Four Minutes

by Brian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson

Four Minutes is the latest brilliant techno-thriller from the #1 internationally bestselling duo behind the Sons of Valor series.

It is said that no plan survives first contact with the enemy, but what if you remove the one thing no one can control: Uncertainty about the future?

Special Operations Chief Tyler Brooks might not know quantum mechanics, or have an eidetic memory, but he is the very best in the world at one thing: leading covert ops. When an unpredictable enemy causes the catastrophic loss of his entire SEAL team, Brooks is recruited by Pat Moody to lead a new elite squad, Task Force Omega. Moody’s promise—access to mind-bending tech that grants a glimpse of the future.

Together with Navy Intelligence Specialist Zee Williams, Brooks leads a new kind of counterterrorism task force, one that collects intel from the future to stop attacks in the present. But there’s a catch. Each mission can only last FOUR MINUTES. Stakes quickly escalate when Omega discovers an unprecedented future attack against America threatening the lives of millions—including Tyler’s daughter.

Despite their prescient advantage, Brooks and Williams find themselves thwarted at every turn as they try to stop the plot. To make matters worse, they have somehow gone from hunter to hunted, targeted by an unknown enemy hidden in the shadows. With the country on the brink of nuclear war, Tyler’s daughter in mortal danger, and a commanding officer they’re not sure they can trust, Omega Team faces a terrible dilemma: Even if you know the future, is FOUR MINUTES enough time to change it?

Genres: Thriller, Science Fiction, Audiobook, Time Travel, Fiction, Action, Military Fiction

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2024

About the author

Brian is a US Navy veteran, nuclear engineer, and former submarine officer. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in psychology, holds a Master's in business from Cornell University, and is a Park Leadership Fellow. He is a principal contributor at Career Authors, a site dedicated to advancing the careers of aspiring and published writers: www.careerauthors.com.

He is half of Andrews & Wilson, the New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, & #1 Amazon best-selling co-author team behind the TIER ONE series. New in 2025:

- DARK RISING: (APRIL)
- SONS OF VALOR 4: (7/22)
- THE ADVERSARY: Tier One #9 (11/4)
- EXECUTIVE POWER (11/25)

In addition to their novels, Andrews & Wilson have multiple projects under development for film and television with major motion picture studios including Tier One, Dark Intercept, 4 Minutes, Portal, Glitch, and The In Between.

Find Brian online at:

Web: www.andrews-wilson.com
Instagram: @andrewsandwilson
Twitter: @BAndrewsJWilson

Sign-up for his newsletter at www.andrews-wilson.com to stay informed about all his new releases or "Follow" his Amazon Author page!

Reviews

[Marilyn (not getting notifications) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 strong stars! Wow! I wasn’t sure what to expect from this audiobook but I was surprised by how much I liked it! Four Minutes was the first book that I had the opportunity to read by authors Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson. This book can best be described as a military thriller with elements of time travel and sci fi mixed in. Four Minutes was not my usual genre but it worked and I enjoyed it very much. It was fast paced and the characters were diverse, flawed and well developed. I listened to the audiobook of Four Minutes that was expertly narrated by Ray Porter.

As Four Minutes began, Navy Seal Special Operation Chief, Tyler Brooks, was in the process of leading his team through a covert operation that should have been quick, easy and successful. Tyler was being advised by Navy Intelligence Specialist, Zee William, about enemy locations and other pertinent information that might impact their mission. Neither Zee nor Tyler saw what was coming until it was too late. Tyler’s team was met by enemy fire and somehow they were outnumbered and compromised. Many members of Tyler’s team died during that operation. It went terribly wrong. Both Tyler and Zee felt extremely guilty and sad about the members of their team that died that day. Even Tyler suffered a significant injury that day and had to be hospitalized for it. While Tyler was recuperating in the hospital, Zee William received a visit from a government agent named Pat Moody. Mr. Moody’s goal was to recruit both Zee and Tyler for a special team called Task Force Omega. Pat Moody was tasked with building a team to secure the future of the United States.

As the team was carefully selected, the members of Task Force Omega would learn about the existence of a Time Machine that had been developed and tested and was ready for them to use. The purpose of the Time Machine was to allow the members of the team to go into the future so they would be able to detect and prevent potential threats that could put the United States in danger. Each member of the team possessed a special ability or skill. Some had photographic memories while others had the skills needed for combat missions. Each of the six recruits were essential to the success of Task Force Omega. If they were successful in their jumps into the future it was possible that they could help to prevent future shootings, massacres, bombings, wars and any other threats that might threaten the United States.

Bravo and genius, you might say, but there had to be hitch and there was. The team only had a total of four minutes in the future to accomplish anything that they needed to. That was not a lot of time. Also, unbeknownst to the members of Task Force Omega and the people in charge, there was another team out there somewhere. There was a team who possessed the same capabilities as Task Force Omega, but one with the intentions of causing chaos, destruction and harm. Who will succeed and be triumphant?

Four Minutes was absolutely brilliant and thrilling! I am so glad I had the opportunity to discover these authors. I will look for their books in the future. Stepping out of my comfort zone definitely paid off for me this time. The only criticism I had was that the ending left me wanting more of a closure. I’m hoping that perhaps there will be a sequel to this one so my questions will be answered. Without any hesitation, I highly recommend Four Minutes by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Four Minutes by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of this story was mind bending! A secret US counterterrorism task force can jump into the future, within a thirty-day period, but can only stay for four minutes. To Tyler Brooks, the head of this special op, this has exciting implications. They can go and prevent attacks before they happen! There’s a threat and enemy that seems to elude them at every turn! Tyler and a select few have been drafted into this task force for special reasons which are revealed as the story goes along. I liked the personal relationships that end up factoring into this exciting story! I grew to like each character on the team and I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment!

Four Minutes was an exciting thrill ride! The only drawback is that it ended in a cliffhanger, and I don’t see any information on book two!

Ray Porter's performance was strong and perfect for this military/action thriller!

A copy was kindly provided by the publisher. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

A military operation gone awry is how FOUR MINUTES begins and the action doesn't stop from that moment on.

Tyler Brooks, being the chief of the operation, feels guilty at the loss of his men. He worked closely with Zee Williams on this mission and she feels terrible about it as well. Soon thereafter they are both recruited into a special project-one that involves traveling into the future. Problem being trips to the future are limited to only 4 minutes. What is their mission and will they be able to complete it? You'll have to read this to find out!

I'm not going to lie here. The sole reason I chose to listen to this book is Ray Porter. Narrator extraordinaire, I would happily listen to him narrate his grocery list. I hate action type books. I just don't like them...I get bogged down in descriptions of weaponry and I just can't stand it. With Ray Porter performing however, I love this stuff! I say performing and not narrating, because that is what Porter does. He infuses his characters with...feeling-more so than what comes across via plain text.

The plot here gets intense as our team discovers terrible news regarding the future of the United States, perhaps even the world. The tension ramped up and ramped up until it was nearly unbearable, and then BAM! Cliffhanger. Ugh!

I surely will be getting the next book in the series, and I am already looking forward to listening to Ray Porter narrate it!

Highly recommended, especially to fans of action/military/science-fiction mash ups!

*ARC from publisher.*

[Daniel Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This sci fi book was spectacular. Time travel for a special ops team. Full of great characters. Non-stop suspense kept me totally engaged. The surprise ending tells you the story isn’t over. There’s sure to be a follow up.

[Teresa Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Task Force Omega can travel up to 28 days in the future for up to 4 minutes at time in order to prevent attacks. Lead by Special Operations Chief Tyler Brooks and Navy Intelligence Specialist Zee Williams, this counter terrorism task force has an opportunity to change the future. The question is, what will the toll of the 4 minutes into the future take on your body? What will they see in those 4 minutes of that jump? What can they do to change the outcomes of what they see?
This sci-fi/military thriller gives the reader a lot to think about. How much of this is actually possible and when can it happen? Andrews & Wilson are able to draw the reader in and make them question reality while providing an action-packed punch on nearly every page. The stage has been set for future books about the Omega Task Force, Brooks and Williams. Just in this one novel the characters grew and matured and had to make tough decisions that affected everyone around them.
Don’t let science/science fiction/facts bog you down. Don’t spend time trying to undo what has been done and fact check. Enjoy the ride. Imagine possibilities of world altering, action packed military filled sequences of events……and don’t blink!

[Jeremy Peers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson are prolific authors–publishing a book every three months– with no drop-off in quality. Unicorns. They are unicorns. They’re not afraid to tackle new subjects/technology or wade into new genres. This time they dive back into AI with an added element. Time travel. Military scientists have secretly created the first working time machine. Even in its infancy the technology will change the world. A world with no more wars. The ability to see future events gives you the ability to stop threats in the present. The trick is you only get four minutes in the future to do what you’ve got to do. And right now the small team of operators with unique abilities are constantly thwarting threats from one group with the same weapon but different locales. About that first ever claim…

I’m not a fan of sci-fi generally. I’ve never seen Star Wars, Trek, any of it. Andrews & Wilson have penned a couple of books in the sci-fi realm and I’ve enjoyed them immensely. While I consider this sci-fi, Four Minutes is probably best described as a military thriller with a whisper of sci-fi. Not an alien or three-breasted woman to be found.

While Four Minutes has everything you expect from an Andrews & Wilson book, I didn’t completely grasp the theory and explanation behind the time travel machine. After going over the “how” multiple times throughout the book, I was resigned to the fact I was becoming dumber and I wasn’t meant to understand. Then, towards the end–like a lightning strike from the heavens–I understood. Thank God. I’m not any dumber than I was. Once I grasped what they were getting at it made the book much more enjoyable. Now that I think about it, maybe that’s what they were going for all along. Not going to lie. When the puzzle pieces finally fell into place, it felt pretty great.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Four Minutes.

[Zane Abbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tyler and Zee are relatable, and so are the rest of the chorus of characters. This book flows with most of the Andrew’s and Wilson creations and this did not disappoint. I appreciate the tactical and science side of this book. This book moves quick, and I did not put it down from start to finish. There is great action and plenty of suspense to keep you on your toes.

[Abibliofob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four Minutes by Andrews & Wilson is not the first book I have read about this technology. Lars Wilderäng from Sweden wrote about it a few years ago. There ends the similarities, I really like one of the downsides they encounter in this book. The book is as always with these guys well written and filled with struggles and both bad and good guys. Or is it persons nowadays? After a while you will all understand the title, while we follow the struggles our group of soldiers face when dealing with this new invention. I did enjoy reading this advance copy of what feels like the first in a new series. Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and Edelweiss for letting me read this book.

[CJ Redding · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would have been 1 star if not for 2 things:

- I liked the angle of time travel in this book, where the 4-minutes is because that is how long the field can remain stable, and that since the electromagnetism destroys tech and you can't bring anything back with you from the future, arranging an elite team of geniuses with strong memories who have to memorize as much information as possible before their 4 minutes is up is interesting and fresh.
-Stan. No, seriously, this might have even been a 1 star book if not for Stan, even with the unique time travel concept.

This book was at times . . . pretty dry. The protagonist didn't really stand out and the rest of the characters (with the exception of Stan - you brainy dead shot) had personality, but weren't always believably written. Four Minutes suffered from a problem I've seen in a lot of modern books where the writing isn't as mature as I prefer it. Sure, the content is there, but they don't make me believe it.

It's pretty unbelievable that all it takes to get introduced to an incredibly sensitive government secret like a time travel machine is an NDA. What if someone had said no to the joining the group? I also didn't believe a lot of their reactions. I felt like there would have been a lot more questions, especially since most of them were geniuses.

I also would have preferred some occasional reminders as to their physical appearances. I frequently mixed up 2 of the characters and sort of formed vague images of them in my head. Some people like being able to do that. I don't. I think it's a cop out, and can cause problems if the image your reader comes up with ends up conflicting with information given later on. Like if I imagine someone as buff with wavy brown hair and I suddenly find out they're frail in bald, the movie in my head starts to have problems. I understand that this might just be a 'me' problem though.

I also think it was a bit stupid of so many of these intelligent characters to have not considered the existence of another team until it was treated like a reveal toward the end of the book. I actually thought they already had an idea that there was another team out there because when Moody recruited Tyler, he enticed him with finding out why 'those men appeared out of nowhere' on his failed op. But then later everyone acts surprised when it's discovered that there's another jump team - like, did the author not realize how obvious this was from the beginning? I know that we as the readers had this information since we read from the terrorist's point of view, but even so, I thought at least Moody knew.

I did like a smattering of other things, like the shrine to the father of time and some of the team bonding, but my ideal version of this book would have been a bit 'smarter' to match the genius characters. There were also a few too many cliches with Tyler's character and the terrorists had pretty dull motivations.

I guess it's time to talk about Jun. Ugh, Jun. I actually think this book would have benefited from us never reading from his POV and keeping it all on our American team. This might be another thing I'm alone on, but I really hated his motivation. Sure, his dad told him to look out for his brother, but when you're a mercenary and you're out to kill someone, and your brother (also a mercenary) gets killed because your target had the audacity to defend themselves, and then you're whole personality becomes about revenge . . . I don't get that. They were trying to kill Tyler. He had no idea what was happening and defended himself, and Jun took it soooo personally. This can be realistic, but it wasn't very interesting to read about. That's why I think we should have never read from his POV. As an outside perspective his motive was stupid. I was never going to entertain any sympathy for him, and I think the words from his chapters could have been better spent on strengthening the lead up to the time machine instead of rushing through all that to get to the 'story.'

It was an alright book. Stan honestly got me through it. I don't think he should have been the protagonist or anything. I just think he was the most stand out character and also an interesting one. I'm not quite sure how to explain it. Usually know-it-all characters are annoying, but Stan came across as more of an excitable knowledge geek than obnoxious. I found him endearing and kick ass to boot. Best part of the book by far.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars 🌟

I am always excited when I see a New Release from this writing duo and they have consistently met and surpassed my expectations. That's why when I saw this new ARC, for a NEW series no less, well, let's just say I was thrilled :)

There are a couple of different series that are currently ongoing with Andrews and Wilson and one of the series has a supernatural element. They normally excel in the CIA/Spec Ops genre and now instead of combining the Spec Ops/supernatural storyline, they have decided to delve into the science fiction realm.

Without going into any spoilers, there has been new technology developed by DARPA that gives the user the opportunity to travel a small distance into the future. Along with that, there are limitations -they can only stay in the future for 4 minutes. What can be accomplished in 4 minutes? That is the question that this new classified program - Omega - is trying to determine.

Unfortunately, they discover that there is an IMMEDIATE threat to the US, an imminent nuclear attack is set to occur in Washington DC. Things take off from there and they do not slow down for the entire book. There are many, many questions that this new team is having to sort through. Are they the only ones who have this technology? Who is the other team trying to attack the US? Is the program compromised?

This is only a couple of the issues that this new team is dealing with. Andrews and Wilson excel at storylines, but are even better at character development. It is also so easy to fall in love and root for the MC's - in ALL of their books and this book is no different. I immediately liked the male MC Tyler Brooks and it wasn't too much longer that I was COMPLETELY on the side of our good guys.

Unfortunately, there is a bit of a cliffhanger. I have begun to accept this and am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book from the dynamic duo starts out like one of the previous Tier One books that l've enjoyed from them in the past. But it doesn't take long to take a scifi twist.

After an unsuccessful SEAL op where team members were lost the team leader and their overwatch Mother are recruited to a new team. That team is built to interdict enemy actions before they take place using a revolutionary new technology.

But the problem is they're not the only ones using this technology.

Unfortunately there's a cliffhanger, but the storyline is definitely intriguing enough to continue with the next entry, whenever that comes out.

[R7Gandhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bro... This book 🤯

[Lel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings on this book. Overall it was a fast read, the action wasn't bad and the drama's kept coming. But I didnt really feel the characters or the world was that well fleshed out. I found the book to be so repetitive in terms of the language used and the fact they just seemed to do the same things over and over.
I think this would have made a much better film/TV show than book. The idea of being able to go into the future for four minutes at a time was explored well in the book. The things that they used time travel for were clever and obviously well thought about, I just found that it was over shadowed with too much technical science dumps of information and too many military talk and abbreviations.
Also without spoiling anything, it was a very unsatisfactory end for a book that seems to be a standalone.

[Jeff Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A time traveling good time! Andrews & Wilson have penned an addicting sci-fi story that is fun, charismatic, humorous, and action packed! This is going to be a great series!

[Marion Schloemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

When is the sequel coming out? LOVED IT — narrated by Ray Porter

[Dave TN · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first time I have read these authors, and even though I generally don’t care for stories that involve time travel, I really enjoyed it. I’ll definitely read the next in the series. I listened to a large portion of this one and the narrator, Ray Porter, is awesome. I’ve liked everything that he has narrated.

[Michael Bullock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Special Ops team, time travel and a great story, what else do you need? A team of savants put together in a team that can travel up to 28 days into the future with a catch, they can only stay 4 minutes. Is 4 minutes enough to save the world? Come join the team and find out. Its a fast paced read and un-put- downable and I am looking forward to a next book. I started reading Andrews and Wilson after their foray into the Tom Clancy world with Act of Defiance ( Brilliant ). I have started reading their TIER ONE series and I'm hooked. Andrews and Wilson keep up the great work and thanks for Four Minutes, such a fantastic read.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I must say thank you to the authors, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I have been a fan of Andrews and Wilson since reading the first Tier One novel a few years ago now; I have read every novel that they have put out and enjoy their writing style. They do such a good job with character development that you are pulled into the story and really care for the characters.

Four Minutes, what can I say, they combined a military thriller with science fiction and it was great. Without going into any spoilers, there has been new technology developed by DARPA that gives the user the opportunity to travel a small distance into the future. Along with that, there are limitations -they can only stay in the future for 4 minutes. What can be accomplished in 4 minutes? That is the question that this new classified program - Omega - is trying to determine. A team is recruited by Patrick Moody, the team is made up of young, bright tier one operators/intelligence personnel/scientists. Tyler Brooks and Zee Williams are two of the team members with such great character development as I said before. It is a wild ride of a novel that keeps you thinking and guessing what is going to happen next. It also ends without answering everything and leaves you wanting to know what is going to happen next.

I highly recommend this book!

[Jonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrews and Wilson have done it again! They have brilliantly melded two different genres into one fascinating story, The premise is futuristic, but the book is filled with plenty of military ops action to satisfy readers who love that genre. The main characters are solid and even though they are all quite different, the story accentuates how they end up developing a strong team bond over the course of their jumps together.

As usual, there is suspense, action, mindful messages, and well-placed humor throughout the book. I had to smile in Chapter 6 at the reference to their other sci-fi book, The Sandbox (which I highly recommend if you haven't read it). Both this book and The Sandbox raise some interesting questions about future technology and the impact to humankind.

It is always hard to wait for the next book in any Andrew & Wilson series, but the cliffhanger ending on this one will make it even more difficult.

Ray Porter did a superb narration. There was never any confusion on which character was speaking. I'd give him 10 stars if I could.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was outstanding!!!! The authors took Tier One Spec ops and mixed in a little Science Fiction and it works. The assembled team is filled with characters that I cared about while reading. The SF element is created well, with just enough information to make it plausible but not bog you down with tons of technical material. I like how there is a trade off for using the new time travel tech, limiting what they can do with this new power. Stories that offer things like magic, or SF tech must have a balance to their use, and this story handles that well.

From reading this story, you can come to the conclusion that this will be a new series, one that I am looking forward to reading when they are released.

I highly recommend this book.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four Minutes by Andrews & Wilson is a military thriller with sci-fi thrown into the mix. Great cast, twisty plot, plenty of action, and I thought the book would end without the possibility of becoming a series; but then the authors threw a wrench into it. It was a great book and I will be looking forward to #2.
I highly recommend this book(or any book by these guys) and thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. Just BUY this Book!!

[Russell Drabick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

Perfect title, this book is a thriller. My head hurt trying to keep what was happening straight. Can't wait for the next book to see what happens. Thank you Brian Andrews and Jeff Wilson for another great story.

[Emir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This is good. Really good. One of the best books of the year thus far. Intriguing plot and interesting characters. Lots of action and suspense.

Will there be more?? Cannot wait.

[Sabastian Burlison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

They combined my favorite genres, spy thrillers and science fiction. I couldn't put down the novel. Can't wait for the next novel in this series.

[Kerry Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible!! I'm a big fan of Andrews & Wilson, so I'm even more excited that this appears to be the start of a new series!! We definitely want more Z & Tyler!!

[Norma Childs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting novel

Characters that are relatable. Situation after situation to keep you scratching your head but definitely on the edge of your seat. Can't wait for next one

[Jonathan S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is sensational! Incredible imagination put into an insane plot! Couldn’t stop reading!

[Johnny Hostile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four minutes into reading this book, I knew it was going to be great, and it was! Wonderful characters, superb plot. I love everything these guys write,

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible narration by Ray Porter.

I loved this because it combines two of my favorite things - time travel and special ops. Andrews and Wilson are two of my favorite authors as well. I think their life experience lends itself an authenticity to the story. In fact, last night I watched a movie about special ops and had to tell my husband that they were doing it wrong, that real ops guys would use different language.

Time travel is tricky when it's fiction. But here, they break no rules, probably because they don't explain the mechanism. They give it consequences, though, and create a situation with the enemy that's no-win. Having to solve that kept me guessing. What I didn't like was knowing the why before they did, I hate it when I'm smarter than the characters. Also, at the point where they do figure out a way to defeat the enemy (not eliminate them), I had to go back and listen a couple of times. It's not hard but time travel, man. It's complicated even when there's no physics involved.

And speaking of characters, I loved them all. Fall in love with the characters of a book and you'll fall in love with the book. Definitely what happened here.

Although I liked the ending, I would have appreciated some more closure and info about the enemy group. It's kind of obvious who they are and why they are the enemy. But I'm hoping we'll get more in future books. This isn't billed as a series but I sure hope it will be.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A special forces mission is compromised when additional heat signatures (ie enemy combatants) appear, guns blazing, then disappear without a trace. How could the special forces intel be so wrong?
Two of the soldiers from that mission are recruited to a black ops team where they learn about a DARPA-developed program that allows people to jump up to 28 days into the future but for no more than 4 minutes at a time. What can be done with that knowledge? It depends on the individuals deployed. But the team is learning that they are being kept in the dark about some aspects of the program.

This is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that is mostly action adventure with a bit of sci-fi for good measure. It’s a “what if?” with high stakes and interesting characters. I look forward to reading more in this promising new series.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for the advance copy of the audiobook for review purposes.