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The Paladin Group #1
Deadly Reboot
Still risking their lives...The Paladin Group. Ginger Odom has sworn to become self-reliant... Until she is arrested in a small town and framed for the murder of a police officer. Seems everyone in the community wants her behind bars, regardless of the truth, so her aunt enlists the help of the Paladin Group. A team of wounded former military men and woman, now civilian lawyers and investigators, they rescue people in serious trouble. Hale Peters is determined to ignore his knee injury... The former Air Force Pararescueman, wounded during a rocket attack on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, accepts his first reboot for Paladin. His mission-keep Ginger safe until he can prove her innocence-becomes a bigger challenge than expected when he and Ginger clash over who's in charge. The Devil Dogs just want to help... The group of older veterans steps up to assist, but when Ginger's life is threatened by the real killer, Hale and Ginger need to work together if they hope to stay alive.
386 pages, Paperback
First published December 11, 2015
5 people are currently reading
259 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Matthew
17 books61 followers CJ Matthew grew up in an Air Force family traveling and living all over the US and around the world. It proved to be the perfect experience for gathering ideas for future books. And for meeting real life heroes and heroines in uniforms and flight-suits. She spent her high school and university years in California, which inspired her love of marine life, and the Pacific Ocean.
A Major Seduction is the first book in CJ’s contemporary romance quintet titled The Colonel’s Daughters. Each book features one of the five sister’s story. Born in different countries around the world, when each of the daughters happens to return to her country of birth, she’s meets her true love, and is forced to confront her destiny.
In CJ’s paranormal romantic suspense series Dolphin Shore Shifters, the most current release, Toxic Tide is book 5. The series features a pod of dolphins living in the Santa Barbara channel off the coast of California, who are capable of shifting to human form. While posing as real humans, the dolphins work, through their oceanic conservation corporation, Save Blue Water, to protect their oceans at any cost.
Her romantic suspense series, The Paladin Group, launched with Deadly Reboot. The books are set in a small southern town, and star wounded air force veterans, men and women warriors turned civilian attorneys and investigators determined to continue their rescue work.
A member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Georgia Romance Writers (GRW), and Kiss of Death, CJ lives and writes near a lake in the woods northeast of Atlanta. When she isn't writing or reading romances, CJ spends time with her two grown children, their spouses, a brilliant grandson and a feisty cat named Max.
Schedule permitting, CJ loves to travel, to discover new favorite places and to meet new friends in both the US and around the world.
Max flatly refuses to travel.
A Major Seduction is the first book in CJ’s contemporary romance quintet titled The Colonel’s Daughters. Each book features one of the five sister’s story. Born in different countries around the world, when each of the daughters happens to return to her country of birth, she’s meets her true love, and is forced to confront her destiny.
In CJ’s paranormal romantic suspense series Dolphin Shore Shifters, the most current release, Toxic Tide is book 5. The series features a pod of dolphins living in the Santa Barbara channel off the coast of California, who are capable of shifting to human form. While posing as real humans, the dolphins work, through their oceanic conservation corporation, Save Blue Water, to protect their oceans at any cost.
Her romantic suspense series, The Paladin Group, launched with Deadly Reboot. The books are set in a small southern town, and star wounded air force veterans, men and women warriors turned civilian attorneys and investigators determined to continue their rescue work.
A member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Georgia Romance Writers (GRW), and Kiss of Death, CJ lives and writes near a lake in the woods northeast of Atlanta. When she isn't writing or reading romances, CJ spends time with her two grown children, their spouses, a brilliant grandson and a feisty cat named Max.
Schedule permitting, CJ loves to travel, to discover new favorite places and to meet new friends in both the US and around the world.
Max flatly refuses to travel.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 18, 2017
What a great story!
It starts off thrilling right away with Ginger Odom being framed for the murder of a cop. Lucky for her, Ginger's aunt knows a group of former military men and women who rescue people in trouble. They are the Paladin Group. The missions they take are called reboots. Hale Peters is a former Air Force Pararescueman, now working for Paladin. His first reboot is to keep Ginger safe until he and his team can prove her innocence. These highly skilled people find all sorts of leads in the right direction. Hale also asks the Devil Dogs to help out. They are also former military and highly skilled. The down-side to this group is their age. They range from their 60s to 90s. But they know their stuff are a huge help to the mission.
Once I started this book, I didn't want to stop reading. The writing is smooth making it an easy read. And the characters were great! It made the story even more interesting that the characters were mature and most had been the military. They left the military because of injuries they received while in service. The Devil Dogs were an amazing bunch too. They all used the skills they learned in the military to get information to prove Ginger was innocent as well as to help keep her safe. I loved these guys. Ginger was a good, strong woman. Yes, there were a few tears. I would cry too if I was in jail. Especially if I didn't commit the crime I was arrested for.
When I agreed to read Deadly Reboot and leave an honest review, I didn't expect to enjoy this story and the characters as much as I did. I'm grateful to have had the chance to find this author. I already have another of her books I can't wait to read. In the meantime, I highly recommend Deadly Reboot.
It starts off thrilling right away with Ginger Odom being framed for the murder of a cop. Lucky for her, Ginger's aunt knows a group of former military men and women who rescue people in trouble. They are the Paladin Group. The missions they take are called reboots. Hale Peters is a former Air Force Pararescueman, now working for Paladin. His first reboot is to keep Ginger safe until he and his team can prove her innocence. These highly skilled people find all sorts of leads in the right direction. Hale also asks the Devil Dogs to help out. They are also former military and highly skilled. The down-side to this group is their age. They range from their 60s to 90s. But they know their stuff are a huge help to the mission.
Once I started this book, I didn't want to stop reading. The writing is smooth making it an easy read. And the characters were great! It made the story even more interesting that the characters were mature and most had been the military. They left the military because of injuries they received while in service. The Devil Dogs were an amazing bunch too. They all used the skills they learned in the military to get information to prove Ginger was innocent as well as to help keep her safe. I loved these guys. Ginger was a good, strong woman. Yes, there were a few tears. I would cry too if I was in jail. Especially if I didn't commit the crime I was arrested for.
When I agreed to read Deadly Reboot and leave an honest review, I didn't expect to enjoy this story and the characters as much as I did. I'm grateful to have had the chance to find this author. I already have another of her books I can't wait to read. In the meantime, I highly recommend Deadly Reboot.
Read
July 25, 2016Well, why did I give up reading this book?
It’s not not that I don’t like the story or that it’s not good. But I guess I’m not in the mood for a cozy mystery book envolving a team of veterans (the oldest is 91 years old, I think) . Yes, the hero is wounded and gorgeous, the heroine seems strong and mature enough, they seem to be well-rounded. I even grew to like the secondary characters (lots of them, lost the count) . Perhaps the writing style is too descriptive.
I’ll check the next book in this Paladin series, that’s for sure.
It’s not not that I don’t like the story or that it’s not good. But I guess I’m not in the mood for a cozy mystery book envolving a team of veterans (the oldest is 91 years old, I think) . Yes, the hero is wounded and gorgeous, the heroine seems strong and mature enough, they seem to be well-rounded. I even grew to like the secondary characters (lots of them, lost the count) . Perhaps the writing style is too descriptive.
I’ll check the next book in this Paladin series, that’s for sure.
June 6, 2017
- I received a free copy from the author; this is my honest review.
- This was a fast-pace story. The author jumped right into the suspense in the first few pages (which I started reading around midnight and shouldn't because of what happens right then) and doesn't stop until the very end, and even then...
- There's no mystery here about who's not the killer because we see everything happening right before our eyes. No, the mystery is really how they will get him/her, when and how.
- I loved that the characters were a mix of everything: waitresses, cops, veterans, etc. It touched my heart that the Devil Dogs were asked to participate and that they had a job to do and were keen on helping and showing what they could do. Finally, they were useful for a good cause!
- I loved the ending. Even though there were some twists, it was no surprise (to me anyways) and it ended with the H/h having their own HEA. There are some unanswered questions still but it's about the story behind the story so we might get the answers later in another book.
- There was a lot of sex scenes in the story. Not that I didn't enjoy them, but I could have done with less sex and more details about either the surroundings or the action or even in character development.
- There was a lot of lust in there and I'm still not sure how it ended-up as love. I'm skeptical because first they went through a lot of adrenaline together and second because Ginger kept comparing Hale to Nolan and he came up short a few times.
- I'm hoping to see more of all of them and knowing their history, their tragedy, their
- Don't miss out; buy the book and leave a review - you won't regret reading it.
- This was a fast-pace story. The author jumped right into the suspense in the first few pages (which I started reading around midnight and shouldn't because of what happens right then) and doesn't stop until the very end, and even then...
- There's no mystery here about who's not the killer because we see everything happening right before our eyes. No, the mystery is really how they will get him/her, when and how.
- I loved that the characters were a mix of everything: waitresses, cops, veterans, etc. It touched my heart that the Devil Dogs were asked to participate and that they had a job to do and were keen on helping and showing what they could do. Finally, they were useful for a good cause!
- I loved the ending. Even though there were some twists, it was no surprise (to me anyways) and it ended with the H/h having their own HEA. There are some unanswered questions still but it's about the story behind the story so we might get the answers later in another book.
- There was a lot of sex scenes in the story. Not that I didn't enjoy them, but I could have done with less sex and more details about either the surroundings or the action or even in character development.
- There was a lot of lust in there and I'm still not sure how it ended-up as love. I'm skeptical because first they went through a lot of adrenaline together and second because Ginger kept comparing Hale to Nolan and he came up short a few times.
- I'm hoping to see more of all of them and knowing their history, their tragedy, their
- Don't miss out; buy the book and leave a review - you won't regret reading it.
March 19, 2017
>Deadly Reboot -
>I am an independent reviewer. This book is the first in the Paladin Group series and ends in an HEA. The Paladin Group is a n independent firm made up of wounded vets. These vets take on legal cases where many different types of skills are needed. Hale is a lonely vet with a mangled leg. He needs a cane to walk. His first case working for Paladin involves proving the widow, Ginger, did not shoot a police officer. The side characters, especially the retired vets called the Devil Dogs, keep a level of realism and humor in the case.
>The mystery is set in a small town. In a small town a lot of information is known about everyone's personal life, making finding a motive that much easier. As Hale and Ginger battle the town's prejudice against cop killers, they also begin to overcome their insecurities (Hale with his leg and Ginger with past mental abuse).
>The mystery was compelling along with the chemistry between Hale and Ginger. The only negative to this story is the multiple meetings going over clues and information. The story almost felt like it was happening in real time. All of the meetings and going over theories and threats slowed the story down quite a bit.
>This book is appropriate for an adult audience. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it. I am giving the book 4 stars. The Paladin Group was introduced and a mystery solved. Hopefully the next book will develop the characters and mystery a bit faster.
>I am an independent reviewer. This book is the first in the Paladin Group series and ends in an HEA. The Paladin Group is a n independent firm made up of wounded vets. These vets take on legal cases where many different types of skills are needed. Hale is a lonely vet with a mangled leg. He needs a cane to walk. His first case working for Paladin involves proving the widow, Ginger, did not shoot a police officer. The side characters, especially the retired vets called the Devil Dogs, keep a level of realism and humor in the case.
>The mystery is set in a small town. In a small town a lot of information is known about everyone's personal life, making finding a motive that much easier. As Hale and Ginger battle the town's prejudice against cop killers, they also begin to overcome their insecurities (Hale with his leg and Ginger with past mental abuse).
>The mystery was compelling along with the chemistry between Hale and Ginger. The only negative to this story is the multiple meetings going over clues and information. The story almost felt like it was happening in real time. All of the meetings and going over theories and threats slowed the story down quite a bit.
>This book is appropriate for an adult audience. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it. I am giving the book 4 stars. The Paladin Group was introduced and a mystery solved. Hopefully the next book will develop the characters and mystery a bit faster.
March 20, 2017
I loved the characters in this book. The book starts out with our heroine seemingly being in the wrong place at definitely the wrong time as she is apparently framed for murder. The heroes in the book are all former military men and women who were injured in the line of duty who have been given a chance to use their knowledge and skills in a setting post military discharge. Add to the mix some veterans who show that despite age they are still very productive members of society. I like that the main hero is a gorgeous, sexy man who needs to find his confidence and spark in life as he adjusts to his new reality of a bum leg that prevents him from going back and doing what he loved in the military. Does he find a new purpose in life and possibly a new woman to love? You will need to read the book to find out but be prepared to sit back and enjoy the ride because this book is full of surprises.
I was provided this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was provided this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 21, 2018
Framed for the murder of a police officer Ginger Odom enlists the help of Hale Peters and the Paladin Group where her aunt Emily works. Along with the package come a group of geriatric ex military men who call themselves the Devil Dogs.
The characters are likeable, mistakes are made along the way and there are some light hearted moments which I enjoyed. If you are looking for a hard hitting tense suspense this is not for you. If however you enjoy a good mix of detective work and romance with a heroic Beagle named Grunt thrown in this is an enjoyable read.
I received this book free from eBook Discovery and these are my personal and honest views.
The characters are likeable, mistakes are made along the way and there are some light hearted moments which I enjoyed. If you are looking for a hard hitting tense suspense this is not for you. If however you enjoy a good mix of detective work and romance with a heroic Beagle named Grunt thrown in this is an enjoyable read.
I received this book free from eBook Discovery and these are my personal and honest views.
March 16, 2017
A decent read, with good plot and pacing and interesting characters. The overall concept is pretty good, and should generate fodder for more in the series. The heat level on the sex is pretty high, and it's frequent, so that's something of which the potential reader needs to be aware.
I received a free copy of this book and am offering my honest review.
I received a free copy of this book and am offering my honest review.
September 3, 2018
Great adventure right from the start! Fast paced and great chemistry. Loved it. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.
June 14, 2016
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique)
Despite the lack of "Who done it" in this mystery novel, I actually really enjoyed it. Why? Because of the cast...... plain and simple.
CJ didn't have a group of young, buff, 6-pack sporting, Dwayne Johnson look-alike, guys handling the case of "Who really shot Officer Ivey?"
Nope, she had military veterans, men/women injured in battle working the case. Heck, the youngest man from the Devil Dog crew was 64. Heck, they even had a beagle (Grunt) getting into the thick of things.
Favorite Devil Dog --> Hale, lead investigator. He walked with a cane and used it as a weapon, too. Oh yes, he's still pretty badass!!
Seriously, you couldn't find a more diverse cast of characters.
With that said, there is something I would change about Deadly Reboot(small gripe). I wasn't a fan of the county and town's name being so closely related. Erinville and Erin County. I thought a bit more imagination could've been used here, but really as Shakespeare once said, "What's in a name?"
(See more reviews/ratings at www.superkambrook.com)
Despite the lack of "Who done it" in this mystery novel, I actually really enjoyed it. Why? Because of the cast...... plain and simple.
CJ didn't have a group of young, buff, 6-pack sporting, Dwayne Johnson look-alike, guys handling the case of "Who really shot Officer Ivey?"
Nope, she had military veterans, men/women injured in battle working the case. Heck, the youngest man from the Devil Dog crew was 64. Heck, they even had a beagle (Grunt) getting into the thick of things.
Favorite Devil Dog --> Hale, lead investigator. He walked with a cane and used it as a weapon, too. Oh yes, he's still pretty badass!!
Seriously, you couldn't find a more diverse cast of characters.
With that said, there is something I would change about Deadly Reboot(small gripe). I wasn't a fan of the county and town's name being so closely related. Erinville and Erin County. I thought a bit more imagination could've been used here, but really as Shakespeare once said, "What's in a name?"
(See more reviews/ratings at www.superkambrook.com)
August 29, 2018
A well written suspenseful romance, Deadly Reboot kept me tapping my Kindle well after bedtime. The main characters are ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances. Hale is being given his first assignment to "Reboot" and Ginger is put into his care. Only, she doesn't want to be there. The chemistry between Hale and Ginger took them by surprise; however they are both carrying so much baggage that it takes a while for them to work through it. The Devil Dogs were a delightful addition to the story, especially when the suspense started to escalate. Despite being elderly, these gentlemen were by no means past their sell-by date. I did not feel as if the story came to a satisfactory conclusion, but assume it is part of a series and questions would be answered at a later date. The book would have been incomplete without Grunt who ultimately played his part as well. The suspense and on-going romance kept my interest all the way through, and I thoroughly enjoyed the quirky humour between the characters. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.
April 19, 2017
A lovely book, once started i couldn't put it down. And once finished, i had to go looking for the next book in the series.... i didn't want to let go of this beautiful group of veterans who had banded together as vigilantes. As a first book in the series, it will have you totally hooked. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.
April 24, 2017
This was a thrilling start to a new series. This was also a new author to me so I wasn't sure what to expect.
Ginger Odom has lost her husband, works endless hours saving for nursing school and drives a clunker of a vehicle. Getting pulled over by a cop after a double shift as a waitress is just the icing on top of a crap day! But when said cop is killed in front of her, her luck takes a further nosedive!
She has been arrested and is the ONLY suspect the cops appear to be looking for. The shadowy male she saw is being downplayed as a figment of her imagination.
Enter The Paladins. Newly formed agency employing veterans of the armed forces, they investigate in crimes just like that which Ginger is accused of. They believe she is innocent and well do all in their power to free her. It defo helps that her adopted auntie is their receptionist!
Hale Peters hasn't even had his orientation through the company when he thrown into the deep-end on his first case! He has a cane and brace on his damaged leg but he can still save people, just not be jumping out of aeroplanes any more! His first reboot will be to keep Ginger safe from possible vigilantes and investigate any other leads. He wisely decides to call in the help of The Devil Dogs, a bunch of veteran OAPs to help out. They may be retired but they are still sharp as a tack and have contacts allover the county!
But as the danger mounts and twists unfold Hale and Ginger realise that the passion they feel towards each other is more than a passing fling, but how can they fit a relationship into their already busy and upheaved lives?
The Devil Dogs almost stole the show! I loved these oldsters making their mark on the investigation! Hale is the perfect mix of wounded veteran and still Alpha hero with a dose of smarts to go along with all the muscles! Ginger had been dealt a bad hand with a domineering, misogynistic husband but from that she inherited a wonderful auntie, who thinks the sun shines on Ginger.She may be out of her depth but she doesn't want the Paladins or the DD doing anything and keeping her out of the loop!
I can't wait to read more in this series! I can really see this being a long running series and well worth a read!
Ginger Odom has lost her husband, works endless hours saving for nursing school and drives a clunker of a vehicle. Getting pulled over by a cop after a double shift as a waitress is just the icing on top of a crap day! But when said cop is killed in front of her, her luck takes a further nosedive!
She has been arrested and is the ONLY suspect the cops appear to be looking for. The shadowy male she saw is being downplayed as a figment of her imagination.
Enter The Paladins. Newly formed agency employing veterans of the armed forces, they investigate in crimes just like that which Ginger is accused of. They believe she is innocent and well do all in their power to free her. It defo helps that her adopted auntie is their receptionist!
Hale Peters hasn't even had his orientation through the company when he thrown into the deep-end on his first case! He has a cane and brace on his damaged leg but he can still save people, just not be jumping out of aeroplanes any more! His first reboot will be to keep Ginger safe from possible vigilantes and investigate any other leads. He wisely decides to call in the help of The Devil Dogs, a bunch of veteran OAPs to help out. They may be retired but they are still sharp as a tack and have contacts allover the county!
But as the danger mounts and twists unfold Hale and Ginger realise that the passion they feel towards each other is more than a passing fling, but how can they fit a relationship into their already busy and upheaved lives?
The Devil Dogs almost stole the show! I loved these oldsters making their mark on the investigation! Hale is the perfect mix of wounded veteran and still Alpha hero with a dose of smarts to go along with all the muscles! Ginger had been dealt a bad hand with a domineering, misogynistic husband but from that she inherited a wonderful auntie, who thinks the sun shines on Ginger.She may be out of her depth but she doesn't want the Paladins or the DD doing anything and keeping her out of the loop!
I can't wait to read more in this series! I can really see this being a long running series and well worth a read!
Read
August 17, 2018A routine traffic stop, a dead cop and an innocent woman!!!!
A clear case for Paladin!
A story that will grab your interest and not let up!!!!
Well written with great characters.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. This is my honest review.
A clear case for Paladin!
A story that will grab your interest and not let up!!!!
Well written with great characters.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. This is my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews