Omega Dog

Joe Venn Thriller #1

by Tim Stevens, James Rush

MEET JOE VENN. THE OMEGA DOG.

Joe Venn is down on his luck. A Marine and police detective lieutenant, he was kicked off the Chicago force for getting a little heavy-handed while cleaning up the streets. Now he’s eking out a living as a private eye in downtown Manhattan, on a road to nowhere.

His life’s about to get a whole lot worse…

When Venn is arrested for a murder he didn’t commit, he’s given a choice.

Track down a missing professor of neurochemistry, in an operation that’s so politically sensitive even the FBI can’t be allowed to touch it.

Or face life in prison.

Dr Beth Colby is having a bad day, too.

She’s used to dealing with death, in her job as a physician at one of New York City’s busiest hospitals. But two people she knows have just died mysteriously in the space of twenty-four hours.

And before the day’s out, Beth herself will become the target of a shocking attack.

Events conspire violently to throw Venn and Beth together, and soon they’re locked into a desperate race against time to uncover the secret of Professor Lomax’s disappearance.

What’s the connection with the research he’s conducting into groundbreaking neuromodulatory drugs?

And why are Venn and Beth being hunted by not one but two professional assassins – as well as by the most powerful organized crime family in New York?

As the chase spreads from Manhattan to New England and back again, and the net closes relentlessly in on Venn and Beth, each of them must use their unique set of skills to the maximum.

Not just to uncover the terrible secret so many people are desperate to keep hidden.

But also simply to stay alive…

Relentless in its action, terrifying in its suspense, and riddled with twist upon shocking twist, OMEGA DOG is a heartstopping rollercoaster ride that will thrill and chill you in equal measure.

James Rush is the pen name of Tim Stevens, author of the highly acclaimed thrillers RATCATCHER, DELIVERING CALIBAN, JOKERMAN and SEVERANCE KILL.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Amazon, Ebooks, Google, Action

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 22, 2013

About the author

I'm British born but grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. Currently I live near London with my wife and daughters, where I work as a doctor in the National Health Service. Ratcatcher is my debut novel.

My blog, Thrillhound, is here:

http://timstevensblog.wordpress.com/

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mildly entertaining, though the sex scene, while not overly graphic, felt gratuitous. The plot was okay and the resolution was pretty clever. I wasn't surprised by the final surprise. There were just too many proofreading errors to give more than three stars.

[Ted Tayler · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This dog is my best friend"

Possibly the best thriller I've read this year. Totally believable, the action moves along at a cracking pace and doesn't let up. Joe Venn is a character that deserves a few more outings. I'll be reading them when they appear. I absolutely loved it!

[Chyina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is most certainly full of action. The story is compelling enough but I just didn't care for some of the things in it.

Though the main character does get injured, some of the other "mains" appear to not get a scratch. Especially when in car accidents (without seat belts) and gun fights.

I also didn't car for the "romance/sex scene" in it as it felt completely unrealistic considering the two characters had literally only known each other for a few hours. One of which thought the other was trying to kill her and in fact did kidnap her.

There was also a scene were a bad guy escapes a severe car crash by means that seem more than a little far fetched.

All in all, not a bad read, but not the best action/mystery I've read.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great thriller. There are plenty of twists to keep you interested until the final twist. The action is fast paced. Reads like a Hollywood action movie. Possibly like Die Hard or something in that genre. Will definitely read this author again!

[Bruceschneider21]

I found this book very enjoyable. The characters were believable and the story moved along nicely. I plan to read more in this series

[Gerald Kubicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting adventure. The hero stumbles onto a huge plot and there are several people after him.

[Buck Hales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Action packed thriller

A fast furious read. Improbable but suspension of disbelief enhanced the pleasure of this piece of fluff. Engaging and exciting with enough sexual tension to excuse the gratuitous sex scene. The omega dog and his new arch nemesis provide the substrate for the whole series of Joe Venn private eye ex-military trained assassin but overall good guy hunk books to follow

[Leslie Hammes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book by this author I had read, and I was very pleasantly surprised. My daughter and I both liked it and anticipated the second in the series. It did have moments which felt unrealistic to me, but they were integral to the plot and to ensuring all characters made it to the next book in the series. The romance was a nice touch, and was lightly done.

[Richard Means · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspense never ends.

A very well written believable story that made me drop my compulsory books immediately to read this one to the end. Every twist was believable, and nerve wracking!!

[joyce taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

First time I've read any of Tim's books and I really enjoyed it , gone to a lot of effort finding out a lot of medical terms ,a great hero in Venn ,will read his other books,good luck to you in the future, gordy ..

[Sam Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this 5 stars because it's exactly what i wanted. Well paced, good plot, nothing special, but more entertaining than most TV

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book

You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so. Shelley MA

[Debra Johnson]

Not for Me
Inept Writing
Supposedly has sex scenes.

Purchased from Amazon February 8, 2016

[Richard Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omega Dog is a fairly typical action thriller novel. It is smartly written, and the characters are interesting. I’m not sure how well multiple installments will play with the Joe Venn character, but I’ll give number 2 a try at any rate.

[Book Addict Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of self-published books, but I found Omega Dog on Amazon when looking for something to read that wasn't on my TBR. Taking a chance on it was definitely a good decision, and I am now eager to continue reading the subsequent books in the Joe Venn series.

The blurb for this book is exceptionally long, so the above is an edited down version. Joe Venn is down on his luck, and finds himself set up for a murder that he didn't commit. He is given the chance to walk free, but first he must locate a missing professor of neurochemistry, in an operation so secret even the FBI cannot be involved. Firstly, Venn doesn't seem like a stupid character, yet finding himself in a situation such as this should have had alarm bells ringing, and I worked a number of plot twists out very early on in the story.

A lot of thrillers aren't really read for their realism, and fiction allows the reader to push the boundaries, having a limitless budget - their imagination - to work with. It allows them to come up with some brilliant, breath-taking scenes, and that it what is delivered in Omega Dog. Sadly, it's a rather short read, but the action is packed in to almost every one of those pages. Omega Dog is a Hollywood blockbuster in book form. I also enjoyed the technology that Tim Stevens included in the book, including a piece that was at first quite normal but a twist later in the book revealed was anything but. Character wise and Joe Venn isn't all that dissimilar to others in the genre, but as the book progressed he really started to come into his own, and by the end of the book he was a character I couldn't wait to read more about. The sequel to Omega Dog already nudging its way to the top of my TBR.

The book becomes quite relentless in its pace as the book nears its dramatic conclusion, as those (albeit not shocking) secrets started to come out. The basis for the storyline itself, is actually quite believable when you stop and think about it, and it's actually quite scary to imagine something like that happening in real life. Incorporating almost everything I love about a thriller, even finding a way to include the Mafia, Omega Dog is a book that would be a great success if it was published by a major publisher, it already seems a success on Amazon but for those that haven't read it yet, it comes recommended by me and look out for reviews of the following books in the series over the coming months on my blog.

[Scott Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former Marine and ex-Chicago cop Joe Venn is now a down-on-his-luck PI living nd working in New York. After several drinks in a bar, Venn winds up in an alley fight with a goon who had provoked him inside. Hours later he is at his apartment and visited by NYPD officers. He is subsequently arrested for murdering the man he had downed fairly easily, but, factually, not killed. A man, from a mysterious government agency, visits Venn at the police station offering a chance at clearing his name from the rap.

Though Venn knows he is not guilty there is "evidence" against him and, seeing no other alternative, takes the assignment to find a missing professor...an assignment that thrusts him into a web of unexpected twists and turns, leading him into danger around virtually every corner.

The lives of the people ultimately involved in this page-turner are unveiled a bit at a time until the reader knows all the players and how they are - or might be - connected, and whose side they are on. Aside from Venn, the major characters (but by no means all of them) are Dr. Beth Colby, NY Detectives Shelly Anderson and (for a shorter time) her partner Mike Gomez, major NY crime boss DeeDee Rosetti, former MI6 agent and now assassin-for-hire Marcus Royle, kidnapped Professor Leonard Lomax, and the agency man Corcoran (aka Charles Decker).

Stevens does a good job with his intricate plot, weaving a tale where the lines are blurred, at least for a time, between the good and the bad. As the story reaches its conclusion there is a final short chapter which may, or may not, surprise some readers. Overall, a solid read, with plenty of action.

[Fire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Venn gets kicked off Chicago PD after being too rough with criminals and winds up moving to the Big Apple to start his own Private Investigation company. Business isn't what he hoped for and life is rough, but it gets worse when he is arrested, charged with a murder he didn't commit.

Facing life in prison or helping his captors track down a nuero-scientist who is involved with something so important that the government can't be trusted.

When I first read the description I was intrigued and while it seemed a little too over the top, I still decided to read it and I'm glad I did. It was a fun read that kept me guessing and wanting to read just a little more. I thought the story was really well thought out and Venn is an interesting character that you quickly get invested in.

My main reason for only give this 4 stars instead of 5 is that it did seem just a little too impossible at times and it slightly pulled me out of the story because of it, but not enough to make me want to stop reading. I thought it was a great story and I'd be willing to read the next book to see what happens. There were lots of twists and turns along the way and it was a lot of fun to read.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Joe Venn series, written by Tim Stevens. Venn is a one time member of the USMC, a former Lieutenant in the Chicago PD, until he was dismissed for getting too rough with suspects. He now finds himself trying to make ends meet as a PI in New York. To set the scene, he gets into a bar fight one evening, and even though his opponent was still alive when he left Venn finds himself framed for murder. Unless he provides his services to a shadowy Government Agency.
Having recently finished the John Purkiss series I do feel a bit let down by this. The plot is much weaker (and predictable in places), and the characters seem to lack a lot of depth. It was slightly confusing having American characters sometimes using English idioms. The first few pages almost made me give up, but just for the conspiracy aspect it is worth persevering with.

[mr gary bright · Rating 1 out of 5]

Truly awful

I wish I'd never started. As is often the case, you start a book and of course, you have to finish it. Bad decision.
The hero is indestructible almost to the point of nonsense, outlasting professional assassins, entire police departments, the mob and black ops crews from the pentagon.
Way too far fetched for my liking. Some situations and scenarios are simp!y ludicrous, the ending being the most incredulous of them all.
Sorry, but that's my first and only encounter with Joe Venn.

[Linda Look · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Venn is a great character--ex cop, kicked off police force, not very successful private eye. He is framed for a murder and given a choice to help a "black op" US govt agency to find a missing biochemistry professor. He meets Beth, a doctor who is collaborating with the doctor. After saving her life, they team up to solve this case involving pharmaceuticals and government cover-ups. I rate this a 4.8.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if this is a fair characterization, but we might think of Joe Venn as a poor man's Jack Reacher. Ex-military, ex-cop, private investigator — Venn's a man's man. He kicks ass, takes names, outwits the ne'er-do-wells, and ... well ... pretty much everything we hope he'll do. And he does it in context of a good story, written well enough to hold our interest. But if it had given the characters a little more depth, it could have been a great story.

[LLona Cunningham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good writing (scene by scene), but hard to hold my disbelief intact when moving from POV to POV without understanding why I should care. It was like reading three books at once, skipping between them one chapter at a time. By the time they come together into a single story my attention was starting to drift. Hopefully someone else will be able to see it together better than I did.

[Valerie Downs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want more of Joe Venn!

I never thought that characters like Jack Reacher and Mitch Rapp among others would have competition on my first read by an author. I can honestly say they definitely do. This was a thriller in every sense of the word. Make this book your next adventure, you won't be sorry. Eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

[Pam Connell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast moving mostly believable story

I especially liked the fast action and turns in the plot. Even though the grammar was usually good though not perfect, it did reduce reading enjoyment. The plot was well conceived with turns and surprises I didn't foresee. Kudos to the author for hiding those details until the perfect reveal.

[Joe Vitucci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of course, Venn is another imposter of Superman. Yea, he gets hurt at the end but lives and puts an end to all of the mob. And don't forget the US defense dept is also one of the bad guys here.
However, the author does put together a good story and keeps it interesting the whole way. And to think I almost stopped reading after 10 pages because I hated the beginning.

[Brian Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent, if predictable, thriller.

A maverick ex-cop framed for a murder he didn't commit in order to work for a secret government organisation.
Throw in the mob, crooked cops, assassins and then sit back to watch it all home in on the hero.

A bit far fetched in places, the action keeps going all through the story.

[Thibaldo Manrique · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good "good cop down and out" novel

This is a classic example of the good cop with bad luck genre, right down to the cop becoming a P.I.

It is very good, full of interesting characters and situations and it has a lot of action.

I enjoyed it. It is probably going to be a very good series.

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great beginning to what I hope will be a very interesting series. The story starts out kind of slow (back story), but once it reaches a certain point, the action doesn't stop until the conclusion. There's plenty of intrigue, complex plots, double crossing, plot twist, and romance to satisfy anyone.

[Diane Gilman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot stuff

This book keeps you on the edge of there and not knowing what's gonna happen next it's very thrilling and mind-boggling end it's really something else and it's really a good book to just die out and read it's one kind of look that you know that there's not going to be an Indian or a beginning or anything in between thank you very much

[Anika · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - A different story that I'm not used to reading but very interesting. I might read the next book in the series. It's about Government cover up by some individuals. A man hired to find a person but in the end he was used as a means to an end. But don't work it ends with HEA.