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The White Mountain
Some families have deeper secrets than others.
Private investigator Mary Walker has less than forty-eight hours to save her brother-in-law, a former Marine Corps sniper involved in an underground, deadly game of killers hunting killers. A game controlled by a rich, powerful family. A game with a secretive history dating back to the Civil War. Ten million dollars to the victor; death to the losers. With time running out, Mary must find a way to keep Randall alive, or help him win, while chasing down leads and uncovering lies that connect to the unlikeliest of places...the White House.
Private investigator Mary Walker has less than forty-eight hours to save her brother-in-law, a former Marine Corps sniper involved in an underground, deadly game of killers hunting killers. A game controlled by a rich, powerful family. A game with a secretive history dating back to the Civil War. Ten million dollars to the victor; death to the losers. With time running out, Mary must find a way to keep Randall alive, or help him win, while chasing down leads and uncovering lies that connect to the unlikeliest of places...the White House.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 29, 2013
100 people are currently reading
217 people want to read
About the author
Ernie Lindsey
52 books183 followersErnie Lindsey grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of southwest Virginia, working on the family farm and reading, and has spent his life telling stories to anyone that will listen. He currently works as a freelance writer and is the author of five Mystery & Suspense novels and numerous short stories. When he's not writing, you can find him tackling the gigantic To Be Read list on his Kindle or the never-ending stack of books in his office.
Ernie and his family live in Oregon, along with a multi-fingered Hemingway cat named Luna.
Head over to Ernie's site where you can pick up some free Kindle books. Join him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ErnieLindseyFiction.
Ernie and his family live in Oregon, along with a multi-fingered Hemingway cat named Luna.
Head over to Ernie's site where you can pick up some free Kindle books. Join him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ErnieLindseyFiction.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 22, 2013
Suspension of disbelief is necessary for most thrillers these days – whether it’s Rollins’s recent foray into vampires or Preston/Childs’s elements of the supernatural, readers need a healthy dose of “whatever” to really get into the stories. Who cares that vampire priests don’t make much sense? Whatever! The story’s fun and there’s plenty of action. That’s what it takes these days.
Ernie Lindsey’s THE WHITE MOUNTAIN is a thriller that will appeal to readers of Rollins and Preston/Childs. There are interesting characters with shadowy pasts, enigmatic villains with plenty of history, and enough shady government stuff to satisfy any conspiracy theorist. That said, Lindsey’s novel actually makes more sense than most of the thrillers I’ve read lately. It doesn’t make total sense – let’s not expect miracles! – but the characters are real, their situation, while contrived, works within its own framework, and the ending is unexpected. I thought I had it all figured out . . . but I was wrong. And that’s a very, very good thing.
Mary Walker is a thirty-something PI who lost her career as a police officer when a criminal called Sledge destroyed her leg with a sledge hammer. Self-pity and disappointment define Mary at the start of THE WHITE MOUNTAIN – she can’t forgive herself for not getting the best of Sledge, and she uses the pain in her damaged leg as “a reminder of her failures.” She has a sister, Alice, who’s a recovering meth addict, and a brother-in-law, Randall, who’s a former Marine with a dark and mysterious history. Randall lost his best friend during a tragic skirmish in South America, and he’s begun to wonder whether there’s any sense to the violence in our world. When an unidentified man is murdered in Alice and Randall’s chicken coop, Mary is pulled into a story that seems right out of a Jason Borne movie. Randall claims a group of ten hired assassins are out to kill him and his family, and he wants Mary to go to Washington DC to try to figure out how to stop them. Somehow, the government is involved. And somehow, Mary needs to help Randall stay alive so Alice won’t lose the only thing keeping her sane.
Most of THE WHITE MOUNTAIN shifts between two perspectives, Mary’s in the outskirts of DC as she attempts to unravel the mystery (with the help of a former CIA friend of Randall’s), and Randall’s in rural Virginia as he battles a legion of killers (with names like “Yankee Doodle” and “The Devil Himself”). Mary discovers very quickly that Randall’s story isn’t totally accurate – he seems to be part of a secret “Game” that has been going on since the Civil War, a game in which ten top assassins from around the world agree to fight each other to the death, the winner getting a chance at a ten million dollar prize. The catch is, to get the money the winner of the Game must also best someone known only as “Ares,” the person who first won the Game in 1975 and has been beating all contenders since then. Why is Randall part of this Game, and does he have a chance of winning? And even if he does win, how can he hope to beat the invincible Ares?
I liked both Mary and Randall, mainly because they seem like real people with real flaws and real weaknesses. Mary has never been able to forgive herself for her failures as a police officer, and that has weakened her and left her unable to embrace life. These things are a problem for her as she fights to help Randall . . . and later to help herself and her sister. As she slowly comes to realize that life is worth living, she must rise to the occasion and find hidden resources of strength to help her survive. Randall has done a lot of things he isn’t proud of, but in his relationship with Alice and their young son he has tried to put the past behind him and start a new life. As the novel progresses, he begins to realize that senseless violence has consequences – as Lindsey writes, Randall learns that “there [is] an aftermath to deal with.” It’s not as easy as just walking away from a past he wants to forget – there are things to come to terms with, things to reconcile.
I was disappointed with a few elements of the novel. A bit too much information is revealed through protracted conversations between villains and heroes – this is common in books (and movies) like this, and Lindsey seems fully aware that a villain explaining his actions to a potential victim makes little sense. He does suggest a reason for such gut-spilling – “Maybe it’s cathartic to let it all out” – but it doesn’t really work. Also, I was confused as to why every character from rural Smythville, Virginia except for Mary sounds like a backwoods hick. Alice, Randall, and the other police officers all use words like “ain’t,” “reckon,” and “y’all,” while Mary speaks generic good English. She grew up in Smythville along with Alice. She was a small-town cop, and now she’s a small-town PI. I don’t know why she’d speak any differently from the rest of them.
But none of that is really important. Overall, THE WHITE MOUNTAIN is a gripping and exciting thriller with interesting and believable characters. Lindsey is an excellent writer, with a fine talent for plotting. The ending does set up a possible sequel, but things are satisfyingly resolved – readers aren’t left hanging. I highly recommend this to all fans of the genre. This one won’t disappoint.
[Please note: I was provided a copy of this book for review; the opinions expressed here are my own.]
Ernie Lindsey’s THE WHITE MOUNTAIN is a thriller that will appeal to readers of Rollins and Preston/Childs. There are interesting characters with shadowy pasts, enigmatic villains with plenty of history, and enough shady government stuff to satisfy any conspiracy theorist. That said, Lindsey’s novel actually makes more sense than most of the thrillers I’ve read lately. It doesn’t make total sense – let’s not expect miracles! – but the characters are real, their situation, while contrived, works within its own framework, and the ending is unexpected. I thought I had it all figured out . . . but I was wrong. And that’s a very, very good thing.
Mary Walker is a thirty-something PI who lost her career as a police officer when a criminal called Sledge destroyed her leg with a sledge hammer. Self-pity and disappointment define Mary at the start of THE WHITE MOUNTAIN – she can’t forgive herself for not getting the best of Sledge, and she uses the pain in her damaged leg as “a reminder of her failures.” She has a sister, Alice, who’s a recovering meth addict, and a brother-in-law, Randall, who’s a former Marine with a dark and mysterious history. Randall lost his best friend during a tragic skirmish in South America, and he’s begun to wonder whether there’s any sense to the violence in our world. When an unidentified man is murdered in Alice and Randall’s chicken coop, Mary is pulled into a story that seems right out of a Jason Borne movie. Randall claims a group of ten hired assassins are out to kill him and his family, and he wants Mary to go to Washington DC to try to figure out how to stop them. Somehow, the government is involved. And somehow, Mary needs to help Randall stay alive so Alice won’t lose the only thing keeping her sane.
Most of THE WHITE MOUNTAIN shifts between two perspectives, Mary’s in the outskirts of DC as she attempts to unravel the mystery (with the help of a former CIA friend of Randall’s), and Randall’s in rural Virginia as he battles a legion of killers (with names like “Yankee Doodle” and “The Devil Himself”). Mary discovers very quickly that Randall’s story isn’t totally accurate – he seems to be part of a secret “Game” that has been going on since the Civil War, a game in which ten top assassins from around the world agree to fight each other to the death, the winner getting a chance at a ten million dollar prize. The catch is, to get the money the winner of the Game must also best someone known only as “Ares,” the person who first won the Game in 1975 and has been beating all contenders since then. Why is Randall part of this Game, and does he have a chance of winning? And even if he does win, how can he hope to beat the invincible Ares?
I liked both Mary and Randall, mainly because they seem like real people with real flaws and real weaknesses. Mary has never been able to forgive herself for her failures as a police officer, and that has weakened her and left her unable to embrace life. These things are a problem for her as she fights to help Randall . . . and later to help herself and her sister. As she slowly comes to realize that life is worth living, she must rise to the occasion and find hidden resources of strength to help her survive. Randall has done a lot of things he isn’t proud of, but in his relationship with Alice and their young son he has tried to put the past behind him and start a new life. As the novel progresses, he begins to realize that senseless violence has consequences – as Lindsey writes, Randall learns that “there [is] an aftermath to deal with.” It’s not as easy as just walking away from a past he wants to forget – there are things to come to terms with, things to reconcile.
I was disappointed with a few elements of the novel. A bit too much information is revealed through protracted conversations between villains and heroes – this is common in books (and movies) like this, and Lindsey seems fully aware that a villain explaining his actions to a potential victim makes little sense. He does suggest a reason for such gut-spilling – “Maybe it’s cathartic to let it all out” – but it doesn’t really work. Also, I was confused as to why every character from rural Smythville, Virginia except for Mary sounds like a backwoods hick. Alice, Randall, and the other police officers all use words like “ain’t,” “reckon,” and “y’all,” while Mary speaks generic good English. She grew up in Smythville along with Alice. She was a small-town cop, and now she’s a small-town PI. I don’t know why she’d speak any differently from the rest of them.
But none of that is really important. Overall, THE WHITE MOUNTAIN is a gripping and exciting thriller with interesting and believable characters. Lindsey is an excellent writer, with a fine talent for plotting. The ending does set up a possible sequel, but things are satisfyingly resolved – readers aren’t left hanging. I highly recommend this to all fans of the genre. This one won’t disappoint.
[Please note: I was provided a copy of this book for review; the opinions expressed here are my own.]
December 26, 2019
The White Mountain
OH MY GOD !!!! I have to shut my mouth to keep from screaming. This is a brilliantly written book.
Buy it !!!
Read it !!!
This book will get an OMG .... SHARE ..... shout out to all your friends you found a new favorite author.
OH MY GOD !!!! I have to shut my mouth to keep from screaming. This is a brilliantly written book.
Buy it !!!
Read it !!!
This book will get an OMG .... SHARE ..... shout out to all your friends you found a new favorite author.
September 23, 2020
Seriously!
I spent all this time reading this and there isn't an ending to it? Seriously! Why not have finished the story now of what happens between them?
I spent all this time reading this and there isn't an ending to it? Seriously! Why not have finished the story now of what happens between them?
June 25, 2013
Randall Blevins is a former US Marine sniper who, to help out his poor family, signed up to play a little game, a game of death! Mwa hahaha!
That's the basic plot of The White Mountain. Randall and 9 other of the world's most deadly killers agree to try to take each other out and the last man standing wins $10 million in prize money. Matters are complicated because Randall has a family that is drawn into the game, and because the game itself reaches far back into America's history and is connected to some very powerful and very old players in the nation’s power game.
The perspective in the story switches between that of Randall and that of his sister-in-law Mary, a former police officer turned private detective who helps Randall uncover some of the secrets of the deadly game he is playing. Mary had to leave the police force after being seriously injured by a serial killer named Sledge who it seems not only damaged Mary's leg, but her spirit as well. Still despite her doubts, her sharp mind, propelled by her love of her family, drive Mary to help Randall survive the game.
This was a pretty good read. The author knows how to write a good action sequence and there are two really good ones. The pacing at the end is especially brisk and I found myself wanting to skip ahead a few paragraphs just to see what was going to happen to the characters. The story line itself wasn't bad. On the one hand you have a bit of the "Most Dangerous Game" where men hunt other men for sport. And on the other hand, with Mary, you have the tortured cop trying to win salvation by coming to grips with her past. Neither plot is original but they have both provided a good frame work for entertaining stories in the past.
The question is, “Do these two story lines provide solid entertainment here?" My answer is, “Yes and no."
I like the Randall chapters better. It's where most of the action scenes take place. Once again, the author does right a pretty good action scene. The author seems more comfortable writing Randall. His dialogue seems more natural.
The Mary chapters seem a little stiffer. Mary herself doesn't have much of a personality. Sure, she's consumed by her injury and the impotence she feels because of it, but if I'm going to spend half a book with a character I'd like that character to be a little more interesting. The author constantly tells us that Mary has inner strength and is an excellent investigator but we don't often actually see this in the story. While full of good intentions she spends a good deal of the book in a somewhat passive mode, getting herself captured and re-captured for maybe a third of the book.
Overall this is not a bad beach or airport book. It ends on a cliff hanger and I certainly want to read the sequel. Randall, who is one bad-a$$ country boy, promises a Reckoning.
That's the basic plot of The White Mountain. Randall and 9 other of the world's most deadly killers agree to try to take each other out and the last man standing wins $10 million in prize money. Matters are complicated because Randall has a family that is drawn into the game, and because the game itself reaches far back into America's history and is connected to some very powerful and very old players in the nation’s power game.
The perspective in the story switches between that of Randall and that of his sister-in-law Mary, a former police officer turned private detective who helps Randall uncover some of the secrets of the deadly game he is playing. Mary had to leave the police force after being seriously injured by a serial killer named Sledge who it seems not only damaged Mary's leg, but her spirit as well. Still despite her doubts, her sharp mind, propelled by her love of her family, drive Mary to help Randall survive the game.
This was a pretty good read. The author knows how to write a good action sequence and there are two really good ones. The pacing at the end is especially brisk and I found myself wanting to skip ahead a few paragraphs just to see what was going to happen to the characters. The story line itself wasn't bad. On the one hand you have a bit of the "Most Dangerous Game" where men hunt other men for sport. And on the other hand, with Mary, you have the tortured cop trying to win salvation by coming to grips with her past. Neither plot is original but they have both provided a good frame work for entertaining stories in the past.
The question is, “Do these two story lines provide solid entertainment here?" My answer is, “Yes and no."
I like the Randall chapters better. It's where most of the action scenes take place. Once again, the author does right a pretty good action scene. The author seems more comfortable writing Randall. His dialogue seems more natural.
The Mary chapters seem a little stiffer. Mary herself doesn't have much of a personality. Sure, she's consumed by her injury and the impotence she feels because of it, but if I'm going to spend half a book with a character I'd like that character to be a little more interesting. The author constantly tells us that Mary has inner strength and is an excellent investigator but we don't often actually see this in the story. While full of good intentions she spends a good deal of the book in a somewhat passive mode, getting herself captured and re-captured for maybe a third of the book.
Overall this is not a bad beach or airport book. It ends on a cliff hanger and I certainly want to read the sequel. Randall, who is one bad-a$$ country boy, promises a Reckoning.
June 20, 2013
I really enjoyed this story. It was well-written, fast-paced, and filled with good characters.
Former US Marine Sniper, Randall, finds himself in a "game" involving the world's 10 most deadly men... All against each other until the last man is standing. While Randall is capable of handling himself, he wants information about who is behind the game, so who better to send to DC to investigate than his PI sister-in-law, Mary?
The story turns into an action-packed adventure as Mary and Randall race against the clock to save Randall and keep their family safe. There are several fight scenes in the book, all suspenseful, but without being too gory. I think perhaps some could have been a little more suspenseful, or more interesting. Instead of it always being Randall for himself, perhaps if he had fought some with Mary (aside from the end, of course), it could have added a little more 'texture' to the action, so to speak.
In addition to the suspense and action, I enjoyed the unraveling of the mystery as Mary meets up with Randall's friend to get the information on who is behind everything. The reveal of potentially high-powered people behind the sick "game" only adds to the drama of the mystery. I also enjoyed the few twists and turns that came with this mystery. And there was more than just one big twist -- which I always appreciate.
Being the sucker hat I am for love stories, the only thing that could have made this book better (for me) was a bit of a love story. However, let's face it, this is not a romance and is not intended to be one. So, I am not, therefore, basing my rating on the lack thereof.
Thanks, NetGalley for sharing this copy with me in exchange for my fair and honest review!
Former US Marine Sniper, Randall, finds himself in a "game" involving the world's 10 most deadly men... All against each other until the last man is standing. While Randall is capable of handling himself, he wants information about who is behind the game, so who better to send to DC to investigate than his PI sister-in-law, Mary?
The story turns into an action-packed adventure as Mary and Randall race against the clock to save Randall and keep their family safe. There are several fight scenes in the book, all suspenseful, but without being too gory. I think perhaps some could have been a little more suspenseful, or more interesting. Instead of it always being Randall for himself, perhaps if he had fought some with Mary (aside from the end, of course), it could have added a little more 'texture' to the action, so to speak.
In addition to the suspense and action, I enjoyed the unraveling of the mystery as Mary meets up with Randall's friend to get the information on who is behind everything. The reveal of potentially high-powered people behind the sick "game" only adds to the drama of the mystery. I also enjoyed the few twists and turns that came with this mystery. And there was more than just one big twist -- which I always appreciate.
Being the sucker hat I am for love stories, the only thing that could have made this book better (for me) was a bit of a love story. However, let's face it, this is not a romance and is not intended to be one. So, I am not, therefore, basing my rating on the lack thereof.
Thanks, NetGalley for sharing this copy with me in exchange for my fair and honest review!
May 17, 2013
The plot to Ernie Lindsey's new novel is not new, but he handles it with a deft flair and enough twists to keep me guessing and turning the pages.
Our heroine is private eye Mary Walker, a woman who scrapes along with workman's compensation cases and cheating spouses. She walks with a cane, one leg crushed years ago while a cop by a serial killer, Sledge, so named for his choice of weapons.
The plot here is people hunting people, an underground game where every couple of years, ten men are set loose to hunt, and kill, each other. The final survivor then has to fight the previous winner, Ares, for the grand prize of ten million dollars. The game stretches all the way back to the Civil War and is controlled by a powerful family with connections to the White House.
Mary's brother-in-law, Randall, is one of the participants and when the battle comes to their home, he lies to Mary, sending her to D.C. for information from a friend, mainly to get her out of harm's way.
With Mary stepping into trouble up North, Randall, his family moved to safety, in his own troubles down South, the thriller ramps up the action on both fronts.
Not read any of the author's work previously, but have SLEDGE ready to go next.
Highly recommended.
Our heroine is private eye Mary Walker, a woman who scrapes along with workman's compensation cases and cheating spouses. She walks with a cane, one leg crushed years ago while a cop by a serial killer, Sledge, so named for his choice of weapons.
The plot here is people hunting people, an underground game where every couple of years, ten men are set loose to hunt, and kill, each other. The final survivor then has to fight the previous winner, Ares, for the grand prize of ten million dollars. The game stretches all the way back to the Civil War and is controlled by a powerful family with connections to the White House.
Mary's brother-in-law, Randall, is one of the participants and when the battle comes to their home, he lies to Mary, sending her to D.C. for information from a friend, mainly to get her out of harm's way.
With Mary stepping into trouble up North, Randall, his family moved to safety, in his own troubles down South, the thriller ramps up the action on both fronts.
Not read any of the author's work previously, but have SLEDGE ready to go next.
Highly recommended.
June 18, 2013
Pawns in a death game
I am disappointed. I wanted to like this book more but found too many outlandish aspects of the story. And it wasn't the man hunting man part that I found unbelievable, just the way the male protagonist handled himself in the story. "The Most Dangerous Game," the short story with similarities written by Richard Connell, which I am sure this book is based on in part, is one of my favorite stories.
The dialogue didn't flow smoothly and seemed sophomoric in spots. The characters weren't fleshed out but were rather one-dimensional. And the story jumped all over, never settling in and telling a good tale. Oh, and I disliked the ending.
I did like the character of Mary and plan on reading her backstory in "Sledge," a short story about a serial killer who gave her the injuries that disabled her.
I did like the front cover art.
And there were sparks in the book that I did like, mostly concerning Mary, the female protagonist. So I have bought and am going to chance reading Lindsey's other book - "Sara's Game."
NOTE: I was sent this book to read and do an honest review on, which I feel I have done.
I am disappointed. I wanted to like this book more but found too many outlandish aspects of the story. And it wasn't the man hunting man part that I found unbelievable, just the way the male protagonist handled himself in the story. "The Most Dangerous Game," the short story with similarities written by Richard Connell, which I am sure this book is based on in part, is one of my favorite stories.
The dialogue didn't flow smoothly and seemed sophomoric in spots. The characters weren't fleshed out but were rather one-dimensional. And the story jumped all over, never settling in and telling a good tale. Oh, and I disliked the ending.
I did like the character of Mary and plan on reading her backstory in "Sledge," a short story about a serial killer who gave her the injuries that disabled her.
I did like the front cover art.
And there were sparks in the book that I did like, mostly concerning Mary, the female protagonist. So I have bought and am going to chance reading Lindsey's other book - "Sara's Game."
NOTE: I was sent this book to read and do an honest review on, which I feel I have done.
May 24, 2015
I received an advance reader copy for free in exchange for an honest review.
A former US Marine sniper Randall Blevins signed up to play a game of death to help suppport his poor family. Randall and nine other of the worlds most deadly killers agree to try to take each other out last one alive gets 10 million in prize money. Things get complicated because Randal's family gets drawn into the game. The game itself reaches far back into America's history it is connected to some very old and powerful people in the nations power game. The story switches between the perspectives of Randall and his Sister in law Mary an ex cop who was injured by a serial killer named Sledge she is now a Private Detective and she is helping Randall uncover some of the secrets of the game to help him survive. Extremely well written . plenty of action. I look forward to reading more books by Ernie Lindsey
A former US Marine sniper Randall Blevins signed up to play a game of death to help suppport his poor family. Randall and nine other of the worlds most deadly killers agree to try to take each other out last one alive gets 10 million in prize money. Things get complicated because Randal's family gets drawn into the game. The game itself reaches far back into America's history it is connected to some very old and powerful people in the nations power game. The story switches between the perspectives of Randall and his Sister in law Mary an ex cop who was injured by a serial killer named Sledge she is now a Private Detective and she is helping Randall uncover some of the secrets of the game to help him survive. Extremely well written . plenty of action. I look forward to reading more books by Ernie Lindsey
July 1, 2013
You start right in the middle of the story line and have to fill in the pieces as the tale develops. Mary and Randall provide alternating first-person narration so the storyline develops along twin tracks which allows the reader to peer over the shoulders at what the characters see. This style of narration also provides the opportunity for several twists in the tale. I will need to track down the past and future episodes. Enjoy!
October 21, 2013
In an age where snipers are employed by the government, this is a twist I would never imagine even our age of corruption could come up with; pitting killer against killer. It is amazing the lengths man will go to to amuse himself.
January 17, 2016
Loved this book
Ernie Lindsey is my new favorite author! This book was so full of action I kept getting tired. In A way, published I had read this book before the 3rd Sara book. I cannot wait for the next to see what happens!!
Ernie Lindsey is my new favorite author! This book was so full of action I kept getting tired. In A way, published I had read this book before the 3rd Sara book. I cannot wait for the next to see what happens!!
June 10, 2013
Far-fetched and fun two hour distraction. Just sit back and go with it.
October 11, 2014
What a fantastic story with some amazing characters. Extremely well written with an ending that made me shout out loud, really looking forward to the sequel to this one, well done Mr Lindsey!
December 22, 2015
Loved it
Good read. Intense and keeps you guessing. Hard to put it down, makes the waiting hard for the continuing of the series.
Good read. Intense and keeps you guessing. Hard to put it down, makes the waiting hard for the continuing of the series.
January 31, 2016
Great read
The Sarah series is a great read with the interesting lives of everyone.Your always wanting to see what happens next that keeps me reading unable to put it down.
The Sarah series is a great read with the interesting lives of everyone.Your always wanting to see what happens next that keeps me reading unable to put it down.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews