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Patrick Evans #1
Casualties
From retired CIA Officer Tom DeGeorge comes this breakneck thriller about revenge, misdirection, and betrayal.
HE HAS FORTY DAYS TO KILL... OR BE KILLED.When Patrick Evans finds his asset (and friend) tortured to death in a Frankfurt basement, everything changes. Obsessed with revenge and haunted by guilt, Pat leaves CIA to track down the killer Pat’s pursuit is relentless and often reckless – only his mentor’s advice and his growing bond with a former colleague are keeping Pat alive. For now. As he closes in on his target, he uncovers a far larger threat, and he must choose between personal redemption, his enduring loyalty to CIA, and the lives of innocents. Come along on a deadly quest across three continents, and experience the limits (and reach) of CIA, MI6, and a determined professional...Don't miss this breakneck debut novel that weaves authentic Agency tradecraft and culture into an action thriller perfect for the fans of Mark Greaney and Lee Child. Grab your copy today!
HE HAS FORTY DAYS TO KILL... OR BE KILLED.When Patrick Evans finds his asset (and friend) tortured to death in a Frankfurt basement, everything changes. Obsessed with revenge and haunted by guilt, Pat leaves CIA to track down the killer Pat’s pursuit is relentless and often reckless – only his mentor’s advice and his growing bond with a former colleague are keeping Pat alive. For now. As he closes in on his target, he uncovers a far larger threat, and he must choose between personal redemption, his enduring loyalty to CIA, and the lives of innocents. Come along on a deadly quest across three continents, and experience the limits (and reach) of CIA, MI6, and a determined professional...Don't miss this breakneck debut novel that weaves authentic Agency tradecraft and culture into an action thriller perfect for the fans of Mark Greaney and Lee Child. Grab your copy today!
334 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 24, 2023
383 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Tom DeGeorge
8 books5 followersTom is a former CIA Officer, retired from the Directorate of Digital Innovation (DDI). That's as deep as he'll go on a resume. Or here. He writes spy thrillers out of respect and envy for Case Officers, and everyone else in the DO (Directorate of Operations). The DO are the fighter pilots of the CIA: “I was Air Force, but I wasn’t a fighter pilot.”
He lives in an old fishing village in coastal North Carolina: "I sleep late, I fly, I write; I have a big dog and a small house. I'm a decent cook and a lousy gardener. And Tom DeGeorge is my true name. I miss the people, the work, and the atmosphere at CIA. No one I know misses the stress, frustration, and the long line at the OHB Starbucks."
He lives in an old fishing village in coastal North Carolina: "I sleep late, I fly, I write; I have a big dog and a small house. I'm a decent cook and a lousy gardener. And Tom DeGeorge is my true name. I miss the people, the work, and the atmosphere at CIA. No one I know misses the stress, frustration, and the long line at the OHB Starbucks."
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 20, 2026
Recently, I had the opportunity to knock another book off the TBR list. Some time ago, a member of the Military Thrillers Book Group had mentioned that they had read Casualties by Tom Degeorge. And I thought that I would give it a go (unfortunately, other books come along and the TBR continues to grow). This book was released in October 2023, and is so far, the first of three books (with Bad Chemistry and Dead Spy Talking being the other two books in the series).
The plot of this book is that a former CIA agent has taken it upon himself to avenge the brutal torture of one of his assets (who he thought had been killed by a terrorist with the nom-de-guerre of Quasim) in a Frankfurt apartment.
The mission of revenge drives agent Patrick Evans to resign from the CIA and, powered by guilt and an overwhelming obsession for vengeance, to travel to Thailand in his quest for information. This trek proved fruitless as the quarry, Quasim, is found killed on the lawn of a khlong situated next to a river in Bangkok (having been already assassinated by a member of MI6).
As our protagonist, Pat Evans, closes in on his target, he uncovers a high-stakes conspiracy much larger than a single murder (no matter how gruesome it was).
I would highly recommend this book (and subsequently the author) as the author manages to portray the protagonist as a vulnerable individual with a relentless pursuit for "justice" rather than an invincible "super soldier" (who can do no wrong). Unlike many spy novels, this novel emphasizes the authentic culture and methods of the CIA and also exemplifies the gritty and ambiguous nature of espionage.
On my self-appointed five-star scale, I would give this book a definite four stars.
As with all my literary ramblings, this is just my five cents' worth.
The plot of this book is that a former CIA agent has taken it upon himself to avenge the brutal torture of one of his assets (who he thought had been killed by a terrorist with the nom-de-guerre of Quasim) in a Frankfurt apartment.
The mission of revenge drives agent Patrick Evans to resign from the CIA and, powered by guilt and an overwhelming obsession for vengeance, to travel to Thailand in his quest for information. This trek proved fruitless as the quarry, Quasim, is found killed on the lawn of a khlong situated next to a river in Bangkok (having been already assassinated by a member of MI6).
As our protagonist, Pat Evans, closes in on his target, he uncovers a high-stakes conspiracy much larger than a single murder (no matter how gruesome it was).
I would highly recommend this book (and subsequently the author) as the author manages to portray the protagonist as a vulnerable individual with a relentless pursuit for "justice" rather than an invincible "super soldier" (who can do no wrong). Unlike many spy novels, this novel emphasizes the authentic culture and methods of the CIA and also exemplifies the gritty and ambiguous nature of espionage.
On my self-appointed five-star scale, I would give this book a definite four stars.
As with all my literary ramblings, this is just my five cents' worth.
November 5, 2023
Truly a great beginning to a series. If you like Jack Reacher or Jason Bourne, buy the book. If you like George Smiley, also buy the book. If you read Thrillers or Spy Fiction and you don’t buy the book, at some point, years from now, you will find a Patrick Evans novel on a vacation rental bookshelf. You will open it and three days later, you’ll be on Amazon buying Casualties. Saving yourself the trouble and give yourself the pleasure of being an early adopter of Tom De George. Dude can write sentences. Patrick Evans has the trained eye of a spy. He sees the gestalt, everything at once. Since you are seeing the scene through his eye, De George constantly gives the perfect detail about a character’s appearance or body language or the setting. Don’t worry, he doesn’t allow how adroit he is with the language to get in the way the tale he’s telling.
Evans’ world is populated by an extremely diverse amalgam of people. It’s the 21st Century and a person’s cultural/ethnic background no longer tells you where they were born. In Evan’s world you can’t tell the good guys from the bad guys based on country of origin. The world of international espionage is the ultimate morally ambiguous endeavor. Patrick Evans has been at the fight long enough to understand you have to stand for something. How you take that stand will likely be judged quite differently by others, even those whose flag you seek to protect.
I have read all Le Carre and Mark Dawson. I have read Lee Child, but has anybody read all his work? Heck, I read all of Graham Greene, most twice. Casualties has all the plot twists, shocking discoveries, grand locations, lightning quick reflexes, and resolute effort. The driving pace is there for your enjoyment. But what I think sets De George apart is the humanity of all his characters. Good or bad, inside or outside the law, each person is swept up in extraordinary circumstance, but he finds just the perfect detail, so you realize when that fool just gets his brains splattered against the glass and as the reader, you’re not sorry, besides being a jerk, he drew breath as a fellow human.
No spoiler alert, before page three, I knew I will read every Patrick Evans novel. He’s a trained and experienced agent for the CIA. Before I even knew the name or occupation of the narrator. He admits to the reader if you scare him, make him afraid, likely as not he will just kill you and figure it out afterwards. That seems fair to me. So warning, don’t frighten Patrick Evans.
Evans’ world is populated by an extremely diverse amalgam of people. It’s the 21st Century and a person’s cultural/ethnic background no longer tells you where they were born. In Evan’s world you can’t tell the good guys from the bad guys based on country of origin. The world of international espionage is the ultimate morally ambiguous endeavor. Patrick Evans has been at the fight long enough to understand you have to stand for something. How you take that stand will likely be judged quite differently by others, even those whose flag you seek to protect.
I have read all Le Carre and Mark Dawson. I have read Lee Child, but has anybody read all his work? Heck, I read all of Graham Greene, most twice. Casualties has all the plot twists, shocking discoveries, grand locations, lightning quick reflexes, and resolute effort. The driving pace is there for your enjoyment. But what I think sets De George apart is the humanity of all his characters. Good or bad, inside or outside the law, each person is swept up in extraordinary circumstance, but he finds just the perfect detail, so you realize when that fool just gets his brains splattered against the glass and as the reader, you’re not sorry, besides being a jerk, he drew breath as a fellow human.
No spoiler alert, before page three, I knew I will read every Patrick Evans novel. He’s a trained and experienced agent for the CIA. Before I even knew the name or occupation of the narrator. He admits to the reader if you scare him, make him afraid, likely as not he will just kill you and figure it out afterwards. That seems fair to me. So warning, don’t frighten Patrick Evans.
November 9, 2023
A Great Read!
I hated to finish this book, I was so immersed in the characters and the plot. The exceptional description made me feel like I was actually there watching the story unfold. Excellent plot with unexpected twists…..highly recommend this book!
I hated to finish this book, I was so immersed in the characters and the plot. The exceptional description made me feel like I was actually there watching the story unfold. Excellent plot with unexpected twists…..highly recommend this book!
November 21, 2023
This book caught me by surprise with how good it is
Amazon recommended this book to me, and boy am I glad they did. This book has the same authenticity and grit that can only come from working in the CIA’s Clandestine Service. I’m very much looking forward to the next Patrick Evans book.
Amazon recommended this book to me, and boy am I glad they did. This book has the same authenticity and grit that can only come from working in the CIA’s Clandestine Service. I’m very much looking forward to the next Patrick Evans book.
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January 28, 2026Nice debut
The writing was at times a little clumsy, not unexpected for a first novel. Overall the plot was well devised, characters well developed and left me wanting to get to know what Mr Dempsey will be getting into next.
The writing was at times a little clumsy, not unexpected for a first novel. Overall the plot was well devised, characters well developed and left me wanting to get to know what Mr Dempsey will be getting into next.
March 31, 2026
This is a hard one to review. I almost ditched the book about 1/4 of the way into it because it was sooooo slow and jumbled. Glad I hung in there though. Ended up being a pretty good read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews