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Blake Jordan #1

The Senator

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On the evening that Senator James Keller is set to receive his party's nomination for President of the United States, a kidnapper initiates a brilliant plan to stream the senator’s execution for the world to see. Ex-Navy SEAL and federal agent Blake Jordan sets out to rescue his friend and mentor along with his partner, Agent Jami Davis. Against all odds, Jordan must untangle the web of confusion to find the senator before it's too late.

In this action-packed debut novel, Ken Fite has written a roller-coaster of a thriller sure to keep you turning the pages late into the night.

263 pages, ebook

First published April 21, 2016

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Ken Fite

20 books59 followers

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5 stars
3,685 (41%)
4 stars
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3 stars
1,468 (16%)
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1 star
178 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 420 reviews
Profile Image for Matt.
4,824 reviews13.1k followers
September 17, 2018
Easily 4.5 stars, if Goodreads offered mid-star ratings!

I will be the first to admit, I love a good political thriller, particularly one that gains momentum in the early chapters and never stops racing until the end. Finding Ken Fite’s book almost by accident, I vowed that I would give the series debut a try to see if it lived up to all the hype. Boy, did it ever, and then some, which is how I ended up steamrolling through it in a single day. Illinois Senator James Keller prepares to accept the nomination of the Republican Party for President of the United States. In his hometown of Chicago, he makes his way to the United Center for the convention, only to be kidnapped inside his suite. Blake Jordan is the Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Domestic Counterintelligence (DDC), tasked with protecting Senator Keller. When news leaks that the senator is not late for his speech because of traffic, Jordan pushes things into high gear, vowing to find Keller before it’s too late. Meanwhile, Keller’s captor has a plan, which is altered slightly when a nosy journalist learns more than he ought to in short order. As Keller is paraded before the world and an execution date is set, Jordan must dodge accusations and bullets to save Keller, who is not only his charge, but a personal friend. With the hours ticking by, Jordan will have to find a way, as he pieces together the larger plot and seeks a motive. Fite does a sensational job in this series debut, which will have fans of political thrillers gasping for breath as they try to keep up.

Ken Fite is surely an author to watch, as he is able to mix the art of the thriller novel with the nuances of American politics. There is surely more to come, as the series has four novels to date, all of which look equally enthralling. Introducing the world to Blake Jordan and the DDC lays the groundwork for a stellar protagonist. While there is little backstory on offer—save that he was a SEAL and recently lost his wife—Blake Jordan is a man with a mission and whose choices are usually based on the moment. Jordan is full of surprises and stays one step ahead of those around him, even when flirting with insubordination. He has a job and that appears to be all that he wants to do. Working alongside a partner whose story remains overshadowed by his own, Jordan has much room to grow in the coming novels. The handful of other characters will surely play roles in the upcoming novels and served the debut well, helping to solidify Jordan’s place in the narrative. We shall see what other political and personal scenarios arise, but Fite is sure to have some strong ideas and equally effective characters to help push the story along. While the story is not entirely unique—politician of importance is kidnapped and must be saved—it is the pace of the story that makes it stand alone. The short chapters leave little time to think on what is taking place, thrusting the reader forward and forcing them to ‘read late into the night’ as the dust jacket blurb hopes will happen. Either that, or a day-long binge as I undertook to finish, just so I that I could say I learned how things wrapped up. I will definitely be reaching for Book 2 now, as I cannot get enough of Fite, Blake Jordan, or the content.

Kudos, Mr. Fite, for a great opening salvo. I cannot wait to see what else you have in store for your readers!

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Profile Image for Tulay.
1,202 reviews2 followers
February 12, 2017
Really fantastic thriller.

Truly enjoyed this book. Blake Jordan character acts carelessly, but gets what he's after. Person helped him, trained him to become a SEAL is kidnapped while he was in charge of his security. Senator Keller just about to except his parties nomination for presidency, kidnapped from the bathroom. His partner Jamie Davis with him every step, looks like some sexual attention between them too. Really enjoyed the all the twists and turns, couldn't put it down.
Profile Image for Mike French.
430 reviews109 followers
March 23, 2017
TREMENDOUS ACTION THRILLER!

This book was freebie on Digitalbooktoday.com I am very impressed with the debut of author Ken Fire. You never know what to expect from a first time Digital Book author,but this book is like looking down on the ground and finding the Hope Diamond! Non-stop action from start to finish! Very enjoyable and entertaining! This was as good,if not better than the NEW Vince Flynn and NEW Tom Clancy Jack Ryan novels.I highly recommend this book to all Thriller readers!!

Profile Image for Anne OK.
4,100 reviews553 followers
March 28, 2021


Trying a new author - another crime thriller. For the most part it was fast-paced and an interesting case, along with the introductions of the characters. Blake Jordan, an agent with counterterrorism is an interesting guy, and I really liked his partner Jami who is a highly intelligent female. I've read better, but certainly worse as well.

Think I'll give Jordan and Jami another try or two before I decide whether or not it's going to be a series that'll stick.
Profile Image for Michael Martz.
1,139 reviews46 followers
January 18, 2023
"The Senator" was quite disappointing, to say the least. Exciting, yes. Action-packed, check. But when I'm forced to suspend disbelief too many times just to plunge ahead with the story, I can't buy it.

Blake Jordan, main character in this saga, is the special agent in charge of the Chicago office of the Department of Domestic Counterterrorism (DDC). He and his partner, Jami Davis, are tasked with providing security at the national political convention held in Chicago's United Center for the presumed presidential nominee, Senator James Keller. Keller happened to be a family friend of the Jordan's as well as a former Navy Seal, just like Jordan. Long story short, a man infiltrates the UC, manages to kidnap Keller and drag him out to a vehicle, then spirits him away with the intention of later broadcasting his execution. Could this be the work of Middle Eastern terrorists? The acronymic forces (FBI, CIA, DDC....) descend en masse to attempt to locate the senator but, gosh darn it, Jordan doesn't need them and decides only he can possibly save the day.

I normally don't read on Kindle but when I do I typically make notes in the app when something doesn't feel right. I ended up with 3 screens full of them for The Senator, beginning with the laughably light security in a giant indoor stadium in the 3rd largest city in the country (which, as we're reminded quite often, has a history of political violence), moving on to a kidnapper being able to drag an unconscious 180 lb. man through an air vent and stuff him into a storage crate and pushed out and loaded into a car after shooting 2 security guards, and then to the silly conclusion. Interspersed are statements made by Jordan like there are only a couple nasty industrial areas in Chicago where the kidnapper may be holed up (uh, there are literally hundreds), he's sure he can make a cross-downtown 30 minute drive in 15 (ha!), and censorship is the reason why a TV network didn't show a portion of a video clip he expected to see. I have about 20 others but hopefully you get the gist.

Hey, if you're into thrillers and are willing to accept a lot of action based on silly premises, you might like The Senator. I personally thought the plot had a lot of holes and the writing was mediocre at best. It looks like this was the first in a rather long series but I think I'll call it a day on Fite's work.
37 reviews21 followers
May 17, 2016
Story is Ok but terrible editing.

This book must have been self published and that is what gives self publishing a bad name. The editing was terrible. Hire an editor before uploading your next book. It was often hard to follow who was speaking because the author didn't follow basic rules of dialogue grammar.
191 reviews
March 5, 2017
Decent read, nothing more or less. I was a little, no, make that a lot, incredulous at the protagonist's continual decisions to go off on his own, without backup and without any support from the government agencies, when he knows that one of his best friends will be executed in just a few hours unless he alone is successful.
Profile Image for Jim A.
1,267 reviews82 followers
February 3, 2017
Started out well but then it slipped into the typical thriller genre where the protagonist makes the mission personal. At that point I tended to skim a lot of what the author put on paper.

As with a lot of the books that I lose interest in, your mileage may vary.

The plus side, it was one of the Amazon free books promoting the next in the series.
Profile Image for Michael Slavin.
Author 8 books282 followers
December 19, 2022
A political thriller where a presidential candidate, a US Senator, is kidnapped, and the race is on.

What I liked:
-The book started strong and was very interesting.
-The action scenes were great.
-The book had a strong finish and was satisfying.

What I didn't like:
-The middle slowed a little for me.

Overall very good and worth reading. It is the first in a series.
363 reviews
March 3, 2017
One of the worst books I've read this year. Poor one dimensional characterizations, awkward dialogue, run on sentences, improbably settings - this has it all.

Couldn't finish. Made it about 1/3 through and I rarely stop reading even a weak book.
102 reviews3 followers
March 7, 2017
Interesting.

Perhaps one of the best new characters I have found in a while. I read many books of this genre. I will be very interested to see where Blake Jordon goes from here.
Profile Image for Vicki Renee.
193 reviews5 followers
October 4, 2021
Overall, the book was entertaining but extremely plot-driven at the expense of the characters. It seemed "amateurish" in the style of writing. Too much of the verb "yelled" towards the end of the book.
Profile Image for Russ.
303 reviews8 followers
October 12, 2019
I love history, but every once in awhile, you have to take a break. The Senator is a fast paced political thriller. It's the 1st in a series and I'm looking forward to the 2nd installment.
Profile Image for Nate Solberg.
87 reviews1 follower
March 3, 2021
Ken Fite’s first offering in the Blake Jordan series is a fun read! I’m not sure the reason, but this story just flew from start to finish. I found that I greatly enjoyed the pace, and while there were one or two pieces of character development that could have been included, I’m not sure where the author would have inserted them. It was just plain fun, and I enjoyed it greatly.
Profile Image for Wyatt Hennig.
6 reviews
October 14, 2024
If my favorite genre was action or Jack Reacher type novels this would be a 5/5. An entertaining and fast paced story
Profile Image for Vignesh Venkat.
69 reviews4 followers
March 7, 2017
Wow. This is one of those rare books that I finished in one night. I read this literally in one sitting. It was a 24-style clock ticking thriller that really makes you turn pages like a maniac. Gets into the story from page 1 and keeps you guessing. The last 20% or so was a bit slower in comparison and the climax wasn't the best. Overall, definitely read!
Profile Image for Chandru CS.
374 reviews11 followers
April 12, 2018
I’m I’m a free fan and I there wanted to a bar and I’m I there to for you free

“Blake,” the senator said, and I became present again. “Take a look around. Look at all of the lives your father impacted. Have you ever seen a church filled with so many people? There aren’t even enough seats for all of them,” he said, and we shared a laugh as I turned and looked around the room, listening to the people talking with each other, saying how they knew my dad and sharing stories about his life with each other.
Profile Image for Dana.
45 reviews
October 13, 2018
Good read

I enjoyed this book, but it could actually use a good edit. Many of the sentences are cumbersome or confusing and you have to reread them to understand the meaning. All in all, it’s a good story and kept me up late into the night.
Profile Image for Tony Parsons.
4,156 reviews102 followers
December 26, 2016
Chicago, IL. Senator James Keller (59, husband, retired Navy SEAL, ATF), & his wife Margaret Keller had recently found out she now had Parkinson’s.
Nurse Cheryl took care of her medical needs.
SAC Blake Jordan (DDC Chicago, retired Navy SEAL), & SAC Jami Davis (DDC Chicago), arrived at the United Center.

Senator James Keller (IL.) greeted them both.
This is the special night his party will nominate him for the candidate of the U.S. President.
Senator Keller was in his suite room going over his speech.
The 2 SAC & other security had made sure the political areas were all safe.
Not safe enough.
Victor Perez (35+) had managed to get into the United Center unnoticed.
Senator Keller was not in his room.
RNC Chairwoman Debra Stewart ask the 2 SAC what is going on & where is Senator Keller?
Security had not let David Mitchell (The Mitchell Wire, The Drudge Report, HuffPo website independent news reporter, former Tribune journalist) come inside the United Center.
As he left though he had seen a janitor leave the building.

Rob McGovern & Matt Flynn had been killed.
The media frenzy on Fox, NBC, CNN & MSNBC, was now running rampant.
David on his motorcycle had followed the van to a warehouse.
Mark, Daryl, & Stewart, were checking every room in the United Center to make sure they hadn’t missed anything.
FBI SAC Landry & FBI SA Mallory had arrived at/on the crime scene.
It seems more that 1 person was going to pay David a visit at his Gold Coast District; 1233 North Wells St., North Lawndale apartment # 322.
John Burnett (press) name kept coming up in the investigation.

Will Senator James Keller (IL.) be found alive?
Who is the mastermind behind this kidnapping?

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written cop thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great cop thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free eBooksDaily; Amazon Digital Services LLC; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Profile Image for Jason Ayer.
59 reviews
February 26, 2021
I liked it and I wanted to give it a higher score, but I couldn't. I certainly liked that it wasn't bloated with filler like too many novels these days, but that was also the problem. There was very little meat on the bones.
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Mild spoilers below.
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First, the villain's motivation was awfully weak, especially considering the amount of time and effort it took to instigate and maintain his plan. Second, the trail of deductions was too smooth; A to B to C to D and so on. There were too many coincidences (or as I like to call them "just happened to-s") needed to move things forward.

Like too many books these days, it also needed an editor. There were a number of typos and clunky sentences that a good editor could have smoothed out.

Not a bad book, but I hope future books are an improvement. The spark is there, it just needs a little nudge to become a fire.
Profile Image for Marty Mcintyre.
150 reviews1 follower
June 5, 2016
Loved this book and couldn't wait to get back to it whenever I put it down. It wasn't as much about the Senator as about Blake Jordan and the choices he made. One of the peripheral characters, Lennox, the IT geek, stole the show for me. I loved him and would like to see more of him in concert with Blake. The character of Jami was not as well developed and I felt there was too much emphasis on the attraction between Blake and her. But the story was first-rate and fast moving. Can't wait to see what is next!
299 reviews
February 5, 2018
I hate when authors write about things they know little about. If you are going to write about law enforcement, please do some research on it. Yes there is an x26 taser, but to say it made the subject unconscious for 30 minutes?
Please....the talk about the weapons was ridiculous. And lastly so far out there that one agent can do all these thing on his own! It’s so unbelievable I almost couldn’t finish the book.
Story line was ok, but this author has no business writing crime books.
I will never read another of his books. Major waste of time. I couldn’t wait for it to end.
Profile Image for Ellie Carlisle.
273 reviews3 followers
November 18, 2018
I guess I’m really in the minority in reviewing this book. I thought it was amateurish and could tell it was a first time attempt. If Blake was a true agent, he was totally out of line most of the time and deserved to lose his job. The dialogue was ridiculous. And how did that small stab wound become such a major wound?? Will not read this author again. Too many great crime writers to waste my time on this babble.
45 reviews
April 14, 2020
OK - Let me just say that when Blake Jordon thought that maybe he felt a spark when Jami his new partner touched his shoulder, I wanted to toss my Kindle across the room. Somehow, I found a way to keep reading even though then Blake couldn't have his partner come with him for the final showdown because - well - you know - she is a girl! WTF! Why bother even having a partner BLAKE because you can obviously do it all on your own.
26 reviews
May 22, 2020
Quick and enjoyable read with holes

Read this in a single seating, reflective of the brisk pacing. Solid action sequences. Actually some depth to characters, more than what is typical of the genre. Just too many plot holes. We all know that suspending disbelief is part of the action genre, but too many “there is just no way that’s how anyone would act or react in that scenario” moments. After a while, I just kept reading to see how it ended.
1,150 reviews2 followers
May 4, 2021
The Senator of the title is kidnapped on the night he is scheduled to accept the nomination of his party (we are never told which one) for President of the United States. The thrilling chase to rescue him takes off at break neck speed and never really lets up until the second-to-last chapter. A sleazy website journalist, competing FBI and Homeland Security officials, assorted colleagues, friends and relatives, all play their parts in the rapidly unfolding story. Just to add another level of complexity, I guess, the candidate himself is a former ATF agent, so he knows his weaponry and drugs. Although he doesn't maage to free himself, he does recruit help and get the right agencies notified. This was fun and, even without the #1 in parenthesis behind the title, it was obviously the beginning of a series of thriller/adventures. The led character, however, never really captured my interest; he was a little too Joe Friday for me. The result was a quick read with several pulse pounding episodes and several bodies, but without a real hook to encourage reading more.
Profile Image for Mary Ellen  Garza.
33 reviews3 followers
September 5, 2019
Suspenseful story

What a fantastic action packed story !! I loved the characters, especially the main character, Blake Jordan. Not only is Blake Jordan a very tough guy but he loves to bend the rules. But sometimes bending the rules comes with consequences.
Ken Fite gave this book so much suspense that I read the entire book tonight. Ken Fite wrote this story with so much detail that many scenes you could visualize what was happening. And when a book can do that, you know the writer has given more 100% of his writings expertises to write such a awesome book !!
I anxiously wait for the next book with Blake Jordan for I am sure that Ken Fite will take us on another wonderful trip through mystery, intrigue and suspense !!
Profile Image for Karen.
1,424 reviews2 followers
June 21, 2017
The Senator

This is a very good series opener featuring former SEAL Blake Jordan, head of the Chicago office of the DDC, an agency dedicated to fighting domestic terrorism. He's asked to provide protection for Senator Keller at his party's national convention. Keller is a a close family friend, a former SEAL and the presidential nominee. But Keller is taken from the room where he's preparing for his acceptance speech and Blake and his partner go up against the clock and several alphabet agencies who are more determined to contain Blake than to help him get the Senator back alive. This leads to a non-stop action thriller that has Blake and Jami in the crosshairs of some of DC's most powerful players. It's a very exciting read.
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