Devil's Due

Caine: Rapid Fire #1

by Andrew Warren

This is an updated cover edition of ASIN B01EO6IIM2.

Thomas Caine is a dangerous man.

A former CIA assassin, he was burned, betrayed, and left for dead. Now, he struggles to stay off the grid, and hides from his dark past in the seedy underworld of Pattaya, Thailand. But when human traffickers detonate a bomb in a crowded Thai market, it sets off a chain reaction that drags Caine out of the shadows.

This new syndicate has taken the one person Caine has sworn to protect, and the vengeful former assassin will wage a bloody one-man war to get her back. Soon, he finds himself taking on the Russian mafia, and an insane criminal warlord who believes he is the devil himself. Can Caine use his deadly skills to defeat these new enemies, and help an honest cop save a group of kidnapped girls before the clock runs out?

Find out in this explosive introduction to the Thomas Caine thriller series. Fans of Jason Bourne and Jack Reacher will love Thomas Caine! Reviews say: "The next Jason Bourne, or James Bond! A burning page turner, swift and intense! If you love ACTION... Caine and Warren are your team!"

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Action, Mystery, Amazon, Espionage

132 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2016

About the author

Andrew Warren was born in New Jersey, but currently resides in the warmer climate of Southern California. He studied film, English and psychology at the University of Miami, and has over a decade of experience in the television and motion picture industry, where he has worked as a post-production supervisor, story producer and writer.

His passion for writing and traveling led Andrew to Japan. As soon as he set eyes on the country he fell in love with it, and felt compelled to use it as the setting for a series of novels. It took a few years, but Tokyo Black was the result of that trip.

Andrew’s writing skills have seen him write for Youtube Red's "Fight of the Living Dead," MangoTV's "Sons of Earth", and Discovery's "True Nightmares".

His love of the Far East extends to all varieties of Asian cuisine, and he scours Southern California looking for the best ramen, dumplings and beef noodle soup. All in the name or research, of course!

His fascination for the spy thriller genre was born from a love of James Bond films. Growing up, he knew that he was never going to be a muscle-bound giant, like Schwarzenegger or Stallone. Instead, he opted for charm and sophistication, with a smattering of brains and super-cool spy gadgets.

When he’s not working or writing classic spy thrillers, Andrew likes to relax at home with his pet dachshund, Ares, and his cat, Mina. He is currently working on the next Thomas Caine thriller, which will be set in East Africa.

Andrew loves to hear from his readers. Feel free to contact him here:

www.andrewwarrenbooks.com

facebook @andrewarrenbooks

andrew@andrewarrenbooks.com

Reviews

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Devil’s Due by Andrew Warren is Part 1 of the Thomas Caine Rapid Fire Espionage Thriller Series. Thomas Caine is a dangerous former CIA operative that is hiding out in Thailand. He is pulled from the shadows when a crime lord that considers himself the devil kidnaps a lady sex worker under Caine's protection. Soon the devil will find out how a TRUE devil behaves and what the devil will do to retrieve what is really his.

This is a quick-paced, novella-length story that has high-octane action with larger than life characters. If you like a James Bond, Ian Fleming over-the-top type story, this is for you. Although not as deftly written as Bond by Fleming or Remo Williams by Murphy, still worthy of a read with some interesting locales, and unique characters.

[Michael Slavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the second book in the series first, Cold Kill which I reviewed. That story was great in an exciting setting with lots of snow. I went ahead and got books 1,3 and 4. Devil's Due is Book 1.

The setting was great:
Bangcock, Thailand, with much of the story in and around the Pattaya floating market. Either the author has been there or done great research because I could tell that he understood the culture and food with great but not too long of a description of the tastes and smells.

You should like the main character, Caine:
Ex CIA assassin disappeared because he lost faith in all the people he was killing was for the betterment of his country. He has a strong moral compass. A good guy with skills.

I was a little disappointed:
-The fight scenes were too long (way too long).
-It seemed very predictable once the girls were kidnapped. (not much of a spoiler)
-Satisfying ending? Maybe. I know I really liked Book 2, so I am excited to start 3 and see if it picks back up for me.

I still recommend it.
It is short and a quick read and takes you to Thailand. Book 2 was great, stay tuned to see what I think of Book 3.

Review by Mike Slavin author of award-winning Kill Crime (action-packed thriller on Amazon to buy or KU. As of this writing 93% 5 and 4-star reviews on Amazon with 285+ reviews)

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caine is a CIA assassin lying low in Thailand, when a bar girl friend of his is kindapped.

This brings him into violent conflict with the Thai underground and the Russian Mafiya, and a guy known as The Devil.

Fast moving and entertaining.

[Aristotle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I call books like this comfort food made from scratch. Fast and fun.
Unfortunately this was rest area food that's been sitting underneath a heating lamp for too long.

No character development and an underdeveloped plot. Shallow. Lacked finesse, depth, and was trite.
Reads like a screenplay that was rejected.
A half a day read only 122 pages and 99 cents i still can't recommend it.

Righteous men and women enjoy peace, but there is no peace for the wicked who broke God's law. Psalm 37:37

"You can be both an angel and a devil for only so long. Sooner or later you have to choose one. If you wait long enough, Mr. Waters, one will choose you." -Anna 'chao mae'

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living off the grid in Thailand, former Delta Operator Thomas Caine comes to the aid of a bar-girl kidnapped by a Russian/Thai gang of human traffickers. He teams up with an honest cop to rescue his friend before she's shipped out of the country. After his new partner is killed in an explosion, Caine is committed to rescuing his friend while exacting revenge on the Russian/Thai gang responsible. This is a fast paced, action oriented novella with strong characters and tight prose; the perfect book for a dark and snowy winter day!

[Meenaz Lodhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can be both an angel and a devil for only so long. Sooner or later, you have to choose one."

fast paced thriller, full of action. A wanted ex CIA agent gone into hiding, fighting his own interior demons, gets involved in a rescue mission. Vile and interesting characters. A pull to read the rest of the series.

[Coco.V]

💝 FREE on Amazon today (2/19/2018)! 💝

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

GIVE THE DEVIL HIS DUE.

“Man, fears death and yet, at the same time, man is drawn to death. Death is endlessly consumed by man in cities and in literature. It is a singular event in one's life that none may reverse”.– Osamu Dazai.

“Talk to a priest, die a thousand deaths”. – Thai Proverb.

“To defeat others is the starting point of hatred and vengeance”. – Slogan on one of the 52 Wat Prah Singh signs.

Let me make one thing clear, I am not a fan of most contemporary crime thrillers or crime fiction. There, I said it. 21st century murder mysteries bore me to death, I immensely dislike Jack Reacher novels and believe the pioneers of Chandler, Christie and Dashiell Hammett will remain unsurpassed until the end of days. My taste in fiction goes beyond mere cops, crooks and locked murder room mysteries. I prefer well researched world ending plots, grand, epic geopolitics that shape the globe and spies and government assassins racking up high body counts or risking it all on a high stakes gambit to find intel that could save the day.
That being said, this fanatical spy fiction connoisseur recently found two crime thrillers that were found to go above and beyond the usual tosh that comes out of the genre. The first is “The Nowhere Man” by prolific script and comic book writer Greg Hurwitz who created the new king of literary vigilantes Evan Smoak. The second story was a novella. Titled “The Devil’s Due”, it was written by Andrew Warren, a new indie author who also does script writing and Television work when he’s not working on his smash hit Thomas Caine spy thrillers.
I read the first two books in the Caine series, and found them outstanding, a blend of the best aspects of Ian Fleming, the Burn Notice TV show and Quentin Tarantino, all blended to create a truly fresh and unique escapist feel that few authors can pull off. In “The Devil’s Due” however, which was written before the 2 full length novels, Warren goes small scale and spins a tightly written crime drama in which one of the most dangerous CIA officers ever to come out of the Special Activities Division stumbles into. Now to the review. What happens when a spy who has been burned is forced to run out of the frying pan and into the fires of hell?

We begin the story in Thailand. A German woman and her partner are having lunch at Pattaya’s floating market. The couple are enjoying themselves and looking forward to some of South East Asia’s finest street food before they’re interrupted by a strange sight. A little girl attempting to flee from an old man whom had been stalking the German woman before lunchtime. A confrontation ensures and the Germans seemingly manage to defuse it with the old man leaving behind a bag. Investigating the bag, the Germans find an active improvised explosive device and despite attempting to run, both are hit in the ensuring blast along with other innocent civilians. We then cut to one of Pattaya’s infamous bars where an American by the name of Mark Walters is trying to have a quiet beer while an obnoxious Russian bellows for a round of Vodka. One of the bar girls, a woman named Naiyana, attempts to pacify the Russian who we quickly learn is named Alexi Rudov. Their pleasant conversation however quickly devolves when the Russian makes advances on her and when they’re turned down, forces Mark Walters, real name Thomas Caine, rogue Paramilitary officer, into intervening. A bar brawl ensures with Rudov slipping out and sending his bodyguard to kill Caine. The bodyguard, Gregor quickly comes off second best with a broken nose, lacerated forehead and blunt force trauma via a beer bottle. Quickly escaping the bar as the Royal Thai Police arrive on site, Caine and Naiyana reconvene at his apartment. It turns out that Caine had helped Naiyana in the past and she in turn has become one of the few outlets of the burned government assassin.

The next day, Caine goes to his day job of smuggling odds and ends for cash, when he finds himself being followed by a Royal Thai Police inspector by the name of Santra who asks him for assistance. The inspector is working on a missing person case. Bar girls in Pattaya are being kidnapped, with all of them connected to a mysterious dating site. Both Caine and Santra summarize that it’s the work of sex slave traffickers, and with the inspector’s superiors apathetic about the case, Caine thinks about turning down the offer to assist but a night later, Naiyana disappears and the former government assassin agrees to go to war. With days until the Naiyana’s kidnappers send her and dozens of innocents to an unpleasant end, a killer who left the darkness must dive back into the shadow world he left behind.

In terms of plot, The Devil’s Due is a slickly written, neo noir crime drama. Set in perhaps the original Asian den of thieves and cut – throats, The Devil’s Due takes readers on a journey through a true, real life city of adventure and intrigue, one that’s simultaneously beautiful and wretched in equal measure. What makes The Devil’s Due more appealing however compared to most crime thrillers is that instead of some ordinary cop or Private Investigator who is in over their head, we have a highly skilled killer who is going around dismantling some of the vilest criminal scum ever put to pen. It’s Warren’s use of classic neo – noir tropes along with a beautifully vivid backdrop however that make The Devil’s Due a real blast, one that packs the thrills of a full-sized novel into a smaller package and helps provide a perfectly executed “establishing character moment” for his protagonist.

Action and Setting? The Devil’s Due is primarily set in the bars and alleys of Patayya, the legendary southern resort, where all human vices can be satisfied if you’re willing to pay the price. Having visited the town myself once during a package holiday, I give the author full marks for bring it to life so well. Few writers would be able to capture the paradoxes that Patayya generates. Beauty and ugliness. Wretchedness and hospitality. From the litter strewn waterfront and sparkling beaches, to the clubs and bars that Caine kills his way through, and a vicious gun battle inside a container ship in the port of Patayya, the author shows us his skill at portraying beautifully brutal cinematic violence that will make you feel that you’re running for your life with Caine as the bullets fly. Where Andrew shines as a writer is the level of immersion he generates with the vivid scene setting and tone of his work, something that makes his stories far more entertaining than most NYT bestsellers who haven’t quite mastered the “show not tell” rule.

Research? One thing I despise about crime thrillers is when they screw up real world details. Unlike spy novelists, crime thrillers have the luxury of focusing on the act of violence and when they go beyond that, things begin to fall apart. It’s why I’ve never taken to the Jack Reacher books. Neo – Noir crime stories however, have the opportunity to make the real-world details accurate. Orphan X by Greg Hurwitz, the two John Wick films and the first two seasons of the hit CBS show Person of Interest proved that a bit of research can go a long way in making a crime thriller even better. The Devil’s Due is a case in point. While it’s smaller scale compared to the sequel full length novels, Andrew doesn’t skimp on the real-world details when they count. From the aforementioned accurate portrayal of Patyya’s environment to giving a crash course on South East Asia’s criminal groups and their businesses and even unarmed combat tactics, The Devil’s Due not only has the right amount of research, but said research is used when it matters and not vomited up like most authors who engage in the proverbial “insider detail” arms race do.

Now to characters. Quite a few but for brevity’s sake, I’ll focus on three, Caine, Alexei and the Chao Mae. First, Thomas Caine. He is not the man you’ll get to know in the full-length novels. Here he’s a very depressed petty criminal trying to forget what he considers a waste of the best years of his life, namely his time in the spying game which he considers was ultimately futile due to being betrayed by those he put trust into. He’s starts the story like Rick Blane, not willing to stick his neck out for nobody anymore, but events in The Devil’s Due force him to do so and tap into the forgotten skills of the death trade he learned when serving America in far off lands. Warren quickly establishes Caine’s characterization with deft skill, a haunted man who has suffered due to the callous actions of others, but still has some humanity left. While having gone to ground, deep down, Caine wants absolution for a lifetime of sin, and in the devil’s due, he begins painfully crawling on that road to redemption.

Next, we have Alexei. Alexei is the head of the Thai branch of a powerful Russian Mafia family who has decided to set up a sex slave trafficking operation in Thailand. A petty, vindictive man, Alexei attempted to muscle on the existing Thai criminal organization and partnered with their rivals to do so. Over the course of the story however, this seasoned criminal who once was a counter – intelligence officer, finds himself delightfully in over his head, as he realizes the enormity of his mistake in angering Thomas Caine. While eventually gone once the story concludes, Alexei’s demise stirs up demons that may come into play in the future of the Caine saga.

Finally, we have the Chao Mae, who runs the largest criminal organization in Patayya. While a secondary character, she immediately captivates with her tough, no nonsense, unapologetic demeanour. Even when a terrifying American assassin manages to bypass her security detail, her only response is to trade jokes and threats with Caine. Warren, thankfully averts the “neighbourhood friendly gangster” trope with the Chao Mae and while assisting the protagonist in his errand, she’s unashamedly morally ambiguous and an unrepentant criminal who could be Caine’s enemy one day and a good friend the next.

Constructive criticism? This being one of the author’s first thrillers, as expected he was getting the hang of things. The prose is much rougher than in the full-length novels that came later and some of the characterization could have used a bit more work. That being said, these bugbears were immediately addressed in the sequels and Andrew is on his way to making a truly special thriller saga.

The Devil’s Due is an excellent neo noir crime thriller that ranks among the greats of crime fiction set in Thailand, something that could be spun off into its own sub – genre of fiction. Possessing the perfect length to keep you entertained during a tedious working lunch or conference call, this novella resurrects a long-lost tradition. In recent years, short stories and novellas have been making a comeback due to the fast-paced world we live in and tablet computers. Some are merely written purely as a profit-making exercise and are shabbily written. Others have a bit more love and care put into how they’re crafted. The Devil’s Due is in the latter category. Andrew Warren pulls off a perfect establishing character moment for his fictional anti – hero Thomas Caine and introduces him to the thriller world in a blaze of hellfire.

recommended.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devil's Due is a fast paced novella at a 120 pages, the author has packed quite a story for ex government assassin Thomas Caine as he tries to rescue his friend who works as a bar girl she's been kidnapped by people traffickers.
I won't go into it, just suffice to say that this is a cracking intro to the character, I'll definitely be reading the first full length novel 'Tokyo Black'.
I totally recommend this for thriller fans.

[Annika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting start to a new series. We have a lot (a lot) of action and intrigue, all framed with the gritty shadows from Thailand's underworld. There's a lot left to explore in this world, and I have a feeling that there will be a few more explosions waiting around the corner, not far from the next book.

[Todd Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply Superb. I was quite surprised and thrilled at how much that Andrew Warren has packed into this attention grabbing 134 page story. Thomas Caine fits perfectly into the tough guy mould, with plenty of experience and background to back it up. He will definitely be a character that I will enjoy following. This is a clever story, with a great balance between a well thought out plot, and some great action scenes. Thomas Caine is quite happy keeping to himself, and living a relatively quiet life. Especially after his former life with the CIA, which was not so relaxed. He thought Thailand would be a good place to lay low and make some money to survive. There are those that think he might have some special abilities, and suggest to a local policeman that he ask Caine to help him look into some bar girls that have disappeared, and initially Caine turns him down as he would rather not get involved. It’s not until one of his good friends suddenly also disappears that he changes his mind. Caine is right at home in the world of death and violence, and he isn’t one to give up easily. This is a tense and gripping Action Thriller that is definitely worth a read.

[Kashif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devil's Due, while a relatively short novella, is absolutely amazing to get into. Thomas Caine keeps going up in my list of favorite action thriller legends, thanks to Mr. Warren. Devil's Due takes a darker tone in comparison to other Thomas Caine novellas, which perfectly fits the narrative of this novella. The action is superb, with technical prowess and realism that sucks the readers into the pages.

A prequel to Tokyo Black, it was fantastic exploring Thomas Caine's dark personality that we see in Tokyo Black. The characters in Devil's Due are a delight to read, some even scary. However, it is Thomas Caine that one should worry about. With his focused gaze and dangerous skills, he takes on his adversaries head on and wins in spectacular fashion. It is a definite must read for all Thomas Caine fanatics as well as fans of the thriller genre. There can never be too much of Thomas Caine. Hats off to Mr. Andrew Warren.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devil's Due (Caine: Rapid Fire Book 1) - a review by Rosemary Kenny

A great prequel to a great trilogy by Andrew Warren, Devil's Due begins the Caine: Rapid Fire series in true fighting form. With a story-line of treachery,
bravery, standing up for the underdog (when it gets personal), integrity and much conflict between the MC and a gang of international people-traffickers
and 'The Devil' himself, it could easily be turned into a blockbuster movie script to rival the Bond and Jason Bourne franchises.

Grab your copy of Devil's Due, (Caine: Rapid Fire Book 1) today and get undercover for a non-stop action thriller you'll want to enjoy in one sitting!

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phenomenal writing! You really feel like you are walking with the protagonist, Thomas Caine. Loved the ending. The subject matter was, however, just too heart wrenching and violent for me. I may have nightmares.

[Gayatri · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this exciting prequel to Tokyo Black, Thomas Caine struggles to keep a low profile in Pattaya, Thailand. But when human traffickers start an explosive war with the Thai police, Caine finds himself caught in the crossfire. A girl he has sworn to protect has been kidnapped by this shadowy syndicate, and Caine is forced to wage a bloody one man war to get her back.

Soon, the former assassin finds himself taking on the Russian mafia, and an insane criminal warlord who believes that he is the devil himself! Can Caine use his deadly skills to defeat these new enemies, and help an honest cop find a group of missing girls before they are sold into slavery?

This book is a prequel novella... Tokyo Black, the first full length Thomas Caine novel, is coming soon, Summer 2016!

*I received this book as an ARC to read and post a honest review*

This book was everything the blurb described and more. It was bloody, fast paced, made us take a look into the dark side. The whole book was coloured in shades of grey. There was no clear cut black and white, right and wrong. Everything was somewhere in the middle.
I loved the beginning. I feel like it really showed what the book was going to be about without giving away anything and leaving us extremely confused and shocked. The first part of the book made me brace myself for the rest of the book and boy am I glad I did!
We were introduced to Thomas Caine, a man who had a lot of history behind him. He was in hiding after being betrayed and wrongly accused of being a traitor by his country who did not the whole story. He was wronged and he was looking for revenge and justice. We were also introduced to Naiyana, a dancer in a strip club who Caine has sworn to protect.
When someone starts to kidnap girls from strip clubs to sell them at an auction. Thomas Caine is summoned to help but, he refuses. But, when Naiyana herself is kidnapped, Thomas Caine is desperate and suddenly he finds himself dealing with different crime branches in Thailand trying to find the people who are kidnapping the girls.
He deals with the Thai mob families, the russian mafia and an evil crime lord who thinks he is the devil and he sure acts like one. In this book we find out that there are levels of evil. A lot of people cross the line and do things they are not supposed to. However, ever crime branch draws a line somewhere.
My favourite character in this book was not Thomas Caine. Though he was a great character. My favourite character was Naiyana. I feel like she completely trampled women stereotypes. Though she was a stripper in a club, she was strong. She was not scared of confrontation. When she was captured, she did not lose her spirit. She came back to help Thomas Caine when he got recaptured unlike the other girls. She was tough. I really admired her throughout the book. That girl had a warm place in my heart by the end of the book.
My favourite part of the book was the ending. I feel like it was appropriate ending for the novella. I cannot tell you about the ending because that would spoil the book for you guys. But I can say that it was a cliffhanger and a taster for things to come in the Thomas Caine books.
All in all this was an appropriate starter book and I thank the author for giving me this book to read. I recommend this book to readers to buy and I am going to read more books by this author for sure.

[Aiden Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the plethora of indie authors self-publishing these days, the challenge is discovering the good amongst the bad, and there is a lot of bad. Even when an indie author is a great writer and produces engaging stories, talent is not enough, so the smart indies are devoting a significant amount of time and money in marketing their books.

And so they should, each year the Indie self-publishing market is showing the world more and more that the real innovation in new writing is to be found here. Traditional publishers have had a sizable portion of their market taken away from them, so they play it safe.

One strategy for indie authors to get noticed is through a prequel novellas. Kind of like a pilot episode for a new television series. Ranging from 10% to 30% the length of a novel, they are teasers, introducing a character, a world, a problem before the main event, a full-length novel and — hopefully — a series.

Andrew Warren has done the same with Devil’s Due, a prequel novella to his Thomas Caine Far East-focused espionage thriller series already with two novels out at the time this review was written, Tokyo Black and Red Phoenix. He’s done all the right promotion strategies by keying the branding and style for all three covers the same — a subtle but important indication that the stories are interlinked. He’s put his novella out at a reduced price, and you can down load it for free if you join his mailing list. All the boxes are ticked there.

I’d read Tokyo Black before delving into Devil’s Due. Enjoying his first book I decided to try out his prequel. Like the other books in the series, we are introduced to our protagonist, Caine, a former CIA assassin who is living off the grid in Thailand after a botched operation framed him as a traitor. He’s running small time smuggling rackets, paying off the appropriate Thai crime syndicates and corrupt police forces so he’s not stepping on anyone’s toes.

All is going well for Caine until he saves a prostitute from a Russian thug when a confrontation in a bar turns ugly. Soon after Caine finds himself embroiled in a corrupt police investigation into missing girls, the Russian mafia, a crazy old woman who talks to dolls and a bloody and brutal terrorist bombing in a popular tourist destination. Caine goes after the bad guys not because he has to, but because he knows it is the right thing to do.

Devil’s Due is a great read, keep me page-turning to find out what happens next, and the action is always suspenseful and believable. A big strength in Warren’s books is his ability to breathe life into his locales, you can tell he’s actually been to Thailand. If you like Vince Flynn or Lee Child, Andrew Warren’s Devil’s Due is similar in style and narrative and highly worth your time and money.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pattaya, Thailand. Sarah & Guenther (Sarah’s lover) were shopping around the downtown fish/food market trying to decided what to eat.
Eugene Lee (owner) Taiwan factory made counterfeit Rolex watches.
Police Chief Battang (Royal P/D) already got his cut of another illegal operation.
Detective Satra Watana (Royal P/D) informed Thomas Caine (aka Mark Waters, ex- CIA) that several of Thai Angels girls had been missing for many yrs. & would he help investigate their disappearance.

Soi Six was the name for the red light district.
Naiyana (f, prostitute, dancer) cooks for Thomas. She was last seen at the Ruby's Club with Alexi Rudov (Russian mafia, Vor family).
While Thomas was following a lead & speaking with Chao Mae (chao pho clan, aka Anna, elderly woman) true/false he found out quite a bit of helpful information.
Who is Kang Long Wei?

Boom! Detective Watana was seriously injured or maybe even killed.
Thomas was now headed to Chang Mai, Thailand (Northern part).
Can Thomas Caine solve the mysterious disappearance of the girls?

Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive to some readers.

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. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written International crime adventure 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 International crime adventure movie, or a mini TV series. It wasn’t as blood/guts as I like them, but I really enjoyed it. To be continued? That said I will still rate it at 5 stars.

Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Kronos Ananthsimha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas Caine is a dark enigma and an exotic new character to the spy fiction game. Andrew Warren has blended the best of Fleming and Ludlum in this contemporary action-packed blockbuster thriller that's not just entertaining but also thought-provoking. Set in the run-down locales of Pattaya to the jungles in the Thai-Burmese border, this book speeds forward like a hollow-point bullet. Caine is a burned and betrayed CIA paramilitary operator who in this book is barely surviving by running a smuggling operation under the name of Mark Waters. Even though he recognizes the monster in him, a few shards of humanity are still fighting to survive within him. What starts as an act of protecting a hooker from one possibly abusive Russian mafia lord, leads him to work on a case of missing bar girls with an honest cop. Things turn haywire when Caine's only friend (the hooker he saved) goes missing along with many others. The trail leads Caine to many deadly characters who're illuminated with brilliant dialogues to become worthwhile players. The brutally violent climax where Caine shares page space with Kang who calls himself Pisac(Devil in Burmese) steals the show. Some short torture scenes and long knife fights are so passionately written that the reader can feel the very pain Caine feels.
I hope the minor mistakes in proofs will be fixed with better editing in the upcoming editions. Ignoring that, anyone who's a connoisseur of classic spy tropes blended with contemporary levels of action will love this. The amount of research that has gone into this indie novella is truly marvelous.

[Darcia Helle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here I am again, in this contrary position of not liking a popular book. But I have to be honest, and I really didn't enjoy the story. Here's why:

Chapter 1 is from the perspective of a character called Sarah. It's a bit of a love story between her and Guenther, as they stroll the marketplace in Thailand. Around them, we see the tension and problems dwelling in dark corners. Then that chapter ends with a punch, and Sarah and Guenther's story is finished. Much later in the book, there is a vague reference to the occurrence that day in the marketplace, but Sarah, Guenther, and their personal stories are irrelevant. So why open the book with this couple at all?

The book reads more like a screenplay than a novel. In fact, it would make a great TV show or movie, but it did little for me as a reading experience. The story is high-octane action. The problem with this, for me, is the action reads like a step-by-step playbook. Caine is a killing machine, and we go from one fight to another, with long, overly detailed scenes.

While high on action, the story is quite light on character development and emotion. We're constantly in the midst of chaos. Women are being kidnapped and abused. People are beaten and viciously murdered. But I didn't feel a thing from the characters, and so none of it mattered to me.

In the end, despite all the blood and gore, neither the story nor the characters left much of an impression.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When there is a good formula use it! Warren uses the tried and true drama/thriller formula to tell his story. Like a great chief he adds a pinch of his own ingredients as well. This is a story where THINK you can see what's coming but like a good story teller he tricks and even makes you mad a couple of times in his short undertaking throwing the change up on the second pitch.

If you lie ACTION and FAST pace and could care less what shade of color or even the species of the flower the main guy walks past but want know the cartridge used and the make of the pistol he is using; Then Caine and Warren are your team.

Fast reading super fast paced plot and a great story....... Can't wait to see if he (either of them) can keep up the action in this first short undertaking in the next one.

Why a 4? Like my English teacher in high school game me an A for the paper but only credit for a C for it because of what it could have been if I used my heart more and left out the flowers (fill and fluff).... Andrew starts writing the 1st chapters filling in the formula but by chapter 8 leaves all that behind and gets down to his talent and takes the story over the top.

..... can't wait to read his 5 star book next...... downloading it now

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas Caine, known to some as Mark Waters is hiding out in Thailand following an attempt on his life by his CIA handler after a mission didn’t go as planned.

Detective Satra Watana approaches him and asks him for his help in finding some Thai bar girls that have gone missing. Satra is investigating a missing person case. A bar girl who was reported missing when she didn’t show up for work and when her landlord complained that the girl was behind in rent.

I really enjoyed this book. Can’t wait to start the next book in the series.

[Jim A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this novella as a 'teaser' from the author to encourage me to buy others in the series. It accomplished that task. I will pick up at least one of the regular Caine series.

As novels go, this is action packed but it does have its flaws. Caine has gone underground as a smuggler in Thailand after being betrayed by the CIA. The flaw is he doesn't speak the Thai language. How does one become a successful smuggler?

Anyway, It was a quick, exciting, read.

[Mandy Walkden-Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars

Unique in neither premise nor character but pretty well done. Interesting characters, fast paced and enough action to keep the pages rapidly turning.

Caine's tradecraft and common sense seemed a bit lacking at times, which irritated, but enjoyed it enough that I'll be reading more from this author; have further books lined up ready to open.

[Emilija · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is pretty fast paced and attention grabbing. Good story line and good writing, it was a good novel.

The narrator was good, and keeps your attention, especially when a woman speaks and it changes narrator.

[Brian's Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

You Save Your Friends At Any Cost

I had a hard time getting into the first Thomas Caine Thriller and I’m not 100% sure what caused it. Warren knows how to write a thriller and shows it in Devil’s Due. This prequel novella is fast-paced and full of action. Caine doesn’t have a lot of time to save the life of his friend and he dives in head first trying to do everything he can (and recalling his “old life” in the process).

I can see now how this leads a little into the first novel in the series. I know it’s not a “required read” but I did get a little more of the backstory of Caine. Who he is, a little of who he was, and a lot of what he’s been doing since going dark.

The relationship/friendship aspect of Devil’s Due was heartwarming. A friendship built on mutual trust from two people who don’t trust many people. It was neat to see even though Warren didn’t write an entire book to show the back and forth – you could tell they cared about each other.

As I mentioned above – this was action-packed. Warren didn’t take much time at all to jump right into the action. From a bar fight to a bomb going off – this has it all.

The narration was done by Bryan L. Anderson who I thought did a really nice job. My only issue was with his female voices. I know that it’s hard to ignore when the text switches from male to female and most male narrators have a tough time with this – but Anderson did an okay job… it was just too quiet. Every female-lead scene he did was just a tick quieter than the males in the same scene. It wasn’t enough to drive me totally mad but it did bug me.

Overall, a great novella for action-packed thriller lovers and a really good introduction to the Thomas Caine series.

[Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is part of the Thomas Caine thriller series. It does live up to the thriller designation as the action is graphic and plentiful. Thomas Caine is an aggrieved ex-CIA assassin, who was betrayed by the CIA during an unsanctioned black ops mission. His CIA partner was killed during the mission. Thomas has been hiding in Thailand since that mission went south. In Thailand Thomas does some illegal smuggling of cigarettes, jeans and other fashion knock-offs to make ends meet. The alias he uses in Thailand is Mark Waters. His life becomes complicated in Thailand because of a friendship he was drawn into with a sex-worker named Naiyana. She become ensnared in a human trafficking operation and Thomas commits himself to rescuing her and the other girls taken. Russian, Chinese and Burmese gangsters are behind the human trafficking operation and they prove to be a very dangerous and ruthless group of men. Most of the book seems realistic, but one aspect of the rescue left me feeling that reality was left behind. Without being too specific, Thomas suffers some injuries that would seem to need medical attention as soon as possible to avoid infection and complications. However, operating as a lone wolf he has no backup or medical support nearby, so the injuries are just largely ignored by the author after they’ve been inflicted. Probably a minor point but a point that nagged at me and resulted in a four-star grade rather than a five star grade for this book.

[Dallas Gorham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A violent story about a violent rescue of an innocent kidnap victim

Thomas Caine is a flawed hero whose heart is in the right place. Devil's Due paints a vivid portrait of the backstreets and alleys of Thailand that tourists never see. When an innocent Thai woman is kidnapped by human traffickers, Caine follows the twisting trail to the jungles of northern Thailand to attempt to rescue her and the other women before they are stuffed in a shipping container and transported to Russia. Caine fights a series of bloody battles with some of the scariest villains you ever encountered. If you want non-stop action and mile-a-minute thrills,this is your book.

[Steven L Lepper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't blink

Don't blink or you'll miss the action. And there's plenty of action. But action alone doesn't make a good novel. Caine is a character to follow. I'm sure later novels will flesh out his character. Caine hints of a past but only hints. Lot's of interesting characters for such a short novel (novella as advertised). Got to love a good Russian bad guy, stripper/hooker with a heart of gold, mystical crime lord, they sound like cliches but they're not. Looking forward to the series.

[Chuck Yarling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great start to a new series.

Thomas Caine was a CIA operative until his handler betrayed him. To survive, he's gone off-grid to Pattaya, Thailand. While there, he runs into a human trafficking ring who has taken his friend, Naiyana.

The book is about Caine taking on the Russian mafia who runs the trafficking ring. They have no idea who he is, how dangerous he is, nor what he will do to bring his friend back home.

It's a great and exciting adventure that begins Andrew Warren's new series.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Devil's Due" by Andrew Warren is a gripping thriller that follows the story of Thomas Caine, a former CIA operative who is on a quest for vengeance after being betrayed by his own agency. Set against the backdrop of exotic Thailand, Caine navigates a dangerous world. The book is filled with action and a fast-paced plot that moves very quickly.

Despite its well-crafted narrative, "Devil's Due" did not entirely resonate with me due to my general lack of interest in this type of thriller genre. Consequently, I can only give it three stars.