Arctic Wargame

Justin Hall #1

by Ethan Jones

Arctic Wargame is the first book in the wildly popular Justin Hall spy thriller series. It hit the Amazon's Top 100 Best Sellers in Suspense Thrillers list in July and October, standing at No. 11 and No. 8. Canadian Intelligence Service Agent Justin Hall--combat-hardened in operations throughout Northern Africa--has been demoted after a botched mission in Libya. When two foreign icebreakers appear in Canadian Arctic waters, Justin volunteers for the reconnaissance mission, eager to return to the field. His team discovers a foreign weapons cache deep in the Arctic, but they are not aware that a spy has infiltrated the Department of National Defense. The team begins to unravel a treasonous plan against Canada, but they fall under attack from one of their own. Disarmed and stripped of their survival gear, they are stranded in a remote location. Now the team must race against time not only to save themselves, but their country. Arctic Wargame is an action-packed spy thriller in the bestselling tradition of Portrait of a Spy, Rules of Betrayal and The Bourne Identity. Readers will enjoy a great tale of courage, fear and betrayal. The bonus content includes the prologue and the first six chapters of Tripoli's Target, the second book in this series, which came out on October 4.

Genres: Thriller, Adventure, Fiction, Action, Ebooks, Mystery, Drama

334 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Ethan Jones is an international bestselling author of over 50 assassin thriller and suspense novels. His books have sold over two hundred thousand copies in over seventy countries. Ethan has lived in four continents. He has worked for the American Embassy and does mission work around the globe. He’s a lawyer by trade.

His goal is to provide clean, clever and white-knuckled entertainment for his valued readers. Free of sex, language, or excessive violence, but full of fast-paced, action-packed suspense with unsuspecting twists and turns.

When he’s not writing or researching, you can find Ethan helping, hiking, hanging out with family/friends, or traveling the world.

Check out Ethan's website ethanjonesbooks.com to learn more and to sign up to Ethan's Exclusives which includes updates, deals, and a free starter pack.

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Reviews

[Zain · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Story Filled With Action!

From Canada, of all places! Yeah, I said it. I’ve just never read a Canadian action thriller before. And not only is this my first one, but it’s awesome!

Is awesome an overused word? What about majestic? Stupendous? Exceptional? Are words able to express my feelings of joy and contentment?

I’m trying to tell you how much I enjoyed this book.

Justin Hall is a member of the Canadian Intelligence Service. He and his team are investigating suspicious activities by the government of Denmark.

They believe that rogue operatives, working with the Russian government are plotting to invade their country. When they are sent to investigate, they are betrayed and their lives are endangered.

And the brutal action kicks off from there! The book is very fascinating, fast paced and functional. And don’t forget, it’s filled with action. Zoom! Zoom! Zoom!

The author even supplies us with a map to help us keep up with the locations, and as a map lover, this is special for me.

For the lovers of action thrillers, l recommend that you give this book a try. And if you’ve already read it, are you enjoying the series?

I am...five stars 💫💫💫💫💫

[Todd Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply Splendid. I really enjoy a story that starts out with a bang and gets straight into the action. Ethan Jones has an obvious talent for writing Action Thrillers, and this book certainly shows that. I’m thrilled to see that there are currently 15 books in this series, and after enjoying this one so much I’ll definitely be reading them. Justin Hall is a great character, I love his skills and his never say die attitude. There was also plenty of things happening throughout the story that made this book thoroughly entertaining.
Justin understood why he was stuck doing desk duties after what happened in Libya, when he broke out of the jail, however it couldn’t be helped that he and Abdul had to shoot their way out, and kill a number of guards in the process. Justin worked for the Canadian Intelligence Service, and he was itching to get back out into the field. As it so happened a couple of ice breakers just off the coast of Combermere, south east of Ellesmere Island, and the CIS weren’t happy that they were in Canadian territorial waters. They had no idea what country they were from, Russia was their first thought. Justin took a small team with him to go and investigate, and what they found out there was quite a surprise. It was just a lot more dangerous than they were expecting. Easily worth the 5/5 Star Rating.

[Issa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Canada our home and native land... Land of numerous Justin's from Trudeau to Beiber to now special ops forces soldier Justin Hall. The first in the series of new books. Starts off in Libya where the consequences of that mission end up affecting CSIS agent Hall reputation so he's sent on a special Arctic war games simulation which ends up being more than just a drill
Fun book well written and hopefully the start of new franchise for this character

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a pleasure to read. It was a well written story, very descriptive. It reminded me of a Desmond Bageley book, and that is high praise indeed. Highly recommend this

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to the world of espionage, devious planning,
courage, fear, betrayal and adventure involving the
Canadian Intelligence Secret Service.
We will travel with Justin Hill, Canadian
Intelligence Service Agent who has just escaped
from a Libyan jail when his mission went awry.
Now to redeem himself, Justin volunteers to go to
the Artic where two unidentified icebreakers
appear in the Canadian waters north of the Artic.
His investigative team is made up of Carrie O’Connor
his partner , Alisha Gunn who is the chief of the
Defense Intelligence Section and Anna Worthley
who is attached to the Canadian legal services..
This is the introductory book in the Justin Hall
spy series. It is action packed with unique characters.
I especially enjoyed meeting the Artic inhabitants
and the loyalty they had for each other.
I also enjoyed learning more about Artic
geography. The plot moves along smoothly even
with twists and turns used to enhance the story.
Plan on reading in one or two sessions as the story
will hold you capture until the end.
The first six chapters of the next Justin Hall series,
Tripoli’s Target is included at the end of this book.
I had to quick downloaded this second book in the
series to continue the story.

[Chris Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel, formerly known as Arctic Wargame, introduces Justin Hall and Carrie O’Connor. This series has gone on to be extremely successful and you can see why from this first adventure. Justin and Carrie are working in the frozen north of Canada trying to discover if there is something that threatens the security of their country. Ethan Jones brings the setting to life so well you might find yourself feeling a bit chilly! There’s plenty of action and double dealing along the way. This book has the feel of a big action movie with several action filled scenes along the way before the huge climatic finale. That said, it’s not just action though as the author weaves the action scenes perfectly into a complex story full of engrossing characters. A page, or even a word, is never wasted in pushing the story onwards. New readers might like to know that the author works hard to make his books work as standalone thrillers as well as being part of a series. I’ve read a lot of the books that feature later in this particular series and don’t feel any have suffered from being read out of sequence. Overall, this is a truly thrilling action filled spy story.

[Read Ng · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an ePub book given to me by the author. What a nice holiday surprise. I have since withdrawn from the Giveaway to give others a better chance to read this book.

The plot line was okay and had its highs and lows. I did not get super excited by the hero. It just seemed that the Canadian spy, was reaching too far. It's not that I don't believe the Canadians have a spy network, its just that I am not compelled to get behind this character. Perhaps I found the dialog not realistic enough. I was hoping and prepared to purchase more of the Justin Hall series, but in the end, I don't feel it is worth the effort.

Anyway, have a Happy Holidays! Now go out and have a GoodReads.

[Linda Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was thrilling and a good read to boot so yes loved this book and Iwould like to know where the rest of the book went as I don't thing I got it all but I mite be wrong the book only had 98 pages so if some one can tell me if that was it or not and were to get the rest of the book and again my thanks to the author Ethan Jones for the good grace to let me read his good book so with all that said keep smiling and happy reading to all with love from wee me.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[PJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Justin always seems to find trouble wherever he goes, but he somehow manages to survive, as heroes should.

This time he is in the Arctic. It's freezing, there's lots of snow and ice causing challenges. I don't want to give too much away.

I have read several books in the Justin Hall series, not in order, haha. They are all stand-alone books, so they don't leave you hanging or force you to buy the next book in the series to find out what happens. I love that. This is the first book in the series.

[Wulf Krueger · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review may contain spoilers!

Since I got this book in a give-away, I really hoped I'd like it. Alas, it was not to be.

First of all, the plot is thin. Thinner than a sheet of ice on a puddle. Evil Danes (or rather: a single evil Dane, being blackmailed by clichée russians) attacking Canada with a bunch of common criminals.

On the other side are some non-descript Canadians (our bland hero), some noble natives (one of them constantly drunk, corrupted by the evil white men!) and a compassionate American nurse which fight the evil criminal Danes. Oh, and there's the hero's love interest who happens to be around for no discernible reason - she adds nothing to the story, doesn't seem to have any useful talents and is usually just being an accessory.

I'm absolutely willing to suspend my disbelief; I might even have accepted the ridiculous notion of a small country like Denmark attacking Canada, an ally, if the storytelling hadn't been so incredibly boring. The entire story is so unbelievably predictable that only a feeling of obligation towards the author made me finish it.

The characters are so one-dimensional and uninteresting, I didn't even care who was going to win (even though there never was any doubt), live or die. None of them are fleshed out enough to even remotely care about any of them - the heroes are always virtuous and brave, the villains are always bad and evil and the two not-so-evil Danes are daft and boring - one of them suspects something's not right from the very beginning, then witnesses a cold-blooded murder but instead of notifying his boss' (the single evil Dane) superiors and ending things right there and then, just plays along - endangering his life and that of his partner.

The one endearing quality of this book is its shortness - I finished it as quickly as I will have forgotten about it completely.

If you want a real thriller in an arctic setting, get "Ice Station Zebra" by Alistair MacLean and stay away from this book.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat confusing, but very thrilling. For being trained agents, Justin and his crew seemed very naïve and gullible. And when rescued from sure death by Americans, they were not very thankful. I didn't really find the premise of the story very believable, either. The characters were well-written, though without more background, seemed somewhat unbelievable. For book 1 in the series, I think there should have been more information provided. Still, it was a mostly enjoyable and very quick read.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Thriller

A good international thriller with a reasonable premise and unexpected twists and turns that keep the reader turning pages and on the edge of their seat.

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading a fair amount of fiction by brand new authors lately and I continue to be pleasantly surprised at the high quality that exists out there. In this debut novel, Ethan Jones has created an interesting story with intriguing characters and a compelling plot. It's well-paced and it's easy to get lost in this world of the Canadian Intelligence Service. It’s really nice to read a novel of this type in this day and age that doesn’t deal with Middle Eastern terrorists.

Unlike most of Mr. Jones readers, I’m sure, I have been to Thule Air Base in Greenland and know a lot about how it is set up and operates. So most readers won’t know of the factual errors that lie within this novel, and it really doesn’t make any difference to the overall story. But I would encourage the author to spend a little more time in fact checking or else risk impertinent readers like me pointing out mistakes. For example, all active duty nurses within the US Air Force are officers, whereas one of the minor characters here has the rank of “Sergeant”. A minor error I suppose but it made me wonder how much of the cool arctic warfare stuff is really inaccurate also.
Good overall story though and I’m glad to see the next in the series coming out this fall.

[Nourhen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic copy of this book from the author himself in exchange for an honest review, after entering a Goodreads giveaway and not winning. I believe this is the first thriller book I read. I took a chance with it and I was not disappointed.

“Arctic Wargame” is well written and fast paced. It literally kept me on the edge of my seat, and I finished it in a couple of settings. I liked entering the word of espionage for the first time with the Canadian Intelligence Secret Service Agent Justin Hall. It is the first book in a series and the characters are not well developed, but I guess it was intentional. This way we will have something to look forward to in the next books. It is an action-driven thriller and what really kept me eager to finish it was the action not the characters or the description.

Overall, it was a quick and pleasurable read and a good introduction to this genre. I highly recommend it.

[Bill Thibadeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another GREAT debut novel. This time from a Canadian lawyer. I only read indie authors and continue to be highly impressed by the fine offerings by the newbies.

This book is about an invasion of Arctic Canada by an implausible aggressive European mini-country. Ethan makes that implausible plot line work using a twist on the aggressors. The Canadian characters, including the indigenous arctic dwellers,are well crafted. You can actually "feel" them and the relationships between them.

The storyline is very fast paced and never really lapses. I was engrossed in the story and found myself withing it was much longer so I could keep reading. The Arctic Wargame is highly recommended for anyone that enjoys a good action tale.

Buy this book and support this author. I want him to continue writing.

[Marty Langenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book in one sitting so it's fair to say, I really enjoyed it. Before writing my review I read some of the other reviews posted here and was surprised by the extreme negativity of some. Apparently, the author does not know much about helicopters! Guess what - neither do I! Neither do most readers of spy thrillers. So what? This is not a book about how to fly a helicopter. Justin and Carrie are larger than life. It's what I expect from a spy thriller. Like James Bond and those that came before and after him.

The premise of the story is critical. To find a new angle for a spy thriller is not easy - so many are just a twist on the old USA v USSR. Ethan has found a new angle. I enjoyed it immensely.

I took off a star because the services of a good editor are still needed.

[Stephanie Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Canada, Russia, Denmark or the United States, who should control the waters in the Canadian Arctic waters. Right now, the Canadians own it, but who is trying to control it? Two unidentified icebreakers start an investigation by the Canadian Intelligence Service. Agent Justin Hall is determined to find out who they are and what they want. Taking his team into some of the coldest areas, the are about to fight for Canada, and their lives.

Well written, page turner, who can you trust and who do you believe. If you like adventure from the eyes of an agent doing his job, with a touch of romance thrown in for good measure, read Arctic Wargame.

[dennis barron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Canadian Assassin Ethan Jones

Two apparently foreign ships have appeared in Canadian controlled Arctic waters. Canadian intelligence agent Justin Hall and a small team are dispatched to investigate further. Early evidence suggests it's a Danish plot to gain further control and dominance. In reality it's the Russians who are In control. They have blackmailed Danish officials by kidnapping family members and threatening to kill them if they do not follow their orders. A Canadian traitor working with the Russians is also part of Justin's team. Non stop action, betrayal, suspense from the first to last page. An excellent read!!!

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Canadian Assassin - a review by Rosemary Kenny.

Justin Hall and fellow CSI agent Carrie O'Connor are both part of the CIS, (supposedly the Canadian version of the FBI).

When unidentified warships are spotted off the Canadian coastline, Carrie and Justin are sent to investigate and report to their superiors. Instead they end up taking on around 100 (luckily badly trained), Russian enemy troops, thus ensuring national safety and peace reign once again.

Suspend disbelief as you enjoy this Mission Impossible-like, spy adventure and look forward to the next in series, from Justin Hall and his creator Ethan Jones.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 5 out of 5]

When two unidentified icebreakers show up in Canadian waters north of the Arctic Circle, the Canadian Intelligence Service sends a team to investigate under Justin Hall. A traitor stands Hall and two other members of the team at the invasion site chosen by the Danes who want the region. An intriguing read full of action. I really injured this thriller. This was a free review copy from the author.

[Martin Pingree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an absolute blast to read ! Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. Great storyline with a Canadian intelligence agent and a whole group of amazing characters. If you like spy thrillers you'll love this book !

[Ron Herring · Rating 5 out of 5]

Realistic and well-written. Edge-of-the-seat thrills and spills.

[Bill Redmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Canadian spy novel. It was exciting and a very good read.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10, Ghadames, Libya (Prison). Agent Justin Hall (Canadian Intelligence Service) &
Abdul (contact, Libya’s Internal Security Agency) had been captured & now were in a holding cell.
Ottawa, Canada. Canadian Intelligence Service Headquarters. Carrie O’Connor (CIS, former Joint Task Force 2, counter-terrorism unit Special Operations Forces, Afghanistan) & Justin were on suspension pending the internal inquiry.
Claire Johnson (CIS Director, North Africa) introduced Colonel Alisha Gunn (NDHQ, chief of the Defense Intelligence Section (DIS, Ottawa, Canada) & Anna Worthley (Operational Liaison Legal Services) to Carrie (HAC) & Justin.
The 2 read the report from the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) which is Canada’s national cryptologic agency.

4/12, Grise Fiord, Canada. What did Nuqatlak (m, died) want Justin, Carrie, Anna & Kiawak Kusugak (Canadian Ranger) to find?
Mr. Sargon Beyda (terrorist) had been found guilty & was being taken to the Horsens Penitentiary & then transferred to the Copenhagen Prison (Denmark).
Inspector Bruin Roby was in charge.
SA Magnus Torbjorn (Politiets Efterretningstjeneste) & SA Valgerda Hassing (f, PE) pulled the transport group over.
SA Torbjorn & SA Hassing were taking Sargon close by Lake Søndersø to get information from him.

What happened to Carrie O’Conner (piolet)?
Who is Magnus Torbjorn?

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. A very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free Melanie Tomlin; Easy Reader Press; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Canadian Assassin by Ethan Jones
Starts with a short synopsis of the storyline, praise for the authors works, , table of contents,
story itself and bonus story: Tripoli's Target Epigraph
I have not read any books in this series but like the author's style of writing from other series.
Dedication page then the story starts and we find Justin Hall imprisioned...
After they are able to escape Justin and his side kick Carrie are given another assignnment together, at the North Pole along with agents from another agency.
They are looking for clues about the icebreakers and where they came from, why they were there, and any other details.
During one outting they get out to investigate and the mole pops up with a gun. Removes all the others guns and takes the helicopter...
In Denmark there are groups discussing the tactics and they learn of a threat.
Like hearing from both sides of what's going on in their specific areas as it's all the same location.
I loved this story but I had to put an extra sweater on to finish it as the author made me feel as if I was there in wicked cold area.
Action, adventure, mysteries, travel, spies, romance, guns, copters, everything military but civilian as well. There is so much to this story.
Strategies and procedures and maneuvers as things go wrong they have backup plans to rely on.
Epilogue Carrie and Justin discuss with their boss the expedition they had just returned from and are handed a new assignment.
Sample chapters of Tripoli's Target is enclosed. North Africa, Libya area to gain some intel.
Acknowledgements are also enclosed. Other works by the author are highlighted at the end. About the author is enclosed.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.

[TaniaRina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just LOVE it when authors provide place names in their books so I can join the ride via Google Maps. Regardless of how vividly a locale is described, nothing beats a visual for me. I was hopping all over NE Canada, Greenland, Denmark, and NW Russia the entire time.

I grew up during the Cold War and have not yet grown out of Russian spy stories (no apologies – they’re fiction to me). But wait…is it the Russians this time?

Somehow or another, Hall can keep a straight face while lying through his teeth for a cover story with a foreign military or while planning an escape route. And the author made those scenes plausible (not all can or do).

Many of the characters are indigenous and their names reflect that. Very appropriate for this area of the world. The reader gets treated to a short history of the area before the white man arrived.


I want to read more in this series and also by this author.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Canadian intelligence agent Justin Hall and other agents fly to the Canadian arctic to investigate the appearance of mysterious ice breakers in their territorial waters. The soon discover that someone has been selling military style weapons and further investigation reveals that they came form a looted storage hut in and isolated bay. What happens next would be a spoiler so I won't reveal it. What does become apparent is the there is a plot to militarily take control of the Northwest Passage by purported a Danish military unit. Action and intrigue in cold north. Brrrrrr.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided a copy of this book and really enjoyed it. I found it to be action packed just like a movie. In fact, it would make a good movie or good intriguing tv show. I found it suspenseful, thrilling and well written. would read more books of the authors

[Peter Galbraith · Rating 1 out of 5]

While reading this book, I made 42 annotations in my kobo about parts that just didn't work for me; that's a record!


I am Canadian. We don't use degree Fahrenheit (we use degC), don't use miles (we use km), and -2F isn't so cold that you need to shiver all the time. Nanisivik was closed down after the mine closed in 2002. Radarsat II is a civilian satellite operated by the Canadian Space Agency (not military) and a single operative couldn't blur its imaging; too bad the bad plot depended on it. Most small arctic communities use ATVs and snowmobile, not pickup trucks.

The following contains spoilers.

It seems that not only are many people licensed helicopter pilot in this book even if that's not their job, but they can lease and fly a military Eurocopter NH90 (not operated by either the Canadian or US military BTW) equipped with multi-million dollar imaging equipment, and instantly know know to operate it. Of course it's easier than in real life when you nudge the throttle to gain altitude or go faster (the author has no idea how helicopters work). Later, they roll out a Bell 212 under power, which doesn't have wheels, fly away in a US military helicopter that happened to be fueled up and fully armed with live munitions, including Hellfire missiles. Of course they know how to use this gear; no training necessary. They later program target coordinates into a laser-targeted missile (you need to shot a laser at your target that the missile can home onto, which they don't do).

But before that, trapped alone in the high arctic in April, they made a raft to go into Baffin Bay (at a time of year close to the seasonal max sea-ice cover). Most people trapped on the water would try to get to land! Later, they invent a story about being in a small boat that capsized. You'd need a heavy icebreaker to be up there in April!

About the story... They go up to the Arctic to investigate the presence of foreign icebreakers. When they find out what is going on and get rescued by the US military and are in a position to report back, they don't. They don't ask to talk to the Canadian Government. Instead they steal a fully-armed helicopter from the US military. In flight they don't contact the Canadian Government. When they land they don't contact the Canadian Government. A bit later, the phones don't work, yet there's this magic satellite phone that can connect to a military communication satellite, but can only dial to military numbers. The people they talk to don't believe their story, and no request is made to contact their bosses at CIS. So they recruit civilians to fight off a foreign invasion, which the US military knows about but won't help with nor contact Canadian authorities. An invasion for what? Control of the northwest passage. Like Canada would say "Oh, 100 foreign soldiers took a small town in the Arctic, so I guess that country owns the NW passage now." Huh? There is no logic here, no story here.

When the fight was over, I figured we were half-way through the book and we'd find out why a foreign country would try to make it look like another foreign country invaded Canada, and the plot would thicken. But no. Epilogue. The story is wrapped up with all its holes still there.

This book is really, really bad.

[Nancy Panko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this fast-paced, well-written book. The plot had me turning the pages to see what was coming next. I recommend this book.