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Cavanaugh #1

by David Morrell

From First Blood to The Fifth Profession, New York Times bestselling author David Morrell has delivered more high-octane thrills than any writer of his time. Here he shows his readers the secrets of real-life covert operators--and takes action to a whole new level.

Know him. See him. Stop him--or die. No one knows his real name or where he lives. Trained by Delta Force, calm in moments of absolute terror, Cavanaugh works as a protector for those rich enough to afford him and his team, stopping threats before they strike--silently, swiftly, and lethally. His latest assignment is to protect a brilliant scientist named Prescott, who has a secret so extraordinary he needs to disappear and adopt a new identity. For Cavanaugh, helping Daniel Prescott is just another job. Then it explodes, Prescott vanishes, and the protector finds himself in a fast, furious battle for his life.

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

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

David Morrell is a Canadian novelist from Kitchener, Ontario, who has been living in the United States for a number of years. He is best known for his debut 1972 novel First Blood, which would later become a successful film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone. More recently, he has been writing the Captain America comic books limited-series The Chosen.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a hot streak with good stories and this is another action adventure.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Morrell, the guy who gave the world Rambo back in 1972 with First Blood, still writes military thrillers 30 years later as evidenced by The Protector. 'Cavanaugh' features as our main protagonist here, as aptly enough, a 'protector'. While bodyguards are basically big apes with guns, protectors are highly trained agents to mitigate risk for their clients. Cavanaugh (his working name, we never learn his real one) is former special forces (of course) and now works for a protection firm under his old commander.

It seems the firm may have a potential new client, someone who wants to disappear permanently. While a bit unusual, the firm has provided such services before for wealthy individuals. This client, Prescott, insists on a 'one on one' before he agrees with the firm and they send Cavanaugh out for a chat. Turns out the guy is holed up in an old warehouse near Newark, NJ. Prescott's story is that he worked for the DEA trying to find a chemical cure for addiction, but ended up producing a new drug that is highly addictive with no side effects. He claims some crazy narcotrafficer in Columbia learned about it and wants it badly.

Well, Cavanaugh finally meets the guy when it all goes to shit. Seems like some other team was waiting for Prescott around the warehouse disguised as crack heads, and Cavanaugh and Prescott must beat a hasty retreat! Of course they get away, but not with out serious trials and tribulations, but as it turns out, they only manage to jump from the pot into the fire...

OK, good page turner here, with lots of fine action sequences. Morrell obviously does his homework on weapons, tactics and so forth and that really shines through. Other than that, however, there really is not much here. Cavanaugh is one of Morrell's typical warrior/action heroes, a real adrenaline junkie who could not just retire after his military career was over. His lovely (of course) wife gets mixed up in this, so we get a little he-man damsel in distress thing going on as well. This would make a good beach read, and if you are in the market for a thrill ride, you could do much worse. 3 stars!

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some years ago I picked up The Brotherhood of the Rose and loved it. From there I went to The Fraternity Of The Stone, The Fifth Profession and others. Some of his books I found great, others I had to ask..."is this the same writer?" So his books have run the gamut for me.

This one is a good book. It's a great read that will (if you like fast action and thrills) keep you turning pages (or listening to the audio). It is flawed in a couple of small ways and there were moments when I thought I'd be forced to a 3 star rating, but in the end I had to admit I really liked the book despite any quibbles.

So, 4 stars and a recommendation.

Now, what were these small problems?

The story opens with a( or the requisite) former "special forces" operative. In this case the man is a graduate of Delta Force. He has come to the conclusion that with this kind of background a man has "limited" career opportunities once he leaves Special ops. He has also come to the conclusion that he's an adrenalin junky.

So with the choices of law enforcement, mercenary and a few others he has decided on..."protective services". Not "bodyguard" by the way. Our "hero" calls bodyguards thugs. (I find this especially humorous in light of Morrell's book The Fifth Profession). Anyway as in many of Morrell's books we start with a man who has done well in a given profession only to be forced into a situation outside that profession where he must depend on all he's learned in said profession and his prior life.

Now the rest I'll put under a spoiler tag, but I will say that while the points I'll mention did annoy a little they didn't actually hurt the "story".

The thing here is that you'll probably find a lot of the book very (very, very) predictable. There's a lot of
"I saw that coming a mile away". And there's one situation in the part of the book that leads up to the final climax that is so blindingly predictable the protagonist would have had to see it coming. I suspect almost every reader will be mentally yelling at him ....(and here's the spoiler so again if you don't want to read it stop here)..... "He set it off in the car you boob don't just turn your back and run there". But he does. The plot revolves around a compound that released in aerosol form causes uncontrollable fear. The protagonist (Cavanaugh) has been told by Prescott (the developer of the compound and primary antagonist) that the "cylinder" containing the compound has a 20 second safety on the release. He then leaves Prescott alone in the car as he sets up a prisoner exchange in which Prescott is supposed to get his wife back. The fact that Prescott has already double-crossed Cavanaugh multiple times and murdered 5 of his closest friends somehow isn't a tip off that when he runs back to the car with his wife that it will be filled with said compound...duh.

Also once our Special ops hero gets his wife involved in all this she takes to it like the proverbial duck to the proverbial water. She's a natural not being overcome by the violence death or anything...until they get shut into a dark room and then she's overcome by claustrophobia and possibly fear of the dark... this of course is due to trauma in her past.

So...a little strained but not bad. Just "story stuff" we've all run into before. .

So, a little predictable, a little cliched and strains credulity a bit. Nothing as I said above we haven't seen elsewhere and nothing that actually ruined any of it for me. Pretty good book, good read, lots of thrills, lots of action some characters that you can get to know (even if you may feel you've met them elsewhere before). All in all enjoyable and recommended.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good thriller with a lot of detail about methods & equipment, more than I normally would have appreciated. However, I recently read how he has attended classes for much of what was described. That gave it a basis in fact that made it more interesting. He certainly isn't easy on his characters. Well narrated, too.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tale focuses upon a former Delta Green commando doing bodyguard services for a biochemist who has a special drug that is supposed to cure addictions but instead magnifies fear greatly. Said commando gets infected with it and is now on the run seeking a cure.

A good part of the tale takes place in Carmel, California which is one of my favorite locales.

A tense fast-moving thriller if you aren't super picky.

Third reading.

OVERALL GRADE: A minus.

[ЙОАНА МАНДЖУКОВА · Rating 5 out of 5]

Имайки предвид,че романа е издаден на български 2004 год ,а е писан по-рано,за времето си е бил много добър.Мога да кажа,че е една малка енциклопедия.От половината на почти 400-те страници,може да научите толкова много за оръжията,тактиките,функциите на организма,използването на обикновени неща от ежедневието за направата на оръжия и действията и психиката на полицаите,военните и престъпниците,че накрая ще имате чувството,че сте изкарали военна подготовка.Поне в Делта Форс 😉

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beach read thrill ride.

[Pierre Tassé (Enjoying Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finally fished. Grrrr this is not the greatest...but it passed the time. Do I read the next one? I will put that question on the back burner for now.

[itchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

brief synopsis:
a protection assignment gone wrong, where the rather clever protectee offs the protectors.

setting:
st louis missouri
eglin air force base, florida
manhattan, new york
newark, new jersey
bergen county, new jersey
kingston, new york
baskerville, new york
albany, new york
virginia
harrisburg, pennsylvania
carmel, california

named personalities:
edward gaines - a st louis police chief
alicia 'al' aka amazing grace - a tall, sinewy special-ops leader
robert boland - a camp rudder lieutenant colonel
braddock - a guy with a lot of friends
jesus christ - the almighty
cavanaugh aka samuel 'sam' murdock aka bob bannister - a protective agent
jeff cooper - a legendary security expert colonel
duncan wentworth - ex-special forces head of global protective services
jamie travers aka jennifer - cavanaugh's wife
daniel prescott aka joshua carter aka benjamin kramer - owner of a sophisticated biotech research facility, dp biolab
robinson 'robin' jeffers - a poet
clint eastwood - the director and star of the thriller play misty for me
troy donahue - an actor
sandra dee - troy's co-star in the teenage-romance tearjerker a summer place
jesus escobar - one of the biggest drug lords in south america
eddie - a gum-chewing, pun-making operative of global protective services
roberto - a goateed global protective services operative
chad - a red-haired global protective services operative
tracy - a blond global protective services operative
paul stroganoff - a russian aristocrat in the late nineteenth century
karen atherton - a document forger who lives in albany
pete - some guy determined to defend the old homestead
ben - karen's delta force brother and cavanaugh's friend who died in combat
dave spaulding - one of the nation's best firearms instructors
john rutherford - a black, southern baptist fbi agent
thomas - the apostle who doubted jesus' resurrection
sandy - presumably ted's partner
ted - a surprisee
deb - john's late diabetic wife
kline - a showrunner
ernest emerson - one of the best self-defense instructors and knife makers
samuel bailey - an irish immigrant
edgar - alicia's lackey
rattigan - a doctor working with alicia
andre the giant - a french professional wrestler
susan slade - a fictional character in the eponymous movie
connie stevens - troy's co-star in susan slade, parrish and palm springs weekend
suzanne pleshette - troy's co-star in rome adventure
stefanie powers - troy's co-star in palm springs weekend
richard egan - another co-star of troy in a summer place
frank lloyd wright - an american architect
jessica walter - clint's co-star in play misty for me
ansel adams - a landscape photographer
edward weston - an american photographer
una - robinson's wife
spenser - a poet and author of faerie queene
vic mcqueen - a fitness instructor
sam jamison - a golfer who died recently
john steinbeck - an american author
sam - some random name
steve - ditto
kramer - a guy karen was engaged to
jay - a previous carmel highlands resident who liked to take photographs

label:
p27: the sig sauer 225 held eight rounds in the magazine and one in the firing chamber.

grammar:
p78: "how are the tropical fish?"

typo:
p173: "...she says i she wants grey."

p236: as the reverberation of the impact ended, cavanaugh heard i jamie's nervous breathing.

plus a lot of ocr errors--mainly i's turned to 1's, an r and n for m, a d for c and l, and fresco it's for prescott's.

this looks very much like the predecessor of sean black's lock and johnson series.
the protagonists even share the sam hand gun brand preference, and both authors weirdly omitted the p's on the gun models.
the turn of events is rather unique and caught me offguard.

[Glenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spotted the David Morrell books when I picked up the novels by Michelle Moran. I remembered reading a few of his books when I was first married based on the recommendation of my husband, who wanted two dogs named Romulus and Remus. As I stared at the library shelf full of Morrell books I decided to read another because I had enjoyed four of his other books years before.

The last action suspense novels I read were those written by Vince Flynn. As I began The Protector my mind kept wondering how Mitch Rapp was involved in this. But it didn't take very many pages before I straightened out that way of thinking and became absorbed in Cavanaugh's life. I enjoyed the details of car fights and the methodical explanations of Cavanaugh's thoughts, not to mention the constant twists in the plot that aided the story, not simply a technique to add more action for the sake of a longer novel.

I've always enjoyed this type of novel. The action, the suspense, and the page-turning are a nice break from the serious reading I do to educate myself to teach my children. I am happy to have picked up this novel as it reminded me of how much I enjoyed Morrell's books. Now I plan to go back and read all of his novels.

[David Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a fan of David Morrell's for years. I read every other year or so (and watch the movie as well). I am a big fan of and his books as well. One of the first books I read on my Kindle was the 2nd Cavanaugh thriller: . I enjoyed that thriller and I knew I would like this one as well. The Protector novels are right up there with Robert Ludlum and his Bourne series!

[Manugw · Rating 1 out of 5]

NOT WHAT I WOULD EXPECT FROM SOMEONE LIKE DAVID MORRELL

This is a book of action with some technical insights about weapons and safety methods employed by those trained in tactical operations employed against an enemy in a war or against criminals in the street

However, as an entertainment the plot is dull, linear and with cardboard characters developed in just one dimension. The "old original ruse "about the good guy who takes on the bad guy, finally beating him after a very long chase giving way to the happy ending

The author did not took enough time to do a background research that can suit this story. There are neither subplots nor enthralling twists and turns

You could easily pass this one on, there are far better books about these topics written for example, by Daniel Silva

Action, this is the only thing you can expect from The Protector

[Steven Paulsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, fast paced, but too much military/gun/special services detail. Morrell is a great writer but this felt a bit like a join the dots novel.

[Jyotsna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my thrilling weekend read.

It is a decent thriller with some unrealistic sci-fi elements. A good thriller and a nice read.

Somewhat similar to James Patterson's earlier work.

[Dan Banana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action and action. Good fun with a gun. Twists and shouts.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast paced thriller with a protector of a scientist with both the gov't and baddies after his invention.

[Robbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not including children's books, I have probably read more books by David Morrell than any other author, although it has been several years since I've last read him. True to Morrell's style, The Protector is a fast-moving thriller from the first page until the last. For Morrell fans, the protagonist, Cavanaugh, is one we've seen before: former elite military specialist whose profession is now a protector and who is an expert in all things tactical, survival and lethal.

The basic premise, which can be gleaned from the book cover, finds Cavanaugh being assigned to protect a new client, a biochemist being hunted for a new drug that he has created. The new client promptly betrays Cavanaugh and his protection team, and the majority of the book is about Cavanaugh setting out to avenge this betrayal. The plot twist comes from Cavanaugh relying upon the help of his wife, a former client whom he once protected, and whom he had previously kept separated from his dangerous work.

While Morrell writes with his usual tight prose and ample creativity, this book falls far short of his best works, First Blood (which gave us his most famous character, Rambo) and The Brotherhood of the Rose. None of the characters are given human depth such that the reader would particularly care about them. They are often too geometric, mechanically going about their duties, and conversing in dialogue that one would more likely hear in a soap opera than in real life. And while the reader's disbelief generally needs to be suspended in any action thriller such as this, there are still plot holes that do not reconcile, like why the best private protective agency wouldn't have done a basic background check on their client before taking him on. Morrell provides a lot of good technical, tactical information, but sometimes does it in such a way that borders on bragging.

Those critiques being noted, the story is interesting, the pace fast, the MacGyver-like scenes cool, and most importantly it doesn't feel like you've wasted your time after finishing the book. I was looking for an easier read as a change of pace from the past few books that I had read, which were all literary. The Protector fit that bill. And although its strengths outweighed its deficiencies, the book could have been much better done overall.

[Darren Vincent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid Entertainment.

I was so very close to giving this book 4 stars because it never really let up once it got going, but I wouldn't give it four stars because of the writing itself. This book was very different for me because once we got through the very first two intro scenes, the rest of the book is completely straightforward from the main character's perspective. There was no cutting away to other subplots or minor characters at all. This is the most linear-written book that I have ever read. I am guessing that this was a choice on the author's part to make us feel the pressure that is put on a single person in this profession, but even if this was the case, the writing itself did not support this conclusion. I might be giving the author too much credit because I would like some justification for the way this was written.

I did have a small problem with one of the plot devices. This particular device manages to have a very profound effect on minor characters but not on the main character, even though some of them are as highly specialized as he is. And though he alerts a SWAT team about this device, he does not actively convince them to take precautions against said device, which seems a bit unprofessional for this highly trained professional. The author tells us that the main character is every bit as vulnerable and writes in these vulnerabilities, his actual actions tell another story entirely. This too seems out of character for the author, for he has given us a pretty realistic set of characters, plot and locations.

But really, the things that I have listed are just nit-picking. I really enjoyed this book and it kept me very engaged from start to finish and it was this pacing that I enjoyed more than the writing itself.

[Jerry B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non-stop suspense and action, but hard to believe !

We have to admit that Morrell's novel "Protector" rarely pauses for breath -- so the pages turn pretty fast as we are soon caught up in the hero's thrills and chills. The protagonist is Cavanaugh, an ex-Delta Force specialist who works for a protective custody firm. In quite a twist, we soon start wondering whether the current client, bio-chemist genius Daniel Prescott, is the one needing protection or a horrific villain in his own right who turns the tables on good guys and bad guys alike. Eventually Cavanaugh breaks all the rules and collaborates with his wife (who actually seems to have no other qualifications than desire and propinquity, but learns fast!) to chase the real bad guy to a satisfying conclusion. Violence and double crosses leave bodies strewn all along the way.
We've never read Morrell before, but gather from both his ratings and his extensive bibliography that fans of Rambo-style action come away more than entertained with his offerings. Our problem is that the good guy escapes death so many different times, and continues to fight injured when most mortals we know would be long out of commission, that credibility and plausibility extend beyond the breaking point. Despite the clever plot complexity, stories this violent are not exactly our favorite, reflected in our 3-star synopsis despite a book exhibiting skill and craft. And were it a movie (and we could see it being one!), most women (and maybe me!) would have walked out long before mid-point.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Protector. Like many Morrell novels, it displays a great degree of insider knowledge of espionage and trade craft. This one is no different. It's also a pursuit story. Lots of twists and suspense.

Reviewed by, David Feeney, author; Terror on the high seas

[Catherine Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot is interesting enough with multiple twists. However, I found it to be unnecessarily long due to a surfeit of technical detail and excessively lengthy "action" scenes. While I'm usually anal about reading every single word in a book, I skipped pages at a time to get to the outcome of events.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

i didnt remember NOT liking the ending. very underwhelming and drawn out but the pace up until then was well.

[Rob Damon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too much action, I felt I was reading someone's description of a movie.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely give 5 starts but will make an exception for this book. I read it in 2 1/2 days because I didn’t want to put it down. Nonstop action.

[Cortez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I say that the book is incredibly well put and really sticks to the thriller that it proclaims to project. The characters in the book had no slack or delay in their actions that weren't supposed to be present during intense scenes. Better yet, I adored the professionalism that the main character, Cavanaugh, had portrayed to show his mantra of being invisible, covering every aspect of footprints that might've been marked from every phone call answered to where to even place their garbage. Every word and action just led to the excitement that led me to the end of each chapter to see Prescott, the antagonist, finally get what he deserved. Additionally, I sensed the battle of intellect between the two; a professional scientist that everyone wants, and an elite agent, who managed to find the other through aspects not many would think to look.

In the prologue, the author did mention having some of the information in the book be from colleges from the military, navy seals, and other factions that supported the usage of the materials retrieved by Cavanaugh throughout the book, like the tactical usages of duct tape, the benefits of an Emerson Close Quarters Combat (CQC) -7 knife, making a silencer with a milk container, and, the most intriguing of them all, the detailed description of how to disappear. There were many more, but I was fond of these in particular. I enjoyed how Cavanaugh would purchase a random assortment of items and wouldn't explain the reason until during usage, which made it more exciting to see what was to come next as they were used in the most tactical of ways.

There was a minor dislike towards the book, however. Following the sequence of events, there was some small irony as to how the protagonist and antagonist meet face-to-face again. Emphasis, it didn't correlate with the professionalism and instructions both were supposed to set out for throughout the book to lead to the conclusion it was supposed to have. Examples would lead to spoilers, but the flow depicted a lack of character from the antagonist through bad decisions, which made it harder to want to finish the book when I was only several pages away from completion. Additionally, some of the information shared uses a lot of words most probably haven't heard of before or wouldn't need to process unless truly intending usage of a gun, which may cause some confusion while it tries to explain its parts and benefits.

The author's writing was definitely aided by experience which made the characters better to feel for. I think to make something like this would require an isolated yet arduous gradation of real military work with the perspective of one of the best soldiers. In all honestly, I know Cavanaugh would and has qualified, and I also know that the main character is often a small representation of its creator.

In conclusion, David Morrell is an excellent thriller and experienced writer for an audience that desires adventure and is willing to be witnessed to information often gained in a more sophisticated environment. However, I would recommend this for a mature audience as well, for there are some parts of the book that may be sensitive to those not used to envisioning death and weaponry in a complex way. But all together, it is a great access to information and storytelling with a plot that touches more of a psychological and scientific aspect.

[Jeff Kalac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won't slide into spoilers territory on this for one simple reason: if you are a fan of action with intelligence, you'll do best just to grab a copy and read it already--stop reading reviews, and read the book.

You're still reading my review, huh? Fine. Okay.

"The Protector" introduces us to Cavanaugh, a member of an elite group of protectors (men and women who specialize in defending and hiding people from those who wish to kill or otherwise harm them). Cavanaugh is assigned to protect a biochemist who has created the ultimate weapon: a chemical which creates fear. This being a David Morrell novel, few people are what they seem, plot turns arrive by the bushel, and the story punches ahead with force. There is a large amount of "trade craft" described, which involves tactics and techniques utilized by trained professions. Mr. Morrell is noted for his research, and it serves this material well by lending authenticity.

Still reading my review? No, stop. Read the novel. You won't be bored, and you won't be sorry.

[Timothy C Ellwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of his best, with the amount of research the afterward explained that he did, you would have thought that he might have run across the fact that "Cordite" ( a word he used WAY too many times),
has not been used in small arms ammo since the 1940's and was not used in handguns.
Also, the use of "H&K MP5's" would be extremely rare in the private sector in the US. Since the law change in 1986, no newly manufactured ones have been allowed to be purchased by private owners, and the ones that were built before that date, have risen in value astronomically.
One more bitch, the "cut shell" in context to a shotgun rd, is commonly use with birdshot, not buckshot, you might as well use slugs if your gonna cut a buckshot shell.
I do like his books on the whole, this was was just not very well done.

[Chris Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A white knuckle thrill ride, this book gripped me so much that I read it in one sitting.
A former delta force operative is working for a protection agency and is hired to help a bio-chemist disappear then things go completely wrong and he has to fight for his life and try to catch the bad guys.
There are some very clever aspects of this novel, duct tape being used to treat a gunshot wound, fishing weights and chamois leather being used to help when drawing a gun and some really good realistic car chases.
The action is fast and furious and very realistic, it flows very well and does not become predictable, I will definitely read the others in this series.
David Morrell is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.

[Ralph Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast paced beach read...

This book, for me suffered mostly from a simple lack of plausibility. I like books that grab my attention and don't allow me to put them down til they've crossed the finish line. This book actually does that "pace" thing, well. The problem though is in the basic implausibility of storyline as a whole and also at numerous points throughout. The main characters are well done though, and the story is paced well, so I had no trouble pushing through to the ending. It's a fast easy to follow read, & for that reason primarily, yes I'd recommend it. Barely.....

[Bill Hooten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently, because of my reading, I have decided that I need to read some books by Cormac McCarthy and David Morrell -- authors that I have never read before. Luckily, I was able to find two books by both of them on Audible Plus. I have finished one from each of them, and (IMO) David Morrell is by far my favorite. I thought "The Protector" was excellent, and look forward to listening to the next one. "The Protector" had a really good story, 2 or 3 good villains, some good plot twists, lots of action, and the central character really loved his wife. Everything that makes for a great book. I'm just sorry that I have been this long to discover David Morrell.