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Agent Dallas Thriller #1
The Trigger
Agent Jamie Dallas loves undercover assignments that get her out of the Phoenix Bureau. But when a woman and her baby disappear from an isolated community of preppers in Northern California, she knows the risk of infiltrating the armed group is dangerously high.
Once inside the compound, she discovers that the brothers who founded Destiny are scheming something far more devious than kidnapping or murder. Meanwhile, her local FBI contact is pulled from her team and assigned to investigate the murder of a woman found at the bottom of a motel pool.
Soon Dallas finds herself in deeper trouble than she's ever encountered—with no way to reach her contacts. Can she break free of the bunker and stop their bizarre end-of-world plans? Will Agent McCullen identify the killer in time to help?
The Trigger is a gripping story that highlights our greatest fear—how a megalomaniac and a hacker-for-hire can threaten civilization as we know it.
Once inside the compound, she discovers that the brothers who founded Destiny are scheming something far more devious than kidnapping or murder. Meanwhile, her local FBI contact is pulled from her team and assigned to investigate the murder of a woman found at the bottom of a motel pool.
Soon Dallas finds herself in deeper trouble than she's ever encountered—with no way to reach her contacts. Can she break free of the bunker and stop their bizarre end-of-world plans? Will Agent McCullen identify the killer in time to help?
The Trigger is a gripping story that highlights our greatest fear—how a megalomaniac and a hacker-for-hire can threaten civilization as we know it.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 7, 2013
206 people are currently reading
942 people want to read
About the author
L.J. Sellers
58 books477 followersI write the bestselling Detective Jackson mystery/thriller series—a four-time Readers Favorite award winner—as well as the Agent Dallas series, the Extractor thrillers, and provocative standalone thrillers. My 30 novels have been highly praised and have sold more than a million copies.
I reside in Eugene, Oregon where my many of my novels are set, and I'm also an award-winning journalist who earned the Grand Neal. When not plotting murders, I enjoy standup comedy, cycling, social networking, and attending mystery conferences. I've also been known to jump out of airplanes.
I reside in Eugene, Oregon where my many of my novels are set, and I'm also an award-winning journalist who earned the Grand Neal. When not plotting murders, I enjoy standup comedy, cycling, social networking, and attending mystery conferences. I've also been known to jump out of airplanes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
February 17, 2017
A competent thriller.
I'd never heard of L.J. Sellers before but she has a string of titles to her name, all with pretty good ratings so I thought I'd give it a go. FBI Agent Jamie Dallas is a tough, no nonsense undercover specialist who has no qualms about using a few feminine wiles to gain the trust of her targets. She is sent to a prepper community to learn more about the disappearance of the wife and baby son of one of the co-founders.
She has an idea of where they may be held but she also learns so much more. The leaders of the community are not content to wait for the 'end of times', they want to make it happen and have conceived a nefarious plot to take down the banking and internet systems of America and other strategic locations. Of course there is lots of other stuff going on but its not the main game.
Can Dallas stop them in time and rescue the mother and son? Look, its a good 'airport read' and reasonably entertaining. The pace, while not really cracking, is consistent so there there are no dead patchers. The characters don't have much depth but that could change in later books. No great twists but, as I said, a reasonable diversion. Meanwhile I have many other authors on my tbr list.
I'd never heard of L.J. Sellers before but she has a string of titles to her name, all with pretty good ratings so I thought I'd give it a go. FBI Agent Jamie Dallas is a tough, no nonsense undercover specialist who has no qualms about using a few feminine wiles to gain the trust of her targets. She is sent to a prepper community to learn more about the disappearance of the wife and baby son of one of the co-founders.
She has an idea of where they may be held but she also learns so much more. The leaders of the community are not content to wait for the 'end of times', they want to make it happen and have conceived a nefarious plot to take down the banking and internet systems of America and other strategic locations. Of course there is lots of other stuff going on but its not the main game.
Can Dallas stop them in time and rescue the mother and son? Look, its a good 'airport read' and reasonably entertaining. The pace, while not really cracking, is consistent so there there are no dead patchers. The characters don't have much depth but that could change in later books. No great twists but, as I said, a reasonable diversion. Meanwhile I have many other authors on my tbr list.
March 17, 2014
The Trigger by L.J. Sellers is a 2014 Spellbinder publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Special agent Jamie Dallas is beyond ready for some field work. Finally she gets the call to infiltrate a group of environmental fanatics because one the leaders of the group, Randall Clayton, is a suspect in his wife, Emma's disappearance. Even more troubling is their young son is also missing and their car is found wrecked and abandoned. Emma's father is beside himself with worry. The other leader of the group, Randall's brother, Spencer, is tending to his terminally ill wife. Spencer knows she has only days left to live and he still wants to have a family, so when SA Dallas applies to join their group and he sees she has a little money, something the group is in dire need of, and she bears a striking resemblence to his wife, Spencer begins to rush her application through in record time. Once inside the compound, Dallas begins to believe that Emma and her son may not be dead, but are being held hostage on the premises. But, time is of the essense because the brothers have a plan in motion to bring down the nation's economy.
This is a spin off , if you will, from another of Sellers' series in which SA Dallas made an appearance. Dallas is a complicated character that has a sad past that shaped who she became as an adult and ironically helps her do her job quite well. Dallas is very adept at pulling off deceptions . If not for the extreme incompetance of other law enforcement personnel and the over the top paranoia of Randall Clayton, Dallas wound have had zero problems with Spencer Clayton. But, the situation gets out of hand in a hurry. Dallas will have to think fast on her feet in order to find Randall's wife and child and prevent the economic disaster the Clayton's are planning to trigger.
In the background, Dallas's partner is working on a related case that involves the discovery of a woman found dead in a body of water that may have also had connections with the extremist group.
The characters in the book are quite believable since in real life we have seen these groups crop up and get media attention and the FBI is usually involved in trying to determine how serious they are and if they are threat. Randall has some mental issues that were alluded to making him take things more seriously and go beyond the norm to achieve thier goals. Spencer is trying to pull of their plans without actually causing a major showdown with the authorities. Both brothers are certain that something terrible is on the horizon due to global warming and other environmental issues. They have smart, computer literate people helping them to hack into computers to force an economic disaster. All of this is quite plausible.
As to Special Agent Dallas, she is an interesting character who would rather keep her relationships on the short term and even diliberately sabotages them so she can continue to live life on the edge. She has a therapist who tries to understand her need to walk on the wild side of life. So far, he doesn't seem to have a clue as to what kind of treatment this woman needs. The conversations she has with the shrink are sort of funny. She seems to be comforting him and not the other way around.
Overall this is a really great start to a new series and I am very interested in seeing how Jamie Dallas's personality will develop and how she will use her unique talent to save the world. This one gets an A.
Special agent Jamie Dallas is beyond ready for some field work. Finally she gets the call to infiltrate a group of environmental fanatics because one the leaders of the group, Randall Clayton, is a suspect in his wife, Emma's disappearance. Even more troubling is their young son is also missing and their car is found wrecked and abandoned. Emma's father is beside himself with worry. The other leader of the group, Randall's brother, Spencer, is tending to his terminally ill wife. Spencer knows she has only days left to live and he still wants to have a family, so when SA Dallas applies to join their group and he sees she has a little money, something the group is in dire need of, and she bears a striking resemblence to his wife, Spencer begins to rush her application through in record time. Once inside the compound, Dallas begins to believe that Emma and her son may not be dead, but are being held hostage on the premises. But, time is of the essense because the brothers have a plan in motion to bring down the nation's economy.
This is a spin off , if you will, from another of Sellers' series in which SA Dallas made an appearance. Dallas is a complicated character that has a sad past that shaped who she became as an adult and ironically helps her do her job quite well. Dallas is very adept at pulling off deceptions . If not for the extreme incompetance of other law enforcement personnel and the over the top paranoia of Randall Clayton, Dallas wound have had zero problems with Spencer Clayton. But, the situation gets out of hand in a hurry. Dallas will have to think fast on her feet in order to find Randall's wife and child and prevent the economic disaster the Clayton's are planning to trigger.
In the background, Dallas's partner is working on a related case that involves the discovery of a woman found dead in a body of water that may have also had connections with the extremist group.
The characters in the book are quite believable since in real life we have seen these groups crop up and get media attention and the FBI is usually involved in trying to determine how serious they are and if they are threat. Randall has some mental issues that were alluded to making him take things more seriously and go beyond the norm to achieve thier goals. Spencer is trying to pull of their plans without actually causing a major showdown with the authorities. Both brothers are certain that something terrible is on the horizon due to global warming and other environmental issues. They have smart, computer literate people helping them to hack into computers to force an economic disaster. All of this is quite plausible.
As to Special Agent Dallas, she is an interesting character who would rather keep her relationships on the short term and even diliberately sabotages them so she can continue to live life on the edge. She has a therapist who tries to understand her need to walk on the wild side of life. So far, he doesn't seem to have a clue as to what kind of treatment this woman needs. The conversations she has with the shrink are sort of funny. She seems to be comforting him and not the other way around.
Overall this is a really great start to a new series and I am very interested in seeing how Jamie Dallas's personality will develop and how she will use her unique talent to save the world. This one gets an A.
September 11, 2018
not as good as her Wade Jackson police series, main character not well developed, plot not very credible
May 20, 2019
A good start for a series. Still a little rough for character development compared to the Detective Jackson series, but still enjoyable.
December 26, 2015
The Trigger by L.J. Sellers is a crime thriller novel that follows FBI Special Agent Jamie Dallas, a desk jockey who wants more undercover work. She get it when s gets an assignment to infiltrate a "prepper" society and find the missing wife and child of one of the main "prepper" community leaders. She has to integrate into their community by posing as someone who is "concerned" about the path we are heading as a planet. Special Agent Dallas gets cozy with the brother of the missing woman's husband and finds that the case isn't just a missing persons case. In fact, it is much more deep that she imagined.
The book is fairly short, as novels go, and relatively fast paced. Because of its brevity, you don't get a lot of consistent character development. We learn Agent Dallas has some deep family issues that keeps her from creating long term relationships (though short term flings are apparently alright and plentiful...saucy tramp). She is the typical superhuman FBI agent who can leap tall buildings, stop nuclear missiles with a harsh glare and has the intuition of Confucius. Even with her personal issues, Dallas seems to get immediately hot anytime someone remotely attractive enters her airspace. That's as much as we get to know about Special Agent Dallas.
The prepper community is founded by Randall and Spencer Clayton. These guys aren't your ordinary wackos, bit college educated, intelligent wackos. Randall's wife has gone missing and he has some deep "little man" issues, especially since a failed political career attempt. His brother, Spencer, has more charisma (and looks) than Randall and is simultaneously trying to "reset the earth" and care for his dying wife. What multitasker! Spencer also has the burden of getting seduced by Special Agent Dallas (who thinks nothing of wanting to hook up with Spencer, even though his cancer-laden wife is still kicking). Both brothers scheme to bring about global panic and chaos by the mighty stroke of the keyboard. Randall, in an attempt to show up his big bro, also secretively plans to create mayhem by crippling the internet with a few bombs. Talk about ambitious AND overachievers.
There are a few individuals that are supposed to be major sideline characters. Ultimately, they only get Saran Wrap backgrounds, such as the missing wife of Randall Clayton, a super nice guy in FBI Agent McCullen (who Special Agent Dallas thinks is groovy and wants to bed) and a slimy Vegas hacker named Raff. Each gets significant mention, but they are there more as furniture and really don't add much to the story. McCullen gets a bit more complexity, since he previously had a relationship to Randall's missing wife. How convenient. Oh, yeah, throw in a side of murder at a motel and a Middle East conflict to flesh things out.
The plot is plausible, especially because there are people out there who think the end of times is upon us. However, thinking that a few keystrokes can cripple the US and world, especially after seeing how resilient we are to overcoming major traumatic events (9/11 bombings, OK City bombings, Edward Snowden, the Recession of the 2000s, Bill Buckner's botched ground ball, finding out Bruce Jenner wants to be a chick, Justin Bieber's fame). Hell, we got through all of those and are still the kick-ass, beer swillin' country we were before all of those events reared their ugly head.
Did I enjoy the book. Yes. It reads really fast and doesn't have too many twists and turns that keep you up at night. In fact, you can easily put it down, pick up a chapter or two later and not seem to have missed much. This is like a good dime store novel of old, simple and easy to kill time with. 6.5 out of 10 (more like 3 1/2 stars, but Goodreads doesn't allow for that extra half star).
The book is fairly short, as novels go, and relatively fast paced. Because of its brevity, you don't get a lot of consistent character development. We learn Agent Dallas has some deep family issues that keeps her from creating long term relationships (though short term flings are apparently alright and plentiful...saucy tramp). She is the typical superhuman FBI agent who can leap tall buildings, stop nuclear missiles with a harsh glare and has the intuition of Confucius. Even with her personal issues, Dallas seems to get immediately hot anytime someone remotely attractive enters her airspace. That's as much as we get to know about Special Agent Dallas.
The prepper community is founded by Randall and Spencer Clayton. These guys aren't your ordinary wackos, bit college educated, intelligent wackos. Randall's wife has gone missing and he has some deep "little man" issues, especially since a failed political career attempt. His brother, Spencer, has more charisma (and looks) than Randall and is simultaneously trying to "reset the earth" and care for his dying wife. What multitasker! Spencer also has the burden of getting seduced by Special Agent Dallas (who thinks nothing of wanting to hook up with Spencer, even though his cancer-laden wife is still kicking). Both brothers scheme to bring about global panic and chaos by the mighty stroke of the keyboard. Randall, in an attempt to show up his big bro, also secretively plans to create mayhem by crippling the internet with a few bombs. Talk about ambitious AND overachievers.
There are a few individuals that are supposed to be major sideline characters. Ultimately, they only get Saran Wrap backgrounds, such as the missing wife of Randall Clayton, a super nice guy in FBI Agent McCullen (who Special Agent Dallas thinks is groovy and wants to bed) and a slimy Vegas hacker named Raff. Each gets significant mention, but they are there more as furniture and really don't add much to the story. McCullen gets a bit more complexity, since he previously had a relationship to Randall's missing wife. How convenient. Oh, yeah, throw in a side of murder at a motel and a Middle East conflict to flesh things out.
The plot is plausible, especially because there are people out there who think the end of times is upon us. However, thinking that a few keystrokes can cripple the US and world, especially after seeing how resilient we are to overcoming major traumatic events (9/11 bombings, OK City bombings, Edward Snowden, the Recession of the 2000s, Bill Buckner's botched ground ball, finding out Bruce Jenner wants to be a chick, Justin Bieber's fame). Hell, we got through all of those and are still the kick-ass, beer swillin' country we were before all of those events reared their ugly head.
Did I enjoy the book. Yes. It reads really fast and doesn't have too many twists and turns that keep you up at night. In fact, you can easily put it down, pick up a chapter or two later and not seem to have missed much. This is like a good dime store novel of old, simple and easy to kill time with. 6.5 out of 10 (more like 3 1/2 stars, but Goodreads doesn't allow for that extra half star).
December 29, 2013
Sellers Pulls “The Trigger” On New Series
One of the best things that can happen for mystery/thriller readers and fans in a new year is a new series, especially one by an established author. So, LJ Sellers’s choice of January 1 to launch her new Jamie Dallas series is propitious.
Dallas, who was introduced in Sellers’s Crimes of Memory, a recent entry in her Detective Jackson mystery series, is a kick-ass but complicated heroine, one of the new school of female FBI Special Agents who have cropped up series in the past decade by kickass authors like Allison Brennan, JT Ellison and CJ Lyons.
Dallas, as rendered by Sellers, is good at her job because it involves deception—lying and even becoming another person entirely—to bring down criminals and their enterprises. What makes Dallas so interesting is that she comes by her gift naturally, a product of her upbringing. As befits the inaugural book in a series, Sellers hints at what drives Dallas and gives us small glimpses into the past that makes her who she is, whetting our appetite for more. It’s clear that Dallas has unresolved issues with her past, and that her journey up the ranks in the FBI will reflect her journey of self-discovery as the series progresses.
For this first outing, Sellers has imagined a scenario that draws on real incidences—Waco, the Environmental Life Force (the original “ELF”) and the unrelated organization Earth Liberation Front that followed, and Ruby Ridge, among others). It could be called a fable on what happens when well-meaning people take an obsession to fanaticism.
Brothers Spencer and Randall Clayton found a survivalist community in northern California. Called “preppers,” they’ve planned for an apocalyptic future, hunkering down on what they hope will be a self-sufficient piece of land. When the future they envision doesn’t come fast enough, they make plans to give it a nudge.
Special Agent Dallas is tasked with infiltrating the group to find out why one of its members—Randall’s wife—has gone missing. And once inside, the fun begins. Sellers does an admirable job of not only setting up conflicts within the survivalist group itself but also introducing potential loose cannons on the outside that threaten to expose Dallas in their attempts to bring down the group. She handles all the elements with the aplomb of a Cirque performer who’s juggled multiple objects while on a tightrope thousands of times without mishap. And her prose is clean and unfussy.
The Trigger is a solid foundation for what will likely become a popular and widely read series.
One of the best things that can happen for mystery/thriller readers and fans in a new year is a new series, especially one by an established author. So, LJ Sellers’s choice of January 1 to launch her new Jamie Dallas series is propitious.
Dallas, who was introduced in Sellers’s Crimes of Memory, a recent entry in her Detective Jackson mystery series, is a kick-ass but complicated heroine, one of the new school of female FBI Special Agents who have cropped up series in the past decade by kickass authors like Allison Brennan, JT Ellison and CJ Lyons.
Dallas, as rendered by Sellers, is good at her job because it involves deception—lying and even becoming another person entirely—to bring down criminals and their enterprises. What makes Dallas so interesting is that she comes by her gift naturally, a product of her upbringing. As befits the inaugural book in a series, Sellers hints at what drives Dallas and gives us small glimpses into the past that makes her who she is, whetting our appetite for more. It’s clear that Dallas has unresolved issues with her past, and that her journey up the ranks in the FBI will reflect her journey of self-discovery as the series progresses.
For this first outing, Sellers has imagined a scenario that draws on real incidences—Waco, the Environmental Life Force (the original “ELF”) and the unrelated organization Earth Liberation Front that followed, and Ruby Ridge, among others). It could be called a fable on what happens when well-meaning people take an obsession to fanaticism.
Brothers Spencer and Randall Clayton found a survivalist community in northern California. Called “preppers,” they’ve planned for an apocalyptic future, hunkering down on what they hope will be a self-sufficient piece of land. When the future they envision doesn’t come fast enough, they make plans to give it a nudge.
Special Agent Dallas is tasked with infiltrating the group to find out why one of its members—Randall’s wife—has gone missing. And once inside, the fun begins. Sellers does an admirable job of not only setting up conflicts within the survivalist group itself but also introducing potential loose cannons on the outside that threaten to expose Dallas in their attempts to bring down the group. She handles all the elements with the aplomb of a Cirque performer who’s juggled multiple objects while on a tightrope thousands of times without mishap. And her prose is clean and unfussy.
The Trigger is a solid foundation for what will likely become a popular and widely read series.
January 13, 2014
This is a terrific book, and Sellers' new character Jamie Dallas is compelling and interesting. I'm happy to see this is the first of a new series, because I would love to read more about Dallas and her undercover assignments. The book is a real page-turner and I am anxious for more!
April 24, 2016
Pretty good
March 13, 2019
Spine-tingling action!
The plot is packed with intrigue and danger. The action is non-stop! Agent Jamie Dallas is undercover in a Prepper colony, looking for clues to the whereabouts of the wife and child of Randall Clayton, one of the colony founders. He is the prime suspect but Agent Dallas needs actual evidence before a judge will issue a search warrant. Jamie suspects that the disappearance ties to a plot by Randall and his brother, Spencer, to trigger a worldwide social collapse.
The characters are realistic and captivating. The storyline caught my interest from the very beginning and I could not put the book down until I finished it. I loved it!
The plot is packed with intrigue and danger. The action is non-stop! Agent Jamie Dallas is undercover in a Prepper colony, looking for clues to the whereabouts of the wife and child of Randall Clayton, one of the colony founders. He is the prime suspect but Agent Dallas needs actual evidence before a judge will issue a search warrant. Jamie suspects that the disappearance ties to a plot by Randall and his brother, Spencer, to trigger a worldwide social collapse.
The characters are realistic and captivating. The storyline caught my interest from the very beginning and I could not put the book down until I finished it. I loved it!
July 17, 2021
Not my favorite, but this is the first one, so we will see how others do. I thought the language was more "salty" than necessary. Yes, that is the way some people talk, but intelligent people don't and this is a book. The focus on sex I thought was overdone as well, but from the trailer that was included in this book, sex seems to be a focus of this author. The storyline moved well, and I thought the characters were well developed.
May 13, 2025
Terrifying story
While reading this all I could think of was something of this could really happen and there are a lot of sick people in this world who want to harm others This story covered a lot This story covered a lot of those kinds of activities by a group of This story covered a lot of those kinds of activities by a group of nut jobs but it was well written and kept your interest good job by the author
While reading this all I could think of was something of this could really happen and there are a lot of sick people in this world who want to harm others This story covered a lot This story covered a lot of those kinds of activities by a group of This story covered a lot of those kinds of activities by a group of nut jobs but it was well written and kept your interest good job by the author
December 31, 2017
This is a good action/thriller with well developed characters and plot. When the main character is a KA FBI agent that can openly admit to herself she only came out looking good on the case through no fault or credit of her own it adds a lot of believability to the story. Very insightful writing style and a very entertaining read.
April 28, 2025
Great beginning to this series
This was an intriguing, suspenseful, and complex story that will keep you on edge until the end. It's a terrific beginning to the series.
I would recommend this book, series, and author.
This was an intriguing, suspenseful, and complex story that will keep you on edge until the end. It's a terrific beginning to the series.
I would recommend this book, series, and author.
June 18, 2018
A Very Good Read
This is a fast paced read. Excellent character development. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series... I hope they are equally entertaining.
This is a fast paced read. Excellent character development. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series... I hope they are equally entertaining.
July 7, 2019
Great book!
This book will keep your interest with plenty of action, twists and suspense. It is a reasonable story about peppers and what can happened.
This book will keep your interest with plenty of action, twists and suspense. It is a reasonable story about peppers and what can happened.
August 11, 2019
The ending was a bit open ended perhaps will be in follow up book .Story line was ok but didn't get me very excited .
March 13, 2020
Good storyline. Ending was a little abrupt.
September 24, 2023
real page-turner
This is an exciting thriller that kept me engaged until the end. Nice to have a female lead character as well for a change!
This is an exciting thriller that kept me engaged until the end. Nice to have a female lead character as well for a change!
August 5, 2019
This was downloaded en masse with thirty-something other freebies. It is well-written, very interesting.
December 7, 2013
Since discovering Detective Jackson, in “Rules of Crime,” I have read all eight of the series of Detective Wade Jackson adventures and all of her standalone thrillers. All of her books deliver a gripping story with a knack and style that always kept me wanting to turn the next page.
L.J. Sellers didn’t disappointment me in her new book “The Trigger” featuring a dedicated FBI undercover agent. Sellers introduced the character of Agent Dallas in the “Crimes of Memory” where, as an FBI undercover agent, she helped Detective Jackson and FBI Agent Rivers solve the eco-terrorist case in Eugene, Oregon.
“The Trigger” starts after five weeks from returning from Oregon. Agent Dallas is getting restless doing nothing but desk jobs. She is ready to get back to undercover work. When her agent in charge calls her into his office, she is ready to take the new assignment almost regardless of where she was going. Her new assignment is to find the missing wife and son of Randall Clayton, one of the founders of a prepper community just north of Redding, California convinced the end of the world is close. . The father reported his daughter missing and is convinced Emma Clayton, his daughter and his grandson, Tate, have met with foul play. The only way to find out what is going on is to send an undercover agent to join the community of doomsdayers.
Sellers takes her readers through the steps of Agent Dallas’ preparation for the undercover assignment and helps the readers get to know Jamie Dallas the person. and to understand how Dallas’ childhood background prepared her for undercover work. When Agent Dallas gets off the plane in Redding and meets Agent Caleb McCullen, Dallas has already gone undercover.
Sellers keeps the story moving at a good pace and gradually introduces each key character and their roles in the storyline and in Destiny, their community. I was kept guessing as to what was happening.
Agent Dallas soon finds out the missing woman and child are only a small part of the mystery. Dallas finds things are not what they seem when she learns of the death of the community’s engineer. As Dallas checks in with her contact, Agent McCullen, to brief him on what she has found out, she learns he is no longer her contact. She is unaware that her cover story has been undermined and she is in danger.
It is impossible to guess what is going to happen next, and not knowing builds the suspense. The reader is motivated to buy into the fast pace and unpredictable story. Sellers does a good job of keeping us guessing all the way to the end. Sellers provides twists and turns and surprises and requires some creative thinking from Agent Dallas.
The author gives her fans a new hero; one who knows how to use her head to work through difficult situations. As a reviewer, I don’t want to spoil the plot by going into any more details. You will enjoy how the surprising twists and turns gives suspense and thrills to the end of a great whodunit.
While L.J. Sellers says “The Trigger” is a standalone book, I can’t imagine Agent Dallas fans accepting only one story about her undercover work. I give Sellers 5 stars on Amazons rating system and 5 stars under Good Read’s ratings. I put Agent Dallas in line with Detective Wade Jackson Series and hope we can encourage Sellers to keep Agent Dallas busy with undercover work.
L.J. Sellers didn’t disappointment me in her new book “The Trigger” featuring a dedicated FBI undercover agent. Sellers introduced the character of Agent Dallas in the “Crimes of Memory” where, as an FBI undercover agent, she helped Detective Jackson and FBI Agent Rivers solve the eco-terrorist case in Eugene, Oregon.
“The Trigger” starts after five weeks from returning from Oregon. Agent Dallas is getting restless doing nothing but desk jobs. She is ready to get back to undercover work. When her agent in charge calls her into his office, she is ready to take the new assignment almost regardless of where she was going. Her new assignment is to find the missing wife and son of Randall Clayton, one of the founders of a prepper community just north of Redding, California convinced the end of the world is close. . The father reported his daughter missing and is convinced Emma Clayton, his daughter and his grandson, Tate, have met with foul play. The only way to find out what is going on is to send an undercover agent to join the community of doomsdayers.
Sellers takes her readers through the steps of Agent Dallas’ preparation for the undercover assignment and helps the readers get to know Jamie Dallas the person. and to understand how Dallas’ childhood background prepared her for undercover work. When Agent Dallas gets off the plane in Redding and meets Agent Caleb McCullen, Dallas has already gone undercover.
Sellers keeps the story moving at a good pace and gradually introduces each key character and their roles in the storyline and in Destiny, their community. I was kept guessing as to what was happening.
Agent Dallas soon finds out the missing woman and child are only a small part of the mystery. Dallas finds things are not what they seem when she learns of the death of the community’s engineer. As Dallas checks in with her contact, Agent McCullen, to brief him on what she has found out, she learns he is no longer her contact. She is unaware that her cover story has been undermined and she is in danger.
It is impossible to guess what is going to happen next, and not knowing builds the suspense. The reader is motivated to buy into the fast pace and unpredictable story. Sellers does a good job of keeping us guessing all the way to the end. Sellers provides twists and turns and surprises and requires some creative thinking from Agent Dallas.
The author gives her fans a new hero; one who knows how to use her head to work through difficult situations. As a reviewer, I don’t want to spoil the plot by going into any more details. You will enjoy how the surprising twists and turns gives suspense and thrills to the end of a great whodunit.
While L.J. Sellers says “The Trigger” is a standalone book, I can’t imagine Agent Dallas fans accepting only one story about her undercover work. I give Sellers 5 stars on Amazons rating system and 5 stars under Good Read’s ratings. I put Agent Dallas in line with Detective Wade Jackson Series and hope we can encourage Sellers to keep Agent Dallas busy with undercover work.
August 12, 2016
FBI Agent Jamie Dallas was first introduced in LJ Sellers’ Detective Jackson series and she’s proved to be an interesting and likeable, if complex, character. She’s smart, good at her job and likes living dangerously. Young and unattached, yet Dallas has issues stemming from her childhood which limit her ability and her wish to sustain relationships. She likes to move on when things start getting anything like serious. On the other hand those same issues mean she’s very good at playing a part, being someone else, which helps enormously with her undercover work. It’ll be interesting to see how her character develops, I think there may be a lot of personal challenges as well as job related ones in future stories.
Restless and desperately wanting an undercover assignment, Dallas prefers to move around and enjoys taking on a new persona to work a case. She soon gets her wish when she’s selected to access a survivalist community planning for a post apocalyptic world and gain their trust and confidence. What starts out as a missing persons search rapidly turns into a far more dangerous and sinister case. It’s frightening to see how much chaos and destruction a hacker could cause, not to mention self-serving, irrational and unbalanced individuals intent on bringing about their own vision of the future. It made me think about scenarios I hadn’t even imagined.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, it’s a good start to a new series and the hints dropped about Dallas’ past have left the field wide open and I’m interested to learn more about her as a person.
Restless and desperately wanting an undercover assignment, Dallas prefers to move around and enjoys taking on a new persona to work a case. She soon gets her wish when she’s selected to access a survivalist community planning for a post apocalyptic world and gain their trust and confidence. What starts out as a missing persons search rapidly turns into a far more dangerous and sinister case. It’s frightening to see how much chaos and destruction a hacker could cause, not to mention self-serving, irrational and unbalanced individuals intent on bringing about their own vision of the future. It made me think about scenarios I hadn’t even imagined.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, it’s a good start to a new series and the hints dropped about Dallas’ past have left the field wide open and I’m interested to learn more about her as a person.
January 10, 2014
For a Sellers it is a little on the weak side. I really enjoyed her The Gauntlet Assassin, which is complex and invigorating, so I know that she is capable of more as a writer.
It wasn't the story per se, that is very in tune with society and the criminal threats of our era. It features fanatical survivalists and their plan to end the world sooner because according to them it is gonna happen anyway so why not make it happen quicker. Yeh, totally makes sense to a nutcase.
What didn't gel well was a general implausibility of some of the scenarios and characters. Law enforcement in deep cover operations wouldn't have any objects or info to identify them, such as the phones Dallas has or her computer with certain files. Breaking into those files would be simple for the IT specialists in the survivalist camp. Then it would be highly doubtful whether someone as unstable as Dallas would be allowed to do deep cover. Her psychological problems and therapeutic history would make her an invalid choice.
It is a quick read if you're not bothered about accuracy and are more interested in a bit of fun in a read. Not up to the usual standards when it comes to her storytelling, but I wouldn't let that deter anyone or myself from trying some of the authors other books.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.
It wasn't the story per se, that is very in tune with society and the criminal threats of our era. It features fanatical survivalists and their plan to end the world sooner because according to them it is gonna happen anyway so why not make it happen quicker. Yeh, totally makes sense to a nutcase.
What didn't gel well was a general implausibility of some of the scenarios and characters. Law enforcement in deep cover operations wouldn't have any objects or info to identify them, such as the phones Dallas has or her computer with certain files. Breaking into those files would be simple for the IT specialists in the survivalist camp. Then it would be highly doubtful whether someone as unstable as Dallas would be allowed to do deep cover. Her psychological problems and therapeutic history would make her an invalid choice.
It is a quick read if you're not bothered about accuracy and are more interested in a bit of fun in a read. Not up to the usual standards when it comes to her storytelling, but I wouldn't let that deter anyone or myself from trying some of the authors other books.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.
January 2, 2014
This is the first book in what will be the Jamie Dallas series. Jamie is an FBI investigator sent undercover to locate the whereabouts of a missing woman and child from a small commune of “preppers” – people who are preparing for the end of the world. A simple assignment leads to something much bigger.
Agent McCullen, her team contact gets pulled from the team to investigate a murder. He’s not happy about it because he’s become interested in Jamie and the missing woman is an old flame.
The more Jamie finds out about the two brothers who own the prepper community, the more she realizes that there is something much more sinister going on. Her discovery leads her to a plot to start a world war and cause a total disruption of the financial markets and internet systems.
L.J. Sellers has done an excellent job of weaving together a believable story with a plausible plot. With the ability the hackers have to infiltrate systems, this storyline could happen. The book moves along at a good pace keeping the interest of the reader. The characters are likeable. I enjoyed the book.
I look forward to reading more Jamie Dallas books. I rated the book four stars out of five.
Thank you to the publishers, Spellbinder Press, through NetGalley, for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.
Agent McCullen, her team contact gets pulled from the team to investigate a murder. He’s not happy about it because he’s become interested in Jamie and the missing woman is an old flame.
The more Jamie finds out about the two brothers who own the prepper community, the more she realizes that there is something much more sinister going on. Her discovery leads her to a plot to start a world war and cause a total disruption of the financial markets and internet systems.
L.J. Sellers has done an excellent job of weaving together a believable story with a plausible plot. With the ability the hackers have to infiltrate systems, this storyline could happen. The book moves along at a good pace keeping the interest of the reader. The characters are likeable. I enjoyed the book.
I look forward to reading more Jamie Dallas books. I rated the book four stars out of five.
Thank you to the publishers, Spellbinder Press, through NetGalley, for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.
January 19, 2014
This the first L.J.Sellers book that I read that was not part of the Detective Jackson series. At first I wasn't sure I would like it. I hate these 'end-of-world' cults. But this one turned out to be a little different. The overall aim of the Clayton brothers was to stop the world and start all over.
Their colony Destiny in Northern California was actually a warm and loving community of same-minded people who just wanted to stop the world from destroying itself. However , the methods they were prepared to use would , in all likelihood bring an end to the world as we know it.
The more rational of the two brothers, Spencer really wanted to do the least harm as possible where as the sociopathic brother, Randall really didn't care how much chaos they brought to the world. With the aid of a computer geek , Greg Rafferty they intended to make the world standstill and possibly start a new war in the Middle East between Israel and all it's enemies.
The heroine of this tale is Jamie Dallas, an FBI agent , out of the Phoenix office. She is assigned as an undercover agent, intended to be recruited to join Destiny. Once the pace picks up, you will find this book hard to put.
L.J. Sellers is very writer of this type of thriller. Enjoy!
Their colony Destiny in Northern California was actually a warm and loving community of same-minded people who just wanted to stop the world from destroying itself. However , the methods they were prepared to use would , in all likelihood bring an end to the world as we know it.
The more rational of the two brothers, Spencer really wanted to do the least harm as possible where as the sociopathic brother, Randall really didn't care how much chaos they brought to the world. With the aid of a computer geek , Greg Rafferty they intended to make the world standstill and possibly start a new war in the Middle East between Israel and all it's enemies.
The heroine of this tale is Jamie Dallas, an FBI agent , out of the Phoenix office. She is assigned as an undercover agent, intended to be recruited to join Destiny. Once the pace picks up, you will find this book hard to put.
L.J. Sellers is very writer of this type of thriller. Enjoy!
January 13, 2020
My goodness. How on earth do books receive the reviews they do, on GoodReads? What an appalling piece of writing. And this is supposed to be among the front runners? Five star reviews all over the place? I don't even want to deign to spend time on this. Let me just quote examples of the writing talent from the book itself:
"Agent Jamie Dallas charged across the opening and dove behind a barricade."
"Dallas pulled in a deep breath and tried to remain calm, but adrenaline made her heart ring in her ears..."
"She nailed the assailants with three shots in row" [sic]
"Emma rolled her eyes, distorting her pretty face..."
"Her anger excited him, as it always did, but even if they had crazy-rage sex, as they often did, it wouldn't change anything."
"Randall filled with passion for their cause. 'Global climate change is out of control. You know that if we don't shut down the major polluters and vehicle emissions now, the planet will become uninhabitable and our species will die.' "
"When her hair was finally blow-dried, Dallas decided she liked it. Not as sexy, but less trustworthy."
Need I say more? What absolute unadulterated drivel. The promoters and supporters of this should be ashamed of themselves.
"Agent Jamie Dallas charged across the opening and dove behind a barricade."
"Dallas pulled in a deep breath and tried to remain calm, but adrenaline made her heart ring in her ears..."
"She nailed the assailants with three shots in row" [sic]
"Emma rolled her eyes, distorting her pretty face..."
"Her anger excited him, as it always did, but even if they had crazy-rage sex, as they often did, it wouldn't change anything."
"Randall filled with passion for their cause. 'Global climate change is out of control. You know that if we don't shut down the major polluters and vehicle emissions now, the planet will become uninhabitable and our species will die.' "
"When her hair was finally blow-dried, Dallas decided she liked it. Not as sexy, but less trustworthy."
Need I say more? What absolute unadulterated drivel. The promoters and supporters of this should be ashamed of themselves.
December 20, 2013
I won this book in a giveaway and I immensely enjoyed it.
I will admit the girl on the cover creeps me out a bit but I think that is the point. Even though I have not read any of the other Agent Dallas thrillers I had no problems understanding what was going on with the character. If any information was needed on Agent Dallas it was provided in a quick but efficient few sentence explanation.
With most mysteries I can usually figure out almost everything that is going on but this book had a few surprises for me and I was like "no way" a couple time which is always nice.
Obviously Agent Dallas has some growing to do and I hope that is portrayed a bit more in other books. It was nice to see human qualities to her though and not just some FBI agent who more like a machine.
The writing was smooth and easy to read. Always refreshing to read a book that does not have grammar, spelling, or word flow issues to distract me.
I look forward to reading more Agent Dallas books.
I will admit the girl on the cover creeps me out a bit but I think that is the point. Even though I have not read any of the other Agent Dallas thrillers I had no problems understanding what was going on with the character. If any information was needed on Agent Dallas it was provided in a quick but efficient few sentence explanation.
With most mysteries I can usually figure out almost everything that is going on but this book had a few surprises for me and I was like "no way" a couple time which is always nice.
Obviously Agent Dallas has some growing to do and I hope that is portrayed a bit more in other books. It was nice to see human qualities to her though and not just some FBI agent who more like a machine.
The writing was smooth and easy to read. Always refreshing to read a book that does not have grammar, spelling, or word flow issues to distract me.
I look forward to reading more Agent Dallas books.
September 11, 2013
My copy was an ARC I received from the publisher for an honest review.
It was my first book written by L.J.Sellers, so I can't quite compare it with her other works.
The Trigger is a fast paced, good written thriller with the female protagonist. The main character, Dallas, is an FBI agent sent to an undercover mission to rural town in California. She suffers from childhood trauma and she is with permanent contact with her shrink due to the abadonment issues. She lies, cheats, acts, flirting is in her DNA, as natural as breathing. She's straighforward and avoids serious relationships.
The autor also provides a nice background for the other characters.
The plot is good, even if a little predictable.
I'm sure that The Trigger will be the very interesting read for long winter evenings for the readers who love good thrillers.
It was my first book written by L.J.Sellers, so I can't quite compare it with her other works.
The Trigger is a fast paced, good written thriller with the female protagonist. The main character, Dallas, is an FBI agent sent to an undercover mission to rural town in California. She suffers from childhood trauma and she is with permanent contact with her shrink due to the abadonment issues. She lies, cheats, acts, flirting is in her DNA, as natural as breathing. She's straighforward and avoids serious relationships.
The autor also provides a nice background for the other characters.
The plot is good, even if a little predictable.
I'm sure that The Trigger will be the very interesting read for long winter evenings for the readers who love good thrillers.
October 24, 2013
A high rating at 4 stars but worth it. A slick fast paced thriller that keeps you entertained the whole way through. The fact this is short book confirms the fact that author has written story without all the padding you have to endure in some other novels. Jamie Dallas is an undercover FBI agent sent to try and discover the whereabouts of a women abducted from a "Prepper" community, and discovers a lot more than she was expecting. The Clayton brothers are preparing for civilisation's collapse or are they? I will be looking out for more of this authors work, very enjoyable.
March 15, 2015
Agent Dallas was introduced in the Detective Jackson series. I love the Detective Jackson series so I read this one. I didn't enjoy it as much as the Detective Jackson books but I think that is more that I prefer the police procedural books to undercover books. Jamie Dallas is a likeable character with issues that give greater depth and dimension to her character. It certainly has the suspense I love and is well written, as are all LJ Sellers books. It is definitely worth reading for Thriller lovers.
July 31, 2016
Terrific!
Anyone who digs thrillers about a hacker who nearly starts a war between Israel, Syria and Iran, doomsday preppers poised to take down the worldwide Internet and crazies in position to take down the world's financial system - with a horny and beautiful FBI thrown in for good measure - is going to love this well-crafted, compelling story. I couldn't put it down and finished it in one long day of reading that nonetheless went by in a flash. This book is the reason I read thri!lers! Joe Shea, Editor, The American Reporter
Anyone who digs thrillers about a hacker who nearly starts a war between Israel, Syria and Iran, doomsday preppers poised to take down the worldwide Internet and crazies in position to take down the world's financial system - with a horny and beautiful FBI thrown in for good measure - is going to love this well-crafted, compelling story. I couldn't put it down and finished it in one long day of reading that nonetheless went by in a flash. This book is the reason I read thri!lers! Joe Shea, Editor, The American Reporter
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