National Security

Jericho Quinn #1

by Marc Cameron

When Terrorism Goes Viral, One Man Goes Ballistic.

They can strike anytime, anywhere. A public landmark. A suburban shopping mall. And now, the human body itself. Three Middle Eastern terrorists have been injected with a biological weapon, human time bombs unleashed on American soil. They are prepared to die. To spread their disease. To annihilate millions. If America hopes to fight this enemy from within, we need a new kind of weapon. Meet Special Agent Jericho Quinn. Air Force veteran. Champion boxer. Trained assassin. Hand-picked for a new global task force that, officially, does not exist, Quinn answers only to the Director of National Intelligence and the U.S. President himself.

His methods are as simple, and as brutal, as his codename.

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

417 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2011

About the author

A native of Texas, Marc Cameron is a retired Chief Deputy US Marshal who spent nearly thirty years in law enforcement. His assignments have taken him from rural Alaska to Manhattan, from Canada to Mexico and points in between. A second degree black belt in jujitsu, he often teaches defensive tactics to other law enforcement agencies and civilian groups. Cameron lives in Alaska with his wife and BMW motorcycle.

Reviews

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh-Good-Grief.

Of late I've found myself reading a series of mediocre books. This book really has no excuse. The plot while one I've seen over and over is an excellent one and lends itself to great tension and excitement.

Here we take an excellent plot premise and good idea for a protagonist and turn it into another chase and shoot book.

Don't get me wrong, I like a good chase and shoot book. But if you set out to write a book about a WMD threatening the country and then turn it into the story of a sadistic, misogynistic bully and a heroic good guy swinging a sword...you've managed to write a good book from neither category.

I actually got a bit bored when I should have been on the edge of my seat.

Look, as I've said before...as I've said before today, I wanted to like this book. Action/adventure/thriller books are great. Sadly just not all of them are.

I'm sorry, I didn't hate the book, I finished the book but I really can't recommend the book. Maybe see what you think. I was disappointed. Will I try another from the series? I don't know. Not right away.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt this debut novel by Marc Cameron was sensational on many levels. Its attention to detail, captivating storyline, and thoroughness (both in the terrorism and biological weapons areas) made for an exciting and pleasurable read. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a good Brad Thor or Vince Flynn novel and ask that they consider adding this to their collection.

Cameron begins with what has become overly cliché, a terrorist cell plotting and executing an attack on a US target, full of citizens. I suspected that the book would move from there, trying to get to the root of the cell and disabling it. I was completely wrong, as this was only window-dressing in the larger picture. Enter an 'off-white' deep undercover Air Force agent who is knocking out the foundation of some key members of terrorist cells in the Middle East. Parallel that with an incident aboard a 747 destined for the US and you have two strong themes and merge into a larger plot, the use of biological warfare as the new terrorism. Its intricacies and more thorough destruction are not lost on the reader as Cameron details the Ebola-like virus that can destroy large parts of the population with only two teaspoons worth of liquid.

I could not put the book down and loved the strong intereaction between characters. It was not a rah-rah session for the military, but also not a total devastation for the US through biological warfare. The end also leaves a large opening for the sequel (a book has been penned, but I am not sure if it will be the next in the series) and could have equally powerful storylines.

Well done, Mr. Cameron. You have a new fan and long-term reader!

[SteVen Hendricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook Review - National Security - Marc Cameron / Narrator - Tom Wiener
Special Agent Jericho Quinn, an Air Force veteran, champion-level boxer and of course, an assassin, teams up with his Cajun partner, Marine gunnery sergeant, Jacques Thibodaux to stop a bioterrorism threat where the odds are really stacked against them.

This tale — with Middle East terror as the centerpiece plot line — was well developed, paced tremendously well, and was executed flawlessly. I listen to audiobooks when the book doesn’t come in hardcover.

The manner in which this story unravels was top notch. Marc Cameron did a great job and has some very interesting characters in this story in addition to edge of your seat action.

I've read/listen to a lot of books in the thriller genre and I enjoyed this one immensely.

If you are interested in the U.S. military stories about terrorism, the Middle East, and love a ‘badass’ hero, you might want to give Cameron’s Jericho Quinn series a try.

The espionage/spy thriller genre is a well worn category with much "been there, done that" and lack of freshness and creativity, but not with this book though.

It's tough to come up with something that hasn’t already been done before. For that reason, I look for writing style, thorough research, knowledge of subject matter, engaging characters, and good pacing to name a few.

This book has it all and then some. While some readers/listeners may find the main characters somewhat repetitive and almost perfect in their introductions, Cameron has managed to inject them with enough humor and personality to make them easier to relate to and cheer for in this series debut.

My only slight about this book is that the end was a little anti-climactic and wrapped up too quickly but Cameron quickly made up for it in the Epilogue.

I thoroughly enjoy the adventures of Jericho Quinn and his big Cajun sidekick, Jacques Thibodaux! Check them out.

Also, the audiobook narrator Tom Wiener was outstanding. I absolutely loved his Cajun voice of the Thibodaux character! This is one of my top audiobook series...

[Claudette · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads suggestion because I like action-adventure. Well turns out it's gotta be fan fiction! You have the super hero Jericho Quinn (shout out to Brett Battles?), his sidekick the very large Cajun Thibodaux (again Brett Battles), who are both super soldiers fighting the very evil villains, caricatures of every evil Arab villain ever written about. Jericho has a Comanche grandmother (James Rollins) so is dark enough to pass for Arab plus he has mad language skills and could probably assassinated Hitler with a shoelace. Oh, and there's a character who loses a foot and will surely reappear with a bionic foot a la Monk (again James Rollins). So the very evil villains are trying to unleash a virus on AMERICAN SOIL and so there is a sexy female scientist who will surely be working on a vaccine, but wait! No! There she is on the back of a motorcycle, her soft breasts pressing into the back of our super hero as they chase down these very evil villains. Time better spent I guess.

Oh, there's also a side story about a sexy female reporter who was kidnapped, tortured and repeatedly raped by these same very evil villains, and who when rescued by the heroic marines, ran to her very evil captor, told him she was pregnant and would name his child CHRISTIAN. (One can only hope it's not a girl). The reporter also insults the very evil villain's manhood, so she must die, and that's the real reason the very evil villains are on AMERICAN SOIL. The release of the deadly virus is just coincidental to the revenge of the very evil villain.

And now I have stopped reading, and will avoid any further books by this author.

[Barry who enjoys well-written thrillers, mysteries , & espionage & loathes romance, horror & supernat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Cameron, the author or National Security, is a better story teller than a writer. The suspenseful story in National Security grabbed me fairly early on and held my interest nearly until the end. The end did drag a bit but not enough to ruin the enjoyment from the story.

Cameron made many grammatical mistakes and had quite a few logical inconsistencies in the text. Ideas or people occasionally appeared out of thin air without any groundwork. It also appears that the book was not well proofread and, as such, included mistakes that should not have appeared. Once again, these mistakes were distracting but not quite enough to cause me to lose interest in the story.

The story itself, revolves around the exploits of Jericho Quinn, super agent and Jacques Thibodeaux, super soldier and their pursuit of a master terrorist and his plot to exterminate western society. The story stretched credulity a bit but not enough to keep it from being fun to read.

On my 1 to 10 enjoyment scale (1 = didn't enjoy it; 10 = couldn't wait to get back to it each evening), I would give National Security an 8 because I really did look forward to picking it up each evening to see how Jericho and Jacques were doing - by the way, if I have again have a pair of dogs, I may well name them Jericho and Jacques.

[Chris Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marc Cameron National Security

National Security starts off with horrific acts that leave Americans paralyzed. Terrorists are committing atrocious acts and the country needs someone to hunt them down as the wreak havoc. While these acts are being completed there are other plans in place for bigger threats and widespread death in the form of a vicious virus.

You get to meet Jericho Quinn, who is an Air Force OSI officer and the very likable Cajun Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Jacques Thibodaux who rain hell and death on those who harm the innocent and good people of America and the others who can’t defend themselves.

This one contains an amazing amount of detail, character development and tons of action. The authenticity of which Cameron writes makes these hard to put down and his history of law enforcement experience helps describe scenes without pause and create a clear picture of locations and violence.

Highly recommend this awesome read, go enjoy some Jericho Quinn!

[Scott A. Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I found another one. Quinn looks like another great character. This one was a scary reminder of just how vicious a virus can be. Given what we are living through today, reading and staying home is easy. This one has a built in sequel and I’m sure the entire series is going to be fun.

[L.A. Starks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great thriller, the first in the series, in the tradition of Vince Flynn. High body count but astonishingly relevant (Ebola/violent terrorists) with some welcome settings in the DFW area.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great characters, great plot, good humor. Looks like I have found a new author similar to Vince Flynn—-Not on the same level mind you, but similar enough to make me happy.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing I thought when i found this book in the USO in Kandahar Air Field Afghanistan was, how generic the name was and almost put it down. Then I read Brad Thor's review piece on the front and was like "OK. If Brad Thor thinks it's awesome it's worth a shot." It was definetely worth it. The main character in this book reminds me of a smarter and little psychotic Scot Harvath (Brad Thor's main man). Quinn is just ruthless...but silent in his ways. I can't wait to see his character develop later on in the next books. His sidekick, the Cajun marine is hilarious too. He brought a lot of laughter to me and reminds me of my redneck dad. The book is very violent and if you can't handle toture, then don't read this book. I won't give away too much, but will say that this book scares me to death concerning bio terrorism. I used to think the CDC was evil, but now oh so glad they exist. Marc Cameron...you're now on my awesome list with Brad Thor, Lee Child, and Vince Flynn. Job Well Done!!

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

As often happens with my "new series" reads they are because of a challenge that needs something to fulfill it. This one was not an exception to that rule. I had never read this author so really had no preconceived expectations. Turns out that our hero...Jericho Quinn... is an Air Force captain with very special skills. He has an ex-wife...a five-year-old daughter...and spends his life protecting others. He is described as dark skinned and speaks fluent Arabic. An interesting character but I believe I would very much like him more in a movie than in a book. I found that the book, while being an interesting enough was very descriptive and the good guys come off as super-heroes that can do not wrong. I'm not sure I will ever read book #2...unless I have another challenge....

[Book Addict Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

National Security has been on my TBR for AGES, so I was excited to finally start reading it. It is a thriller in every sense of the word; with equal amounts of excitement, danger and terror throughout, it's a brilliantly researched story which if even half of what went on throughout came to fruition would be very dangerous indeed. I found the main character, Jericho Quinn to be a great creation with an interesting backstory and the cliffhanger at the end left me wanting to continue the series straightaway.

[Jim A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad action thriller novel. The protagonist, Jericho Quinn, could just as easily be named Mitch Rapp, Ryan Kealy, or John Wells, it's that type of story.


It will be interesting to see which of the characters Cameron uses in the next book featuring Quinn.

[Luke Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good! My first by Marc Cameron who I’ve heard good things about. I look forward to the next in the series!

[wally · Rating 4 out of 5]

finished this snowy morning 28th november 2021 good read four stars really liked it kindle owned and the first of this series have read other cameron offerings, the cameron-clancy titles and enjoyed those and the other hyphenated clancy- offerings and stories from those writers were a hit and i hadn't tried cameron yet...so here i am. the one that you love! lalalalalala

frightening. plague. other words you cannot use without incurring the wrath of the true believers. and with another covid variation timely. or something. looked for a title cameron mentions in an afterword, not at the digital library. and so it goes. onward and upward.

[Dan Banana · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable bunch of disturbing violence or a wonderfully told story of passion for justice. Very good characters and a story that moves along at a very nice pace.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three Mideastern terrorists have been injected with a disease and seek to spread it to the Great Satan. Jericho Quinn has to stop them.

Not bad, if a little too long.

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace..." by Thomas Paine.

Marc Cameron uses the quote very effectively in a novel that is heart pounding, relentlessly intelligent, sinister and suspenseful, compelling and terrifying as it describes the global war on terror as no news headline or story can possibly capture.

There are those who flee in the face of danger and there are those who simply say, "It's my job."

This novel isn't for the faint-hearted, but is a stunningly realistic portrayal of the global war on terror and bioterrorism.

Unlike the novel, I will never know the names of the individuals who do not hesitate to confront evil, to serve at their own peril, who never know if one more mission, one more assignment could be their last mission, their last assignment. I am grateful to each one that has served before you, to each one that is currently serving, and to those that will serve when you no longer can. This novel is a poignant reminder that on this afternoon when I enjoyed the sunny day, the quiet of my neighborhood, the peace in my home, not all are at home enjoying this freedom because you are away from home and loved ones as you serve.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first Marc Cameron book that I have read. The was a high speed page turning screamer. Saying that, there were holes in the plot that were unclear - the attack on Denver which in reality was a copy of the New York 9/11 attack and the country really got pissed. After the initial discussion, little was said. The author tried to describe the deadliness of Ebola (which it is), but the plot points became incongruous. How did Quinn get out so easily. How about his hurt brother. These kind of loose ends, which are normal for a first book, need strong attention by an effective editor or the author needs to improve his rewrite. The high profile authors (Flynn (now deceased); Connelly; and Child) all conquered this issue and the head scratching in the sudden leaps of plot have been smoothed out. Otherwise, this author will be a pot boiler and his books will remain very small. Will the second books be read, yes. However, the Goodread readers and reviewers are cautioning in a steady decline in the quality of writing.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was the first I have read by the author Marc Cameron. I am glad to have learned of him from Kindle. It was a hair raising story of three Middle Eastern terrorists who injected themselves with a biological weapon and became human time bombs. The Counter Terrorist hero was Jericho Quinn. He had to work with biological expert Megan Mahoney to defeat this insidious plot. This was an entertaining and frightening story well worth the read. I will read more of Marc Cameron's books in the future I am sure.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not entirely sure how to feel about this book. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great. Thoroughly middle of the road. There was some action but not a ton of it, there was some character development but not a ton of it. The story just didn’t reach out and grab me but it kept me interested enough to finish it but not want to read the next book. One redeeming quality is that I think Jacque is probably one of my 10 ten favorite characters. I wish he had more time in the book.

[Aaron Cochrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't remember how I got this book, but once I started it I was hooked and couldn't put it down. The characters are relatable and the action fast-paced. The author does a great job with his descriptive writing making the reader feel a part of the action. I think I have another series that I will be reading and burning through until I have caught up on the entire series and waiting impatiently for another one!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book and its topical too. Talks about Islamic terrorism and it being brought back to the US. The scenarios are a bit scary because you can see how it could actually happen here in America.

This is the first in a six book series about Jericho Quinn. Already bought the second book.

[Hunter Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping thriller. I couldn't put it down.

[David Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of face paced action. I enjoyed it and will read other books in this series. Good ole buddy action as they blaze their way thru the bad guys.

[HornFan2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

My introduction to the author Marc Cameron was through his Western novels, started never finished them and have them buried some where in my library. So was pleasantly surprised that he's better writer in the action/adventure/espionage genre than the later.

While I did like Jericho Quinn, along with Mahoney, Thibodaux, but feel like the author could have done a better job with Zafir, you make him so lethal, appears in the story at places as a killing machine, he's unstoppable, yet when he could he doesn't kill a women and ultimately ends in him getting captured.

Seems like you would have had a better read, having them chasing and capturing all the terrorist support cells, along with businesses they owe that fund terrorism after the Mall bombing and had OSI hunting for Farooq in the Middle East verse trying to infect the infidels being the US with a ebola type virus. Which is simply done with three terrorists verse say 13 of them or used our Northern border.

Plus Zafir gets stabbed in the eye, yet he looks with both eyes in a lethal way at Jericho. Then Carrie takes Christian to the far side of the deck in one paragraph, the next they sink into grass with her holding him, yet when she left the house she goes down the stairs from a door and right onto a walkway colliding with Zafir.

Just two examples of editing glitches, also felt like the ending was rushed, the build up or chase for Zafir was to long and felt like the threat using the ebola type virus was done using the easy button verse being more realistic.

Don't get me wrong, the writing by Marc Cameron still kept me reading, it's a great escape from all the pressures in daily life, would give it a 3.5 rating and a worthy read.

[Sara Harp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the most exciting hit man thrillers I've read except for Mark Greaney's Gray Man series. I read it in two days and it's only 310 pages of non stop action. Whew!

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Vince Flynn this is a must read! Lots of action and accurate details.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one has been on my list of "want to read" for a very long time. Its Cameron's first in the series and its pretty standard fare for the post 2001 world. It all about a middle eastern terrorist plot to inflect great harm to the "great satan." It follows the Vince Flynn/Brad Thor approach with a bigger than life black ops hero that saves the day....and does a good job with a plot that seems pretty cutting edge for the time in which it was written. Its got some twists and broad scope and plenty of action.

The characters are a little standard by now and don't standout as very unique, but they are not too big of a distraction. I liked this book and will probably give the next in the series a try soon. I'd probably rate it at least 3.5, but maybe not quite a 4.0. All in all a pretty good first in the genre for the time it was written.

[Matt · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you're like me and love Ben Coes, Brad Thor, Vince Flynn, Brad Taylor, Barry Eisler, Lee Child, Allen Folsom, Michael Connelly, Daniel Silva and other similar authors. Don't waste your time with these. I mean, they're probably not that bad, if I hadn't already read everything by the guys mentioned above. Cameron tries and the characters and story start to be compelling. But it's just not keeping my attention. Usually I read a book in 2-3 days, I haven't picked this one up in a week, after getting about 175 pages in. I'm moving on to different genre until the usual suspects release new stuff.

If you've never read any of those guys and are looking to enter the genre. Make sure to start with Cameron, or you'll be too spoiled for him. His is kind of similar to John Grisham compared to Richard North Patterson, Scott Turow, Steve Martini or Philip Margolin. It just comes across as amateurish in comparison. And I did like some of Grisham, like Runaway Jury and of course The Firm. But some of his stuff is just to simple compared to the others.