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Travis Bishop #6
Phase One
The Port of Houston is plunged into chaos as a colossal cargo vessel loses power and crashes into a historic bridge. The once-thriving harbor now lies in the grip of darkness and despair, its bustling activity stilled by the unexpected calamity.
In the midst of the turmoil, Travis Bishop, a veteran of the clandestine world of espionage, is called back into action. Despite his retirement from the CIA, Bishop's expertise is sought once more as he delves into the mysterious circumstances surrounding the ship's sudden loss of power. What initially appears as a tragic accident soon reveals itself to be a web of deception and betrayal, carefully concealed beneath the surface.
As Bishop peels back the layers of intrigue, he uncovers more than just an accident. The stakes couldn't be higher, with the very future of two allies hanging in the balance. It's a race against time as Bishop navigates the treacherous waters of international espionage, determined to uncover the truth before it's too late.
In the midst of the turmoil, Travis Bishop, a veteran of the clandestine world of espionage, is called back into action. Despite his retirement from the CIA, Bishop's expertise is sought once more as he delves into the mysterious circumstances surrounding the ship's sudden loss of power. What initially appears as a tragic accident soon reveals itself to be a web of deception and betrayal, carefully concealed beneath the surface.
As Bishop peels back the layers of intrigue, he uncovers more than just an accident. The stakes couldn't be higher, with the very future of two allies hanging in the balance. It's a race against time as Bishop navigates the treacherous waters of international espionage, determined to uncover the truth before it's too late.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 4, 2024
37 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 6, 2024
Ms. Kalis has not disappointed with this new Travis Bishop story and it's nerve racking! Phase One has a great plot, involving really up-to-date situations, believable characters, and I pray that the book's plot will never become reality!
Great entertainment and hughly recommended!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Great entertainment and hughly recommended!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 7, 2024
Not my typical genre but I thought I would give it a go. It was an alright story with a very intriguing character in Travis Bishop, whom, it seems, was brought out of retirement even though he would rather be on his ranch. Interesting plot, apropos for current situations in the world. I did enjoy it, maybe will read more of Travis's exploits even though I do not care for "cliff hangers'.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 20, 2024
Left too much unanswered,
Realize there is probably another book coming. When an author leaves the story this open with lots of unanswered questions, it seems like a cheap trick to sell the next book. If the plot and characters are great there’s no need to use this plot ending. The desire to continue reading will naturally occur. There were two huge damaging consequences with so many deaths. It doesn’t seem possible to clean up the mess. Destruction to such huge feats of engineering and daily use, it will take years for fix. Don’t see how even a couple of additional books in the series will be able to resolve so real life can continue.
Realize there is probably another book coming. When an author leaves the story this open with lots of unanswered questions, it seems like a cheap trick to sell the next book. If the plot and characters are great there’s no need to use this plot ending. The desire to continue reading will naturally occur. There were two huge damaging consequences with so many deaths. It doesn’t seem possible to clean up the mess. Destruction to such huge feats of engineering and daily use, it will take years for fix. Don’t see how even a couple of additional books in the series will be able to resolve so real life can continue.
July 22, 2024
I received an ARC through "Booksprout" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
This story begins with a container ship faking an emergency and winds up bringing a bridge down in Houston. Travis is at his ranch when he receives a call that his help is needed. Since he is a consultant and his fee is high, this must be a real emergency. He is advised that he will be picked up by a helicopter and flown to the location. On the helicopter besides the pilot is Kyle, his partner for when he is called to a scene. His assignment is to discover what happened with the container ship. Upon arriving on the ship, he met up with an NTSB agent that he had worked with before. After checking the ship out, it was determined that this was not an accident, but a planned event. As Kyle and Travis were searching, they came across two containers that were connected and indicated that someone was there and it ointed to this individual may have been involved in the incident. Two items were discovered that might be a clue. One of them was a note pad where London was displayed, while the other item was flash drive.
After Kyle determined that the flash drive was encrypted and he couldn't get into the file, the decision was then made to fly to London. On arriving, Travis and Kyle were taken to MI6 hdqtrs. Once the file was decoded, it brought to the forefront that the attack in Houston was a terrorist attack and there was a likelihood of one taking place in England. The task now was to discover what sort of event was planned and to prevent it from happening.
To discover what event was planned, what role Kyle played, what steps Travis and MI6 took to stop it and how everything worked out in the end, then you need to read this book.
The ending is one not expected. This is a book that you don't want to miss!
This story begins with a container ship faking an emergency and winds up bringing a bridge down in Houston. Travis is at his ranch when he receives a call that his help is needed. Since he is a consultant and his fee is high, this must be a real emergency. He is advised that he will be picked up by a helicopter and flown to the location. On the helicopter besides the pilot is Kyle, his partner for when he is called to a scene. His assignment is to discover what happened with the container ship. Upon arriving on the ship, he met up with an NTSB agent that he had worked with before. After checking the ship out, it was determined that this was not an accident, but a planned event. As Kyle and Travis were searching, they came across two containers that were connected and indicated that someone was there and it ointed to this individual may have been involved in the incident. Two items were discovered that might be a clue. One of them was a note pad where London was displayed, while the other item was flash drive.
After Kyle determined that the flash drive was encrypted and he couldn't get into the file, the decision was then made to fly to London. On arriving, Travis and Kyle were taken to MI6 hdqtrs. Once the file was decoded, it brought to the forefront that the attack in Houston was a terrorist attack and there was a likelihood of one taking place in England. The task now was to discover what sort of event was planned and to prevent it from happening.
To discover what event was planned, what role Kyle played, what steps Travis and MI6 took to stop it and how everything worked out in the end, then you need to read this book.
The ending is one not expected. This is a book that you don't want to miss!
August 4, 2024
After a terrorist attack on the United States, investigators try to figure out what else is planned - 5 stars
Phase One could be based on the 2024 container ship crash into a harbor bridge in Baltimore. Rather than an accident, this story is about a terrorist attack on the United States.
Travis Bishop, a retired CIA asset is asked to see what he can find out after a bridge collapses. The story is well done and is truly unputdownable. You will be carried along from a wave-filled sea to a calamity in progress. The "spooks" of the free world work together to infiltrate the terrorist network thanks to finding an encrypted flash drive.
The CIA is not the only secret agency in the world that can decrypt encoded messages. Even the government-run agencies seek outside help. Beyond code breaking, wheedling into a migrant community, false papers, and an assassin provide enough links to identify the people who want to paralyze the free world.
It is almost being in the room where intelligence experts pick apart the evidence. Pressuring to a detainee - without waterboarding - does obtain information which is not always reliable. The terrorists also apply pressure, but their methods almost always include physical pummeling, bruising, and breaking of bones. Terrorists' methods always produce something; death is the most likely outcome, but occasionally actionable information is obtained.
Phase One is a timely story that seems conceivable. Imagining the resources the CIA can scour up is exciting. The author takes the reader into the room starting where plans are formulated and eventually to the locations where the plans are executed. This is a terrific story.
Phase One could be based on the 2024 container ship crash into a harbor bridge in Baltimore. Rather than an accident, this story is about a terrorist attack on the United States.
Travis Bishop, a retired CIA asset is asked to see what he can find out after a bridge collapses. The story is well done and is truly unputdownable. You will be carried along from a wave-filled sea to a calamity in progress. The "spooks" of the free world work together to infiltrate the terrorist network thanks to finding an encrypted flash drive.
The CIA is not the only secret agency in the world that can decrypt encoded messages. Even the government-run agencies seek outside help. Beyond code breaking, wheedling into a migrant community, false papers, and an assassin provide enough links to identify the people who want to paralyze the free world.
It is almost being in the room where intelligence experts pick apart the evidence. Pressuring to a detainee - without waterboarding - does obtain information which is not always reliable. The terrorists also apply pressure, but their methods almost always include physical pummeling, bruising, and breaking of bones. Terrorists' methods always produce something; death is the most likely outcome, but occasionally actionable information is obtained.
Phase One is a timely story that seems conceivable. Imagining the resources the CIA can scour up is exciting. The author takes the reader into the room starting where plans are formulated and eventually to the locations where the plans are executed. This is a terrific story.
July 22, 2024
Top notch edge-of-your-seat thriller!
I love this series. KJ Kalis always manages to spin tension-filled, spellbinding adventures that could have been taken from the headlines of some global news agency and insert a good ol’ boy from Texas right smack in the middle of the action. Being a native of Texas, myself, I knew Travis could handle anything the author threw at him. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that this particular good ol’ boy is a military-trained former CIA operative. Regardless, his natural southern charm, his military training and his carefully honed spycraft skills assure the reader of a first class adventure sure to entertain and mesmerize right up to the last page. Travis Bishop reluctantly agreed to “consult” with the CIA after his “retirement” and that commitment has him, in this book, leaving his beloved horse ranch to investigate a horrific accident in the Port of Houston. Clues are uncovered that hint at the disaster being a bit less than accidental and following those clues sends Travis and his new protégé on a whirlwind transatlantic journey in the hopes of stopping an even bigger catastrophe. This story propels you right into the action from the first page and kept me entranced until I had finished the last sentence in the epilogue. I am already anticipating the next white-knuckled installment in what I consider a true top-shelf series.
I love this series. KJ Kalis always manages to spin tension-filled, spellbinding adventures that could have been taken from the headlines of some global news agency and insert a good ol’ boy from Texas right smack in the middle of the action. Being a native of Texas, myself, I knew Travis could handle anything the author threw at him. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that this particular good ol’ boy is a military-trained former CIA operative. Regardless, his natural southern charm, his military training and his carefully honed spycraft skills assure the reader of a first class adventure sure to entertain and mesmerize right up to the last page. Travis Bishop reluctantly agreed to “consult” with the CIA after his “retirement” and that commitment has him, in this book, leaving his beloved horse ranch to investigate a horrific accident in the Port of Houston. Clues are uncovered that hint at the disaster being a bit less than accidental and following those clues sends Travis and his new protégé on a whirlwind transatlantic journey in the hopes of stopping an even bigger catastrophe. This story propels you right into the action from the first page and kept me entranced until I had finished the last sentence in the epilogue. I am already anticipating the next white-knuckled installment in what I consider a true top-shelf series.
July 30, 2024
Phase One by KJ Kalis
Travis Bishop Thriller Book Six
Travis Bishop has agreed to help out the CIA on special cases, but it’ll cost them big to pull him off of his ranch. When a bridge is knocked down in Houston, he’s unsure why he’s being called in. Once at the scene, he sees why. It’s not an accident, and it looks like an act of terrorism that’s going to hit the US in a big way. After finding more information, it seems this is only the beginning, and they have to work fast to find out who is behind this and what the next target is.
Meanwhile, issues back home have Travis torn. He knows he has to try and save thousands of people, yet his heart is back on the ranch.
I love KJ’s writing. These books sure twist my emotions, though. Whether it’s getting to know the victims in the first chapters or others dying, it is real life in that even the good ones die at times.
https://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com...
Travis Bishop Thriller Book Six
Travis Bishop has agreed to help out the CIA on special cases, but it’ll cost them big to pull him off of his ranch. When a bridge is knocked down in Houston, he’s unsure why he’s being called in. Once at the scene, he sees why. It’s not an accident, and it looks like an act of terrorism that’s going to hit the US in a big way. After finding more information, it seems this is only the beginning, and they have to work fast to find out who is behind this and what the next target is.
Meanwhile, issues back home have Travis torn. He knows he has to try and save thousands of people, yet his heart is back on the ranch.
I love KJ’s writing. These books sure twist my emotions, though. Whether it’s getting to know the victims in the first chapters or others dying, it is real life in that even the good ones die at times.
https://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com...
August 3, 2024
Ripped from the headlines
The backdrop for this story is one that any tv show would call ripped from the headlines. It’s absolutely familiar to the tragic accident that occurred in Baltimore. In this story that’s just a starting point and requires retired CIA agent and consultant Travis Bishop. What follows is a twisty thrilling story that will keep you guessing and make you unwilling to put the book down until you’ve finished. The author has a real talent for stories that enthrall and engage you. Travis is such a likable character a reluctant hero who never fails to step up when everything is on the line. He’s highly trained, intelligent, able to improvise and knows how to play the game to his advantage and the benefit of the many. Here we go again!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The backdrop for this story is one that any tv show would call ripped from the headlines. It’s absolutely familiar to the tragic accident that occurred in Baltimore. In this story that’s just a starting point and requires retired CIA agent and consultant Travis Bishop. What follows is a twisty thrilling story that will keep you guessing and make you unwilling to put the book down until you’ve finished. The author has a real talent for stories that enthrall and engage you. Travis is such a likable character a reluctant hero who never fails to step up when everything is on the line. He’s highly trained, intelligent, able to improvise and knows how to play the game to his advantage and the benefit of the many. Here we go again!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 6, 2024
Book six on the Travis Bishop Thriller series brings back some of the characters of the previous one, and brings Travis Bishop out of "retirement" as a consultant for the CIA.
When I started reading the book, right from the first pages, i couldn't but think about the similarities between the port "accident" in the book with the headlines of a few months back from the container that hit the bridge at the Port of Baltimore, so much that happens in this book can be easily transpose to events that can happen in the turbulent world that we live in right now.
This book is adrenaline in steroids, so many twists and turns, one more scary than the next one.
This book ends with a little cliffhanger and a snippet of what's to come on book seven.
KJ Kallis never disappoints with her books and this book is not the exception. I can't wait to read the following book in the series.
When I started reading the book, right from the first pages, i couldn't but think about the similarities between the port "accident" in the book with the headlines of a few months back from the container that hit the bridge at the Port of Baltimore, so much that happens in this book can be easily transpose to events that can happen in the turbulent world that we live in right now.
This book is adrenaline in steroids, so many twists and turns, one more scary than the next one.
This book ends with a little cliffhanger and a snippet of what's to come on book seven.
KJ Kallis never disappoints with her books and this book is not the exception. I can't wait to read the following book in the series.
July 26, 2024
This story is eerily relevant to what is happening in our world at this time. There is obviously some entity behind this disaster, but is this only the beginning? Travis Bishop is recalled from retirement to help figure out why or who, even though he would much rather stay on his ranch working with horses.
Working through the evidence, indications of something more are found. But where and what is something being planned? Join Travis, his CIA partner Kyle and multiple different agencies as they try to discern what might be coming and how they can protect against it.
This thriller will long linger in my mind - make sure you get Book 6 in the Travis Bishop Thrillers. Received through BDM, LLC and BookSprout these impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.
Working through the evidence, indications of something more are found. But where and what is something being planned? Join Travis, his CIA partner Kyle and multiple different agencies as they try to discern what might be coming and how they can protect against it.
This thriller will long linger in my mind - make sure you get Book 6 in the Travis Bishop Thrillers. Received through BDM, LLC and BookSprout these impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.
July 27, 2024
I have enjoyed K. J. Kalis' writing for several years. Her Travis Bishop series is one of my favorites. Travis is a retired CIA agent who now owns a horse ranch in Texas but occasionally gets called to consult for his former employer. In this book, he becomes deeply embroiled in a case that could be, as is often described on TV, "ripped from the headlines." A freighter crashes into a heavily traveled bridge in Houston, setting off a whole chain of events.
I liked this story. It has plenty of drama and thrills. The ending is set up for a sequel, which I will await impatiently.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I liked this story. It has plenty of drama and thrills. The ending is set up for a sequel, which I will await impatiently.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 6, 2024
A large cargo ship crashes into a major bridge in the port of Houston and the authorities suspect terrorism. Travis, a retired CIA operative, is brought in to join the investigating team and consult with them about who and why this could have happened. The clues lead them ultimately to London. This thriller has non-stop action as the team races to find the terrorists before they can act again. It does end in a bit of a cliff-hanger leading into the next book but it was still enjoyable to read. I'm awaiting the next installment.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 5, 2024
Bishop is asked to assist the CIA after a disaster in Houston. He's teamed up with Kyle, a relative newbie in the CIA.
From Houston, they end up in London.
With MI6, they join forces to deal with Abdallah Sayyaf. The group threatens even more death and chaos than in Houston. Bishop finds himself a step behind the group.
Bishop has to deal with death again, powerless to prevent it.
The book is thrilling and builds to tumultuous ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
From Houston, they end up in London.
With MI6, they join forces to deal with Abdallah Sayyaf. The group threatens even more death and chaos than in Houston. Bishop finds himself a step behind the group.
Bishop has to deal with death again, powerless to prevent it.
The book is thrilling and builds to tumultuous ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 14, 2024
I love reading about Travis Bishop's adventures as a CIA consultant. The stories are well written. The characters have depth and can be related to. Once you start reading there is so much action you won't want to put the book down. This adventure starts off with a ship hitting and destroying a bridge in Houston. It quickly becomes an international adventure and a race to prevent another disaster.
August 9, 2024
Another nail biter with similarity to reality but different enough to enjoy the ways that books that are fiction stay fiction.
Being called out on another CIA job is just the beginning of the thriller. It takes place on two continents and makes you want to not put the book down.
Cannot wait to see where the next book takes us.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Being called out on another CIA job is just the beginning of the thriller. It takes place on two continents and makes you want to not put the book down.
Cannot wait to see where the next book takes us.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 26, 2024
With work and problems to work out at the ranch, Travis receives a call to investigate a bridge collapse. Working that case to prove it was only an accident led to other major problems in other areas of the globe.
Another series that will hold your attention and have you sitting on the edge of your seat.
Well done!
Another series that will hold your attention and have you sitting on the edge of your seat.
Well done!
July 12, 2024
Another first rate story in the Travis Bishop series which moves at a non-stop pace throughout. An innovative plot, and so many varied characters in a story with an amazing number of twists and turns. It also left some interesting titbits for future stories.
July 24, 2024
This is a cracking thriller as this authors book usually are. There’s always something happing. I was throughly engrossed throughout right up to the ending I certainly didn’t expect. What on earth is the next one going to be like, cannot wait to find out. Highly recommended.
August 5, 2024
This is my favourite character that KJ writes about. This story has him torn between stopping terrorists and keeping his own horse business running successfully. The story moves from the US to the UK and has some aspects of recent events that have actually occurred. An easy well written read.
August 10, 2024
When a super tanker collides with a major bridge in Houston, the CIA suspect something a bit fishy. Travis Bishop is whisked from his horse farm to investigate.
An excellent tale of terrorist intrigue that shifts from Texas to London as Bishop's partner goes undercover in an attempt to thwart a chilling plot.
Great characters and a fast moving plot had me hooked.
An excellent tale of terrorist intrigue that shifts from Texas to London as Bishop's partner goes undercover in an attempt to thwart a chilling plot.
Great characters and a fast moving plot had me hooked.
October 13, 2024
Exciting
Love this series. Can't wait till the next installment. Hope phase 2'will be as exciting as phase 1. Travis Bishop is a well thought out major character in this series. Totally recommend reading this KJ Kalis series.
Love this series. Can't wait till the next installment. Hope phase 2'will be as exciting as phase 1. Travis Bishop is a well thought out major character in this series. Totally recommend reading this KJ Kalis series.
February 8, 2025
Travis gets a double whammy
Travis gets pulled into his alternate job with the CIA. He gets a new partner and a disaster to investigate. This leads him to London and old friends. He has a bigger disaster both at work and home.
Travis gets pulled into his alternate job with the CIA. He gets a new partner and a disaster to investigate. This leads him to London and old friends. He has a bigger disaster both at work and home.
July 17, 2024
Travis Bishop, ex government agent, is happily running his horse training business when he gets an unexpected call. A container cargo ship has crashed into the bridge at the Houston ship channel blocking everything. Part of his retirement is getting called back in for a major incident just like this. As he begins his quest with fellow team members they soon find evidence that points to a deliberate act. From this point forward this book will take you on an international whirlwind trip ! This was an awesome read that will keep you up late waiting to see what happens next. A very well written storyline, non stop action and a wonderful cast of characters keeps you on the edge of your seat.
August 4, 2024
I couldn't put this book down, action from start to finish. An edge of the seat page turner. I hope Phase Two isn't too far away.
May 26, 2025
Star Number One
Top notch tale, A reminder in fiction about the threats and dangers that exist in our real world every day.
Top notch tale, A reminder in fiction about the threats and dangers that exist in our real world every day.
September 6, 2024
Travis Bishop
A man on a mission, what a good read, thank you K J for another fast paced instalment in this series. Absolutely on edge of ya seat and hold on tight parts to this story. Can’t wait to read the next one
A man on a mission, what a good read, thank you K J for another fast paced instalment in this series. Absolutely on edge of ya seat and hold on tight parts to this story. Can’t wait to read the next one
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews