What do you think?
Rate this book
Omega Deception: A Jack Trench Thriller
The gift … forged in blood, death and brotherhood. Trench will do anything to get it back.
Jack Trench, former CIA covert operative and his girlfriend, Lucy Kubota, are enjoying a long-planned vacation of a lifetime in Northern Italy. How can it turn so wrong, so quickly?
Their vacation plans are shattered by the theft of Trench’s prized Omega Speedmaster watch from his wrist by a gypsy boy in Milan. Little did Jack and Lucy know that the theft would bring them into the crosshairs of a dangerous criminal organization in Italy.
Trench uncovers Royles, the cunning and evil leader of the dangerous Romani Mafia … a group he’s never encountered. It will soon regret stealing his prized Omega watch. God help anyone who stands in his way to get it back.
The Romani Mafia made a big mistake. Trench is determined to regain possession of his Omega watch … no matter what it takes.
The Watchers return in an adventure that spans two continents and the retrieval of a prized possession.
From a confrontation in a Milan criminal safehouse, to a harrowing knife fight on a train, to an intense firefight on a beautiful island between Romani Mafia and The Watchers, to a final confrontation between Trench and Royles in Venice, the action is non-stop.
325 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 22, 2025
20 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Mike Howard
13 books8 followersMike and Anne Howard left on their honeymoon in 2012 and have been traveling the world ever since. Chronicling their journey across seven continents, HoneyTrek.com is their inspirational travel hub for hundreds of the world’s most spectacular destinations, while their social media platforms engage over 250,000+ travelers daily. Their writing, photography, and the story of the “World’s Longest Honeymoon” can also be found on the Washington Post, Condé Nast Traveler, Lonely Planet, BBC Travel, Los Angeles Times, a Microsoft Windows TV commercial, and dozens of other international outlets. Firm believers that love and travel make the world a better place, they continue to spread the word as Smithsonian speakers and National Geographic authors with their new book, Ultimate Journeys for Two.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 15, 2025
Mike Howard’s Omega Deception opens with a punch and doesn’t slow down. It’s the kind of thriller that drops you straight into the action and then keeps twisting until you’re dizzy from the pace. The story follows Jack Trench, a former Marine turned CIA operative, whose stolen Omega watch becomes the thread that unravels an international conspiracy. The novel leaps between continents and decades, weaving tales of espionage, betrayal, and revenge. From the narrow alleys of Milan to the heat of African battlegrounds, it’s part spy story, part revenge tale, and part emotional reckoning for a man whose past refuses to stay buried.
Howard’s writing has grit and authenticity. The dialogue snaps, the military detail feels earned, and the characters, especially Trench, have that rough-edged humanity that makes them believable. I found myself grinning at the old-school spycraft and then wincing at the violence that comes with it. At times, the pacing gallops so fast that I had to catch my breath, but I kind of loved that. It reminded me why I read thrillers in the first place, to feel the pulse of danger, the smell of sweat, and the uncertainty of who’s really the good guy.
What stood out most wasn’t just the gunfights or the secret missions. It was the emotion underneath it all. Howard gives Jack Trench moments of reflection and regret that hit harder than any bullet. There’s loss here, and a kind of moral exhaustion that seeps through the pages. Some parts hit like a gut punch, especially when the past comes back around to demand its due. I could tell the author respects the people who live in the shadows, the operatives who do the dirty work no one ever hears about. That respect shows up in every sentence, and it’s what lifts the story beyond a standard shoot-’em-up spy novel.
Omega Deception is a fast, lean, no-nonsense thriller that would appeal to anyone who loves stories about spies, soldiers, and secrets. It’s perfect for readers who like Clancy’s precision but want something grittier and more relatable. If you want action that feels real, characters with scars that matter, and writing that moves like a heartbeat, then this book will hook you hard and keep you turning the pages until late at night.
Howard’s writing has grit and authenticity. The dialogue snaps, the military detail feels earned, and the characters, especially Trench, have that rough-edged humanity that makes them believable. I found myself grinning at the old-school spycraft and then wincing at the violence that comes with it. At times, the pacing gallops so fast that I had to catch my breath, but I kind of loved that. It reminded me why I read thrillers in the first place, to feel the pulse of danger, the smell of sweat, and the uncertainty of who’s really the good guy.
What stood out most wasn’t just the gunfights or the secret missions. It was the emotion underneath it all. Howard gives Jack Trench moments of reflection and regret that hit harder than any bullet. There’s loss here, and a kind of moral exhaustion that seeps through the pages. Some parts hit like a gut punch, especially when the past comes back around to demand its due. I could tell the author respects the people who live in the shadows, the operatives who do the dirty work no one ever hears about. That respect shows up in every sentence, and it’s what lifts the story beyond a standard shoot-’em-up spy novel.
Omega Deception is a fast, lean, no-nonsense thriller that would appeal to anyone who loves stories about spies, soldiers, and secrets. It’s perfect for readers who like Clancy’s precision but want something grittier and more relatable. If you want action that feels real, characters with scars that matter, and writing that moves like a heartbeat, then this book will hook you hard and keep you turning the pages until late at night.
March 29, 2025
The characters are well thought of and interesting. The story is well researched and presented to the reader in an interesting fashion. The book is a page turner. It grabs the reader and keeps the reader wanting to see where it goes. Nothing is too outrageous. The development follows a well thought line of action. And the ending is as it should be. The story is nice. The words flow well. Simplicity at its best and most compelling. Nice job.
March 19, 2025
A pretty good story well told with good characters on both sides.
Jack, his girl friend and the Watchers have their hands full trying to take down a really bad man and his group before they kill someone else.
Jack, his girl friend and the Watchers have their hands full trying to take down a really bad man and his group before they kill someone else.
July 25, 2025
I liked the story and the characters but I felt like sometimes the author was overstating the obvious. I also spotted multiple typos which are a distraction for me.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews