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Terror Red
What have we been afraid of since 9/11? In Terror Red, Colonel David Hunt gives us a frighteningly realistic look at what could be the next major terrorist assault.
Colonel David Gibson is a recently retired Special Operations Officer. Together with political consultant Christina Marchetti, he must take down a terrorist organization bent on hijacking planes, blowing up cities, and much more. Their pursuit of these heavily financed, ruthlessly trained killers hurls Gibson and Marchetti into a whirlwind of death and destruction. If they can't stop this murderous conspiracy, America could well be plunged into World War III.
But can they stop them in time?
333 pages, Hardcover
First published April 16, 2013
10 people are currently reading
275 people want to read
About the author
David Hunt
6 books15 followersColonel David Hunt has over 29 years of military experience, including extensive operational experience in Special Operations, Counter Terrorism and Intelligence Operations. Most recently, Colonel Hunt served as Tactical Advisor in Bosnia where he facilitated all national intelligence matters for the Commander in Chief, as well as coordinating a $350,000,000 national security program for the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency in 1997.
Prior to this, he served as counter terrorism coordinator to the Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. In this capacity, David Hunt planned, choreographed and implemented the first United States national response for an Olympic event in Korea in conjunction with Korean National Intelligence and the Korean Crisis Response Agency as the counter-terrorist coordinator.
His role as a leader began with a Special Forces Operational Detachment of 12 soldiers, expanding to command a brigade of over 1,000 personnel. He received his Master's degree in English from Norwich University in 1981, and later graduated from the John F. Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University in 1991.
David Hunt has lectured for the Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and several other high profile agencies, as well as state and local police officials.
Recently, he has shared his expertise in over 200 televised interviews on Operation Iraqi Freedom. Bill O'Reilly of the "O'Reilly Factor" called David Hunt the "Best Military Analyst in the Business" and Fox's "Go to Guy on the War."
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 6, 2013
If the recent events in Benghazi and the more recent attack involving the Boston Marathon, the world is indeed a scary place. Terrorists lurk in wait, all the time watchful for a time to strike that’ll inflict the maximum casualties, the most impactful message. Since the horrific 9/11, America has waged an unending war against the forces who daily conspire to hurt us, and, while we may have lowered our guard, there’s one thing we’ve done right: we continued training men and women to remain prepared to fight back. It’s this preparedness – and a resilience bred through our two-plus centuries of existence as a great nation – that’ll ultimately preserve us and those we love against any rising darkness.
Colonel David Hunt and Christine Hunsinger have penned a thrilling TERROR RED, a book that takes readers to the edge of excitement, plunging its characters into a series of attacks that rock the city of Boston and might very well spell the doom of a certain fictional President.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and characters. If you’re the kind of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last two paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
It’s December 26th, and all retired colonel David Gibson wants to do is get his mother on a plane so that he can get back to his business. Standing at the airport waiting for her plane to depart, he catches a news alert on a nearby television that exposes a shocking development: his mother’s plane is parked on the runway, where it’s been taken over by terrorists! While he’s being debrief by the airline, he meets up with Christina Marchetti, a Democratic political consultant whose sister is also on that plane; and, together, they find themselves forced to take matters into their own hands when they suspect there’s more here than they’re being told.
TERROR RED is a bold undertaken for a couple of significant reasons.
First – unlike many other books and films broaching the fictional world of terrorism – authors Hunt and Hunsinger have done the unthinkable: they’ve presented the true face of terror. In fact, their baddies are ones who’ve been openly embraced by the current real-time occupant of the White House, though most security analysts think it a mistake: the Muslim Brotherhood, and, yes, if anyone knows anything about history, that organization has long established roots to terror that stretches back years. It’s likely to get them some bad press – or, at least, some bad reviews – because the PC police have long forgiven all things Islam and/or Muslim and/or Middle Eastern in favor of targeting Christians, homegrown militias, obesity, the size of your diet soda, and even the Boy Scouts.
Second, the authors have chosen to narrate this story from two entirely unique perspectives. They take turns from chapter to chapter, with Hunt penning Gibson’s all-man full-bravado viewpoint and Hunsinger inking Marchetti’s all-girl all-sardonic stance. At times, it works fairly well, exposing not only the narrative distinctions politically (Hunt appears to lean more Conservative while Hunsinger considers her character a Liberal/Progressive) but also the way men and women broach matters due to social and family-enforced stereotypes. Gibson wants to kill things, but Marchetti seeks first to understand. Gibson grows wryly comic, but Marchetti prefers sarcasm. Gibson wants to save the day, but Marchetti wants her father’s love. I’ll admit that there were many passages (mostly Marchetti’s) that I didn’t much care for, but the storytelling device never directly stood in the way of the story being told. Sure, it wore thin at times, but it did for even Col. Gibson, so there’s that.
However, the stratagem of telling the story from two perspectives occasionally felt uneven. TERROR RED is an action/adventure intended to unfold in real-time, much the same way of Fox TV’s stellar program 24 did over eight seasons. Because the nature of action is the bam-bam-bam frenetic pace, there are some chapters that are necessarily short, playing out like narrative staccato beats on a drum. In fact, some chapters are only a paragraph or two long, and then – Bam! – we’re off to the other person’s perspective on somewhat the same event. Again, for the record, it never drags, per se; it’s just a bit uneven. Were I the editor, I probably would’ve suggested a couple of these shorter chapters get reworked into the longer chapters that bookended them, so as to tighten it all up just a bit more.
It’s a minor quibble to a great action yarn. TERROR RED works because it feels convincing – a stark tale told by two insiders – and that’s refreshing.
TERROR RED is published by Forge, A Tom Doherty Associates Book. It’s written by Col. David Hunt and Christine Hunsinger. It bears the cover price of $24.99, and the action alone makes it a welcome addition to my library.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Once it kicks into gear, TERROR RED is a blistering read, flowing easily from one terror event to the next along with the crack team-up of a former Special Forces colonel and a political consultant who finds herself at the wrong place at the wrong time. The format takes a bit of getting used to – authors Hunt and Hunsinger tag-team the chapters from their characters two perspectives – and male readers should be prepared to want to bonk the ever-sarcastic Ms. Marchetti over the head. Frequently. Otherwise, it’s an all-too-believable set of dire circumstances that refreshingly focuses on what real bad guys look like in the modern world. I’d look forward to another book from these two in the future.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Forge Books provided me with a copy of TERROR RED by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review.
Colonel David Hunt and Christine Hunsinger have penned a thrilling TERROR RED, a book that takes readers to the edge of excitement, plunging its characters into a series of attacks that rock the city of Boston and might very well spell the doom of a certain fictional President.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and characters. If you’re the kind of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last two paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
It’s December 26th, and all retired colonel David Gibson wants to do is get his mother on a plane so that he can get back to his business. Standing at the airport waiting for her plane to depart, he catches a news alert on a nearby television that exposes a shocking development: his mother’s plane is parked on the runway, where it’s been taken over by terrorists! While he’s being debrief by the airline, he meets up with Christina Marchetti, a Democratic political consultant whose sister is also on that plane; and, together, they find themselves forced to take matters into their own hands when they suspect there’s more here than they’re being told.
TERROR RED is a bold undertaken for a couple of significant reasons.
First – unlike many other books and films broaching the fictional world of terrorism – authors Hunt and Hunsinger have done the unthinkable: they’ve presented the true face of terror. In fact, their baddies are ones who’ve been openly embraced by the current real-time occupant of the White House, though most security analysts think it a mistake: the Muslim Brotherhood, and, yes, if anyone knows anything about history, that organization has long established roots to terror that stretches back years. It’s likely to get them some bad press – or, at least, some bad reviews – because the PC police have long forgiven all things Islam and/or Muslim and/or Middle Eastern in favor of targeting Christians, homegrown militias, obesity, the size of your diet soda, and even the Boy Scouts.
Second, the authors have chosen to narrate this story from two entirely unique perspectives. They take turns from chapter to chapter, with Hunt penning Gibson’s all-man full-bravado viewpoint and Hunsinger inking Marchetti’s all-girl all-sardonic stance. At times, it works fairly well, exposing not only the narrative distinctions politically (Hunt appears to lean more Conservative while Hunsinger considers her character a Liberal/Progressive) but also the way men and women broach matters due to social and family-enforced stereotypes. Gibson wants to kill things, but Marchetti seeks first to understand. Gibson grows wryly comic, but Marchetti prefers sarcasm. Gibson wants to save the day, but Marchetti wants her father’s love. I’ll admit that there were many passages (mostly Marchetti’s) that I didn’t much care for, but the storytelling device never directly stood in the way of the story being told. Sure, it wore thin at times, but it did for even Col. Gibson, so there’s that.
However, the stratagem of telling the story from two perspectives occasionally felt uneven. TERROR RED is an action/adventure intended to unfold in real-time, much the same way of Fox TV’s stellar program 24 did over eight seasons. Because the nature of action is the bam-bam-bam frenetic pace, there are some chapters that are necessarily short, playing out like narrative staccato beats on a drum. In fact, some chapters are only a paragraph or two long, and then – Bam! – we’re off to the other person’s perspective on somewhat the same event. Again, for the record, it never drags, per se; it’s just a bit uneven. Were I the editor, I probably would’ve suggested a couple of these shorter chapters get reworked into the longer chapters that bookended them, so as to tighten it all up just a bit more.
It’s a minor quibble to a great action yarn. TERROR RED works because it feels convincing – a stark tale told by two insiders – and that’s refreshing.
TERROR RED is published by Forge, A Tom Doherty Associates Book. It’s written by Col. David Hunt and Christine Hunsinger. It bears the cover price of $24.99, and the action alone makes it a welcome addition to my library.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Once it kicks into gear, TERROR RED is a blistering read, flowing easily from one terror event to the next along with the crack team-up of a former Special Forces colonel and a political consultant who finds herself at the wrong place at the wrong time. The format takes a bit of getting used to – authors Hunt and Hunsinger tag-team the chapters from their characters two perspectives – and male readers should be prepared to want to bonk the ever-sarcastic Ms. Marchetti over the head. Frequently. Otherwise, it’s an all-too-believable set of dire circumstances that refreshingly focuses on what real bad guys look like in the modern world. I’d look forward to another book from these two in the future.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Forge Books provided me with a copy of TERROR RED by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review.
February 9, 2019
This was a thoroughly enjoyable book. Written from the perspective of two people the book really flows well.
The story seems like a simple one, but as you get into it there are some really good twists that make the book a really good read.
Very enjoyable.
The story seems like a simple one, but as you get into it there are some really good twists that make the book a really good read.
Very enjoyable.
May 28, 2013
Someone once described a book to me as "good subway reading." This book is good subway reading, which is not to say it's a good book. It's not a bad book either, but it's like a summer popcorn movie - it fills the time, but, like the popcorn, won't leave you with much of value afterwards.
The book is a quick read as the chapters are short - some less than a half a page. They also alternate back and forth between the perspective of the two main characters - one a retired military officer who is a security specialist (the man), and the other a woman who is a staff member for a U.S. Senator. The man represents the testosterone-fueled world of counter-terrorism, while the woman represents the "I-couldn't-do-that-I'm-just-a-girl-who-doesn't-like-to-get-guts-from-dead-terrorists-in-my-hair" segment of society, which is supposed to be all the rest of us. When the two are thrown together in a terrorist incident in Boston - the setting of which is likely to generate much current interest - the story takes off and doesn't stop moving for about the next 300 cliche-ridden pages.
The premise of the story is that there are bad guys - who are Islamic radicals - and they have concocted the elaborate and very detailed plot (the planning of which would have made a much more interesting book), and they exist only to get mowed down in various ways by the various heroes of the story. Every story needs a villain, but the best stories include villains for whom you actually understand their motivations, and the authors don't even try to work that into the story. Guess it wouldn't fit with the alternating chapter structure. They'd have to have made it a third longer, and I should probably be thankful they didn't do that.
The good thing I can say about the book is that I fully expected it to end with the two protagonists falling into each other's arms in the very last chapter. That they didn't surprised me about the authors' restraint.
The book is a quick read as the chapters are short - some less than a half a page. They also alternate back and forth between the perspective of the two main characters - one a retired military officer who is a security specialist (the man), and the other a woman who is a staff member for a U.S. Senator. The man represents the testosterone-fueled world of counter-terrorism, while the woman represents the "I-couldn't-do-that-I'm-just-a-girl-who-doesn't-like-to-get-guts-from-dead-terrorists-in-my-hair" segment of society, which is supposed to be all the rest of us. When the two are thrown together in a terrorist incident in Boston - the setting of which is likely to generate much current interest - the story takes off and doesn't stop moving for about the next 300 cliche-ridden pages.
The premise of the story is that there are bad guys - who are Islamic radicals - and they have concocted the elaborate and very detailed plot (the planning of which would have made a much more interesting book), and they exist only to get mowed down in various ways by the various heroes of the story. Every story needs a villain, but the best stories include villains for whom you actually understand their motivations, and the authors don't even try to work that into the story. Guess it wouldn't fit with the alternating chapter structure. They'd have to have made it a third longer, and I should probably be thankful they didn't do that.
The good thing I can say about the book is that I fully expected it to end with the two protagonists falling into each other's arms in the very last chapter. That they didn't surprised me about the authors' restraint.
April 24, 2013
Terror Red by Colonel David Hunt, the excellent commentator on military matters on Fox News, and Christine Hunsinger, a political advisor, is as good a thriller as I have read in the last couple of years. Perhaps, the authors were prescient as it is largely set in Boston, which had its real terrorist incident recently. In the novel, Muslim Brotherhood terrorists have hijacked airplanes at Logan airport, have blown up the Big Dig tunnel, and have a natural gas supertanker headed for Boston harbor apparently set to explode. If that’s not enough to make a novel a thriller, all those events are just the diversion for the real terrorist plan—the kidnapping of the President. This novel was so intense that I had to stop for a few moments after almost every chapter to recover from the suspense. It alternates between the hero, a retired colonel, and the other protagonist (a reluctant heroine), a political advisor, which makes for a fascinating look at how different backgrounds view a terrorist attack. But when push comes to shove, as they say, they are not so different after all. I read this whole book in less than 24 hours, staying up much later than I should have. And the tactics, communications, and weapons are spot on. I give it five out of five stars only because my rating system doesn’t go to six stars!
March 31, 2013
This was an advance reading copy that I won, to my very great pleasure.
What a break neck ride of a read! Once the action started, it was non-stop with a constantly accelerating pace. Since the action takes place
in less than a day, it really is the focus of the book. Even so, the
characters are likable, with enough back story to flesh them out. The
book left me wanting more about the characters and what happens with
them. When I finished, I was so struck that I wanted to immediately read it again. Totally enjoyable read on a pretty scary subject.
What a break neck ride of a read! Once the action started, it was non-stop with a constantly accelerating pace. Since the action takes place
in less than a day, it really is the focus of the book. Even so, the
characters are likable, with enough back story to flesh them out. The
book left me wanting more about the characters and what happens with
them. When I finished, I was so struck that I wanted to immediately read it again. Totally enjoyable read on a pretty scary subject.
May 27, 2013
Action-packed read. Stretched credibility a bit. Got some technical stuff wrong. Editor/proof reader missed a couple of blunders but it was good mindless entertainment.
August 25, 2018
This was a fast paced easy to read book about Muslim Brotherhood terrorists attacking on multiple fronts in Boston which stretches the responders to many parts of the city. From the airport to tunnels to the docks and places in between. Enter Col. David Gibson and political consultant Christina Marchetti who meet in the airport when a plane with their loved ones on it is highjacked on the runway. From there on it is a roller-coaster ride to try to stop any more attacks.
This book is told in different points of view from the two protagonists. Col. Gibson is the experienced deadly serious ex-soldier and Ms. Marchetti is the smart wise-cracking woman who is scared out of her mind but sucks it up and is actually helpful in the situation. Some of her comments are really funny.
This book is told in different points of view from the two protagonists. Col. Gibson is the experienced deadly serious ex-soldier and Ms. Marchetti is the smart wise-cracking woman who is scared out of her mind but sucks it up and is actually helpful in the situation. Some of her comments are really funny.
September 14, 2021
The only reason I finished this book is because I didn't have anything else to read and I couldn't get to library. I wanted to shelve it after the first 3 pages.
The dialog was like reading something a 15 yr old would use. How anyone can give this book a 5 star rating is beyond me!
And WHY can't anyone talk without use foul language every other word?!! It isn't necessary to use it so frequently even in a book about military/cops/agents.
I definitely would not recommend this book.
The dialog was like reading something a 15 yr old would use. How anyone can give this book a 5 star rating is beyond me!
And WHY can't anyone talk without use foul language every other word?!! It isn't necessary to use it so frequently even in a book about military/cops/agents.
I definitely would not recommend this book.
March 8, 2019
Fast paced and very enjoyable.
March 21, 2019
Really good story. Very humorous and fast paced.
July 18, 2019
A fast paced thriller. The chapters are short, often very short so the book seemed to fly by. Each chapter alternates between two characters. I'll be looking out for more from these writers.
November 25, 2024
A very fast paced read. Middle Eastern terrorist attack Boston and a retired SEAL comes to the rescue. Fine and fast read, not fantastic.
February 8, 2019
Enjoyed this book.wish it wasn't a "one off". I liked it better than his new series, not that it's bad, it is just not as good as this was.
March 7, 2019
A fun action packed book with a great "cat and dog" team of protagonists.
February 7, 2014
Two days later and I can't remember the plot of this book, but who cares. It was ridiculously good fun to read. You know how a blurb will describe a book as "pulse-pounding high-octane adventure", well that's Terror Red. It is sizzling, literary crack that doesn't always make sense, is often preposterous, but it's one hot rocket-ride and you can't stop reading the damn thing.
Highly recommended for thriller lovers.
Highly recommended for thriller lovers.
November 24, 2013
Your basic 1,2,3 commando/terrorist/hot chick novel. A bit predictable and far fetched, but written in a humorous way. Sort of a romantic comedy with lots of explosions, guns, guts and glory with military acronyms and slang to boot. If it were a movie Jason Statham or Tom Cruise would be saving the world. I enjoyed for what it is, a quick easy read.
December 29, 2014
I would have ratedthis book higher BUT...
The Gibson (the hero) chapters were great. But they are always followed by a Marchetti ( his tag along girl friend) chapters which range from annoying to a complete waste. The book became a better read when I skimmed or in some cases completely skipped the Marchetti chapters.
The Gibson (the hero) chapters were great. But they are always followed by a Marchetti ( his tag along girl friend) chapters which range from annoying to a complete waste. The book became a better read when I skimmed or in some cases completely skipped the Marchetti chapters.
May 4, 2015
I picked this book off the self at the library, just as a fill in, had never heard of it before. What a pleasant surprise, it is a great read. The format is different but does a good job of keeping the storyline going. Thanks Colonel and Christine, look forward to your next.
April 15, 2013
It was a ok thriller
June 5, 2013
This is a must read if you live in the Boston area. It both has lots of action and is an entertaining read.
April 2, 2014
Limited character development but entertaining and fast paces
September 9, 2013
Thoroughly enjoyed this box.
April 11, 2014
A great read with a good dose of humour. A little odd that the characters in the book are not only based on but named after the authors but it worked out well. I hope they write another…..
April 18, 2014
The book was good, just a little too much bad humor thrown in at odd times. The fighting was almost too perfect, took out bad guys with too little effort.
June 25, 2014
I enjoyed the book. A different dialog type with the 2 main characters "speaking" from their own viewpoints I. separate sub chapters.
May 12, 2015
If reading about terrorists can be fun, this is the book! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and looked to see if they have written any others. Very well done and FUNNY!
August 15, 2017
This was an interesting read.
Read
March 22, 2019very good
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews