The Riviera Contract

Hayden Stone #1

by Arthur Kerns

2002, six months after the World Trade Center attack, Hayden Stone who took early retirement from the FBI, is working for the CIA. On his last assignment to Afghanistan a colleague is killed and Stone blames himself for his death. A friend in the upper ranks of the CIA offers him an assignment to the South of France. Stone accepts, thinking this is exactly what he needs to get his life back on even keel: French life on the Côte d’Azur. Well, he’s in for a surprise.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery

251 pages, ebook, paperback, Audible audio

First published March 5, 2013

About the author

To Love Again, a love story, was published in February 2024. Arthur Kerns has been writing stories since high school. He joined the FBI with a career in counterintelligence and counterterrorism. On retirement, he became a consultant with the Director of Central Intelligence and the Department of State, taking him to over sixty-five countries. His short stories and mysteries have appeared in several award-winning anthologies and he was a first place winner in the Cave Creek Film and Arts Festival. Diversion Books, Inc published his Hayden Stone thriller trilogy, The Riviera Contract, The African Contract, and The Yemen Contract. The spy thriller, Days of the Hunters, since was published. An espionage novel, A Suitable Spy, is completed and with his agent. He is working on an “out-of-the-box” spy novel Special Agent Bumper Ballantyne inside the Hollywood Bubble that is marinating.
For him a jump in genres, his new novella, To Love Again, is a love story.
Website: www.arthurkerns.com

Reviews

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

High octane espionage thriller. We follow Hayden Stone, former FBI agent and now a contractor for the CIA, to France. He is there to help with terrorists who have been killing CIA agents and to help neutralize those threats. Lots of action, lots of suspense and gun play. Fun book to read and which takes place in Nice, Marseilles and Montpellier which just happen to be cities that are truly overrun by Arab speaking people - been to Marseilles once and never felt comfortable there, also at the Marseilles airport the only major capital that they fly non-stop to is in Algeria, want to go anywhere else you gotta transfer - and which is home to loads of Middle Eastern terrorists. Of course Stone perseveres where others have failed, but there is a lot of intrigue that certainly makes this book a page-turner!
Enjoyable first effort, author has written two other books featuring Stone and so we will follow him as he pursues the bad guys - next book is set in Africa!

[Scottsdale Public Library]

"The Riviera Contract" is the first book in an exciting espionage trilogy with the protagonist Hayden Stone, former FBI and CIA agent, now available as a consultant for hire to the CIA. He shares parts of his background with the author, lending real verisimilitude to situations and the politics of this tale. Based in France, Stone is part watcher and part decoy as the CIA attempts to track Al-Qaeda in 2002. As the CIA sets him up with a cover story, he finds the people he is meant to rely upon are not trustworthy; will they kill him before he completes his assignment? Toss one former lover into the mix and everything gets even dicier for our hero. The story has a satisfying ending, and works as a standalone, even though there are more in the series. -Suzanne R.

[Pascal Marco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading this book on the Kindle. Not knowing what to expect, since this is his debut novel, I was quite nicely surprised at how great a job Kerns did with the story, especially with his descriptive writing. And from a former FBI man to boot. Who'd would've thought such eloquence and visual imagery could have come from someone with such a background. His picture painting of the south of France made me feel as though I was right there, while at the same time weaving a really well done thriller novel. I would read more adventures of his very realistic and (this was refreshing) not too over the top hero, Hayden Stone.

[Deborah Ledford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Riviera Contract is the perfect read for lovers of suspenseful international terrorism thrillers. The stunning French Riviera is the setting for this fast-paced, compelling read. CIA Special Agent Hayden Stone, is everything you hope for in a leading man—intelligent, tough, intuitive, and ready for action and danger that lurks around many corners of this espionage thriller. I look forward more releases by this debut author.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The French Riviera isn’t a place you’d normally associate with terrorists, but after reading Arthur Kerns’ debut espionage thriller, The Riviera Contract, you will. Only a few months have passed since the horror of 9-11. Hayden Stone is retired from the FBI, but has agreed to independent contractor status with the CIA. He feels a cushy assignment in the South of France is just what the doctor ordered to relieve him of some of the guilt he feels over the death of a friend in Afghanistan. But beneath the glitter and glamour of this seductive location is a dark underworld, one that includes not only Middle Eastern terrorists who would love to end Stone’s career permanently and plan to spread the Ebola virus in the US, but also an ill al Qaeda functionary many would like dead. But never fear—it’s not all work and no play for Stone. An old love makes an appearance, and we get to see many of the breathtaking sites of this part of the world. Kerns knows of which he writes. He worked for the FBI with a career in counterintelligence and counterterrorism. Retiring from the FBI, he became a consultant with the Director of Central Intelligence and the Department of State. This knowledge shines through in the realism of Kerns' writing. That, along with a cast of intriguing characters and a gorgeous location, makes for a fascinating read.

[Gregory Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Arthur Kerns at the Mystery Writers Conference at Book Passage in California a number of years back as he was completing his first book, The Riviera Contract. As a retired FBI agent and contract “agent” for a number of counterintelligence agencies Kerns knows about what we writes.

The Riviera Contract is a good spy thriller with all the usual characters; Hayden Stone is a retired FBI agent who is dragged back into a special operation on the French Riviera by an agency that can’t trust anyone. There is a rich countess and past love, Arab terrorists, an inconvenient romance with a French agent—and plenty of action. While the manuscript itself needs a little work and editing, I found the story exciting and memorable. Good job Mr. Kerns.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book by author with real life experience in the field of FBI and counter-intelligence activities should have made this book a captivating read. But the author’s struggle with dialog and pacing interfered with the plot too often. I applaud Kerns’ new career and encourage him forward. He obviously has stories to tell and the commitment to bring them to life for readers who love this genre.

[John Johnstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a sucker for espionage/spy stories and the synopsis for this book attracted me straight away. I made an excellent decision as I really enjoyed this action thriller. Hayden Stone the main character is still a bit of a mystery as the author chose to only limit his bio and put his energies into the story. It would have got 5 stars but I never award it very often. This was the first in the series, I will now seek out the second

[Peter Hogenkamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

The following is an excerpt from my review of The Riviera Contract:

Kerns' experience sinks into the writing as well; the prose is direct and not over-written, and the plot might well have been--and probably was--taken from Kerns' long career in counter-terrorism. Add to this the perfect setting for a spy thriller, a French Riviera that is painted by Kerns with subtle and reserved brush strokes, and you have a debut thriller leaving you wanting a sequel in short order.

If you would like to see more, click on the link at the end and The Tuesday Morning Book Review will appear. Or, better, yet, just buy the book and enjoy a good read. peter


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