Designated Survivor

by John H. Matthews

The United States Capitol is overtaken by terrorists during the State of the Union speech and the nation's leadership are held hostage. Precautions are taken for such an extreme event. One cabinet member is chosen by the president to be away from the Capitol and D.C. This is the Designated Survivor. An elite NSA operator and his team are called in to aid in their rescue and to track down the people responsible.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Drama, Conspiracy Theories

352 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2016

About the author

John H. Matthews is a writer, designer and independent publishing consultant living in the suburbs of Washington, DC, with his wife and son. He was born in New York City, grew up in Arkansas and has lived all across the country, from New York to San Francisco to Dallas.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the basis for the new TV show of the same name but a fun read nonetheless

I knew this book wasn't the basis of the new television show by the same name before I started reading it but the synopsis sounded interesting so I thought I'd give it a try.

I watched the first show of the new ABC television series last week starring Kiefer Sutherland and loved it so I went searching on Amazon to see if it was perhaps based on an existing book. No such luck but I did find this book.

The TV show is character based (how could it not be starring Sutherland) while this story is based more on the mechanics and "what ifs" of some disaster happening while most of the country's leadership is gathered in one place. And then it focuses on the hunt for the terrorists that did the dirty deed.

I enjoyed this book although at times it seemed implausible but then that's why I read fiction. If I want truly impossible, I watch the evening news or watch the presidential debates.

This was an enjoyable quick read with enough twists and turns to hold my interest and just enough character development to care about what happened to at least some of the characters.

[Faith Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Designated Survivor: A great read from beginning to end

I was hooked before I finished the first page, and remained spellbound until the last page. This book has a strong plot, and mysterious characters who keep you guessing all the way through. There is a lot of violence, but probably no more than we hear about on the daily news. The scary part is that this plot line is not unrealistic, considering the terrorist groups that populate our world these days.

[Janet Mullins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

Really good story. Writing was good, story line was good. 4 star rating is because I'm not really a fan of this genre. I finished it and didn't have a clue who was responsible until the end. It was a refreshing change of pace to read.

[Ace Emmanuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

My relationship with fiction is like most people's relationship with their phone's terms and conditions, I acknowledge it exists, but I'm not reading it. Yet John H. Matthews' Designated Survivor proved surprisingly palatable.

For about two-thirds of the book, I was genuinely hooked. Then my inner amateur detective kicked in and I cracked the "big reveal" faster than you can say "spoiler alert." When the ending rolled around, I felt like someone who'd already seen their surprise party decorations being set up, sure, it's still nice, but the magic's gone. I'm no Sherlock Holmes, but the breadcrumbs were the size of dinner rolls.

My biggest gripe? The ending ghosted me harder than a bad Tinder date. No closure, no tying up loose ends, just poof, we're done here. The writing also got a bit sloppy toward the finish line, skipping over details that would've kept everything from feeling like it was held together with chewing gum and hope.

For a genre I typically avoid, though? Surprisingly decent.

[Nessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished Designated Survivor by John H. Matthews

🌟🌟🌟
🔥

I was on the mood for a political thriller but wasn't heavily invested in the idea so I found this one on Kindle Unlimited.

This ended up being one of those "only one man can find the assassin" books which I'm pretty meh about overall. But, surprisingly I ended up emptying this book. There was good detail, intrigue, mysteries, and mild a minute action scenes which ultimately was what I was looking for. So overall I'm quite happy with the choice.

But it was very very obviously written by a man and for that it only gets 3 stars.

[Richard E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Designated Survivor (No Spoilers)

Start of a new series. 'Grace' is The primary team leader for a Black Ops NSA direct action team. they truly have their work cut out for them when they discover that the President, 7/8 of Congress and MOSt of the 'Primary Secretaries are taken hostage and trapped inside the US Capitol building Wired to explode.

[Jacob Peled · Rating 1 out of 5]

The idea is good, but the execution lacks logic and borders on science fiction.
No one will convince me that it's possible for secret service agents to suddenly kill each other or for SEAL team members to shoot each other just as they embark on a mission.
I read 20%, realized it wasn't for me, and abandoned the book.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent thriller with great pacing as expected from one of my favorite local writers. Like other Matthews' books, I found it easy to read and enjoyable. My only caveat is a major spoiler, so I can't elaborate here. But if you have a few hours, this is worth your time!

[Pamela Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK I stayed up all night reading this book!

Wow what a thrilling book. Lots of twists and turns. Great characters. Heart stopping action. I do hope there will be more about Grace and his team.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was quiet the interesting book. I made myself put the book down. I was not aware that a person was protected and secured if there should be an attack on the White House. Without giving away the story, this is a book that will make the reader think and ponder.

[Regan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read -- parts of it were like an over-dramatic Lifetime movie. It is set up for a sequel but I haven't see where they might be one on Mr. Matthews' site. For a self-pubbed book it's pretty good.

[Carole Beasley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

Enjoyed this book. Hope Grace gets to star in another book, characters are well defined Ed. This book was worth the read

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good action and good plot twist. Conversation at times was forced, but overall a very good read.

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book

[Ranette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is responsible for the destruction of the cabinet, leaving one survival to reconstruct the
americal goverment.

[Ella Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very manly book written by a man. Not my cup of tea but still an interesting story nonetheless

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great thriller and is going to be movie with Keifer Sutherland.

[Cherye Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace

Amazon suggested I read this book. So glad they did. The storyline was riveting. Could not put it down. The only bad thing about the book was it read like a screen play..... He said, Grace said, Netty said. Still a great read.

[fred johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome







This book kept me on the edge and was very hard to put down. This should be a must read
If you like the new tv show by the same name.

[Debbie L Cisper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Love this book. Keeps your interest. Well written. Not a lot of useless filler. Keeps you guessing to the end.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starts out with the same idea as the tv show but then everything about the book is different from the show. I don't want to give anything away. Enjoy!

[Michael L. Crosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non stop action.

This novel grabs you and doesn't let go. Clever plot and keeps you in the dark to the very end.

[Sunil Belgaonkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow it is lit

It was amazing and lit I loved it read it now it is worth it
I loved the ending too good