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Tony Wolf/Tim Buckthorn #2
Broken Shield
He’s back. And he’s always ready to cross the line . . .
Deputy Sheriff Tim Buckthorn thought he’d seen the last of FBI agent Tony Wolf. But when a young girl is kidnapped, Wolf returns to assist in the search.
While Buckthorn, Wolf, and FBI prodigy Leila Dushane race against the clock to piece the clues together and save the girl, they find themselves right in the line of fire.
Faced with violent and lawless criminals, Buckthorn has to decide if he is prepared to break all the rules to protect the people and the place he loves . . . against all odds.
Deputy Sheriff Tim Buckthorn thought he’d seen the last of FBI agent Tony Wolf. But when a young girl is kidnapped, Wolf returns to assist in the search.
While Buckthorn, Wolf, and FBI prodigy Leila Dushane race against the clock to piece the clues together and save the girl, they find themselves right in the line of fire.
Faced with violent and lawless criminals, Buckthorn has to decide if he is prepared to break all the rules to protect the people and the place he loves . . . against all odds.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 28, 2013
173 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
J.D. Rhoades
25 books185 followersJ.D. Rhoades is America's foremost writer of the genre known as "Redneck noir," and his biography reads like "Tobacco Road" as written by Hunter S. Thompson.
Rhoades never knew his parents; he was found abandoned on the steps of a cut-rate Filipino tax preparation service in Slidell, La. As a child, he was bounced around between a series of orphanages, reformatories and opium dens. His first brush with the law came when he shot a man in Reno just to watch him die. He was seven years old at the time.
Rhoades first turned to drugs at the age of five, when he discovered you could get high by snorting Nestle’s Quik through a rolled up copy of Highlights magazine. Since then, he claims to have ingested marijuana, peyote, heroin, psilocybin, uppers, downers, screamers, laughers, dried banana peels, glue, paste, mucilage, LSD, DMT, STP, ABC, CNN, TLC, Sterno, Drano, Bondo, Ketamine, Dopamine, glucosamine, Ovaltine, and Krispy Kreme.
He hit rock bottom when he did all of them in the same night and woke up two weeks later, hanging upside down by his knees from a tree limb in Duluth, Minn., and singing an aria from “Die Fledermaus.” In German, a language that he does not speak.
Rhoades is rumored to have once killed a stripper with a fondue fork and disposed of the body using an electric pencil sharpener over a period of 14 hours.
Ii is not known whether the rumors are true that Rhoades kidnapped the Lindbergh Baby, nor can reports that he was the shooter on the grassy knoll when Kennedy was shot be confirmed. He does, however, know Tom DeLay personally.
-Biography contributed by James Frey
Rhoades never knew his parents; he was found abandoned on the steps of a cut-rate Filipino tax preparation service in Slidell, La. As a child, he was bounced around between a series of orphanages, reformatories and opium dens. His first brush with the law came when he shot a man in Reno just to watch him die. He was seven years old at the time.
Rhoades first turned to drugs at the age of five, when he discovered you could get high by snorting Nestle’s Quik through a rolled up copy of Highlights magazine. Since then, he claims to have ingested marijuana, peyote, heroin, psilocybin, uppers, downers, screamers, laughers, dried banana peels, glue, paste, mucilage, LSD, DMT, STP, ABC, CNN, TLC, Sterno, Drano, Bondo, Ketamine, Dopamine, glucosamine, Ovaltine, and Krispy Kreme.
He hit rock bottom when he did all of them in the same night and woke up two weeks later, hanging upside down by his knees from a tree limb in Duluth, Minn., and singing an aria from “Die Fledermaus.” In German, a language that he does not speak.
Rhoades is rumored to have once killed a stripper with a fondue fork and disposed of the body using an electric pencil sharpener over a period of 14 hours.
Ii is not known whether the rumors are true that Rhoades kidnapped the Lindbergh Baby, nor can reports that he was the shooter on the grassy knoll when Kennedy was shot be confirmed. He does, however, know Tom DeLay personally.
-Biography contributed by James Frey
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 28, 2013
When Deputy Tim Buckthorn abandons his badge, he tosses away all the rules that go with it. Tears will come to your eyes and pounding to your ribcage as you follow the story of a good man willing to die to wreak vengeance and destroy evil.
May 9, 2013
another great read from Dusty!
Tony Wolf and Tim Buckthorn are superb working together, complimented very nicely by Leila Dushane. The characters are real, the action is exciting and realistic, the drama is compelling. Dusty does a great job telling this story.
Tony Wolf and Tim Buckthorn are superb working together, complimented very nicely by Leila Dushane. The characters are real, the action is exciting and realistic, the drama is compelling. Dusty does a great job telling this story.
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September 2, 2013I confess I snagged this book from Kindle via a free promotion with low expectations, since I've read other self-published books which really showed their amateur status. That bias was unwarranted here. I really enjoyed this and would gladly read others (including the first of this series).
May 21, 2013
J.D. does it again! great fast read from cover to cover. I'm glad to see some characters from "Breaking Cover" back again.
September 15, 2016
This was a good J. D. Rhoades book; I'm not sure I like Tony Wolf/Tim Buckthorn as much as his Jack Keller series. Still - I rated it 4.5 stars.
October 3, 2024
A really good book!
I read the first one and I thought that it was really good but darn if this one wasn't better than the first one! I sure hope this isn't the last one!
I read the first one and I thought that it was really good but darn if this one wasn't better than the first one! I sure hope this isn't the last one!
October 19, 2024
great book
I loved the intrigue this book has! More twists and turns than you can count! Highly recommend for a great read.
I loved the intrigue this book has! More twists and turns than you can count! Highly recommend for a great read.
August 8, 2013
*A bit of spoilers* This is a tough one to review. I really wanted to like it. Seriously. I genuinely enjoyed book 1 of the series because of the action, violence, intrigue, plot twists, and Tony Wolf's gritty demeanor. Broken Shield left me wondering where Tony Wolf from book 1 disappeared to? The plot of Broken Shield was rather simple and without much mystery. Violence was aplenty but...so was romance. And though I do love reading romances, the mushiness in Broken Shield watered down the action and violence component, at least for me.
The plot centers around a girl who has been taken hostage in response to her father being unable to repay his gambling debt to a dixie mob boss. The girl is locked and chained in the basement of a house but lo and behold, a tornado rips through the town. The tornado decimates the house, leaving the girl buried alive under the rubble. Somehow though, a picture of the girl chained in the basement magically flies from the town of her capture to Pine Lake. The picture lands on the property of one of Tim Buckthorn's neighbors and the neighbor immediately calls Tim, kicking off an investigation. I found this incredibly hard to believe and was disappointed as the plot further unfolded. The villains weren't the sharpest tools in the toolbox either. I will say my new favorite character was Wolf's partner, Dushane. She assisted in providing the requisite badass/kickass element.
I realize that this book shed more light on Tim Buckthorn's life, family, and vulnerabilities, but I wanted more of the badass Tony Wolf. Instead we see Tim Buckthorn's devolution from a by-the-book police officer to a vigilante hellbent on revenge. I'm not sure his fall from grace was as believable as Tony Wolf's backstory and character development from Breaking Cover. And that lackluster ending? Not what I was expecting from a Rhoades action thriller. Maybe because I so thoroughly enjoyed book 1 I unfairly attempted to hold Broken Shield to the same standards. Either way, it was still worth the purchase.
The plot centers around a girl who has been taken hostage in response to her father being unable to repay his gambling debt to a dixie mob boss. The girl is locked and chained in the basement of a house but lo and behold, a tornado rips through the town. The tornado decimates the house, leaving the girl buried alive under the rubble. Somehow though, a picture of the girl chained in the basement magically flies from the town of her capture to Pine Lake. The picture lands on the property of one of Tim Buckthorn's neighbors and the neighbor immediately calls Tim, kicking off an investigation. I found this incredibly hard to believe and was disappointed as the plot further unfolded. The villains weren't the sharpest tools in the toolbox either. I will say my new favorite character was Wolf's partner, Dushane. She assisted in providing the requisite badass/kickass element.
I realize that this book shed more light on Tim Buckthorn's life, family, and vulnerabilities, but I wanted more of the badass Tony Wolf. Instead we see Tim Buckthorn's devolution from a by-the-book police officer to a vigilante hellbent on revenge. I'm not sure his fall from grace was as believable as Tony Wolf's backstory and character development from Breaking Cover. And that lackluster ending? Not what I was expecting from a Rhoades action thriller. Maybe because I so thoroughly enjoyed book 1 I unfairly attempted to hold Broken Shield to the same standards. Either way, it was still worth the purchase.
May 12, 2019
I snagged this book in a free promotion via Amazon Kindle last year, and this year I made the decision that I would actually read it. It's entertaining, to say the least, and even though it is part of a series, it reads very well as a stand-alone book. I didn't feel that I was missing anything by not having read the first book in the series.
I found it easy to follow along, with mediocre writing style. The characters, while believable, don't seem to have the complexity of a human being, but rather of a two dimensional box. I'm not sure if the author was trying to make the characters into some emotionally damaged individuals, but either way the characters weren't well developed, and there didn't seem to be much backstory for them. Perhaps the backstory for Tony Wolf and Tim Buckthorn were given in the first book, but that still left Leila Dushane to be fleshed out and given her story. Instead, we hear bits and pieces of their stories through dialogue.
There's nothing in the book that sticks out to me as worthwhile to remember, as it is straightforward and generic. I really is the type of books where cop finds out about crime -->goes on searching for the victim-->gets caught up in bad stuff-->someone close to him gets killed-->cop goes out for revenge, and there's nothing else.
Ultimately, for a free book, it was an entertaining read; however, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else to read unless mediocre cop-gone-rogue books are your thing. If it isn't, there are other books out there that are better worth your time.
I found it easy to follow along, with mediocre writing style. The characters, while believable, don't seem to have the complexity of a human being, but rather of a two dimensional box. I'm not sure if the author was trying to make the characters into some emotionally damaged individuals, but either way the characters weren't well developed, and there didn't seem to be much backstory for them. Perhaps the backstory for Tony Wolf and Tim Buckthorn were given in the first book, but that still left Leila Dushane to be fleshed out and given her story. Instead, we hear bits and pieces of their stories through dialogue.
There's nothing in the book that sticks out to me as worthwhile to remember, as it is straightforward and generic. I really is the type of books where cop finds out about crime -->goes on searching for the victim-->gets caught up in bad stuff-->someone close to him gets killed-->cop goes out for revenge, and there's nothing else.
Ultimately, for a free book, it was an entertaining read; however, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else to read unless mediocre cop-gone-rogue books are your thing. If it isn't, there are other books out there that are better worth your time.
August 3, 2014
If I remember correctly, I got this from Amazon for free at some point, and it has just taken me awhile to get to it. When it comes to books in a series, or containing a sequence using the same character, I always like to read previous stories, but in case, I was needing a book pretty fast, and this one felt right at the time. Not having read the first book, this one seemed to start off just fine, but the further I got into the book, I realized I had gotten more than what I bargained for.
The writing style was pretty easy to follow, and much of the story was easy to figure out what was going to happen next. There didn't seem to be character development for anyone. No 'fleshing out' character backgrounds, and to me, it made them feel like cardboard cutouts. Dialogue was at a minimum, and I just felt like the reader was to make assumptions based on stereotypes.
I made it just over half way through this book before quitting on it. The abducted girl was safe, and I knew the remaining half of the book would be the supercop and his female FBI/sex partner would chase down the big, bad boss that caused all the hoopla in the beginning. Yeah, and I got tired of the fake sexual tension and wordplay.
The writing style was pretty easy to follow, and much of the story was easy to figure out what was going to happen next. There didn't seem to be character development for anyone. No 'fleshing out' character backgrounds, and to me, it made them feel like cardboard cutouts. Dialogue was at a minimum, and I just felt like the reader was to make assumptions based on stereotypes.
I made it just over half way through this book before quitting on it. The abducted girl was safe, and I knew the remaining half of the book would be the supercop and his female FBI/sex partner would chase down the big, bad boss that caused all the hoopla in the beginning. Yeah, and I got tired of the fake sexual tension and wordplay.
May 16, 2013
I've come to look forward to a new book by J. D. Rhoades. A fellow North Carolinian, most of his work is set in the state, the thrillers anyway(he also does a bit of SF and fantasy). BROKEN SHIELD is a sequel to BREAKING COVER, his 2008 thriller. This time, however, Tim Buckthorn, a deputy sheriff of Gibson County, is the main focus, Tony Wolf a supporting character.
It begins after tornadoes had laid a wide swath of waste to across two states. A photo is found of a young girl tied to a chair when a woman is cleaning the junk deposited in her yard.
The FBI gets involved, in the person of Tony Wolf and his partner, Leila Dushane, and the trail sends them to Tennessee and a deep south criminal organization tied in with an ex-Irish terrorist.
And ultimately Buckthorn on a hunting mission!
J. D. Rhoades knows how to write an action scene, pacing, and a high energy conclusion. Couple that with a smooth writing style and you get a thriller that one can't help racing through.
Recommended highly for all thriller lovers.
It begins after tornadoes had laid a wide swath of waste to across two states. A photo is found of a young girl tied to a chair when a woman is cleaning the junk deposited in her yard.
The FBI gets involved, in the person of Tony Wolf and his partner, Leila Dushane, and the trail sends them to Tennessee and a deep south criminal organization tied in with an ex-Irish terrorist.
And ultimately Buckthorn on a hunting mission!
J. D. Rhoades knows how to write an action scene, pacing, and a high energy conclusion. Couple that with a smooth writing style and you get a thriller that one can't help racing through.
Recommended highly for all thriller lovers.
May 6, 2013
Rhoades brings back the characters of Tim Buckthorn and Tony Wolf from Breaking Cover, a book I read a few years ago. I remember enjoying it, but I'm a bit fuzzy on the plot. (It sucks getting old). Fortunately, Rhoades recaps enough of the details from the previous book so I knew what was going on without giving too much away.
This is the classic Good Guys against the Bad Guys. And everyone has guns. Lots of guns.
By chance, Chief Deputy Buckthorn learns of the kidnapping of a teen aged girl, who is being held by the aforementioned Bad Guys. Her father owes them money and it's their way of letting him know they mean business.
Reluctantly, Buckthorn teams up with FBI agent Wolf and together they put the pieces together to find the girl, incurring the wrath of a very powerful crime family in the process.
Rhoades does a great job with the characters, and builds the suspense all the way to the end. All in all, a great read.
This is the classic Good Guys against the Bad Guys. And everyone has guns. Lots of guns.
By chance, Chief Deputy Buckthorn learns of the kidnapping of a teen aged girl, who is being held by the aforementioned Bad Guys. Her father owes them money and it's their way of letting him know they mean business.
Reluctantly, Buckthorn teams up with FBI agent Wolf and together they put the pieces together to find the girl, incurring the wrath of a very powerful crime family in the process.
Rhoades does a great job with the characters, and builds the suspense all the way to the end. All in all, a great read.
June 10, 2013
The bad guys on display here range from desperate and incompetent to thoroughly and professionally evil, but at times it's hard to tell which type is most dangerous. This sequel to Breaking Cover is measurably better than its already excellent predecessor: the narrative starts at a dead run and keeps picking up speed as plot threads criss-cross and tangle with each other, but Rhoades never loses sight of the human element. There's emotional intensity to go with the high-octane plotting, which is what puts Broken Shield -- along with Rhoades' other "redneck noir" thrillers -- head and bloody shoulders above the rest.
May 21, 2013
While I didn't enjoy this book as much as the previous Wolf/Buckthorn novel, it did manage to keep my interest.
If a person is an action junkie, then this will satisfy that need. Wolf, an FBI agent and Buckthorn, a local sheriff deputy, become involved in a fight with some really bad people after they get involved in the hunt for a kidnapped child. As with the other Rhoades books I have read there is a lot of shooting and violence.
Getting too much into the end game in this novel will spoil it, although as the novel progresses it becomes obvious to the reader how things are going to play out. I was just a bit disappointed in the way Rhoades chose to end this.
If a person is an action junkie, then this will satisfy that need. Wolf, an FBI agent and Buckthorn, a local sheriff deputy, become involved in a fight with some really bad people after they get involved in the hunt for a kidnapped child. As with the other Rhoades books I have read there is a lot of shooting and violence.
Getting too much into the end game in this novel will spoil it, although as the novel progresses it becomes obvious to the reader how things are going to play out. I was just a bit disappointed in the way Rhoades chose to end this.
September 9, 2013
A free Kindle book of the day, a nice read. Tim Buckthorn is a small town sheriff and gets involved in a kidnapping case that becomes bigger. Rhoades mentions Jack Reacher and Lee Child several times, not needed, and this a reasonable 'me, too' effort in that vein.
July 24, 2013
A good mystery, lots of action. I found 5 errors. Ironically one of the errors was misspelling "sheriff" and this story is about a sheriff.
July 22, 2013
Well written, engaging storyline. I did not like how it played it. Personal preferences, nothing against against author at all.
September 28, 2013
Very good story line. Characters make you feel like you are in the story with them, well written.
October 2, 2013
I am definitely reading more by this author. Good plot, good pacing, interesting characters.
August 31, 2015
The duo of Tony and Tim did not disappoint in this author's fast paced action novel. An ending to die for, with no pun intended (once you've read the book.
March 3, 2015
Great book !!!!!!Review to follow.....
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews