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Frank Bowen Conspiracy Thriller #1
False Flag
Frank Bowen decides to change his life and travel to Goa where he meets the seemingly friendly Theo and the woman of his dreams, Maria.
In Bangkok, he is pointed in the direction of Theo's friend – Richard – an English ex-pat with dubious connections and knowledge of the seedier side of the city. Richard gains his trust and Frank decides to take up a proposition—to take part in an anti-terrorist drill in Hong Kong.
That drill soon turns into a nightmare.
Plenty of twists and turns in this first, high-octane, conspiracy thriller, from Jay Tinsiano.
In Bangkok, he is pointed in the direction of Theo's friend – Richard – an English ex-pat with dubious connections and knowledge of the seedier side of the city. Richard gains his trust and Frank decides to take up a proposition—to take part in an anti-terrorist drill in Hong Kong.
That drill soon turns into a nightmare.
Plenty of twists and turns in this first, high-octane, conspiracy thriller, from Jay Tinsiano.
177 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 4, 2013
164 people are currently reading
628 people want to read
About the author
Jay Tinsiano
26 books122 followersJay Tinsiano is an avid reader and writer of fiction, specifically crime, dystopia and thrillers, interweaving his experiences into his fiction writing.
Jay Tinsiano is currently working on a thriller / post-apocalyptic epic in collaboration with Jay Newton.
Join the Reading Group newsletter for updates, reports and goodies at http://www.jaytinsiano.com/newsletter
Jay Tinsiano is currently working on a thriller / post-apocalyptic epic in collaboration with Jay Newton.
Join the Reading Group newsletter for updates, reports and goodies at http://www.jaytinsiano.com/newsletter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 5, 2014
An innocent man set up for a deadly terrorist attack! Sounds way too thrilling. False Flag by Jay Tinsiano is all about series of dirty crimes committed by the intelligence officers and setting up innocent foreign travellers to cover up their mess. This book is thoroughly fast-paced, gripping and engrossing from the very first pages.
Thanks to the author, Jay Tinsiano, for sending me over a copy of his novel, in exchange for an honest review.
Frank, who just broke up with his girlfriend, decides to hit the road by travelling to Goa, Bangkok and Hong-Kong. His Goa trip turns out very well, manages to make some friends like Maria and Theo, but unfortunately he didn't know that he was already being set up for something heinous. Then he moves to Bangkok and check-in with the hotel that Theo had suggested, and this is where he met, Richard, who asks him to do some smuggling for him across the country, Frank does that gladly, as he was robbed off all his money and passport. But now the story gets highly interesting and exciting, as Frank discovers this not any kind of petty crime, instead something big, which involves some high-rank officials in the government committing a series of terrorist attacks and before he realises, its already too late.
The storytelling of the author is amazing, he managed to keep his story interesting by giving twists and turns in every last pages of every chapter, that is something which will definitely keep the readers on their edges. The characters were well-fitting, especially Frank, an innocent guy but with a mind of a genius, he thinks fast, acts fast, only problem he believes people too easily and also we can feel his pain of losing his whole family, then there's Maria, a Dutch girl, who likes to live her life, . The chemistry between Frank and Maria is sweet and imploring, although not to mention they only had a one night-stand and all throughout the journey of Frank, no such emotions were exchanged instead they acted more like friends, helping out each other. Almost all the characters had a backhand-story, including the notorious killer of this plot. All-in-all, a short mystery novel which is going to take you through many exotic places.
So if you're looking for some fast-paced mystery, this book perfectly fits the bill.
Thanks to the author, Jay Tinsiano, for sending me over a copy of his novel, in exchange for an honest review.
Frank, who just broke up with his girlfriend, decides to hit the road by travelling to Goa, Bangkok and Hong-Kong. His Goa trip turns out very well, manages to make some friends like Maria and Theo, but unfortunately he didn't know that he was already being set up for something heinous. Then he moves to Bangkok and check-in with the hotel that Theo had suggested, and this is where he met, Richard, who asks him to do some smuggling for him across the country, Frank does that gladly, as he was robbed off all his money and passport. But now the story gets highly interesting and exciting, as Frank discovers this not any kind of petty crime, instead something big, which involves some high-rank officials in the government committing a series of terrorist attacks and before he realises, its already too late.
The storytelling of the author is amazing, he managed to keep his story interesting by giving twists and turns in every last pages of every chapter, that is something which will definitely keep the readers on their edges. The characters were well-fitting, especially Frank, an innocent guy but with a mind of a genius, he thinks fast, acts fast, only problem he believes people too easily and also we can feel his pain of losing his whole family, then there's Maria, a Dutch girl, who likes to live her life, . The chemistry between Frank and Maria is sweet and imploring, although not to mention they only had a one night-stand and all throughout the journey of Frank, no such emotions were exchanged instead they acted more like friends, helping out each other. Almost all the characters had a backhand-story, including the notorious killer of this plot. All-in-all, a short mystery novel which is going to take you through many exotic places.
So if you're looking for some fast-paced mystery, this book perfectly fits the bill.
Want to read
August 3, 2013Whoa this seems like a great book!
March 24, 2018
Scroll down for the English version.
Storia complessa e godibile con un inizio un po’ lento
Questa novella è il primo libro di una serie di thriller che ha come protagonista Frank Bowen. Per quanto si tratti di uno scritto breve che viene offerto gratuitamente per invogliare alla lettura dei successivi, è del tutto autoconclusivo e funziona bene anche come libro singolo. Inoltre il testo è molto ben curato. Non ho notato refusi né errori di altro tipo (se ce ne sono, devono essere proprio pochi).
La storia si svolge negli anni 90 nel periodo precedente alla restituzione di Hong Kong alla Cina, mentre l’attenzione dei media è concentrata sulla guerra in Iraq. L’ambientazione internazionale abbastanza varia e ben descritta e i dettagli degli intrighi e delle procedure che coinvolgono le varie agenzie di intelligence sono segno di un notevole sforzo di ricerca che quasi stupisce, trattandosi di un testo così breve.
La trama non è eccessivamente originale e ci sono alcuni aspetti abbastanza prevedibili, tra cui il finale, ma è dotata di alcuni colpi di scena inattesi, che mantengono vivo l’interesse, e delle scene d’azione ben descritte.
Alcune parti sono forse un po’ lente. L’inizio in particolare è sotto tono e non ti fa venire la voglia di andare avanti. Se non fosse stato un libro così corto, probabilmente mi sarei subito fermata. Sono però contenta di non averlo fatto.
Infine ammetto di aver avuto qualche difficoltà nel ricordarmi i vari personaggi, forse perché sono tanti e vengono tratteggiati in maniera molto rapida. Secondo me, in questo libro c’era materiale per scrivere qualcosa di molto più lungo che avrebbe permesso di sviluppare meglio i personaggi secondari, rendendoli più interessanti e memorabili. Ciò avrebbe giovato alla storia nel suo complesso.
È stata comunque una buona lettura che mi sento di consigliare.
Complex and enjoyable story with a slightly slow start
This novella is the first book in a series of thrillers whose main character is Frank Bowen. Although it is a short text that is often offered for free to encourage the reading of the following one, it is completely self-conclusive and works well as a single book. Furthermore, the text is very good. I haven’t noticed typos or other errors (if there are any, they must be just a few).
The story takes place in the 90s in the period before the return of Hong Kong to China, while media attention is focused on the war in Iraq. The quite varied and well-described international environment and the details of the intrigues and procedures involving the various intelligence agencies are a sign of a considerable research effort that almost amazed me, since it is such a short text.
The plot is not overly original and there are some fairly predictable aspects, including the ending, but it has some unexpected twists, which keep the interest alive, and well-described action scenes.
Some parts are perhaps a bit slow. The beginning in particular isn’t exactly compelling and doesn’t make you want to go on in the story. If it hadn’t been such a short book, I would have probably abandoned it immediately. But I’m glad I didn’t do it.
Finally, I admit I had some difficulty in remembering the various characters, perhaps because they are many and are showed quite quickly. In my opinion, in this book there was material to write something much longer, which would allow the secondary characters to develop better, making them more interesting and memorable. This would have improved the whole story.
However, it was a good read that I can recommend.
Storia complessa e godibile con un inizio un po’ lento
Questa novella è il primo libro di una serie di thriller che ha come protagonista Frank Bowen. Per quanto si tratti di uno scritto breve che viene offerto gratuitamente per invogliare alla lettura dei successivi, è del tutto autoconclusivo e funziona bene anche come libro singolo. Inoltre il testo è molto ben curato. Non ho notato refusi né errori di altro tipo (se ce ne sono, devono essere proprio pochi).
La storia si svolge negli anni 90 nel periodo precedente alla restituzione di Hong Kong alla Cina, mentre l’attenzione dei media è concentrata sulla guerra in Iraq. L’ambientazione internazionale abbastanza varia e ben descritta e i dettagli degli intrighi e delle procedure che coinvolgono le varie agenzie di intelligence sono segno di un notevole sforzo di ricerca che quasi stupisce, trattandosi di un testo così breve.
La trama non è eccessivamente originale e ci sono alcuni aspetti abbastanza prevedibili, tra cui il finale, ma è dotata di alcuni colpi di scena inattesi, che mantengono vivo l’interesse, e delle scene d’azione ben descritte.
Alcune parti sono forse un po’ lente. L’inizio in particolare è sotto tono e non ti fa venire la voglia di andare avanti. Se non fosse stato un libro così corto, probabilmente mi sarei subito fermata. Sono però contenta di non averlo fatto.
Infine ammetto di aver avuto qualche difficoltà nel ricordarmi i vari personaggi, forse perché sono tanti e vengono tratteggiati in maniera molto rapida. Secondo me, in questo libro c’era materiale per scrivere qualcosa di molto più lungo che avrebbe permesso di sviluppare meglio i personaggi secondari, rendendoli più interessanti e memorabili. Ciò avrebbe giovato alla storia nel suo complesso.
È stata comunque una buona lettura che mi sento di consigliare.
Complex and enjoyable story with a slightly slow start
This novella is the first book in a series of thrillers whose main character is Frank Bowen. Although it is a short text that is often offered for free to encourage the reading of the following one, it is completely self-conclusive and works well as a single book. Furthermore, the text is very good. I haven’t noticed typos or other errors (if there are any, they must be just a few).
The story takes place in the 90s in the period before the return of Hong Kong to China, while media attention is focused on the war in Iraq. The quite varied and well-described international environment and the details of the intrigues and procedures involving the various intelligence agencies are a sign of a considerable research effort that almost amazed me, since it is such a short text.
The plot is not overly original and there are some fairly predictable aspects, including the ending, but it has some unexpected twists, which keep the interest alive, and well-described action scenes.
Some parts are perhaps a bit slow. The beginning in particular isn’t exactly compelling and doesn’t make you want to go on in the story. If it hadn’t been such a short book, I would have probably abandoned it immediately. But I’m glad I didn’t do it.
Finally, I admit I had some difficulty in remembering the various characters, perhaps because they are many and are showed quite quickly. In my opinion, in this book there was material to write something much longer, which would allow the secondary characters to develop better, making them more interesting and memorable. This would have improved the whole story.
However, it was a good read that I can recommend.
August 28, 2017
Beijing, China. Temple of Earth Gardens. Ho Zhang & Peng Quan (strategic advisor) were discussing the daily business that needed to be tended to.
After 4 yrs. Frank Bowen (English) & Jodie (lover) decided to call it quits
Goa. Hopefully he would enjoy the Anjuna beach.
Bangkok, Thailand. Richard Stokes took Frank to the Pat Pong girlie strip bar.
Later he had a business venture for him.
Dean Whiteman (Hong Kong Legislative Council) introduced himself.
1991, He needed reliable men to lead the counter-terrorism response team drills in Hong Kong, China.
Frank & Jimmy Duffy were on their way.
Lieutenant Chan (SAS Flying Tigers), Agent Xeng, Agent Sun, had heard/seen the # 61 Tram explosion (Chun Yeung St.).
Jimmy’s picture was on TV news also.
There was another explosion at the Causeway Bay MT station also.
Agent Charlie Wo & Agent Joe Yi were at the crime scene.
What was Theo Kampala up to?
DI Douglas Brown was checking the bombed-out sites also.
Li Wu’s body lay against the wall.
Chiu Wah On had managed to somehow survive.
CI Chris Johnson & DI Brown were discussing the terrorist attacks.
Maria Amerman (daughter, nee Chapman) & Frank were doing some investigation work.
What happened at the Bird House?
Lieutenant General Teng (SU), CI Christopher Johnson, Sr. I Lim Su Sung, were discussing the attacks also.
Governor Wilson made it a priority they get right on it.
Richard Desmond (aka Richard Stokes, Hong Kong Legislative Council, Stokes Consultancy) was found dead in his apartment.
Mr (.)
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written international political thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great international political thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Dark Paradigm Publishing; Instafreebie; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons (Washburn)
After 4 yrs. Frank Bowen (English) & Jodie (lover) decided to call it quits
Goa. Hopefully he would enjoy the Anjuna beach.
Bangkok, Thailand. Richard Stokes took Frank to the Pat Pong girlie strip bar.
Later he had a business venture for him.
Dean Whiteman (Hong Kong Legislative Council) introduced himself.
1991, He needed reliable men to lead the counter-terrorism response team drills in Hong Kong, China.
Frank & Jimmy Duffy were on their way.
Lieutenant Chan (SAS Flying Tigers), Agent Xeng, Agent Sun, had heard/seen the # 61 Tram explosion (Chun Yeung St.).
Jimmy’s picture was on TV news also.
There was another explosion at the Causeway Bay MT station also.
Agent Charlie Wo & Agent Joe Yi were at the crime scene.
What was Theo Kampala up to?
DI Douglas Brown was checking the bombed-out sites also.
Li Wu’s body lay against the wall.
Chiu Wah On had managed to somehow survive.
CI Chris Johnson & DI Brown were discussing the terrorist attacks.
Maria Amerman (daughter, nee Chapman) & Frank were doing some investigation work.
What happened at the Bird House?
Lieutenant General Teng (SU), CI Christopher Johnson, Sr. I Lim Su Sung, were discussing the attacks also.
Governor Wilson made it a priority they get right on it.
Richard Desmond (aka Richard Stokes, Hong Kong Legislative Council, Stokes Consultancy) was found dead in his apartment.
Mr (.)
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written international political thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great international political thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Dark Paradigm Publishing; Instafreebie; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons (Washburn)
April 23, 2020
Audible.
This novella serves as a prequel-ish introduction to Jay Tinsiano’s Frank Bowen Conspiracy Thriller series. It’s set 8 years before the next book, Pandora Red. This is my first book by Tinsiano and while it had a slow start I found myself really enjoying it once the action kicked in. There is a huge cast of characters to keep track of made easier by breaking up POV/perspective by chapter.
As an untrained civilian, Frank Bowen relies more on sheer luck than skill to survive being set up as the supposed bomber of a commuter train. What I liked is that Tinsiano doesn’t try to turn Bowen into some kind of expert with no foundation. It’s purely Frank’s determination and fear driving him to escape the web he’s caught in.
Chris MacDonnell is also new to me. I enjoyed his narration, accents, and inflections. As I said, this book has a lot of perspectives and MacDonnell did a good job distinguishing all the characters. The only drawback was that MacDonnell sounds much older than the 26yo Frank Bowen and with so many of chapters from Frank’s POV, it was difficult to remember that. Since subsequent books have Frank older, it probably won’t be as stark a contrast.
Trigger Warnings (possible spoilers):
This is an espionage/spy thriller with several fights, murders, and instances of peril. Suicide.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from FreeAudiobookCodes.com and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
This novella serves as a prequel-ish introduction to Jay Tinsiano’s Frank Bowen Conspiracy Thriller series. It’s set 8 years before the next book, Pandora Red. This is my first book by Tinsiano and while it had a slow start I found myself really enjoying it once the action kicked in. There is a huge cast of characters to keep track of made easier by breaking up POV/perspective by chapter.
As an untrained civilian, Frank Bowen relies more on sheer luck than skill to survive being set up as the supposed bomber of a commuter train. What I liked is that Tinsiano doesn’t try to turn Bowen into some kind of expert with no foundation. It’s purely Frank’s determination and fear driving him to escape the web he’s caught in.
Chris MacDonnell is also new to me. I enjoyed his narration, accents, and inflections. As I said, this book has a lot of perspectives and MacDonnell did a good job distinguishing all the characters. The only drawback was that MacDonnell sounds much older than the 26yo Frank Bowen and with so many of chapters from Frank’s POV, it was difficult to remember that. Since subsequent books have Frank older, it probably won’t be as stark a contrast.
Trigger Warnings (possible spoilers):
This is an espionage/spy thriller with several fights, murders, and instances of peril. Suicide.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from FreeAudiobookCodes.com and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
March 5, 2022
This is the 5th novel in a box set of thrillers called "Into the Silence: Seven Thrilling Stories." (I don't think it's available anymore, might have been a bundle promo.) They are all stand alones (novels and novellas), all by different authors. I think I got the collection for free - a way to introduce new MCs and series to new readers. Good concept, but anthologies like these are often hit and miss.
This offering, False Flag, started out as a miss. It took me a quarter of the way through to figure out what the premise was. The protag, Frank Bowen, was simply wandering around Southeast Asia. I didn't know if he was supposed to be a spy or on assignment or what. He just meandered. Finally, some guy bumps into Frank, they become good friends (immediately!), and now Frank is running errands for him. Well, that doesn't go well, of course. Frank gets in a whole heap of trouble, and eventually a conspiracy emerges involving the Chines gov't and MI-6. (Set in Hong Kong late 90s.)
So 2.5 stars? I mean, the writing is okay, it's workmanlike and adequate. And the plot is somewhat interesting once I figured out what was at stake (which happened about half way through the novel - way too long to hook the reader, friends). But I soldiered on and skimmed and finally finished it. Probably won't be looking for another Frank Bowen conspiracy thriller any time soon. But at least I finished this one - book #4 in the collection, Operation Snowdrop, I abandoned at about 20%.
This offering, False Flag, started out as a miss. It took me a quarter of the way through to figure out what the premise was. The protag, Frank Bowen, was simply wandering around Southeast Asia. I didn't know if he was supposed to be a spy or on assignment or what. He just meandered. Finally, some guy bumps into Frank, they become good friends (immediately!), and now Frank is running errands for him. Well, that doesn't go well, of course. Frank gets in a whole heap of trouble, and eventually a conspiracy emerges involving the Chines gov't and MI-6. (Set in Hong Kong late 90s.)
So 2.5 stars? I mean, the writing is okay, it's workmanlike and adequate. And the plot is somewhat interesting once I figured out what was at stake (which happened about half way through the novel - way too long to hook the reader, friends). But I soldiered on and skimmed and finally finished it. Probably won't be looking for another Frank Bowen conspiracy thriller any time soon. But at least I finished this one - book #4 in the collection, Operation Snowdrop, I abandoned at about 20%.
Read
December 2, 2019False Flag, my first read from author Jay Tinsiano and it won’t be my last. Extremely well written, the characters, well developed. I’m a character reader, I get into the characters. Who and what they are. Why they do the things they do. The things that make a reader get invested into the characters and thereby the book and this book does! I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. I was impressed and enjoyed the vocal variety & inflections of narrator Chris Macdonnell. I look forward to reading more in this series & from this author. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
April 17, 2021
This was a book that was provided by the author in return for an honest.
The story takes place in Southeast Asia in the early 1990's, prior to the change in control of Hong Kong in 1997 (from British to China).
This book reads like a action packed thriller, detailing an attempt by China's MSS to discredit Britain in their waning years of control over the colony, and would be appreciated by fans of some early Robert Ludlum.
As far as reviews go, I found the book to be quite exciting and worthy of a four star rating out of five stars.
As with all of my reviews, this just my five cents worth.
The story takes place in Southeast Asia in the early 1990's, prior to the change in control of Hong Kong in 1997 (from British to China).
This book reads like a action packed thriller, detailing an attempt by China's MSS to discredit Britain in their waning years of control over the colony, and would be appreciated by fans of some early Robert Ludlum.
As far as reviews go, I found the book to be quite exciting and worthy of a four star rating out of five stars.
As with all of my reviews, this just my five cents worth.
December 8, 2017
I couldn't finish the book. The prologue promised much but the story was much too slow in getting anywhere. The details about breaking up and moving on weren't needed and could easily be referred to in passing. Start Frank in India and go from there. The meeting with Maria was important but the easy way she ends in his bed is gratuitous. The background to Frank becoming 'broke' is an over-used plot point and a clumsy way of getting him to accept a seemingly innocent job. Way too obvious.
That's where I gave up. It might get better but I'll never know!
That's where I gave up. It might get better but I'll never know!
September 4, 2017
False Flag. Jay Tinsiano
A very complex thriller. Frank Bowen just needs a break from his life. Unfortunately he has become a pawn in a scheme he is totally clueless. M16 , and Chinese intelligence is framing him for multiple terrorist attacks in Hong Kong. But Frank is a survivor. He's on the run, but he's fighting back. An extremely exciting thriller full of treachery and deceit. Enjoy immensely!
A very complex thriller. Frank Bowen just needs a break from his life. Unfortunately he has become a pawn in a scheme he is totally clueless. M16 , and Chinese intelligence is framing him for multiple terrorist attacks in Hong Kong. But Frank is a survivor. He's on the run, but he's fighting back. An extremely exciting thriller full of treachery and deceit. Enjoy immensely!
March 20, 2020
Excitement and romance follows Frank as he splits with his girlfriend and heads off in search of adventure. He quickly finds more than he is looking for as he is drawn into a terrorist plot. The writing is crisp and clear. The characters are very realistic, and the plot is imaginative. The only problem I had with this book is it ended too quickly. I'm looking forward to the next in this series, which is teased at the end of this book.
July 3, 2020
This is the first book I have read by this author and I have to admit at the first I wasn't sure it was going to be a book I would enjoy. But I kept reading and the further I got into the story the more it caught my attention. This is a crime thriller but the unusual thing is there is no detective trying to find a criminal. This is different from other books I have read and it has caught my attention enough that I am going to have to read more and see what they are like. A great read!
January 3, 2023
And you thought it was just a thriller.
Not only has the author given us a thriller, he has added a political touch that makes it even more of a thrill.
Being well after the takeover, and knowing what we do today, this fictional story could very well have been real.
Not knowing how things are tied together until almost the last pages makes it even more fun to read.
Planning on moving on to the next book to see where that one takes us.
Not only has the author given us a thriller, he has added a political touch that makes it even more of a thrill.
Being well after the takeover, and knowing what we do today, this fictional story could very well have been real.
Not knowing how things are tied together until almost the last pages makes it even more fun to read.
Planning on moving on to the next book to see where that one takes us.
January 25, 2023
Loved the narration of Chris MacDonnell, perfect for this mystery, thriller.
Frank recently lost his grandfather and he misses him, his girlfriend has little to no compassion for his grief. He gets an When an inheritance,he starts by traveling the world. Little did he know that he would meet people that would change his perspective on life.
This is a great mix of suspense, thriller and action
Frank recently lost his grandfather and he misses him, his girlfriend has little to no compassion for his grief. He gets an When an inheritance,he starts by traveling the world. Little did he know that he would meet people that would change his perspective on life.
This is a great mix of suspense, thriller and action
August 6, 2020
False Flag is a cool action adventure in which a man starting over gets involved in a deadly international plot. The book takes a little bit to get going, but once it gets moving, it is a fast ride.
The narrator of the audio book does a very good job bringing the story to life.
The narrator of the audio book does a very good job bringing the story to life.
May 19, 2018
The book was OK but definitely not my style. I didn't really enjoy the style and it was too much all over the place.
August 6, 2017
Great start to a new series. The beginning is a bit slow but as you read along you realize that it is important to the plot. Theme is "every man" as an unwitting hero.
August 25, 2017
Solid espionage novel. No over-the-top action sequences. Lots of suspense for sure; another author to add to my reading list.
September 14, 2018
I really enjoy Tinsiano's storytelling and how he creates and weaves the subplots together. Well-written and terrifyingly possible! Looking forward to working through the rest of his works!
January 21, 2019
This book has a very slow beginning, but peaks your interest about half way through. Definitely worth reading but I am undecided about reading his next books
May 21, 2019
Enjoyed very much!
June 9, 2019
Well,this is one that started really slowly but did get more interesting as the book went on. Will definitely be reading the next one one though, I have to see what happens next. Recommended.
August 29, 2019
Good read and spy thriller.
A good thriller with action and adventure that kept me coming back to the story. I like the characters and storyline. I recommend this book.
A good thriller with action and adventure that kept me coming back to the story. I like the characters and storyline. I recommend this book.
September 13, 2019
This was one of thirty-something freebies I downloaded as a group. It is not my cup of tea, but it seems to be competently written and did hold my interest in places.
September 10, 2020
I new author for me but I enjoyed the story. He kept the action coming at a reasonable pace that made sense in the story. I recommend the author to everyone that likes mystery and intrigue.
December 9, 2021
Enjoyed this one. Good characters, plot and dialogue.
February 7, 2023
I thought that this was overall a good read. Set in the nineties, with an easy style and reasonable pace. I found it engaging. Not so much an action story as a conspiracy story.
May 21, 2017
Great Action
While slow in some areas, the book was pretty good with the action. You always wanted to know how the "false flag" was being played out, and how the lead character had tricks up his sleeve that many did not expect.
While slow in some areas, the book was pretty good with the action. You always wanted to know how the "false flag" was being played out, and how the lead character had tricks up his sleeve that many did not expect.
June 30, 2017
It was a reasonably decent story. A little confusing in the beginning, but the action carried on decently in the middle. The many names of Oriental characters got to be a bit confusing as well, but that may be my own lack of attentiveness to the names. The ending was not a BIG surprise and it it seemed to conclude rather abruptly.
June 8, 2015
"A Good Twisty New Thriller Series"
I gave this a 4.5 review on Audible
FALSE FLAG was a good start for a new thriller. Right out of the gate this book was energetic. It had a good storyline with a great character in Frank Bowen. He's on vacation and suddenly he's in a whirlwind of trouble and doesn't know how or why until he thinks someone switched his luggage. A bomb went off and all hell broke loose.
I really like the character of Frank and can see plenty of room for more of a back story with him in the future installments of the series. The supporting characters were good but not as well-defined. Perhaps they're just temporary to this setting.
There were a lot of twists in the story and a few times I got sidetracked however it was very suspenseful and engaging. JAY TINSIANO is a great new author and I can see him take off with this series building Frank Bowen into the ranks of Jason Bourne or Jack Reacher.
CHRIS MACDONNELL does a terrific job narrating this audiobook. His accent gives Bowen more character. He has nice voice inflections and keeps a steady pace while speaking clearly. I really like him for this series. He's a good match for the story and I hope to hear more from him in the future.
Audiobook received in exchange for an unbiased review.
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