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Seth Walker #1
Takeoff
From Book 1:
High-octane action, celebrity glamour, and endless possibilities for danger meet in this fast-paced debut for fans of John Sandford and Lee Child.
Still reeling from a devastating personal tragedy, air marshal turned investigator Seth Walker embarks on his first case. All he has to do is accompany female pop star Max Magic to Los Angeles and deliver her to the FBI. But when their routine flight ends in a hail of gunfire at LAX, Walker has no choice but to take the frightened diva on the run.
After a second attack leaves him battered and bloody, Walker realizes he cannot trust the FBI. To keep his client alive, he must use a patchwork of trusted aviation contacts to get her home to Austin, where the key suspects await.
But as they race to stay one step ahead of their deadly pursuers, the biggest danger of all may be what they’re heading toward—the dark secrets that Max herself has been keeping…
300 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2018
3740 people are currently reading
3523 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Reid
6 books108 followersJoseph Reid is the debut author of TAKEOFF, the first adventure of air marshal-turned-investigator Seth Walker.
The son of a navy helicopter pilot, Reid chased great white sharks as a marine biologist before becoming a patent lawyer who litigates multi-million-dollar cases for high-tech companies. He has flown millions of miles on commercial aircraft and has spent countless hours in airports around the world. A graduate of Duke University and the University of Notre Dame, he lives in San Diego with his wife and children.
The son of a navy helicopter pilot, Reid chased great white sharks as a marine biologist before becoming a patent lawyer who litigates multi-million-dollar cases for high-tech companies. He has flown millions of miles on commercial aircraft and has spent countless hours in airports around the world. A graduate of Duke University and the University of Notre Dame, he lives in San Diego with his wife and children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 567 reviews
June 2, 2018
“Takeoff” is a thriller filled with mixed elements that don’t always gel. I have no doubt that many people will like this book. Author Joseph Reid fills it with plenty of action, a sure way to keep readers turning the pages (myself included). However, action alone will not carry a book.
Characterization is a major factor for other readers. The book is told in first person, so we are permitted to peek inside Seth Walker’s mind. I say peek, because much is hidden from us except for the small chunks that come off in clunky bits for the author to foreshadow what will happen to Seth later. Used gracefully, this can propel a book forward. In “Takeoff,” it felt more like hammer blows. Thus, when the big hammer finally falls later in the book, it is anticlimactic. Even worse, it is combined in a scene which focuses on Seth’s morals, thus clouding the potential impact.
The many twists Mr. Reid inserts in the book will keep you guessing, although this leads to questions concerning motives. For instance (and without revealing major pieces of the plot) it is unbelievable that the ultimate motive for the “killers” would convince people to break international laws and put their own lives on the line. Seth Walker’s motives were on display yet very basic, revealing only superficial details. As such, it was difficult to have empathy for him. I found myself reading more to find out how the author was going to bring the plot to a satisfactory end than anything else.
I thought the dialogue was realistic and the action was over the top. Even James Bond would blush at some of the exploits that are pictured (even the thought of shooting at a flying helicopter from an airborne plane causes my credibility quotient to stretch to unbelievable heights).
Bottom line: If you like action/thrillers and aren’t too concerned about characterizations or whether or not the probabilities of science and human nature are pushed to the point of breaking, you will probably enjoy this book. If you are looking for a book with well-rounded characters and one that imparts a feeling of “that makes sense,” you may experience periods of dissatisfaction during the reading. While I was kept interested with all the action scenes, by the end I felt like I had eaten a dinner of desserts and realized I was wishing for at least a bite of something with more substance. Three-and-a-half stars.
Characterization is a major factor for other readers. The book is told in first person, so we are permitted to peek inside Seth Walker’s mind. I say peek, because much is hidden from us except for the small chunks that come off in clunky bits for the author to foreshadow what will happen to Seth later. Used gracefully, this can propel a book forward. In “Takeoff,” it felt more like hammer blows. Thus, when the big hammer finally falls later in the book, it is anticlimactic. Even worse, it is combined in a scene which focuses on Seth’s morals, thus clouding the potential impact.
The many twists Mr. Reid inserts in the book will keep you guessing, although this leads to questions concerning motives. For instance (and without revealing major pieces of the plot) it is unbelievable that the ultimate motive for the “killers” would convince people to break international laws and put their own lives on the line. Seth Walker’s motives were on display yet very basic, revealing only superficial details. As such, it was difficult to have empathy for him. I found myself reading more to find out how the author was going to bring the plot to a satisfactory end than anything else.
I thought the dialogue was realistic and the action was over the top. Even James Bond would blush at some of the exploits that are pictured (even the thought of shooting at a flying helicopter from an airborne plane causes my credibility quotient to stretch to unbelievable heights).
Bottom line: If you like action/thrillers and aren’t too concerned about characterizations or whether or not the probabilities of science and human nature are pushed to the point of breaking, you will probably enjoy this book. If you are looking for a book with well-rounded characters and one that imparts a feeling of “that makes sense,” you may experience periods of dissatisfaction during the reading. While I was kept interested with all the action scenes, by the end I felt like I had eaten a dinner of desserts and realized I was wishing for at least a bite of something with more substance. Three-and-a-half stars.
June 21, 2018
Downloaded as a freebie from Amazon Prime on the strength of the blurb, which said it would appeal to Jack Reacher fans. Since my Jack Reacher gauge is getting close to E (I'm up to #21 now), I figured I'd better start branching out.
This was a disappointment, though. Although Jack Reacher is every bit the fantasy figure Seth Walker is, I believe in the one and not the other. "Takeoff" is too thin to be a real thriller. There's just not much here, and what there is is too far-fetched. The hero is far-fetched too, the James Bond of federal air marshals, vastly overqualified for his job. The child recording artist is a stereotype, as are the tattooed gang members.
The story should have ended with the first chapter, when six tattooed gang members with machine guns ambush Seth and Max at LAX, but Seth, alone and armed with only a handgun, kills four of them and escapes the remaining two. With one arm protectively wrapped around Max the whole time. In any scenario approximating real life, Seth and Max would have died in the initial exchange of fire, and it probably wouldn't have been an exchange since the gangbangers poured out of their SUVs with submachine guns drawn, while Seth had his thumb up his ass.
I nearly put the book down halfway though, when the author subjected me to a dogfight between two helicopters and a single-engined Cessna, with Seth firing on the helos through an open cabin window. He knocks 'em both out of the sky with the same handgun (or maybe a shotgun, which is even more implausible). But I hated to be a snob just because I'd been in a light plane before when Joseph Reid clearly hadn't, so I kept reading.
Tell you what, Seth Walker is damned incurious. Reid lays out clues and details for the reader, but unaccountably Seth misses them all. Within a page or two of meeting Max we know she's a druggie; Seth doesn't work it out until halfway through the novel. Another thing about Seth: every time he figures out who's the mastermind behind the plot to kill Max, he turns out to be wrong. Which doesn't get him or Max killed, though it should. Instead, Seth regroups, goes on to identify and confront the next mastermind, who turns out to be innocent, and on and on, several times in a row, sort of like the pre-commercial cliffhangers in TV action dramas.
In the end, when the real mastermind is identified and nailed, and little Brittney, sorry, Max, escapes the clutches of her addiction and becomes a happy well-adjusted teenaged girl again, you feel like you've just sat through a Hallmark made-for-TV movie; i.e., empty, deflated, unsatisfied, not believing you wasted your time on it. Jack Reacher never leaves me feeling that way.
This was a disappointment, though. Although Jack Reacher is every bit the fantasy figure Seth Walker is, I believe in the one and not the other. "Takeoff" is too thin to be a real thriller. There's just not much here, and what there is is too far-fetched. The hero is far-fetched too, the James Bond of federal air marshals, vastly overqualified for his job. The child recording artist is a stereotype, as are the tattooed gang members.
The story should have ended with the first chapter, when six tattooed gang members with machine guns ambush Seth and Max at LAX, but Seth, alone and armed with only a handgun, kills four of them and escapes the remaining two. With one arm protectively wrapped around Max the whole time. In any scenario approximating real life, Seth and Max would have died in the initial exchange of fire, and it probably wouldn't have been an exchange since the gangbangers poured out of their SUVs with submachine guns drawn, while Seth had his thumb up his ass.
I nearly put the book down halfway though, when the author subjected me to a dogfight between two helicopters and a single-engined Cessna, with Seth firing on the helos through an open cabin window. He knocks 'em both out of the sky with the same handgun (or maybe a shotgun, which is even more implausible). But I hated to be a snob just because I'd been in a light plane before when Joseph Reid clearly hadn't, so I kept reading.
Tell you what, Seth Walker is damned incurious. Reid lays out clues and details for the reader, but unaccountably Seth misses them all. Within a page or two of meeting Max we know she's a druggie; Seth doesn't work it out until halfway through the novel. Another thing about Seth: every time he figures out who's the mastermind behind the plot to kill Max, he turns out to be wrong. Which doesn't get him or Max killed, though it should. Instead, Seth regroups, goes on to identify and confront the next mastermind, who turns out to be innocent, and on and on, several times in a row, sort of like the pre-commercial cliffhangers in TV action dramas.
In the end, when the real mastermind is identified and nailed, and little Brittney, sorry, Max, escapes the clutches of her addiction and becomes a happy well-adjusted teenaged girl again, you feel like you've just sat through a Hallmark made-for-TV movie; i.e., empty, deflated, unsatisfied, not believing you wasted your time on it. Jack Reacher never leaves me feeling that way.
June 5, 2022
After some bad experiences, and probably suffering from PTSD, Walker, an air marshal, is given what should be a cushy job: guarding a teen pop star on a plane flight.
Almost immediately, gangs of men with tattooed faces start pursuing them all over the country. Walker tries to figure out what's going on and goes off the grid to throw off pursuit.
Fast moving.
Almost immediately, gangs of men with tattooed faces start pursuing them all over the country. Walker tries to figure out what's going on and goes off the grid to throw off pursuit.
Fast moving.
July 17, 2018
I received this thru a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank the author and the publishing company.
In this one, Seth is an air marshal. He is assigned to bodyguard a teen pop star who has received death threats. As you can probably guess, things go awry.
This is your basic action thriller novel and I also believe it is the author's debut novel. If you are looking for in depth characters with serious literature, this is not the book for you. This book does what it is meant to do. Over the top action sequences with twists to keep the reader interested. I thought the action scenes were well done and they kept the pace moving. The highlight of this book was the developed relationship between the two main characters. It was endearing and touching. With a debut novel one expects some flaws and there were some. My biggest pet peeve from this book is that he tried to add depth to his characters by adding tragedy that happened to them in the past. The problem was that he mentioned something happened and affected them but never what it was. I think this book would have been better served with a flashback scene or two.
This book entertained me and I was interested throughout. This would be a book I would have no problem with bringing down to the beach and reading. I think with a little polishing this could turn into a well executed and enjoyable series.
In this one, Seth is an air marshal. He is assigned to bodyguard a teen pop star who has received death threats. As you can probably guess, things go awry.
This is your basic action thriller novel and I also believe it is the author's debut novel. If you are looking for in depth characters with serious literature, this is not the book for you. This book does what it is meant to do. Over the top action sequences with twists to keep the reader interested. I thought the action scenes were well done and they kept the pace moving. The highlight of this book was the developed relationship between the two main characters. It was endearing and touching. With a debut novel one expects some flaws and there were some. My biggest pet peeve from this book is that he tried to add depth to his characters by adding tragedy that happened to them in the past. The problem was that he mentioned something happened and affected them but never what it was. I think this book would have been better served with a flashback scene or two.
This book entertained me and I was interested throughout. This would be a book I would have no problem with bringing down to the beach and reading. I think with a little polishing this could turn into a well executed and enjoyable series.
October 2, 2019
3.5 was in the car with husband and none of my audio books were a good choice for him so I went with the typical shoot bang bang thriller stuff he enjoys. Been a long time since I listened to this type of book, held my interest to the end, nothing earth shattering, typical sex drugs and rocknroll with a whole lotta guns and violence...
June 12, 2018
This one had some suspension of belief moments that required a forgiving reader (Gang bangers flying helicopters, for instance.) but it kept me reading, which is the whole point, right? The hero was (somewhat) unbelievable--a tech whiz turned air marshal with an improbable backstory and a strange brain anomaly that required constant input to remain focused. (I may have gotten that last bit wrong as I didn't fully understand the condition.)
A good airplane (pun intended) or beach read.
A good airplane (pun intended) or beach read.
August 19, 2018
This was an action packed story from the beginning to the end. Seth Walker has ended his air marshal days, still working as a body guard and investigator for the same company. He is to guard a teenage girl, Max Magic, who is a popular song star, known and loved by many. He is a bit confused by why she needs a federal agent to guard her, but it's a short job, just flying with her her from NYC to LA. where he will had her over to the F.B.I. for further protection while she makes her first movie. She is a typical teeny-bopper star and that has gone to her head. She is pompous, to say the least. A big surprise for Seth and Max awaits at the LA airport. Now Seth trusts no one and is ready to protect Max to the very end.
You will have to read the book to fill in the blanks. If you like good stories that are action packed and a bit heart felt (NO not a romance!!) then take a chance on this book and see what you think. The book goes quickly, so enjoy it while you are reading!
You will have to read the book to fill in the blanks. If you like good stories that are action packed and a bit heart felt (NO not a romance!!) then take a chance on this book and see what you think. The book goes quickly, so enjoy it while you are reading!
June 1, 2018
Pretty bad
The first sentence was good. After that I struggled through all of six pages before I called it quits. OMG. Admittedly, I’m prejudiced against first person novels; they usually suck but this was awful. Like the draft of a first novel that should have been just for practice then thrown away type awful.
The first sentence was good. After that I struggled through all of six pages before I called it quits. OMG. Admittedly, I’m prejudiced against first person novels; they usually suck but this was awful. Like the draft of a first novel that should have been just for practice then thrown away type awful.
July 10, 2018
Action packed and fun, but I feel like I’ve read this book before and the storyline/outcome was way too obvious. Would I read the next in the series? Maybe on vacation.
June 2, 2018
Interesti ng first novel in a series.
A good first novel. The characters were well developed. The story was very good with twists and turns in the plot. I subtracted a star as he would at times just write and write and write. Sometimea leas is more. In this novel there were definite times when less would have made a more interesring book.
A good first novel. The characters were well developed. The story was very good with twists and turns in the plot. I subtracted a star as he would at times just write and write and write. Sometimea leas is more. In this novel there were definite times when less would have made a more interesring book.
February 5, 2019
Glad i took a chance.
This is something i normally wouldn't read but when i got it from my prime membership i was glad i went away from my norm. Very interesting and a few twists. Givr it a try.
This is something i normally wouldn't read but when i got it from my prime membership i was glad i went away from my norm. Very interesting and a few twists. Givr it a try.
April 26, 2019
I won Takeoff in a Goodreads giveaway many months ago and I'm just getting around to reading it. I always strive to read and review books I win in giveaways, and although I'm a tad behind, I'm working my way through them one by one.
Takeoff is the story of Seth Walker, an air marshal tasked with escorting a teenage celebrity from NYC to LAX after she receives a series of death threats. What follows is a high-octane, pulse-pounding thriller when those threats become a reality.
I feel like parts of this book were a 4 star read and parts of it were a 3 star read. The first chapter started off with a BANG! It was exciting and thrilling and definitely started the book off on the right note. I wanted to keep reading to see what happened next. And the entire first half of the book continued in the same fashion. I don't know how believable the action was, but it would make a great movie to be honest. It reminded me of a James Bond, Mission Impossible, Bourne Identity type of situation where there are a million "bad guys" and one "good guy" who seems to always get away.
The second half of the book slowed down for me a little bit and the last 50 - 75 pages seemed a tad drawn out. The ending seemed to take a very long time to unfold and it was almost as if the author rehashed the events of the book multiple times. I felt like the book turned in a 3 star direction at this point. It was still good, but not as exciting as the first half.
One thing I was a tad confused about... there were a couple references to Seth Walker's previous life. His mentor. His love interest. Something about being framed for murder. I honestly found myself looking to see if I was reading a book in the middle of a series because I felt like I was missing something. I'm guessing the author will tie these elements into future books but they felt kind of out of place and random in the context of this story.
Overall, I enjoyed Takeoff. Like I said, I think it would make a really good action movie with lots of opportunity for fun special effects. As a book, it was good but not the greatest thing I've ever read.
Takeoff is the story of Seth Walker, an air marshal tasked with escorting a teenage celebrity from NYC to LAX after she receives a series of death threats. What follows is a high-octane, pulse-pounding thriller when those threats become a reality.
I feel like parts of this book were a 4 star read and parts of it were a 3 star read. The first chapter started off with a BANG! It was exciting and thrilling and definitely started the book off on the right note. I wanted to keep reading to see what happened next. And the entire first half of the book continued in the same fashion. I don't know how believable the action was, but it would make a great movie to be honest. It reminded me of a James Bond, Mission Impossible, Bourne Identity type of situation where there are a million "bad guys" and one "good guy" who seems to always get away.
The second half of the book slowed down for me a little bit and the last 50 - 75 pages seemed a tad drawn out. The ending seemed to take a very long time to unfold and it was almost as if the author rehashed the events of the book multiple times. I felt like the book turned in a 3 star direction at this point. It was still good, but not as exciting as the first half.
One thing I was a tad confused about... there were a couple references to Seth Walker's previous life. His mentor. His love interest. Something about being framed for murder. I honestly found myself looking to see if I was reading a book in the middle of a series because I felt like I was missing something. I'm guessing the author will tie these elements into future books but they felt kind of out of place and random in the context of this story.
Overall, I enjoyed Takeoff. Like I said, I think it would make a really good action movie with lots of opportunity for fun special effects. As a book, it was good but not the greatest thing I've ever read.
June 5, 2018
I agree with Mark that it seems simple to say “I liked this book.” But…I agree. I particularly appreciated the concept of not using profanity for its own sake. Yes, the action is over the top (it’s a book), as is the main character’s near flawless marksmanship, but then all our action heroes are superhuman now and then. So, if you’ve read it, in which book will Mr. Reid finally reveal the back story? Probably eke out a small bit at a time, but this is an easy read which flows well from situation to situation. One reader felt like she had “eaten a dinner of desserts and [wanted] at least a bite of something with more substance.” I read a lot on a Kindle, and the reading experience is a little different there, so I liked the Ian Fleming approach of something to read in an airport where I can just pick it up and go- and then go again. The details are well-researched, and believable. John Philip Sousa was known for writing marches, but in his body of work, his operettas were just bizarre. When the plot would become hopelessly twisted and there was no way out, he would just send in the Marines. None of that here. I look to reading more of Mr. Reid’s work soon.
August 6, 2018
It was a solid 2.5. Well, maybe a weak 2.5. Seth Walker is probably too good at what he does. You know the Mission Impossible / Jason Bourne type character. He's hobbling around town with a bum shoulder, a shot leg, a cartel after him, and a drug addicted 16 year old by his side, but he makes it to the end relatively unscathed.
Nice start that got old by the end. The patent angle was a nice way to explain the money he'll obviously be throwing around. As an air marshal, I suppose you'll make contacts that might make it possible to fly, non-commerically, no questions asked, but after the first time it became a gimmick.
I'm curious how he's handcuffed behind his back one minute, gestures to his face with his finger (referring to a facial tattoo) the next, but handcuffed again prior to making his daring escape. No one caught that? Or did I misread that section?
Took me entirely too long to read this book and not enough there for me to continue the series.
Nice start that got old by the end. The patent angle was a nice way to explain the money he'll obviously be throwing around. As an air marshal, I suppose you'll make contacts that might make it possible to fly, non-commerically, no questions asked, but after the first time it became a gimmick.
I'm curious how he's handcuffed behind his back one minute, gestures to his face with his finger (referring to a facial tattoo) the next, but handcuffed again prior to making his daring escape. No one caught that? Or did I misread that section?
Took me entirely too long to read this book and not enough there for me to continue the series.
May 20, 2019
This is an action, law enforcement story about Seth Walker (air marshal) protecting a teenage pop star. I liked it a little more than three stars, but not quite four. The writing and editing are solid. The characters are interesting and relatable. Even though I had parts of plot figured out before too long, there were enough twists and turns to keep me interested.
But, the book read more like an action movie script. It seemed to be written specifically with movie rights in mind. Maybe not, but that's how it seemed to me. Still, it was a good read and it will be worth your time if you enjoy this kind of book.
But, the book read more like an action movie script. It seemed to be written specifically with movie rights in mind. Maybe not, but that's how it seemed to me. Still, it was a good read and it will be worth your time if you enjoy this kind of book.
July 9, 2018
This was a First Reads selection from Amazon and I really enjoyed this. I will be looking for more from this author.
This was the introduction of a new thriller series and the hero is similar to others in this genre - a man with a somewhat tragic past who's trying to put them behind him and rebuilt his life. He has, shall we say, a particular set of skills...including shooting copters out of the air while in a moving plane with a handgun/shotgun. Okay, some of this does involve a bit of suspension of disbelief. Yeah, it's a bit far-fetched and he's a bit of a MacGyver, always pulling out the right combo of stuff to get out of any situation. But it's a bit of mindless fun on a hot summer afternoon. Enjoy it.
This was the introduction of a new thriller series and the hero is similar to others in this genre - a man with a somewhat tragic past who's trying to put them behind him and rebuilt his life. He has, shall we say, a particular set of skills...including shooting copters out of the air while in a moving plane with a handgun/shotgun. Okay, some of this does involve a bit of suspension of disbelief. Yeah, it's a bit far-fetched and he's a bit of a MacGyver, always pulling out the right combo of stuff to get out of any situation. But it's a bit of mindless fun on a hot summer afternoon. Enjoy it.
February 1, 2019
Fairly typical thriller structure, but plants a lot of seeds for backstory adding depth to the first novel in this series. This treads familiar ground - ultra-competent, ethically uncompromising hero, woman in distress, sexual violence, murderous and murdered brown people. The backstory of each of these tropes were fleshed out however with clear motivation, history and intelligence. A lot of character development was focused on a unique skill set (electrical/computer/audio engineering) of the protagonist with limited practical application within this book (he mostly shoots people). I hope this is more integrated in the problem solving and action of future books to subvert the genre bypassing some of the gun play.
March 24, 2019
Loved this book. It is high action and fast paced with a hero who is still reeling from the death of Sarah.
His determination to save Max Magic, a disturbed child star who has been used by her overbearing father was heart warming.
The couple of flash back to how Sarah die left me hoping for a prequel and I look forward to the further adventures of Seth Walker
His determination to save Max Magic, a disturbed child star who has been used by her overbearing father was heart warming.
The couple of flash back to how Sarah die left me hoping for a prequel and I look forward to the further adventures of Seth Walker
August 15, 2020
This was a fast-paced action book. The fights were told in a way that you could picture the action happening and feel the emotions of the characters. There were a few twists so it was difficult to figure out what was going to happen and what was coming.
June 15, 2018
Really good! Fast paced and addictive. Great main character, and supporting cast. Not at all what I was expecting, way more intense. Hope he's working on the next book!
October 17, 2018
A great new series for me to read, full of action and mystery. It would make a great action hero movie. I look forward to reading the next book.
July 21, 2018
I enjoyed this book.
Air Marshal turned investigator has a simple job. Accompany Max Magic a female pop star.
They are attacked by armed gunmen.
Jeff has to go off the grid and gets help from a series of contacts.
They headed to Austin, Max,s hometown to find answers
I liked the writing and the main character.
Air Marshal turned investigator has a simple job. Accompany Max Magic a female pop star.
They are attacked by armed gunmen.
Jeff has to go off the grid and gets help from a series of contacts.
They headed to Austin, Max,s hometown to find answers
I liked the writing and the main character.
August 3, 2019
Enjoyed it
I will want to read book two. I’m a sucker for big hero types with a teddy bear heart inside.
I will want to read book two. I’m a sucker for big hero types with a teddy bear heart inside.
August 12, 2018
Breath taking a fast read
I couldn’t put It down! Loved it! Kept you guessing on who it was and a surpise ending! I recommend it!
I couldn’t put It down! Loved it! Kept you guessing on who it was and a surpise ending! I recommend it!
June 3, 2018
I enjoyed the book. The characters were interesting but a tad confusing. Why would Seth leave a job he loved, excelled in and made a lot of money for a Federal job that was dangerous? I guess we will find out more of the back story as the other books are published. I think that promoting the book as celebrity glamour was stretching it a bit, but it will bring in a different genre of reader. Looking forward to reading the next book.
June 13, 2018
Buckle your seat belts? This is defiantly a thriller! You get started and can't put it down just wondering what is going to happen next. I am looking forward to his next book about Seth Walker. I figured out who was behind it all pretty quickly but not how it all pulled together.
August 22, 2021
Awesome 👏
September 12, 2018
I saw this book on Kindle First as recommended to Jack Reacher fans. I got it later, when it was on Kindle Unlimited and after I had started the Jack Reacher series. Unfortunately, while there were similarities, there wasn't quite the level of detail I wanted.
Seth Walker has a case that goes wrong and ends up killing the woman he loves (because of course he does, why have an alive female character when you could have a dead one that provides an angsty backstory for the male main character) and then he's called in to babysit this teenage pop star. Then there's the shooting and people chasing them and a leak in the FBI and they go on the run.
There were several things I liked about this book. His sweet, a little inappropriate relationship with Max. They don't sleep together (thank God, since Max is sixteen) but they don't quite ring as father/daughter to me. The fact his best friend is a lawyer, Seth feels like he can go to him for help and he's a stable relationship with another guy and it doesn't get remarked on at all, by Seth or by Max. I liked the surprise of who turned out to be behind it all in the end and what was really going on in the background. Seth held the Idiot Ball a few too many times but I liked how the plot progressed along.
However, the part of the book . That was very out of place and didn't make any sense whatsoever and it came across as a reason for Seth and Max to escape alive, rather than as something that works with the plot.
The one thing that made this book fairly meh was the main character. A lot of the side characters felt a little one-note, faded into the background a little, but I thought I could handle it. But Seth, as a main character, should have a strong sense of voice and he just didn't. He was a blank character, as if ready for the reader to insert themselves into, like Bella Swan in Twilight, and I didn't really get a sense of him at all.
This was readable enough but I probably won't continue the series unless the plot really catches my eye and I probably wouldn't recommend it either. 2.5 stars!
Seth Walker has a case that goes wrong and ends up killing the woman he loves (because of course he does, why have an alive female character when you could have a dead one that provides an angsty backstory for the male main character) and then he's called in to babysit this teenage pop star. Then there's the shooting and people chasing them and a leak in the FBI and they go on the run.
There were several things I liked about this book. His sweet, a little inappropriate relationship with Max. They don't sleep together (thank God, since Max is sixteen) but they don't quite ring as father/daughter to me. The fact his best friend is a lawyer, Seth feels like he can go to him for help and he's a stable relationship with another guy and it doesn't get remarked on at all, by Seth or by Max. I liked the surprise of who turned out to be behind it all in the end and what was really going on in the background. Seth held the Idiot Ball a few too many times but I liked how the plot progressed along.
However, the part of the book . That was very out of place and didn't make any sense whatsoever and it came across as a reason for Seth and Max to escape alive, rather than as something that works with the plot.
The one thing that made this book fairly meh was the main character. A lot of the side characters felt a little one-note, faded into the background a little, but I thought I could handle it. But Seth, as a main character, should have a strong sense of voice and he just didn't. He was a blank character, as if ready for the reader to insert themselves into, like Bella Swan in Twilight, and I didn't really get a sense of him at all.
This was readable enough but I probably won't continue the series unless the plot really catches my eye and I probably wouldn't recommend it either. 2.5 stars!
July 14, 2018
Takeoff - Seth Walker Bk 1 - Written by Joseph Reid
Don’t pick this up unless you're ready to read the night through, UNBELIEVABLE AND ADDICTING!!
High-octane action, celebrity glamour, and endless possibilities for danger meet in this fast-paced debut for fans of John Sandford and Lee Child. Still reeling from a devastating personal tragedy, air marshal turned investigator Seth Walker embarks on his first case. All he has to do is accompany female pop star Max Magic to Los Angeles and deliver her to the FBI. But when their routine flight ends in a hail of gunfire at LAX, Walker has no choice but to take the frightened diva on the run. After a second attack leaves him battered and bloody, Walker realizes he cannot trust the FBI. To keep his client alive, he must use a patchwork of trusted aviation contacts to get her home to Austin, where the key suspects await. But as they race to stay one step ahead of their deadly pursuers, the biggest danger of all may be what they’re heading toward—the dark secrets that Max herself has been keeping…
What did I like? The best high flying, action-filled, hot read that I have read in ages. Seth Walker is the kind of character that everyone will fall in love with. He’s awesome and resourceful with that touchable personality that every woman would like to meet, and every man would hate but here he is one of a kind! The right kind!!!!
What will you like? The unbelievable action that does not take a break, each page filled with a mind-bending and incredible addicting storyline. The story grows and excels as each page turns and takes you for a ride of a lifetime. Characters that are remarkable and some that will leave you hating them. This story shows the authors experience in the field with all the research and details that keep you high flying. An excellent read and I am looking forward to book two, Joseph Reid is not on my favorite author's list! He is going places and I want to go with him! Great Kindle First read.
Don’t pick this up unless you're ready to read the night through, UNBELIEVABLE AND ADDICTING!!
High-octane action, celebrity glamour, and endless possibilities for danger meet in this fast-paced debut for fans of John Sandford and Lee Child. Still reeling from a devastating personal tragedy, air marshal turned investigator Seth Walker embarks on his first case. All he has to do is accompany female pop star Max Magic to Los Angeles and deliver her to the FBI. But when their routine flight ends in a hail of gunfire at LAX, Walker has no choice but to take the frightened diva on the run. After a second attack leaves him battered and bloody, Walker realizes he cannot trust the FBI. To keep his client alive, he must use a patchwork of trusted aviation contacts to get her home to Austin, where the key suspects await. But as they race to stay one step ahead of their deadly pursuers, the biggest danger of all may be what they’re heading toward—the dark secrets that Max herself has been keeping…
What did I like? The best high flying, action-filled, hot read that I have read in ages. Seth Walker is the kind of character that everyone will fall in love with. He’s awesome and resourceful with that touchable personality that every woman would like to meet, and every man would hate but here he is one of a kind! The right kind!!!!
What will you like? The unbelievable action that does not take a break, each page filled with a mind-bending and incredible addicting storyline. The story grows and excels as each page turns and takes you for a ride of a lifetime. Characters that are remarkable and some that will leave you hating them. This story shows the authors experience in the field with all the research and details that keep you high flying. An excellent read and I am looking forward to book two, Joseph Reid is not on my favorite author's list! He is going places and I want to go with him! Great Kindle First read.
June 25, 2018
I thought this was a fun action story with fun, if trope-y, characters. Quick read, the plot carries you along nicely, you never really feel lost about what is happening. If you are a huge fan of heroes for whom everything seems to work out because they are just that much a force of nature, then you will like this. And, frankly, those types of characters have been wildly successful (I'm thinking more Dirk Pitt than James Bond here)
The beginning of the book I thought was the worst part. We are introduced to characters who are a collection of bad tropes and the author's experience (sorry, but a former electrical engineer turned air marshall/commando who happens to have a patent attorney who was special forces) It is nice to use one's own life experience to add color to a novel, but this seemed a little bit too much like literary wish fulfillment...especially because these particular skills don't really serve the plot in any way. This creates several roll your eye style moments, at least it did for me.
The middle portion, where all of these trappings are cast aside and it's just a chase, is much better, even if the characterization portions remain trope-y (we've seen this Miley Cyrus type caricature sooo many times now) the action flows well and the dialog is fun and not too goofy.
The obligatory twists were not that interesting (I'm tired of twists) and like many many many twists, leave motivations completely baffling. I don't mean that we don't understand what is going on, I mean there is no reason why actual humans would set things up the way they are required in order to set up the twist and reveal, when it is clear that a much simpler set-up would work just fine and accomplish the goals.
In the end, it's a fun story and you care enough about what happens to the characters even if you don't care that much about the characters themselves, and a nice basis for future stories.
The beginning of the book I thought was the worst part. We are introduced to characters who are a collection of bad tropes and the author's experience (sorry, but a former electrical engineer turned air marshall/commando who happens to have a patent attorney who was special forces) It is nice to use one's own life experience to add color to a novel, but this seemed a little bit too much like literary wish fulfillment...especially because these particular skills don't really serve the plot in any way. This creates several roll your eye style moments, at least it did for me.
The middle portion, where all of these trappings are cast aside and it's just a chase, is much better, even if the characterization portions remain trope-y (we've seen this Miley Cyrus type caricature sooo many times now) the action flows well and the dialog is fun and not too goofy.
The obligatory twists were not that interesting (I'm tired of twists) and like many many many twists, leave motivations completely baffling. I don't mean that we don't understand what is going on, I mean there is no reason why actual humans would set things up the way they are required in order to set up the twist and reveal, when it is clear that a much simpler set-up would work just fine and accomplish the goals.
In the end, it's a fun story and you care enough about what happens to the characters even if you don't care that much about the characters themselves, and a nice basis for future stories.
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