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Craig McIntyre #1
The Catalyst
Craig McIntyre, ex US military turned bodyguard, has a powerful and uncontrollable affliction: his mere presence removes people's inhibitions, transforming their darkest thoughts into action.
When a US senator sees the unique potential to create the ultimate assassin he orders a covert agency to capture Craig and Craig's wife, Lorraine.
In an attempt to mold him into a lethal weapon, the senator has Craig drugged and tortured and forces him to witness Lorraine's murder.
Craig escapes and, distraught at the death of his wife, he vows to kill the senator. But he has to act fast because the agency has orders to hunt him down and bring him back: dead or alive.
When a US senator sees the unique potential to create the ultimate assassin he orders a covert agency to capture Craig and Craig's wife, Lorraine.
In an attempt to mold him into a lethal weapon, the senator has Craig drugged and tortured and forces him to witness Lorraine's murder.
Craig escapes and, distraught at the death of his wife, he vows to kill the senator. But he has to act fast because the agency has orders to hunt him down and bring him back: dead or alive.
ebook
First published June 30, 2014
12 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Brown
11 books12 followersGordon Brown has eight crime and thriller books published to date, along with a novella and a number of short stories.
Under his new expat alias, Morgan Cry, (he also writes under the name Gordon Brown) Gordon’s latest crime thriller, ’Thirty-One Bones’, set in Spain, is published by Polygon. Available now in both the UK and the U.S. – the sequel, called ‘Six Wounds’, will be published in in May 2022.
Gordon also helped found Bloody Scotland, Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival (see www.bloodyscotland.com), is a DJ on local radio (www.pulseonair.co.uk) and runs a strategic planning consultancy. He lives in Scotland and is married with two children.
In a former life Gordon delivered pizzas in Toronto, sold non-alcoholic beer in the Middle East, launched a creativity training business, floated a high tech company on the London Stock Exchange, compered the main stage at a two-day music festival and was once booed by 49,000 people while on the pitch at a major football Cup Final.
Under his new expat alias, Morgan Cry, (he also writes under the name Gordon Brown) Gordon’s latest crime thriller, ’Thirty-One Bones’, set in Spain, is published by Polygon. Available now in both the UK and the U.S. – the sequel, called ‘Six Wounds’, will be published in in May 2022.
Gordon also helped found Bloody Scotland, Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival (see www.bloodyscotland.com), is a DJ on local radio (www.pulseonair.co.uk) and runs a strategic planning consultancy. He lives in Scotland and is married with two children.
In a former life Gordon delivered pizzas in Toronto, sold non-alcoholic beer in the Middle East, launched a creativity training business, floated a high tech company on the London Stock Exchange, compered the main stage at a two-day music festival and was once booed by 49,000 people while on the pitch at a major football Cup Final.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 25, 2015
Craig McIntyre, ex US military turned bodyguard, has a powerful and uncontrollable affliction: his mere presence removes people's inhibitions, transforming their darkest thoughts into action.
When a US senator sees the unique potential to create the ultimate assassin he orders a covert agency to capture Craig and Craig's wife, Lorraine.
In an attempt to mould him into a lethal weapon, the senator has Craig drugged and tortured and forces him to witness Lorraine's murder.
Craig escapes and, distraught at the death of his wife, he vows to kill the senator. But he has to act fast because the agency has orders to hunt him down and bring him back: dead or alive.
Well, this is an interesting novel and a different take on the use of a person as a weapon. McIntyre, is no slouch when it comes to his military abilities, but throw in his ability to force people to turn on each other he’s deadly. The trouble is McIntyre is at first unaware of his ‘skill’. Once he gains awareness (by force) he can’t figure out how to control it. Instead a US senator tried to turn him into a killer to be directed as he sees fit. McIntyre wants to break out, but he can’t and in the process he ends up killing the few people around him he cares about and many more beside. And there’s absolutely nothing he can do about it.
Overall it’s brightly written. Brown has a taut, very economic style to his narrative that whips the story along at pace. Descriptions are minimal, which adds to the breakneck speed. Being written in the first person adds greatly, the reader becomes immersed in McIntyre’s world, sensing his confusion, his loss and, ultimately, his hate.
I thoroughly enjoyed Catalyst and read it over a couple of sittings. It slips along easily, the twists and turns in the plot kept me well entertained. If you like something a little different, this is the book for you. Cleverly plotted it’s a winner.
**Originally reviewed for Books & Pals blog.**
When a US senator sees the unique potential to create the ultimate assassin he orders a covert agency to capture Craig and Craig's wife, Lorraine.
In an attempt to mould him into a lethal weapon, the senator has Craig drugged and tortured and forces him to witness Lorraine's murder.
Craig escapes and, distraught at the death of his wife, he vows to kill the senator. But he has to act fast because the agency has orders to hunt him down and bring him back: dead or alive.
Well, this is an interesting novel and a different take on the use of a person as a weapon. McIntyre, is no slouch when it comes to his military abilities, but throw in his ability to force people to turn on each other he’s deadly. The trouble is McIntyre is at first unaware of his ‘skill’. Once he gains awareness (by force) he can’t figure out how to control it. Instead a US senator tried to turn him into a killer to be directed as he sees fit. McIntyre wants to break out, but he can’t and in the process he ends up killing the few people around him he cares about and many more beside. And there’s absolutely nothing he can do about it.
Overall it’s brightly written. Brown has a taut, very economic style to his narrative that whips the story along at pace. Descriptions are minimal, which adds to the breakneck speed. Being written in the first person adds greatly, the reader becomes immersed in McIntyre’s world, sensing his confusion, his loss and, ultimately, his hate.
I thoroughly enjoyed Catalyst and read it over a couple of sittings. It slips along easily, the twists and turns in the plot kept me well entertained. If you like something a little different, this is the book for you. Cleverly plotted it’s a winner.
**Originally reviewed for Books & Pals blog.**
November 9, 2015
You think this is going to be your run of the mill thriller but instead you find yourself witnessing inexplicable and strange happenings apparently triggered by Craig. It gives the book an unusual edge that keeps you guessing while it drags you on the run. Quite the thrilling read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews