Flash Bang

by Kellen Burden

Sebastian Parks is drowning in a flood of his own creation. Dishonorably discharged from the Army, he’s wracked with night terrors and an anger that he can't abate. Unemployable and uninterested in anything resembling a normal job, Parks makes his living in fugitive apprehension, finding wanted felons on Facebook and thumping them into custody with his ex-military buddies John Harkin and Eric "Etch" Echevarria. When the body of a teenage Muslim boy is found in front of a downtown Denver nightclub Parks, Harkin and Etch are called on to do what they do Find bad men and make them pay. First-time author Kellen Burden serves up edgy humor, brutal action and characters you can’t get enough of. Flash Bang will keep you turning pages until the end.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

206 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2013

About the author

Kellen Burden was born and raised in Southern California and has bounced his happy ass to Denver, Colorado,Portland Oregon and Seattle, Washington. He works in the field of loss prevention, security and organized retail crime investigation, and has recently begun a career with the Oregon National Guard. Flash Bang is his first novel. One time, he fought a bear.

If you enjoyed this book, take a few moments to post a review on the book's page at www.amazon.com . The author can be contacted at www.kellenburden.com and at his food blog:
www.goatfederation.com

Reviews

[LM · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no idea how I found this book, I really don't. I saw it on my Kindle, looked at the synopsis and was like, "Well, why the fuck not?"

Holy shit - from the very first page I was HOOKED. The writing has a very unique, very refreshing style to it that was exactly what I needed. I have more highlighted in this book than I have probably done in a very long time.

The main character is a DIShonorably discharged veteran, suffering from severe PTSD, who has found two other ex-military men...and together they find and take down bad guys. In very illegal ways.

There is so much humor in this book I laughed my ass off the entire time - although it is a very dry, very wrong type of funny. Like this:
"The tattoo on my left forearm says: SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM, which means: "If you wish
peace, prepare for war." I wash my balls with that arm."

Or, "After a long day of assaulting high schoolers and making criminal threats against drug dealers, I like to unwind with a good book."

Or, "When the bartender brings my beer over I order the Cajun Blue Burger and stare at him dead in the eye without blinking until he leaves when he asks if I want French fries of heart-healthy cottage cheese on the side. I plan on dying amidst a sea of very dead bad guys long before cholesterol gets a crack at me."

Or, "The other one has prison tattoos on his face, which means he's a full-time asshole and, clearly, makes good decisions."

I cannot even begin to explain how perfect the characters each are. The crazy girlfriend, the asshole cop, the sexy singer, the high school tech nerd. All of them. Each character is so perfectly flawed, yet brilliant.

And the action in this book is off. the. charts. Someone's head is getting bashed in constantly, guns are always going off, threats are always being made and received, but not in a redundant and exhausting way. No, it's exciting and confusing and it makes you not able to put the book down.

Five HUGE stars, this was exactly what I needed to get out of my book funk. I can't wait to read more from this author.

[Jim A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written as a first person story and once I got used to the author's style it flowed very easily.

Better than average tale of a former army CID investigator who has been dishonorably discharged. Leaving his post army career choices limited, he and two other former military (former ranger and former medic) get together and do off the books bounty hunting. As a favor to a bookstore owner, Parks (main character) gets involved in the investigation in the murder of the bookstore owner's son.

The end game of this story is also very well done and well hidden during the telling of the tale.

Recommend to all who enjoy the action thriller genre. This is Burden's first novel and I am looking forward to future works by him.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those gritty, raw stories that reaches out, grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until you've got to the last page. Brilliant characters, great dialogue, and a searing condemnation of what army life can do to men. It was not a comfortable read, but I really enjoyed it, once I got into the author's style.

[Sadie Forsythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, color me impressed! I went into this book with very few expectations, but I sure didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Parks is such an incredibly compelling character. He's funny in a sarcastic, ironic, somewhat desperately sad sort of way. You really feel him and hope 'till the end for his better tomorrow. The book is told from his first person point of view and the narrative is definitely indicative of his mental headspace. Here is an example (pulled pretty much at random):

When we’re done eating, she sighs, a very satisfied, pleasant sound. I don’t remember the last time I sighed because I was content, and there’s something about the way she does it that makes me hope for myself.
Says: “Okay. So, to business.”
And I nod, say: “I really appreciate you doing this for me.”
Says: “Tarik’s geography teacher didn’t have a lot to say about him.

Notice the use of Say (him)and Says (the other person in a conversation). This is how a lot of the book is written and it takes a little while to get used to. It's not technically proper and it's undeniably clipped, but stylistically, for a strong, damaged, silent-type, ex-CID soldier character it works perfectly.

And the man is damaged. He's a bit of an anti-hero. Though not named, he's obviously suffering some PTSD issues and struggling with guilt and feeeeeelllings. His two partners are fairing better, but they are all pretty much propping each-other up to one extent or another. (And I do love finding this in a book.)

There are a couple running...not gags, so much, but funnies that pop up more than once. My favorite being the "He said 'Oh'...not like...but like someone asked who stared in Die Hard and you said Bruce Willis." It's dryly funny in context, believe me. I think I highlighted about half the book just because I found so many of the passages memorable for one reason or another—humor or poignancy or just blatant, unexpected honesty.

This book was a surprise hit for me. It's gritty, and violent, and darkly noir-like. I found myself telling my husband about it in the exact same manner our seven-year-old reports the grand adventured of Phineas and Ferb at the dinner table. Though it's only Jan. 4, I wouldn't be surprised to find I finish the year with this still in my top 5 reads of 2015.

[Janet Newport · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little put off at first with the writer's style...lack of "proper" sentence structure, lack of "proper" grammar, etc. But I kept reading and reading and reading. Then I finished the book.

Kellen Burden almost writes "stream of consciousness", but tells a great story. I like "noir" and gore. Flash Bang is definitely gory "noir" with interesting, well-developed characters and enough wry/dry humor sprinkled throughout so that I was able to catch my breath when I needed to.

I hope this is the beginning of a prolific series. Thank you Kellen Burden.

[Sean · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tried really hard to get into this book and I was looking forward to reading this,but I found it really sluggish and hard work. The writing was ok ,but I could not connect to the characters in any way.

[Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my review on Amazon.com

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good solid modern-noir take on crime and criminals.
Everyone is damaged, and the protagonist more than most.
Interesting narrative voice, too.
Recommended.

[Sally the Salamander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this for free or close to it (can't remember atm) from BookBub. Most of the ebooks I've bought through them have been marked down for a reason, if you know what I mean.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. This is Burden's novel debut, and it's a pretty decent book, let alone a debut. I only had 2 minor complaints so I'll get those out of the way first.

The main character, Sebastian, says "derp" several times. I know it's petty and stupid complaint. But no character in your book should say "derp" if it was written after the early 2000's.

The following format occurs a little too often and began to get a little annoying:
I said "......."
Says, "....."
Said, "...."
Says, "......"
Just omit the variations of the word "said" once we know the two people talking. Again, a minor complaint.

Burden does a great job of exploring how ex-military can have trouble adjusting to civilian life. The characters are all scarred by their time in combat and all have their own way of struggling to be as normal as possible. His knowledge on combat, firearms, and military tactics is apparent. The fight scenes are quick and brutal, and none of the characters are invincible.

Sebastian changes and grows as a character throughout the story. I hope that Burden writes more stories involving this character because I think there is still a lot to be done with him. He isn't the best main character I've seen, but he serves the genre and plot of the book well and I grew attached. I want to see him heal from the things he experienced in the military.

The actual mystery is good. There's not a ton of urgency (no ticking clock so to speak), but I empathized with Sebastian's longing for justice and the tactics he and his friends used to track down the killer were interesting and plausible. The twist caught me by surprise, but wasn't a stretch or unbelievable. The ending was solid. Burden could continue with a sequel or leave things as they are.

A good read and a great start for Kellen Burden. I will be following him closely. It's been 4 years since this book was published, so I hope he releases another soon.

[Paul Dever · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome, quick paced read!

Not your average private investigators; good guys judged wrongly but setting their lives straight. Just enough side stories to keep it interesting.

Excellent story, no minutiae about weapons or tactics, just action. The way this was written, I was right beside them in the field chasing the bad guys or being beaten down.

Would not expect this is a first novel. Please hurry with another. This is the beginning of a series I would seek out. Well done!

[Karin McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

Loved this book - took me a while to read (despite it being shorter than most novels) because I wanted to absorb it properly...
Love the style of writing, so abrupt, straight-forward, no messing around... reminds me slightly of a younger Jack Reacher, but with more attitude and less 'game'

The protagonist is violent, angry, aggressive, devastating, crazy, vulnerable, loyal, determined, intelligent and a voracious reader but most importantly a 'good guy' and we all secretly love it when the good guys win in the end

[Jane Fadgen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable Read

After a bit of a slow start, the book picks up speed and crashes to an unexpected ending. I enjoyed experiencing the relationship between the main character and his two buddies. I like how the author has the main character confront his inner demons without resolving them. The book confronts violence, ugliness and evil on nearly every page but ends on a believable hopeful note.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good mystery thriller debut, by Kellen Burden. It has an old school type of writing...which was refreshing. I really could see this becoming a series, but this came out in 2013, so probably not gonna happen.

[Barb VanderWel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this & I can't wait for more.
I will be also leaving a review on Goodreads @ Amazon.
And letting everyone know about it.
So i gave it a 5 Stars.

[Gared G. Greene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good quick read

Writing was a little choppy, but it fit the character background. Great storytelling and suspense, I really enjoyed how it became more engaging as the book went on.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the rawness and intensity of his writing style. Good story.

[Clyde jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read

That has a nice flow to it. I would recommend this book to readers interested in action mysteries. I gave it four stars because of the easy reading.

[Heather Doughty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed this book. I'll try, though. Let me count the ways...

1. Writing style: Mr. Burden's writing style is very contemporary and unique. Sentences are short, often phrases, often disjunct. But this fits the main character perfectly. Because the book is written in first person, the writing style matches the speaker. I loved it.

2. The main character: Sebastian is a guy to root for. He's messed up. He's been through a lot. And he lets us know this, but guardedly. His outsides and insides are so scarred he sees little self value. Yet he still gets up and tries to be one of the good guys in his own way. I really appreciated the transformation of his character throughout the novel. And the take away is that everyone needs someone to tell them they are worth it. Just sitting, listening, and telling someone that they matter can be the life altering catalyst to that person's potential. I love that Mr. Burden created that moment in the book.

3. The storyline: It's a very current and now storyline that hits on many social themes such as effects of war on soldiers, what do returning soldiers do with their lives, PTSD, gangs, violence, racism, sexuality, vigilantism, having a purpose in life, feeling lonely, internet safety/hacking. There is something for everyone in this book.

4. The mystery: The plot is a good, solid one. The climax and the resolution make sense and fit with the rest of the telling of the story. It's not a reach, it's not from left field. There is a very chilling detail near the end that hits home to an incident that happened recently in the news in Virginia. Kudos to Mr. Burden for keeping a steady pace, keeping track of details, and writing a book that makes sense.

5. The supporting characters: They make sense. They are real people who fit into the main character's world. I like the relationships he builds with these characters. Everything rings true and not out of place.

I could go on. But I think you should just go ahead, read this book, and enjoy. Amazingly, this is the author's first book. What a promising start to a career!

[Marty Fried · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read; at first, I thought it might be even quicker, as I almost thought it wasn't worth finishing, but it turned out to be better than I expected by the end. It wasn't as simple as it seemed, had some surprises, and a more or less happy ending for the good guys. Lots of violence along the way, but it was all in fun (easy to say when you're just reading about it).

I think this book is kind of a modern-day noir style, with quick dialog and lots of action.

The characters are old army buddies who probably would make you nervous if you met them on the street. They seem to attract violence at times, so you would probably best keep your distance anyway, but if you get in trouble, they'd be good to have around. They mostly go after fugitives for the reward, but in this case, it's pro bono work for the father of a murdered boy. The main character likes to read, and the father owns a bookstore that he frequents.

The language in the book is a little unusual - pretty terse, told in first person by the main character. Instead of things like "I said..." or "he said...", it's "say..." or "says". Once I got used to it, it seemed to fit with the tempo of the book.

I couldn't decide between a 3 or a 4, so I'd say 3 1/2 is about right. Most good books I read are a 4, saving 5 for special books. This one didn't seem as good as many books I read, but it's up there.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flash Bang (Kindle Edition) This is a good, fast-paced thriller/mystery. The three main characters are all returned vets using their skills while making a living "taking down bad guys" freelancing in fugitive apprehension. When two Muslim teenagers are found murdered outside night clubs at opposite ends of town, one of the murdered boys is the son of their good friend. Why were these boys killed and who did it? Things get complicated. Bullets start flying. The guys find themselves targeted. The pressure is on to solve the case(s) before some of those bullets connect in a place they wouldn't like. The writer shows great promise, and I will definitely buy his next book if only he STOPS using "says," before every tiny motherlovin' line of dialogue! It was like trying to race the Indy 500 with square tires on. How did this slip past your EDITOR? If you ever reprint this, please consider deleting all of them in favor of plain dialogue.

[Bert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our protagonist is a lover of used bookstores, where he escapes his bouts of PTSD tracing back to the Middle East conflicts and stateside service as a special investigator for the army with the therapy of quiet jazz and snippets of mysteries & historical accountings. He and his two friends hire out as bounty hunters of those who don't want to be found and who are often dangerous. Then the son of the owner of the bookstore asks him to find the person who killed his 17 year old son. The mysteries that develop are enegmatic, surprising, and sometimes even funny in a dark & bittersweet sort of way. No spoilers, but suffice it to say that there's something closer to redemption for his troubled soul when you finish the final chapter. My rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

[Will Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

WoW! Best damned book I've read in a long time. When I first picked it up I had my doubts. The writing style is different from the norm and my first impression was negative. But within a couple of pages, it grew on me and then just kept growing. The scenes are colorful, well scripted, and the characters real. The plot is relevant and the material current. I can relate to this story on so many levels. Burden outdid himself for a first novel and I can't wait to see how he tops this one. Well done. Derp!

[Maria Utley · Rating 5 out of 5]

He's a young author with a lot to offer. This book has an amazing dialogue, that truly paces the story and develops the characters to a forte. The juxtaposed flashbacks with current events are well played. And of course, anyone reading this can't help but be compelled by the technical detailing of our soldiers returning from service, and the challenges they face in their day-to-day encounters. I truly enjoyed reading this, and look forward to his future endeavors....

[Tom · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually give a book I have chosen to read the benefit of the doubt - and stick with it at least for a few chapters before giving up on it and accepting the fact that I didn't do a very good job of screening it after all. It only took a few paragraphs of this book to convince me that it was not a good match for me. I'm sure that others will like the book, so my review should not be construed as any reflection on the book or the author.

[Trish Edmisten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that sneaks up on you. I have to be honest. When I first started, I was skeptical. It's not my usual genre and Burden has a unique style, specifically for the way he structures dialogue that I initially found offputting. Once I got past my own hang ups and adjusted to it, I got so used to it that I didn't notice it anymore. I was too busy getting into the story. It was fast paced, exciting and always kept me guessing. I'd love to see more of these characters in future books.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a compelling book. At first I thought it was a little graphic, but I began to feel so strongly for the main character that those scenes faded into the work. I was caught up in the writing - all the characters were so well rounded. The author created the world his characters live in with such conviction, but with such simple style. I was hooked. Loved it.

[Sharon Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good action sequences and good characterization. A bit on the grim/noir side, a little more than I usually like but the characters, fast action and good dialogue with a quick twist of humor occasionally kept me reading. Very edgy writing style that worked well for the storyline.

[Rick Stark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read an excerpt and this book is written in an odd style. Ordered the paperback just to see if I would like the style and found it works pretty well. It turned out to be a pretty good read. It moves along well and keeps the reader involved.

[Lynda Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!

To everyone who loves a good story; to everyone who enjoys a complicated, realistic, believable and exciting mystery: READ THIS BOOK!

Kelley Burden's unique, simple, and uncomplicated way of weaving a story kept me hungry to read fast and furiously to THE END.

[deeann linford · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me, swearing too frequent and violent.

Any story that relies on swearing to add interest or punch takes away from the story... Too bad this happened here. Sorry,I prefer not to read this negative opinion of life.