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Dewey Andreas #5
Independence Day
Dewey Andreas is back...and the clock is ticking!
Cloud, a high-level Russian hacker, perhaps the best in the world, has acquired a nuclear weapon. It's an older bomb from the USSR's Cold War arsenal with the power to devastate a major city. Fueled by a dark and personal vendetta, Cloud has put it onto an anonymous trawler, piloted by jihadists, headed straight to America.
Dewey Andreas, former Delta working as an agent for the C.I.A., is still drowning in grief after the tragic murder of his fiancée. Dewey has lost his focus, his edge, and the confidence of his superiors.
Learning of the missing loose nuke and picking up chatter about an impending terrorist attack on American shores, the best and most talented C.I.A. agents are now chasing both Cloud and the bomb. Acting on credible intel, two highly trained teams are sent into Russia in a two-pronged mission to grab Cloud. But it's a trap, and now America's last hope of stopping the bomb is an unofficial agent gone rogue-Dewey Andreas.
With only three days left, Dewey Andreas must find the elusive Cloud. To do so, Dewey will risk everything to find the most dangerous and skilled enemy he's yet faced. For if he fails, American will suffer its most deadly terrorist attack on the Fourth of July-Independence Day.
Cloud, a high-level Russian hacker, perhaps the best in the world, has acquired a nuclear weapon. It's an older bomb from the USSR's Cold War arsenal with the power to devastate a major city. Fueled by a dark and personal vendetta, Cloud has put it onto an anonymous trawler, piloted by jihadists, headed straight to America.
Dewey Andreas, former Delta working as an agent for the C.I.A., is still drowning in grief after the tragic murder of his fiancée. Dewey has lost his focus, his edge, and the confidence of his superiors.
Learning of the missing loose nuke and picking up chatter about an impending terrorist attack on American shores, the best and most talented C.I.A. agents are now chasing both Cloud and the bomb. Acting on credible intel, two highly trained teams are sent into Russia in a two-pronged mission to grab Cloud. But it's a trap, and now America's last hope of stopping the bomb is an unofficial agent gone rogue-Dewey Andreas.
With only three days left, Dewey Andreas must find the elusive Cloud. To do so, Dewey will risk everything to find the most dangerous and skilled enemy he's yet faced. For if he fails, American will suffer its most deadly terrorist attack on the Fourth of July-Independence Day.
513 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 26, 2015
481 people are currently reading
2004 people want to read
About the author
Ben Coes
35 books1,791 followersHi and thanks for visiting my Goodreads profile!
I'm a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of international political and espionage thrillers. Nine of these books are part of a series featuring Dewey Andreas, including:
Power Down #1
Coup D'Etat #2
The Last Refuge #3
Eye for an Eye #4
Independence Day #5
Trap the Devil #6
First Strike #7
Bloody Sunday #8
The Russian is the first book in a new spin-off series about the Russian Mafia, starring Rob Tacoma.
My next book The Island comes out this summer and is available for pre-order.
All of my books are based on current events and are strongly influenced by friends who are or were in the military, law enforcement, and intelligence circles.
I went to Columbia College and was awarded the university's highest writing award, the Bennett Cerf Memorial Prize for Fiction. I was a White House Intern under Ronald Reagan and served as a White House-appointed speechwriter to the U.S. Secretary of Energy during the Gulf War. I was a Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
I lives in Massachusetts with my wife and children.
I hope you'll visit my website and sign-up for my newsletter: https://bencoes.com
Thanks for being a reader!!
I'm a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of international political and espionage thrillers. Nine of these books are part of a series featuring Dewey Andreas, including:
Power Down #1
Coup D'Etat #2
The Last Refuge #3
Eye for an Eye #4
Independence Day #5
Trap the Devil #6
First Strike #7
Bloody Sunday #8
The Russian is the first book in a new spin-off series about the Russian Mafia, starring Rob Tacoma.
My next book The Island comes out this summer and is available for pre-order.
All of my books are based on current events and are strongly influenced by friends who are or were in the military, law enforcement, and intelligence circles.
I went to Columbia College and was awarded the university's highest writing award, the Bennett Cerf Memorial Prize for Fiction. I was a White House Intern under Ronald Reagan and served as a White House-appointed speechwriter to the U.S. Secretary of Energy during the Gulf War. I was a Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
I lives in Massachusetts with my wife and children.
I hope you'll visit my website and sign-up for my newsletter: https://bencoes.com
Thanks for being a reader!!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 317 reviews
May 26, 2015
I’ve read enough action hero/CIA/anti-terrorism novels now to fill a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf and frankly, it’s getting hard for me to work up much enthusiasm for them anymore. After all how many times can one person consistently be the guy or gal in the right place at the right time to save millions of people by defusing a bomb from some genius nutcase with an axe to grind against the good ol’ USA? It’s been done over and over, and given the times we live in I feel confident in my opinion that this genre is destined to remain a crowded one with new books hitting the bookstores every week.
So for those of us who enjoy this kind of novel when it’s done well, we must sort the wheat from the chaff. For me, I never think twice about turning to Ben Coes. With this fifth book in the Dewey Andreas series he is not content to merely repeat previous successes. The author has, once again, cleverly developed a plot that is both realistic, exciting, and absolutely on the cutting edge of technological possibility. It reads like a block buster movie with all of the build-up and action you could want. Not endless car chases or heroes shooting down helicopters with a bow and arrow, but genuine, realistic action.
That’s great but what really makes this author’s work stand out above the rest are the characters. In this fifth novel, Dewey Andreas is a broken soul. He has been through some horrendous personal tragedy in previous novels, and now he (and the reader) is not sure where he is headed. Fortunately he is part of a larger team and it is these supporting characters that make these books fly. This story is not a case of a single guy “seeing the big picture” ala the TV show 24 and that single guy being the one who, somehow, is at all of the critical points along the way, stopping the bad guy from succeeding in his diabolical scheme. And I will add the fact that the bad guy in this one is as good as the best (worst) of any of the James Bond baddies of yesteryear.
I hope these books keep coming. I won't be looking for them on the Man Booker Prize list but for a book that you might actually enjoy reading, you can't go wrong with these. Never a dull moment.
So for those of us who enjoy this kind of novel when it’s done well, we must sort the wheat from the chaff. For me, I never think twice about turning to Ben Coes. With this fifth book in the Dewey Andreas series he is not content to merely repeat previous successes. The author has, once again, cleverly developed a plot that is both realistic, exciting, and absolutely on the cutting edge of technological possibility. It reads like a block buster movie with all of the build-up and action you could want. Not endless car chases or heroes shooting down helicopters with a bow and arrow, but genuine, realistic action.
That’s great but what really makes this author’s work stand out above the rest are the characters. In this fifth novel, Dewey Andreas is a broken soul. He has been through some horrendous personal tragedy in previous novels, and now he (and the reader) is not sure where he is headed. Fortunately he is part of a larger team and it is these supporting characters that make these books fly. This story is not a case of a single guy “seeing the big picture” ala the TV show 24 and that single guy being the one who, somehow, is at all of the critical points along the way, stopping the bad guy from succeeding in his diabolical scheme. And I will add the fact that the bad guy in this one is as good as the best (worst) of any of the James Bond baddies of yesteryear.
I hope these books keep coming. I won't be looking for them on the Man Booker Prize list but for a book that you might actually enjoy reading, you can't go wrong with these. Never a dull moment.
August 5, 2016
Not a bad book. It is however the weakest (in my opinion) in this series. I have so far liked the Dewey Andreas series. That said, this one was a little, disappointing for a while.
See, Dewey has been through some hard time and great pain...and loss. He hasn't dealt with it as well as he might have. Beside that there are "those in places of power" who'd like to see Dewey removed from his present "position".
The first part of this is frankly a little slow and angsty, especially for an entry in an action thriller series.
However once we get into the story and facing the threat things pick up and while Dewey really never seems like the Dewey we've seen in the earlier novels it does come together. I know what Mr. Coes is doing here, in trying to show the changes Dewey has gone through due to his struggle with PTSD. However I just didn't think it worked very well.
So I go 3 stars but will most likely try the next.
See, Dewey has been through some hard time and great pain...and loss. He hasn't dealt with it as well as he might have. Beside that there are "those in places of power" who'd like to see Dewey removed from his present "position".
The first part of this is frankly a little slow and angsty, especially for an entry in an action thriller series.
However once we get into the story and facing the threat things pick up and while Dewey really never seems like the Dewey we've seen in the earlier novels it does come together. I know what Mr. Coes is doing here, in trying to show the changes Dewey has gone through due to his struggle with PTSD. However I just didn't think it worked very well.
So I go 3 stars but will most likely try the next.
August 1, 2015
I love Ben Coes. He is one of my top 5 favorite authors in crime/thriller/suspense genres. This book would make a great movie. So because of that, this is easily 5 stars for me. Plus, I love the MC. Dewey is great.
I loved the story line in this book. I devoured every page. There were some great turns that kept it moving at a good pace, too.
I loved the story line in this book. I devoured every page. There were some great turns that kept it moving at a good pace, too.
June 21, 2015
While other countries and terrorists have become the focal point of thriller novels in the last few years, Russia, the Cold War and the fear of nuclear weapons falling into the wrong hands will never go out of favor as a focal point for the powerful impact. Pocket nukes, small highly transportable bombs with a huge kill zone are especially worrisome and scary. Throw in the recent rise of Putin Russia and the signs all point to a revival of the US - Russia conflict in books. But terrorism, with its usual loss of life and diabolical villains is still going to be a good source of plots for decades to come.
While a tad long compared to "Radiant Angel" by Nelson DeMille, reviewed here, another book that just came out which covers a similar situation, Ben Coes "Independence Day" is a terrific read that I barreled through like a dragster at Raceway Park. This book has it all: terrific action, gun fights, car chases, motorcycles, helipcopters, bad guys with guns, nukes, hackers, terrorists, Chechens, the CIA, Delta, murder and destruction. A brilliant Russian hacker, who saw his scientist father murdered in front of his eyes by agents of the US, has contacted a plot to kill millions of Americans with a stolen Russian pocket nuke. Can Amercia stop him in time? It will be touch and go, as Coes throws out all the usual action thriller tropes, but in a highly enjoyable fashion, that keeps the reader locked in.
Anchoring the story is Dewey Andreas, a man coping with the death of another loved one (yes another standard plot point in thriller fiction) who is trying to deal with his grief by saving the USA yet again. Put out to pasture by psychological tests and some kind of dirty plot (that is never really explained or finished), Andreas goes lone wolf to try to stop an anticipated attack on the USA. He will travel to Russia on his own and off the sanctioned radar and soon enough he will be the only one who can capture a person who can help the US stop the plan. Wounded, he will leave a trail of dead agents in his wake as he strives to get to the mastermind in time.
But he will not be the only one working to stop the terrorists. The US will get a white hat hacker to thwart the black hat hacker at home and Andreas will join up with a Russian mobster in the penultimate action sequence in the novel. Other smart agents will step in as well. It will not be only Andreas doing it all on his own. US intelligence will make serious inroads in trying to stop the terrorists. The final scene will not even involve Andreas.
Coming in at a little over 500 pages, the book reads very fast. Its the kind of book that you read until you have eye strain, go to sleep and read until your done kind of book that fans of Ben Coes have come to expect.
Loved it.
While a tad long compared to "Radiant Angel" by Nelson DeMille, reviewed here, another book that just came out which covers a similar situation, Ben Coes "Independence Day" is a terrific read that I barreled through like a dragster at Raceway Park. This book has it all: terrific action, gun fights, car chases, motorcycles, helipcopters, bad guys with guns, nukes, hackers, terrorists, Chechens, the CIA, Delta, murder and destruction. A brilliant Russian hacker, who saw his scientist father murdered in front of his eyes by agents of the US, has contacted a plot to kill millions of Americans with a stolen Russian pocket nuke. Can Amercia stop him in time? It will be touch and go, as Coes throws out all the usual action thriller tropes, but in a highly enjoyable fashion, that keeps the reader locked in.
Anchoring the story is Dewey Andreas, a man coping with the death of another loved one (yes another standard plot point in thriller fiction) who is trying to deal with his grief by saving the USA yet again. Put out to pasture by psychological tests and some kind of dirty plot (that is never really explained or finished), Andreas goes lone wolf to try to stop an anticipated attack on the USA. He will travel to Russia on his own and off the sanctioned radar and soon enough he will be the only one who can capture a person who can help the US stop the plan. Wounded, he will leave a trail of dead agents in his wake as he strives to get to the mastermind in time.
But he will not be the only one working to stop the terrorists. The US will get a white hat hacker to thwart the black hat hacker at home and Andreas will join up with a Russian mobster in the penultimate action sequence in the novel. Other smart agents will step in as well. It will not be only Andreas doing it all on his own. US intelligence will make serious inroads in trying to stop the terrorists. The final scene will not even involve Andreas.
Coming in at a little over 500 pages, the book reads very fast. Its the kind of book that you read until you have eye strain, go to sleep and read until your done kind of book that fans of Ben Coes have come to expect.
Loved it.
July 21, 2016
Dewey Andreas in superhero mode. This is a fascinating read, especially for the Action/Adventure Aficionados and Orion groups. After the loss of his wife, Coes' protagonist eventually returns to no-fear, no-doubt mode, but not before blowing one test situation in Mexico and then beginning his redemption by--what else--defeating a UFC champ.
Thoroughly engaging....
Thoroughly engaging....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2023
5 Stars. Another great Dewey book. Coes knocked this one out of the park. It was impossible to believe in all the right places. It touched just about every base, full throttle, beginning to end. It seems like each one is better than the one before. Bring on the next one.
September 12, 2015
Coes returns with another high-impact thriller sure to grab the reader by the collar. When a Soviet-era nuclear weapon is moved out of Ukraine, American Intelligence agencies are on high alert, as this is one of the 'blackmarket' weapons never officially accounted for after the Cold War. Intercepted chatter leads some of believe that an attack within America is set for July 4th, dubbed "9-12", but few other details can be ascertained. As the CIA looks to intercept the bomb before it reaches US soil, Dewey Andreas is the choice to fulfil the mission. However, Andreas continues to struggle with the murder of his girlfriend and is sent to an Agency facility to handle his PTSD. While he has demons to wrestle, Andreas chooses to remain busy and heads to Russia to track down the suspected terrorist behind the weapon attack. As a Russian computer hacker, codenamed Cloud, continues to put his attack plan in motion, Andreas must determine how the weapon will make its way into the country and ensure it is disabled before the Fourth of July goes down in infamy around the United States. Pulling on heart strings, Andreas does all he can, while a ship steams towards the Coast. With action on multiple continents, Coes successfully weaves a wonderful thriller, complete with political drama and action to entice the reader to forge ahead.
Coes has carved a wonderful niche for himself in a busy genre, separating himself from the rest with his suspense-filled stories and chapters jammed with action. Not only can Coes tell a story with his wonderful writing style, he uses great characters to move the story along and plot-lines pulled from the headlines. Readers new to the series will be able to use this novel to pull them into wanting to devour the entire series and wait (im)patiently for the next book's release. Coes is a master at his craft and brings Dewey Andreas to life, while putting him in countless harrowing situations.
Kudos, Mr. Coes for another wonderful novel. I cannot wait for your next instalment in the Andreas saga, sure to impress readers yet again.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Coes has carved a wonderful niche for himself in a busy genre, separating himself from the rest with his suspense-filled stories and chapters jammed with action. Not only can Coes tell a story with his wonderful writing style, he uses great characters to move the story along and plot-lines pulled from the headlines. Readers new to the series will be able to use this novel to pull them into wanting to devour the entire series and wait (im)patiently for the next book's release. Coes is a master at his craft and brings Dewey Andreas to life, while putting him in countless harrowing situations.
Kudos, Mr. Coes for another wonderful novel. I cannot wait for your next instalment in the Andreas saga, sure to impress readers yet again.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
June 24, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ben Coes does it again.
Independence Day is a fast, hard-hitting thriller that feels ripped from tomorrow’s headlines. Dewey Andreas is a total force of nature — smart, lethal, and impossible to stop. The Russian cyber-terror threat in this one felt especially real, and Coes blends tactical action with global stakes like a pro. If you love Vince Flynn or Jack Carr, Coes belongs on your shelf. One of my favorite authors — and this is one of his best.
Ben Coes does it again.
Independence Day is a fast, hard-hitting thriller that feels ripped from tomorrow’s headlines. Dewey Andreas is a total force of nature — smart, lethal, and impossible to stop. The Russian cyber-terror threat in this one felt especially real, and Coes blends tactical action with global stakes like a pro. If you love Vince Flynn or Jack Carr, Coes belongs on your shelf. One of my favorite authors — and this is one of his best.
December 14, 2021
OMG! I mean WTF is with all the acronyms? LOL ! Lots of moments where I was shaking my head: Really? Is that even possible? It is escapist fiction, and I am definitely going to read the next book(s).
There was a dizzying amount of computer jargon which just made me feel even more illiterate than I already am. I should probably take a computer course, perhaps spy technology for dummies. I just read an interview with the late Christopher Hitchens in which he describes how vapid and dishonest the media is. No argument there, or with Coe's similar assessment.
There was a dizzying amount of computer jargon which just made me feel even more illiterate than I already am. I should probably take a computer course, perhaps spy technology for dummies. I just read an interview with the late Christopher Hitchens in which he describes how vapid and dishonest the media is. No argument there, or with Coe's similar assessment.
July 14, 2015
[authorimage:Ben Coes|409546Within the past 6 months I have read three spy thrillers; different authors, all sequel novels, all have a bad-ass protagonist, and all three had the same plot. Yep, Mitch Rapp (which I love), John Wells (which is pretty good) and Dewey Andreas (our stud-muffin in this novel), all are trying to covertly stop nuclear bomb(s) from being blown up in the U.S. The only difference in these 3 novels are the methods in being caught and technology being used.
It seems to me, that this author could have been more, what do I want to say, creative?? Come On!! We waited how long for this sequel? Told it was to be absolutely blockbusting. And what did I read? Seems to me a "day-old" plot put in some fancy candy wrapper. Ben you could have done much better.
January 30, 2023
4/5 Stars
Not my most favorite of the series. After the events of Eye for an Eye, this had the potential to be an awful novel. The author starts down that path with Dewey acting in very non-Dewey ways. But about halfway through, Dewey seems to snap out of it and acting in the same bad-a$# way that I've come to love. The ending is quite exciting and great lead in to the next one, First Strike
Not my most favorite of the series. After the events of Eye for an Eye, this had the potential to be an awful novel. The author starts down that path with Dewey acting in very non-Dewey ways. But about halfway through, Dewey seems to snap out of it and acting in the same bad-a$# way that I've come to love. The ending is quite exciting and great lead in to the next one, First Strike
January 6, 2016
Even with the lives saved, I find the body count excessive, save when the bad guys get what they deserve. Alcohol is not an answer for problems. 7 of 10 stars
July 3, 2024
Book Review - Independence Day - Ben Coes
My annual Fourth of July weekend read, “Independence Day” by author Ben Coes does not disappoint. It is a familiar tale of jihadists on a mission to explode a nuclear bomb on American soil that would rival the devastation of 9/11. The downside of being a fan of this genre is repeatedly reading some variation of this plot. Despite it's lack of originality, I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish. We see a slightly different, vulnerable Dewey Andreas on the surface as he's still very much grieving the tragic loss of his fiancé. But it is evident that he's still the same fearless avenger at his core. Ben Coes has a knack for taking the time to set the stage and build the tension while slowly reeling the reader in and then suddenly without any warning you find yourself on a wild ride with Dewey Andreas at the wheel going a hundred miles per hour and there's no road map nor traffic signs along the way. It's really quite exhilarating. Coes is also a master at mercilessly putting his hero through the ringer. At times, it seems that Dewey survives and thrives just from the sheer force of will. He is at his best when his back is against the wall with nothing to rely on except pure instinct and the skills that were undoubtedly ingrained in him during his military training. Independence Day is thrilling and loaded with action. Dewey is his usual ‘bull in a china shop’, take no prisoners badass. He does, for the first time in this series, take a back seat in parts of the story and occasionally gets lost in the flow of the story from time to time. He contributes as only Dewey can with edge of your seat heroics interspersed throughout the pulsating tale especially as the action reaches the pinnacle at book’s end. The overall storyline does not disappoint and the reader is rewarded with the ‘slam bang finish’ expected from the Ben Coes’ books. Check out any of the Dewey Andreas books, again you won’t be disappointed.
My annual Fourth of July weekend read, “Independence Day” by author Ben Coes does not disappoint. It is a familiar tale of jihadists on a mission to explode a nuclear bomb on American soil that would rival the devastation of 9/11. The downside of being a fan of this genre is repeatedly reading some variation of this plot. Despite it's lack of originality, I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish. We see a slightly different, vulnerable Dewey Andreas on the surface as he's still very much grieving the tragic loss of his fiancé. But it is evident that he's still the same fearless avenger at his core. Ben Coes has a knack for taking the time to set the stage and build the tension while slowly reeling the reader in and then suddenly without any warning you find yourself on a wild ride with Dewey Andreas at the wheel going a hundred miles per hour and there's no road map nor traffic signs along the way. It's really quite exhilarating. Coes is also a master at mercilessly putting his hero through the ringer. At times, it seems that Dewey survives and thrives just from the sheer force of will. He is at his best when his back is against the wall with nothing to rely on except pure instinct and the skills that were undoubtedly ingrained in him during his military training. Independence Day is thrilling and loaded with action. Dewey is his usual ‘bull in a china shop’, take no prisoners badass. He does, for the first time in this series, take a back seat in parts of the story and occasionally gets lost in the flow of the story from time to time. He contributes as only Dewey can with edge of your seat heroics interspersed throughout the pulsating tale especially as the action reaches the pinnacle at book’s end. The overall storyline does not disappoint and the reader is rewarded with the ‘slam bang finish’ expected from the Ben Coes’ books. Check out any of the Dewey Andreas books, again you won’t be disappointed.
July 21, 2015
This was novel number 5 by Ben Coes with Dewey Andreas as his lead character. I have enjoyed all of Ben Coes books and was looking forward to release of his fifth book. Dewey was America's most elite soldier in Delta force and was recovering from recent events that dealt death to his wife and son. Calibrisi, the head of the CIA learned that a mysterious man name Cloud had obtained an atomic weapon and was planning to detonate it in the United States. Dewey was asked to assist in the tracking down of this would be terrorist. This was a difficult assignment as Clouds location and identity was not known to anyone. In the trail for Cloud, Dewey learned that a famous Russian ballerina was in fact Cloud's girlfriend. As the plot developed Cloud had boarded the bomb onto a ship that was headed out of the Mediterranean to cross the Atlantic for the United States. In the meantime an american scientist had discovered that the Russian's had developed a method to divide an atomic warhead into two equally devastating weapons. The effort to find Cloud who knew where the ship was going fell upon Dewey. This task and the coordinated effort of the CIA and Dewey's friend Tacoma in the United States brought the reader to the edge of his seat. The fact that it was learned only recently that Cloud had divided the weapon into two weapons and the location of neither was known confounded the plot. The story was very well written and is well worth the read. This was, I believe Ben Coes best novel.
May 15, 2016
Dewey Andreas, who has appeared four times in the previous books in this series, now is a tired facsimile of himself in the wake of the murder of his fiancée. His superiors in the CIA have lost confidence him and want to sideline him in a facility where he can rest and the shrinks can rehabilitate him to his customary superhero status. But he isn’t buying the diagnosis and when he is passed over for an assignment in Moscow he takes matters into his own hands. And his adventures follow, in this novel of computer hacking, terrorism, atomic bombs and other assorted plot lines.
Essentially, the novel recounts an evil deed which lies at the heart of a planned explosion of an atomic bomb in the United States. A five-year-old witnesses the murder of his parents by a CIA agent seeking a valuable formula developed by his scientist father. The son grows up to be a computer genius hacking his way to millions of stolen money and obtaining control of an atomic bomb which he plans to use to gain revenge for the loss of his parents. And Dewey, off the books, to the rescue.
The story is really exciting, filled with gobs of information on the use of computers and how they can be used for both good and evil purposes. It is a well-constructed and -plotted novel recounting efforts to prevent the bomb from exploding somewhere in the nation on the Fourth of July. How’s that for unusual fireworks?
Recommended.
Essentially, the novel recounts an evil deed which lies at the heart of a planned explosion of an atomic bomb in the United States. A five-year-old witnesses the murder of his parents by a CIA agent seeking a valuable formula developed by his scientist father. The son grows up to be a computer genius hacking his way to millions of stolen money and obtaining control of an atomic bomb which he plans to use to gain revenge for the loss of his parents. And Dewey, off the books, to the rescue.
The story is really exciting, filled with gobs of information on the use of computers and how they can be used for both good and evil purposes. It is a well-constructed and -plotted novel recounting efforts to prevent the bomb from exploding somewhere in the nation on the Fourth of July. How’s that for unusual fireworks?
Recommended.
April 19, 2015
Dewey Andreas is a wounded man. Not physically(at least for the moment), but his psyche which keeps him off a new assignment, a threat to the country.
News over terrorist hotlines spoke of something designated 9/12. And a Russian nuclear device has gone missing. One lost in the break-up of Soviet Russia years back into smaller countries, eyes had been on it(one of five) until recently. Now it was loose, put into play by a computer hacker known only as Cloud. No one knew who he really was or why he was doing whatever.
Dewey knew he wasn't right. But he also knew he couldn't stand on the sidelines while America was threatened.
So he puts himself into the play.And a good thing he did.
Author Ben Coes knows how to write a smashing thriller. Unrelenting and clean prose, I sped through the five hundred pages in a day and a half, loving every page. Never a falter along the way.
Highly recommended.
News over terrorist hotlines spoke of something designated 9/12. And a Russian nuclear device has gone missing. One lost in the break-up of Soviet Russia years back into smaller countries, eyes had been on it(one of five) until recently. Now it was loose, put into play by a computer hacker known only as Cloud. No one knew who he really was or why he was doing whatever.
Dewey knew he wasn't right. But he also knew he couldn't stand on the sidelines while America was threatened.
So he puts himself into the play.And a good thing he did.
Author Ben Coes knows how to write a smashing thriller. Unrelenting and clean prose, I sped through the five hundred pages in a day and a half, loving every page. Never a falter along the way.
Highly recommended.
June 18, 2017
I wasn't sure how Dewey would be in this book due to his loss on the last one. All things considered he was doing pretty good. I loved the race, loved how Dewey's nephew surprised him and how Dewey was gracious to his niece.
I hate how everyone keeps pulling Dewey back in, why can't they let him just live. It didn't help that at first Dewey kept getting flashbacks and couldn't act. It was only when Dewey was forced to act that he could. Towards the end I felt like Dewey went just a little too far, getting lost a bit in the mission. I also thought it was great that someone other than Dewey was able to save the day.
I hate how everyone keeps pulling Dewey back in, why can't they let him just live. It didn't help that at first Dewey kept getting flashbacks and couldn't act. It was only when Dewey was forced to act that he could. Towards the end I felt like Dewey went just a little too far, getting lost a bit in the mission. I also thought it was great that someone other than Dewey was able to save the day.
August 18, 2015
Wow! Kudos, Ben! This author is in the same pact as dearly loved yet departed Tom Clancy and Vince Flynn; the mantle for excellent research and jarring espionage is passed to Ben Coes. Political thrillers don't get any better than this......right up to the very ending! Dewey Andreas is the bomb! What a roller coaster ride of thrills and chills!
August 7, 2017
This book had me on edge from beginning to end. A thriller ! Dewey is just like a normal person and not always the center of attention. He is not perfect and not a James Bond-type of "eraser" but the whole package of who he is, how he deals with issues from book #4 is so real. I immediately ordered the next book in the series. Can't wait. Hoping that it will be as exciting as this one was.
November 25, 2019
This was another solid, high stakes thriller from Ben Coes. I think this one was my favorite Dewey Andreas book to date. I highly recommend!
April 8, 2023
This is a great book and it will keep you on the edge your seat from start to finish. I want Dewey or Tacoma to have my back at all times.
August 27, 2015
Two of my reviewer friends recommended this book highly and we've usually had the same opinion on mystery novels so I decided to read this. Thank you Tom and Bobbewig, you were both right on the mark.
Dewey Andreas a former Delta working as an agent for the CIA is still not himself after the shooting death of his fiancee. Time doesn't stand still and he's needed for another mission, this one could save the lives of many Americans, perhaps more people would die from this nuclear weapon as did in Hiroshima.
A deranged but brilliant hacker has gotten his hands on a nuclear weapon and he wants to have revenge on the United States from his parents murder. This was done by two U.S. agents right in front of the boy, Pytor Varagarian who is now a grown man and skilled hacker known as Cloud.
Cloud has gotten this nuclear weapon from the leader of the Mafia in Moscow. Now Cloud sets up a plan to get the weapon to the United States and blow it on Independence Day at the Statute of Liberty.
Dewey Andreas is one of the excellent action packed heroes. These days he's move in front of Jack Reacher in my list of great characters in suspense novels.
The plot moves as swiftly as hot butter pouring out of a popcorn machine. First Dewey has to be convinced to go on the operation. Then we learn some of the obstacles he has to overcome. We also learn of his childhood and upbringing in Castine Maine where he was a local hero. As a runner, I really enjoyed Dewey's participation in a holiday fun run sponsored by his town. He ran along with a nephew and a teenage niece and their give and take was heart warming to read about.
Codes must be broken, there is a corrupt politician who tries to smear Dewey. We learn more of what Dewey is currently going through but also the history of Cloud and why he turned out the way he did.
There are gun battles, motorcycle chases, characters diving off helicopters onto high rise buildings, we also have the memory of Dewey's past romance. In fact, what separates Dewey from many of the other thriller heroes is his humanity mixed with his bravery.
The secondary characters are well described and the setting is visual. A few times I turned to the back page to see if the book might be in the midst of being filmed.
Highly recommended and thanks again to my reviewing friends.
Dewey Andreas a former Delta working as an agent for the CIA is still not himself after the shooting death of his fiancee. Time doesn't stand still and he's needed for another mission, this one could save the lives of many Americans, perhaps more people would die from this nuclear weapon as did in Hiroshima.
A deranged but brilliant hacker has gotten his hands on a nuclear weapon and he wants to have revenge on the United States from his parents murder. This was done by two U.S. agents right in front of the boy, Pytor Varagarian who is now a grown man and skilled hacker known as Cloud.
Cloud has gotten this nuclear weapon from the leader of the Mafia in Moscow. Now Cloud sets up a plan to get the weapon to the United States and blow it on Independence Day at the Statute of Liberty.
Dewey Andreas is one of the excellent action packed heroes. These days he's move in front of Jack Reacher in my list of great characters in suspense novels.
The plot moves as swiftly as hot butter pouring out of a popcorn machine. First Dewey has to be convinced to go on the operation. Then we learn some of the obstacles he has to overcome. We also learn of his childhood and upbringing in Castine Maine where he was a local hero. As a runner, I really enjoyed Dewey's participation in a holiday fun run sponsored by his town. He ran along with a nephew and a teenage niece and their give and take was heart warming to read about.
Codes must be broken, there is a corrupt politician who tries to smear Dewey. We learn more of what Dewey is currently going through but also the history of Cloud and why he turned out the way he did.
There are gun battles, motorcycle chases, characters diving off helicopters onto high rise buildings, we also have the memory of Dewey's past romance. In fact, what separates Dewey from many of the other thriller heroes is his humanity mixed with his bravery.
The secondary characters are well described and the setting is visual. A few times I turned to the back page to see if the book might be in the midst of being filmed.
Highly recommended and thanks again to my reviewing friends.
July 29, 2015
I love reading these types of novels. The political thrillers, where the main character is such a bad ass, and America is always defending herself against her enemies.
I think what separates Dewey Andreas from all of the other macho alpha predator protagonists out there, is how realistic he is. In this novel, he is especially human as he has just lost the second (and what he presumes to be final) chance at love and a relatively normal life. He is vulnerable and in that sense, beleivable. He doesn't lose his fiance and then hop right back into the fray of things, no, he loses Jessica, then goes running to Maine to recover. Perhaps indefinitely.
When this story unfolds, it does so not just from Dewey's perspective. I would actually say there was a majority of non-Dewey chapters, and that's why this story is so awesome. It's not overloaded with bad-assery, its balanced between bad guy perspective, CIA perspective, caught in the crossfire perspective, and US operative Dewey Andreas perspective.
Has the ole "religious fanatics want to blow up America and her people" been done before? Yes. But the integration of several types of enemies (religious and vengeful) was great, and semi believable. I was throughly entertained.
rah-rah, go 'Merica! Thanks Ben Coes for the awesome read.
I think what separates Dewey Andreas from all of the other macho alpha predator protagonists out there, is how realistic he is. In this novel, he is especially human as he has just lost the second (and what he presumes to be final) chance at love and a relatively normal life. He is vulnerable and in that sense, beleivable. He doesn't lose his fiance and then hop right back into the fray of things, no, he loses Jessica, then goes running to Maine to recover. Perhaps indefinitely.
When this story unfolds, it does so not just from Dewey's perspective. I would actually say there was a majority of non-Dewey chapters, and that's why this story is so awesome. It's not overloaded with bad-assery, its balanced between bad guy perspective, CIA perspective, caught in the crossfire perspective, and US operative Dewey Andreas perspective.
Has the ole "religious fanatics want to blow up America and her people" been done before? Yes. But the integration of several types of enemies (religious and vengeful) was great, and semi believable. I was throughly entertained.
rah-rah, go 'Merica! Thanks Ben Coes for the awesome read.
May 30, 2015
Solid thriller. In the current absence of Mitch Rapp, Dewey Andreas is the best remedy. I've certainly enjoyed these books as an escape into adrenaline rides. Independence Day showed a lot more of the human side of Andreas and doesn't portray him as superman, although still the toughest guy you know. I definitely felt I could identify more with him than previous books. Also, there's a greater sense of realism as he is not the only hero out there in the story. Many supporting characters played major roles in getting the bad guys, so you won't roll your eyes in this book like some thrillers where the hero does EVERYTHING with only minimal support.
Old as well as new characters show up in this story. Meeting Dewey's home town was a really nice touch and helped make him human, more likeable. As far as the actual plot, it starts out somewhat typical feeling, but it has some very surprising and well done twists.
I listened to the audiobook. The narrator is very good with accents and voice differentiation. However, some of the basic narrative sounds awkward at times.
After 5 books, I'm still a fan and not tired of the series. Definitely want more Dewey.
Old as well as new characters show up in this story. Meeting Dewey's home town was a really nice touch and helped make him human, more likeable. As far as the actual plot, it starts out somewhat typical feeling, but it has some very surprising and well done twists.
I listened to the audiobook. The narrator is very good with accents and voice differentiation. However, some of the basic narrative sounds awkward at times.
After 5 books, I'm still a fan and not tired of the series. Definitely want more Dewey.
August 18, 2019
I picked up this book by chance and I'm so very glad I did. It has been a long time since I was hooked from the start as I was on this book. Indeed it is the kind of book one might well choose to be late for his first Thanksgiving dinner hosted by his mother-in-law in order to finish. The first night I started reading I had to force myself to put it down in order to get some much-needed sleep. And, because it is far too long to read in just one or even two sittings, especially for a rather slow reader like me, reading late into the night and having to force myself to put it down became a pattern. One thing that enthralled me was the author's ability to get into the finite details of how one goes about hacking into the most sophisticated computer network without leaving a trace. It is so far over my head in terms of my own computer skills, it could easily have been total B.S. and I surely would not have realized it, but it certainly sounded convincing. All in all, for me this book was truly a 5-star reading experience, and there is no doubt I will be reading a lot more of Ben Coe's novels.
May 9, 2015
Ben Coes is without a doubt one of the best of the new breed of thriller writers that have emerged over the last few years. His Dewey Andreas series is one of the best out there. It took me a little while to pick up the first in the series, "Power Down" just because the title didn't speak to me. But, once you start the book you realze that this is a writer with great skill.
The pace of Independence Day is blistering. It is up to Dewey and company to stop a potential terrorist attack from a brilliant hacker bent on revenge. All of the familiar cast of characters are present, with a damaged Dewey still recovering from a devastating personal tragedy, trying to come to an understanding of his courage in the face of adversity and the love he feels for his country.
You will not be sorry reading any of Coe's books with this being extremely timely for a great summer beach read leading to Independence Day.
The pace of Independence Day is blistering. It is up to Dewey and company to stop a potential terrorist attack from a brilliant hacker bent on revenge. All of the familiar cast of characters are present, with a damaged Dewey still recovering from a devastating personal tragedy, trying to come to an understanding of his courage in the face of adversity and the love he feels for his country.
You will not be sorry reading any of Coe's books with this being extremely timely for a great summer beach read leading to Independence Day.
June 24, 2015
This fifth entry in the Dewey Andreas takes a while to get going, but eventually reaches a pretty good pace.
When a Russian mobster buys a nuke, a hacker/terrorist blackmails him into paying $100 million to put it into the hacker's hands. The CIA finds out about this and goes after the nuke. Dewey is sent to counselling.
But this is Dewey Andreas we're talking about, so he ditches counselling, and makes his way to the mission site, and takes over, when things go wrong.
There is what I think is a minor, but somewhat glaring flaw, as the subplot concerning the bureaucratic plot to get Andreas condemned for...something. The plot's goals are never made clear, and there is really no pay off for the whole thing, almost like Coes forgot about it until the last second.
Doesn't quite reach the delirium of Eye For An Eye, but still the most satisfying of these kinds of books I've read in a while.
When a Russian mobster buys a nuke, a hacker/terrorist blackmails him into paying $100 million to put it into the hacker's hands. The CIA finds out about this and goes after the nuke. Dewey is sent to counselling.
But this is Dewey Andreas we're talking about, so he ditches counselling, and makes his way to the mission site, and takes over, when things go wrong.
There is what I think is a minor, but somewhat glaring flaw, as the subplot concerning the bureaucratic plot to get Andreas condemned for...something. The plot's goals are never made clear, and there is really no pay off for the whole thing, almost like Coes forgot about it until the last second.
Doesn't quite reach the delirium of Eye For An Eye, but still the most satisfying of these kinds of books I've read in a while.
April 28, 2020
Audiobook well performed by Jay Snyder
long, but moved right along. It kept up with the series "well this could happen"
I might have to skip the next as it: 1) not available to download from my library 2) the socialists have our State of California locked down (Gov. Newsome unilaterly just paid 1 $billion to a Chinese electric bus manufacturer for N95 masks. Said company has paid their way into US politics. American socialism = deep pockets with short arms. Democratic mantra is "never let a crisis go to waste**Rahm Emmanuel while Obama's first Chief of Staff) POWER GRAB for upper echelon and power loss to the citizens)
long, but moved right along. It kept up with the series "well this could happen"
I might have to skip the next as it: 1) not available to download from my library 2) the socialists have our State of California locked down (Gov. Newsome unilaterly just paid 1 $billion to a Chinese electric bus manufacturer for N95 masks. Said company has paid their way into US politics. American socialism = deep pockets with short arms. Democratic mantra is "never let a crisis go to waste**Rahm Emmanuel while Obama's first Chief of Staff) POWER GRAB for upper echelon and power loss to the citizens)
August 13, 2015
Needless to say, Dewey Andreas saves America from a computer hacking terrorist with an atomic bomb and a beautiful ballerina for a girlfriend. This is a solid action thriller with a very formidable bad guy who stays one step ahead, bent on revenge. What disappointed me about this book was I kept thinking I'd read this story 20 or 30 times before. Different characters of course but the familiarity of the plot was too apparent to ignore. Dewey Andreas is a dynamic protagonist who needs more originality on the pages he inhabits - and the pages I plan on reading!
May 24, 2016
This is my last book by this author. Very disappointed. When an author writes 500 pages and 108 Chapters it becomes a dragging repetitive story. First few chapters and I realized I have read a similar story by another author. This narrative was worse than his other novel Eye For an Eye. I certainly feel Dewey's character is getting weaker by every new book.
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