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Ethan Warner #3
Apocalypse
In the notorious Bermuda Triangle, a private jet vanishes without a trace, taking with it scientists working for the world-famous philanthropist Joaquin Abell. Meanwhile, Captain Kyle Sears is called to a murder scene in Miami. A woman and her daughter have both been shot through the head. But within moments of arriving, Sears receives a phone call from the woman's husband, physicist Charles Purcell.
"I did not kill my wife and child," he says. "In less than twenty-four hours I will be murdered and I know the man who will kill me. My murderer does not yet know that he will commit the act." With uncanny accuracy, Purcell goes on to predict the immediate future just as it unfolds around Sears, and leaves clues for a man he's never met, former war correspondent Ethan Warner.
The hunt is on to find Purcell, and Warner is summoned by the Defense Intelligence Agency to lead the search. But this is no ordinary case, as Warner and his partner, Nicola Lopez, are about to discover. The future has changed its course, and timing is everything. The end is just beginning . . .
Relentlessly fast-paced and action-packed, "Apocalypse" combines realistic science, suspense, and intrigue to create an ingenious blockbuster thriller.
"I did not kill my wife and child," he says. "In less than twenty-four hours I will be murdered and I know the man who will kill me. My murderer does not yet know that he will commit the act." With uncanny accuracy, Purcell goes on to predict the immediate future just as it unfolds around Sears, and leaves clues for a man he's never met, former war correspondent Ethan Warner.
The hunt is on to find Purcell, and Warner is summoned by the Defense Intelligence Agency to lead the search. But this is no ordinary case, as Warner and his partner, Nicola Lopez, are about to discover. The future has changed its course, and timing is everything. The end is just beginning . . .
Relentlessly fast-paced and action-packed, "Apocalypse" combines realistic science, suspense, and intrigue to create an ingenious blockbuster thriller.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 24, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
March 19, 2014
Apocalypse by Dean Crawford is a recommended action adventure thriller with science fiction overtones.
This is the third book by Crawford to feature private investigators Ethan Warner and Nicola Lopez. They are called in to look at the murder of scientist Charles Purcell's family in Miami. Purcell, who was spotted leaving the scene, is the main suspect, but it is clear that more is going on than a case of deadly domestic violence. Purcell contacts the police and tells them that he himself will be killed in less than 24 hours. He then tells the police to analyze the bullets found in the house for a compound known as Rubidium-82. After that they are to contact Ethan Warner.
Charles Purcell is a physicist who worked for fifteen years at NASA. The central focus of his work was the study of time. Purcell is an expert on the nature of time and had recently been working for wealthy philanthropist, Joaquin Abell. Additionally, a plane goes down in the Bermuda Triangle that seemingly ties into the case. As Warner and Lopez investigate, Purcell leaves them clues to follow in a race against time to solve the case while more and more dark deeds are being uncovered and leading them to some fantastic conclusions and an ultimate final scene.
Apocalypse does provide some thrilling action scenes and several twists and turns along the way. Crawford does a credible job with the writing too. While he basically keeps the action moving at a brisk pace, there are a few slowdowns in the plot development. I haven't read the first two books in this series and had no problem following this book. In the end it was some of the plot points and the one-note villain that made Apocalypse a less than perfect thriller for me. This one is an airplane book - a great way to pass the time but you won't regret leaving it if you should happen to lose it at the airport.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Touchstone for review purposes.
This is the third book by Crawford to feature private investigators Ethan Warner and Nicola Lopez. They are called in to look at the murder of scientist Charles Purcell's family in Miami. Purcell, who was spotted leaving the scene, is the main suspect, but it is clear that more is going on than a case of deadly domestic violence. Purcell contacts the police and tells them that he himself will be killed in less than 24 hours. He then tells the police to analyze the bullets found in the house for a compound known as Rubidium-82. After that they are to contact Ethan Warner.
Charles Purcell is a physicist who worked for fifteen years at NASA. The central focus of his work was the study of time. Purcell is an expert on the nature of time and had recently been working for wealthy philanthropist, Joaquin Abell. Additionally, a plane goes down in the Bermuda Triangle that seemingly ties into the case. As Warner and Lopez investigate, Purcell leaves them clues to follow in a race against time to solve the case while more and more dark deeds are being uncovered and leading them to some fantastic conclusions and an ultimate final scene.
Apocalypse does provide some thrilling action scenes and several twists and turns along the way. Crawford does a credible job with the writing too. While he basically keeps the action moving at a brisk pace, there are a few slowdowns in the plot development. I haven't read the first two books in this series and had no problem following this book. In the end it was some of the plot points and the one-note villain that made Apocalypse a less than perfect thriller for me. This one is an airplane book - a great way to pass the time but you won't regret leaving it if you should happen to lose it at the airport.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Touchstone for review purposes.
March 21, 2023
The premise for the story (and the previous two stories) is good but the telling of it and the writing just hacks me off. The guy is an ex soldier, I get it. Over and over I'm told about his time in Afghanistan and it's getting old now. It's not necessary and I don't care. Tell me once and be done with it. Also, his missing girlfriend from book 1 - She gets mentioned once or twice per book, briefly, like at some point in the distant future she'll be brought back in as a storyline. Boring. And Lopez is infrequently hinted at as a romantic situation but without the chemistry or the romance. Over it. Next!
April 15, 2014
At its core, a techno-thriller needs three things: a high concept (technology or device de jour), an irresistible force (the villain and his scheme) and an immovable object (the hero and his convictions). All three have to be believable to make the book hold together. The rest -- characters, plot, settings and writing -- are what make the book enjoyable. Dean Crawford's "Apocalypse" has all of the above, in various measures, and turns out to be a reasonably enjoyable read.
The device de jour in this case has something to do with time travel, and it takes pretty much the first half of the novel to get any kind of traction into what that's about. The latter half of the novel continues to ruminate on this concept, pretending to go into details (though sometimes contradicting itself) about how that might be accomplished. It's a high concept alright, and tons of fun (until someone gets hurt), and complete hogwash if you think about it hard enough.
The irresistible force in this case is Joaquin Abell, who the world sees as a philanthropist. But whose true motivations, of course, turn out to be questionable at best. He plans to use the time travel technology for the betterment of mankind. The problem is that he isn't all that interested in what mankind has to say about the matter or how many casualties there are along the way.
The immovable object is Ethan Warner (and his partner Nicola Lopez) a freelance private investigator with government ties and a suitably unfortunate background that is alluded to from time to time, but doesn't affect the enjoyment of the current situation. They're brought in when one of Abell's scientists is suspected of killing his own family, but calls the police himself and causes quite a stir when he seems to accurately predict the future. He inexplicably insists that they call in Warner to get to the bottom of things.
What works: The time travel concept is presented with just enough hand-waving to make it seem plausible enough for the purposes of the story. It is used to good effect to create an intricate plot that mostly holds together over the course of the story. There are no egregious bouts of info-dump to spoil the pacing. Just a few pages here and there that could have been pared down a bit more. The large cast of characters is well wrought and well used, though I think there are a few too many. The fight and battle scenes are pretty detailed and realistic.
What didn't work: I think both the character problem (which led to a few pacing issues) and some glaring issues I have with the author's prose could have been remedied by a couple more ruthless rounds of editing. There are some turns of phrase that are repeated, paragraph after paragraph, page after page, as the author keeps trying to string together too many thoughts into a single sentence. And as he stumbles his way in and out of situations, instead of just letting them transpire. To top it off, there is a glaring violation of the story's own rules about how time travel works. For a page or two, I thought the writer was going to turn it into a certain kind of plot twist, but instead he blundered right into and through it, and left it lying there, ignored, as he wrapped things up. Oh well, it wouldn't be a time travel story without a paradox of causality.
All the good stuff adds up to at least a four-star novel. Some rigorous editing would have gotten it there. With one star knocked off for the bad stuff, this is still an enjoyable three-star book. It's definitely something to read on the plane or beach this summer.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review.
The device de jour in this case has something to do with time travel, and it takes pretty much the first half of the novel to get any kind of traction into what that's about. The latter half of the novel continues to ruminate on this concept, pretending to go into details (though sometimes contradicting itself) about how that might be accomplished. It's a high concept alright, and tons of fun (until someone gets hurt), and complete hogwash if you think about it hard enough.
The irresistible force in this case is Joaquin Abell, who the world sees as a philanthropist. But whose true motivations, of course, turn out to be questionable at best. He plans to use the time travel technology for the betterment of mankind. The problem is that he isn't all that interested in what mankind has to say about the matter or how many casualties there are along the way.
The immovable object is Ethan Warner (and his partner Nicola Lopez) a freelance private investigator with government ties and a suitably unfortunate background that is alluded to from time to time, but doesn't affect the enjoyment of the current situation. They're brought in when one of Abell's scientists is suspected of killing his own family, but calls the police himself and causes quite a stir when he seems to accurately predict the future. He inexplicably insists that they call in Warner to get to the bottom of things.
What works: The time travel concept is presented with just enough hand-waving to make it seem plausible enough for the purposes of the story. It is used to good effect to create an intricate plot that mostly holds together over the course of the story. There are no egregious bouts of info-dump to spoil the pacing. Just a few pages here and there that could have been pared down a bit more. The large cast of characters is well wrought and well used, though I think there are a few too many. The fight and battle scenes are pretty detailed and realistic.
What didn't work: I think both the character problem (which led to a few pacing issues) and some glaring issues I have with the author's prose could have been remedied by a couple more ruthless rounds of editing. There are some turns of phrase that are repeated, paragraph after paragraph, page after page, as the author keeps trying to string together too many thoughts into a single sentence. And as he stumbles his way in and out of situations, instead of just letting them transpire. To top it off, there is a glaring violation of the story's own rules about how time travel works. For a page or two, I thought the writer was going to turn it into a certain kind of plot twist, but instead he blundered right into and through it, and left it lying there, ignored, as he wrapped things up. Oh well, it wouldn't be a time travel story without a paradox of causality.
All the good stuff adds up to at least a four-star novel. Some rigorous editing would have gotten it there. With one star knocked off for the bad stuff, this is still an enjoyable three-star book. It's definitely something to read on the plane or beach this summer.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review.
December 18, 2016
3.5 Stars
Apocalypse is the latest novel in Dean Crawford's Ethan Warner thriller series. In this novel Ethan and his partner Nicola Lopez are called upon by the Defense Intelligence Agency to help find scientist Charles Purcell, a man wanted for the murder of his wife and daughter but who claims to be innocent. With Purcell correctly predicting events of the near-term future, however, it soon becomes apparent to both Warner and Lopez that there is much more to their search for Purcell than it first appears. What follows is a race against time itself.
In Apocalypse Dean Crawford has crafted a well-written, quick-paced scientific thriller that keeps the reader eagerly turning the pages. The science is (thankfully) well-explained, although some of it didn't seem entirely plausible (although this could just be a result of me not being able to wrap my mind around the possibility of some of the science). Ethan Warner is a complex protagonist and, while I've not read the other novels in this series, it is obvious that previous events in Ethan's life have played a large role in who he is and how he sees the world. Crawford has also created an intriguing cast of supporting characters, many of whom you can't help but root for, including Charles Purcell. I found the novel's villain to be a bit over the top in terms of his vileness, but can't deny that his actions and Warner's attempts to foil them made for an entertaining read. The novel's conclusion is gripping, and includes some unexpected twists that have definitely left me curious to know what's next for Ethan Warner.
While part of a series, Apocalypse can be enjoyed without having read the two novels in the series. However, I definitely plan to go back and read them.
Recommended to fans of suspense and thriller novels.
Source: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. This review first appeared on my blog, Confessions of an Avid Reader.
Apocalypse is the latest novel in Dean Crawford's Ethan Warner thriller series. In this novel Ethan and his partner Nicola Lopez are called upon by the Defense Intelligence Agency to help find scientist Charles Purcell, a man wanted for the murder of his wife and daughter but who claims to be innocent. With Purcell correctly predicting events of the near-term future, however, it soon becomes apparent to both Warner and Lopez that there is much more to their search for Purcell than it first appears. What follows is a race against time itself.
In Apocalypse Dean Crawford has crafted a well-written, quick-paced scientific thriller that keeps the reader eagerly turning the pages. The science is (thankfully) well-explained, although some of it didn't seem entirely plausible (although this could just be a result of me not being able to wrap my mind around the possibility of some of the science). Ethan Warner is a complex protagonist and, while I've not read the other novels in this series, it is obvious that previous events in Ethan's life have played a large role in who he is and how he sees the world. Crawford has also created an intriguing cast of supporting characters, many of whom you can't help but root for, including Charles Purcell. I found the novel's villain to be a bit over the top in terms of his vileness, but can't deny that his actions and Warner's attempts to foil them made for an entertaining read. The novel's conclusion is gripping, and includes some unexpected twists that have definitely left me curious to know what's next for Ethan Warner.
While part of a series, Apocalypse can be enjoyed without having read the two novels in the series. However, I definitely plan to go back and read them.
Recommended to fans of suspense and thriller novels.
Source: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. This review first appeared on my blog, Confessions of an Avid Reader.
April 3, 2014
"How many bodies are there?"
Short and sweet, but this first sentence grabbed me. It set the expectations and had me plowing through to learn the answer.
I just finished watching an episode of CNBC's show American Greed: Scams, it was on Rita Crundwell who embezzled 53 million dollars from her home town. How does this relate to Apocalypse? It sounds like an odd analogy but as with the docuprogram Apocalypse was sneaky and, like the town of Dixon wondered how I missed that.
The semi-time travel/futuristic aspect of the novel was a little odd and had to concentrate a little harder in those parts. To make another TV comparison, I was reminded of The Big Bang Theory. There is an episode where Sheldon, Lenard, Howard and Raj go in on a time machine. It sadly does not go anywhere but the boys have very imaginative (yet scientific) fantasies about using it. This compares to my thoughts on the "seeing into the future" paradox as that while it was an intricate part of the story did not move me in leaps and bounds but like Sheldon and Lenard, still found the concept interesting.
The Abells were a little shady in the fact that I wasn't quite sure what to believe, (at least at first) and thought they worked well off each other, like Ethel and Fred Mertz. Charles Purcell was an interesting fellow giving Dean Crawford's novel a little spice with his vigilant innocence and desire to see justice even if from afar. Ethan Warner, was calm, cool and collected in the face of danger and as the lead character held the storyline together. With such a vast plot it could be very easy to stretch the characters thin and have a homemade fix-it holding wires together with chewing gum and string, but Warner is the real deal, the super glue if you will, and a great agent to travel with.
Overall, Apocalypse was a calculated novel and thoroughly held my interest.
Short and sweet, but this first sentence grabbed me. It set the expectations and had me plowing through to learn the answer.
I just finished watching an episode of CNBC's show American Greed: Scams, it was on Rita Crundwell who embezzled 53 million dollars from her home town. How does this relate to Apocalypse? It sounds like an odd analogy but as with the docuprogram Apocalypse was sneaky and, like the town of Dixon wondered how I missed that.
The semi-time travel/futuristic aspect of the novel was a little odd and had to concentrate a little harder in those parts. To make another TV comparison, I was reminded of The Big Bang Theory. There is an episode where Sheldon, Lenard, Howard and Raj go in on a time machine. It sadly does not go anywhere but the boys have very imaginative (yet scientific) fantasies about using it. This compares to my thoughts on the "seeing into the future" paradox as that while it was an intricate part of the story did not move me in leaps and bounds but like Sheldon and Lenard, still found the concept interesting.
The Abells were a little shady in the fact that I wasn't quite sure what to believe, (at least at first) and thought they worked well off each other, like Ethel and Fred Mertz. Charles Purcell was an interesting fellow giving Dean Crawford's novel a little spice with his vigilant innocence and desire to see justice even if from afar. Ethan Warner, was calm, cool and collected in the face of danger and as the lead character held the storyline together. With such a vast plot it could be very easy to stretch the characters thin and have a homemade fix-it holding wires together with chewing gum and string, but Warner is the real deal, the super glue if you will, and a great agent to travel with.
Overall, Apocalypse was a calculated novel and thoroughly held my interest.
May 14, 2013
For the post part, this book succeeds at what it's supposed to be - a race against time thriller where the good guys have to chase the bad guys, but this time the bad guys have the ultimate weapon - they know what the future holds and our good guys don't.
Ethan Warner, our main hero, is a likeable enough character, but there was nothing that stood out in my mind about him and made him different to other heroes from other books. He could have been called Joe Bloggs and it wouldn't have made much difference. The only thing I could really say for certainty was that Ethan is still hung up over his missing girlfriend from a few books ago. Don't worry if you haven't read the others in the series, it still works as a stand-alone novel. What is it with detective and thriller novels? Why does there also have to be some secret angst in their past? Can't we just have one who does his job and get on with things?
For such an interesting premise, the pace of the book slowed to a crawl from some parts and the reader gets bogged down with a lot of scientific jargon. I have no idea whether the science is this book was accurate or not. The characters seem to think so and it seems plausible enough within the plot. But being married to a scientist meant that I was questioning a lot of things and couldn't get my brain to switch off and just enjoy the story. My husband's a physicist and I think he would have picked out a lot more plot holes than me, but he did say once that time travel was theoretically possible - but only to the past.
I did like the book's explanation for the Bermuda Triangle, that seemed that it could well be true. So if you can suspend your disbelief for a few hours' adventuring, you could enjoy this book.
Ethan Warner, our main hero, is a likeable enough character, but there was nothing that stood out in my mind about him and made him different to other heroes from other books. He could have been called Joe Bloggs and it wouldn't have made much difference. The only thing I could really say for certainty was that Ethan is still hung up over his missing girlfriend from a few books ago. Don't worry if you haven't read the others in the series, it still works as a stand-alone novel. What is it with detective and thriller novels? Why does there also have to be some secret angst in their past? Can't we just have one who does his job and get on with things?
For such an interesting premise, the pace of the book slowed to a crawl from some parts and the reader gets bogged down with a lot of scientific jargon. I have no idea whether the science is this book was accurate or not. The characters seem to think so and it seems plausible enough within the plot. But being married to a scientist meant that I was questioning a lot of things and couldn't get my brain to switch off and just enjoy the story. My husband's a physicist and I think he would have picked out a lot more plot holes than me, but he did say once that time travel was theoretically possible - but only to the past.
I did like the book's explanation for the Bermuda Triangle, that seemed that it could well be true. So if you can suspend your disbelief for a few hours' adventuring, you could enjoy this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2015
In Miami. Year, unknown. Now? Police called to a double murder. Mother and young daughter? Looks like murderer has just rung the detective. If it is the murderer, he knows what is happening. And what will happen. He tells them to contact an ‘Ethan.' A bounty hunter, currently in Chicago. He’s sent to the crime scene. Then taken on-board the investigation, which becomes the province of the US secret people - and they know someone can see into the future and, well, it all goes downhill from there.
Well, not quite ‘from there’ there’s more. What if I tell you, that someone who is the son of a scientist involved in the development of the US atom bomb or something, seems now to be a fund-raising conservationist involved helping after natural disasters and has, oh dear god…harnessed a black hole in an undersea lab…I know… Mix in some Bermuda Triangle stuff, some race against time stuff and the non-appearance of James Bond and we’re good to go.
It isn’t quite in Clive Cussler territory. There’s no one called ‘Dirk’ for instance. However, consider, if you will: “I want to find and retrieve it before the damned media start swimming around like hyenas looking for corpses.” Swimming Hyenas? Bong! “…a realization thundered through the field of her awareness." Bong!! “…all you've done is stand on his coat tails." Bong!!! Then, if you’ve read other reviews by me, you’ll know my scepticism about people - normal people - ever talking about their ’soul.’ They don’t. Outside cheap thrillers and Deep Purple live albums. But now we have a guy whose fiancé's disappearance "...had left in its wake a chilling vacuum in his soul..." Is that something you'd tell a mate? Would you take that to the doctor? Would a friend, acquaintance, or even a passing stranger, say that to you? Bong!!!! Off the scale!!!
I admit missed how they deactivated the black hole in the end, if they did. I can’t quite think why I missed it - either I looked out the window at that point, or he didn’t actually write how they got shot of it amongst all the bangs and water and whathaveyou. You knew it was all gonna end either with him dying in a huge explosion which also destroys all his ‘work,’ or being led away in handcuffs, muttering about it having ‘worked, if not for you meddling kids.’ But, in the final reckoning, there’s no getting away from the fact that the good guys escape after being in the same room as/dragged into a black hole! Not a theory I’d like to’ve run past Carl Sagan.
As Dean can’t, or isn’t a good enough writer to, work the time-travel mechanics in to the story naturally, he has the characters being lectured to, disguised as a conversation, by an expert at Cape Kennedy, or whatever it’s called. You’ve seen it before in Dan Brown books, in other middling thrillers; “Hold on, I don’t understand..." “It's really very simple..." (then 5 minutes/5 paragraphs uninterrupted talk on how speed of light etc works). “So, let me see if I've got this right..." (Regurgitate in slightly different form what just been told, adding a couple of things previously seen on Nat Geo channel). “That’s incredibly astute of you…” (as is said here to establish someone’s 'astute' credibilities, which will clearly come in handy later on in book for devising ingenious/unlikely way out of impossible situation) and on with Physics, Module 1 - explanation, question and answer session for 10 pages. Forgetting that at the start of the section and a general theme for the story is “HURRY! WE HAVEN'T GOT MUCH TIME!!!" “Yes, but I’m gonna assume all the readers are incapable of taking in anything other than a straight-forward, easy to digest, plain as the nose on your face, assume our readers are idiots, explanation.” Over several pages. Like when the runaway scientist only has, by his own admission, minutes to live, he embarks on a thirteen-week correspondence course in advanced quantum physics. What he is actually doing, apart from irritating me, is surgically removing any tension. Why don’t writers called ‘Dan’ or 'Dean' or their editors, see this?
It is books like this that remind me why I like books simpler (on the surface). Books where problems are set up and solved by the characters figuring it out based on their knowledge and character, rather than money having been thrown at it before or after. I’d rather have an old geezer trying to work out why a chalk mark on a wall is where it is, than a yacht big enough to land a helicopter on and a private army dressed in identical jumpsuits.
In a nutshell, a mixture of Denzel Washington’s ‘Deja Vu’, that future crime film with Tom Cruise and the James Bond one with the world media-mogul person, ‘Carver’ was it? Shaken, not stirred, into pure bollocks.
Well, not quite ‘from there’ there’s more. What if I tell you, that someone who is the son of a scientist involved in the development of the US atom bomb or something, seems now to be a fund-raising conservationist involved helping after natural disasters and has, oh dear god…harnessed a black hole in an undersea lab…I know… Mix in some Bermuda Triangle stuff, some race against time stuff and the non-appearance of James Bond and we’re good to go.
It isn’t quite in Clive Cussler territory. There’s no one called ‘Dirk’ for instance. However, consider, if you will: “I want to find and retrieve it before the damned media start swimming around like hyenas looking for corpses.” Swimming Hyenas? Bong! “…a realization thundered through the field of her awareness." Bong!! “…all you've done is stand on his coat tails." Bong!!! Then, if you’ve read other reviews by me, you’ll know my scepticism about people - normal people - ever talking about their ’soul.’ They don’t. Outside cheap thrillers and Deep Purple live albums. But now we have a guy whose fiancé's disappearance "...had left in its wake a chilling vacuum in his soul..." Is that something you'd tell a mate? Would you take that to the doctor? Would a friend, acquaintance, or even a passing stranger, say that to you? Bong!!!! Off the scale!!!
I admit missed how they deactivated the black hole in the end, if they did. I can’t quite think why I missed it - either I looked out the window at that point, or he didn’t actually write how they got shot of it amongst all the bangs and water and whathaveyou. You knew it was all gonna end either with him dying in a huge explosion which also destroys all his ‘work,’ or being led away in handcuffs, muttering about it having ‘worked, if not for you meddling kids.’ But, in the final reckoning, there’s no getting away from the fact that the good guys escape after being in the same room as/dragged into a black hole! Not a theory I’d like to’ve run past Carl Sagan.
As Dean can’t, or isn’t a good enough writer to, work the time-travel mechanics in to the story naturally, he has the characters being lectured to, disguised as a conversation, by an expert at Cape Kennedy, or whatever it’s called. You’ve seen it before in Dan Brown books, in other middling thrillers; “Hold on, I don’t understand..." “It's really very simple..." (then 5 minutes/5 paragraphs uninterrupted talk on how speed of light etc works). “So, let me see if I've got this right..." (Regurgitate in slightly different form what just been told, adding a couple of things previously seen on Nat Geo channel). “That’s incredibly astute of you…” (as is said here to establish someone’s 'astute' credibilities, which will clearly come in handy later on in book for devising ingenious/unlikely way out of impossible situation) and on with Physics, Module 1 - explanation, question and answer session for 10 pages. Forgetting that at the start of the section and a general theme for the story is “HURRY! WE HAVEN'T GOT MUCH TIME!!!" “Yes, but I’m gonna assume all the readers are incapable of taking in anything other than a straight-forward, easy to digest, plain as the nose on your face, assume our readers are idiots, explanation.” Over several pages. Like when the runaway scientist only has, by his own admission, minutes to live, he embarks on a thirteen-week correspondence course in advanced quantum physics. What he is actually doing, apart from irritating me, is surgically removing any tension. Why don’t writers called ‘Dan’ or 'Dean' or their editors, see this?
It is books like this that remind me why I like books simpler (on the surface). Books where problems are set up and solved by the characters figuring it out based on their knowledge and character, rather than money having been thrown at it before or after. I’d rather have an old geezer trying to work out why a chalk mark on a wall is where it is, than a yacht big enough to land a helicopter on and a private army dressed in identical jumpsuits.
In a nutshell, a mixture of Denzel Washington’s ‘Deja Vu’, that future crime film with Tom Cruise and the James Bond one with the world media-mogul person, ‘Carver’ was it? Shaken, not stirred, into pure bollocks.
February 25, 2014
On the face of it, Apocalypse is a fairly standard action-thriller, one in a series with Ethan Warner, a familiar kind of physically impressive action hero, and his side-kick, Nicola Lopez.
However, Crawford includes a really pretty interesting time-related mystery element that lends genuine suspense to the story. There's another surprising (virtual reality) element that is immaculately conceived and incorporated. In fact, the book includes a number of intriguing, plausibly presented, if ultimately whacky science-based concepts that lift it into the giddy heights of proper science fiction.
Typically, in the genre of high concept action thrillers, with villains of one flavour or another threatening "life as we know it", the political stance will tend to be fairly conservative in outlook. Yet Crawford manages to sneak in (brilliantly succinct) radical observations about our socio-political world, and the difficulties facing even ethical leaders like Barack Obama: "There were approximately seven billion people on earth, yet their lives were governed by just a few thousand politicians, many of whom struggled to serve honorably under the crippling demands of corporate capitalism, the twisting arm of the media and the machinations of countless narrow-minded pressure groups concerned only with their own personal or religious views of the world... No president, no matter how adept, could reach the White House without asserting their belief in God, despite the fact that nobody on earth even knew if any such deity existed."
In framing the villain(s) of the story, Crawford includes telling indictments of the hidden evil face of capitalism and the ruthlessness of the legendary neo-conservative industrial military complex operating out of the USA, the UK and the rest of the western bloc and its use of "economic shock-therapy... used to break communist state-controlled economies and replace them with capitalist free markets... the cause of the collapse of economies, the murders of millions of people and the transformation of governments into regimes as bad as anything communism had to offer... [and the] natural extension of economic shock-therapy [which] happened under Reagan here in America, under Thatcher in the UK, under Gorbachev in the former Soviet Union, Pinochet in Chile.. privatisation".
The book ends very impressively, with an exciting, suspenseful and very original action set piece that reads like a collaboration between Ian Fleming, Salvador Dali and Einstein,
All in all, this book deserves to stand pretty well shoulder to shoulder with the novels of the Michael Crichton or a Scott Sigler novel such as Ancestor.
However, Crawford includes a really pretty interesting time-related mystery element that lends genuine suspense to the story. There's another surprising (virtual reality) element that is immaculately conceived and incorporated. In fact, the book includes a number of intriguing, plausibly presented, if ultimately whacky science-based concepts that lift it into the giddy heights of proper science fiction.
Typically, in the genre of high concept action thrillers, with villains of one flavour or another threatening "life as we know it", the political stance will tend to be fairly conservative in outlook. Yet Crawford manages to sneak in (brilliantly succinct) radical observations about our socio-political world, and the difficulties facing even ethical leaders like Barack Obama: "There were approximately seven billion people on earth, yet their lives were governed by just a few thousand politicians, many of whom struggled to serve honorably under the crippling demands of corporate capitalism, the twisting arm of the media and the machinations of countless narrow-minded pressure groups concerned only with their own personal or religious views of the world... No president, no matter how adept, could reach the White House without asserting their belief in God, despite the fact that nobody on earth even knew if any such deity existed."
In framing the villain(s) of the story, Crawford includes telling indictments of the hidden evil face of capitalism and the ruthlessness of the legendary neo-conservative industrial military complex operating out of the USA, the UK and the rest of the western bloc and its use of "economic shock-therapy... used to break communist state-controlled economies and replace them with capitalist free markets... the cause of the collapse of economies, the murders of millions of people and the transformation of governments into regimes as bad as anything communism had to offer... [and the] natural extension of economic shock-therapy [which] happened under Reagan here in America, under Thatcher in the UK, under Gorbachev in the former Soviet Union, Pinochet in Chile.. privatisation".
The book ends very impressively, with an exciting, suspenseful and very original action set piece that reads like a collaboration between Ian Fleming, Salvador Dali and Einstein,
All in all, this book deserves to stand pretty well shoulder to shoulder with the novels of the Michael Crichton or a Scott Sigler novel such as Ancestor.
March 28, 2014
I LOVE my job…especially when publishers approach me about reading books and series’ that I’m not familiar with. This latest release from author Dean Crawford is a perfect example; I have not read anything else he has written, nor have I heard of his protagonist, Ethan Warner, before. But I am now a devout fan of both, and I cannot wait to see what happens next with them. If you love mystery and intrigue with a nice dose of science, you will love APOCALYPSE!
Believe me when I say this is one of those books you simply cannot put down. I tore through it in four days, and that is saying something given it is 400+ pages in length. Once you start it, you won’t want to stop.
APOCALYPSE is written well with verb-stomping prose and action that truly packs a punch. Crawford does a masterful job of weaving storytelling in with legend and science. This aspect is particularly delightful for me, and I found myself comparing the author to names like James Rollins and Matthew Reilly.
The characters are damaged and believable, and although the villain sometimes seems a bit fantastical, it’s nothing that detracts from the book. If anything, it lightens it up a bit, almost in a James Bond villain sort of way. I like how Crawford did this, so as to not burden down the reader with someone too emotional heavy.
If I were forced to find a flaw with APOCALYPSE, I might have to confess that some of the concepts within the book seem a tiny bit over the top in some cases. This is in particular aimed towards the action. Some of the escape-from-certain-death scenarios seem…well…forced in a couple of places. Readers will have to suspend some major belief in a couple of these places.
Still, APOCALYPSE is a great novel and a fun read. Fans of action-packed mystery-thrillers will love this one. I enjoyed it immensely, and I suggest you give it a look for sure.
Believe me when I say this is one of those books you simply cannot put down. I tore through it in four days, and that is saying something given it is 400+ pages in length. Once you start it, you won’t want to stop.
APOCALYPSE is written well with verb-stomping prose and action that truly packs a punch. Crawford does a masterful job of weaving storytelling in with legend and science. This aspect is particularly delightful for me, and I found myself comparing the author to names like James Rollins and Matthew Reilly.
The characters are damaged and believable, and although the villain sometimes seems a bit fantastical, it’s nothing that detracts from the book. If anything, it lightens it up a bit, almost in a James Bond villain sort of way. I like how Crawford did this, so as to not burden down the reader with someone too emotional heavy.
If I were forced to find a flaw with APOCALYPSE, I might have to confess that some of the concepts within the book seem a tiny bit over the top in some cases. This is in particular aimed towards the action. Some of the escape-from-certain-death scenarios seem…well…forced in a couple of places. Readers will have to suspend some major belief in a couple of these places.
Still, APOCALYPSE is a great novel and a fun read. Fans of action-packed mystery-thrillers will love this one. I enjoyed it immensely, and I suggest you give it a look for sure.
March 11, 2014
3.0 out of 5 stars - "Time will tell..."
If you're in the mood for action and adventure featuring a team that is almost superhuman in their abilities and skills then this is the book for you! Although this is the third in a series featuring ex Marine and journalist Ethan Warner and his partner, Nicola Lopez, the novel stands alone as a science fiction suspense thriller that deals with topics ranging from black holes to foretelling the future.
The Defense Intelligence Agency whisks bail-bondsmen Ethan and Nicola from Chicago to a house in Coral Gables, Florida, to the Bahamas, to the Dominican Republic, to super secret high clearance facilities, to a hidden research center on the ocean floor. Who or what are they pursuing? A maniacal billionaire who thinks he has found the way to control time - world famous philanthropist Joaquin Abell who has a diabolical scheme to bend his ability to see into the future into something that may not exactly be in the best interests of mankind.
While they survive incredible predicaments and perils, you'll have to use all of your ability to suspend disbelief as Ethan and Nicola try to save the world! Many action sequences, brain twisting scientific explanations (I can't speak at all about the physics involved here with any degree of authority), and amazing skills will keep the reader turning the pages as quickly as possible to get to the end of this adventure.
Thank you to NetGalley and Touchstone for the e-book ARC to review.
If you're in the mood for action and adventure featuring a team that is almost superhuman in their abilities and skills then this is the book for you! Although this is the third in a series featuring ex Marine and journalist Ethan Warner and his partner, Nicola Lopez, the novel stands alone as a science fiction suspense thriller that deals with topics ranging from black holes to foretelling the future.
The Defense Intelligence Agency whisks bail-bondsmen Ethan and Nicola from Chicago to a house in Coral Gables, Florida, to the Bahamas, to the Dominican Republic, to super secret high clearance facilities, to a hidden research center on the ocean floor. Who or what are they pursuing? A maniacal billionaire who thinks he has found the way to control time - world famous philanthropist Joaquin Abell who has a diabolical scheme to bend his ability to see into the future into something that may not exactly be in the best interests of mankind.
While they survive incredible predicaments and perils, you'll have to use all of your ability to suspend disbelief as Ethan and Nicola try to save the world! Many action sequences, brain twisting scientific explanations (I can't speak at all about the physics involved here with any degree of authority), and amazing skills will keep the reader turning the pages as quickly as possible to get to the end of this adventure.
Thank you to NetGalley and Touchstone for the e-book ARC to review.
November 12, 2012
A fun and enjoyable thriller revolving around the intriguing idea of what would happen if a baddie could work out a way to control time. It would not be good... A very likeable hero in the shape of Ethan Warner and some great locations and set pieces. I give this book three stars instead of four because the female characters are not well developed at all and because there are elements of it which are too preposterous even for a thriller. Plus there was one moment which I can't mention here which did the novel some damage in my opinion. But Apocalypse did its job and kept me awake reading into the wee hours and I'll be buying the other Ethan Warner adventures, past and present.
Full review to follow shortly on http://forwinternights.wordpress.com/
Full review to follow shortly on http://forwinternights.wordpress.com/
December 10, 2012
I seriously don't feel smart enough to read these books!!! I've never professed to being particularly bright when it comes to all things scientific, but in some places, this went right over my head. I still don't understand the science of what was going on, but once I realised I never would, I just sat back and enjoyed the ride. I should point out that the lack of understanding was purely a lack on my own part, and not the author. I'm really warming to Ethan and Nicola and look forward to continuing reading their adventures.
October 22, 2013
A self-serving philanthrpoist with the age-old idea of creating natural disasters in order to be the first person on the scene is trailed by two bail bondsmen who become entangled in the plot after a physicist goes on the run after being accused of the brutal murder of his wife and daughter.
This was a well written, fast paced thriller. It caught my attention early on, and the ending was good, a slight cliffhanger though. Personally, I thought there was a bit of a lull in the middle of the novel, which did detract from the overall rating.
This was a well written, fast paced thriller. It caught my attention early on, and the ending was good, a slight cliffhanger though. Personally, I thought there was a bit of a lull in the middle of the novel, which did detract from the overall rating.
November 30, 2012
For someone who isn't too interested in science, these books make it come alive with their intricate plots and thrilling action. The fact you have a winning main protagonist in Ethan Warner and feisty partner Nicola Lopez along for the ride is a big bonus. The expanded role of Doug Jarvis and introduction of Scott Bryson helped freshen the series up further, while the gripping last few pages offered up two cliffhangers to leave me intrigued
June 2, 2013
Apocalypse is a vast improvement on Crawford's two previous Ethan Warner novels. This story was fast-paced, intelligent and informative, while still being comprehensible. I'm no science major, nor do I have any knowledge of physics but I managed to keep pace with the story line's complex information. I was glad to finally get some more information on Joanna, and the small cliff-hanger at the end set up for what I'm hoping to be another exciting action-packed thriller mystery.
March 19, 2014
This thriller races along at breakneck speed, so fast that it's often hard to keep up with where the principal characters are at any given point in time. A mix of science fact and fiction, if one is willing to dive right in and accept at face value all that is written, one will likely enjoy this exciting action adventure novel. Read our full review, here: http://www.mysteriousreviews.com/myst...
April 7, 2014
This book was so fucking amazing. Is there a sequel? Because I NEED one ASAP. I have so many post-it notes signing my favourite bits in the book.. I can't even choose which one is my favourite! It was entertaining from the beginning till the end, I never wanted to put it down. I think more people need to know about this book because it really was well written and a fun read. It was also so interesting! All the scientific stuff was so fun.
March 27, 2014
Very interesting premise: the ability to see forward in time using a man-made black hole, and two detectives on retainer with the DIA must find out why a man suspected of murdering his own family knows things before they happen.
The story is believably executed in a great action/adventure style reminiscent of Clive Cussler or James Rollins at their best.
Good stuff!
The story is believably executed in a great action/adventure style reminiscent of Clive Cussler or James Rollins at their best.
Good stuff!
December 6, 2012
This book got somewhat boring with all the quantum physics but the action/romance made up for the boredom. The author also ties up the earlier loose ends of the series amazingly well, while leaving the door open for more sequels later on.
December 11, 2012
A very enjoyable page turning read. Plenty of action that keeps you wanting more. It did have elements of a shockingly bad American channel 5 movie. But as a book it made me want read it as often as possible.....
April 3, 2014
Will science ever be able to predict the future? Who knows? But give a well known philanthropist/psychopath that ability and see what happens. I couldn’t put this one down. Now I'll have to find this author's previous books and add him to my life of favs.
February 2, 2013
Fun book, as were Crawford's other books with Ethan Warner as the hero!
January 9, 2019
Another episode in Ethan Warner's ongoing saga and if you are expecting any news on his much mentioned but never seen missing fiancé Jo, i'll stop you there and save you the hassle, this book does not deal with that matter, fingers crossed for the next one eh? This story however has the usual explosions, gun fights, macho (male and female) characters, twists, deaths and excitement of the previous entries, which is great. Worrying from my perspective is the oh so cliched " we worked together as friends but now we've discovered our love for each other" overtones, please dont let this happen, its boring, its predictable and it spoils the entire series, just look at the Wilde/Chase series as a prime example. A man and a woman can work together without falling in love, forget the crappy romance and concentrate on the action. Im reading these books in order and am very behind in the actual series, lets hope that my concerns are baseless. Recommended (at the moment)
June 27, 2021
I am a huge fan of the science fiction (not of the "in the faraway galaxy" variety) and this book delivers in spades.
It offers great characters, a really fast and diabolical plot and lots and lots of actions!
Even though some of the science stuff sort of sailed well above my head - but I gathered enough to get a general gist of how it all ties in with the plot.
Needles to say that I am going to find the rest of the series even if to find out more about the explosive revelations of the last few pages!
It offers great characters, a really fast and diabolical plot and lots and lots of actions!
Even though some of the science stuff sort of sailed well above my head - but I gathered enough to get a general gist of how it all ties in with the plot.
Needles to say that I am going to find the rest of the series even if to find out more about the explosive revelations of the last few pages!
November 5, 2018
Een paar prive detectives, man en vrouw, die bij een zaak geroepen worden door de overheid. Het is al vaak gedaan, en beter. De karakters zijn wandelende clichés en hoewel het een action packed verhaal is, had ik moeite om erdoor te geraken.
De beschreven technologie is ook te ver gezocht en het excuus waaraan het boek is opgehangen.
Niet geneigd om nog iets van deze auteur te lezen
De beschreven technologie is ook te ver gezocht en het excuus waaraan het boek is opgehangen.
Niet geneigd om nog iets van deze auteur te lezen
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2018
This book was brilliant. Picked it up at a hotel by chance. Not my typical read and i got a bit confused with some of the technological terms used but even so, i loved it from start to finish and the curious ending left me wanting more.
February 16, 2021
Honestly just plain silly, fun but silly. Unless I see another of his books free on Kindle, I don’t think I’ll bother actively seeking out any more of this series.
May 20, 2021
Very good thriller with tons of scientific detail.
September 6, 2021
good book
February 14, 2024
A real page turner, a really entertaining sci-fi action story
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