, 2014 J.T. Patten rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: jt-patten-favorites, my-own-books

4.8 stars on Amazon

"This is a blacker than black ops thriller from a new all-star in the genre. Fresh, in-your-face realism, and fast paced, with guaranteed authenticity and subtle community nuances that only a special operations insider could capture correctly. Simply, if you understand and you know, then you know JT Patten has been there, and it reverberates in the messes he has Sean Havens get into in this debut novel."
-Dalton Fury, Best selling author

"There is something about reading a book ...more

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Apr 22, 2016 J.T. Patten rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Shelves: my-own-books

OK, it's not cheesy to review your own book if you've read it a bajillion times--and still like it.

First I'll start with the Pros. I tried to write an authentic thriller that blends the real world aspects of intelligence and operations. So my hero is a 40 something Intelligence professional who is battle weary yet really coming into his prime by leveraging his brain with physical abilities. But he's fallible and certainly breaks. I also cover his family aspects. Warriors don't exist in a vacuum OK, it's not cheesy to review your own book if you've read it a bajillion times--and still like it.

First I'll start with the Pros. I tried to write an authentic thriller that blends the real world aspects of intelligence and operations. So my hero is a 40 something Intelligence professional who is battle weary yet really coming into his prime by leveraging his brain with physical abilities. But he's fallible and certainly breaks. I also cover his family aspects. Warriors don't exist in a vacuum. When they deploy, someone is left at home. In this case, his daughter. As a father, I try to capture heartfelt moments as a dad tries to raise a young woman when the instructions are not included. The bad guys come from real places in conspiratorial aspects of past nefarious entities. You can look them up. They're real, but they are not the tired old story of Islamic terrorists. Yawn! The twist is that the bad guys believe in what they are doing, and in many cases can justify it. So who really is good or bad in a world painted grey? Often its simply a matter of what team you are playing for.

I love spy novels but most bore the hell out of me. So my spy thrillers are a bit more like an action movie spy thriller but I layer in the twists. A lot of them. Why? Because you paid for me to totally mess with your emotions. The darkness of my writing will also do this. I want you to feel uncomfortable. If you liked the world of black ops, you'd be a sociopath. It's bad stuff. You should want to walk away and cringe. There's no PG-13 version of it. So in that sense, my readers' contract is this: I know what I'm talking about and Safe Havens is my house. It says beware on the door. I won't hurt you, but I can rattle your cage. And I hope I do. I'd like to think of myself as a Stephen King style of action thrillers (but I don't write as well as The King).

Cons. Sometimes this may seem over the top. I get it. That may also mean that at times its confusing. It may be a roller coaster, but its also a theme ride with a lot of details. So look around and remember things. It isn't a linear plot line thriller, so it may be more complex than a guy with a gun is going off to save the world, and does, The End. Also, I'm an indie so no one paid me the big bucks to edit this on a big budget. That said, I think it's a pretty clean copy and did have it professionally edited. You may find some typos and my writing style is getting better, but I still have POV challenges. I also have a lot of F-bombs and in this case some religious extremist content that may offend some--because it may hit home. That's not really a Con of my writing or the story because it is authentic, but reviews are subjective so I'll give you that realism may be a negative to people who don't read the warning.

Aside from that, let me give you the capstone. Primed Charge is a fresh action spy conspiracy that questions today's power players while capturing the hearts of the black ops warriors. My hero may just as well be a soccer coach, but he's a patriot and tries to do the right thing. My female partner is a strong person but she is also damaged goods. Aren't we all? The bad guys are people you may see on TV politics or could be pulling strings on horrific terror events. Sure Scot Horvath, Mitch Rapp and Reacher may be tougher and have cool super powers, but that's not who shows up to work on the front lines every day. People like you and I do. I want you to see yourself in this story. Bottom line, I wrote what I would like to read as an individual who has seen and knows a lot of stuff. I give you a taste of that place. Come inside and bring a friend.

I think I did a pretty good job.

...more

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Apr 22, 2016 Samuel rated it it was amazing

HOW TO KILL PEOPLE AND PULL STRINGS.

“I’d love to change the world….but I don’t know what to do…so I’ll leave it up to you….”- I’d Love to change the world by “Jetta”.

“Freedom isn’t free”. – USAF Colonel Walther Hitchcock.

“World domination, same old dream”. - James Bond, Government Assassin.

Let us face it, the most iconic fictional professional killer did have a point. World domination is bloody difficult to accomplish. The world’s just too complicated. Not to mention full of people dedicate ...more

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Feb 15, 2020 Bodo Pfündl rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A fantastic compendium of spy thrills and shadow kills

Meet Sean Havens. It sucks to be him but it entertains like hell to read about his misfortunes. All readers who want there thrillers with a heavy dose of intrigue and spy craft shouldn’t think twice about this irresistible offer.

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Mar 12, 2016 Bodo Pfündl rated it it was amazing

Shelves: without-equal

Kill a few people at random, nothing changes. But kill the right people…

Warning the following review contains major rambling and minor plot spoilers! So if you just want to know how good this book really is, skip to the last paragraph.

Conventions and clichés can be a true pain in the ass, especially in today’s spy thriller novels. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t enjoy a well-executed formula f thriller, where the “good guys” must stop the evil terrorists from launching a devastating nuclear strike ...more

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