ALEX LUTHECKER lives off of the grid. He prefers the comfort of the night. He avoids the crowded and chaotic daylight hours, because the relentless anxieties of the multitudes overwhelm him. This is because Alex has a rare gift. He is a pattern reader. Patterns in nature, patterns in social groups, patterns in individual behavior, he can recognize them all. With one conversation, he knows all of your secrets. He can tell you exactly who you are. He can tell you exactly how your life is going to end. For Alex, it’s not magic. It’s math.
NICOLE ELLIS works in the energy business. She trades futures in the lifeblood of civilization: crude oil. With the help of her patented pattern recognition software, PHOEBE, she has the uncanny ability to predict trends in oil production and consumption. And at the tender age of twenty-five, she is recognized as one of the best in the business, with the bank account to show for it. For Nicole, who grew up with nothing, the world is hers.
RICHARD BROWN was a highly respected intelligence officer during both Gulf Wars. He oversaw rendition squads, making sure that his interrogators didn’t cross the line into torture, and if they did, that no one would ever be the wiser. The only thing that mattered to the government was that Brown always got his man. His track record of success allowed his move into the private sector, eventually heading the corporate entity known as Coalition Properties, the largest military contractor in U.S. history. For Brown, the commodity he trades and sells is power.
A terrorist attack on a Saudi oil refinery sets the paths of all three on a collision course, an encounter that threatens to upset the balance of power in the world. Alex must learn to forge relationships and become a leader in order to save the lives of not only himself and Nicole, but also those of his loose band of allies, as he becomes one of the most sought after fugitives in history.
Keith Domingue is a screenwriter living in Los Angeles, and has written scripts for MGM, Dimension Films, and Village Roadshow Pictures. His original screenplay CRAVE, is being produced by Vetted Media, and is scheduled to begin production in 2015. Also a fitness coach and avid martial artist, he splits his time between the computer screen and the gym. LUTHECKER is his first novel.
Let me start out with just one statement: Good lord almighty. As soon as I opened the pages of Luthecker I knew was in for the long haul. This, my friends, is the perfect example of fabulous Indie writing. It's polished, has completely amazing characters, and contains a plot that will blow your mind and keep you reading. Long story short? I totally devoured this book.
The first thing that struck me about Luthecker was Alex himself. Here we have a lone wolf character, but with a huge heart. Blessed (or cursed as the case may be) with the power to see patterns in the lives of others, Alex can essentially see the past and future in an instant. Unfortunately this puts him on the radar of some pretty bad people. I loved Alex's character so much. Honest and kind, all he wants is to figure himself out. His vulnerability made him likable and his strength made him an amazing protagonist.
That's not to say that the other characters aren't well formed also. Each one has their own vivid personality, and lends just the right amount of help or hindrance when it comes to Alex's journey of self discovery. I have to add here that I was completely enamored with the way that light is pitted against dark here, in so many ways. Alex's story has many levels to it and, once you factor in a lightning fast plot, you have a book that will beg you to read it to completion.
The absolute only reason that I gave this book 4 stars rather than 5 was because of the amount of detail it goes into at times. I know this is likely because I'm just getting into thrillers, but a lot of the very descriptive attention to guns, cars, and military items kind of went over my head. I am more than certain that veterans of the genre will shake their heads at me, but hey, I need to be honest. It didn't matter in the long run anyway. I still latched on to the overall story with a white knuckled grip, and powered on. Yes, it's that good.
So if you are a fan of this genre, Luthecker is a story that you need to get your hands on! Once again I'm proven right. It doesn't take a big publishing house to put out a great story. Keith Domingue is an extremely talented writer and I cannot wait to see what's coming around the bend. Strap yourself in and hold on tight. Luthecker will take you for a ride.
About time that the youth of today make a stance!!!
This is my first book, from this author, that I've read. His characterizations revolving around both the protagonists and the antagonists weave a story that is riveting, albeit, a small part that drags early on. This story is one that is fast paced, and tells the story from multiple angles. I am leaping right into the next one in his series, because the storyline is fascinating and action packed. This book by Keith Domingue is a much needed twist from the black ops guys stories out there that always turn out victorious and rid the world of the bad guys. A nice change of pace ........finally!!!!
I like complex plots but often they let themselves down but not this one. The story is well structured and never dull. We live in this world though many wouldn't recognize it. The telling commands, there are no voids or soft openings just action. Characters are well drawn even the minor characters have depth. Good reading, compelling story, real people everything that is needed to keep YOU involved.
What a thriller! Domingue has written a thriller that kept you on the edge of your chair throughout the book. Well written with a multitude of characters to keep tract of. The ending was a let down compared to the rest of the book. Nevertheless, the book was well worth reading.
To be honest, this started slow for me. There was a lot of time, a lot of characters and a lot of situations to get set up. But after a few chapters, the insane roller coaster ride began. And I don't think anyone who can read patterns could predict half the outcomes here. A sassy, suspenseful tale, well told.
Interesting concept to be able to read people like Alex does. A very observant person could do some of this as is shown by Sherlock Holmes. Some really bad guys here. Shows that more money and more power corrupts more. Once this story gets going, there is no stopping.
Wow...just...wow...Once you start reading this book, you will NOT be able to put it down - & that's a promise! Can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series. This is an action book with lots of twists and turns. The characters are believable, and momentum never stops.
This book is a little bit of a thriller and a little bit of a fantasy title. The author does a good job of getting you right in the middle of the action, the characters are believable, and I stayed up fairly late in an unsuccessful effort of finishing it. All in all, a good story.
This novel was filed with action and held my attention. Although predictable at times, I enjoyed reading it. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to read a clean hero novel.
When an egomaniacal would-be dictator matches wits with a young man who can see patterns to predict past and future it takes a small army of average people to rescue Luthecker and end the would-be dictator's catastrophic plans.
This book for me hooked at the first page, and kept me interested until the end. I enjoy both fantasy and thrillers. This book combined them in an interesting way. I would definitely read more books from this author
A very surprising read. I really enjoyed the twists, turns and very realistic plot. Once I started reading it just kept pulling me in deeper. I ended up unable to put it down.
Terrific characters. Exciting, non-stop action. Several important themes. Violence is handled thoughtfully. Read it in one day. Seriously. I couldn't put it down.
Although not exactly my type of book, I did like the psychological games going on. The mysticism of whatever you call it was just enough to carry the story. I would like to read what's next. I hope it's as interesting!
I enjoyed this book from the first page until the last page. Excellent plotting that keeps the book moving at a steady consistent pace while deepening the characters. Kudos to the author. Recommended.
Do not recommend this book/series. Never really going. Story line was all over the place. Did not finish, to much other stuff out there and so little time to read it all.
Really enjoyed this one so much that I bought the next two books. Very interesting talent that Luthecker has—I’ve never seen this device in any thriller yet, and I've read hundreds of them. 'Would make a great movie series.
Believable characters and a very intriguing plot. A super fast easy read I couldn't read fast enough. Amazing author and look forward to his next book.
Hold on to your seats for this fast paced, action paced adventure. This is truly one book you can not put down. A must read to provide hops that the good guys win