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Kingfisher Seven: A Thriller

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After a cutting-edge rocket explodes on launch, intelligence expert and former spy Jake Moran sets out on a high-stakes mission to find the truth in order to save the operation…and countless lives.

When ex-intelligence officer Jake Moran is hired by Kingfisher Aerospace to assist with a high-profile mission, he expects a standard rocket launch. But what he gets is far from routine—the Kingfisher Seven rocket explodes in spectacular and very public fashion. And billionaire owner Helena Nash wants answers.

The explosion forces Jake and his team at Cascadia Information Systems to pivot from monitoring weather satellites to gathering intelligence. The clock is ticking, and it’s up to them to find out what—or who—brought down the rocket.

Their investigation uncovers a plot that could destroy not only Kingfisher but the entire private aerospace industry. And Jake’s past holds the key. His history of not-quite-aboveboard tactics has earned him a long list of enemies, all with an eager eye for revenge.

Armed with covert tech, Jake and his team race to neutralize the threat. But if they can’t pinpoint the source in time, a nation could face a whole new kind of terror.

327 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 12, 2025

210 people are currently reading
2911 people want to read

About the author

Shawn Klomparens

4 books58 followers
Shawn Klomparens lives and writes in Jackson, Wyoming.

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5 stars
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99 (44%)
3 stars
28 (12%)
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 16, 2025
I won Kingfisher Seven through a Goodreads giveaway and I’ll always be grateful for the chance to read something new. The premise is really interesting and there were moments that pulled me in, but overall it was hard for me to stay hooked. The pacing dragged in parts, and I found myself struggling to keep going even though I wanted to see how it ended. It wasn’t a bad read, just not fully my style. A solid 3 stars from me.
Profile Image for Claudete Takahashi.
2,644 reviews38 followers
August 20, 2025
Kingfisher Seven has a slow start but once you get into the gist of the story you just cannot stop reading it. It's a mix of military prowess, technology in the satellite industry, and cold war between USA and Russia. It's an interesting and intriguing story with a credible plot and characters that are well developed and although tending to the heroic are believable. Good entertainment!
I thank the author's estate, their publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.
Profile Image for Sarah Jensen.
2,090 reviews188 followers
May 12, 2025
Book Review: Kingfisher Seven: A Thriller by Shawn Klomparens

Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)

Scoring Breakdown:
Plot & Pacing: 5/5 – A relentless, high-stakes thriller with masterful tension
Character Development: 4.5/5 – Flawed yet compelling protagonists with psychological depth
Atmosphere & Suspense: 5/5 – Immersive, grim tone that amplifies the narrative urgency
Originality & Execution: 4/5 – Familiar thriller tropes elevated by fresh twists and sharp prose
Thematic Resonance: 4/5 – Explores moral ambiguity and survival with nuance

Synopsis & Narrative Drive
Shawn Klomparens’ Kingfisher Seven is a gripping thriller that plunges readers into a world of danger and moral compromise. Klomparens crafts a breakneck plot with precision, balancing action sequences with moments of psychological tension. The pacing is relentless, making it difficult to put down, though some secondary plot threads could benefit from deeper exploration.

Character Complexity & Relationships
The novel shines in its portrayal of flawed, deeply human characters. Klomparens avoids archetypes, instead delivering protagonists whose motivations are tangled in guilt, desperation, and resilience. The dynamics between key figures—particularly alliances forged under duress—add emotional weight to the high-stakes narrative. While the protagonist’s backstory is compelling, a few supporting characters feel underdeveloped, leaving room for richer interactions.

Atmosphere & World-Building
Klomparens excels at creating a visceral, often grim atmosphere that lingers long after the final page. Whether depicting claustrophobic hideouts or treacherous landscapes, the setting functions as both a backdrop and an antagonist. The suspense is amplified by tight, cinematic prose, though occasional over-reliance on familiar thriller settings (e.g., shadowy organizations) slightly diminishes the world’s uniqueness.

Themes & Moral Ambiguity
Beyond its adrenaline-fueled surface, Kingfisher Seven wrestles with themes of trust, betrayal, and the cost of survival. Klomparens doesn’t shy away from moral gray areas, forcing characters—and readers—to question the boundaries of justice. A deeper dive into systemic critiques (e.g., institutional corruption) could have elevated the thematic impact, but the novel’s focus on personal stakes remains compelling.

Prose & Pacing
The writing is lean and propulsive, with dialogue that crackles and descriptions that immerse. Klomparens’ style suits the genre perfectly, though sparing use of lyrical flourishes might have added texture to key emotional moments. The pacing is near-perfect, with only a minor lull during mid-story exposition.

Final Verdict
Kingfisher Seven is a standout thriller that delivers both heart-pounding action and psychological depth. While it adheres to some genre conventions, Klomparens’ sharp execution and layered characters make it a memorable read. Highly recommended for fans of gritty, character-driven suspense.

Acknowledgments:
Thank you to NetGalley and the author, Shawn Klomparens, for providing an advance copy of Kingfisher Seven: A Thriller in exchange for an honest review.
34 reviews
June 22, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the copy.

I felt that this was an intriguing read and a topic that I haven't come across in all my thriller reads. Venturing into the private space world and hacking rockets was very interesting to me and played really well. I appreciate the detail the author used in the writing. it wasn't too scientific but made it seem authentic and that he knew what he was writing about. The characters were well fleshed out and you get familiarized with Jake and it seems like his 2 companions will stick with him and be more relevant but the unfortunate and extremely sad passing of Shawn Klomparens means we won't know where they would go next.
566 reviews10 followers
August 2, 2025
I was recently allowed the opportunity to read the ARC of Kingfisher Seven, which is the title of a book that was written by Shawn Klomparens (I feel that it is safe to use the past tense because he had unfortunately passed away in 2024), and I wish to thank the author (or his estate), his publisher (Thomas & Mercer.), and the fine folks at Net Galley. This book is going to be released to the public on 12 August 2025.

Klomparens’ Kingfisher Seven is a gripping thriller that plunges readers into a world of danger and moral compromise, dealing with issues that revolve around the world of private industry rocketry. Similar to the real-world Space X, the company (Kingfisher Aerospace) would base its mission on the numerous advances in rocket propulsion, reusable launch vehicles, human spaceflight, and satellite constellation technology.

With this novel, Klomparens crafts a breakneck plot with precision, balancing action sequences with moments of psychological tension. The pacing is relentless, making it difficult to put down, though some secondary plot threads could benefit from deeper exploration. The plot of the novel centers on a rocket explosion that jeopardizes Kingfisher Aerospace and the broader aerospace industry.

The story revolves around an ex-intelligence officer, Jake Moran, and his team at Cascadia Information Systems, who is hired by Kingfisher Aerospace to investigate the explosion of their rocket, the "Kingfisher Seven". The explosion, which occurred publicly, forces Jake and his team to uncover a plot that could have devastating consequences for the private aerospace industry, as well as posing a threat to the national security of the nation (with consequences of the resulting explosion, combined with the nuclear cargo/fuel contained within the rocket, would have over that portion of the United States bordering on the Gulf of Mexico (or America, depending upon your viewpoint)

Overall, I felt that this was an intriguing read and a topic that I hadn't come across in all my thriller reads. Venturing into the private space world and hacking rockets was very interesting to me, and it played well. I appreciate the detail the author used in the writing. It wasn't too scientific, but it made it seem authentic and that the author knew what he was writing about. The characters were well fleshed out, and you get familiarized with the main protagonist, Jake, and it seems like his 2 companions will stick with him and be more relevant, but the unfortunate passing of Shawn Klomparens means we won't know where they would go next. I found the plot to be original, and the characters were well-developed and full of life.

My only issue with the book was the multiple points of view (POVs) that started the book, and led to some confusion as to which character was speaking at the time.

That said, on my self-determined five-star rating scale, I would give this book a solid four stars and believe that the subject of the book would quickly become a favourite for aficionados of modern thrillers.

As with most of my literary ramblings, this is just my five cents' worth.
Profile Image for Debra Gaynor.
695 reviews8 followers
September 8, 2025
Kingfisher Seven
Shawn Klomparens
Jake Morgan is a former intelligence officer. He and his team work at Cascadia Information Systems where they monitor weather satellites. Helena Nash is the owner of Kingfisher Aerospace; she hires Jake to investigate the explosion of Kingfisher Seven. What should have been a routine launch wasn’t. The rocket exploded and Helena wants to know who, and why. Jake’s team switch their focus to intelligence gathering. What they discover could end the private aerospace industry; the security of the nation is at risk. There is another launch set to go up in a few days; lives are at stake.
NASA and Kingfisher are working together to place satellites in orbit. Despite the pre-flight tests, simulations and safekeeping measures, the rocket blew up. Could Helena’s adult son be involved? He is the co-chair of a nonprofit organization working against the private aerospace program.
Shawn Klomparens could not have chosen a better time to create this tale. Over the past few years, the public has become aware of the private aerospace industry thanks to Elon Musk’s SpaceX and his heroic efforts to rescue and return to earth the two astronauts left in space.
Kingfisher Seven has an intriguing and unique plot. The author had enough facts to make this tale especially appealing without overwhelming the reader. The story is told through multiple points of view which makes it a little confusing at times. Unfortunately, Kingfisher Seven starts off a little slow making it difficult to stay focused but if you stick with it the action picks up about 1/3 of the way and doesn’t stop. The world lost a talented author in 2024. Rest in peace author Shawn Klomparens,

I receive a digital audio copy of this tale from NetGalley. My reviews are unbiased.
Profile Image for Cindy.
1,745 reviews35 followers
August 3, 2025
Kingfisher Seven is a taut thriller with Cold War-era, space-race, and computer-hacking vibes. NASA has partnered with Kingfisher to put satellites into space, but the last launch failed despite all the pre-flight testing, simulations, and security measures.

One complication is that the grown son of Kingfisher’s founder co-leads a nonprofit opposing the rocket program. Were they behind the recent rocket failure, or were there other shady characters involved? That’s when former intelligence officer Jake Moran accepts a consulting job with Kingfisher to get to the bottom of it all.

The well-narrated audiobook is peppered with complex characters while still managing to be fast-paced and engaging. My thanks to the author, publisher, @BrillianceAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #KingfisherSeven for review purposes. Publication date: 12 August 2025.
Profile Image for Mandy Jo.
182 reviews13 followers
September 25, 2025
This was a high-action thriller centered on the private sector and rocket launches. Jake Moran—ex-CIA, ex-military—is now working as a contractor to help with launches, and the story takes off from there. I loved the fast-paced energy of this novel. The character development was strong, and I felt genuinely connected to the cast.

It’s a shame the author has passed away, because I would have absolutely kept reading more about Jake and his team. Private rocket launches, Russian terrorists, protestors, military, and espionage: it’s all in here. I’ll be honest, I didn’t understand half of the technical details, but I actually learned a lot and enjoyed diving into how these rockets work, along with their risks and benefits.

Definitely recommend this one!
Profile Image for Tom Burkholder.
380 reviews4 followers
August 15, 2025
In the book Kingfisher Seven, author Shawn Klomparens writes about ex-intelligence officer Jake Moran who is hired by Kingfisher Aerospace to investigate the explosion of their rocket. And there is no time to waste because their next rocket must take off in just a few days. But the deeper they dig, the more shocking the information they find as they uncover a plot to destroy the private space industry. Its a race against the clock to save the mission and many lives from the fallout. This was a good story with a lot of action. The audio-book narration was very good. I received a copy of this audio-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Lacepaperlife .
799 reviews20 followers
August 9, 2025
Kingfisher Seven drops you into a high-stakes world of space tech, ambition, and the kind of secrets that make you lean in closer. I loved how it mixed big-picture, sci-fi-adjacent thrills with grounded human moments, especially around women breaking through in STEM fields. Some twists stretched believability, sure—but in that popcorn-movie, “just go with it” way that makes the ride worth it. A smart, fast-paced techno-thriller that’s as much about people as it is about rockets.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.5 stars — Rated PG-13 for language.
Profile Image for April Blackard.
19 reviews
August 10, 2025
love a book where the setting is in places I have visited! And just getting back from Galveston I could easily visualize the area where things were happening. Not usually a “spy” novel reader I throughly enjoyed this story.
I know that everything wrapped up but I was left wanting more.. which means I got invested in what was going to happen next with Jake and Tam.. although his “trust me” was wearing thin at times.
Overall I enjoyed this book.
Profile Image for Allison.
41 reviews3 followers
September 17, 2025
I received an ebook copy of this via Goodreads giveaway.

I would say if you like espionage thrillers, this book is for you. While some of the events that occurred felt a little far-fetched, I was able to suspend my disbelief enough to enjoy it. There was quite a bit of action, especially toward the end. It's what I might call a popcorn thriller.
Profile Image for M.
18 reviews
August 12, 2025
I dual read this book as an ebook and audiobook.

I first have to say that the voice acting for the audiobook was phenomenal. There are so many POVs with a very wide cast of characters. I felt that the narrator did a wonderful job of creating new voices for each personna.

Secondly, this book was truly everything you want in a military, suspense, thriller! It had an intriguing, well thought out storyline that is relevant to current events, creating a thought provoking plot.

I typically do not gravitate toward male POVs or military thrillers in general; maybe it's too close to home, or maybe it's simply due to my own difficulty in finding those types of stories relatable. However, Kingfisher Seven, truly delivered and made me want to keep turning the page. For any fans of Jack Reacher or The Terminal List, you will find yourselves loving this story. It explores space travel, alternative energy sources, and the ethical conundrums that come along with it.

Thank you #netgalley for the opportunity to read this book! #arcreader
Profile Image for Lauren (litwithlauren_).
318 reviews9 followers
August 13, 2025
DNF @ 32.6% - too many people, places and things going on with this book. I also feel like the language used is too technical, at least for my knowledge - it got to the point where so much was going in one ear and out the other, and it was taking me out of the story.
Profile Image for Stacey (Bookalorian).
1,465 reviews51 followers
September 28, 2025
WOOOOAAHHHHH What did I just get in bed with?

That was a wild ride!

The narration was excellent, the characters were brilliant and I was thoroughly entertained.

It was slow in spots but all in all a great book.

4 stars
Profile Image for Nanette Mitchell.
378 reviews
December 5, 2025
rockets and threats

Enjoyed learning more about the work that goes into rockets and how dangerous they can be if not monitored correctly. Good suspense and enjoyed getting to know Jake Moran and his team
Profile Image for Amy.
124 reviews2 followers
December 16, 2025
This was a fast paced, action thriller involving shuttle launches, international villains, local heros and more. The character development was great. The storyline was easy to follow and keep the reader involved.
Profile Image for William (Mr. Bill) Turner.
439 reviews7 followers
December 19, 2025
Kingfisher Seven: A Thriller

An interesting and believeable power struggle between old enemies and superpowers. Writer Shawn Klomparens, has written an 'edge of your seat' book that I enjoyed reading. - Mr.Bill
15 reviews
October 8, 2025
Very good book. Story is captivating from start to finish. Wish it was book one is a series bc I’d definitely like to read more like this.
Profile Image for Hanna.
56 reviews5 followers
December 24, 2025
I enjoyed the setting of the thriller in the space industry. The characters all had their backstory. I liked the discussiok of women in science and engeneering. The plot of figuring things out was fun. The tension build up nicely.
Was it always 100% belivable? No. But it was fun and I was able to suspend my disbelief. I enjoyed this techno-thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me a review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews

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