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Off Kilter
Collin Cook is a man on the run – from many things. This young father is struggling with his career, his increasingly strained marriage, and the pressures of life when he is sent into a tailspin by the sudden, tragic loss of his family. Losing them was a painful shock. Witnessing the accident over the phone was enough to send him over the edge. In “Off Kilter”, we follow Collin around the world as he battles with guilt and the pain of his loss while trying to stay one step ahead of his would-be captors. These would be captors have targeted the unstable Collin and have been dispatched to retrieve the huge settlement he received. At the same time, they have framed him so that law enforcement agencies have joined the hunt, believing that he is involved in major cyber attacks on several large banks. With the help of his long-time friend Lukas Mueller, a highly trained security expert, Collin must find a way to stay alive and maintain his freedom while teetering on the brink of emotional collapse.
307 pages, ebook
First published March 4, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
March 24, 2015
I am hoping that there will be a part 2 to this novel as Collin's story is not done. He was just getting to be more like able, capable, resolved, and well, less emotionally paralyzed (therefore less pathetic) as the novel ended. I'd like to see him go after and catch the true villain and must admit that I was hoping it would happen earlier in this book.
Although I find myself rooting for Collin and kinda liking him, I couldn't help but think, "Come on! Snap out of it," a few times while reading this as he had meltdown after meltdown while bouncing from place to place all over the world escaping the authorities- sometimes barely escaping. I like the Collin that emerges from Hurricane Abigail far better than the Collin at the beginning of the book and was disappointed that the book ended just as this Collin begins to emerge at the end.
Another plus to this book: I am dying to travel to some of these places that Collin traveled to and found myself googling maps and pictures of some of these places.
Although I find myself rooting for Collin and kinda liking him, I couldn't help but think, "Come on! Snap out of it," a few times while reading this as he had meltdown after meltdown while bouncing from place to place all over the world escaping the authorities- sometimes barely escaping. I like the Collin that emerges from Hurricane Abigail far better than the Collin at the beginning of the book and was disappointed that the book ended just as this Collin begins to emerge at the end.
Another plus to this book: I am dying to travel to some of these places that Collin traveled to and found myself googling maps and pictures of some of these places.
December 20, 2015
The repetitive internal dialogue took away from a too fast to be believable plot. Money doesn't make you smarter, he didn't use it to protect himself and had a friend who was available 24/7 to guide him.
May 16, 2015
I enjoyed reading this well-written book. Glen Robins did a good job of creating complex characters, complete with human flaws, and yet capable of accomplishing incredible things, while still remaining believable. The story was well told and the author avoided creating any of those plodding sections of a book that most readers would skim through. He found the perfect balance between the level of detail required to make a reader feel like they are witnessing these events without providing so much detail that the reader loses interest. As a fellow author, I know this is not particularly easy to do, particularly when you are creating a book in which suspense is the key ingredient that hooks the reader and makes them want to keep reading. I will definitely read this author's future work. Thanks for the good read, Glen Robins!
June 10, 2016
Collin, the protagonist, was like Liza on the ice floes. Throughout the novel he is fleeing for his life. In that sense the plot is predictable as he never lands in a secure spot. Yet you are caught up in the suspense. There are breaks to fill in back story and the reader learns why he is constantly on the run. It is clear this is a first of a sequel as there is no resolution to the chase, and the reader wants to know if he'll ever get free of his curse. Still, I'd prefer a story with a beginning, middle, and end with a promise of more.
This well written novel is well worth the read.
This well written novel is well worth the read.
March 19, 2015
This is a gripping novel. It follows Collin cook- a man who has lost himself in the loss of his beautiful family. He has to endure that pain while traveling the world to elude mobsters and governments. It's suspenseful and keeps you wanting more! Great read!
March 23, 2015
I loved this book! It's exciting, adventurous, and keeps you entertained from beginning to end. It was fun to travel the world with the main character as he escaped time after time from people trying to frame him for a crime he didn't commit. Looking forward to the sequel!
July 12, 2015
Since my friend wrote it, I'm more impressed, as I can't imagine writing a novel. I wanted more action, more character development of the bad guys, more context for the why they are chasing him, passed along my input for the next volume, which I highly look forward to.
May 15, 2015
This book has a bit of everything - a very fun read and perfect for those times when you just want an interesting, quick book. There are lots of places and the parts about the ocean travel I found particularly interesting. . I'm really looking forward to reading more from this author.
July 21, 2015
Fast-paced exciting read!
This book was well-written and kept my interest. I liked the characters who seemed real and the last third of the book had me holding my breath. I was sorry when it ended and look forward,hopefully, to a sequel.
This book was well-written and kept my interest. I liked the characters who seemed real and the last third of the book had me holding my breath. I was sorry when it ended and look forward,hopefully, to a sequel.
March 23, 2015
I loved this book! It was exciting and adventurous and kept me entertained from start to finish. Very excited for the next book to come out!
July 16, 2015
Great story!
I woke have given it a 5 except for the ending. Great story!! Couldn't put it down. Highly recommended for a captivating read ..
I woke have given it a 5 except for the ending. Great story!! Couldn't put it down. Highly recommended for a captivating read ..
November 12, 2015
Loved this book! Fast paced and exciting. Loved the characters and plot. Can't wait to see what happens in the next one! :)
March 15, 2016
Good book
I definitely enjoyed reading this story. Loved the characters. Even though slightly unbelievable, it could happen in the real world
I definitely enjoyed reading this story. Loved the characters. Even though slightly unbelievable, it could happen in the real world
September 1, 2021
Collin the elusive
This fast-paced novel became more and more unbelievable as it went along. The protagonist, Collin (with no espionage background), spends the entire book eluding capture by all sorts of sophisticated government agencies, Interpol and even the cyber terrorist with whom he is wrongly believed to be associated. Just when I thought at least SOME part of the whole mess was about to be wrapped up the book ended, very unsatisfyingly, with Collin still on the run! I can think of myriad ways this novel could have been concluded in a manner that would have resolved a number of issues while still allowing for continued adventures; resolving none of them meant the book really had no ending, hence it’s getting just a 2 star rating from me.
This fast-paced novel became more and more unbelievable as it went along. The protagonist, Collin (with no espionage background), spends the entire book eluding capture by all sorts of sophisticated government agencies, Interpol and even the cyber terrorist with whom he is wrongly believed to be associated. Just when I thought at least SOME part of the whole mess was about to be wrapped up the book ended, very unsatisfyingly, with Collin still on the run! I can think of myriad ways this novel could have been concluded in a manner that would have resolved a number of issues while still allowing for continued adventures; resolving none of them meant the book really had no ending, hence it’s getting just a 2 star rating from me.
June 17, 2018
Off Kilter
A very interesting and entertaining storyline about a 30 years old salesman leading an ordinary life until the day his wife and children die in a horrible highway crash and he is awarded $30 million in damages. The insurance company is a scam cover for an international terrorist organization that makes sure no beneficiary ever gets to spend their award. The money is illegally taken from them and used to fund terrorism. That is until this story and this salesman. We follow him in his adventure and misadventures trying to stay ahead of the bad guys.
A very interesting and entertaining storyline about a 30 years old salesman leading an ordinary life until the day his wife and children die in a horrible highway crash and he is awarded $30 million in damages. The insurance company is a scam cover for an international terrorist organization that makes sure no beneficiary ever gets to spend their award. The money is illegally taken from them and used to fund terrorism. That is until this story and this salesman. We follow him in his adventure and misadventures trying to stay ahead of the bad guys.
December 30, 2018
A great book
I have enjoyed reading this first book in the series getting to know Colin and his family friends and enemies he seems to be always one step ahead of everybody and is always being helped by his friend. His ability to go unnoticed is great and so are his many disguises. He gets to see different parts of the world although it's sometimes only very briefly. The ship he teams up with and it's crew are very helpful . I'm looking forward to reading the second and third books in the series.
I have enjoyed reading this first book in the series getting to know Colin and his family friends and enemies he seems to be always one step ahead of everybody and is always being helped by his friend. His ability to go unnoticed is great and so are his many disguises. He gets to see different parts of the world although it's sometimes only very briefly. The ship he teams up with and it's crew are very helpful . I'm looking forward to reading the second and third books in the series.
May 28, 2021
Thank you to author Glen Robins for this FREE Kindle copy of Off Kilter. And thanks to Goodreads for hosting the opportunity.
Although somewhat repetitive - run, hide, found, repeat - I thought this was a good read. Relatable and real characters, action, adventure, love, death, and family all come together to keep the reader involved. Engaging. Nicely done. A little more editing could have been done in my mind, and more time 'fitting' the document into the Kindle format would have been nice. Orientation of the Kindle helps at times. Nicely done cover too.
Although somewhat repetitive - run, hide, found, repeat - I thought this was a good read. Relatable and real characters, action, adventure, love, death, and family all come together to keep the reader involved. Engaging. Nicely done. A little more editing could have been done in my mind, and more time 'fitting' the document into the Kindle format would have been nice. Orientation of the Kindle helps at times. Nicely done cover too.
June 8, 2017
Beware! Not a complete story.
I get so pissed when I expect to read a complete story of a string of stories related to a central character, only to discover that the story ends midstream. For that, the story and author gets downgraded by at l sat one star. I don't trust that the next book will complete the story or be another narrative-interruptous. Not a fan of bait-and-switch.
I get so pissed when I expect to read a complete story of a string of stories related to a central character, only to discover that the story ends midstream. For that, the story and author gets downgraded by at l sat one star. I don't trust that the next book will complete the story or be another narrative-interruptous. Not a fan of bait-and-switch.
September 11, 2018
Very good book but also not a book I typically read. Although the main character has many near misses with law enforcement and thugs alike and it was very exciting, it also started feeling a little repetitive. I’d definitely continue reading the series though because they were well written and it was an engaging story. The characters were likable and it was a nice change of pace from what I normally read.
August 24, 2025
Suckered bait
He puts together a story to suck you in. It reads OK. Brain candy. You read expecting resolution of the situation he developed. No such thing. He sucker baits you--dumps you out in the middle of the scenario all to sucker you into buying the next book. Authors have to make a living, but this kind of chicken smelly stuff turns me off. I will not get suckered in again. Avoid authors like this.
He puts together a story to suck you in. It reads OK. Brain candy. You read expecting resolution of the situation he developed. No such thing. He sucker baits you--dumps you out in the middle of the scenario all to sucker you into buying the next book. Authors have to make a living, but this kind of chicken smelly stuff turns me off. I will not get suckered in again. Avoid authors like this.
November 10, 2020
An adventure for sure..Some times, too much detail, the Action part was well done. I felt I was traveling around with Colin. Some times he acted dumb. There was a part that I wanted to not finish, but I'm happy I did. Traveling to some of the same places made it more interesting..I will look for the sequel for a future read. Good First Novel.
September 17, 2021
Holy smokes! I was scared to death when this ended, fearing I'd have to wait for the next book in the series. Absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!! You know the type when it's so tense and you're so into it, you find yourself yelling out loud at the characters? So much suspense, action, craziness. EXCELLENT read!
September 30, 2021
This is the first time I'm reading this author but it won't be the last. Off Kilter started wonderfully. I was hooked after few pages and I couldn't put it down. The plot is very compelling and the characters are amazing. It ends a bit unpredictably but lucky for me - the other 2 books are out so I can keep reading the trilogy. I recommend it.
November 3, 2021
Intense plot
Within intense plot continuing through the book it was a fun adventure. I loved the character of Collin and his way of trying to fight the bad guy. I love 'spy' stores but hate the normal amount of blood and death with it. This book was entertaining without gore. Thank you!
Within intense plot continuing through the book it was a fun adventure. I loved the character of Collin and his way of trying to fight the bad guy. I love 'spy' stores but hate the normal amount of blood and death with it. This book was entertaining without gore. Thank you!
June 9, 2026
Wow, what a ride. I picked this up on a whim looking for a new thriller and completely lost track of time. The airport opening scene hooked me immediately you can literally feel Collin’s panic and paranoia dripping off the page. The pacing is intense, shifting from cityscapes to the open ocean seamlessly. If you like fast-paced chase stories, you need to read this.
June 9, 2026
For a debut novel, Glen Robins really nailed the tension. Collin Cook/James Stevens is a compelling protagonist because he’s clearly out of his depth but trying desperately to survive. The dynamic between him and his security consultant Lukas added an awesome layer to the plot. Highly recommend for a weekend read!
June 9, 2026
Man, the anxiety in this book is real! The author does an incredible job putting you right in Collin's shoes. Every time he looks over his shoulder for those guys in the dark sunglasses, my own heart was racing. The maritime setting with Captain Sewell and the Admiral Risty was a fantastic touch that set it apart from typical spy thrillers.
June 9, 2026
What I loved most about Off Kilter wasn’t just the action, but how human Collin felt. He’s running around with millions of dollars and fake passports, but his real vulnerability comes out whenever he looks at the photos of his wife, Amy, on his phone. It gives the story an actual emotional heartbeat rather than just endless explosions or gunfights.
June 9, 2026
I read a lot of thrillers, and it's easy for them to start feeling identical. Off Kilter felt fresh. Shifting the setting from London to Grand Cayman and the Gulf of Mexico gave it a totally different vibe. The author clearly knows his boats, too the sailing details during the storm scenes were top-notch and felt incredibly realistic.
June 9, 2026
This was an incredibly fun read. Collin is a great main character, and the stakes feel genuinely high throughout his entire flight. My only minor complaint is that a few of the dialogue sequences felt a little expository, but the non-stop action easily makes up for it. Def worth a read if you love Ludlum or Baldacci.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews