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Chasing the Storm
A gripping, high-octane thriller from debut author Martin Molsted!
What do you get when you take one dose of high-level gangsters, one dose of corrupted politicians, add to the cocktail a missing ship and then blend it with an unstoppable Russian journalist, an awesome hacker and a former elite soldier who’s become an alcoholic, fed-up office rat?
You get Chasing the Storm!
While in Hamburg, lawyer and former elite soldier Torgrim Rygg witnesses the assassination attempt on Marko Marin, a Russian journalist investigating the disappearance of a ship ostensibly carrying timber bound for Algiers. He gets drawn into a world of conspiracies, cover-ups and the relentless search for a missing ship. Disenchanted with his mundane office-life, he agrees to help Mr. Marin, and together with Marin’s girlfriend, Lena, and their hacker, Sasha, he sets out on a journey to discover the truth about the missing ship.
Their truth-seeking kicks off a series of life-threatening events and a relentless race against time to foil whoever is behind the disappearance of the ship, the Alpensturm. Their revelation puts not only their own lives at risk but the safety of the whole world …
…Great characters, Exotic locations, a dash of Mystery, a tad of Romance and a lot of Thrilling high-octane action!
************************
BASED ON REAL EVENTS!
************************
Pre-Release Praise for Chasing The Storm:
"I think this is the best eBook I've ever read! […] THE END!!!! Oh I could never have predicted something like that. Brilliant. Really!!! Excellent book! Really well written…""
-Niyati.
"Martin Mölsted’s CHASING THE STORM is a thriller that grabs you from the first sentence in the book. It is a formidable work of fiction full of rage, great humour and definitely packed with energy. The pace is murderous, and that over four continents."
-Akinyi Yimbo.
[…]I left characterisation ‘till last because it is one of the deepest I’ve read in the last couple of years. I’m talking about the layers upon layers of understanding that come from not missing one beat to add to the characters’ dimensions. In addition to the usual physical and emotional tiers, you get the ethnic diversity, and within it the class, origin, background, and all these elements are beautifully interwoven. […]Five shiny stars from me."
-Ella Medler.
Based on Real Events:
In 2009 the ship MV Arctic Sea was hijacked in the Baltic Sea. Following intense media scrutiny, Russian commandos seized the ship a month later. Though Russia still claims that the ship carried timber destined for Algeria, many observers assume that the actual cargo was military-related, and that the mission was thwarted by Israeli forces.
… But what did really happen?
Chasing The Storm is a thriller about the hijacking of a Russian ship in the Baltic, and the search by a Russian journalist and a Norwegian oilman for the truth. The events have been fictionalized but may be closer to what really happened in the Baltic than any speculative journalism.
With its timely subject matter and intricate storyline, Chasing The Storm is reminiscent of recent Scandinavian Crime Fiction and popular international conspiracy thrillers.
Read The Sample or Buy Now!
What do you get when you take one dose of high-level gangsters, one dose of corrupted politicians, add to the cocktail a missing ship and then blend it with an unstoppable Russian journalist, an awesome hacker and a former elite soldier who’s become an alcoholic, fed-up office rat?
You get Chasing the Storm!
While in Hamburg, lawyer and former elite soldier Torgrim Rygg witnesses the assassination attempt on Marko Marin, a Russian journalist investigating the disappearance of a ship ostensibly carrying timber bound for Algiers. He gets drawn into a world of conspiracies, cover-ups and the relentless search for a missing ship. Disenchanted with his mundane office-life, he agrees to help Mr. Marin, and together with Marin’s girlfriend, Lena, and their hacker, Sasha, he sets out on a journey to discover the truth about the missing ship.
Their truth-seeking kicks off a series of life-threatening events and a relentless race against time to foil whoever is behind the disappearance of the ship, the Alpensturm. Their revelation puts not only their own lives at risk but the safety of the whole world …
…Great characters, Exotic locations, a dash of Mystery, a tad of Romance and a lot of Thrilling high-octane action!
************************
BASED ON REAL EVENTS!
************************
Pre-Release Praise for Chasing The Storm:
"I think this is the best eBook I've ever read! […] THE END!!!! Oh I could never have predicted something like that. Brilliant. Really!!! Excellent book! Really well written…""
-Niyati.
"Martin Mölsted’s CHASING THE STORM is a thriller that grabs you from the first sentence in the book. It is a formidable work of fiction full of rage, great humour and definitely packed with energy. The pace is murderous, and that over four continents."
-Akinyi Yimbo.
[…]I left characterisation ‘till last because it is one of the deepest I’ve read in the last couple of years. I’m talking about the layers upon layers of understanding that come from not missing one beat to add to the characters’ dimensions. In addition to the usual physical and emotional tiers, you get the ethnic diversity, and within it the class, origin, background, and all these elements are beautifully interwoven. […]Five shiny stars from me."
-Ella Medler.
Based on Real Events:
In 2009 the ship MV Arctic Sea was hijacked in the Baltic Sea. Following intense media scrutiny, Russian commandos seized the ship a month later. Though Russia still claims that the ship carried timber destined for Algeria, many observers assume that the actual cargo was military-related, and that the mission was thwarted by Israeli forces.
… But what did really happen?
Chasing The Storm is a thriller about the hijacking of a Russian ship in the Baltic, and the search by a Russian journalist and a Norwegian oilman for the truth. The events have been fictionalized but may be closer to what really happened in the Baltic than any speculative journalism.
With its timely subject matter and intricate storyline, Chasing The Storm is reminiscent of recent Scandinavian Crime Fiction and popular international conspiracy thrillers.
Read The Sample or Buy Now!
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
26 people are currently reading
340 people want to read
About the author
Martin Molsted
3 books5 followersChasing the Storm is Martin Molsted's debut novel, although he has been actively engaged in writing shorter fiction, as well as screenplays since 2009. When he is not working as an Archivist in a Fortune 500 engineering company, he writes fiction and non-fiction.
He enjoys playing music, singing, travelling, nice food, great wine, tasty beer and awesome custom built motorcycles.
Martin Molsted lives in Asker, a small town between the greater cities Oslo and Drammen, in eastern Norway. He lives together with his French wife and their two daughters. No animals.
He is currently working on the storylines for a trio of further Rygg & Marin thrillers, so stay tuned for more compelling and intriguing action.
Find out more about Martin Molsted and his works of fiction at http://www.molstedfiction.com, https://www.facebook.com/authormolsted, https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... , or Twitter @molsted.
He enjoys playing music, singing, travelling, nice food, great wine, tasty beer and awesome custom built motorcycles.
Martin Molsted lives in Asker, a small town between the greater cities Oslo and Drammen, in eastern Norway. He lives together with his French wife and their two daughters. No animals.
He is currently working on the storylines for a trio of further Rygg & Marin thrillers, so stay tuned for more compelling and intriguing action.
Find out more about Martin Molsted and his works of fiction at http://www.molstedfiction.com, https://www.facebook.com/authormolsted, https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... , or Twitter @molsted.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 18, 2013
Chasing the Strom is an international thriller based on a true story.
Martin Molsted picked up real-life events and turned them into an action-packed, relentless story. The plot is jam-packed full of conflict. Clash after clash, the tension builds until you feel like screaming ‘watch your back’ or ‘no, don’t do that’, like I did.
The locations are varied and very well-described. You’ll get a clear picture, whether in Cairo or rural Russia, in a Hamburg café or in an old propeller plane. Imaginative and original, crammed with authentic detail, Chasing the Storm gets the concept of well-organised corruption spot-on.
The dialogue is intelligent, lively and peppered with expressions befitting each character’s place of origin, but they are all explained, so you won’t feel like you need a degree in linguistics to understand them.
I left characterization ‘till last because it is one of the deepest I’ve read in the last couple of years. I’m talking about the layers upon layers of understanding that come from not missing one beat to add to the characters’ dimensions. In addition to the usual physical and emotional tiers, you get the ethnic diversity, and within it the class, origin, background, and all these elements are beautifully interwoven.
Overall, the complete package is that of a very well-written book, definitely good value in terms of both time and money. This is a novel I would like to read again.
There is a degree of violence, so I wouldn’t recommend it for teens, but if you like a good read, the kind that won’t let you eat or sleep until you’ve seen the last line, this book is just the thing for you. Five shiny stars from me.
Martin Molsted picked up real-life events and turned them into an action-packed, relentless story. The plot is jam-packed full of conflict. Clash after clash, the tension builds until you feel like screaming ‘watch your back’ or ‘no, don’t do that’, like I did.
The locations are varied and very well-described. You’ll get a clear picture, whether in Cairo or rural Russia, in a Hamburg café or in an old propeller plane. Imaginative and original, crammed with authentic detail, Chasing the Storm gets the concept of well-organised corruption spot-on.
The dialogue is intelligent, lively and peppered with expressions befitting each character’s place of origin, but they are all explained, so you won’t feel like you need a degree in linguistics to understand them.
I left characterization ‘till last because it is one of the deepest I’ve read in the last couple of years. I’m talking about the layers upon layers of understanding that come from not missing one beat to add to the characters’ dimensions. In addition to the usual physical and emotional tiers, you get the ethnic diversity, and within it the class, origin, background, and all these elements are beautifully interwoven.
Overall, the complete package is that of a very well-written book, definitely good value in terms of both time and money. This is a novel I would like to read again.
There is a degree of violence, so I wouldn’t recommend it for teens, but if you like a good read, the kind that won’t let you eat or sleep until you’ve seen the last line, this book is just the thing for you. Five shiny stars from me.
October 27, 2013
I am picky when it comes to my thrillers and am usually difficult to please but this time around I was very happy to find that Chasing the storm really is as described, an intelligent thriller that will keep you hanging on till the last. I was impressed with the twists and turns of the plot as the story travels the globe, but my favourite parts where the surprising little tit-bits of history and culture thrown in amongst the action.
The characters are well thought out with plenty of depth and I find I care and want to learn more about them as time goes on. In my opinion that's the way a good book should have you feeling. The story line seem to have a natural rhythm and did not seem forced or stretched. All round I found this a great read and will be back for more from Martin Molsted.
The characters are well thought out with plenty of depth and I find I care and want to learn more about them as time goes on. In my opinion that's the way a good book should have you feeling. The story line seem to have a natural rhythm and did not seem forced or stretched. All round I found this a great read and will be back for more from Martin Molsted.
October 29, 2013
The best thing about the ebook revolution was that it gave us, the readers, the opportunity to discover a lot of new authors, from all over the world. One of the best ones out there, at least when it comes to thrillers, is the Norwegian Martin Molsted.
Chasing the Storm is an action-packed story that follows the exploits of a reluctant at first adventurer, as he struggles to solve a couple of mysteries, with the help of some unlikely allies. Torgrim Rygg, that used to work for the Norwegian Secret Service, but who resigned after a few near-death experiences, is a hero who seems to be at war with himself; a tortured soul that no longer knows where it belongs.
It all begins when Rygg, while in Hamburg for a business trip, saves the life of a Russian journalist, who has a long list of enemies. Marko Marin clashed heads, time and again, with the rich and powerful in Moscow, so he is in constant danger. He knows all too well that he’ll always be one, and as such he believes that he could use Rygg’s services.
Rygg on the other hand isn’t so eager to help, as he’s used to his routine by now. Routine however breeds boredom, and boredom is something that he desperately needs to escape. So when Marin asks for his help he answers that call. What follows is an adventure that will take him to his native Norway just for a while, to Croatia, back to Hamburg, to Russia and to Egypt, and finally to Cyprus. During this long journey he will get to meet some likeable characters and a few vicious villains, and come face to face with death on more than one occasions.
The author created a fast-paced thriller, with a movie like plot, that reminds the reader of the Bourne adventures by Robert Ludlum. All his characters are well-sketched, and he seems to know his geography and the new geopolitical map very well. Torgrim Rygg, his protagonist, as I read, is here to stay, and I must say that his presence is more than welcome. Heroes like him are easy to like, and adventures of this kind have a lot to offer to the modern spy canon. I’d highly recommend this book to all the fans of the genre.
Chasing the Storm is an action-packed story that follows the exploits of a reluctant at first adventurer, as he struggles to solve a couple of mysteries, with the help of some unlikely allies. Torgrim Rygg, that used to work for the Norwegian Secret Service, but who resigned after a few near-death experiences, is a hero who seems to be at war with himself; a tortured soul that no longer knows where it belongs.
It all begins when Rygg, while in Hamburg for a business trip, saves the life of a Russian journalist, who has a long list of enemies. Marko Marin clashed heads, time and again, with the rich and powerful in Moscow, so he is in constant danger. He knows all too well that he’ll always be one, and as such he believes that he could use Rygg’s services.
Rygg on the other hand isn’t so eager to help, as he’s used to his routine by now. Routine however breeds boredom, and boredom is something that he desperately needs to escape. So when Marin asks for his help he answers that call. What follows is an adventure that will take him to his native Norway just for a while, to Croatia, back to Hamburg, to Russia and to Egypt, and finally to Cyprus. During this long journey he will get to meet some likeable characters and a few vicious villains, and come face to face with death on more than one occasions.
The author created a fast-paced thriller, with a movie like plot, that reminds the reader of the Bourne adventures by Robert Ludlum. All his characters are well-sketched, and he seems to know his geography and the new geopolitical map very well. Torgrim Rygg, his protagonist, as I read, is here to stay, and I must say that his presence is more than welcome. Heroes like him are easy to like, and adventures of this kind have a lot to offer to the modern spy canon. I’d highly recommend this book to all the fans of the genre.
October 29, 2013
Chasing The Storm is a well-written novel that beautifully intertwines two seemingly unconnected stories together in an unexpected way. My first impression was that it was “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” meets A Hijacking (a Danish movie released in 2012).
The characters are interesting, relatable and easy to like. The pace moves quickly and it is easy to get lost in the story. The relationships among the main characters are honest and real. Rygg and Lena’s (mostly) unrealized interest in each other adds an intriguing element. The chemistry between them is almost palpable.
Molsted uses many descriptives that bring color, life and perspective to the plot. The locations in the book are almost their own characters – Molsted is careful to add in bits of relevant culture for each location. Picturing each scene was effortless … those little details really bring everything together.
It’s rare to read a thriller that is so engaging and complex without being confusing. Molsted keeps enough balls in the air to keep the plot lively but not so many that the reader suffers from character confusion. This book is a great escape from reality and I look forward to the next adventures of Rygg and Marin.
The characters are interesting, relatable and easy to like. The pace moves quickly and it is easy to get lost in the story. The relationships among the main characters are honest and real. Rygg and Lena’s (mostly) unrealized interest in each other adds an intriguing element. The chemistry between them is almost palpable.
Molsted uses many descriptives that bring color, life and perspective to the plot. The locations in the book are almost their own characters – Molsted is careful to add in bits of relevant culture for each location. Picturing each scene was effortless … those little details really bring everything together.
It’s rare to read a thriller that is so engaging and complex without being confusing. Molsted keeps enough balls in the air to keep the plot lively but not so many that the reader suffers from character confusion. This book is a great escape from reality and I look forward to the next adventures of Rygg and Marin.
December 19, 2013
That was an absolutely gripping and fast-paced reading. The story contains everything a fabulous thriller is needing. It is set out in different European and African countries. There are the good guys as well as the evil ones, agents, several kind of services, undercover work, ordinary people which are getting involved in one way or another, different escape routes and to be on the run. It starts out what is looking like a simple murder but soon it's clear that nothing and anything seems to be simple on the contrary it is getting complicated and wicked and all wits from the main characters are needed to solve the problem. It let me guessing until the very last page.
(4 1/2 stars)
(4 1/2 stars)
December 2, 2013
A very interesting read that encompassed international espionage and a hijacked ship. The story strolls through Germany to Russia, to Egypt and onto Turkey. Author Molsted wove an improbable but based on true events yarn that was difficult to put down. Complete with intrigue and some romance this action thriller was well worth reading. Found myself rooting for the good guys especially every time they ran into danger ! I gave this book 4 stars out of 5. A book that was enjoyable from start to finish. Do yourself a favor and try it out !!
December 13, 2013
This book caught me by surprise. Every page keeps you on the edge of your seat, and your heart racing.
The investigation into the hijacking of a cargo ship is not a simple as it appears. Marko Marin is a Russian journalist who exposes the corruption of Russia and the surrounding countries. Torgrim Rygg stumbles onto Marin, and together they delve deep into the corruption and espionage surrounding the hijacking of the Alpenstrum. Many of their associates are murdered trying to help in the investigation.This is a thriller in it's best form.
The investigation into the hijacking of a cargo ship is not a simple as it appears. Marko Marin is a Russian journalist who exposes the corruption of Russia and the surrounding countries. Torgrim Rygg stumbles onto Marin, and together they delve deep into the corruption and espionage surrounding the hijacking of the Alpenstrum. Many of their associates are murdered trying to help in the investigation.This is a thriller in it's best form.
January 10, 2014
This is undoubtedly an ambitious book; something debut novels often are. Just as often, they don't live up to those ambitions as is the case with this one.
The protagonist, Togrim Rygg at first seems to be just some kind of business man - and suddenly, out of nowhere, he acts like James Bond. He refuses to take a map because he has "everything memorized. Safer." and likewise he declares "All hackers have big heads". There's absolutely no indication at that point in the book how he would know that - it's completely out-of-character. This is most likely the crudest way I've ever seen an author use to convey to the reader that there might be more to the unlikely hero than immediately meets the eye.
Similarly, his friend, Marko Marin, tells Rygg "That is what I need from you. Keep us in form.". At this point of the novel, Marin has no way of knowing that Rygg might be more than a random business man. Such inconsistencies are marring the entire book.
That's not all, though: Throughout the entire book, Rygg switches between being a James Bond parody and a disillusioned business man. His back story in the military is mostly implausible and doesn't really add up nor does it help the book in any real way apart from serving as a vehicle to allow our heroes to travel all over the world - because there hardly seems to be a country in which Rygg doesn't have friends.
It's not healthy to be friends with him, by the way, because pretty much all of his friends end up dead after talking to him. Who killed them and why exactly usually never gets cleared up as long as they die spectacularly (e. g. being beheaded). Not that Rygg cares either; all of his friends seem to be pretty expendable to him - he never mourns their deaths but just ponders whom to get into mortal danger next.
Speaking of danger: This is supposed to be a thriller. The problem is: There are no thrills at all. Even when in danger, the story never gets beyond luke-warm. The reader *knows* this can't possibly be the end of the respective character so we're not exactly left biting our nails, worrying for the hero to make it through. In fact, I found myself yawning and just waiting how the disillusioned business man becomes James Bond again and gets himself out of whatever situation he's in.
Even if said situation has the potential to get people into fast-paced action, the author manages to drag the story aloooooong.
It's sad because there's everything in this book that *could* make it a thriller: Danger, corruption, organised crime (which is depicted as fat Vodka-drinking Russians, though...), traitors, etc.
It's just that the author is completely and utterly unable to forge a decent story from his ingredients. It feels like he grabbed all clichés he could find, put them into a bucket and mixed them uninspiredly into a novel.
It doesn't help either that none of the characters are fleshed out: Marko Marin is a "kind of journalist" but we never get to really *know* him. He's simply around, a sketch of himself without any substance. What his real motivation is, we never get to know and nobody will really care about that either.
Togrim Rygg isn't any better. He drifts along with whatever happens - mostly being passive, wishing his life hadn't become what it is and to bed the Marin's girlfriend. he latter usually being his greatest worry and desire.
She in turn is so forgettable that I've indeed already forgotten her name. Her most important trait is wearing translucent underwear and not wearing bras. That's pretty much all she's doing. After all, she's just someone who happens to be in this book for no discernible reason.
There are quite a few lose ends as well - Rygg's love interest, Marko's girlfriend, gives Rygg strange last minute instructions at one point, supposedly as a messenger of Marko to whom Rygg had talked before. Rygg even wonders about that - but never asks either of them and it's just being forgotten about.
"Forgotten" is something I've used often throughout this review and forgettable is what this book is. It's not a complete let-down, though, so I'll still give it two stars out of five.
I read this as an ebook using Marvin (http://marvinapp.com/), the best ebook reader on iOS.
July 21, 2014
Real Spycraft for the Modern World
Martin Molsted has created, at the least, two very interesting characters in Chasing the Storm. When I finished reading the novel, one of the first thoughts I had was that I would love to read more stories that contained them as major characters. At least that way I would be able to travel all around Europe and Africa, enjoying the coffees, teas, and other cultural food specialities that spice up an especially exciting intrigue. One of my biggest appreciations is that all the efforts of these characters are grounded in current politics and issues, providing a combination of the old hands–on spy world with the new digital age in a plausible way.
Many unpredictable events make up the story. And normally that could create a literary weakness, a disadvantage. However, these thriller spy events are tied to characters that are surprisingly human—in several different languages, even. Their humanity, their personal purpose, and growing bond make all this eventfulness real, and likable. Rhygg and Marin are revealed through their personal resourcefulness—the unlikely combination of a prematurely retired special forces soldier of Norwegian origin, and a Russian investigative reporter. And they create the real spice of this story. A tasty dish indeed.
February 3, 2014
A very promising new series. This book is a debut novel for Martin Molsted. Molsted lives in Norway and his hero Togrim Rygg comes from there. This was a book that I received from the publisher for an early review. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is well written, and the plot is tight and keeps up the tension throughout. It is certainly an international thriller. The story takes place in Norway, Germany, Russia, Greece and Cyprus. The story centres around the disappearance of a Russian ship and Rygg is recruited by a man that he meets by chance in Hamburg. Rygg is a lawyer in Oslo, and he has become disillusioned with his life and his job there. He is ex-special forces so he brings some skills to Marin's (the man he met in Hamburg) plan for uncovering a Russian/Iranian plot. This book is the first of a planned series with Rygg and Marin, and I am as excited about this proposed series as I've been with a new series for a long time. I love the characters and Molsted is a skilled writer. This is definitely a series to watch for if you like tightly written thrillers with believable characters.
July 12, 2014
"They had to go through two more metal detectors and a full pat-down (by a stern-faced blonde, to Rygg's lasting delight) before they entered the elevators." (Emphasis mine.) Page 124 of 250.
This was the paragraph that finally broke my reading enjoyment. Having received this novel as part of an Early Reviewers program, I had a fairly high level of commitment to finish it. It was tough going. One of the two story-lines -- the one on the boat -- are difficult to follow. The author has added so much colour commentary that some pages are in danger of moving from distraction to abstraction. Please keep the story moving!
I get that the author wanted to build the suspense by spending a page and a half explaining how difficult it is to get into the Russian Ministry of Defense (sic) with contraband material, but enough is enough. I will not finish this book. But maybe you like colour?
This was the paragraph that finally broke my reading enjoyment. Having received this novel as part of an Early Reviewers program, I had a fairly high level of commitment to finish it. It was tough going. One of the two story-lines -- the one on the boat -- are difficult to follow. The author has added so much colour commentary that some pages are in danger of moving from distraction to abstraction. Please keep the story moving!
I get that the author wanted to build the suspense by spending a page and a half explaining how difficult it is to get into the Russian Ministry of Defense (sic) with contraband material, but enough is enough. I will not finish this book. But maybe you like colour?
December 27, 2013
When I first picked up a copy of this author I didn't quite knew what to expect. It is a debut book from a totally unknown author (obiviously) but the story ... the story is so intriguing. The characters are so incredibly well crafted and the story telling is just beyond awesome.
I don't see how someone can dismiss this book because of "terrible characters" or the book being "dull" because there are clearly a lot more people than me who finds this book just fascinating according to the reviews left on Amazon.
It seem to have a bit better ratings on amazon uk than it does on the US version but I believe the versions must be the same.
If you would like a quick read - a riveting conspiracy thriller and page turner to read in 2014 I truly recommend this on!
I don't see how someone can dismiss this book because of "terrible characters" or the book being "dull" because there are clearly a lot more people than me who finds this book just fascinating according to the reviews left on Amazon.
It seem to have a bit better ratings on amazon uk than it does on the US version but I believe the versions must be the same.
If you would like a quick read - a riveting conspiracy thriller and page turner to read in 2014 I truly recommend this on!
January 2, 2014
Interesting and captivating
I could see this happening. What the characters went through, maybe not so much. But I enjoyed the story. The characters had an edge, didn’t get to close to them. All in all, I wasn't disappointed that I had read it.
I could see this happening. What the characters went through, maybe not so much. But I enjoyed the story. The characters had an edge, didn’t get to close to them. All in all, I wasn't disappointed that I had read it.
Read
January 6, 2014Very good story. Mind boggling what they went through.
Very good story. Mind boggling what they went through in this real life event.
To bad they did mot catch all the bad guys!
Very good story. Mind boggling what they went through in this real life event.
To bad they did mot catch all the bad guys!
February 1, 2014
The only thing I liked about this book was that some of the action took place in Hamburg, Germany.
February 26, 2020
I received this book free of charge from the publisher, back in 2013 for reviewing purposes and apparently missed its arrival, so now 7 years later I've actually read it (sorry publisher!).
Chasing the Storm is a reasonable thriller, bit of sea faring adventure, bit of cat and mouse spy style thriller as a journalist and a ex-operative now office worker cross paths, the later decides he wishes to help the former after coming to his aid in an attempted assassination. This sees the two men and a small entourage attempt to solve the hijacking of a ship in international waters, a ship which is meant to be carrying timber, but may in fact be carrying something far more nefarious.
I found that it took a little while to warm up but once going it was a decent read in settings not commonly used in books of this genre which is always a nice touch.
Worth having a look if you enjoy international thrillers.
Chasing the Storm is a reasonable thriller, bit of sea faring adventure, bit of cat and mouse spy style thriller as a journalist and a ex-operative now office worker cross paths, the later decides he wishes to help the former after coming to his aid in an attempted assassination. This sees the two men and a small entourage attempt to solve the hijacking of a ship in international waters, a ship which is meant to be carrying timber, but may in fact be carrying something far more nefarious.
I found that it took a little while to warm up but once going it was a decent read in settings not commonly used in books of this genre which is always a nice touch.
Worth having a look if you enjoy international thrillers.
August 12, 2018
Week 41 of the 2018 Reading Challenge: A Book by an author with the same first and last initials
2018 PopSugar Challenge: A Book with a Weather Element in the Title
This is loosely based on real events which is very interesting. It was a fast paced read and kept me interested to know what was going to happen next. It did leave things hanging at the end though which was a tad annoying as I didn't realize this was the first in a series.
2018 PopSugar Challenge: A Book with a Weather Element in the Title
This is loosely based on real events which is very interesting. It was a fast paced read and kept me interested to know what was going to happen next. It did leave things hanging at the end though which was a tad annoying as I didn't realize this was the first in a series.
November 19, 2018
Really good book. Fast paced. Twisty and turny. But many grammatical and spelling error I'm going to chalk up to bad translation.
June 24, 2024
2.5 Too many detailed locations didn't add to the story. Designated Hero couldn't decide if he was a desk jockey or the strong arm that the team needed.
October 28, 2013
It begins with murder. Torgrim Rygg, a mid-level oil executive in Hamburg on business helps a survivor - as a result he is sucked into the wild events surrounding the disappearance of a Russian cargo ship.
The novel jumps back and forth in time between its two concurrent story-lines, and it can get confusing. Nevertheless, Chasing the Storm is a whip-crash globetrotter of a spy thriller that delivers a truly surprising twist at the end.
Rygg turns out to have been in the special forces, so he actually has some background for the spy game. But twenty years have gone by: Torgrim Rygg is thus allowed to be the capable spy while simultaneously playing the slightly dopey Everyman swept up in events beyond his ken.
Torgrim flies from Hamburg, to Oslo, Moscow, Cairo, and Cyprus along with enigmatic Marko Marin, who describes himself as a “journalist” and beautiful heroine Lena. There are breathless chases, daring escapes, and clandestine meetings. The tale plays out like a classic James Bond story – and it is certainly better than the abysmal Bond novel Carte Blanche.
Chasing the Storm's greatest strengths lie in its language. The descriptive passages are vivid if mechanical: terse language that recalls the style of Hemingway. However, the prose occasionally veers into rare flourishes of flowery language that actually work.
A debut novel, not only for Rygg but for author Martin Molsted as well, Chasing the Storm makes a good airplane thriller. It should be happily received by fans of James Bond or even Dirk Pitt. Molsted promises more to come for Torgrim and company. I look forward to seeing the characters developed further in forthcoming adventures.
(Full review live on Books and Bad Habits November 8, 2013)
The novel jumps back and forth in time between its two concurrent story-lines, and it can get confusing. Nevertheless, Chasing the Storm is a whip-crash globetrotter of a spy thriller that delivers a truly surprising twist at the end.
Rygg turns out to have been in the special forces, so he actually has some background for the spy game. But twenty years have gone by: Torgrim Rygg is thus allowed to be the capable spy while simultaneously playing the slightly dopey Everyman swept up in events beyond his ken.
Torgrim flies from Hamburg, to Oslo, Moscow, Cairo, and Cyprus along with enigmatic Marko Marin, who describes himself as a “journalist” and beautiful heroine Lena. There are breathless chases, daring escapes, and clandestine meetings. The tale plays out like a classic James Bond story – and it is certainly better than the abysmal Bond novel Carte Blanche.
Chasing the Storm's greatest strengths lie in its language. The descriptive passages are vivid if mechanical: terse language that recalls the style of Hemingway. However, the prose occasionally veers into rare flourishes of flowery language that actually work.
A debut novel, not only for Rygg but for author Martin Molsted as well, Chasing the Storm makes a good airplane thriller. It should be happily received by fans of James Bond or even Dirk Pitt. Molsted promises more to come for Torgrim and company. I look forward to seeing the characters developed further in forthcoming adventures.
(Full review live on Books and Bad Habits November 8, 2013)
May 3, 2014
I received a copy of this novel through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers programme in exchange for an honest review. This review in its entirety was originally posted at caffeinatedlife.net: http://www.caffeinatedlife.net/blog/2...
What’s really interesting about this novel is that it takes a lot of real-time current events and features them in the plot of the novel: missing ships taken over, corrupt politicians, shady businesses, determined journalists to undercover the truth, hotspot locations around the world fraught with turmoil…It’s also quite a geopolitical chase; one minute they’re in Germany, the next they’re in Russia, then they’re in Egypt. It’s pretty crazy but it keeps the adrenaline of the story going.
I’m not sure what to make of the characters, however. They’re interesting enough, but there wasn’t much hint at the beginning of the novel to indicate that Ryggs' past. It just seemed like such a jump in character between the man the reader meets in the first two chapters and the man the reader follows for the rest of the novel.I may have missed this detail but Marin seemed to be a little too well-off financially to be able to pull off such an investigation.
While appearing seemingly separate from Ryggs and Marin’s storyline, it was interesting to read about what was going on at the ship that the two were investigating and the conditions that they were left to survive in during that tumultuous period.
Nonetheless, for a thriller and a debut novel, Chasing the Storm is a page-turner. I found myself pretty glued to the story after a while, hoping to learn exactly what was going on and whether Dmitri, the character readers follow onboard the ship, will make it.
What’s really interesting about this novel is that it takes a lot of real-time current events and features them in the plot of the novel: missing ships taken over, corrupt politicians, shady businesses, determined journalists to undercover the truth, hotspot locations around the world fraught with turmoil…It’s also quite a geopolitical chase; one minute they’re in Germany, the next they’re in Russia, then they’re in Egypt. It’s pretty crazy but it keeps the adrenaline of the story going.
I’m not sure what to make of the characters, however. They’re interesting enough, but there wasn’t much hint at the beginning of the novel to indicate that Ryggs' past. It just seemed like such a jump in character between the man the reader meets in the first two chapters and the man the reader follows for the rest of the novel.I may have missed this detail but Marin seemed to be a little too well-off financially to be able to pull off such an investigation.
While appearing seemingly separate from Ryggs and Marin’s storyline, it was interesting to read about what was going on at the ship that the two were investigating and the conditions that they were left to survive in during that tumultuous period.
Nonetheless, for a thriller and a debut novel, Chasing the Storm is a page-turner. I found myself pretty glued to the story after a while, hoping to learn exactly what was going on and whether Dmitri, the character readers follow onboard the ship, will make it.
January 6, 2014
I don't generally read thrillers, but thoroughly enjoyed chasing the storm by Martin Molsted. At the start of the story, we meet Torgrim, a typical Norwegian attorney who unexpectedly stumbles upon adventure. He decides to drop his tedious life for one of action with a Russian journalist he meets. It was very fun to watch Torgrim transform and thrive in his new life. The action was well paced, juxtaposing the story of Torgrim with the action aboard the ship they are chasing. The author provided delightful descriptions of his settings, including Russia, Greece, and Egypt.
I found the pace of the story to be similar to any Dan Brown bestseller. Chasing the storm is a real page turner, and well written to boot. I gave the book 5 stars because I was genuinely surprised by the twists and turns. I can't believe that this is the debut novel for Molsted; it was that good.
I found the pace of the story to be similar to any Dan Brown bestseller. Chasing the storm is a real page turner, and well written to boot. I gave the book 5 stars because I was genuinely surprised by the twists and turns. I can't believe that this is the debut novel for Molsted; it was that good.
March 21, 2014
An interesting theme of a business man going through a midlife crisis and ends up in international espionage.
Whilst the plot moved, I found many parts confusing and not terribly relevant. The book was well written but in some places,I found the story quite hard to believe and, with one exception, the characters were kept in the dark and had little idea as to why they were doing what they were. I was not sure who the "bad or good" guys were. Some scenes were overly detailed and somewhat boring and the plot moved fast in done places and terribly slowly in others.
Whilst a good debut novel, I would like to see the characters more developed, learn their history and feel as if they are working as a team rather than puppets. It would be most. Interesting to see what further installments bring forth.
Whilst the plot moved, I found many parts confusing and not terribly relevant. The book was well written but in some places,I found the story quite hard to believe and, with one exception, the characters were kept in the dark and had little idea as to why they were doing what they were. I was not sure who the "bad or good" guys were. Some scenes were overly detailed and somewhat boring and the plot moved fast in done places and terribly slowly in others.
Whilst a good debut novel, I would like to see the characters more developed, learn their history and feel as if they are working as a team rather than puppets. It would be most. Interesting to see what further installments bring forth.
March 26, 2014
A very good book teaming an ex-Special Forces soldier from Norway with an investigative reporter from Russia. Two unlikely heroes brought together by a shooting incident in Hamburg one evening. The Norwegian is stuck in a job that does not offer the excitement that he once felt when he was in the field, so after returning home and getting an offer from the reporter he is off to find a ship that has been pirated in the Baltic. What is aboard that ship that makes it valuable to anyone or any nation? The search is on and the crisscross Europe searching for the answer.
The book keeps the reader interested and guessing throughout. The story is well conceived and it is wrapped around incidents that could very well happen today. A very good first novel and I look forward to more Rygg and Marin novels.
The book keeps the reader interested and guessing throughout. The story is well conceived and it is wrapped around incidents that could very well happen today. A very good first novel and I look forward to more Rygg and Marin novels.
December 27, 2014
A really good really fast moving thriller, intricate and original and I loved that part of the book is written based on true events.
Where do fiction and reality split? I don't know. The book was written in such a manner that it all sounded plausible.
The character development was fun with most of the characters being tested by fire in order to grow.
The writing, editing and formatting was professionally done and executed and in all I found the professionalism admirable.
The plot and theme was gripping and I really enjoyed the story.
So pick up your copy today.
WaAr
Where do fiction and reality split? I don't know. The book was written in such a manner that it all sounded plausible.
The character development was fun with most of the characters being tested by fire in order to grow.
The writing, editing and formatting was professionally done and executed and in all I found the professionalism admirable.
The plot and theme was gripping and I really enjoyed the story.
So pick up your copy today.
WaAr
January 5, 2014
Disclaimer: I received this e-book free as part of early reviewer program.
This book is the first of a series and it has decent character development. I did, however, have a hard time believing the mysterious Russian jounralist. No journalist I've ever heard of has such far-reaching contacts, money, and other resources. But it still made for an entertaining read. The plot twist at the end was not surprising to me, but it wasn't over-the-top.
This book is the first of a series and it has decent character development. I did, however, have a hard time believing the mysterious Russian jounralist. No journalist I've ever heard of has such far-reaching contacts, money, and other resources. But it still made for an entertaining read. The plot twist at the end was not surprising to me, but it wasn't over-the-top.
January 6, 2014
I received a copy of this ebook as part of LibraryThing Early Reviewers and enjoyed it as a good holiday read. I found most of the characters easy to like, particularly the side story of the ship hand Dimitry. There were some jumps in the story that were a little far fetched however overall the story flowed well and included a few unexpected twists. I look forward to reading future instalments of the adventures between Torgrim and Marko and would recommend this book as a light thriller.
February 11, 2014
***LibraryThing Giveaway***
Built on a good premise but poorly executed. The dialogue was just plain boring but the plot redeemed it some.I also found that the main character was just thrown together, one minute he's a lowly lawyer, next he's this big bad James Bond type. Seems in-feasible to me. I believe this is the authors debut novel, if so it was as good as can be expected for a first book.
Built on a good premise but poorly executed. The dialogue was just plain boring but the plot redeemed it some.I also found that the main character was just thrown together, one minute he's a lowly lawyer, next he's this big bad James Bond type. Seems in-feasible to me. I believe this is the authors debut novel, if so it was as good as can be expected for a first book.
January 14, 2014
I received the book in a give away from library thing. This book is filled with adventure, travel, and twist. I enjoyed reading, but did at first get a little lost with the characters. Read on it will all come together. I would read another book by this author and from the ending of this book more adventures are yet to come.
Read
February 11, 2014Extremely entertaining
well written and enjoyable, with enough realistically information to make up for the always amount of money in each location that they suddenly had available. Plus that so many people were so available after all the years
well written and enjoyable, with enough realistically information to make up for the always amount of money in each location that they suddenly had available. Plus that so many people were so available after all the years
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