Cobalt

Maximum Risk #1

by Chris Bauer

A high-stakes battle erupts over a game-changing cobalt deposit in small-town America.

When billionaire Max Fend and his hacker girlfriend Renee LeFrancois are enlisted by the FBI and CIA to search for a cobalt deposit in rural Pennsylvania, they're plunged into a race against time and international forces. Cobalt, the precious metal powering lithium-ion batteries, has the tech world scrambling for control, and the discovery of a new source ignites a frenzy. But as domestic and international stakeholders mobilize, the local community finds itself caught in the crossfire.

As adversaries close in, a deadly contract killer, a former Philly cop, a single mom reclaiming her identity, and a band of vigilante townspeople join the fight. With secrets unraveling and danger mounting, Max and Renee must risk it all to protect a community and their nation from unbridled greed.

In Cobalt, the quest for power and control collides with the will to protect, resulting in a thrilling, explosive showdown.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

1 pages, Audio CD

Published March 19, 2024

About the author

“The thing I write will be the thing I write.”

Chris wouldn’t trade his northeast Philly upbringing of street sports played on blacktop and concrete, fistfights, brick and stone row houses, and twelve years of well-intentioned Catholic school discipline for a Philadelphia minute (think New York minute but more fickle and less forgiving). Chris has had some lengthy stops as an adult in Michigan and Connecticut, and he thinks Pittsburgh is a great city even though some of his fictional characters do not. He still does most of his own stunts, and he once passed for Chip Douglas of My Three Sons TV fame on a Wildwood, NJ boardwalk. He's a member of International Thriller Writers, and his work has been recognized by the National Writers Association, the Writers Room of Bucks County (PA), and the Maryland Writers Association. He likes the pie more than the turkey.

You can find Chris online at www.ChrisBauerAuthor.com.

Also writes as C.G. Bauer

Reviews

[Linda Galella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hot topic news items without the politics - it’s a good thing!

COBALT, by Chris Bauer, is book 1 in in the Maximum Risk series. It’s also book one with Bauer as the author for the Max Fend characters. Since I haven’t read anything else, I’ve got no preconceived notions - another good thing.

Bauer provides lots of action in this story along with a variety of locations: Congo, Greenland, Pennsylvania, D. C. and bouncing around them. Good thing Max is a billionaire and can command super elite travel. Well, he’s got elite everything.

Max is an interesting character. He’s not your typical uber wealthy guy. Max has a heart and is genuinely kind and cares about people and his country. All his money is not his primary concern. He spends it freely but not gratuitously and he’s not looking for pats on the back, headlines or praise. Max is an unlikely hero I truly enjoyed.

The remaining cast of characters is fairly large. The primary group includes Max’s girlfriend and partner, a single, abused mom and her son. They are well developed and have relationships that ring true. Secondary cast members are many with a few standing out: the retired sheriff, FBI Agent, and of course, the protagonist. It’s odd that the baddie isn’t a primary but it works.

Quite a bit of science and technology is included. If it interests you, great. If not, it’s easy to skim thru and not lose the story thread.

A well organized plot that has a few twists and some level of predictability, COBALT is a quick read, except for the scientific explanations. Likable characters you’ll want to root for and the absence of author politics makes for a pleasant reading experience.

Gentle for this genre, the violence level is PG-13, language and sexual content is PG or less. I was very surprised and impressed. Good storytelling doesn’t have to be graphic 📚

Read & Reviewed from a PW Grab A Galley, with thanks

[OutlawPoet]

DNF 37%

[Rusty Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of serving as a beta reader on this project, and this is a fun read. Another ingenious story idea and super-timely topic for the Max Fend series! Perfect combo of the series strengths with the Chris Bauer thriller style. Smart, fascinating focus on the international stakes and players. Grab this if you like a high intrigue level.

Max Fend is a brave, competent, smart, committed, and fearless hero. How refreshing to experience a billionaire character, in Max, who is trying to better the planet rather than undercut it for his own profit. Max doesn’t do what he does for the money. He accepts an assignment with global implications to help safeguard the future and those exposed to its economic impacts.

You’ll travel to adventure in Africa, Hawaii, Greenland, and other fascinating locales. And you’ll see how mineral strikes can transform the life of an average family and community — this time with drama taking place in both central Pennsylvania and the Congo — as the interests of world superpowers meet and collide.

We see the environmental damage and human costs that international races for mineral resources can cause. Max witnesses these effects and pursues a better way, despite warnings to keep his nose out. With the support and help of his equally impressive wife, Max jets about to uncover opportunistic schemes and secure a more responsible path forward on behalf of everyone.

This novel features fascinating subjects that will send you scurrying to Google to learn more. Interesting technical and geographic aspects in this book.

This is an ingenious novel with an interesting premise in terms of the global, local, and personal issues. As we’d expect from this source, it brings a colorful ensemble of players and draws them together in plausible and clever ways. It has all the complexity of a Max Fend/Chris Bauer novel — varied personal stakes of different characters and deception-related subplots, twists, and eventual interconnections that keeps readers on their toes. You’ll be drawn to track the convergence of all the pieces.

Plus, it whirls up into a sensational finish. Get on board for this romp.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read the summary for this book, my eyes caught on words like billionaire Max Fend, hacker girlfriend, FBI and CIA, lithium-ion batteries, tech world scrambling for control. So, I thought this was a tech thriller. Instead, it was about mining cobalt, which is the precious metal used in those lithium-ion batteries. Not quite as sexy. But, somehow Chris Bauer managed to make mining for cobalt exciting! Max Fend ends up working closely with the FBI and CIA in a race to discover new sources of cobalt in the Congo, Greenland, and rural Pennsylvania with a ruthless gang of Chinese and Russians determined to thwart their plans. All in all an interesting and exciting read!

Cobalt is out today and available for free with #KindleUnlimited.

Thank you @NetGalley, @SevernRiverPublishing, and @CNTBauer1 for the advanced copy of this book.

[Jim Flagg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this book for my honest review. This was a good continuation of a very good series. The story moves around the globe but, basically involves the global search for Cobalt. It is used to make batteries for electric vehicles. I didn’t think this book was quite as good as previous books in the series. I am looking forward to the next book.

[Janet Hudnall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this as a Goodreads giveaway so thank you to the author and goodreads\amazon.

Loved the storyline which was not the typical thriller read. The next book in the series seems like it will be a special plot as well. Can't wait to read it when it comes out.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received an ARC with great expectations from the previous Max Fend novels. This is a great thriller on its own, but the tie to the original was tenuous. With a plot taken from today’s headlines and good characters, it is a must read. Personally, I would have preferred not trying to tie to the original Max Fend novels

[Doug Yonce · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series continues in an excellent tale. International intrigue and corporate interests explode with a small town’s discovery of an important resource. But with Max working on the case, the story stays interesting. I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.

[Darren Bourn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had received a copy of the novel, Cobalt by Chris Bauer, from the author, his publishing company (Severn River Publishing) and the fine folks at NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is the first book that I have read that was authored by Chris Bauer (I had previously been granted an ARC when the Chris Fend series was written by Andrew Watts) so I went into this read with some pre-conceptions). I had received an ARC with great expectations from the previous Max Fend novels. This is a great thriller on its own, but the tie to the original was tenuous.

The premise behind this book is that with the increasing popularity (or demand) for electric vehicles (or hybrids), there is a resulting increase in batteries that are powered by rare earth minerals such as cobalt. According to a study from the prestigious Brooking's Institution, China presently produces some 60% of the world's rare earth elements and processes 85% of them. This dominance has nothing to do however with a geological accident that has placed the bulk of rare earth deposits in Chinese territory. The mineral cobalt (Co), that shares its name with the title of the book, is also the essential ingredient in almost every form of storage battery, principally rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, but also nickel metal hydride (NiMH) and nickel-cadmium (NiCd).

This novel follows the return of the protagonist, Max Fend, and his girlfriend (Renee LeFrancois) as his company (Fend Aerospace) opens the story working on rebuilding airports and other infrastructure projects. The story than progresses as his company begins searching for deposits of cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo - one of the five poorest nations in the world - in an attempt to reduce the economic and logistical dependency of the United States on China for this rare earth mineral. This project continues as other searches get started for “volcanogenic” cobalt, disgorged from below the Earth’s surface by lava flows in Hawaii and also the site of large meteorite crater in Greenland, and finally a discovery in a small Pennsylvania town in the Pocono mountains.

Our protagonist and his company face a variety of antagonists represented by China - their main competitor in the search for this rare earth metal - , Russia (represented by the appearance of a Russian sub in the icy waters surrounding Greenland), and various international agent provocateurs who play bit roles in an attempt to prevent the American find in Pennsylvania.

On a scale of five stars, I would easily give this novel a solid four stars as this story provides a well organized plot that has a few twists albeit with some level of predictability. COBALT is the first entry in a new series that kicks off with a definite bang. Political intrigue, economic chaos, gun battles, creative assassination attempts, and a lot more will keep you turning the pages of this terrific thriller.

As with most of my literary ramblings, these are my five cents worth.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received ab ARC through "Severn River" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Max receives a call asking for his help while working on a project at DRC. It appears that a possible discovery of Cobalt has been located and the Government wants his help in funding the initial exploration. The find is in Penn. Matt agrees and makes plan to go to Jim Thorpe, Pa. Before he can go there, he is told another possible is in Greenland and needs to fly there first. Upon arriving he and Renee along with Wilkes the site the next day. After being on the site for a short time someone drps a warning package. As a result, it is determined that they would leave. It is time to go to Jim Thorpe.

Max along with Renee fly to Pa. and upon arriving make plans on how they will locate where Cobalt might be found. It happens that Myrna and her son Wyatt found an unknown substance in their yard. They decided that they needed to have the item appraised an lo and behold it contained Cobalt. Myrna on learning of Max's search mmet up with him and they agreed to find out if there was Cobalt on her land. Unfortunately, because of the appraisal, another group learned of the discovery as well.

To discover who the unknown group was, what situations arose a result of this discovery and also what event happened when Max went back to Greenland, then you need to read this book. The action is immense and you will discover that some people will go to any length to protect their hold.

[Jim Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Chris Bauer takes the reader on an energetic race against time for global dominance in mining Cobalt, the precious metal prized by industry and governments because of its use in lithium-ion batteries that will power international demand for clean energy in everything from computers to cars, trucks, buses and beyond. Billionaire Max Fend of Fend Aerospace, and his hacker partner Renee globetrot from Democratic Republic of Congo to Volcanos National Park, Hawaii to the glaciers of Greenland before young Wyatt Springer unsuspectingly discovers the high-grade mineral while cleaning up after his dog in the backyard of the Pocono Mountain home in the town of Jim Thorpe. Bauer’s characters are a memorable cast of FBI, CIA, local cops, town watch, geologists, house cleaners, combat veterans, billionaires, hackers, spies, and assassins that keep the story moving at a breakneck clip from the first page. Weave in the military with F-16s, rotary wing, Stinger surface to air missiles, sniper rifles, and a measure of Semtex, and there is a little something for everyone. There are enough twists and turns to keep even the non-thriller enthusiast flipping pages. For no other reason, Bauer’s novel is a solid overview of the precious metals mining industry, especially Cobalt, relative and educational for all readers.

[Natalie Dyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cobalt is a rare metal that powers lithium-ion batteries. It also powers this gripping thriller by Chris Bauer. Most of the world’s cobalt is produced in the Democratic Republic of Congo, much of it mined by children, which is where this story begins with the death of a child in a mine explosion. Max Fend, billionaire aircraft CEO who works with the CIA and FBI heads a team searching for other more humane sources of cobalt that will benefit the US and decrease our dependence on foreign sources. His search takes us around the world: from the Congo, to a small Pennsylvania town in the Pocono mountains, to Iceland.

Nature and man threaten Max and his team at every step of the way: subzero weather and polar bears in Iceland, an underground mining fire in Centralia Pennsylvania that has been burning out of control for sixty years, and foreign agents everywhere, seeking to sabotage Max’s efforts and cause irreparable damage to the country.

Chris Bauer is a master at ratcheting up tension, and he outdoes himself in this thriller. I literally could not put this book down!

[David Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max Fend and Renee are back taking on new challenges.

Having read all the previous max Fend books, I wondered what was in store for Max when Chris Bauer took over. Well, Cobalt, the latest Max Fend thriller, answered all the questions I may have had regarding the Max and Renee stories. If Cobalt is an example of what is in store in future episodes, this new max Fend series is going to be a hit. Along with some intense action, this story examined issues that the world is currently dealing with and presented them in such a way as to be not just believable, but hopefully not predictive in nature. While in the previous stories, Max’s rich playboy persona was front and center, in Cobalt it feels like Max has aged well and taken on a less playboy nature and a more serious businessman persona. I won’t go as far as to say Cobalt is my favorite Max Fend book, but then again it just might be unless the next book surpasses it. I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher and chose to provide this review.

[William Donahue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever a new Chris Bauer book comes out, it's an automatic "CLICK TO BUY" for this reader. I've genuinely loved every book of his, starting with SCARS ON THE FACE OF GOD, to BINGE KILLER, to the "Blessid Trauma Crime Scene Cleaners" trilogy. When Bauer started writing the Max Fend character, I was dubious, but I found the first Fend book with Bauer at the helm, AIR RACE, to be terrifically engaging. This one is even better. From the first chapter to the last, the story is filled with interesting characters, intense action, and, a Bauer trademark, some of the best dialog you'll find in fiction. COBALT even strikes close to home (my home), with a nod to a Pennsylvania town I know all too well. I'm glad to hear Bauer has another novel coming out this year; he can't write them fast enough for this hungry reader.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Billionaire aerospace executive and sometime CIA asset Max Fend is recruited to discover and develop cobalt deposits around the world, particularly in the US, instigating a globe hopping adventure to outrun and outmaneuver other interests both foreign and domestic. When the son of a single mother in rural Pennsylvania discovers an interesting rock in their backyard these interests also look to control this potential asset as well. Great action and adventure full of well researched local details for the locations from Africa, to the Arctic, to central Pennsylvania to give the settings depth an odd romantic subplot took me out of the adventure a little bit but the dramatic conclusion was a great wrap up to this fun thriller. I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of Cobalt through a Goodreads Giveaway. When I read what the book was about, I imagined it might be like an old Tom Clancy book. While I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the mineral cobalt and all the planes, helicopters and weaponry this book lacked the excitement I was hoping for. I did want to know how the story ended so I finished it but it wasn't the page turner that I was hoping for. I now realize this is a series and I don't know that I'll seek out another Max Fend book. Again, I did appreciate the detail given about weaponry and aviation.

[William Viergever · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad We Still Have Max Fend (and Renee)

I’ve loved the Andrew Watts Max Fend series, so had no hesitation grabbing this one by Chris Bauer. Overall, another good book where Max is Max (along with his other cohorts), good plot, pace, and character development. My 4, and not 5, star rating was because some of the dialogue seemed contrived/wordy and, the ending seemed rushed (and a tad implausible). But.. there’s always a but—already preordered the next!!

[John Machata · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good read. Hated the need to introduce false excitement with a polar attack on humans, what would be in reality an extremely rare event, but Mr. Bauer suggests that not one but two polar bears would attack. Preposterous. Not enough drama. Too much macho techno data superfluous to the story.

[Steven Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max Fend, our hero from a previous series is that it again. The book is fast paced, is about something that we are in an economic war with China, and it's pertinent. With China sucking up all the rare metals they can find we need a few breaks of our own. And I don't mean literary. The Chinese are trying to corner the market in rare metals and it's about time for us to find something they haven't put their greedy paws on.

[Christine Chamberlain]

I love the way the story unfolds and circles back to tie everything together. This was my first book in the Max Fend series. I'd like to understand better how he got where he is now. . . and find all those first books. Very enjoyable read!

[C.G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wrote it.

[Sharon Buchbinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping Story

Great characters and a ripped from headlines plot makes this a gripping read. Come for the thriller, stay for the characters. Five bright cobalt blue stars!

[Daniel Dorian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Bauer’s forte is to pick a hot news item and to build around it a story laced with hard facts and wild fiction. The result of this clever mix is a page turner difficult to let go. ‘Cobalt’ will raise your blood pressure, and will leave your fingernails bitten to the core. It will also enlighten you on the major impact this precious metal—cobalt—will have on our daily lives. And don’t be surprised to see your neighbor frantically dig holes in his backyard! Il will confirm that he is also reading Chris Bauer’s new thriller

[C.G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wrote it.