Relentless Savage: A Peter Savage Novel

Peter Savage #2

by Dave Edlund

"Not since Crichton's Jurassic Park have I read such an engaging mix of genetic misdeed and thrilling action." - Gary W. Stout, author of Serial SamaritanRelentless Savage launches the reader into a fast-paced, action-driven adventure confronting the greater questions of genocide, genetic manipulation, and the tipping point in the balance of world power.When Peter Savage's son Ethan is kidnapped by rebel forces in Sudan while on a service trip, Peter will stop at nothing to get his son home. Recruiting old friends and tapping into the expertise of commander James Nicolau, Peter puts together an unlikely rescue mission that will pit him against deadly forces. What Peter and his team find in the Sudan is a force far more sinister and dangerous than they could ever imagine. They are drawn into a much larger top-secret government mission, one that leads them to a hidden research site with an army of genetically-perfect soldiers.Relentless Savage was a INDIES finalist for Thriller & Suspense in 2015"Relentless Savage could easily be turned into a blockbuster movie...masterfully written." - Weidknecht.Praise for Dave Edlund's Peter Savage Novels"I would follow Peter Savage into any firefight." -James Rollins,New York Times bestseller of The Demon Crown"Edlund is right at home with his bestselling brethren, Brad Thor and Brad Taylor." - Jon Land, USA Today bestselling author of the Caitlin Strong series"Required reading for any thriller aficionado" –Steve Berry, New York Times and #1 international bestselling author"Action on almost every page" -Foreword Reviews"Plenty of heart-racing action" -San Francisco Book ReviewRead the whole series!• Crossing Savage - Book 1• Relentless Savage - Book 2• Deadly Savage - Book 3• Hunting Savage - Book 4• Guarding Savage - Book 5• Lethal Savage - Book 6

390 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 25, 2015

About the author

Dave Edlund, is the USA TODAY best selling author of the high-octane, award-winning Peter Savage novels. His latest, Judgment at Alcatraz, is available April 27 from your favorite bookseller.

Advance praise for Lethal Savage

“Brimming with reality, intensity, and passion, Dave Edlund turns the ordinary into extraordinary. A rousing tale." ─ Steve Berry, New York Times and #1 International bestselling author of more than 15 novels

"Lethal Savage is a wondrously effective, ticking clock bio-thriller in the best tradition of Doug Preston and James Rollins. Dave Edlund's latest tale to feature his stalwart Peter Savage features the ultimate high-stakes plot to either destroy America or change it forever. Lethal Savage never lets up or lets us down, while making masterful use of both contemporary geopolitics and cutting-edge technology. A tour de force in all respects!" ─ Jon Land, USA TODAY bestselling author of the Murder, She Wrote series and Caitlin Strong series

“Edlund’s lean prose and whip-smart dialogue propel readers through this frighteningly realistic thriller at a breathtaking pace." ─ K. J. Howe, international bestselling author of SKYJACK

"I would follow Peter Savage into any firefight," says James Rollins, New York Times bestseller of The Demon Crown.

A member of the International Thriller Writers, Dave’s action-political thrillers are often compared to the Dirk Pitt novels by Clive Cussler, the Sigma Series novels by James Rollins, the Jack Ryan novels by Tom Clancy, and the international thrillers of Steve Berry.

When Dave isn’t cooking up the latest adventure for Peter Savage, readers can find him working as a leading expert in hydrogen energy. He is an inventor on 90 US Patents and more than 120 foreign patents. He has published in excess of 100 technical articles and presentations and has been an invited author of several technical books on alternative energy. Dave is a graduate of the University of Oregon with a doctoral degree in chemistry.

An avid outdoorsman and shooter, he’s hunted throughout North America for big game ranging from wild boar to moose to bear. Edlund is a long-time resident of Bend, Oregon, where he lives with his wife, son, and four dogs.

Read more about the Peter Savage novels.

Reviews

[Sean Peters (A Good Thriller) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly Dave, thanks for the review copy of your book, two months before release.

After thoroughly enjoying the first book, I was pleased with the opportunity to read Dave's second book, and number two in the Peter Savage books.

First chapter had me a little confused, but when I started the second chapter, I just could not stop reading, the pace built up very quickly and stayed action packed, suspenseful, gripping, tense all the way through to a action packed conclusion.

Dave's knowledge and background helps so much with the stories, but it is the action and tense and touching moments that make this so good, you know Peter Savage and his background, his friends and his good friend James Nicolau and his team, all great characters.

I do believe there is quite a bit of Dave Edlund in our hero Peter Savage.

I look forward to number three, and will be happy to review this book Dave !

Highly recommended, but start with number one Crossing Savage, then enjoy this one.

[Reg Shell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of great intrigue.


Relentless Savage (Peter Savage Book 2) by Dave Edlund is a full on thriller. The reader will not want to put it down until you reach the successful conclusion.
Peter Savage's son is kidnapped in Sudan, and he enlists friends to go with him into a danger zone to strive to save his son. That then brings in the rest of the twists and turns of an unusual rescue mission that you will love reading about. This is a story with great intrigue, diabolical enemies, and top-secret government plans.

During the rescue bid, Peter's friends had walked through hell and back to overcome the adversities that were thrown at them, with their humanity and their bravery, they were forced into situations of immeasurable suffering. This is a book that will stay in the reader's memory for a long time, one in which I would recommend as excellent reading material.

As I have not as yet read book1, Crossing Savage, or book 3, Deadly Savage, in the series, I am looking forward to reading them soon.

[Darcie Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Im always thrilled to find a new novelist who i just dont want their book to end. With Dave Edlund's first book, Crossing Savage, i was so caught up in the plot & characters i was thrilled to find out that this book was the first in the Peter Savage Series. I eagerly awaited the author's second book, Relentless Savage, because of the plausible bioterrorism plot and his extensive knowledge of genetic engineering, and modern warfare -- i absolutely LOVE books like this. what I really enjoy are the realistic battles - such descriptive writing i felt like i was on the battlefield. Don't miss this book !

[Stephen Martino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edlund outdoes himself with his latest Peter Savage installment, Relentless Savage. After the first few pages of reading this book, I was instantly drawn into the story. Edlund successfully ties current high-concept topics such as bioterrorism, genetic engineering, and modern warfare into a fast paced novel that is both well researched and written. Plus, the battle scenes were so realistic, it made the reader feel as if he or she were right in the middle of the action. I would highly recommend this novel and look forward to the next Peter Savage installment!

[Betty Turnbull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything it promised to be. I really love how Edlund is developing Peter Savage. We learn more about him and see into him with each book. Though he is passionate about advancements in his scientific world, nothing trumps what is right. And in this book, nothing trumps love of family! Great read.

[R.W. Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ethan Savage, Peter's son, is in Darfur with the Peace Corp Reserves when he's kidnapped. Peter enlists his friend, Jim Nicolaou, and his team, the Strategic Global Intervention Team (SGIT), to help rescue Ethan and friends. With two other friends in tow, Peter uses one of Jim's contacts to help determine the kidnappers location, and execute the extraction. During this mission, and aided by Jim's team, the group discovers a modern day Frankenstein, Colonel Ming, who with the support of the Chinese military, is perfecting a DNA enhanced super soldier. New orders dictate the team is to destroy the secret compound along with all traces of the experiment.

[TDR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Savage is an action hero in the mold of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. Operating as a civilian honorary member of his childhood friend’s covert Special Operations military group, he battles a rogue Chinese scientist to thwart his plan for world dominance.

Evil genius villains worthy of a James Bond novel. Medical science fiction ala Michael Crichton, with a zombie like element, no less . . . and a focus on weaponry and battle detail reminiscent of a Dale Brown thriller.

Lots of combat action, international intrigue, terrorist bad guys and good old American patriotism. If that’s your genre, you’ll find Relentless Savage a high energy page turner.

[John Johnstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The synopsis says fast paced, action driven adventure and that's exactly what you get. Peter Savage's son volunteering in Sudan, is kidnapped with his friends by the Janjaweed for no apparent reason. As the story progresses we find what the real horrors are surrounding the kidnappings and other local dissapearances. The Chinese have set up a lab to conduct experiments on the locals, but what and why? Peter with his friends and assistance from a special forces team attempt a rescue unaware of the real purpose of the lab. This is a really exciting book, with great action and a fantastic story line.

[Valerie Victory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic adventure that will have you hanging on every page! I was honored to read Dave's first book in this series, Crossing Savage, and this second addition to the series absolutely does not disappoint! You will be hooked into this adventure from the very first page and it's an exciting read, let me tell ya. Check it out and get ready to settle in for a roller coaster ride that goes all the way to the last page!

[Kevin Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dave Edlund has done it again with his second book in the Peter Savage series! Like the first, this is a well developed page turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat with the plot twists and turns. We learn more about Peter, his son, and their friends in this realistic story. The story telling is rich as are the characters who leave you wanting more in the end.

I highly recommend this book! You should also check out the first in this series, "Crossing Savage". You love the stories!

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like to read stories that make you sweat from story and plot tension . . . . this is the book!

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I read books that I plan to review, I take notes. It’s the not-so-great books that get a full page of notes. Or in this case, three full pages. Around the 50% mark I started taking fewer notes just because I’d already covered almost everything.

First, there’s an infodump problem in Dave Edlund's Relentless Savage. It contains some very transparent lectures done up as dialogue or monologue, or just plain dropped into the description. This is related to another problem: the author does not assume any intelligence on the part of the reader. He explains every little thing, sometimes multiple times, most of them things that he could have briefly shown instead (or left out entirely as unnecessary). As one tiny example, “Both researchers bowed, indicating their obedience.” Chop off that sentence after ‘bowed’ and you’re good to go–readers are capable of filling in what it means. Random paragraphs of background about various things and people get tossed into the middle of otherwise action-oriented scenes. We don’t need that much information on each character. What we need is just a small key to understanding each one as a separate person, and it’s much better to show that with a quick quip, physical tic, use of skill, habit, snippet of dialogue, piece of action, etc. As for the aforementioned infodumps, you know you’re in trouble when someone says, “I know you both know this, but I’ll say it anyway.”

Next, we have characterization issues. Peter is the male equivalent of a Mary Sue: everyone admires him and throws whatever he needs at his feet. He was asked to lead a group of local fighters into action for no better reason than that he seemed like a leader, even though he lacks any military training, and he had just met the person who asked him for this. “Here, let me throw my army at your feet! You’d be doing me a favor!” (My translation, not actual dialogue.) Most the American military characters we see later on have one-note personalities. The bad guys are worse; I think they’d be half-note personalities. The Chinese bad guy is the epitome of the evil mad scientist, right down to the part where he explains all of his evil plans to the good guys. Also, non-white non-Americans don’t fare so well in this book. They fall into several main categories. Good locals who owe everything to the white people who helped them. Chinese madmen. Chinese non-madmen who are far less effective at their jobs than the Americans are. A local fighter who often had the feel of a sidekick in how the author portrayed him. Local fighters who are apparently ineffective unless you lob a no-military-background white guy at them to lead them, and who need to be watched over by their superior American “guardian angels”.

Third, details don’t add up right on a regular basis. The human/Neanderthal cross-breeds (“Homothals”) regress mentally to the point where they can’t speak, and yet we’re told they’ve exhibited above-average tactical skills. When Ethan grows up on the battlefied, we’re told he has emerged from his ‘cocoon of youth’. That’s a phrase that belongs in a sci-fi book of an entirely different kind.

While there was plenty of action in the latter half of the book–which did help to pull me in for a bit–it felt like it went on forever, with most of the same types of actions and injuries happening repeatedly. I started to get a bit bored with it, which shouldn’t have happened.

I’ve left a lot of examples out in the interests of not nit-picking, and tried to stick to a few larger themes. If you’re the kind of reader who doesn’t notice infodumps or skimpy characters, then you might like this book. Certainly not everyone cares about such things. But if those are the sorts of things that drive you nuts, this isn’t the book for you


NOTE: Review book provided by publisher


For my original review, visit my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2015/03/r...

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second book in the Peter Savage series is darker than the first, but no less entertaining.

Peter's son, Ethan, goes to Darfur to assuage his guilt. Unfortunately, the camp he is in is raided by Neanderthal Men, created by the Chi-Coms.

Peter Savage assembles the squad, and goes to rescue him.

For some reason, they don't bring along the rail guns from the last novel.

Lots of derring do in this one. I'm hoping for a third book in the series.

[David Calder · Rating 5 out of 5]

RELENTLESS SAVAGE is another terrific read from the Savage series. In the vein of Dr. Michael Crighton’s JURASSIC PARK (hook em’ with a great idea and then thrill ‘em to death!) it had me hanging on tight. No-one sets up the scientific premise, and then backs it up with intelligent mayhem any better than Dave Edlund.

[Donna Halloran · Rating 2 out of 5]

Little better than the first, this time, the back story didn't seem to get the emphasis it deserved after the first few chapters... when the soldiers meet these strange creatures... nothing... they just keep fighting... I am not sure any solider is that disciplined

[Julian White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second of the four novels in a box set. Peter Savage's younger child, college student Ethan (mentioned earlier but not present) opts to take a semester off and work for the Peace Corps Reserve - and is posted to a regugee camp in the Sudan. The mission goes horribly wrong when the camp is attacked and the westerners taken hostage. Peter opts to attempt a rescue but his friend Jim Nicolau is unable to officially assist... The attack was prompted by a far more serious matter, involving secret experimentation by a Chinese genetic engineer.

Another intriguing premise and the book is action-packed almost from the start, with the pace not relenting until the very end. Worth pursuing the series.

Oddly, perhaps - the second book I've read recently to be set in the area and involving a covert operation...

[Anthony Kizer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good fallow up to the first one. The writing improved from the first, the action never seemed to disappoint and the main story was very interesting. The pace of the book never let down for one minute and continued throughout. Can't wait to read the next one.