Face Off

Kirk McGarvey #23

by David Hagberg

New York Times bestselling author David Hagberg's acclaimed Kirk McGarvey series continues with another compelling and timely thriller in Face Off .

Kirk McGarvey is lunching in the Eiffel Tower when terrorists attempt to bring the Paris icon down. He springs into action to stop the attack, only to find there’s a much larger plot at stake. One that aims to force the incompetent US President out by pitting him against Russia.

But Putin himself is eager to avoid World War III. When a Russian nuclear weapon goes missing and is found heading to the US, Putin enlists McGarvey’s help in stopping it.

The stakes couldn't be higher, and the outcome couldn't be more in doubt. Only McGarvey stands a chance of intervening before it’s too late, in a race against time across Paris, Istanbul, Moscow, and Washington, D.C.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller

336 pages, Hardcover

First published October 9, 2018

About the author

aka David Bannerman, Sean Flannery, David James, Robert Pell, Eric Ramsey

David Hagberg is a former Air Force cryptographer who has traveled extensively in Europe, the Arctic, and the Caribbean and has spoken at CIA functions. He has published more than twenty novels of suspense, including the bestselling High Flight, Assassin, and Joshua's Hammer.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidh...

Reviews

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ex-CIA Director Kirk McGarvey takes his girlfriend to the Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower, and proposes marriage, when there is a commotion and they foil a terrorist attack to destroy this symbol of France. However, the head terrorist and his hired hand kidnap Kirk's now fiancée, Pete, enraging him, having seen all those he loved get killed. Kirk offers himself up in a trade, while Pete and Kirk start massacring their foes. It was a challenge to figure out who was behind the bad guys, even with the help of Kirk's IT genius (Otto), back at the CIA headquarters. While Kirk had the support of the new director, the rest of the treachery in the U.S. was also confusing. 2.5 stars, rounded up.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be continued.... sadly.

[Rock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!
Harkens back to the days of "Crossfire" and "Critical Mass".
The ending felt like it was the beginning of a 2-3 book arc, but reading the summaries of the next few books, maybe not.
Great writing, great plot, interesting twists, this has it all.

[Mike Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kirk McGarvey is having lunch at the Eiffel Tower about to propose to his girlfriend when a terrorist attack almost brings down the architectural icon. McGarvey saves the tower, but his fiancée is kidnapped by the terrorists. Kirk spends most of the rest of the novel trying to get her back. As always there is more to the story, and it is up to Kirk to set everything right.

I’m pretty much done with this series. There is only one book left, due to David Hagberg’s unfortunate death last year. The Kirk McGarvey character feels stale. He also is starting to become unrealistic as a super spy. He has a peg leg now, and has to be at least sixty as he was around at the tail end of the Cold War.

If you have read the rest of the series, no harm in seeing it to the end, but otherwise I wouldn’t spend my time reading this.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you sit down to read Face Off, put away your believability radar, sit back, and enjoy an exciting ride with Kirk McGarvey. Like Mitch Rapp, Kirk is a master of derring-do! In this complicated plot, he and his wife-to-be, Pete. prevent the destruction of the Eiffel Tower and then try to find out who was behind it and why. In this novel, Saudi's, Russians, a traitorous CIA official, and a member of the President's staff are all involved in a plot to make the American president look stupid. With hints of things going on in Washington today, Face Off is up to date, silly, and a lot of fun.

[Dan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kirk McGarvey is lunching in the Eiffel Tower when terrorists attempt to bring the Paris icon down. He springs into action to stop the attack, only to find there's a much larger plot at stake. One that aims to force the incompetent US President out by pitting him against Russia.

But Putin himself is eager to avoid World War III. When a Russian nuclear weapon goes missing and is found heading to the US, Putin enlists McGarvey's help in stopping it.

The stakes couldn't be higher, and the outcome couldn't be more in doubt. Only McGarvey stands a chance of intervening before it's too late, in a race against time across Paris, Istanbul, Moscow, and Washington, D.C.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first, and prob last, McGarvey. It was well written enough, but the story was dull, implausible, and slow. When I looked back on the story (the hero and his GF foil and attempt to blow up the Eiffel Tower, are captured, separated, he meets with Putin, the couple is reunited, and everyone dies except the heroes). There's a loose parallel with a plan to impeach an unpopular president, conspiracy, Putin, and questionable people in high positions of government. Let's hope that the president, in real life, IS impeached, tried and convicted. This would be a much better story.

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kirk McGarvey, ex CIA director and agent extraordinaire has not had the best of luck keeping the women in his life alive. When he takes his girlfriend to a romantic meal at the Eiffel Tower to propose it is attacked by terrorists.
It devolves from there, not the story but the circumstances.
This book takes you from Paris to Turkey to Russia in a breakneck pace to catch up with the ringleader who got away.

[D. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Travolta caused me to re-read this novel. I had never thought IT was that outstanding of an actor but he put in a show in this one. Watching the movie or reading the book was excellent. You will enjoy either one for different reasons. The book describes the scene and the movie shows you the scene.DEHS

[John Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating lowered due to a very disappointing ending. This is an earlier book of Hagberg's but I had missed it earlier and so am trying to complete the reading of the couple of books of his I hadn't read.
I wonder if he was deadline pressured on this book as there was a great build up leading to a very quick ending.

[Paul Gardner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spend most of the book saying how unrealistic it was. Definitely not "grand master" of anything, not if this is an example. Just not believable enough to be enjoyable.

It's easy to read, with appropriate suspension of disbelief, which is in its favor. Good pace, a few interesting characters.

[Ryan Hillis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not enjoy!! Returned to Amazon!!!

[Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of action and a quick read, but not very believable. Probably will not read any more from this author.

[Al Menaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. First 2/3rds unbelievably well paced, action thriller. Ending just a bridge to the next novel.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good MacGreavey book. A bit jumpy at times, but still a good read.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

If non stop action is your desire then this book is for you.

[Samuel · Rating 2 out of 5]

nothing makes much sense in this one

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Kirk McGarvey!

[Garry Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Binge reading while on 14-day vacation.

[Linda]

Audiobook. Reminds me of David Baldacci. I enjoyed it. Might read more

[Robert Wickstead]

Very exciting!

[Craig Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Standard Kirk McGarvey fare from Hagberg. Lots of action and dead people. You know McGarvey will win in the end but not how he gets there. This story revolves around an attempt to take down the Eiffel Tower. Everbody wants to know why McGarvey happens to be ther at the same time to foil the attempt. Even he does not believe in coincedences but that situatin is never explained.

[william molzan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense

Solid story and plot line good to see Mac get with another lady let's is good for him tough shock