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Counterfeit Lies
From New York Times bestselling author Oliver North, comes this heart-thumping novel about an undercover FBI agent who uncovers a deadly plot to attack the United States.
Veteran undercover FBI agent Jake Kruse is investigating a smuggling ring in southern California when his assignment is cut short by a prominent criminal defense attorney, who wants to hire Jake to kill the daughter of a local crime boss.
What begins as a contract killing soon captures the attention of the CIA, the US Secret Service, and high-level Washington officials. Before he knows it, Kruse finds himself plunged into the life-threatening underworld of North Korean espionage, Hezbollah terrorists, and a plot to bring down a commercial airliner over the US.
Fast-paced, thrilling, and filled with authentic detail, Counterfeit Lies is a tale of non-stop action that could only be written by those who have been there, done that. Decorated war veteran Oliver North and coauthor Bob Hamer weave their real-life experience into this tautly written tale of international intrigue and suspense. They say it's fiction but it's all too real.
Veteran undercover FBI agent Jake Kruse is investigating a smuggling ring in southern California when his assignment is cut short by a prominent criminal defense attorney, who wants to hire Jake to kill the daughter of a local crime boss.
What begins as a contract killing soon captures the attention of the CIA, the US Secret Service, and high-level Washington officials. Before he knows it, Kruse finds himself plunged into the life-threatening underworld of North Korean espionage, Hezbollah terrorists, and a plot to bring down a commercial airliner over the US.
Fast-paced, thrilling, and filled with authentic detail, Counterfeit Lies is a tale of non-stop action that could only be written by those who have been there, done that. Decorated war veteran Oliver North and coauthor Bob Hamer weave their real-life experience into this tautly written tale of international intrigue and suspense. They say it's fiction but it's all too real.
326 pages, Hardcover
First published June 10, 2014
66 people are currently reading
312 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
September 10, 2018
Oliver North's political thrillers are great fun! Not only are they exciting and well-written, they also feature people of the Christian faith as heroes. This was a bit harder-edged than I'm used to from him--though I was expecting brutal violence, I was surprised to see occasional profanity--but, I enjoyed it.
April 15, 2017
At the beginning things were kind of dull. Later on in the book things got more exciting. The hero is Jake Kruse who is undercover for the FBI. It appears that Jake is not a Christian, but when Scripture shows up in the story it is referenced to his dead wife and the influence she had on him. While undercover, he does a lot of lying because of his profession of being undercover. Peter Newman, the hero of Oliver North's previous books is occasionally mentioned in the book. So, Jake is actually an ex-marine. It is a good read, though not as good as the Peter Newman books.
April 4, 2016
This one was a tough rating/review for me. It was my first Oliver North book, as I was totally unaware that he was an author.
That said, it took me until approx 1/2 way through the book to really get excited about the plot, and from then on, I was hooked.
The downfall, IMO, was that I listened to the audio version, and was not a fan of the reader. He seemed to speak in a monotone, with very little inflection, and hardly any variety in voices as the characters changed (or not much that was noticeable.).
So, I gave it 3 stars in spite of what I considered to be a less than stellar narration. I would certainly read another North novel, so long as there is a different reader.
That said, it took me until approx 1/2 way through the book to really get excited about the plot, and from then on, I was hooked.
The downfall, IMO, was that I listened to the audio version, and was not a fan of the reader. He seemed to speak in a monotone, with very little inflection, and hardly any variety in voices as the characters changed (or not much that was noticeable.).
So, I gave it 3 stars in spite of what I considered to be a less than stellar narration. I would certainly read another North novel, so long as there is a different reader.
November 2, 2021
Actually I listened to the audiobook but I couldn't figure out how to add it to my books as an audiobook.
I've always loved Oliver North's books, because he has great plotlines and he's a Christian so they're clean. And his military background adds some plausibility to the thriller/action genre. This one does get bogged down at some points with a TON of dialogue, but overall it's a great recreational read with an original story.
I've always loved Oliver North's books, because he has great plotlines and he's a Christian so they're clean. And his military background adds some plausibility to the thriller/action genre. This one does get bogged down at some points with a TON of dialogue, but overall it's a great recreational read with an original story.
January 31, 2015
The best book of Ollie I've read, assuming Hamer helped a lot
Political/military thrillers don't get much better than this. The undercover realities are exceptional. The North
Korean angle certainly seems real. They're not nice...and of course Hezbollah is. Real class act. Disgusting, but the good guys win. yeah!
Political/military thrillers don't get much better than this. The undercover realities are exceptional. The North
Korean angle certainly seems real. They're not nice...and of course Hezbollah is. Real class act. Disgusting, but the good guys win. yeah!
July 4, 2014
Learned a lot about organized crime in America and international terrorism. Liked the plug for military charities in the epilogue.
July 17, 2018
Oh, my goodness was this horrible! The writing was so pathetic it pained me to keep going. Character development? Not a chance. Interesting plot? Nope. I assessed from the acknowledgments this book would include ignorant dogma and I was not disappointed. Whole pages were devoted to how America is soft and other meaningless diatribes. Simply reading it wasn't a problem for me - to quote the book I've "been there"; nor is it that some readers will take this as gospel. The problem for me is that the subtle (but not really subtle) theme of America not being tough, that any institution that doesn't believe exactly what I believe is against me (sound familiar, guy?) and the "it-takes-a-good-guy-to-do-bad-things-but-it's-okay-because-it's-okay" builds a narrative for the average reader that promotes illogical thinking and has the potential to cause more harm than good. The point of the book is painfully political and trite. Another bad point, the ignorant ramblings of the author took so much away from what could have been a moderately interesting read. If you're looking for garbage, then bravo! you have found it.
November 20, 2017
I think my rating of this might have been a 3-star if I read the physical book instead of listening to the audio book. The narrator was so distracting; he didn't know when to take a breath, how to make the characters talk like they were actually in a conversation, or even how to get out of a monotone. The story itself wasn't bad, although it is a stretch to think a Caucasian "round eye" could invade a Korean crime syndicate to a high level in just a few short weeks and command trust of the leaders.
May 24, 2017
My 1st of my Col. Ollie North's thrillers...UC FBI agent Jake Kruse goes under to expose N. Korean & Islamic terror ties...entertaining method to expose the public to the existential threat to the US thru the Iranian-N. Korean funding, criminal & terror connections...provides an excellent analysis of the way N. Korean criminal counterfeit enterprises fund, not only their regime, but also the world-wide terror network...good stuff!
May 31, 2018
As with all of Ollie North's "novels," one is left wondering where the fiction ends and the truth begins. If the story line about North Korea's involvement in counterfeiting currency and pharmaceuticals is true, we/Trump need to be very careful how we/US handle the upcoming negotiations. Only banning their nuclear ambitions will not stop all the other illicit things they are involved with.
August 19, 2017
A good Thriller/Suspense by Oliver North. A little slow in the beginning but worth the read. An interesting undercover story involving North Korea, Iran, Hezbollah terrorist and nuclear weapons. A believable Fiction???
July 23, 2018
While the book kept me interested with twists and turns, the characters lacked something. Overall a good suspense/mystery.
September 20, 2018
Good thriller, military and undercover work
March 16, 2019
Fast-paced and filled with plenty of action.....
April 5, 2019
World of betrayal
A story that could be real life. Enjoyable and clean and with the necessary respect for our true God who will always be in control.
A story that could be real life. Enjoyable and clean and with the necessary respect for our true God who will always be in control.
March 16, 2020
4.25 / 5
August 17, 2020
Really good FBI undercover thriller with complexity, unexpected twists, and nice character development. Clean.
April 9, 2022
I couldn't' t put this book down, every bedtime read turned into early morning.This was a good insight into what we aren' t told and what our military and their leaders face. GREAT BOOK.
November 6, 2014
Oliver North and Bob Hamer in their new book, “Counterfeit Lies” published by Threshold Editions introduces us to Jake Kruse.
From the back cover: Veteran undercover FBI agent Jake Kruse is investigating a smuggling ring in southern California when his assignment is cut short. A prominent criminal defense attorney wants to hire Jake on another kind of mission: to kill the daughter of a local crime boss.
What began as a “contract killing” soon captures the attention of the CIA, the U.S. Secret Service, and high-level officials in Washington. The undercover agent is plunged into a deadly underworld of North Korean espionage, Hezbollah terror and the sinister deception Iran uses to acquire nuclear weapons. Caught in a web of international intrigue that goes to the top of the U.S. government, Kruse is forced to confront the ultimate moral quandary: doing what’s right when everything seems wrong.
“Counterfeit Lies” is a fast paced military thriller. Jake is working undercover to try to crack a counterfeit operation. That is the beauty of the title counterfeit is fake and lies aren’t the truth so what do you have to trust in? That is the situation that Jake finds himself in. They have him running in all directions and the intrigue is building and building until it is ready to explode. Danger, mayhem, thrills and murder all figure into this highly complicated plot. Jake and the others are fascinating characters that seem very real and you root for the good guys to win. “Counterfeit Lies” is loaded with twists and turns that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. Mr. North has provided us with a fairly exciting book.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Threshold Editions. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
From the back cover: Veteran undercover FBI agent Jake Kruse is investigating a smuggling ring in southern California when his assignment is cut short. A prominent criminal defense attorney wants to hire Jake on another kind of mission: to kill the daughter of a local crime boss.
What began as a “contract killing” soon captures the attention of the CIA, the U.S. Secret Service, and high-level officials in Washington. The undercover agent is plunged into a deadly underworld of North Korean espionage, Hezbollah terror and the sinister deception Iran uses to acquire nuclear weapons. Caught in a web of international intrigue that goes to the top of the U.S. government, Kruse is forced to confront the ultimate moral quandary: doing what’s right when everything seems wrong.
“Counterfeit Lies” is a fast paced military thriller. Jake is working undercover to try to crack a counterfeit operation. That is the beauty of the title counterfeit is fake and lies aren’t the truth so what do you have to trust in? That is the situation that Jake finds himself in. They have him running in all directions and the intrigue is building and building until it is ready to explode. Danger, mayhem, thrills and murder all figure into this highly complicated plot. Jake and the others are fascinating characters that seem very real and you root for the good guys to win. “Counterfeit Lies” is loaded with twists and turns that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. Mr. North has provided us with a fairly exciting book.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Threshold Editions. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
March 2, 2016
Another thoroughly enjoyable yarn from Oliver North in the thriller genre. His collaboration with Bob Hamer in this instance has resulted in a truly believable story since both authors have, in one sense or another, 'been there and done that.' I particularly like that they have smoothly inserted some of the inter- and intra-agency bureaucracy and politics that sometimes move to the fore and take precedence over actions that should move faster or in directions in the field that would otherwise lead to a more successful or more efficient outcome. Add to that the infusion of some international politics that are very relevant to current times with the powers that be and you have a story in which many readers will find it quite easy to become very emotionally vested from a political perspective. If you are a fan of Ollie's other stories... pick this one up. It's an easy read for just a few sittings that brings you to the end saying, "taking this another book farther would be a really fun ride."
March 12, 2015
Counterfeit Lies (Oliver North & Bob Hamer)
Typical Snafu when the alphabet brass refuses the share intelligence with each other to hide the real target's id. What starts as a search for undercover agents helping North Korea gain elements necessary to build nuclear weapons in Iran. While one aids a group to bring illegal goods into the USA, another undercover alphabet agent is tracking The SUPERNOTES, counterfeit $100.00 bills so good that only an expert can tell that they are fake. The Snafu occurs when that agent is killed after being exposed, but dies to keep the other agent's identity safe. Thanks for letting me get to see what efforts our men and women go to to keep this country safe. Looking forward to the next one.
Typical Snafu when the alphabet brass refuses the share intelligence with each other to hide the real target's id. What starts as a search for undercover agents helping North Korea gain elements necessary to build nuclear weapons in Iran. While one aids a group to bring illegal goods into the USA, another undercover alphabet agent is tracking The SUPERNOTES, counterfeit $100.00 bills so good that only an expert can tell that they are fake. The Snafu occurs when that agent is killed after being exposed, but dies to keep the other agent's identity safe. Thanks for letting me get to see what efforts our men and women go to to keep this country safe. Looking forward to the next one.
November 19, 2015
Veteran undercover FBI agent Jack Kruse is investigating a smuggling
ring in southern California when his assignment is cut short. A prominent
local attorney wants to hire him to kill the daughter of a local crime
lord. Jack's contract killing soon captures the attention of the CIA,
the US Secret Service and high officials in the government. He's also
plunged into a deadly underworld of North Korean espionage. Caught in a
web of international intrigue that goes to the top of the government
Kruse is forced to confront the ultimate moral quandry: doing what's
right when everything seems wrong. This book is from 2014 and is action
packed and page turning. I gave it a 4.
ring in southern California when his assignment is cut short. A prominent
local attorney wants to hire him to kill the daughter of a local crime
lord. Jack's contract killing soon captures the attention of the CIA,
the US Secret Service and high officials in the government. He's also
plunged into a deadly underworld of North Korean espionage. Caught in a
web of international intrigue that goes to the top of the government
Kruse is forced to confront the ultimate moral quandry: doing what's
right when everything seems wrong. This book is from 2014 and is action
packed and page turning. I gave it a 4.
February 2, 2015
Good book
I really liked the book and it took me awhile to get into the story,but once I did the whole story took off. I like books that get me hooked from the start, but learned a long time ago, a good book is like getting to know a good friend. Some people you hit it off with instantly and become best friends and some the friendship takes time to grow and click. I would definitely recommend this for anyone that likes action.
I really liked the book and it took me awhile to get into the story,but once I did the whole story took off. I like books that get me hooked from the start, but learned a long time ago, a good book is like getting to know a good friend. Some people you hit it off with instantly and become best friends and some the friendship takes time to grow and click. I would definitely recommend this for anyone that likes action.
July 31, 2015
I read this for task 2 of The Book Riot 2015 Read Harder Challenge - A book written by someone when they were over 65. This was a great read and gave a quick look into some of the cagey activities in which North Korea is involved. There were just enough characters and intertwined plots but not so many to make the book confusing. I just wish I knew what was true in the book.
December 3, 2015
Reads like it came out of today's headlines. North makes a strong case for fighting terrorism. At times, the story challenged your credibility, but in the end the author managed to bring it all together.
I'm always surprised when there are twists involving major characters at the end; I shouldn't be, but I was surprised this time.
I'm always surprised when there are twists involving major characters at the end; I shouldn't be, but I was surprised this time.
July 13, 2015
I rarely read secular fiction and stick with Christian fiction, but this one sounded good and I like Bob Hamer's books, which are Christian fiction, so I gave it a shot. There was some bad language in it, which I am not used to in a book, but it was a great read. Bob Hamer's undercover experience comes through in the book, and I thought it had a great plot. It was an enjoyable read.
September 5, 2016
Just read this to pass the time in my sick bed with flu. Nothing extraordinary but a few good twists; more a modern mirror of rampant Yank suspicions, political subterfuge and sinister shenanigans. Terribly over-written at times, but some suspenseful moments and a good dose of action.
May 15, 2015
Just ok... Dialogue wan't all that great, a bit cheesy at times as well.
July 6, 2014
I need to read this again. I had a hard time staying interested.
August 24, 2014
Great book - highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews