Shock Wave

Bill Tasker #2

by James O. Born

FDLE agent Bill Tasker, still angry over a near-fatal run-in with the FBI, reluctantly teams up with bureau once again to find a stolen Stinger Missile, only to find himself in deep trouble with his boss, the FBI, the ATF, and a vicious bomber who will do anything to keep from being caught. By the author of Walking Money.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime

287 pages, Hardcover

First published April 21, 2005

About the author

James O. Born is a Special Agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). He has been involved in investigations in such areas as organized crime, violent crimes, economic crimes, drug cartels, and public corruption. It has now been fourteen years since Born started writing, and ironically, he has the same editor as W E B Griffin and Tom Clancy - the very authors he spent his time reading during those long surveillances years ago. Born currently lives in suburban Palm Beach County with his wife Donna, and two children, John and Emily.

Series:
* Bill Tasker
* Alex Duarte

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Florida cop Bill Tasker gets involved in stopping a multiple murderer, but the bureaucracy and the typical Florida craziness make it a lot harder than it needs to be. Plus everybody is trying to get in the sack with the only woman on the task force, which doesn't make things easier.

Pretty good, but not among the elite of Florida craziness novels.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a funny book.... Picked this up as the author is from Florida, a former FDLE agent.. What a good satirical read

[Spenser · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good solid 4 star read. The Tasker character is likable and entertaining. Tasker is an Agent with FDLE (Florida's real life version of a statewide law enforcement investigative agency). I found myself laughing out loud at some of the dialogue as the 'cops' spoke with each other in what I know to be truisms. Born is also accurate in his description of inter-agency cooperation as it relates to local law enforcement and federal LEOs. In short, Born tells it like it is. I found the book entertaining and fun to read as a quasi-police procedural. I look forward to reading this series.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tasker is a cop that doesn't seem to get along with other law enforcement agencies. Throughout this novel, he has information that he tries to share with those who could do something about it and they will not listen. So he is forced to go rogue and try to apprehend a bomber and prevent a future bombing. The novel was good and interesting but I'm not sure if I will read any other Born novels.

[Rick Brounstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tasker a fun series

Easy read. Fun story. Good guys beyond Bill part of the mystery. You even admire the obvious bad guy. Great 👍 for the airplane. Looking forward to book3.

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay story. Author doesn't know much about how to operate a semi-truck.

[Kara Jorges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent Bill Tasker has a grudge against the FBI since a corrupt agent tried to frame him. When he sees the FBI zealously pursuing the wrong man in a missile transaction, he doesn’t hesitate to set things right. The action doesn’t earn him any friends at the agency, so when he uncovers evidence that family man Daniel Wells may not have been guilty of trafficking a Stinger missile, but probably was guilty of a cruise ship bombing that resulted in the death of a baggage handler two years ago, the FBI isn’t very willing to help. Tasker isn’t without friends, however, and he and his partner from the Miami PD, Derek Sutter, team up with attractive ATF agent Camy Parks and her racially challenged boyfriend, FBI agent Jimmy Lail. Together, they scour Miami for any trace of the suddenly missing Daniel Wells, his lovely wife Alicia, or his three children. Every time they think they’re making progress tracking Wells, the bomber is one step ahead of them, and they’re running out of time because Bill Tasker knows he’s got something big and explosive planned for Miami; he just isn’t sure what, when, or where. Meanwhile, Daniel Wells prepares to create the chaotic scene of a lifetime, something much more terrifying and disruptive than any team of terrorists could put together after years of planning.

While a newcomer on the crowded Florida crime fiction writer block, Born has created an engaging cast of characters, managing to show the points of view of both the cops and their quarry with equal aplomb. Daniel Wells isn’t normal, but he’s also not a raving, hateful bad guy. He’s even almost likeable. The cop characters are also shown close up, quirky and flawed, from Jimmy Lail, whose racist parents pushed him to defy them in a way that annoys everyone, Camy Parks, who’s always on the make and has trouble choosing from the array of possibilities, Derek Sutter, who bemusedly watches everyone else’s interactions between strip club surveillance, to Bill Tasker, whose obsessive nature helps him solve cases but also destroyed his marriage. There are just as many tense moments as chuckles interspersed throughout a fairly well-drawn mystery with a couple twists and turns. Everything from the story line to the characters works here, woven together into a Florida police procedural crime caper. Fans of Dorsey and Hiaasen, as well as fans of more mainstream mysteries should all find something to like here. I eagerly await Mr. Born’s next novel.

[Lukasz Pruski · Rating 1 out of 5]

The very beginning of James O. Born’s “Shock Wave” read like an average thriller. As the plot progressed though, it became less and less believable, and the writing became inane and free of any depth.

The novel reads like a very young teenager’s vision of how FBI or ATF agents and police detectives work. The actions of cliché characters are psychologically improbable. The motivations of various fake conflicts between the characters are contrived. The procedure in this apparent “procedural” is totally implausible, which is not good if we consider that Mr. Born is supposed to work for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The agents/detectives/officers behave as if they were private investigators. Their relationships are juvenile. They pull pranks on each other during surveillance jobs. The ending is so ridiculously absurd that it has been painful to read. To sum it up, “Shock Wave” is a long way below mediocre.

One star.

[Stacei · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story

2nd book in the series and totally different from the 1st. Did not know where this was going for quite awhile. Bill Tasker is having trouble with the FBI again. He is getting help from his friend and Miami police officer Derrick Sutter. Getting the bad guy is all that matters to Bill, and he is determined to make sure he does. It is a grat book and I recommend you read it now

[Lori]

I like a good book set in Florida! Makes it moreinteresting and fun to know the spots they're writing about. Fisrt I've read by theis fella-he does a good job. Likeable main character-some humor, action, and romance! Would make a good movie too!

[Donna Kass]

I love the way this guy writes - also that it's set in Miami.

[Jeffrey Philips · Rating 4 out of 5]

You have to love a book that involves a "stinger" missile.

[Rosemary Generali · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read. Police action. Great main character. Kinda' reminiscent of Bruce Willis in Die Hard, but not as intense overall. Some uncommonly funny parts.

[Bo Frazer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific under-rated writer, at times tense and at other times LOL in a wonderful dark way.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is Tasker vs. a bomb maker in this enjoyable thriller. Nothing stands out about this story, but it does keep you guessing. Enjoyable.

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Modern

[Charlene Gordon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Typical Dirk Pitt book, fun to read but doesn't improve your IQ. Read in 1997.

[sl337litchair · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy read, and I found it very funny. Bill Tasker is a stand up guy, who doesn't like the FBI. Can't say I blame, but it makes his life uncomfortable. Also leads to funny interactions.