Shaking the Tree

Max Strong Thrillers #1

by Mike Donohue

Max just wants to make doughnuts. Out of prison, but still on parole, the only thing he wants is to keep his head down, go to work and maybe grab a cold beer at the end of his shift. He doesn't even care that the program stuck him in Essex - a nice, but nowhere small town. With his head already full of bloody and painful memories, he'd like it just fine if his past and future stayed nice and quiet.

Too bad the present just got really messy.

A body in a tree. A missing briefcase. A Russian hit man. A DEA agent bent on revenge. A corrupt mayor. Not to mention a sheriff with dangerous ambition. A meth lab in the woods. And some pissed off bikers. Things are suddenly very interesting in sleepy Essex county. Bodies are turning up. Secrets are coming out. Questions are being asked. Fingers are being pointed. It's not good being the new guy in a small town.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Suspense, Amazon

212 pages, ebook

First published January 19, 2011

About the author

Mike Donohue writes crime fiction, suspense and thriller novels. He is the author of four novels, two novellas, and a short story collection.

The Max Strong crime series is about a reformed thief and criminal trying to put a lot of tragedy and blood behind him and live a quiet life. It doesn’t go so well (does it ever?) and Max needs to figure out if he can really leave his past behind and get free. Or if he needs to embrace it and maybe destroy whatever is left of himself.

Mike lives outside Boston with my wife, two kids and Dashiell Hammett.

Dash is the family dog.

Reviews

[karin whitehead · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a tangled mess! A body in a tree, a bad mayor, an ex con, a donut maker and a silver case full of money. A whole lot going on here, people aren't who you think, everybody has secrets, and bunches of illegal activities are going on. This writer sure knows how to weave a story to keep you interested! Well written, great characters and a whole lot of story!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit I’m not sure why I picked this book up to read. I think it fitted into a challenge I was participating in. Sometimes when you know very little about a book they turn out to be a really good read such as this book was.

I found there was a lot going on in this book, but in saying that I found it easy enough to follow. An intriguing story that held my interest all the way to the last page. Recommended.

[Melissa Ammons · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like a book that is full of imagery - this is the book for you!

Bad guys.
Bad cops.
Good guys.
Good cops.
Drugs.
Murder.
Money.
A steel briefcase.

This book has it all.

Give it a read!

[Alicia Huxtable · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very mysterious thriller

This one kept me up half the night. I needed to know what had happened. Was definitely a great read.

[Ginny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good plot. Well written. Characters didn't have enough depth for me.

[Sue Blakeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the characters were slowly introduced I failed to notice when the introductions were replaced by the slow moving story line. I wondered at the complex web of different people and thought to myself, how slowly this is moving! It wasnt until the pace had reached a mad gallop that I realised how I'd been taken in and the description of these characters had been replaced by a solid lacing together of their lives. Each one was slowly having an effect on the next and then, bang, half of them had died or been murdered and I was cheering on the survivors past the finishing line of survival. The way the story came together for its climactic end was amazing. It left you wanting more, what happened to this man? What happened to the guy in the abandoned multi storey building? The fat guy who lived above the bar he owned, the farmer, the only law man worth anything? So many untied ends, do I smell a next book. . . . . .

[Erin-Joi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book on Spotify, unfortunately, that edition of the book is not yet on Goodreads.

The story is pretty good and the narrator is great. This is one of those times I wish there were half stars. If there were, I would have given this 4.5 stars.

There were several things about small town middle America that rang very true, and yet some things that just wouldn't happen that way. Yes, in such a small town everyone is up in everyone else's business. So much that there is little chance that some of the lessor known things in the book could possibly be lessor known. The lack of knowledge allowed some things to occur in the story that should not have been able to. I think the author could have used the fact that your neighbor almost knows what color underwear you have on as a way to move the story forward rather than have people not checking on their neighbors after hearing things.

I must say, I really loved the final paragraph in the epilogue. Karma is good.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good story, but exhausting. There is so much happening. A former law enforcer is about to be murdered, but jumps out of the helicopter with a briefcase.
He , of course is killed when he is impaled on a tree. The briefcase hits a morning rummer who takes it home and finds it full of money. Bad guys arrive in town to find the briefcase full of money.
The sheriff, who is running a meth lab gets involved to protect his crooked interests. The helicopter jumper's former partner arrives in town to identify the body. He was alerted to a query about a unique tattoo on the dead man.
Almost everyone ends up dead, but the ending leaves an opening for a sequel.

[Patricia Tally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing

I have to confess I mostly read crime/mystery books free from Kindle Unlimited and I like series. I've built up a tolerance for lots of very amateurish writing and lots of padding, pointless description of scenery, over the top descriptions of emotions, etc. This first in series was none of that. It has lots of characters doing different things that will intertwine in the end and enough is revealed about the main characters to let you know there's more to the story. Action moves fast and though sadistic Russian killers is a bit cliche you won't care because everything is moving fast. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and I hope the series is more of the same.

[Jeannine Wickliffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a dead body is found in a pear tree things keep going wrong in the small area of Essex. Then the bodies start adding up. What is going on and how did Max Strong end up in the middle of it all. Sit back and enjoy the ride as the clues lead to the end. This is a good read and enjpy the charactersd

[MGB · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'd think that hiding out in a bakery would be a great way to disappear. But when the luck of the draw threw a doper in as your roommate, everything goes sideways in a big way.

This is a great mystery, twist and turns, lots of characters involved. It will keep you hooked all the way to the end.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining mystery listening 🔰😀

A will written mystery thriller adventure novel by Mike Donahue book one ☝in the Max Strong Thriller Series about murder, violence, fast action, and friends. I would recommend this novel to readers of mysteries. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to novels 👍🔰🏡😇2022

[J Vernon Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keep you in suspense, and the ending is phenomenal!

Many twists and turns in this suspenseful Story, And the author tells it extremely well. Pretty much can't wait for the next in this series as this guy Max is an unusual character that seems to come out of nowhere. Can't wait for the next 1!

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It was full of excitement and intrigue. I loved the character's and how they related to each other in a small town setting. There was so much going on for such a small town. There was not a boring moment in the book. I want to read more from this author.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book, I loved everything about it. The story itself was very interesting and quite believable. The characters were also very believable and really interesting. I have read other books by Michael Donohue and have enjoyed them all. I look forward to reading more from him.

[Wanda R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thriller and Crime case

Thriller and Crime case. Lots of twists and turns. Was an enjoyable read. You will meet some interesting characters in this book. Check it out. I believe you just might enjoy the trip.

[Rocky Henriques · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donohue writes a good story ...

...and this one has some pretty good twists and turns. Well-written and very well constructed. Someone looking for a good change of pace will enjoy this book. Recommended!

[Rick Farlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

DRUGS & MAFIA MONEY

I found this book to start out slow, after the opening scene, but it gained momentum with every chapter... until it ended great. Looking forward to reading the 2nd in the series. RECOMMENDED

[Kevin Bowser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a fairly complex plot and the author developed it very well. The body count was a little too high and was at times unnecessary to move the plot along. But, all in all, it was a fun read. I am not sure if I will continue the series or not.

[Mrs Susan J Bociek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karma

Really interesting storyline. As the threads come together the lines between good and bad become blurred.....a good guy does a very bad thing. The bad guy does a good thing. The guy stuck by chance, in the middle, gets karma. Great book.

[Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A body drop from the air onto a tree

Quite a story.
A mysterious suitcase, the start of the whole thing. What was in it? A body found in a tree, who was it and why was it there?
How did the Russians get involved?

[Janice Reeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

This story was so well put together. I especially liked going from one situation to another in real time. Very easy to remember the characters and their roles.
Read it in two sittings.

[Jerry Greenfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page turner

A page turner. It kept my attention from the first to last page with twists and turns at exactly the right time in the story. Can hardly wait to read the second book in the series.

[Marilyn Mazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was entertained throughout the whole book, have never read anything from this author but have just bought the sequel to this series and signed up for another 2 fee books from this author. The story was not dragged out and was interesting and well written.

[Joe Vitucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dead man stuck up in a tree.
A farmer and his wife just trying to hang on.
A jogger that almost gets hit by a briefcase falling out of the sky.
A sheriff that has overstepped legal boundaries.
The town of Essex up in Minnesota.
The Russian mob.
Meth lab.
What is the connection?

[Colin Devonshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth a read.

[Wanda B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Corruption, crime, death, drugs and the Russian mofia all in one small town of Essex leads to an intriguing story that has loose ends.

[Wpayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shaking The Tree

Really liked this book. Liked the kind of person Mad was and the story moved along at a good pace. No time to get bored for sure. Very good read!

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well done

A page turner. Good number of twists and turns. Glad to know a new author. Some gore, but that's the norm these days.

[Jean Bartlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story line and set in Minnesota

I liked the story line. Things kept going wrong for everyone. Need to read the next book to see what happens to Max.