Wake the Devil

Sturgis and Kale #2

by Robert Daniels

Seven months after their last encounter, retired FBI agent, Jack Kale and Atlanta Police Detective, Beth Sturgis are reunited by a new case that pits them against the Sandman, a nearly perfect assassin who leaves no clues, can change his appearance seemingly at will, and who has eluded police on four continents for years.

Now, it's a race against time to protect the Sandman's next targets--two witnesses scheduled to testify before a grand jury by the end of the week. With the clock ticking down, Kale and Sturgis dive head-first into a desperate chase to catch the killer before he disappears again.

Just as he thought he was finally safe, Kale must one again battle the shadows lurking in the corners of his mind to take on an all-too-real new nightmare in Wake the Devil, the second in Robert Daniels's suspenseful series.

Genres: Thriller, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Crime, Mystery

352 pages, Hardcover

First published September 13, 2016

About the author

Retired clinical psychologist, Robert Daniels lives in Atlanta, Georgia. In his youth Robert participated in Golden Gloves boxing, but now goes in for less painful pastimes such as tennis, golf, and traveling the world. Only recently did he work up the courage to submit his thriller, "Once Shadows Fall" for publication. It was accepted by veteran editor Matthew Martz of Crooked Lane Books and is expected to be released in the Spring, 2015.

Drawing heavily on his professional background, his first novel, "Once Shadows Fall," a psychological police thriller, (December 8, 2015) was completed after receiving some much needed advice from the late Robert B. Parker.

"Wake the Devil," a sequel to "Once Shadows Fall," also published by Crooked Lane Books, will follow shortly. He recently completed work on Stone Angels, a story set in the Atlanta about an attorney who becomes involved in a series of murders and an old Southern family hiding some diabolical and dark secrets.

Reviews

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

WAKE THE DEVIL
(Sturgis and Kale: #2)
Written by Robert Daniels
2016; Crooked Lane Books (352 Pages)
Genre: series, fiction, mystery, suspense, thriller, romantic suspense, FBI, police

RATING: 3.5 STARS

Beth and Jack are back...solving a crime together and living together. It has been several months since Beth and Jack met and now they cannot envision a life apart. They also cannot stay away from serial killers. One day, while a married couple, two doctors, are taking some time off there is a tragedy. One doctor is dead and the other should have been, and is now being stalked by the killer known as the Sandman. There are a few days left until the doctor and her colleague are to testify at a grand jury. Beth and Jack have to keep the two witnesses alive, and also find the man behind the Sandman. If they lose the Sandman there will be more people dead in the future.

I really enjoy the characters in this book...so much so, that even the quickness of the romance between Beth and Jack doesn't faze me. I am just hoping that Beth and Jack can stay an alluring couple like Dallas and Roarke (In Death series by JD Robb), as I am loving this series. I wasn't as enthralled by the Sandman storyline but love the suspense of the plot and how it comes together. I CANNOT wait till the next book. Robert Daniels is definitely on the must read author list!

***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***

My Novelesque Blog

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second novel in the series. It's been seven months since the last time retired FBI Agent Jack Kale and Atlanta Police Detective Beth Sturgis worked together. They are now reunited by by a new case.

The sandman is nearly a perfect assassin and leaves no clues. He can change his appearance at will and has eluded the police in four continents for years.

The race is on to protect the sandmans next victims who are due to testify before the grand jury at the end of the week. Will they catch the sandman before he strikes then disappears again?

This was definitely a thrilling read and I really enjoyed it.

I would like to thank Net Galley, Crooked Lane Books and the author Robert Daniels for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Maureen DeLuca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once Shadows Fall was the first in this series - and I have to say I liked that sooo much better ! I was a bit disappointed in the second book- at times, it was painfully slow moving.... to date, there are only 2 in this series.... if a 3rd comes out - I most likely will give it a try for there were times this book was good - and I do like both Sturgis and Kale..

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't terribly interested in this at first. It's well written, but also simply written, making it a fast read. The suspense kind of just wasn't there in the beginning, though it did show up later on.
The further into the story I got, the more things I liked about it. Like Beth and Jack's relationship. I didn't really expect that in a book like this.
Still, it got a tad repetitive. Like, "We just don't know what the Sandman is going to do. He's so unpredictable. Jack will figure it out though, don't worry."
The last 100 pages or so? Excellent. Think you've got it figured out? You don't, because it was well done.
Coming out of it, the one thing I'm caught up on is the Sandman's ability to change his appearance. I get that he can change hair color / length, eye color, even his shape a little bit, through masks / face molds and such. But to have no idea about anything at all, even height? Just seems a little too farfetched.
Note: I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.

[Carl Cudmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up this book at a used bookstore and had very little expectations as I had never heard of this author before. I was pleasantly surprised by the flow of the book, the introduction of these characters and story line. Really enjoyed this read.

[Karsyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

2-2.5 stars. Meh. These books I wanted to like but they are soooooooo slow moving. I ended up liking the first one, I didn't really like this one at all, especially since I figured out the killer fairly early on. I kept hoping that it wouldn't be that person, but it was so bleh! Received from NetGalley for my honest review.

[Susan Krutzler]

No go for me. Just couldn't get into it at all. Didn't grab me. Found it to be boring. Gave it 80 pages and that was all. Sandman not so exciting. Maybe I quit early but I didn't bond or find any of the characters intriguing. Oh well.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this might have been even better than #1 in the series. Great read

[Anita Hennesy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good mystery, with increasing excitement as it goes on. Sorry I didn't know this was the second book, like the main characters, will find book 1 soon.

[Machelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2, a must read! Great mystery, fast paced & sucks you in!

[Ian Yarington · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as thrillers go I was impressed with Daniels delivery and the execution in Wake the Devil. The story follows retired FBI Agent Jack Kale and Atlanta Police Detective Beth Sturgis as they get caught up in a case involving an assassin named the Sandman. I was impressed with the fact that the character development wasn't lacking even though I never read the first book, Kale and Sturgis were great characters and they meshed well together. The Sandman was a great villain as well. I would recommend this book for sure.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Kale a retired FBI agent and Atlanta police detective Beth Sturgis are
Now living together and working together to solve a murder by a nearly perfect assassin who leaves no clues. A fast paced thriller with twists, suspense and
intrigue that will keep you reading until the conclusion. I enjoyed this tale with
its deep thought out plot and strong characters.

[Ken Bruss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, evenly paced, mystery with a nice series of plot twists

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second installment in Robert Daniels' Sturgis and Kale series, Wake the Devil is another fast-paced and perplexing mystery that is full of shocking twists and turns.

Atlanta Police Detective Beth Sturgis and retired FBI agent Jack Kale team up once again to find a hired assassin dubbed "the Sandman" after a trio of Atlanta doctors are targeted in the days leading up to their Grand Jury testimony against suspected terrorist Sergei Borov. With one of the witnesses dead, the FBI are called in to hopefully capture the Sandman before he murders the two remaining witnesses. Working alongside Beth's partner, Dan Pappas, newly promoted FBI Deputy Director Janet Newton and Special Agent Todd Milner, Beth and Jack manage to foil several of the Sandman's plots to kill the doctors but he still manages to elude capture time and again. With the body count quickly rising, Beth makes some impulsive decisions that endanger her life while Jack continues to battle the demons that led to his early retirement from the FBI. Under intense pressure from Attorney General Carmine Donofrio, Jack and Beth are in a race against time as they try to catch the Sandman before he strikes again.

Jack is a brilliant investigator with a degree in psychology who has an uncanny ability to take seemingly innocuous details and piece together a perpetrator's next move. In this current case, there is very little information to go on despite the Sandman's prolific career but Jack closely studies the Sandman's previous crimes in hopes of anticipating his next move. While he is sometimes able to accurately predict what he will most likely do next and prevent him from killing the witnesses, Jack remains frustrated by their inability to capture the coldhearted killer. With the Grand Jury date looming and a slightly uncooperative witness to protect, Jack's investigation is hindered by his anxiety attacks and concern for Beth's safety.

With seven months of experience under her belt and some specialized training from Jack, Beth has turned into a formidable detective. She is still a trifle impetuous but with so much at stake, it is very difficult to fault her for her sometimes iffy decisions. Coming face to face with the Sandman on two separate occasions, Beth is perplexed that he let her escape unscathed. Information she and Jack uncover about his possible identity provides a plausible reason for his seemingly inexplicable decision to let her live and they also begin to predict some of his future plans for attack. Growing increasingly worried for the witnesses' safety, Beth takes unnecessary risks in hopes they will catch the Sandman before he can carry out his vicious plot to silence them.

The Sandman is a clever strategist who goes to extreme lengths in order to carry out the assassinations he has been hired to perform. With seemingly endless resources at his fingertips, he has successfully carried out numerous jobs and avoided capture for several years. Several agencies have compiled very little information about the hired killer but with fresh eyes looking at his previous cases and the new evidence from the current investigation, authorities are close to identifying him. Will he manage to carry out his latest hits and escape before Jack and Beth discover the truth?

Wake the Devil is a top-notch police procedural that has a dizzying array of nefarious schemes that keep the storyline moving at a brisk pace. Beth and Jack are more than capable of outmaneuvering their devious foe but will interagency squabbling distract them from the unraveling the various threads of their latest mystery before it is too late? Robert Daniels pits the crime fighting duo against a seemingly unstoppable assassin who is more than willing to kill anyone who gets in his way. Incredibly exciting plot twists and shocking revelations bring the novel to a dynamite conclusion that will stun readers and leave them eagerly awaiting the next installment in the Sturgis and Kale series.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Wake the Devil" is a mystery/thriller about Beth and Jack, who are in a relationship in addition to crime solving together. Although this is the second in a series, it easily works as a stand alone (I had not read the first). Jack and Beth are working to protect some witnesses from an assassin called the Sandman. Although they are right on his tail, they seem to just fall short of catching him at every turn. He's a psychological expert who seems to be able to use any situation to his advantage. Jack is also an expert in psychology and seems to anticipate his next moves.

The book is well written but moves slowly at first, then gets into some really intense action. I'd say this definitely qualifies as a thriller. We learn the identity of the Sandman relatively quickly and flash between his and Beth/Jack's perspectives. It adds something interesting, because although we learn about his psychology, we don't learn about his plans until they are encountered by Jack/Beth. Regarding their relationship, they are a sweet couple but the focus is definitely on the case with their relationship as a side story.

Overall, it's a pretty steady thriller following the cat and mouse game between law enforcement and a serial assassin. Please note that I received this book through a goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own.

[Wilma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway. Three doctors are being hunted by an assassin called the "Sandman" by the police. The Feds believe they were targeted by Sergei Borov, a Russian mobster when they accidently saw him pass a briefcase to a banking official involved in a money laundering case. The police, etc. are trying to keep them alive until the Grand Jury convenes on the case. Meanwhile, a former FBI profiler, Jack Kale, has been lured back to help them catch the assassin by Beth Sturgis, his live-in girlfriend who is a police detective.
The Sandman has the ability to get anyone he is after no matter how much collateral damage or deaths he has to cause to accomplish his mission. The man seems to have no fear as he goes after his prey...he simply disguises himself to fit in to any situation including posing as a policeman, a Fed, a fire inspector, etc. He manages to kill two of the targets and then it is a desperate race to keep the third one alive to testify. The odd thing is he has a chance to kill the policewoman at lease times and doesn't for reasons of his own. This book held my interest to the very surprising end.
I highly recommend it.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wake the Devil by Robert Daniels has Jack Kale and Beth Sturgis trying to protect two doctors from the perfect assassin who leaves no clues and who changes his appearance.

The Sandman is on the "most wanted" list of several countries, but continues to outwit those who want to capture him, and once he accepts a mission, he will carry it through. He has already killed one of the three doctors who are scheduled to testify in the court case. Despite all efforts, the second doctor is murdered.

Wake the Devil is a fast-paced thriller with an elaborate plot. Jack Kale continues to deal with severe panic attacks as he and Beth Sturgis try to protect the remaining doctor.

I suspected the villain and was correct, but there are a lot of twists.

NetGalley/Crooked Lane Books

Thriller/Suspense. Sept. 13, 2016. Print length: 352 pages.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Daniels has another nail biter here with his second effort, featuring Detective Beth Sturgis and Jack Kale. An internationally notorious assassin has been hired to kill three doctors who witnessed an arms dealer passing a briefcase to another man. As in his debut novel, the action is fast-paced, there is no shortage of dead bodies, and elements of the search for the assassin remain a mystery for most of the book. I guessed the bad guy early on but I won't spoil it for readers who should look at this fast-paced book.

The protagonists are likable, the characters are drawn well, and the backgrounding of Atlanta rings true. Highly recommended.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't a fan of this one but you might like it if you enjoy odd couple male/female law enforcement teams chasing an evil doer. I had not read the first book so I'm not sure if that made a difference but I was concerned that there were any number of things that were just illogical or implausible. THanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great psychological thriller with an ending you do not see coming. My guesses were not even close and I usually can figure most endings. The characters a very real the action and twists and turns keep you reading. A must buy.

[LaShana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as the first in the series, but not totally horrible. Parts of the book were boring and what excitement there was only ho-hum. I will still read more about these two.

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 star TOP PICK

[Virginia Doss]

It was too slow moving for me, and also much too clever. Or, contrived. Take your pick.