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Nick Sullivan #2
The Third Wave
Charles Morgan is small operator in the vast computer technology industry but he's ambitious. He borrows heavily from the Mafia to finance his dreams of becoming a big player but when he fails to make the expected profit, they are quick to demand their money back. Desperate to save his own skin, he hatches a plan that will cripple the competition and propel his new product into the ranks of market leader.
Bryony Elliot is a brilliant but naive British student who has the skills he needs to bring his plans to fruition. But she is refusing to cooperate. With time running out and his creditors’ threats becoming increasingly vicious, Morgan gives up on persuasion and employs deceit instead. Unaware that she is being duped, Bryony launches a catastrophic virus attack on society. When she discovers the truth, she frantically attempts to stop the carnage she has unleashed but she is up against violent men who are intent on stopping her.
Bryony must dig deep into her mental reserves to stay alive and reverse the damage she has done but first she must conquer the fears and demons that rule her life.
For Bryony has dark secrets of her own...
Bryony Elliot is a brilliant but naive British student who has the skills he needs to bring his plans to fruition. But she is refusing to cooperate. With time running out and his creditors’ threats becoming increasingly vicious, Morgan gives up on persuasion and employs deceit instead. Unaware that she is being duped, Bryony launches a catastrophic virus attack on society. When she discovers the truth, she frantically attempts to stop the carnage she has unleashed but she is up against violent men who are intent on stopping her.
Bryony must dig deep into her mental reserves to stay alive and reverse the damage she has done but first she must conquer the fears and demons that rule her life.
For Bryony has dark secrets of her own...
334 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 16, 2011
7 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 25, 2020
This is a review for the audio version of the 2nd Nick Sullivan Thriller. Nick is certainly someone who doesn't like a quiet life! Sent to keep surveillance on Bryony a brilliant PhD student, he soon becomes embroiled in far more than he'd imagined. To keep an eye on Bryony he has to become involved in her life, but she's not the quiet studious type everyone thinks she is. This assignment soon descends into non-stop action and adventure. As with the first book, the pace of the story moves along really well, keeping you wanting to know what happens. A great 2nd book in the series, looking forward to book 3.
January 10, 2019
Nick goes bounding into another bundle of mayhem. This follows great from the 1st book & doesn’t let anyone down with the adventures.
A virus let out to damage anything & everything & the before during & after just takes off & is fast paced & exactly what I enjoy listening to. Kept me hooked & looking forward to the next book!
Narrator again did different voices & kept the tale paced so well.
An excellent all rounder
A virus let out to damage anything & everything & the before during & after just takes off & is fast paced & exactly what I enjoy listening to. Kept me hooked & looking forward to the next book!
Narrator again did different voices & kept the tale paced so well.
An excellent all rounder
January 9, 2019
I loved book one but was blown away by book two. I think I preferred this story as I was thrown and confused at every twist and turn. It’s exciting and the narrator is great so a joy to listen to as well. Roll on book three.
June 20, 2020
Note: Even though this is Book 2, it works fine as a stand alone novel.
Nick Sullivan is an adrenaline junky. He fell into this life in the previous book but loves the action and danger. In his own head, he is the hero but it’s the rush that motivates him, not any quest for justice. I don’t really like Nick but he is a bit more interesting in this book than he was in Book 1, Fallout.
Meanwhile, Bryony (a computer genius) is an animal rights activist. Nick is assigned to keep an eye on her. There’s also Charles Morgan who wants to use her, well her computer skills, to get the Mafia off his back. Nick and Charles instantly dislike one another, and that will turn into despising one another later on.
I really wanted to like Bryony. On the surface, she looks like a strong character (in many regards) – PhD computer student (focusing on computer viruses) and a very active and daring animal rights activist. But I found her pretty whiny throughout the story. She often stamps her foot in frustration. Her stubbornness is her most endearing trait. In many scenes she acts more like a 15 year old than a PhD student.
Then we have Nick. He isn’t good with women at the best of times. Often he’s condescending and enjoys mansplaining things. And, indeed, he is this way with Bryony. While I understand that Nick is written as a self-centered adrenaline junky, I still found his dismissive nature towards Bryony annoying. I need to like one of the main characters and for this book, I didn’t like either of them. Meanwhile, there are few other women in the book, all with minor roles. Annalise (Nick’s new girlfriend) has a small role as well… and I think she would have something to say about Nick’s relationship with Bryony. Once again, the ladies are sexualized in one way or another, instead of standing on their other traits.
I did like the main plot, which involves this crippling computer virus. Bryony is vital to the plot (yay!) but she needs rescuing, reassuring, bedding, and having the raw truth of the situation explained to her again and again. Much of this would have been OK if she was in her teens, but she’s supposed to be an adult with some life experience under her belt. I did like how her phobia was written into the story, why it’s integral to the plot, and how she grows from the experience. I didn’t like how Nick is the one to mainsplain it to her, more than once.
The pacing is good. Plenty of action and I liked the betrayal. 3.5/5 stars.
The Narration: Craig Bowles once again voices Nick Sullivan and he’s a perfect match for his voice. Bowles had distinct voices for all the characters and his female voice (which he uses for all the ladies) sounds feminine. One thing that niggled was the consistent mispronunciation of Heckler and Koch. This gun company has the correct pronunciation under their FAQ section. The correct English pronunciation, according to the company, is ‘coke’. The pacing was good and there were no tech issues with the recording. 4/5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book. My opinions are 100% my own.
Nick Sullivan is an adrenaline junky. He fell into this life in the previous book but loves the action and danger. In his own head, he is the hero but it’s the rush that motivates him, not any quest for justice. I don’t really like Nick but he is a bit more interesting in this book than he was in Book 1, Fallout.
Meanwhile, Bryony (a computer genius) is an animal rights activist. Nick is assigned to keep an eye on her. There’s also Charles Morgan who wants to use her, well her computer skills, to get the Mafia off his back. Nick and Charles instantly dislike one another, and that will turn into despising one another later on.
I really wanted to like Bryony. On the surface, she looks like a strong character (in many regards) – PhD computer student (focusing on computer viruses) and a very active and daring animal rights activist. But I found her pretty whiny throughout the story. She often stamps her foot in frustration. Her stubbornness is her most endearing trait. In many scenes she acts more like a 15 year old than a PhD student.
Then we have Nick. He isn’t good with women at the best of times. Often he’s condescending and enjoys mansplaining things. And, indeed, he is this way with Bryony. While I understand that Nick is written as a self-centered adrenaline junky, I still found his dismissive nature towards Bryony annoying. I need to like one of the main characters and for this book, I didn’t like either of them. Meanwhile, there are few other women in the book, all with minor roles. Annalise (Nick’s new girlfriend) has a small role as well… and I think she would have something to say about Nick’s relationship with Bryony. Once again, the ladies are sexualized in one way or another, instead of standing on their other traits.
I did like the main plot, which involves this crippling computer virus. Bryony is vital to the plot (yay!) but she needs rescuing, reassuring, bedding, and having the raw truth of the situation explained to her again and again. Much of this would have been OK if she was in her teens, but she’s supposed to be an adult with some life experience under her belt. I did like how her phobia was written into the story, why it’s integral to the plot, and how she grows from the experience. I didn’t like how Nick is the one to mainsplain it to her, more than once.
The pacing is good. Plenty of action and I liked the betrayal. 3.5/5 stars.
The Narration: Craig Bowles once again voices Nick Sullivan and he’s a perfect match for his voice. Bowles had distinct voices for all the characters and his female voice (which he uses for all the ladies) sounds feminine. One thing that niggled was the consistent mispronunciation of Heckler and Koch. This gun company has the correct pronunciation under their FAQ section. The correct English pronunciation, according to the company, is ‘coke’. The pacing was good and there were no tech issues with the recording. 4/5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book. My opinions are 100% my own.
January 10, 2019
I absolutely loved it, Karla Forbes' easy flowing yet intricately detailed storyline flows like a refreshing re-invigoration of the British thriller. The returning protagonist develops from the first book (Fallout) along with the supporting cast of characters that also return for another outing.
The 'threat' is an all too believable one which helps to give the story an edge of 'this is really possible and quite scary' which in some thriller of a similar ilk is sadly lacking and detracts from what otherwise might be good writing. What Karla Forbes manages to achieve is a fast-paced and highly believable thriller set in the real world that we all inhabit, with characters that are human rather than extremes of humanity which all blends together to form something that definitely allows one to easily suspend their disbelief and become immersed in the world of Nick Sullivan.
For anyone who loves a good thriller, this is most definitely a series of books for you.
The 'threat' is an all too believable one which helps to give the story an edge of 'this is really possible and quite scary' which in some thriller of a similar ilk is sadly lacking and detracts from what otherwise might be good writing. What Karla Forbes manages to achieve is a fast-paced and highly believable thriller set in the real world that we all inhabit, with characters that are human rather than extremes of humanity which all blends together to form something that definitely allows one to easily suspend their disbelief and become immersed in the world of Nick Sullivan.
For anyone who loves a good thriller, this is most definitely a series of books for you.
January 10, 2019
I listened to the first Nick Sullivan book a couple of months ago so I was really looking forward to the second one, and I wasn’t disappointed!
This time Nick is working for a private security company and is given the job of surveillance on Bryony Elliott, a brilliant but very naïve PhD student studying computer viruses and artificial intelligence. It should be an easy job, but once again Nick is thrown into a life and death situation trying to save Bryony and himself.
The story is very fast paced, and the threat of a computer virus which takes over the worlds computers is all too believable. Nick is a very likeable hero and I loved the character of Bryony and how she developed over the course of the book, and after the ending of the book I wonder if we might meet her again in the future?
This is a great fast paced thriller and I am very much looking forward to Book 3 in the series.
This time Nick is working for a private security company and is given the job of surveillance on Bryony Elliott, a brilliant but very naïve PhD student studying computer viruses and artificial intelligence. It should be an easy job, but once again Nick is thrown into a life and death situation trying to save Bryony and himself.
The story is very fast paced, and the threat of a computer virus which takes over the worlds computers is all too believable. Nick is a very likeable hero and I loved the character of Bryony and how she developed over the course of the book, and after the ending of the book I wonder if we might meet her again in the future?
This is a great fast paced thriller and I am very much looking forward to Book 3 in the series.
December 31, 2018
Loved the first Nick Sullivan book, Fallout. It really captured the imagination. The Third Wave was a captivating listen as well, but because I'm a Luddite, I struggled more with the subject matter. I missed AnnaLise and am thrilled she's back and I hope we'll hear a lot more from her in Book 3, (is there a Book 3? I certainly hope so). I felt ever so sad for Bryony; what a horrible life she'd had. Ms Forbes laid out her heartache in a compassionate and careful way and it never once even edged close to mawkish sentimentality. Craig Bowles once again does an excellent job of narrating and listening to him felt like I was catching up with a friend. This is shaping up into a great series and I'm very hopeful and excited for a third book. Fingers crossed!
February 12, 2022
This is my second book that I have listened to in this series and I actually enjoyed it more. I think listening to it in the context of the recent pandemic was interesting and I had to check when it was written. Although it is based on a computer virus, the exponential impacts and the impact on every day life - supermarket scalping etc, it was all so familiar.
The animal rights section was very well written and it also brought back to memories.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the book the narration so really suits.
I was given a free copy by the narrator but this in no way impacted my review.
The animal rights section was very well written and it also brought back to memories.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the book the narration so really suits.
I was given a free copy by the narrator but this in no way impacted my review.
January 21, 2019
More technothriller, and as a geek, this one was right up my street, but then it already was, because it's a Nick Sullivan thriller. Again, Karla Forbes treats us to a plausible, fast-paced story. A great combination of intelligence and action. As in the first book, the detail behind the virus attack was never boring.
Nick Sullivan is in a slightly calmer job/ position at the start but that soon ends when he meets up with Bryony Elliot. Great to see Analise back too. All the characters are really well rounded, have great (if sad for one) backstories and progress realistically by the end of the book. Hopefully, we will see more of Bryony and Analise. There's also more humorous interaction, including the quotes we love from Nick (I'm hoping and assuming this will be a staple of the next volumes)
Craig Bowles' narration, was great. He has really got into the flow of these stories and the character's voices.
I can see there are so far 6 or 7 more stories, so I'll definitely be carrying on.
Nick Sullivan is in a slightly calmer job/ position at the start but that soon ends when he meets up with Bryony Elliot. Great to see Analise back too. All the characters are really well rounded, have great (if sad for one) backstories and progress realistically by the end of the book. Hopefully, we will see more of Bryony and Analise. There's also more humorous interaction, including the quotes we love from Nick (I'm hoping and assuming this will be a staple of the next volumes)
Craig Bowles' narration, was great. He has really got into the flow of these stories and the character's voices.
I can see there are so far 6 or 7 more stories, so I'll definitely be carrying on.
January 16, 2021
So here is my review for the second book in the series. The Third Water, read the review for the first book here. Nick is back, this follows on nicely from the first. I enjoyed this storyline much better than the first, more of a techonothriller, full of action, nicely fast paced with lots going on, so much so Nick is unstoppable. There are more twists and turns. This storyline could be real in this modern world.
I enjoyed that Analise was back for this book, will she be there in the future??? it was an interesting mix with Analise and Bryony.
(here is where I might add a small spoiler, so please, if you have not yet read the book, close your eyes and skip this part)….
Nick was just unkillable, (is that even a word?) there was so much torture going on, and how he survived is beyond me. I also found this to be a little long.
I enjoyed that Analise was back for this book, will she be there in the future??? it was an interesting mix with Analise and Bryony.
(here is where I might add a small spoiler, so please, if you have not yet read the book, close your eyes and skip this part)….
Nick was just unkillable, (is that even a word?) there was so much torture going on, and how he survived is beyond me. I also found this to be a little long.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2019
Nick Sullivan is back after his first romp with danger and back for more. He's the kind of character you admire as he wants to do his best for everyone and to heck with the law. He often gets himself into s muddle but you forgive him that due to his apparent nature. Another gripping story from Karla Forbes and I wait for the next in the series. not my usual kind of story line but well narrated and depth of characters.
May 8, 2018
Another great book by Karla. I am probably quite late in discovering this series, but I am loving it and have absolutely no hesitation in recommending to anyone who loves a good thriller.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews