Everlast: A Brainrush Thriller

Brainrush #4

by Richard Bard

From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Richard Bard comes the next highly anticipated "Brainrush" thriller, a mind-gripping action thriller that spans three continents and two books - "Everlast" and "Ephemeral."

A gifted boy forced to grow up too fast... A father who will do anything to protect him... A madman bent on destroying them both.

In Amsterdam, a visionary scientist is laying the groundwork for a cybernetic life-extension project that will transfer individual consciousness to a personalized avatar. Halfway around the world, his brilliant grandson is secretly planning to use the same technology to infiltrate the world's most secure networks. But the scientific advances necessary to perfect the brain-to-computer interface are slow in coming, too slow for the aging founder of the Everlast foundation--who may die before realizing his dream of immortality--and too slow for his ruthless grandson, who will stop at nothing to attain the recognition that is his birthright.

Caught in the middle are Jake Bronson and his seven-year-old son, Alex, whose combined mental gifts might provide the key to leapfrogging the impasse.

"Everlast" (Book One): When Jake's family and closest friends are simultaneously abducted in a globally coordinated kidnapping scheme, he races across two continents in his search for them, unaware his hostage son and teenage siblings have crash-landed in the jungles of South China, where they must find every ounce of their courage and wits to survive the wilds and escape the ruthless drug lord who is hot on their heels. Can a seven-year-old boy learn to kill to save his family?

Genres: Thriller, Science Fiction, Adventure, Mystery, Fiction, Action

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 6, 2014

About the author

Richard Bard draws on his own experiences as a former USAF pilot and cancer survivor to craft compelling characters who risk it all for love and loyalty. Born in Munich, Germany, to American parents, he joined the United States Air Force like his father. But he left the service when he was diagnosed with cancer and learned he had only months to live. He earned a management degree from the University of Notre Dame and ran three successful companies involving advanced security products used by US embassies and governments worldwide. Now a full-time writer, he lives in Redondo Beach, California, with his wife and remains in excellent health.

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audio book is a thrill ride, it's fast-paced and it will have you laughing, crying, gasping, shouting at the audible app (everyone does that, right?) and even cursing both Richard Bard and R.C. Bray.

The Duology is set 8 years after the events that happen in Beyond Judgement. Jake Bronson and his son are the primary focus although all of Jake's friends and family are back for the ride. As we've come to know, Bard always includes an enemy you want to see defeated and this book is no different. The writing sets such a fantastic pace that once you start it is really difficult to stop, add to that the brilliant performance that Bray gives and it was beyond difficult to hit that pause button. Bray really did out-do himself with the range of characters and his performance was seamless. He has really made these books a joy to listen too.

[MAUDE LFOUNTAIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I loved everything about this book I really need to read the rest of the books from this one such a good page turner

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good But Incomplete. As with any of the books in this series after BRAINRUSH, read the earlier books first. That said, the author introduces some new writing techniques into this book that are a refreshing change of pace, and that is most welcome. HOWEVER, the reason I dinged this book a star is because it feels like the author took one story and broke it into two - similar to how Hollywood did a lot of book to movie adaptations there for a while with the last book, except obviously here this is an author himself doing it to his own book. Yes, the combined single book of this one and the next one would have likely gone over the 600 page mark, and maybe the author didn't think that would sell as well or some such. But this feels like a money grab, even with the solid story, with the splitting into halves.

All of that said, there is more peril than ever built into this book, though the peril in this tale is more personal (vs the last book's more global scale).

If you've gotten this far in the series, you won't be disappointed with the story here - and you'll be reaching for the next one as soon as you've finished this one!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from the author...

The first three Brainrush books were definitely awesome no doubt about it. Where this one takes you is beyond that and more. It is a duology but also a part of the Brainrush series too.

Jakes friends and family are in trouble again and it is up to him and Lacie to find and save them this time. His children manage to get lost in the jungle in the midst of a dangerous drug cartel. The ups and downs they are going through is awful and that is just the beginning. Or is it the end? Can a seven-year-old boy learn to kill to save his family? Will he have too?

Jake has no idea where his family is. He goes to Amsterdam to Everlast to no avail. Will he run out of time? Will he be able to save his family and live to have a peaceful life? Or will some end up losing their lives? Possibly Jake.

I loved this series from the beginning and this book was even better. I am so anxious to get to the next book now and find out how it will all end.

You will not be disappointed in any way with this book. It is another great by a great author and available for 99 cents preorder on Amazon.

If I could I would give this one 10 stars... An action, adventure, thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to end. One I could NOT put down until I read the last page.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid fan of the Brainrush trilogy it is very exciting to see the return of Jake Bronson in Richard Bard’s latest action packed, fast paced, white knuckle thrill ride, Everlast.

When Jake’s family is kidnapped he will do everything and anything in his power to save them. So begins a dangerous and deadly journey that will take you across continents, introduce you to a great cast of characters both good and evil and has all the ingredients needed for an unputdownable, engrossing, and cleverly constructed thriller.

Richard Bard is indeed a master of page turning storytelling and his evocative writing and descriptive detail takes you right into the heart of the action and the mind and emotions of the characters.

5 stars all the way – loved it and look forward to Ephemeral to find out how Jake’s story will end.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jake Bronson and his team: special ops skills + high-tech gadgets + intelligent + ingenuity + loyalty and a dash of luck as they race around the globe to catch the bad guys who kidnapped his family.

I was intrigued with the idea of thought-controlled actions and the treatment for wounded military personal learning to use artificial limbs and rebuild their lives.

Many of the actions and gadgets seem possible but I found the interaction between Jake's children and the bears a stretch and hard to believe.

This is the first book in a series and it ended in a cliff-hanger.

No graphic sex or violence although there was a lot of violence

[DOROTHY SILLS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten Stars

As usual Richard Bard has done it again. Excellent, exciting, on the edge of your seat good. I am not sure how I am going to wait until Jan 10th to read part 2, but I think I will read the trilogy again just so I can keep Jake in my heart.
This book is for everyone, even those who forget how important it is to be close to family and the meaning of having good friends who have your back through thick and thin.

[Kimberly Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great extension to the first Brainrush Thrillers

I read the Brainrush Thrillers and loved them. So I thought I would give these new books a look. And am I glad I did. The characters are just as intriguing and the players are just as bad as the first books. I think it's going to be a great ride with the perspective coming from Alex. I love the concept of the books as well.

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read the previous three Brainrush thrillers as well. The first one was a tour de force, an easy five stars. The second one really wasn't that good. The third one and this one were solid, captivating reads and I will be looking for the next one when it comes out. I think Richard Bard may have screwed himself a little by setting the bar so high with the first one!

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it...I have read the other in the series and loved them also. They are full of adventure that keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time and you are disappointed when it's done as leaves you wanting more. The characters are very real and likable and especially Jake. He would do anything, risk anything to save somebody...I can't wait until the next book comes out....10 days.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Brainrush series never lets me down! Everest is a thrill ride that raises the stakes by spreading the Bronson family across the globe while putting everyone Jake cares about in dire jeopardy. If you thought The Grid was the greatest threat Jake would ever face, think again! 5-stars, hands down!

[Brahna Derr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just as thrilling & fast paced as the previous Brainrush books. It's one of those books that you can't put down.

This is the first book of the Everlast duology. The second is due out in about 3 weeks. I'm expecting it to be as exciting as this book was.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

First-class reading entertainment from this hugely talented author. I'm about to start the follow-on, "Ephemeral".

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in the series. The story moves from California to Italy to China. It's always exciting with unexpected twists and turns to the plot. At the end of the book there was a teaser of the next installment of the story: Smoke and Mirrors. I just couldn't resist, I had to get it and I'm now reading it. This is a book for anyone who wants to get so engrossed in a book, time is forgotten.

[Susan Clair Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brainchild

This is Alex's story. Jake continues to be sought out and this time it's the brainchild of a couple who lost their lives when the mountain blew and filled with lava in book three. Alex, Ahmed and Sarafina are kidnapped and have escaped. They are saved by a bear and then a monk and are being taken to their parents at the close of the story.

[Walter J. Bohrn · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I've said before, Richard Bard is a master story teller.

When I finish one of his Brainrush novels, I can't wait to pick up the next. I like his development of family ties and values as well as enduring friendship s. I hope to read many more of his books

[Wilma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not nearly as good as the previous three. It was mostly about the children of Jake's it was exciting but not nearly as good as the others. I may read the next two books also.

This poor family never gets a break to just live a normal life.

[Ralph Michael Savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book (and the rest of the series too!) Especially since I used to work in NMR. Fun book and great characters to fall in love with... If you need to escape for a bit jump into this series!

[Wenzel Roessler · Rating 4 out of 5]

If any other author wrote this I would say it's two over the top to be enjoyable or believable. But somehow Bard does a great job of developing this characters and putting them in situations that are beyond believable and still making it work.

[Josiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be prepared to buy #5 immediately as the story continues immediately. One of the better scifi fantasy books out there.

[Cindy Scheffler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story with great characters and a nice steady pace. Now I have to get the next one in the series to find out what happens next.

[Shirley Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each new book makes me want to read the next.

I usually don't buy books but #1 in the series got me hooked. Now I'm ready to start # 5. Can't wait for it to download.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm, cliffhanger. Not nice. Bit of a different perspective on this one, and I'm not sure I like it. Will reserve judgement for after the next one.

[Paula Boyer larue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed

So goes another fast paced book. Can’t wait to see what happens in the next book of Brainrush series. Loved.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Everlast" the first book in the Everlast Doxology which I won through Goodreads/First Reads is a gripping, action-packed thrill-ride that begins when Jake Bronson's family and friends are kidnapped by Jiaolong (aka Daniel de Vries) who wants vengeance against the man who was instrumental in the explosion that killed his parents. The grandson of brilliant scientist and founder of Everlast Institute -Frederik de Vries- who is on the brink of a breakthrough in extending human life, Jiaolong has used his genius to create a technological innovation that can infiltrate the world's secure networks. What he doesn't know is that the hacker stalling the implementation of his system is Jake's seven year old son.

Richard Bard sets the stage for this intoxicating adventure after Jake Bronson and his seven year old son Alex, endowed with enhanced mental gifts have overcome the threat of the alien pyramids. As Jake tries to settle into a normal life with his wife, Alex, and his two teenage children an enemy from his past emerges, kidnapping his family and friends and holding them hostage so that he can exact vengeance on the man responsible for the death of his parents. Threads of the story not only follow Jake's struggle to free the captives, Jiaolong's efforts to capture him and his hunt for the TurboHacker who's undermining the release of his technology but also the Bronson's children's fight to survive in the wilds of South China and escape from a vicious drug lord.

Tension and suspense escalates with every car chase and bullet fired; not only by Jiaolong's mercenaries, but also a Carabineri Special Forces Unit in Italy, a Chinese triad in Los Angeles and Interpol in Holland. The action never slows as young Alex and his teenage siblings face brutality and death at the hands of a drug lord while the seven year old learns to curb his desire to use the "alien mini" to kill those that threaten their lives. Richard Bard delivers a powerfully-charged story with his fluid writing style and realistic dialogue. In a setting filled with violence there is a strong element of friendship and love as Jake and his children struggle to escape their hunters and free the hostages.

The characters like the plot are well-developed, complex and natural even with their enhanced powers and intelligence. Jake Bronson is astute, clever and resourceful even when his gifts seem to be failing. Alex mature for his age is highly intelligent and cautious, yearning to use the power of the mini, but wise enough to understand the possible repercussions if he does. His sister Sarafina with her brilliance in music and his brother Ahmed, a skilled warrior who often chatters because of a brain implant are brave and highly intuitive in the game of survival. But it is the antagonists that add a chill to the story; like the patient calculating and guarded genius Jiaolong; the deadly allure of Lin; the rigid and uncompromising strategy of Zin; and the ruthless competiveness of the tactician Min.

Richard Bard has mixed adventure, science fiction and a crime-thriller into a novel that's riveting from the first chapter to the last. I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Everlast" and look forward to reading the next "Brainrush Thriller".

[Chris Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not normally a large reader of science fiction and had not read any of Richard Bard's previous works so I was not sure what to expect when commencing Everlast. However, I can now say that I am definitely a fan of Richard Bard! This book was extremely hard to put down and even had me up past 1:00am reading it until my eyes succumbed to sleep. My main genre of reading is crime and legal thrillers, with authors like David Baldacci, John Grisham, James Patterson and Richard North Patterson amongst my list of well-loved authors.

Well, I can honestly say that this book was very much in the vein of the best of them. Although it contained some elements of science-fiction, more than anything it was a thriller, and thrill it did! There was action aplenty and a number of twists and turns. It constantly had me wondering what was coming next, and taking me by surprise as the events unfolded.

Although it would provide some benefit to read the first three books of this series first (so as to get to know the background of the key characters) it can still be read as a stand-alone. Well, not quite a stand-alone. Having finished Everlast, there is no doubt that a reader will want to read Ephemereal, the next in the series. I know that that is what I will be doing, and soon!

Richard, you have a new follower. Well done on a superb book!!

[Rose Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fast paced and action packed, definitely a "Can't put it down" book. I have not read the Brainrush series which came before this, so some of the back story was a little hazy, so it's probably best to read in order. However even if you don't, it's still really easy to enjoy the book. What I like about it is that it was written in an intellectual way, not doubting the intelligence of the reader, using colourful and descriptive language, yet still keeping with the fast pace - something which a lot of thriller authors miss out on or cannot achieve. There were a few twists and turns to keep me turning pages, in addition to various settings across the world. With such great plots running throughout the book, I feel like this could have even been split into two separate books and the story lines developed more, and I would have read and enjoyed both of them. The book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger and left me wanting more, so I will be looking forward to reading the second book to see what happens, as well as catching up with the story via the previous books. Over all, a really enjoyable, action packed book which is expertly written.

[Teresa Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book and its sequel "Ephemeral" through the Goodreads giveaway program and, to be frank, I had my doubts. The books I've won have been a mixed bag. Now I am left wondering--why have I never heard of this author before? I'm also going to have to get and read his previous books. This book was all-action all the time and reads just like a movie. In fact, I'd LOVE to see a movie baed on the book. Jake Bronson saved the world in the past, but practically nobody knows it. Now his family and friends are at risk as an evil computer genius starts kidnapping Jake's loved ones to use as leverage for the secrets Jake holds. Little does this megalomaniac know that he, himself, is also being manipulated. The world is once again in danger, but it is the threat to his family that truly motivates Jake. I loved this book, and its sequel. I appreciate a well-written, fast-paced story where it's easy to pick out the good guys from the bad guys an where sacrifice and working for a greater good are not considered dated ideas, but ones worth clinging to despite the cost. Fabulous book. I'm recommending this author to family and friends.

[Lynn Hallbrooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much that I couldn't wait to read the next book in the series.

This is a mixture of Science Fiction, International Intrigue, and Family Drama genres.

Jake is alerted to the potential danger to his family and friends. As he is in the process of getting to them, he, his family, and friends are being attacked at almost the same time. Most were abducted, while others barely escaped. Love drives those looking for their family and friends to do things, they never thought they could. Will it be enough?

There are so many different points of view, yet Mr. Bard is wonderful about making sure the reader keeps up. I thought it was interesting that of all the characters, he put Alex's view point in first person like a journal. I love how the characters are like real people willing to me. I love the sense of family that is projected through out.

Warning: This book is for Mature Audiences due to Violence along with a hint of sexual situations.

Disclaimer: I received this book as a member of Reading Deals Book Review Club for free in exchange for my honest review.

[Coleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG what a constant rush! cranky though I cant get next book.