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Twin Powers
While vacationing with her mother in Havana, a ten-year-old American girl is taken by members of a child sex ring intent on selling her into forced prostitution. When the human traffickers avoid capture and escape the island, the father of the girl, surgeon Raymond Peters, decides to take matters into his own hands and intiates a worldwide investigation. The Cuban government assigns a lethal professional assassin named Marcela to help Raymond track down the culprits. The search for Stephanie takes the unlikely pair—a man who has taken an oath to save lives and a woman who kills for a living—to the Middle East in the hunt for the mysterious mastermind, Mohamed. Working against the clock, Raymond and Marcela must pull out all the stops to save Stephanie and flee Dubai before Mohamed and his thugs kill them.
361 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 8, 2015
7 people want to read
About the author
David Pereda
15 books237 followersI am a writer and college writing instructor in Asheville NC. My latest mainstream novel, However Long the Night, published by Eternal Press in February 2012, has won two awards already and is currently a finalist in the romantic suspense category of the 2012 Readers Favorite Awards -- winners to be announced in September. My previous novels include the thrillers, Killing Castro, published by Eternal Press in January 2010, and Top Secret, published by Eternal Press in 2009. I am now hard at work on a third thriller, Twin Powers, with estimated publication in 2013, and another mainstream novel, Havana Blues in Onyx, with anticipated publication in 2014.
A member of MENSA, I am the ex-regional director of Florida Writers Association’s Western North Carolina division and the founder of AWE (Asheville Writing Enthusiasts). I love sports and have won many prizes competing in track and show-jumping equestrian events. I live with my family in Asheville, North Carolina.
A member of MENSA, I am the ex-regional director of Florida Writers Association’s Western North Carolina division and the founder of AWE (Asheville Writing Enthusiasts). I love sports and have won many prizes competing in track and show-jumping equestrian events. I live with my family in Asheville, North Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 3, 2015
Twin Powers begins with Stephanie Peters being abducted from the street in Cuba. A furious dictator enlists the aid of a mercenary, the notorious Marcela, to track down those responsible – and save face for Cuba. Marcela recruits Stephanie’s father, doctor and polyglot Raymond Peters, to help in the search. With the aid of a special power shared between Stephanie and her twin sister, Sophia, Marcela and Raymond set out on a frantic, globe-trotting pursuit of a revenge-fueled man known simply as Mohamed. As their hunt continues, it becomes clear that the kidnapping was only the beginning. Together, they uncover a heinous conspiracy with high-ranking collaborators spanning the globe. Everyone has something to hide: murder, child slavery, treason… The perpetrators will stop at nothing to protect their interests. Their one mistake: they chose the wrong girl this time.
Twin Powers is an action-packed adventure that begged me to turn the pages. A carefully woven tapestry of deceit and international intrigue, Pereda seamlessly meshed a tale of global importance with the more relatable story of what a father will do to save his child. The characters are beautifully drawn, each with their own motives and secrets. The descriptions of the exotic locations and cultures are so lush and vivid that I could picture being there. Love triangles, which are full stories unto themselves, are mixed into the action, adding to a plot already exploding with tension – and giving further motivation to the characters. Rarely before has a book engaged me as quickly and completely as Twin Powers; it grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let me go until the last. A definite must-read!
Review by Donnie J Burgess for Reader's Favorite.
Twin Powers is an action-packed adventure that begged me to turn the pages. A carefully woven tapestry of deceit and international intrigue, Pereda seamlessly meshed a tale of global importance with the more relatable story of what a father will do to save his child. The characters are beautifully drawn, each with their own motives and secrets. The descriptions of the exotic locations and cultures are so lush and vivid that I could picture being there. Love triangles, which are full stories unto themselves, are mixed into the action, adding to a plot already exploding with tension – and giving further motivation to the characters. Rarely before has a book engaged me as quickly and completely as Twin Powers; it grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let me go until the last. A definite must-read!
Review by Donnie J Burgess for Reader's Favorite.
March 12, 2019
This is supposed to be a thriller, but it is anything but. The premise was interesting. A 10 year old gets kidnapped while on vacation with her mother and sister in Havana. The father learns of her kidnapping and decides to track her down. Of course he has help.
I thought this would be an exciting read, but the book ended up being a total let down.
Some of the problems it had were:
1. The main character, Raymond, is a surgeon, yet he is doing things that no surgeon would be able to do. I understand that he wants his daughter back, but the guy is just your average guy. He isn’t military trained. He doesn’t have the skills necessary to do what he does in this book. It’s like he instantly goes from run of the mill divorced guy to super bad (yeah you know) doing things you wouldn’t think possible. Not very believable.
2. Marcella is a cold-hearted assassin in this book. She is told by her boss, Raul, to help Raymond track down his daughter. She’s also supposed to be a lesbian, but the moment she meets Raymond, she has this intense attraction for him. In fact, she sleeps with him that night. A lesbian doesn’t just suddenly decide that she’s straight. And it doesn’t end there. She becomes super possessive of Raymond to the point where he can’t even look at another woman without Marcella becoming insanely jealous and digging claws into his skin. So, little miss “I don’t need anybody” lesbian becomes attached to a guy and refuses to let him go? I thought she was supposed to be this strong-willed woman who could take care of herself, but she gets reduced to the “I can’t live without a man” nonsense.
3.The mother is completely useless. She spends the entire book crying about her missing daughter. This woman has connections with the Castro family and is on a first name basis even. If I had the connections she had, I’d be knocking heads together to find my kid, not mope around as a weeping mess with a woe is me attitude. She’s just pathetic and there as a weak attempt to put emotion and drama in this pit-hole, occasionally asking her other daughter if she has heard telepathically from the one that is missing.
4. The reasoning for kidnapping the girl in the first place was just the same tired, overused reason that every villain does something: revenge. We go on this wild goose chase as Raymond tries to find his daughter. We’re given this big buildup as we learn that she was kidnapped by people who run a prostitution ring and have political ties to the U.S. Congress and that there seems to be more going on, but when all is said and done, the entire reason for the kidnapping was revenge. Some guy’s sister died while they were in Cuba some years back because Sonia, who happened to have been in charge of determining who got medical care and who didn’t, refused to let the girl get the care she needed. So the villain of the story decides to get revenge by initiating this convoluted plan of kidnapping Sonia’s daughter and selling her to an international sex trade. But of course he can’t just dump the kid and let it go. No, he has to be there as his ultimate revenge plays out. It’s just way out there, full of holes, and makes no sense.
5. There is also this side plot going on that I guess was supposed to add depth to the story, but it is more of a distraction and filler than anything else.
6. All of the characters act like they’re these important people that you should never mess with, but all they do is talk or yell at one another. I spent a lot of time yawning through this book.
The writing isn’t anything to rave about. It’s not horrible, but it’s not great either. There are the standard typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors, stupid mistakes that any competent editor should have caught. Like, “Sonia took a deep breathy”.
The plot of this book is taken straight from the movie Taken. It’s like the author saw the movie and thought, “I can totally rip that off!” And he couldn’t even do it well.
There are better thrillers out there that are actually exciting. Save your time and money with this one.
I thought this would be an exciting read, but the book ended up being a total let down.
Some of the problems it had were:
1. The main character, Raymond, is a surgeon, yet he is doing things that no surgeon would be able to do. I understand that he wants his daughter back, but the guy is just your average guy. He isn’t military trained. He doesn’t have the skills necessary to do what he does in this book. It’s like he instantly goes from run of the mill divorced guy to super bad (yeah you know) doing things you wouldn’t think possible. Not very believable.
2. Marcella is a cold-hearted assassin in this book. She is told by her boss, Raul, to help Raymond track down his daughter. She’s also supposed to be a lesbian, but the moment she meets Raymond, she has this intense attraction for him. In fact, she sleeps with him that night. A lesbian doesn’t just suddenly decide that she’s straight. And it doesn’t end there. She becomes super possessive of Raymond to the point where he can’t even look at another woman without Marcella becoming insanely jealous and digging claws into his skin. So, little miss “I don’t need anybody” lesbian becomes attached to a guy and refuses to let him go? I thought she was supposed to be this strong-willed woman who could take care of herself, but she gets reduced to the “I can’t live without a man” nonsense.
3.The mother is completely useless. She spends the entire book crying about her missing daughter. This woman has connections with the Castro family and is on a first name basis even. If I had the connections she had, I’d be knocking heads together to find my kid, not mope around as a weeping mess with a woe is me attitude. She’s just pathetic and there as a weak attempt to put emotion and drama in this pit-hole, occasionally asking her other daughter if she has heard telepathically from the one that is missing.
4. The reasoning for kidnapping the girl in the first place was just the same tired, overused reason that every villain does something: revenge. We go on this wild goose chase as Raymond tries to find his daughter. We’re given this big buildup as we learn that she was kidnapped by people who run a prostitution ring and have political ties to the U.S. Congress and that there seems to be more going on, but when all is said and done, the entire reason for the kidnapping was revenge. Some guy’s sister died while they were in Cuba some years back because Sonia, who happened to have been in charge of determining who got medical care and who didn’t, refused to let the girl get the care she needed. So the villain of the story decides to get revenge by initiating this convoluted plan of kidnapping Sonia’s daughter and selling her to an international sex trade. But of course he can’t just dump the kid and let it go. No, he has to be there as his ultimate revenge plays out. It’s just way out there, full of holes, and makes no sense.
5. There is also this side plot going on that I guess was supposed to add depth to the story, but it is more of a distraction and filler than anything else.
6. All of the characters act like they’re these important people that you should never mess with, but all they do is talk or yell at one another. I spent a lot of time yawning through this book.
The writing isn’t anything to rave about. It’s not horrible, but it’s not great either. There are the standard typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors, stupid mistakes that any competent editor should have caught. Like, “Sonia took a deep breathy”.
The plot of this book is taken straight from the movie Taken. It’s like the author saw the movie and thought, “I can totally rip that off!” And he couldn’t even do it well.
There are better thrillers out there that are actually exciting. Save your time and money with this one.
May 23, 2015
>Book Review – Twin Powers –
>I received this book from the author and Paranormal Romance and Authors that Rock. I am an independent reviewer. This is a standalone book, but these characters have appeared in at least three previous books. The books are not marketed as a series, though.
>The reader is introduced to a family in an unforgettable way. With divorce looming, Sonia leaves her husband Raymond, and takes her twins, Sophia and Stephanie, to her native Cuba for a holiday. In Cuba, Stephanie is kidnapped. At this point in the story the reader is pulled every which way. There is a lot of misdirection, an intricate plot and a lot of characters.
>Of all people to have a major role, Fidel Castro has a large part in this story. Sonia used to work for him, so she has a lot of resources normal Cubans wouldn’t have. Castro calls upon an assassin he used to use, Marcela, to help find the girl. Raymond & Marcela team up, while a psychic connection between the twins help to keep Sonia and Castro updated. There are a lot of characters and quite a few settings, such as Dubai. The characters are difficult to discern if they are good or bad.
>There are two times I felt the book come to a conclusion and then a monkey wrench was introduces and a plot twist sent the story off in another direction. The plot of this story was so intricate, yet not too hard to follow. I wouldn’t describe this book as a romance. This book is an action adventure with some sex scenes. It was an enjoyable read, if not very romantic.
>I had to pay close attention to the settings and characters, so I noticed three instances where the wrong character was named or the wrong gender used. These mistakes are very distracting to me and immediately take me out of the virtual story world and back to the present. If not for these errors, I might have rated the book higher.
>This book is appropriate for an adult audience due to the sensitive subject matter and violence.
>I received this book from the author and Paranormal Romance and Authors that Rock. I am an independent reviewer. This is a standalone book, but these characters have appeared in at least three previous books. The books are not marketed as a series, though.
>The reader is introduced to a family in an unforgettable way. With divorce looming, Sonia leaves her husband Raymond, and takes her twins, Sophia and Stephanie, to her native Cuba for a holiday. In Cuba, Stephanie is kidnapped. At this point in the story the reader is pulled every which way. There is a lot of misdirection, an intricate plot and a lot of characters.
>Of all people to have a major role, Fidel Castro has a large part in this story. Sonia used to work for him, so she has a lot of resources normal Cubans wouldn’t have. Castro calls upon an assassin he used to use, Marcela, to help find the girl. Raymond & Marcela team up, while a psychic connection between the twins help to keep Sonia and Castro updated. There are a lot of characters and quite a few settings, such as Dubai. The characters are difficult to discern if they are good or bad.
>There are two times I felt the book come to a conclusion and then a monkey wrench was introduces and a plot twist sent the story off in another direction. The plot of this story was so intricate, yet not too hard to follow. I wouldn’t describe this book as a romance. This book is an action adventure with some sex scenes. It was an enjoyable read, if not very romantic.
>I had to pay close attention to the settings and characters, so I noticed three instances where the wrong character was named or the wrong gender used. These mistakes are very distracting to me and immediately take me out of the virtual story world and back to the present. If not for these errors, I might have rated the book higher.
>This book is appropriate for an adult audience due to the sensitive subject matter and violence.
August 4, 2015
A beautiful scene opens David Pereda’s Twin Powers, with sudden unquiet invading a young girl’s peace as events come into focus. The daughter of a rich doctor is vacationing with her mother in Cuba when things fall apart. Soon the doctor, a dangerous assassin friend, Castro’s family, and many more are united in a quest to save the child.
Nice turns of phrase bring characters and scenes to life, while some surprising understatements call secrets into question. “It was obvious he [the father] was going through a rough patch in his life,” might startle the reader when a man’s daughter’s just been kidnapped. But this father is more than just a doctor, and his past, or that of his wife, or both, might be about to catch up with him.
The story includes plenty of sexuality, unexpected romance, touches of mysticism, fast action, cynicism and humor—something for everyone it seems. Some typos slowed the reading for me (she for he, and for an etc), but perhaps they were just in my copy – they didn’t stop me reading.
Twin Powers surprised me most in that the powers of its titular twins are so low-key, almost sidelined in the plot. I wish there had been more about them, but I’m guessing, since this reads like the middle of a series, there’s bound to be plenty more to come.
Disclosure: I bought a copy long ago when it was free. I’m just sorry it took me so long to get around to reading it.
Nice turns of phrase bring characters and scenes to life, while some surprising understatements call secrets into question. “It was obvious he [the father] was going through a rough patch in his life,” might startle the reader when a man’s daughter’s just been kidnapped. But this father is more than just a doctor, and his past, or that of his wife, or both, might be about to catch up with him.
The story includes plenty of sexuality, unexpected romance, touches of mysticism, fast action, cynicism and humor—something for everyone it seems. Some typos slowed the reading for me (she for he, and for an etc), but perhaps they were just in my copy – they didn’t stop me reading.
Twin Powers surprised me most in that the powers of its titular twins are so low-key, almost sidelined in the plot. I wish there had been more about them, but I’m guessing, since this reads like the middle of a series, there’s bound to be plenty more to come.
Disclosure: I bought a copy long ago when it was free. I’m just sorry it took me so long to get around to reading it.
June 10, 2015
Twin Powers starts with the kidnapping of ten year old Stephanie while on vacation in Cuba with her mother and twin sister by a mysterious stranger who appears to be an Arab tourist. Her mother, Sonia, is given a message from a street vendor who happened to be there.
“He said to tell you that this is payback,” the old man said, his voice cracking. “That you would never see your daughter again.”
This leaves Sonia and the authorities wondering who could possibly have a grudge against her that they would kidnap her daughter to punish her for.
From there the reader is pulled along as Stephanie’s estranged parents, along with a professional assassin called in by the Cuban government, try to learn the identity of the kidnappers and track Stephanie down.
As the drama unfolds, suspicions shift, and they discover that a human trafficking ring has kidnapped the girl. The deeper they go into the world of Middle East human traffickers, the more it begins to look like there is something more than sex slavery behind the kidnapping.
In Twin Powers, David Pereda has created a world of international intrigue that runs deeper than the story initially suggests, centering on the kidnapping of a child.
Twin Powers by David Pereda is published by Second Wind Publishing, LLC, and is available on their web site, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.
“He said to tell you that this is payback,” the old man said, his voice cracking. “That you would never see your daughter again.”
This leaves Sonia and the authorities wondering who could possibly have a grudge against her that they would kidnap her daughter to punish her for.
From there the reader is pulled along as Stephanie’s estranged parents, along with a professional assassin called in by the Cuban government, try to learn the identity of the kidnappers and track Stephanie down.
As the drama unfolds, suspicions shift, and they discover that a human trafficking ring has kidnapped the girl. The deeper they go into the world of Middle East human traffickers, the more it begins to look like there is something more than sex slavery behind the kidnapping.
In Twin Powers, David Pereda has created a world of international intrigue that runs deeper than the story initially suggests, centering on the kidnapping of a child.
Twin Powers by David Pereda is published by Second Wind Publishing, LLC, and is available on their web site, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.
April 17, 2015
Wow, I read the blurb and said to myself…self, this isn’t our usual type of book, let’s give it a try. I am so glad I did, the book is definitely worth reading. It’s a fast paced thriller that touches on a subject that is a horrible reality although we don’t want to see or know it. David Pereda writes beautifully, making us see his characters in our mind’s eye and getting emotionally invested as well. I got to the point that putting this story down was making me very unhappy, I just wanted to read it straight out.
I recommend this book to others, it is a thrill filled, action packed story that may just surprise you. Mr. Pereda knows how to capture his audience and hold them captive, making them need to know more, a master of his craft. I am not giving a peek of the story at all because it needs to be read, the blurb says it all. I want to thank the author for providing me with a copy of his book, I loved it and will be looking to read more of his work. A five star rating from me for Twin Powers.
I recommend this book to others, it is a thrill filled, action packed story that may just surprise you. Mr. Pereda knows how to capture his audience and hold them captive, making them need to know more, a master of his craft. I am not giving a peek of the story at all because it needs to be read, the blurb says it all. I want to thank the author for providing me with a copy of his book, I loved it and will be looking to read more of his work. A five star rating from me for Twin Powers.
June 10, 2015
How can I explain to you the type of feelings that went through my body as I was reading this book? If you're reading this review from my Blog, check the excerpt, that one summons it all.
Breathtaking, electrifying, hair raising, mind bending, gripping, frantic, etc, I could give you a really long list of synonyms.
This is my first book of this Author, and I must say that is not going to be the last one. Twin powers it has an excellent narrative, the author deliver us a fast paced novel, with very complex characters, the main theme is complicated, but written in a tasteful way. The plot is full of twists and turns, some intense moments that will keep you knotted to your Kindle, mystery, action and even romance!
This is a must read type of book, if you enjoy Thriller, this is for you!!
*I received a Free copy in exchange for an Honest Review*
Breathtaking, electrifying, hair raising, mind bending, gripping, frantic, etc, I could give you a really long list of synonyms.
This is my first book of this Author, and I must say that is not going to be the last one. Twin powers it has an excellent narrative, the author deliver us a fast paced novel, with very complex characters, the main theme is complicated, but written in a tasteful way. The plot is full of twists and turns, some intense moments that will keep you knotted to your Kindle, mystery, action and even romance!
This is a must read type of book, if you enjoy Thriller, this is for you!!
*I received a Free copy in exchange for an Honest Review*
July 9, 2015
This was an excellent book that had you on the edge of your seat the whole way through hanging on through every twist and turn excited to find out what was going to happen next. I was not sure what to expect with this book, but I was blown away with what I received. Most books I read lately I can figure out the whole plot before I am even half way through with the book, but David does an amazing job feeding you slowly and keeping you begging for more. Right when I think I have it all figured out, BAM, I get hit out of left field.
What really grips you is the the premise of the book is one that you can actually imagine playing out in real life. The characters are complex, easy to relate to, hate and fall in love with. I don't want to say to much and give the book away, but it is definitely on my recommendation list.
What really grips you is the the premise of the book is one that you can actually imagine playing out in real life. The characters are complex, easy to relate to, hate and fall in love with. I don't want to say to much and give the book away, but it is definitely on my recommendation list.
April 30, 2015
Author David Pereda takes us on a fast paced & exciting journey through several continents.
Twin Powers takes us on a roller coaster ride of international intrigue, deception, secret societies and romance while weaving an intricate web which will draw you in and when you think you’ve got it; don’t relax, as there are multi-layers to this web, that you won’t see coming.
The characters are complex, some flawed but all are believable.
Totally engrossing and like any great book should; transports you to another time & place.
A 5 star must read!
Twin Powers takes us on a roller coaster ride of international intrigue, deception, secret societies and romance while weaving an intricate web which will draw you in and when you think you’ve got it; don’t relax, as there are multi-layers to this web, that you won’t see coming.
The characters are complex, some flawed but all are believable.
Totally engrossing and like any great book should; transports you to another time & place.
A 5 star must read!
April 19, 2015
Twin Powers by David Pereda is an action packed thrill ride from beginning to end. The story grabbed my attention right from the start, and I had to know how things would end. The characters are all well developed and fleshed out and the pacing is perfect. There is no lagging or feeling of things being rushed. I really enjoy this type of book and I'm very glad I gave this one a try. I highly recommend this book to lovers of thrillers.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews