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Saul Marshall #1
False Prophet
A psychotic terrorist has his son. He will do anything to save him
When a rogue cult turns deadly, the FBI call on former conman Agent Saul Marshall. FALSE PROPHET introduces a gripping new series from thriller writer Richard Davis
Marshall is soon drawn into a cat and mouse chase with the leader of the cult, Ivan Drexler. As the scale of Drexler’s terrorist ambition becomes ever clearer, news arrives that he has taken Marshall’s son hostage. Removed from the line of duty, he must work alone, off-grid.
As the attacks intensify, Saul will stop at nothing to defeat Drexler.
But the FBI are questioning Saul’s own part in the carnage. He must work fast to save both his country and his life. Can Saul stop the carnage before it’s too late? And can he save his son?
As wave after wave of attacks break, the clock is ticking for Saul.
Fast-paced, relentless and brutally exciting, FALSE PROPHET marks the entrance of a major new thriller talent. For readers of Lee Child, David Baldacci and Michael Connelly, it will leave your heart pounding.
- GenresThriller
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 25, 2016
42 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Richard Davis
6 books9 followersRichard Davis graduated from University College London in 2011 and Cambridge University in 2012. The Saul Marshall series was born from Davis’s extensive travels around the United States and his long-standing obsession with thriller fiction. He lives in North London, UK, with his girlfriend.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
August 19, 2017
A very good, fast-paced story involving a homegrown terrorist who uses a cult to keep his supporters in line. Right away there are several events which at first appear to be suicide, but when studied closely are definitely not! This is the first in a series following Saul Marshall, a former con-man, FBI agent with valor and integrity when fighting for this country. Some of Saul's methods haven't been exactly kosher, but he always does what he sets out to do! This cult group includes people who believe the words of the leader, who says whatever people will follow,keeping his real plans to himself, and also children of young adult age of Political or high profile parents,who he works on to get them to believe in the cult, upping the ante when the parents eventually find out.
I enjoyed this author's writing, the things happening could certainly be true today, with great characters and an intense plot. Looking forward to read the next in this series!!
I enjoyed this author's writing, the things happening could certainly be true today, with great characters and an intense plot. Looking forward to read the next in this series!!
February 18, 2016
False Prophet is the authors debut novel and also the first in a new series of novels following Saul Marshall.
It didn't actually take me long to read this novel at all. Due to the short chapters and the storyline, I found myself flying through it.
The whole storyline is one that will certainly get the readers attention, especially if you enjoy a story with a good plot that is very much a race against time.
Saul is certainly an interesting character. In a world where he doesn't know who he can trust, he certainly has his work cut out in trying to get to the bottom of it all and saving him and his son's life.
False Prophet is certainly a good start to a new series and I have a feeling that there is a lot more good things to come from this author yet.
Many thanks to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It didn't actually take me long to read this novel at all. Due to the short chapters and the storyline, I found myself flying through it.
The whole storyline is one that will certainly get the readers attention, especially if you enjoy a story with a good plot that is very much a race against time.
Saul is certainly an interesting character. In a world where he doesn't know who he can trust, he certainly has his work cut out in trying to get to the bottom of it all and saving him and his son's life.
False Prophet is certainly a good start to a new series and I have a feeling that there is a lot more good things to come from this author yet.
Many thanks to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 11, 2018
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I love the cover of this book and the blurb really intrigued me. The book is really well laid out and it has the short punchy chapters that I love, the pace is fast and I flew through the story. It has plenty of thrills and lots of action as it is a race against time with the clock ticking.
It is a very easy read, I really liked the main character and his determination and definitely would want to read more with him in - this is a great start to the series! Four stars from me - a really enjoyable book!!
I love the cover of this book and the blurb really intrigued me. The book is really well laid out and it has the short punchy chapters that I love, the pace is fast and I flew through the story. It has plenty of thrills and lots of action as it is a race against time with the clock ticking.
It is a very easy read, I really liked the main character and his determination and definitely would want to read more with him in - this is a great start to the series! Four stars from me - a really enjoyable book!!
February 9, 2018
This book is an amazing thriller with lots of awesome twists and turns. A definite page turner and amazing writing!
December 10, 2022
I obtained the Saul Marshall trilogy either via an Amazon Kindle offer or direct from the author. It was a while ago, so I’m not certain which.
These are my personal thoughts on the first book – False Prophet. Some of you may not agree; some of you may. It’s all a matter of personal opinion.
I should have known better. I should have researched. I should have been wary.
Red flags that I should have seen.
1. A self-published author who hasn’t the confidence to publish under his own name, so sets up a publishing company for whom he is the sole director and sole author.
2. No website for the publishing company.
3. No website for the author.
4. Not included in my absolute bible of book websites – Fantastic Fiction.
I started reading. What a mistake!
Firstly, a massive factual error in Chapter 1. Broadmoor psychiatric hospital has never, in its entire history, had armed guards. Not even high security UK prisons have armed guards. A fact that any self-respecting UK citizen should know.
That didn’t bode well for the rest of the book.
Here we have:
The stereotypical gung-ho maverick “hero” operating outside of his FBI authority and in
direct opposition to his superior’s instructions, causing countless deaths all in the pursuit of
saving one person – his own son
The stereotypical psychopath
The stereotypical cult
The obvious cult mole in the FBI
The “hero’s” son who oh so obviously has joined the cult (not taken hostage)
All too predictable.
The writing style is that of an adolescent boy who has read too many cheap adventure stories and fancies that he can do better. Massive amount of padding by the constant reiterating of what and how the “hero” plans to do something. Another annoying constant was using the phrase “all of a sudden”. All that’s needed is the word “suddenly”.
From at least midway, I was tutting, muttering and sighing. How I managed to finish it is still a mystery to me. I always try not to give up and hold on to the hope that it can only get better. It didn’t. I shouldn’t have wasted my time. As can be seen from the dates, it took me nearly a month of tortuous revisits to get through it.
I certainly will not be reading books 2 and 3. I have better things to do with my time and better authors to read.
These are my personal thoughts on the first book – False Prophet. Some of you may not agree; some of you may. It’s all a matter of personal opinion.
I should have known better. I should have researched. I should have been wary.
Red flags that I should have seen.
1. A self-published author who hasn’t the confidence to publish under his own name, so sets up a publishing company for whom he is the sole director and sole author.
2. No website for the publishing company.
3. No website for the author.
4. Not included in my absolute bible of book websites – Fantastic Fiction.
I started reading. What a mistake!
Firstly, a massive factual error in Chapter 1. Broadmoor psychiatric hospital has never, in its entire history, had armed guards. Not even high security UK prisons have armed guards. A fact that any self-respecting UK citizen should know.
That didn’t bode well for the rest of the book.
Here we have:
The stereotypical gung-ho maverick “hero” operating outside of his FBI authority and in
direct opposition to his superior’s instructions, causing countless deaths all in the pursuit of
saving one person – his own son
The stereotypical psychopath
The stereotypical cult
The obvious cult mole in the FBI
The “hero’s” son who oh so obviously has joined the cult (not taken hostage)
All too predictable.
The writing style is that of an adolescent boy who has read too many cheap adventure stories and fancies that he can do better. Massive amount of padding by the constant reiterating of what and how the “hero” plans to do something. Another annoying constant was using the phrase “all of a sudden”. All that’s needed is the word “suddenly”.
From at least midway, I was tutting, muttering and sighing. How I managed to finish it is still a mystery to me. I always try not to give up and hold on to the hope that it can only get better. It didn’t. I shouldn’t have wasted my time. As can be seen from the dates, it took me nearly a month of tortuous revisits to get through it.
I certainly will not be reading books 2 and 3. I have better things to do with my time and better authors to read.
June 6, 2017
Has good potential. If the series continues I hope the writing improves.
August 16, 2016
I received a review copy of this book from the author.
I was really excited to start this book because it has a lot of stuff that I find interesting in books. The idea of a serial-killing cult was especially fascinating to me and what made me really want to read the book. Having finished the book in only a handful of days, it lived up to my expectations and I really enjoyed it.
False Prophet is the debut thriller novel by Richard Davis following FBI agent and former con-man Saul Marshall. When a rogue cult commits three sets of murders shaped to look like suicides, the only connection between the victims is that they all have a teenage child on the missing persons list. FBI agent Saul Marshall is called in to investigate, only to find that the leader of the cult, Ivan Drexler, has Marshall’s own son hostage. Marshall is then pitted in a race against time to stop Drexler and the cult before they take his son’s life.
For me this is one of those books that takes a little while to get going but once it does, it is hard to put down. The first couple of chapters felt like a bit of an information dump as Davis set up the plot and character but once the actual story started to progress, it really starts to grip you hard. It is action-packed and has short chapters, so after the slow beginning I really burned through it pretty quickly.
The main character, Saul Marshall, really interested me. I found him to be quite easy to relate with because he felt a bit more natural than some other characters. What I mean by this is that a lot of authors in the genre are too protective of their character and therefore make them smarter, stronger and faster than everyone they come up against. I don’t feel that Davis did that as Marshall is outsmarted by the villain several times and I found that quite refreshing and enjoyable.
The only problem I had with Saul is that he has an interesting backstory that wasn’t really recognised in the story. It’s mentioned that he’s a former con-man at the start and it’s mentioned a couple of times throughout, but it was nowhere near as important to the story as I thought it was going to be. I thought the idea of a con-man-turned-FBI agent is pretty unique, so it would have been interesting to see that angle played up a bit more.
The plot of the book was interesting. For some reason, crazy killer cults have always fascinated me and that is what this book is all about. Drexler and his cult gave me a sort of Charles Manson vibe and the personal angle of Marshall racing against time to save his son from this cult made for a thrilling story. There’s quite a few big twists that I didn’t see coming and that mystery element is well done. My only real problem with the story was that the dialogue felt a little off. I found it hard to read because it didn’t feel conversational to me, but quite formal.
Overall, I think False Prophet is a pretty amazing debut novel and there is a lot of potential for an exciting series. I am really looking forward to what Davis does with Marshall next and if False Prophet is anything to go by, it should be good.
Is it worth a read? If you’re a fan of fast-paced, high-stakes, race against time action thrillers, then you’re probably going to enjoy False Prophet. Davis has the same simple style as most of the top authors in the thriller genre and the use of a serial-killing cult makes for a great action-packed story.
This review was originally published at Worth a Read.
I was really excited to start this book because it has a lot of stuff that I find interesting in books. The idea of a serial-killing cult was especially fascinating to me and what made me really want to read the book. Having finished the book in only a handful of days, it lived up to my expectations and I really enjoyed it.
False Prophet is the debut thriller novel by Richard Davis following FBI agent and former con-man Saul Marshall. When a rogue cult commits three sets of murders shaped to look like suicides, the only connection between the victims is that they all have a teenage child on the missing persons list. FBI agent Saul Marshall is called in to investigate, only to find that the leader of the cult, Ivan Drexler, has Marshall’s own son hostage. Marshall is then pitted in a race against time to stop Drexler and the cult before they take his son’s life.
For me this is one of those books that takes a little while to get going but once it does, it is hard to put down. The first couple of chapters felt like a bit of an information dump as Davis set up the plot and character but once the actual story started to progress, it really starts to grip you hard. It is action-packed and has short chapters, so after the slow beginning I really burned through it pretty quickly.
The main character, Saul Marshall, really interested me. I found him to be quite easy to relate with because he felt a bit more natural than some other characters. What I mean by this is that a lot of authors in the genre are too protective of their character and therefore make them smarter, stronger and faster than everyone they come up against. I don’t feel that Davis did that as Marshall is outsmarted by the villain several times and I found that quite refreshing and enjoyable.
The only problem I had with Saul is that he has an interesting backstory that wasn’t really recognised in the story. It’s mentioned that he’s a former con-man at the start and it’s mentioned a couple of times throughout, but it was nowhere near as important to the story as I thought it was going to be. I thought the idea of a con-man-turned-FBI agent is pretty unique, so it would have been interesting to see that angle played up a bit more.
The plot of the book was interesting. For some reason, crazy killer cults have always fascinated me and that is what this book is all about. Drexler and his cult gave me a sort of Charles Manson vibe and the personal angle of Marshall racing against time to save his son from this cult made for a thrilling story. There’s quite a few big twists that I didn’t see coming and that mystery element is well done. My only real problem with the story was that the dialogue felt a little off. I found it hard to read because it didn’t feel conversational to me, but quite formal.
Overall, I think False Prophet is a pretty amazing debut novel and there is a lot of potential for an exciting series. I am really looking forward to what Davis does with Marshall next and if False Prophet is anything to go by, it should be good.
Is it worth a read? If you’re a fan of fast-paced, high-stakes, race against time action thrillers, then you’re probably going to enjoy False Prophet. Davis has the same simple style as most of the top authors in the thriller genre and the use of a serial-killing cult makes for a great action-packed story.
This review was originally published at Worth a Read.
March 5, 2017
A Fast-paced, relentless and brutally exciting, FALSE PROPHET marks the entrance of a major new thriller talent.
This book is part of a series from Richard Davis, called Saul Marshall (our main character) – and this is the 1st book of the series – and I seriously never heard of it. I love thrillers and this one got me hooked up for at least 4 days non stop (ok ok…mum here only read at night… still I couldn’t let go of the book for at least a couple of hours).
Excellently written, this author is now on my watch list for his next books!
Absolutely recommend it!
This book is part of a series from Richard Davis, called Saul Marshall (our main character) – and this is the 1st book of the series – and I seriously never heard of it. I love thrillers and this one got me hooked up for at least 4 days non stop (ok ok…mum here only read at night… still I couldn’t let go of the book for at least a couple of hours).
Excellently written, this author is now on my watch list for his next books!
Absolutely recommend it!
February 23, 2017
I would like to thank Caroline at UKCBC and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this which I voluntarily reviewed.
This is the first book I've read by Richard Davis and it certainly won't be the last.
I read some of this book and then switched to audio when I had other things to do. I did this because I was so engrossed in the story I was desperate to find out what happened.
Saul Marshall, ex-conman turned FBI agent is a complex character with a conscience. He feels guilty because of some of the things he has to do in order to try and save his son.
Reading this is akin to being on the world's largest roller-coaster as there are so many twists and turns.
I would definitely recommend this book and I'm looking forward to reading book 2 in this series.
This is the first book I've read by Richard Davis and it certainly won't be the last.
I read some of this book and then switched to audio when I had other things to do. I did this because I was so engrossed in the story I was desperate to find out what happened.
Saul Marshall, ex-conman turned FBI agent is a complex character with a conscience. He feels guilty because of some of the things he has to do in order to try and save his son.
Reading this is akin to being on the world's largest roller-coaster as there are so many twists and turns.
I would definitely recommend this book and I'm looking forward to reading book 2 in this series.
February 3, 2016
I just finished this intriguing book. I'm sure that most of you are going to enjoy it. If you have read any of my reviews, you know I don't give spoilers, but let me tell you about the book over all.
Something, I have found lacking in many novels of late, movies, and TV shows, is the ability of the author or story teller to really bring you along for the ride without being obvious about what's going to happen next. Richard Davis pulls this off very well. I hate being able to call a story.
The character has depth, and some pretty strong and loyal friendships. Though the author doesn't go into much back story, however he does a good job of letting you connect to the relationship. Some of which, the loyalty is stretched to the breaking point.
There are some pretty solid plot twists in the story, that you won't see coming. There are others that he gives you pretty quickly and easily. You feel like perhaps the book is going to be extremely obvious because of it, but stick with it, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
There is violence in the book and some fairly graphic depictions, so of that is a turn off for you, this is probably not your book.
I felt like it could definitely sympathize with the main character and I felt at times that I'd have done things the way he did as well to protect my own. You are drawn in and you don't want to put it down. It's a very good book.
I have only one disappointment in the story, and that is the final confrontation. It's over so quickly that you feel you almost missed it. If it weren't for a build up after that moment to the possibility of a series or sequel book, I would have been more disappointed by this arc of the story.
I can confidently say, that I did thoroughly enjoy this book, and I encourage you to enjoy it as well. If you like suspense, mystery, intrigue, it's a winner.
I did receive an advanced copy in return for a fair and unbiased review.
Something, I have found lacking in many novels of late, movies, and TV shows, is the ability of the author or story teller to really bring you along for the ride without being obvious about what's going to happen next. Richard Davis pulls this off very well. I hate being able to call a story.
The character has depth, and some pretty strong and loyal friendships. Though the author doesn't go into much back story, however he does a good job of letting you connect to the relationship. Some of which, the loyalty is stretched to the breaking point.
There are some pretty solid plot twists in the story, that you won't see coming. There are others that he gives you pretty quickly and easily. You feel like perhaps the book is going to be extremely obvious because of it, but stick with it, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
There is violence in the book and some fairly graphic depictions, so of that is a turn off for you, this is probably not your book.
I felt like it could definitely sympathize with the main character and I felt at times that I'd have done things the way he did as well to protect my own. You are drawn in and you don't want to put it down. It's a very good book.
I have only one disappointment in the story, and that is the final confrontation. It's over so quickly that you feel you almost missed it. If it weren't for a build up after that moment to the possibility of a series or sequel book, I would have been more disappointed by this arc of the story.
I can confidently say, that I did thoroughly enjoy this book, and I encourage you to enjoy it as well. If you like suspense, mystery, intrigue, it's a winner.
I did receive an advanced copy in return for a fair and unbiased review.
April 28, 2017
False Prophet is the first book in the Saul Marshall series and, as such, it does suffer from some disadvantages. Saul is a classic loose cannon who has done too much and seen too much and a few steps ahead of everyone. Of course, he knows everything and he’s one of those guys that tells us everything he knows. Davis is clearly a well informed guy and one that feels a responsibility to share with his readers that information that drives the story. Saul is a conman. He’s trained to notice everything and he tells us everything he notices. As in the case of Barry Eisler’s, John Rain, there are times that the minutia reads as action but mostly it dances around the edges of distracting from what is really a very fast reading piece.
Ivan Drexler is exactly what you’d expect from a really good thriller baddie in that he is completely insane and deliciously brutal. Any thinking person would be terrified that someone like him could be walking the streets undetected and he would be undetected. He’s a cult leader with a compelling personality who has escaped from an asylum and is driven by his hate of Saul. Drexler is a true sociopath in the manner Moriarty as played by Andrew Scott (Sherlock). There’s a brilliance to the character that must have been impossibly tricky to write and tells me that once this reader settles into his world, he’s going to be unstoppable.
Ivan Drexler is exactly what you’d expect from a really good thriller baddie in that he is completely insane and deliciously brutal. Any thinking person would be terrified that someone like him could be walking the streets undetected and he would be undetected. He’s a cult leader with a compelling personality who has escaped from an asylum and is driven by his hate of Saul. Drexler is a true sociopath in the manner Moriarty as played by Andrew Scott (Sherlock). There’s a brilliance to the character that must have been impossibly tricky to write and tells me that once this reader settles into his world, he’s going to be unstoppable.
February 11, 2016
This was my introduction to the Saul Marshall series and I can't wait to read my next one. The first part of the book was a little slow for me and it took a while for me to connect the dots between the characters. Most of this is most likely due to the fact that I haven't read the previous books.
Once I hit about 1/3 of the way into this book, I was hooked. I don't want to give any spoilers, but this was a very entertaining and well-written thriller.
The story involves an agent trying to rescue his son from the grips of a psychopathic terrorist. There were many unexpected twists and turns and I found myself being emotionally affected by the quandary of Saul. Does he do what he needs to save his son, or does he follow the procedures of the government and sacrifice him?
I highly recommend you read it and find out.
Once I hit about 1/3 of the way into this book, I was hooked. I don't want to give any spoilers, but this was a very entertaining and well-written thriller.
The story involves an agent trying to rescue his son from the grips of a psychopathic terrorist. There were many unexpected twists and turns and I found myself being emotionally affected by the quandary of Saul. Does he do what he needs to save his son, or does he follow the procedures of the government and sacrifice him?
I highly recommend you read it and find out.
August 30, 2018
Imagine ‘24’, ‘Blacklist’ ‘Designated Survivor’ all rolled into one and you immediately get the idea of this book
Book 1 of the 3 book Saul Marshall series is all about Saul, his past and how he is now a kinda FBI bad boy/fugitive ( these explanations of his past are immediate and full on and like WOW, really??) and how his son who has been missing for 2 years re-appears kidnapped by a cult....all of whom via terrorist acts are causing chaos across America ( inc using real poisonous gas in a Hollywood film about the Sarin attack in Japan and all the actors perishing live on screen!!!!
Get the idea?? Its super fast paced and at times so fast paced that you have to let that go and just enjoy the ride...once I got over the ‘well that wouldn’t happen would it??thoughts I loved it and it was a hi energy read where anything and everything happens!!
Saul is an interesting larger than life guy but I grew to really like him and admire him for what he was doing, often unorthodoxally ( is that a word?)
You can easily play the whole book out in your mind from action scene to action scene and tbh very few pages do not have action and suspense in them
The author is detailed in his writing and descriptions and his research into the FBI and their workings can only be praised, nothing is ‘flossed over’ and as I say there is vast knowledge and detail all the way through
There are so many twists, turns, retwists and returns it hardly does it justice to say so, the twists are rampant and epic
The book doesnt ‘peter out’but ends on a massive high and also with a few questions unanswered that no doubt will feature in Book 2
It feels like I have read a whole adventure series so am having a 1 book break before starting Book 2...
If this sounds like your kind of book dont hesitate to read as you will love everything about it
10/0 5 stars
March 6, 2017
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This has not altered my opinion. Hints at the spoilers but no actual spoilers.
This book felt very real to me, which made it all the more interesting to read. The beginning was a bit slow and took a bit of getting into, but when the running started it really did not stop until the very end. We follow Saul Marshall: con-artist turned FBI agent, who has just realized that his son has gone missing. That part is a bit complicated to begin with, but I'm not going to get into that. Saul knows who did it and takes it upon himself to find them and save his son from the clutches of a madman.
The characters really reminded me of some of the psychopaths that I've read about and studied when I was in psychology (also Criminal Minds and White Collar no shame!). It is crazy to read about this intense kind of brainwashing of so many people and the meticulous planning that had been done (however predictable parts of it may have been) and that is what makes this a great story. I could understand Saul's position to a point but the collateral damage is always a factor that has to be taken into consideration in every decision, but since I'm not a parent I can't fully understand that part.
While highly suspenseful and fast paced, I found this novel to be a mite bit predictable and a bit slow at the beginning. I had most of the middle part figured out sadly before Saul did, although that could be due to binge watching Criminal Minds a few months ago, so when stuff happened he was more surprised than I was. Not to mention the hardest part for me was getting into the book to begin with. However, I still enjoyed the read and would recommend it for fans of Dan Brown as well as Robert Ludlum. Three point five
This book felt very real to me, which made it all the more interesting to read. The beginning was a bit slow and took a bit of getting into, but when the running started it really did not stop until the very end. We follow Saul Marshall: con-artist turned FBI agent, who has just realized that his son has gone missing. That part is a bit complicated to begin with, but I'm not going to get into that. Saul knows who did it and takes it upon himself to find them and save his son from the clutches of a madman.
The characters really reminded me of some of the psychopaths that I've read about and studied when I was in psychology (also Criminal Minds and White Collar no shame!). It is crazy to read about this intense kind of brainwashing of so many people and the meticulous planning that had been done (however predictable parts of it may have been) and that is what makes this a great story. I could understand Saul's position to a point but the collateral damage is always a factor that has to be taken into consideration in every decision, but since I'm not a parent I can't fully understand that part.
While highly suspenseful and fast paced, I found this novel to be a mite bit predictable and a bit slow at the beginning. I had most of the middle part figured out sadly before Saul did, although that could be due to binge watching Criminal Minds a few months ago, so when stuff happened he was more surprised than I was. Not to mention the hardest part for me was getting into the book to begin with. However, I still enjoyed the read and would recommend it for fans of Dan Brown as well as Robert Ludlum. Three point five
August 22, 2017
This was not my usual genre of book, but I happily give most books a try. I did find it hard to get in to this book to begin with as I was dipping in and out for 10 minutes here and there, but I'm glad I stuck with it. This is the authors first book about Saul Marshall and his relentless task of trying to save his son. The action is continuous, picks up and slows down in places but never the less action packed throughout, personally I found parts a little too detailed in some aspects for me such as with the guns (sorry a gun is a gun for me lol). Saul is on the tail of a cult who are causing chaos, fear and terror on their path to glory. Personally I feel there was a good build up throughout the book but then the end came to an abrupt quick conclusion leaving me a little deflated, but as a debut novel Richard did good and I will certainly give the second book a read.
September 7, 2017
This was a great thriller. I can't call it a mystery because we know who the bad guy is in the first chapter. But it very much is a thriller. We have to follow our hero FBI agent Saul Marshall, as he tries to rescue his son from the clutches of a cult. With the help of Vannevar Yeung and Mort Giles he's on his way but believe me this is a page turner. This book kept me up all night. I got this book off a free site but this is an honest review
March 6, 2019
Saul Marshall is a gritty, hard-boiled hero up against a horrifying adversary in this tight, sleek thriller. Unexpected twists and psychological drama drive the action and there is a pervasive sense of impending threat as the clock runs down toward a horrifying confrontation. Recommended to anyone who enjoys Lee Child, James Patterson and Michael Connelly.
November 16, 2018
Movie In The Offing?
One can only hope. A worthy explosive saga that gains momentum with every page. It is always impressive when technical detail informs as well as adds depth without slowing the pace of heightening suspense.
One can only hope. A worthy explosive saga that gains momentum with every page. It is always impressive when technical detail informs as well as adds depth without slowing the pace of heightening suspense.
April 24, 2018
Great
I really enjoyed reading False prophets. It’s fast paced and different from other books I’ve read as you don’t know what’s coming next.
I really enjoyed reading False prophets. It’s fast paced and different from other books I’ve read as you don’t know what’s coming next.
December 21, 2018
Ex con man, former FBI man with missing son, targeted by cult leader fixated on his past. Thrilling
July 12, 2022
An ok story told in a confusing manner.
I had a hard time getting into the storyline and the way it jumped around left me wondering what the final conclusion to the story would be.
I had a hard time getting into the storyline and the way it jumped around left me wondering what the final conclusion to the story would be.
March 4, 2017
We are introduced to Saul Marshall – he is a guy with a fascinating past, an FBI agent who was once one of the best conmen in the game. He is resourceful, connected and a bit of a loose cannon (basically he is a hugely entertaining lead character).
Marshall is on a visit to England. A prisoner with a history of mental health issues has a warning for Saul – he knows of a former prisoner by name of Ivan Drexler who has crossed paths with Saul in the past and he blames Saul for his incarceration. The warning is that Drexler (who is without conscience or compassion) may be planning to unleash a string of attacks on American citizens.
Saul cannot ignore the warning but there seems to be no real substance to the suspicions. However, events are soon flipped on their head. Draxler is heading up a cult and has kidnapped Saul’s son to ensure Saul places himself into the path of Draxler and his minions. Can Saul keep up with Draxler and stop him unleashing his terror attacks?
False Prophet is a fast paced action thriller. Draxler as the “big bad” is a particularly evil character who inflicts some quite gruesome (and imaginative) harm onto several characters throughout the story. It makes for quite compelling reading and the speed at which the story unfolds is the perfect way to reflect the urgency/race against time which faces Marshall.
As a fan of action thrillers I have to say that False Prophet ticked all the right boxes for this reader. The chapters are short and punchy which kept the feeling of a high tempo going. Draxler’s cult were suitably disturbing and the author did a good job of positioning their foundation and their threat risk.
Marshall is on a visit to England. A prisoner with a history of mental health issues has a warning for Saul – he knows of a former prisoner by name of Ivan Drexler who has crossed paths with Saul in the past and he blames Saul for his incarceration. The warning is that Drexler (who is without conscience or compassion) may be planning to unleash a string of attacks on American citizens.
Saul cannot ignore the warning but there seems to be no real substance to the suspicions. However, events are soon flipped on their head. Draxler is heading up a cult and has kidnapped Saul’s son to ensure Saul places himself into the path of Draxler and his minions. Can Saul keep up with Draxler and stop him unleashing his terror attacks?
False Prophet is a fast paced action thriller. Draxler as the “big bad” is a particularly evil character who inflicts some quite gruesome (and imaginative) harm onto several characters throughout the story. It makes for quite compelling reading and the speed at which the story unfolds is the perfect way to reflect the urgency/race against time which faces Marshall.
As a fan of action thrillers I have to say that False Prophet ticked all the right boxes for this reader. The chapters are short and punchy which kept the feeling of a high tempo going. Draxler’s cult were suitably disturbing and the author did a good job of positioning their foundation and their threat risk.
March 11, 2017
Took a while to get into but once I got to know the main character I really enjoyed this book.
February 27, 2017
Full review is coming on Monday, as part of the blog tour for the sequel to this book, 'Never Forget'. I have a couple of problems with this one that just blocked it from being four stars, but I enjoyed the story and Saul Marshall's character is so easy to relate to.
EDIT 27/02/17:
This was so close to getting four stars, but a couple of things didn't work for me. I can't discuss one of those here, because it's a HUGE spoiler - literally the last chapter of the book - so I'll probably end up writing a spoilery review in a couple of days, because I have a lot of thoughts about that ending that I want to go further into.
The non-spoilery aspect that made this book an uncomfortable read was the constant info dumping. Richard Davis has obviously done a lot of research, because he knows an insane amount about the inner workings of the FBI and the CIA, but the reader gets told ALL of it. There are pages upon pages of irrelevant information, Saul mentally commenting on the exact make, model and size of cars, guns and planes, but none of it furthers the plot. It shows that Richard has planned every aspect of his story, making it absolutely faultless, but it's not necessary for the reader to know every tiny detail. It doesn't bring it to life, it just makes things clunky.
Other than that I really enjoyed this novel.
Read the rest of my stop on the 'Never Forget' blog tour here!
EDIT 27/02/17:
This was so close to getting four stars, but a couple of things didn't work for me. I can't discuss one of those here, because it's a HUGE spoiler - literally the last chapter of the book - so I'll probably end up writing a spoilery review in a couple of days, because I have a lot of thoughts about that ending that I want to go further into.
The non-spoilery aspect that made this book an uncomfortable read was the constant info dumping. Richard Davis has obviously done a lot of research, because he knows an insane amount about the inner workings of the FBI and the CIA, but the reader gets told ALL of it. There are pages upon pages of irrelevant information, Saul mentally commenting on the exact make, model and size of cars, guns and planes, but none of it furthers the plot. It shows that Richard has planned every aspect of his story, making it absolutely faultless, but it's not necessary for the reader to know every tiny detail. It doesn't bring it to life, it just makes things clunky.
Other than that I really enjoyed this novel.
Read the rest of my stop on the 'Never Forget' blog tour here!
March 1, 2017
I am very grateful to Richard Davis for sending me an ARC of False Prophet, the first in his Saul Marshall thriller series. Saul is a fascinating character, a former conman now working for the FBI but still something of a maverick. In this story he is involved in the destruction of a particularly nasty cult and when it becomes clear that his own son has been drafted into the cult, Marshall will go to any lengths to destroy its leader and save Samuel. Fast-paced, gripping from the start and a real page-turner, this novel is a promising start to the series and I look forward to reading the sequel.
December 5, 2022
I obtained the three volumes of the Saul Marshall series as a combined Kindle version on a free offer. This review is my personal opinion of False Prophet, the first of the three books contained in the omnibus. It does not contain spoilers but also it doesn’t pull any punches!
Saul Marshall is an FBI officer with a shady past. The premise behind this first book makes the reader think that it could be quite an exciting book with a background of how the FBI operates. However, to me, it was highly disappointing. It didn’t help that there is a massive error right at the start where the author refers to the High Security Hospital at Broadmoor in Berkshire, England. I have known of this place all my life as it is less than half an hour away from where I live. The error that the author has made is that the guards at Broadmoor are armed with Heckler & Koch automatic rifles. This is totally untrue. Broadmoor has never, in its very long history, had armed guards. This shows a complete lack of research on the part of the author and it would have been very easy to have found this out. An error such as this right at the beginning of the book then makes the reader wonder how much of the rest of it has been researched and is accurate.
Now for the style of writing. The author constantly repeats things, often within the same paragraph, and the book is littered with spelling or proof reading errors. For example: Floors of a building are “Storeys” not as the author states “stories”. Likewise at one point one of the characters is caught in a small part of a hedge. In the book this is referred to as a “slither” of a hedge. “Slither” is what a snake does when it moves. A small portion of something is a “sliver”. Other simple proof reading errors are frequent right throughout the story showing a lack of care by the proofreaders.
An example of how parts of the book runs include the main character constantly describing, at vast length how, why and when he is going to do something. This includes one section where one single paragraph extends over approximately ten swipes of the Kindle page (approximately five normal pages) and the reader is still in the dark when you finally get to the end of the paragraph. Yes I did say that correctly. One paragraph lasting five pages! It is almost like listening to somebody waffling on about something and never actually finding out what they are talking about.
The consequence of all this is that although the story looked promising, the book turned out to be one of the worst that I have ever read. Will I read the other two books? It is more likely that I will delete the whole thing.
Other readers may disagree with me but that is up to them. As I said at the beginning, this is purely my personal opinion about this book.
Saul Marshall is an FBI officer with a shady past. The premise behind this first book makes the reader think that it could be quite an exciting book with a background of how the FBI operates. However, to me, it was highly disappointing. It didn’t help that there is a massive error right at the start where the author refers to the High Security Hospital at Broadmoor in Berkshire, England. I have known of this place all my life as it is less than half an hour away from where I live. The error that the author has made is that the guards at Broadmoor are armed with Heckler & Koch automatic rifles. This is totally untrue. Broadmoor has never, in its very long history, had armed guards. This shows a complete lack of research on the part of the author and it would have been very easy to have found this out. An error such as this right at the beginning of the book then makes the reader wonder how much of the rest of it has been researched and is accurate.
Now for the style of writing. The author constantly repeats things, often within the same paragraph, and the book is littered with spelling or proof reading errors. For example: Floors of a building are “Storeys” not as the author states “stories”. Likewise at one point one of the characters is caught in a small part of a hedge. In the book this is referred to as a “slither” of a hedge. “Slither” is what a snake does when it moves. A small portion of something is a “sliver”. Other simple proof reading errors are frequent right throughout the story showing a lack of care by the proofreaders.
An example of how parts of the book runs include the main character constantly describing, at vast length how, why and when he is going to do something. This includes one section where one single paragraph extends over approximately ten swipes of the Kindle page (approximately five normal pages) and the reader is still in the dark when you finally get to the end of the paragraph. Yes I did say that correctly. One paragraph lasting five pages! It is almost like listening to somebody waffling on about something and never actually finding out what they are talking about.
The consequence of all this is that although the story looked promising, the book turned out to be one of the worst that I have ever read. Will I read the other two books? It is more likely that I will delete the whole thing.
Other readers may disagree with me but that is up to them. As I said at the beginning, this is purely my personal opinion about this book.
June 15, 2016
False Prophet tells the story of Saul Marshall, a former con-man turned FBI agent who must work outside of the law in order to fight a terrorist cult and rescue his son from their clutches. The leader of the cult (The Order of Babylon) is Ivan Drexler, a known psychopath and criminal who has a vendetta against Saul Marshall, blaming him for his previous incarceration.
The story is mainly given from the point of view of Saul Marshall and employs the simplistic writing style of the genre. This makes the book super easy to read and I absolutely flew through it.
Saul Marshall is a very interesting character and his history as a con-man is a feature that I would have wanted to have been explored a little more. There are a few anecdotes from his time as a criminal but I wanted more details, or more colourful characters popping up from his past. Ivan Drexler is the perfect foil for Marshall, he is a bona fide psychopath who has escaped from an asylum and who has his sights set firmly on the demise of Saul Marshall. Drexler is a delicious villain and one that you love to hate, he is brilliant, charismatic and willing to follow through.
The action is delivered really well and is at such a pace that it draws you in and brings a sense of adrenaline with it. Saul Marshall has a certain set of skills and he sues these to full effect, he is also not invulnerable and I like that. You actually believe that he could fail in his mission and that really raises the stakes.
Summary
I enjoyed reading about Saul Marshall and his battle with the Order of Babylon. I hope that in the future, there are more hints to his past and maybe certain elements of his past are revisited. The writing is quite good although there are some hints that this is a début novel and there is some ‘clunkiness’ within the novel. However, they do not affect the story itself or the flow of the novel. I will be reading more from the world of Saul Marshall and look forward to seeing the author capitalise on his obvious potential.
The story is mainly given from the point of view of Saul Marshall and employs the simplistic writing style of the genre. This makes the book super easy to read and I absolutely flew through it.
Saul Marshall is a very interesting character and his history as a con-man is a feature that I would have wanted to have been explored a little more. There are a few anecdotes from his time as a criminal but I wanted more details, or more colourful characters popping up from his past. Ivan Drexler is the perfect foil for Marshall, he is a bona fide psychopath who has escaped from an asylum and who has his sights set firmly on the demise of Saul Marshall. Drexler is a delicious villain and one that you love to hate, he is brilliant, charismatic and willing to follow through.
The action is delivered really well and is at such a pace that it draws you in and brings a sense of adrenaline with it. Saul Marshall has a certain set of skills and he sues these to full effect, he is also not invulnerable and I like that. You actually believe that he could fail in his mission and that really raises the stakes.
Summary
I enjoyed reading about Saul Marshall and his battle with the Order of Babylon. I hope that in the future, there are more hints to his past and maybe certain elements of his past are revisited. The writing is quite good although there are some hints that this is a début novel and there is some ‘clunkiness’ within the novel. However, they do not affect the story itself or the flow of the novel. I will be reading more from the world of Saul Marshall and look forward to seeing the author capitalise on his obvious potential.
April 1, 2017
I took far too long to get around to reading False Prophet but once I started to read it, I really couldn't put it down and it turned out to be a very quick, riveting read. Saul Marshall is such a multi-faceted character; he's a con-man turned FBI agent so he knows more than most how the criminal mind works, basically because he has a criminal mind himself.
The prologue will not fail to hook every single reader that turns the first page of False Prophet. Imagine sitting down to breakfast with your morning newspaper and seeing your obituary in the paper. That's what happened to Aaron Woolf, who then received a phone call from his missing son rapidly followed by masked men entering his apartment to stage his apparent suicide. Saul Marshall has something in common with Aaron Woolf; his son, Samuel, has gone missing too. As Saul races to save his son, he uncovers something bigger than he could ever have imagined.
False Prophet is an absolutely stonking first thriller from Richard Davis and a fast-paced rollercoaster of a read; I think I held my breath several times during the book and almost forgot to breathe at the heart-stopping finale. It certainly gets you thinking as the story links to the 20th anniversary of the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and the 40th anniversary of the 1973 failed bomb plot codenamed Tribomb. It's a brilliant idea, and one probably very true to life, to have a false prophet using religion to 'cash in' on the jihadi mentality of willing suicide bombers. Are these islamic militants really any different to religious cult leaders?
With a character as strong and flawed as Saul Marshall, Richard Davis is definitely on to a winner here. I was so eager to read more of Saul's story that I immediately went on to read the next book in the series, Never Forget.
I chose to read to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
The prologue will not fail to hook every single reader that turns the first page of False Prophet. Imagine sitting down to breakfast with your morning newspaper and seeing your obituary in the paper. That's what happened to Aaron Woolf, who then received a phone call from his missing son rapidly followed by masked men entering his apartment to stage his apparent suicide. Saul Marshall has something in common with Aaron Woolf; his son, Samuel, has gone missing too. As Saul races to save his son, he uncovers something bigger than he could ever have imagined.
False Prophet is an absolutely stonking first thriller from Richard Davis and a fast-paced rollercoaster of a read; I think I held my breath several times during the book and almost forgot to breathe at the heart-stopping finale. It certainly gets you thinking as the story links to the 20th anniversary of the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and the 40th anniversary of the 1973 failed bomb plot codenamed Tribomb. It's a brilliant idea, and one probably very true to life, to have a false prophet using religion to 'cash in' on the jihadi mentality of willing suicide bombers. Are these islamic militants really any different to religious cult leaders?
With a character as strong and flawed as Saul Marshall, Richard Davis is definitely on to a winner here. I was so eager to read more of Saul's story that I immediately went on to read the next book in the series, Never Forget.
I chose to read to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
April 20, 2016
FTC: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are mine.
False Prophet by Richard Davis was another book that I knew I would like just because of the type of book it was. Right from the first chapter of this book I was hooked and I didn’t want to put the book down until I had finished it. There are so many things that I enjoyed about this book that I am not sure what to say. I loved how the author was able to make me truly believe what was happening in the book. I love when I read books, and I am left feeling like what occurred in the book could happen in the world. I liked all the characters in the book as well because like I just said I could see them living in the world. I love this authors style of writing and how he was able to me understand why the characters did the things that they did. He made me feel as if I was there with the characters and I love when authors can make the book come alive while I am reading it. This book kept me wondering what was going to happen next which I always love because I tend to figure out what is going to happen so I love when I can’t figure out what is going happen. This is the first I have heard of this author, and I can’t wait to check out more books by him in the future. If you love mystery/thrillers than I know, you will love this book.
False Prophet by Richard Davis was another book that I knew I would like just because of the type of book it was. Right from the first chapter of this book I was hooked and I didn’t want to put the book down until I had finished it. There are so many things that I enjoyed about this book that I am not sure what to say. I loved how the author was able to make me truly believe what was happening in the book. I love when I read books, and I am left feeling like what occurred in the book could happen in the world. I liked all the characters in the book as well because like I just said I could see them living in the world. I love this authors style of writing and how he was able to me understand why the characters did the things that they did. He made me feel as if I was there with the characters and I love when authors can make the book come alive while I am reading it. This book kept me wondering what was going to happen next which I always love because I tend to figure out what is going to happen so I love when I can’t figure out what is going happen. This is the first I have heard of this author, and I can’t wait to check out more books by him in the future. If you love mystery/thrillers than I know, you will love this book.
April 5, 2016
I enjoy settling down with a good thriller every now and then and I knew I'd found one when on the first page a character reads his own obituary in the newspaper. There's no way I can put down a book after that.
The author has created an intriguing character to build a series on - Saul has a fascinating backstory, both good and bad aspects, with varying shades of gray. The fact that he's a former conman made me want to read this book, but it didn't really factor into this novel. Since it's mentioned in the description, I'd hoped it would come into play somewhere, but maybe that's for a future plot. With all the twists and turns taking place, Saul is really put through an obstacle course and the plot moves along at a vigorous pace for the most part.
Something I noticed is the setting of this book is in various American cities and the characters are American, but several times throughout the book English terms are used (petrol vs. gas, post vs. mail). I understood the meanings, but stumbled every time I came across something.
False Prophet is an exciting debut for this author and promises a compelling series to come. If you're a suspense/thriller fan, I recommend adding this to your list.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The author has created an intriguing character to build a series on - Saul has a fascinating backstory, both good and bad aspects, with varying shades of gray. The fact that he's a former conman made me want to read this book, but it didn't really factor into this novel. Since it's mentioned in the description, I'd hoped it would come into play somewhere, but maybe that's for a future plot. With all the twists and turns taking place, Saul is really put through an obstacle course and the plot moves along at a vigorous pace for the most part.
Something I noticed is the setting of this book is in various American cities and the characters are American, but several times throughout the book English terms are used (petrol vs. gas, post vs. mail). I understood the meanings, but stumbled every time I came across something.
False Prophet is an exciting debut for this author and promises a compelling series to come. If you're a suspense/thriller fan, I recommend adding this to your list.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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