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Clyde Barr #1
Intet mindre end døden
Seksten år. Det er så lang tid Clyde Barr har været væk fra Colorados tykke skove, alpefyldte ørkener, og ujævne bjerge. Flygtende fra en fortid fyldt med uhyggelige minder, er han tilbage efter at have rejst gennem tre kontinenter som jæger, eventyrer, lejesoldat, og uretfærdigt dømt indsat. Endnu engang er hans fortid ude efter ham…
I det flakkende lys fra et lejrbål modtager Clyde et helt vanvittigt opkald fra sin søster, Jen. Hun når lige at få tryglet ham om at komme og redde hende, før linjen dør. Clyde ved ikke, hvor meget tid han har, eller hvor Jen befinder sig. Ej heller hvem der har bortført hende. Det eneste han ved er, at intet mindre end døden kan stoppe ham fra at redde hende.
Sammen med en ung kvinde ved navn Allie, som har en meget kompleks motivation for at slutte sig til ham på denne færd, tager Clyde ud på en farefuld søgen efter sin søster. Mens denne nye duo ræser mod tiden, får Allie ham til at indse, hvad han er blevet til, og hvad han stadig kan være.
I det flakkende lys fra et lejrbål modtager Clyde et helt vanvittigt opkald fra sin søster, Jen. Hun når lige at få tryglet ham om at komme og redde hende, før linjen dør. Clyde ved ikke, hvor meget tid han har, eller hvor Jen befinder sig. Ej heller hvem der har bortført hende. Det eneste han ved er, at intet mindre end døden kan stoppe ham fra at redde hende.
Sammen med en ung kvinde ved navn Allie, som har en meget kompleks motivation for at slutte sig til ham på denne færd, tager Clyde ud på en farefuld søgen efter sin søster. Mens denne nye duo ræser mod tiden, får Allie ham til at indse, hvad han er blevet til, og hvad han stadig kan være.
263 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2016
405 people are currently reading
2064 people want to read
About the author
Erik Storey
6 books118 followersErik Storey is a former ranch hand, wilderness guide, dogsled musher, and hunter. He spent his childhood summers growing up on his great-grandfather’s homestead or in a remote cabin in Colorado’s Flat Tops wilderness. He has earned a number of sharpshooter and marksman qualifications. Nothing Short of Dying is his first novel. He and his family live in Grand Junction, Colorado. - See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/E...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 292 reviews
August 26, 2016
Nothing Short of Dying by Erik Storey is a 2016 Scribner publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is an amazing debut novel by Erik Storey!
Clyde Barr gets a frantic phone call from his sister, Jen, obviously in distress and in deep trouble. She needs his help and Clyde will do ‘nothing short of dying’ to save her.
Clyde is one of the most interesting protagonists to come along in crime fiction in a while. As the story begins, Clyde has just been released from prison, but don't let that fool you. He has a code of honor he lives by, and helping people in need happens to be his specialty, but it is especially important when it comes to Jen, the sister he shares a very close bond with.
So, leaving his peaceful Utah sanctuary, he heads to the rugged Colorado back country in search of Jen, determined to bring her home safe and sound. From this point on, the story takes on an adventuresome quality as Clyde meets a woman who can help him find Jen and insists on coming along with him.
The terrain they must travel over is rough, off the grid, with no technological help available. They must survive in a minimalist sort of way, hunting for food, showering in the rain, sleeping in tents, all while living on the edge of extreme danger from the men who are holding Jen hostage.
As the story unfolds, Clyde relates to the reader, via a first person narrative, his relationship with his sister and why they are so close despite, or because of, their turbulent upbringing. Clyde has never been able to stabilize, having spent significant time in Africa, then in prison, and is a bit of a loner/drifter. I get the idea he’s like a poor man’s ‘Jack Reacher’ and that his adventures are only just beginning. I predict the return of Clyde Barr and I rather doubt he will stay in one place for too long, and will always find a battle to fight on behalf of those unable to fight for themselves.
Overall, this is a gritty thriller, absorbing, suspenseful, fast paced and a multi-layered action-adventure, with compelling characters, emotional twists, and poignant, bittersweet coda.
Clyde learns a few life lessons along the way, that will most assuredly aide him in his quest to live in the moment and take life as it comes.
For a debut novel, this one is most impressive. Well written, perfectly paced, with excellent, often profound dialogue, constructed in a way that will appeal to a wide range of readers, from adventure lovers to the crime drama enthusiast.
Highly recommend!
This is an amazing debut novel by Erik Storey!
Clyde Barr gets a frantic phone call from his sister, Jen, obviously in distress and in deep trouble. She needs his help and Clyde will do ‘nothing short of dying’ to save her.
Clyde is one of the most interesting protagonists to come along in crime fiction in a while. As the story begins, Clyde has just been released from prison, but don't let that fool you. He has a code of honor he lives by, and helping people in need happens to be his specialty, but it is especially important when it comes to Jen, the sister he shares a very close bond with.
So, leaving his peaceful Utah sanctuary, he heads to the rugged Colorado back country in search of Jen, determined to bring her home safe and sound. From this point on, the story takes on an adventuresome quality as Clyde meets a woman who can help him find Jen and insists on coming along with him.
The terrain they must travel over is rough, off the grid, with no technological help available. They must survive in a minimalist sort of way, hunting for food, showering in the rain, sleeping in tents, all while living on the edge of extreme danger from the men who are holding Jen hostage.
As the story unfolds, Clyde relates to the reader, via a first person narrative, his relationship with his sister and why they are so close despite, or because of, their turbulent upbringing. Clyde has never been able to stabilize, having spent significant time in Africa, then in prison, and is a bit of a loner/drifter. I get the idea he’s like a poor man’s ‘Jack Reacher’ and that his adventures are only just beginning. I predict the return of Clyde Barr and I rather doubt he will stay in one place for too long, and will always find a battle to fight on behalf of those unable to fight for themselves.
Overall, this is a gritty thriller, absorbing, suspenseful, fast paced and a multi-layered action-adventure, with compelling characters, emotional twists, and poignant, bittersweet coda.
Clyde learns a few life lessons along the way, that will most assuredly aide him in his quest to live in the moment and take life as it comes.
For a debut novel, this one is most impressive. Well written, perfectly paced, with excellent, often profound dialogue, constructed in a way that will appeal to a wide range of readers, from adventure lovers to the crime drama enthusiast.
Highly recommend!
August 18, 2016
The unexpected telephone call from the sister Clyde Barr hadn’t seen or spoken to in years had him making a promise and packing up his camp to head to a civilisation he hadn’t wanted to return to. Jen’s panicked call which had abruptly ended had sent chills down Barr’s spine – he knew she was in trouble; he also knew he had to find her before it was too late.
Barr had been out of his family’s lives for sixteen years – travelling across various countries while working as a soldier, a hunter and more. His skills were legendary; tough, fast and lethal, he was not a man to cross. His initial search to find a connection to Jen led him into the dark world of drugs – the apparent kidnapper was a feared person who was known to stop at nothing to gain control over the drug trade in the west of the United States. The only thing in both Barr’s and Jen’s favour was that Jen was needed alive for something. But would he get to her in time?
Joining forces with a stubborn Allie, Barr was at first reluctant to put her in danger. But she had an agenda and wouldn’t be fobbed off. Also she knew what the person they were after looked like. The race was on, but so were the continued attempts to stop them. The dangers were high – being alert 24/7 was wearing, but they had no choice. As they wound their way into the vast forests of Colorado, Barr felt confident; more at home in the wilderness than the cities. But had they underestimated their enemy? Barr knew that nothing short of dying would stop him finding the sister he was so close to when they were young…
Brilliant! So hard to believe Nothing Short of Dying is a debut novel by Erik Storey. Fast paced, original and full of action from the very first page, I raced through it. An excellent thriller, Barr is a great protagonist; his determination to succeed puts him in dangerous situations on a constant basis – and he doesn’t always win! With this one being #1 in a new series, I’ll be keen to read the next one. Highly recommended!
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read in exchange for an honest review.
Barr had been out of his family’s lives for sixteen years – travelling across various countries while working as a soldier, a hunter and more. His skills were legendary; tough, fast and lethal, he was not a man to cross. His initial search to find a connection to Jen led him into the dark world of drugs – the apparent kidnapper was a feared person who was known to stop at nothing to gain control over the drug trade in the west of the United States. The only thing in both Barr’s and Jen’s favour was that Jen was needed alive for something. But would he get to her in time?
Joining forces with a stubborn Allie, Barr was at first reluctant to put her in danger. But she had an agenda and wouldn’t be fobbed off. Also she knew what the person they were after looked like. The race was on, but so were the continued attempts to stop them. The dangers were high – being alert 24/7 was wearing, but they had no choice. As they wound their way into the vast forests of Colorado, Barr felt confident; more at home in the wilderness than the cities. But had they underestimated their enemy? Barr knew that nothing short of dying would stop him finding the sister he was so close to when they were young…
Brilliant! So hard to believe Nothing Short of Dying is a debut novel by Erik Storey. Fast paced, original and full of action from the very first page, I raced through it. An excellent thriller, Barr is a great protagonist; his determination to succeed puts him in dangerous situations on a constant basis – and he doesn’t always win! With this one being #1 in a new series, I’ll be keen to read the next one. Highly recommended!
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read in exchange for an honest review.
May 19, 2016
I'd rate this 3.5, maybe 3.75 stars.
I don't know what it is about drifters, but thriller writers seem to love them as protagonists—Lee Child's Jack Reacher; Peter Ash, the title character in Nicholas Petrie's superb The Drifter (of all things); and now, Clyde Barr, from Erik Storey's debut novel, Nothing Short of Dying —just to name a few. I guess the idea of someone with a shady, perhaps troubled past, yet nothing really to tie them down, provides an appealing canvas from which to create a story.
Clyde Barr has seen a lot in his life. A troubled adolescence led him to escape his Colorado home at a young age, seeking fortune and adventure elsewhere. As a hunter, soldier of fortune, and even a convict taking on anyone he sees as a threat, he's had more than his share of violence, death, and visions of destruction to last him a lifetime. He's ready to put the past behind him, and spend his days living off the land and sleeping in the mountains.
And then a phone call comes from his sister Jen, whom he has always sworn to protect since they were growing up. Jen begs him to come and rescue her—and then the call abruptly ends. Memories of their shared hellish adolescence return. He doesn't know who has taken her, where she is, or even if she is still alive, but Clyde knows he has no choice but to hunt down those who have kidnapped his sister so he can bring her home, no matter what.
"Those who needed help always managed to find me, no matter where I hid. They tracked me down and pleaded. And I never refused. Somehow, that always caused bigger problems."
As Clyde struggles to determine Jen's whereabouts and the identity of her kidnappers, he unwittingly finds himself wading deeper and deeper into the middle of a narcotics ring run by a madman and his henchmen. Clyde is no stranger to violence or depravity, but these people stretch even his imagination. He connects with Allie, a bartender who has her own reasons for going on the run, and he looks up some old friends to help him find his sister. But who can he trust? And will finding Jen mean sacrificing his own life in exchange?
I found this book to be pretty compelling, and Clyde Barr is a really fascinating protagonist. He's got a penchant for fighting, a fairly strong threshold for pain, and a hair-trigger temper, which makes him a fun character to read about. This is Erik Storey's first novel, and I think he does a great job in developing his characters' backstories while keeping the action and suspense fairly taut and focused. Even if the plot isn't necessarily surprising, Storey keeps you reading, keeps you invested in what will happen to the characters.
I like thrillers but sometimes find them utterly implausible or not capable of sustaining my interest. Nothing Short of Dying is neither of these; it's well-told, takes off at breakneck speed, and doesn't really look back. Definitely a worthy entry in the genre.
NetGalley and Scribner provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
I don't know what it is about drifters, but thriller writers seem to love them as protagonists—Lee Child's Jack Reacher; Peter Ash, the title character in Nicholas Petrie's superb The Drifter (of all things); and now, Clyde Barr, from Erik Storey's debut novel, Nothing Short of Dying —just to name a few. I guess the idea of someone with a shady, perhaps troubled past, yet nothing really to tie them down, provides an appealing canvas from which to create a story.
Clyde Barr has seen a lot in his life. A troubled adolescence led him to escape his Colorado home at a young age, seeking fortune and adventure elsewhere. As a hunter, soldier of fortune, and even a convict taking on anyone he sees as a threat, he's had more than his share of violence, death, and visions of destruction to last him a lifetime. He's ready to put the past behind him, and spend his days living off the land and sleeping in the mountains.
And then a phone call comes from his sister Jen, whom he has always sworn to protect since they were growing up. Jen begs him to come and rescue her—and then the call abruptly ends. Memories of their shared hellish adolescence return. He doesn't know who has taken her, where she is, or even if she is still alive, but Clyde knows he has no choice but to hunt down those who have kidnapped his sister so he can bring her home, no matter what.
"Those who needed help always managed to find me, no matter where I hid. They tracked me down and pleaded. And I never refused. Somehow, that always caused bigger problems."
As Clyde struggles to determine Jen's whereabouts and the identity of her kidnappers, he unwittingly finds himself wading deeper and deeper into the middle of a narcotics ring run by a madman and his henchmen. Clyde is no stranger to violence or depravity, but these people stretch even his imagination. He connects with Allie, a bartender who has her own reasons for going on the run, and he looks up some old friends to help him find his sister. But who can he trust? And will finding Jen mean sacrificing his own life in exchange?
I found this book to be pretty compelling, and Clyde Barr is a really fascinating protagonist. He's got a penchant for fighting, a fairly strong threshold for pain, and a hair-trigger temper, which makes him a fun character to read about. This is Erik Storey's first novel, and I think he does a great job in developing his characters' backstories while keeping the action and suspense fairly taut and focused. Even if the plot isn't necessarily surprising, Storey keeps you reading, keeps you invested in what will happen to the characters.
I like thrillers but sometimes find them utterly implausible or not capable of sustaining my interest. Nothing Short of Dying is neither of these; it's well-told, takes off at breakneck speed, and doesn't really look back. Definitely a worthy entry in the genre.
NetGalley and Scribner provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
August 28, 2016
Although Clyde Barr left his home and family in Colorado sixteen years ago, he can't help coming to his sister Jen's aid when she calls to say she has been kidnapped and is being held by a major drug ring. Clyde has been a soldier of fortune, fought in wars and more recently been incarcerated in Mexico. He knows how to fight and play dirty but underneath he has a basic honorable code of ethics and can recognise evil when he comes across it. This is a high octane adventure of the Jack Reacher type as Clyde attempts to rescue his sister, blow up a major drug racket and keep safe Allie, the girl he picked up along the way. Plenty of fast paced, gritty action in this excellent debut novel. I'll definitely be looking forward to what Mr Barr does next.
With thnaks to Netgalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster Australia for a digital copy to read and review
With thnaks to Netgalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster Australia for a digital copy to read and review
September 10, 2017
With this exceptional entry, Erik Storey, a natural born storyteller, solidifies his place at the upper end of the literary crime thriller "rural noir" fiction genre, NOTHING SHORT OF DYING —Tenacious Clyde Barr dirt-under-your fingernails, kind of raw, a character you want on your side; rugged, a tough-as-nails hero, we can count on.
The gritty novel begins with a phone call in the Utah wilderness about a week after Clyde Barr had been released from prison. He had hoped for a storybook homecoming; however, in reality, this was not a dream life. He likes the wilderness and living off the grid, with no technology or frills.cds
Jen, his sister called with a desperate SOS- she needed for him to come and get her. Throughout their childhood, they had been through nights of their mom and dad fighting, mom’s boyfriends, drunks, loss of control, fighting, and abuse. Mostly hiding out to ride out the storm. The two of them against the world. They have secrets.
Jen explained in a whispered voice, for Clyde to hurry, he was going to kill her. She was to help, and then he would kill her. She reminded him he owed her. Before she could tell him where she was, Barr heard a male voice and the line went dead.
He was her flesh and blood. She had a knack for finding the wrong people, times, and places. He had left her to fend for herself because he had been selfish. Now he owed her. This was his chance to make up for his mistakes; however, he needed a track to follow, a direction. Barr knows that nothing short of dying will stop him from saving her.
After their dad left, and their mom died, he did something stupid which almost got him killed. Jen did something worse that saved his life. If anyone ever found out what they had done, they would be serving life sentences. Jen kept quiet and he was free. They had been to hell and back. He would do whatever she asked.
Clyde begins his journey for his sister. She was in trouble again and most likely mixed up with somebody very dangerous. From Colorado, outdoorsman, Clyde Barr returns to the states after serving as a gun for hire in Africa and South American. After leaving Juarez prison, Clyde is camping and receives the phone call. He has no clue where she could be. He has had no contact with his family in years.
On his journey, he meets Allie Martin, a bartender. They both are equally stubborn. Soon a relationship develops as they travel deeper into the remote Colorado’s high country. From drug-ring politics, meth houses, and violence. However, despite the challenges, nothing will stop Barr from reaching his sister, and his strong loyalty to family and blood.
What he was dealing with, he had underestimated. In a matter of days, he was dealing with drug dealer gangs, feds, and a girl who started to mean something. So much, for the quiet life. Shortly thereafter, an intense race against time.
Storey, introduces strong female characters, in addition to Barr, for women readers; Allie and Jen, which proves riveting heroes in their own right. Jen is no poor victim. A gal who can handle herself. With a rich cast of characters, an action-packed tale of grit, emotion, desperation, and the resilience of family. From good to evil, the author explores both extremes.
New fans will anxiously be awaiting the next installment of pulp-action hero, Clyde Barr. Stark and gripping, with a strong sense of place in rural rich areas, and bold nuanced characterization reminiscent, of Ace Atkins, Lee Child (Jack Reacher), Craig Johnson, and CJ Box.
As the author mentions in an interview, “The book isn’t a cup of tea at all; it’s whiskey on the rocks.”
Indeed, it is like sipping and savoring the spirit. So grab a glass, pour yourself some whiskey, kick back in your leather man (or woman) chair, and do some taste testing and follow Clyde Bar on his adventure. Feel like kickin’ it old school? Have your whiskey in a tin cup in the great outdoors, a perfect side-kick for Nothing Short of Dying.
I am always fascinated with the inspiration behind books and authors. Thoroughly enjoyed the Interview with Erik Storey.
In addition to the advanced reading copy, also purchased the audio version, narrated by Jeremy Bobb (sexy, edgy, gritty), a perfect match for Storey’s smashing debut, for a full throttle performance ride.
Worthy of the hype, Nothing Short of Dying, equal parts rural country noir and contemporary Western, with a tough hero to stand up and cheer for, and not to be messed with. A rugged guy, the kind you would want to be alone in the wilderness with, for more than one reason.
Storey is an author to follow with many epic-adventures to follow. Sounds like we will visit Clyde next, as he wanders onto a Native American reservation, which mysteriously seems to have been taken over by an outlaw biker gang – and there’s report of terrorist activity in the area. A Promise to Kill
Can’t wait. Movie worthy. Awesome cover. Bring it on!
A special thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
JDCMustReadBooks
The gritty novel begins with a phone call in the Utah wilderness about a week after Clyde Barr had been released from prison. He had hoped for a storybook homecoming; however, in reality, this was not a dream life. He likes the wilderness and living off the grid, with no technology or frills.cds
Jen, his sister called with a desperate SOS- she needed for him to come and get her. Throughout their childhood, they had been through nights of their mom and dad fighting, mom’s boyfriends, drunks, loss of control, fighting, and abuse. Mostly hiding out to ride out the storm. The two of them against the world. They have secrets.
Jen explained in a whispered voice, for Clyde to hurry, he was going to kill her. She was to help, and then he would kill her. She reminded him he owed her. Before she could tell him where she was, Barr heard a male voice and the line went dead.
He was her flesh and blood. She had a knack for finding the wrong people, times, and places. He had left her to fend for herself because he had been selfish. Now he owed her. This was his chance to make up for his mistakes; however, he needed a track to follow, a direction. Barr knows that nothing short of dying will stop him from saving her.
After their dad left, and their mom died, he did something stupid which almost got him killed. Jen did something worse that saved his life. If anyone ever found out what they had done, they would be serving life sentences. Jen kept quiet and he was free. They had been to hell and back. He would do whatever she asked.
Clyde begins his journey for his sister. She was in trouble again and most likely mixed up with somebody very dangerous. From Colorado, outdoorsman, Clyde Barr returns to the states after serving as a gun for hire in Africa and South American. After leaving Juarez prison, Clyde is camping and receives the phone call. He has no clue where she could be. He has had no contact with his family in years.
On his journey, he meets Allie Martin, a bartender. They both are equally stubborn. Soon a relationship develops as they travel deeper into the remote Colorado’s high country. From drug-ring politics, meth houses, and violence. However, despite the challenges, nothing will stop Barr from reaching his sister, and his strong loyalty to family and blood.
What he was dealing with, he had underestimated. In a matter of days, he was dealing with drug dealer gangs, feds, and a girl who started to mean something. So much, for the quiet life. Shortly thereafter, an intense race against time.
Storey, introduces strong female characters, in addition to Barr, for women readers; Allie and Jen, which proves riveting heroes in their own right. Jen is no poor victim. A gal who can handle herself. With a rich cast of characters, an action-packed tale of grit, emotion, desperation, and the resilience of family. From good to evil, the author explores both extremes.
New fans will anxiously be awaiting the next installment of pulp-action hero, Clyde Barr. Stark and gripping, with a strong sense of place in rural rich areas, and bold nuanced characterization reminiscent, of Ace Atkins, Lee Child (Jack Reacher), Craig Johnson, and CJ Box.
As the author mentions in an interview, “The book isn’t a cup of tea at all; it’s whiskey on the rocks.”
Indeed, it is like sipping and savoring the spirit. So grab a glass, pour yourself some whiskey, kick back in your leather man (or woman) chair, and do some taste testing and follow Clyde Bar on his adventure. Feel like kickin’ it old school? Have your whiskey in a tin cup in the great outdoors, a perfect side-kick for Nothing Short of Dying.
I am always fascinated with the inspiration behind books and authors. Thoroughly enjoyed the Interview with Erik Storey.
“I wanted to show off this side of the state,” he continues. “It’s not as visited as Denver. Western Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Idaho — they’re kind of forgotten. People will fly into the cities, but because the population density is so small, they overlook the rest of the region. To a lot of people, the West is kind of an obscure concept. I want to promote this area with my books.
As Clyde’s quest takes him from small town to small town throughout Colorado — Riverside, Clifton, Palisade, De Beque, Rifle, Meeker, Mack, Leadville, Steamboat Springs — he unearths both the grandeur and grit of life in the high country and on the Western Slope.
What does define Clyde’s character, besides his tenacity and honor, is a deep distrust of cell phones, apps, computers and every other innovation that distracts from the simplicity of humanity’s bond with the land?
In addition to the advanced reading copy, also purchased the audio version, narrated by Jeremy Bobb (sexy, edgy, gritty), a perfect match for Storey’s smashing debut, for a full throttle performance ride.
Worthy of the hype, Nothing Short of Dying, equal parts rural country noir and contemporary Western, with a tough hero to stand up and cheer for, and not to be messed with. A rugged guy, the kind you would want to be alone in the wilderness with, for more than one reason.
Storey is an author to follow with many epic-adventures to follow. Sounds like we will visit Clyde next, as he wanders onto a Native American reservation, which mysteriously seems to have been taken over by an outlaw biker gang – and there’s report of terrorist activity in the area. A Promise to Kill
Can’t wait. Movie worthy. Awesome cover. Bring it on!
A special thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
JDCMustReadBooks
January 15, 2017
This was absolutely the worst book that I have ever finished. Seemed like a wanna be author penned this one. It was a Jack Reacher/Darrell Dixon (Walking Dead) type guy on a mission of mercy to save his sister from a drug kingpin. Amateurish writing in all regards. Should have put it down early but just didn't. Don't waste your time on this one if it's on your "to read" list.
October 6, 2016
Clyde Barr just wants to disappear into the wilderness. After the last few years, who can blame him - mercenary and hired gun on three different continents, prisoner on one - call him what you want, he's tired and needs to regain some sense of himself. He also doesn't really need the added complications of electronic communication like a mobile phone but, in this day and age, it seems to be a must-have.
Only problem is, the next call he receives is going to shatter his much sought-after solitude with a cry for help from his youngest sister who doesn’t even get a chance to let him know where she is!
In trying to figure out her whereabouts and who may have her, he finds himself teaming up with Allie, a bartender with her own reasons for running, who just might know the answer to that question. Together they begin the search! Travelling through wide open spaces and into the mountains looking for clues, they also find themselves fighting for their lives when they cross the paths of some ruthless drug dealers and are double-crossed by someone Clyde once called a friend!
As the bodies pile up and he and Allie grow closer, vignettes of a fractured family, abusive relationships and an obscure past begin to form the patchwork of history that is Clyde Barr.
This one had been glaring at me from my reading pile for some time and, not having read a “Jack Reacher” novel (to whom Clyde Barr has been compared), I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I picked it up anyway, thinking that I’d “expand my horizons” so to speak – and I’m so glad that I did because Erik Storey is a remarkable storyteller.
Not only does he give us non-stop action right the way through but in Clyde Barr, he introduces us to an extremely complex man, slowly peeling back the layers to reveal an honourable, albeit tough-as-nails hero. He’s rugged, a wanderer with a strong sense of justice, tough but soft when he needs to be and if there’s one thing he loves more than anything else, it’s his sisters – even if they’re not all on speaking terms with him. As a woman, I could just fall in love with Clyde - he's not afraid or ashamed to stand up for what's right, he keeps his word and will always defend the underdog!
There’s a lot to enjoy in this novel which provided me with a few hours of adventurous escapism such as getting to know our hero whilst exploring Erik’s lush setting of Colorado and the Appalachian Mountains that not only gives the reader a strong sense of place which is integral to the events unfolding around Clyde, but also shows that Erik knows it well.
Another big plus for me was that while there are a number of violent scenes (which is to be expected from the genre), Erik doesn’t expose the reader to too much guts and gore. And, once his characters have served their purpose, he has no qualms about expiring them along the way.
Clyde Barr is an appealing lead character and Erik Storey’s skill as a writer shines, making it hard to believe that this is a debut. He also strikes the right emotional balance so if you, like me, prefer your action thriller novels not to forsake depth, then don’t hesitate to get this one on your list so that you too can welcome knight errant, Clyde Barr, to the fold.
With non-stop action right the way through and a skilfully crafted plot that picks up steadily, this is compulsive reading at its best from an author who is putting true adventure back into the action thriller genre. In saying that, I can confirm that I’m definitely a fan and that nothing short of dying will stop me from reading the next novel in the series!
Only problem is, the next call he receives is going to shatter his much sought-after solitude with a cry for help from his youngest sister who doesn’t even get a chance to let him know where she is!
In trying to figure out her whereabouts and who may have her, he finds himself teaming up with Allie, a bartender with her own reasons for running, who just might know the answer to that question. Together they begin the search! Travelling through wide open spaces and into the mountains looking for clues, they also find themselves fighting for their lives when they cross the paths of some ruthless drug dealers and are double-crossed by someone Clyde once called a friend!
As the bodies pile up and he and Allie grow closer, vignettes of a fractured family, abusive relationships and an obscure past begin to form the patchwork of history that is Clyde Barr.
This one had been glaring at me from my reading pile for some time and, not having read a “Jack Reacher” novel (to whom Clyde Barr has been compared), I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I picked it up anyway, thinking that I’d “expand my horizons” so to speak – and I’m so glad that I did because Erik Storey is a remarkable storyteller.
Not only does he give us non-stop action right the way through but in Clyde Barr, he introduces us to an extremely complex man, slowly peeling back the layers to reveal an honourable, albeit tough-as-nails hero. He’s rugged, a wanderer with a strong sense of justice, tough but soft when he needs to be and if there’s one thing he loves more than anything else, it’s his sisters – even if they’re not all on speaking terms with him. As a woman, I could just fall in love with Clyde - he's not afraid or ashamed to stand up for what's right, he keeps his word and will always defend the underdog!
There’s a lot to enjoy in this novel which provided me with a few hours of adventurous escapism such as getting to know our hero whilst exploring Erik’s lush setting of Colorado and the Appalachian Mountains that not only gives the reader a strong sense of place which is integral to the events unfolding around Clyde, but also shows that Erik knows it well.
Another big plus for me was that while there are a number of violent scenes (which is to be expected from the genre), Erik doesn’t expose the reader to too much guts and gore. And, once his characters have served their purpose, he has no qualms about expiring them along the way.
Clyde Barr is an appealing lead character and Erik Storey’s skill as a writer shines, making it hard to believe that this is a debut. He also strikes the right emotional balance so if you, like me, prefer your action thriller novels not to forsake depth, then don’t hesitate to get this one on your list so that you too can welcome knight errant, Clyde Barr, to the fold.
With non-stop action right the way through and a skilfully crafted plot that picks up steadily, this is compulsive reading at its best from an author who is putting true adventure back into the action thriller genre. In saying that, I can confirm that I’m definitely a fan and that nothing short of dying will stop me from reading the next novel in the series!
August 24, 2016
I usually don't like this type of novel very much, but I have to admit this one was very well executed. NOTHING SHORT OF DYING is an action thriller in the vein of Jack Reacher novels. It might not have the intricate mystery aspect of Lee Child's books, but it makes up with meaningful, pertinent action scenes that reveal bits about its character: hillbilly turned mercenary turned professional badass Clyde Barr.
I had a love/hate relationship with Barr's exposition scenes, which I thought were very stereotypical, but gave his family a strangeness and an antagonistic edge that are rather uncommon in this type of books (what kind of big sister doesn't protect their little brother? This kind of things are interesting to me). Can't say NOTHING SHORT OF DYING was exactly my cup of tea, but I can't argue with the execution here. It's brilliantly delivered and it reads itself. If you're looking for a new action thriller, this should definitely be your pick.
I had a love/hate relationship with Barr's exposition scenes, which I thought were very stereotypical, but gave his family a strangeness and an antagonistic edge that are rather uncommon in this type of books (what kind of big sister doesn't protect their little brother? This kind of things are interesting to me). Can't say NOTHING SHORT OF DYING was exactly my cup of tea, but I can't argue with the execution here. It's brilliantly delivered and it reads itself. If you're looking for a new action thriller, this should definitely be your pick.
August 16, 2016
At one point in time, the world was simply a “wide-open adventure” to Clyde Barr. A stint in the Merchant Marines. Camping across Africa at a time when he was “naïve but lucky.” Then “dreary jobs” like watching cows and building fences and digging wells. Then, hunting poachers in animal reserves and guiding safaris. And “helping the underdogs” in coups and revolutions, “picking the side I approved of.”
Not all went well, including a stint in a Mexican prison. Clyde Barr has “has seen evil on three continents.” But there's one thing about Clyde Barr. When he gives someone a promise, “nothing short of dying” will prevent him from following through. When his sister calls, Clyde Barr hears a tone in her voice he doesn’t like, “the same tone and pleading I’d heard as a child on the bad nights. The nights that Mom and Dad—or Mom and some new guy—were fighting, or when one of those guys, drunk and out of control, chose to hurt us.”
So Clyde makes a promise. To help. To come get Jen.
As always, Clyde gets to pick the side he approves of. And this decision is a snap.
And Erik Storey’s "Nothing Short of Dying" begins its rocket ride around Western Colorado. Clyde is just a brother looking for a sister. Easy? Right?
The search starts in a bar called the Cellar in Clifton. “The place smelled of piss and mildew and stale beer. There was something else, too: the acrid sweat of the strung out—a smell that reminded me of the little cantina in Bolivia where people in the coca trade use booze to come down from the powder cloud that gets them through the long shifts. If broken souls had an odor, they’d smell like the Cellar.”
Clyde Barr is full of keen little observations like that one. And he’s not all bad boy. He’s got a pistol, a knife, a .375 Holland & Holland, sure. But then there are the paperbacks like the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche or the stories of H. Rider Haggard.
Clyde befriends a woman named Allie. He’s a bit of a knight-errant—and knows it. He takes his cues from childhood reading about Gawain, Perceval and Lancelot. The story winds to Rifle and the hills nearby. Clyde has an eye for “empty country—my favorite kind” but they are alternately chasing and being chased. Then it’s up the Yampa River Valley to Steamboat Springs and then onto Leadville; Nothing Short of Dying covers a big chunk of northwestern Colorado.
To beef up his team, Clyde pulls in a guy named Zeke. They had met in the prison in Mexico. Zeke killed two fellow prisoners with his bare hands and a prison guard with a shoelace garrote. Zeke was never caught because there was only one witness—Clyde. The result? Zeke, a guy who once “lost all interest in the human race,” owes Clyde. And Zeke enlists in Clyde’s mission, tempted in part by gaining access to any “spoils” from taking down a few sinister bad boys. One named Chopo and another named Alvis. There are gun fights, knife fights and fight fights. For every mess Clyde cleans up, he drags another with him.
Some of the scenes are Reacher-esque, but Clyde Barr is much less a cartoon than the Reacher’s impossible (but oh so fun) rumbles. Where Reacher travels with precious little, in fact, Clyde Barr drags every regret and mistake with him on every page. Fuel—motivation—is never in short supply.
"Nothing Short of Dying" is a big, sweeping, fast-paced thriller with guts. Push down the kickstarter on the first few pages and take yourself for a ride with Clyde Barr, a man who knows himself very, very well. “The wild places….have the ability to send you deeper into your mind than you’d go if you were in a more civilized place. It’s what makes those of us who spend most of our lives in the wilderness go crazy.”
Yes, and Nietzshe said something along the lines of "stare into the abyss and the abyss stares back."
Clyde Barr returns the stare with action and purpose. It isn't always pretty, but the point isn't "how," it's "what."
Clyde Barr shows knows exactly how to get to that crazy place.
All he needs to do is pick the side that’s worth fighting for.
++
Q & A with Erik Storey on my blog: https://markhstevens.wordpress.com/20...
Not all went well, including a stint in a Mexican prison. Clyde Barr has “has seen evil on three continents.” But there's one thing about Clyde Barr. When he gives someone a promise, “nothing short of dying” will prevent him from following through. When his sister calls, Clyde Barr hears a tone in her voice he doesn’t like, “the same tone and pleading I’d heard as a child on the bad nights. The nights that Mom and Dad—or Mom and some new guy—were fighting, or when one of those guys, drunk and out of control, chose to hurt us.”
So Clyde makes a promise. To help. To come get Jen.
As always, Clyde gets to pick the side he approves of. And this decision is a snap.
And Erik Storey’s "Nothing Short of Dying" begins its rocket ride around Western Colorado. Clyde is just a brother looking for a sister. Easy? Right?
The search starts in a bar called the Cellar in Clifton. “The place smelled of piss and mildew and stale beer. There was something else, too: the acrid sweat of the strung out—a smell that reminded me of the little cantina in Bolivia where people in the coca trade use booze to come down from the powder cloud that gets them through the long shifts. If broken souls had an odor, they’d smell like the Cellar.”
Clyde Barr is full of keen little observations like that one. And he’s not all bad boy. He’s got a pistol, a knife, a .375 Holland & Holland, sure. But then there are the paperbacks like the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche or the stories of H. Rider Haggard.
Clyde befriends a woman named Allie. He’s a bit of a knight-errant—and knows it. He takes his cues from childhood reading about Gawain, Perceval and Lancelot. The story winds to Rifle and the hills nearby. Clyde has an eye for “empty country—my favorite kind” but they are alternately chasing and being chased. Then it’s up the Yampa River Valley to Steamboat Springs and then onto Leadville; Nothing Short of Dying covers a big chunk of northwestern Colorado.
To beef up his team, Clyde pulls in a guy named Zeke. They had met in the prison in Mexico. Zeke killed two fellow prisoners with his bare hands and a prison guard with a shoelace garrote. Zeke was never caught because there was only one witness—Clyde. The result? Zeke, a guy who once “lost all interest in the human race,” owes Clyde. And Zeke enlists in Clyde’s mission, tempted in part by gaining access to any “spoils” from taking down a few sinister bad boys. One named Chopo and another named Alvis. There are gun fights, knife fights and fight fights. For every mess Clyde cleans up, he drags another with him.
Some of the scenes are Reacher-esque, but Clyde Barr is much less a cartoon than the Reacher’s impossible (but oh so fun) rumbles. Where Reacher travels with precious little, in fact, Clyde Barr drags every regret and mistake with him on every page. Fuel—motivation—is never in short supply.
"Nothing Short of Dying" is a big, sweeping, fast-paced thriller with guts. Push down the kickstarter on the first few pages and take yourself for a ride with Clyde Barr, a man who knows himself very, very well. “The wild places….have the ability to send you deeper into your mind than you’d go if you were in a more civilized place. It’s what makes those of us who spend most of our lives in the wilderness go crazy.”
Yes, and Nietzshe said something along the lines of "stare into the abyss and the abyss stares back."
Clyde Barr returns the stare with action and purpose. It isn't always pretty, but the point isn't "how," it's "what."
Clyde Barr shows knows exactly how to get to that crazy place.
All he needs to do is pick the side that’s worth fighting for.
++
Q & A with Erik Storey on my blog: https://markhstevens.wordpress.com/20...
August 31, 2016
Clyde Barr is a drifter, a mercenary with a heart, a mountain man and a hunter. After sixteen years lending his muscle and expertise in conflicts across Africa and beyond, taking care of the little guy, fighting for the downtrodden and choosing sides in various third world conflicts, Clyde is tired and feeling his age. Having recently been released from a spell in a Mexican prison where he barely made it out alive, he is back in his native Colorado, in the mountains he loves, looking forward to retirement from conflict, and a quieter way of life, when he receives a panic-stricken phone call from his beloved sister Jen, pleading with him to "come and get her". He has no idea where Jen is or who has abducted her, but since their shared and troubled childhood, Clyde and his older sister Jen have had a particular bond. Nothing will prevent him from rescuing her.
And so it begins. Clyde's hunt for his sister is a roller-coaster of a ride through the wilderness, and small towns of America. A violent, bloody, modern day western of drug barons, hard men and hired guns. Throughout it all Clyde is driven by one thing - the need to save his sister. By day he mows down anyone who gets in his way, and at night he battles his demons, haunted by the memories of past conflicts, the women and children he failed to save, and the bloody bodies he left in his wake. Yet amid all this chaos, and the smell of gun smoke, Clyde shows us his softer side by finding the time to fall in love and rescue a damsel in distress, along the way.
This is Erik Storey's debut novel. With this book he shows us what master story teller he is, and the quality of his writing sweeps the reader along and kept me up into the early hours. I really enjoyed this book.
Thrillers are my usual genre of choice, although I don't usually go for action packed thrillers like this one. However, I really fell for Clyde Barr. He is Jack Reacher with a heart. He makes silly mistakes, really daft ones where you find yourself shaking your head in disbelief. He tries to do the right thing, he really wants to heal the world, but somehow he has to kill a load of bad men to make good things happen. This book is not for the faint hearted, but if you like thrillers, especially action thrillers, and if you long for the wild west where the lines between good and bad get a little blurry at times, and if you like your heroes, scarred, tough, and at times ruthless, and with a moral code all of their own, you will enjoy Nothing Short of Dying, like I did.
The really great news is that Nothing Short of Dying is the first book in the Clyde Barr series. The bad news is we are going to have to wait for book two! If the second Clyde Barr novel is anything like the first, it will be worth the wait, and I plan to be first in the queue!
Thank you to newbooks/nudge, the publisher Simon & Schuster UK, and the author Erik Storey for my free copy of Nothing Short of Dying, in return for an honest review.
And so it begins. Clyde's hunt for his sister is a roller-coaster of a ride through the wilderness, and small towns of America. A violent, bloody, modern day western of drug barons, hard men and hired guns. Throughout it all Clyde is driven by one thing - the need to save his sister. By day he mows down anyone who gets in his way, and at night he battles his demons, haunted by the memories of past conflicts, the women and children he failed to save, and the bloody bodies he left in his wake. Yet amid all this chaos, and the smell of gun smoke, Clyde shows us his softer side by finding the time to fall in love and rescue a damsel in distress, along the way.
This is Erik Storey's debut novel. With this book he shows us what master story teller he is, and the quality of his writing sweeps the reader along and kept me up into the early hours. I really enjoyed this book.
Thrillers are my usual genre of choice, although I don't usually go for action packed thrillers like this one. However, I really fell for Clyde Barr. He is Jack Reacher with a heart. He makes silly mistakes, really daft ones where you find yourself shaking your head in disbelief. He tries to do the right thing, he really wants to heal the world, but somehow he has to kill a load of bad men to make good things happen. This book is not for the faint hearted, but if you like thrillers, especially action thrillers, and if you long for the wild west where the lines between good and bad get a little blurry at times, and if you like your heroes, scarred, tough, and at times ruthless, and with a moral code all of their own, you will enjoy Nothing Short of Dying, like I did.
The really great news is that Nothing Short of Dying is the first book in the Clyde Barr series. The bad news is we are going to have to wait for book two! If the second Clyde Barr novel is anything like the first, it will be worth the wait, and I plan to be first in the queue!
Thank you to newbooks/nudge, the publisher Simon & Schuster UK, and the author Erik Storey for my free copy of Nothing Short of Dying, in return for an honest review.
July 2, 2016
This is an excellent debut novel that I enjoyed from start to finish. It is an action packed page turner that I could not put down and eagerly await the next chapter in Clyde Barr's life - as I am sure there is more to come. He can be likened to Lee Child's Jack Reacher and Noah Boyd's The Bricklayer that I read recently. He's tough, intelligent, scared of no one or anything, he has strong family morals in keeping his family safe and protected and with his awful childhood history it makes you feel sympathy and respect for him. Thank you Goodreads Giveaways for the opportunity to read this book, one I would surely have missed out on had I not won a copy.
August 5, 2016
Clyde Barr prefers to keep to himself away from everything and everyone when he receives a distress call from his sister for help. Clyde knows he will help her because when they were kids they formed a bond based on their father’s abuse. His other sister will not help him so he starts to try and find her on his own. Along the way he inadvertently becomes involved with a young woman named Allie whom loses her job after her boss suspects her of helping him. As he tries to find his sister he and Allie get into a lot of trouble. Good read. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
October 17, 2021
It had an interesting premise but wasn't able to grab me. Just wasn't hooked or thrilled by the story as I had hoped, but it wasn't bad by any means. It was an okay read just didn't interested me enough
August 17, 2016
Nothing Short of Dying – Better Than Rambo
Nothing Short of Dying is the debut thriller from American Erik Storey, who already has a fan in the writer Jeffrey Deaver. Even in the press they say Jack Reacher needs to be worried by the new character Clyde Barr, to me he is more Rambo, but with brains, and more dangerous than Reacher. Jack Reacher may be the king of the thriller in the city, but Clyde Barr would eat him alive out in the wilderness.
Jeffrey Deaver and CJ Box both recommend Erik Story and they are not wrong, he is a very talented writer, and such a brilliant storyteller, who knows how to keep you interested. He has created a story that paints the mountains and valleys of Colorado red with the blood of those who cross him. This book will grab you from page one all the way to the end and leave you breathless as this really is a roller coaster ride of emotions and passion.
Since being released from a Mexican Jail Clyde Barr has been living in the wilds of Utah away from any humans, just him, nature and the big blue sky. When he receives a call from his sister Jen asking for him to come to her aid and rescue her, and Barr always keeps the promised he made, especially to his sister.
Barr’s most powerful instinct is also the one that could bring about his early demise, that he has to right the wrongs of the world. This compulsion is driven by his childhood where he and his sister suffered at the hands of his mother’s boyfriends, and she at the hands of those boyfriends. He has made a life out of helping those in need especially in the Third World and in South and Central America.
In his attempt to find his sister violence erupts around him like a volatile Icelandic volcano as men, just as war weary as himself. On his journey to find his sister amongst the drug lords of Colorado he finds one person who becomes his ally, Allie, and plenty of people who want to kill him. His mercenary skills that have served him so well across the world are called upon to help him survive, and what does become obvious is he has more lives than your average cat.
Clyde Barr has all the skills of Rambo, but with the brains to use those friends he has to find his enemies who have his sister. It becomes very clear the only way that those who hold his sister will have to kill Barr to stop him. Problem is they have to find him first, and if they do keep hold of him.
Nothing Short of Dying is one of the best debut thrillers I have read from an American author in a very long time. Barr is that classic anti-hero, everything about him screams avoid like the plague and Storey has created a character you cannot help but get behind. Barr is everything a modern man wants to be, when not sat on his sofa, a man mountain action man and survival specialist who is not to be messed with.
Nothing Short of Dying is a thriller that is gritty, authentic and new with a character who men want to be and women want to be with. He is the bad ass we all wish we could be and delivers a relentless ride in to some very dark places on a thrill ride that is non-stop. This really is a brilliant thriller and hard to believe something so accomplished can be a debut, buckle up this is one hell of a ride.
Nothing Short of Dying is the debut thriller from American Erik Storey, who already has a fan in the writer Jeffrey Deaver. Even in the press they say Jack Reacher needs to be worried by the new character Clyde Barr, to me he is more Rambo, but with brains, and more dangerous than Reacher. Jack Reacher may be the king of the thriller in the city, but Clyde Barr would eat him alive out in the wilderness.
Jeffrey Deaver and CJ Box both recommend Erik Story and they are not wrong, he is a very talented writer, and such a brilliant storyteller, who knows how to keep you interested. He has created a story that paints the mountains and valleys of Colorado red with the blood of those who cross him. This book will grab you from page one all the way to the end and leave you breathless as this really is a roller coaster ride of emotions and passion.
Since being released from a Mexican Jail Clyde Barr has been living in the wilds of Utah away from any humans, just him, nature and the big blue sky. When he receives a call from his sister Jen asking for him to come to her aid and rescue her, and Barr always keeps the promised he made, especially to his sister.
Barr’s most powerful instinct is also the one that could bring about his early demise, that he has to right the wrongs of the world. This compulsion is driven by his childhood where he and his sister suffered at the hands of his mother’s boyfriends, and she at the hands of those boyfriends. He has made a life out of helping those in need especially in the Third World and in South and Central America.
In his attempt to find his sister violence erupts around him like a volatile Icelandic volcano as men, just as war weary as himself. On his journey to find his sister amongst the drug lords of Colorado he finds one person who becomes his ally, Allie, and plenty of people who want to kill him. His mercenary skills that have served him so well across the world are called upon to help him survive, and what does become obvious is he has more lives than your average cat.
Clyde Barr has all the skills of Rambo, but with the brains to use those friends he has to find his enemies who have his sister. It becomes very clear the only way that those who hold his sister will have to kill Barr to stop him. Problem is they have to find him first, and if they do keep hold of him.
Nothing Short of Dying is one of the best debut thrillers I have read from an American author in a very long time. Barr is that classic anti-hero, everything about him screams avoid like the plague and Storey has created a character you cannot help but get behind. Barr is everything a modern man wants to be, when not sat on his sofa, a man mountain action man and survival specialist who is not to be messed with.
Nothing Short of Dying is a thriller that is gritty, authentic and new with a character who men want to be and women want to be with. He is the bad ass we all wish we could be and delivers a relentless ride in to some very dark places on a thrill ride that is non-stop. This really is a brilliant thriller and hard to believe something so accomplished can be a debut, buckle up this is one hell of a ride.
October 12, 2016
NOTHING SHORT OF DYING is the debut release from author Erik Storey, which arrived with considerable fanfare. It's flagged as something that will have Lee Child's Reacher watching over his shoulder which clearly flags this is action packed, with a lone hero up against it from all sides central character.
Clyde Barr is a mountain man, hunter and a mercenary. After many years fighting conflicts in Africa amongst other places, and a torrid stint in a Mexican jail he's heading back to his native Colorado, out into the mountains, going bush as we'd say in Australia, looking for a low key sort of life. Which all goes to hell in a hand-basket when he gets a frantic call from one of his sisters, and heads out to save the day. At this point you start to find out that Barr's personal life is anything but uncomplicated, his family is fractured, his younger sister has been a bit of a trial and just about everybody is flat out nasty or at the very least disinterested. Unless you count Allie the barmaid with a sort of heart of gold and taste for adventure, who joins him on quest, serving as companion, love interest and recently arrived conscience or reason to get his act together.
NOTHING SHORT OF DYING is really quite the roller-coaster ride, and in that I'm not just referring to the action packed, race to find and free the sister. There are many highs and lows in dealing with Barr to navigate as well. The action here is bloody and violent, there's a feeling of the wild west about the pace, and the free-wheeling bash, crash and killing spree. Whilst it's obvious that those who have taken Jen are definitely the black hat wearers, Barr's not so easy to pigeon-hole. There are times when he feels like part of the problem - with a tendency to wipe out anybody who even looks like they are going to get in his way, and times he's haunted by memories of things that have gone wrong in the past, people who he's failed to save, bodies he's left in his wake. And of course, there's a budding romance with Allie - who is carting around more than a few issues of her own.
There were points where I absolutely loved NOTHING SHORT OF DYING, and points where I'd cheerfully have flung it across a room. Whilst there are aspects of Barr's characterisation that rang true, that has to balanced up against the constant concept of anything can be solved if you shoot it, hit it hard enough, or drive around it fast enough. All of which has been done - to death - before, although undoubtedly that doesn't sound particularly fair as the same could be said of lots of thrillers. It's all going to come down to a question of connection with Barr and even with Allie. If, as a reader he's somebody you instantly feel you can barrack for, or even just understand a bit, then the quibbles will disappear. If he's somebody you're struggling with, then the lack of subtlety, and the constant bang bang, shoot 'em up, loner out to save the day, getting it wrong, getting it right and the extreme violence is going to be less successful.
NOTHING SHORT OF DYING is definitely one for readers to make their own minds up about.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
Clyde Barr is a mountain man, hunter and a mercenary. After many years fighting conflicts in Africa amongst other places, and a torrid stint in a Mexican jail he's heading back to his native Colorado, out into the mountains, going bush as we'd say in Australia, looking for a low key sort of life. Which all goes to hell in a hand-basket when he gets a frantic call from one of his sisters, and heads out to save the day. At this point you start to find out that Barr's personal life is anything but uncomplicated, his family is fractured, his younger sister has been a bit of a trial and just about everybody is flat out nasty or at the very least disinterested. Unless you count Allie the barmaid with a sort of heart of gold and taste for adventure, who joins him on quest, serving as companion, love interest and recently arrived conscience or reason to get his act together.
NOTHING SHORT OF DYING is really quite the roller-coaster ride, and in that I'm not just referring to the action packed, race to find and free the sister. There are many highs and lows in dealing with Barr to navigate as well. The action here is bloody and violent, there's a feeling of the wild west about the pace, and the free-wheeling bash, crash and killing spree. Whilst it's obvious that those who have taken Jen are definitely the black hat wearers, Barr's not so easy to pigeon-hole. There are times when he feels like part of the problem - with a tendency to wipe out anybody who even looks like they are going to get in his way, and times he's haunted by memories of things that have gone wrong in the past, people who he's failed to save, bodies he's left in his wake. And of course, there's a budding romance with Allie - who is carting around more than a few issues of her own.
There were points where I absolutely loved NOTHING SHORT OF DYING, and points where I'd cheerfully have flung it across a room. Whilst there are aspects of Barr's characterisation that rang true, that has to balanced up against the constant concept of anything can be solved if you shoot it, hit it hard enough, or drive around it fast enough. All of which has been done - to death - before, although undoubtedly that doesn't sound particularly fair as the same could be said of lots of thrillers. It's all going to come down to a question of connection with Barr and even with Allie. If, as a reader he's somebody you instantly feel you can barrack for, or even just understand a bit, then the quibbles will disappear. If he's somebody you're struggling with, then the lack of subtlety, and the constant bang bang, shoot 'em up, loner out to save the day, getting it wrong, getting it right and the extreme violence is going to be less successful.
NOTHING SHORT OF DYING is definitely one for readers to make their own minds up about.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
August 4, 2016
I'm not really sure which luck follows this Clyde character the most, good or bad. This was a very entertaining and thrilling read. There was humor, lots of fights, some romance (totally implied), car chases, mountain scenery, horses, and more humor. There was one really bad and perverse dude who gave me cooties just reading about him. I may need to be tested for an STD, his character was written so well. I'm shuddering writing about him. Thankfully he wasn't throughout the whole book.
I really did Clyde though although he is a gallant idiot. Ha!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and was glad I had the chance to do so.
Thanks Simon and Schuster and Net Galley for the free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
I really did Clyde though although he is a gallant idiot. Ha!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and was glad I had the chance to do so.
Thanks Simon and Schuster and Net Galley for the free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
April 26, 2023
Very good read for a first book author and I am sure more is to come with his Clyde Barr character who is basically a drifter.
August 27, 2018
If you’re a fan of fast action and a lot of it, this is the book for you. Sort of like Dean Koontz in the Colorado back-country, chasing the bad guys, falling into one life-threatening situation after another, trying to save a loved one. It was a bit frenetic for my taste, and I had some trouble believing that a character with such a kind heart could callously leave so many bad-guy bodies behind. But the story held together pretty well, had a satisfying ending, and was quite well written all in all, with enough description and authentic dialogue, interesting and likeable characters for the most part (I wasn’t too fond of Jen), and fast pacing. I wanted to know more about the author and tried to find information about him on line. The info I was able to find explains his experience in the outdoors and back-country, but says nothing about how he turned to writing and how he managed to put together a well-crafted story on his first try.
September 13, 2023
The protagonist, Clyde Barr, is very similar to Nick Petrie’s Peter Ash in that they’re both drifters helping those in need, they both have Special Ops training and they’re struggling to cope in modern society after a prolonged absence in service to their country.
Published in 2016, this was a great debut and had blurbs from Lee Child, William Kent Krueger, C.J. Box, Nelson Demille, Craig Johnson, Lori Armstrong and Jeffrey Deaver. Loaded with action, a good sense of setting, and a not-so-deep plot, I assumed it was the start of a great series. He published a follow up in 2017 and that was it, so far, from this author. Here’s to hoping he returns.
Published in 2016, this was a great debut and had blurbs from Lee Child, William Kent Krueger, C.J. Box, Nelson Demille, Craig Johnson, Lori Armstrong and Jeffrey Deaver. Loaded with action, a good sense of setting, and a not-so-deep plot, I assumed it was the start of a great series. He published a follow up in 2017 and that was it, so far, from this author. Here’s to hoping he returns.
October 26, 2021
2.5 stars. Ridiculous… I just kept thinking to myself ‘seriously, you want me to believe that’s possible’ . If you like shooting, escaping by a hairs breath and a lot more shooting and escaping then you will probably enjoy this. I think I know who I’ll pass this book onto.
April 29, 2018
Lots of action and some pretty good writing, but the storyline wasn't very believable or even that interesting. Felt like a first novel (not sure if it was). Hopefully, the main character will become more rounded in the next book(s). Maybe closer to a 2 1/2.
August 16, 2016
I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley.
I don’t think I have ever been so excited to try out a book from an author I have never read before, than I was when I first saw Nothing Short of Dying. As I have said many times before, I am a huge Jack Reacher fan and I am always looking for a new series to fill the gaps. Having read the book now, I had every right to be as excited as I was because it was such a great read.
Nothing Short of Dying is Erik Storey’s first mystery thriller novel featuring drifter Clyde Barr. Clyde Barr is enjoying the quiet life in the Colorado wilderness after being released from prison, when he receives a frantic phone call from his sister Jen, who is being held hostage. Barr has no idea who has Jen and where they are, but he knows that it is up to him to find her, bring her home and protect her from danger.
It would be an understatement to say that this book is fast-paced and action-packed. It is literally non-stop action from start to finish with a good story weaved in, just the way I like it. There is so much fighting and stuff going on throughout the book that it is a miracle that anyone is still able to stand at the end, but it is written so well that not once did I think that any of it was over the top. Erik Storey has the perfect writing style for the genre because he is efficient with his words but he is still able to get me to engage with the story and characters.
Like pretty much every other book in the genre, the plot is pretty straightforward. It’s got a little bit of mystery, but the real hero of the book is the action and the characters. The one thing that does set this book apart from the others in the genre is the use of the wilderness and the Western feel to it, which I thought was really cool and well done, especially as I am not overly interested in Westerns.
I think one of the best parts of the book is the characters. Barr is a great lead character because he is flawed, but he is still a good guy and he can kick ass when he needs to as well. He has such an intriguing back story that really shapes his character and I could tell that this book only scratched the surface of it, so I am really interested to see how that progresses. The other great character was Allie. I normally don’t find the secondary characters to anywhere near as good as the leads, but Allie was right up there with Barr. I found her to be the most relatable of all the characters in the book, so that is a real bonus.
To sum it up, I was super excited when I first picked up the book and I was even more excited when I put it down at the end. I definitely feel that I have found a new author to add to my must-read pile. I am always looking out for ways to get my Jack Reacher fix and Nothing Short of Dying is written in a similar style, but is still different enough to not be a clone. It would be an understatement to say I am excited to see what happens to Barr next!
Is it worth a read? If you like action-packed mystery thrillers with strong characters and a simple, but effective story, then Nothing Short of Dying is definitely worth a read. The best way to describe it is that Clyde Barr is what Jack Reacher would have been if he was a cowboy instead of a military policeman.
This review was originally published at Worth a Read.
I don’t think I have ever been so excited to try out a book from an author I have never read before, than I was when I first saw Nothing Short of Dying. As I have said many times before, I am a huge Jack Reacher fan and I am always looking for a new series to fill the gaps. Having read the book now, I had every right to be as excited as I was because it was such a great read.
Nothing Short of Dying is Erik Storey’s first mystery thriller novel featuring drifter Clyde Barr. Clyde Barr is enjoying the quiet life in the Colorado wilderness after being released from prison, when he receives a frantic phone call from his sister Jen, who is being held hostage. Barr has no idea who has Jen and where they are, but he knows that it is up to him to find her, bring her home and protect her from danger.
It would be an understatement to say that this book is fast-paced and action-packed. It is literally non-stop action from start to finish with a good story weaved in, just the way I like it. There is so much fighting and stuff going on throughout the book that it is a miracle that anyone is still able to stand at the end, but it is written so well that not once did I think that any of it was over the top. Erik Storey has the perfect writing style for the genre because he is efficient with his words but he is still able to get me to engage with the story and characters.
Like pretty much every other book in the genre, the plot is pretty straightforward. It’s got a little bit of mystery, but the real hero of the book is the action and the characters. The one thing that does set this book apart from the others in the genre is the use of the wilderness and the Western feel to it, which I thought was really cool and well done, especially as I am not overly interested in Westerns.
I think one of the best parts of the book is the characters. Barr is a great lead character because he is flawed, but he is still a good guy and he can kick ass when he needs to as well. He has such an intriguing back story that really shapes his character and I could tell that this book only scratched the surface of it, so I am really interested to see how that progresses. The other great character was Allie. I normally don’t find the secondary characters to anywhere near as good as the leads, but Allie was right up there with Barr. I found her to be the most relatable of all the characters in the book, so that is a real bonus.
To sum it up, I was super excited when I first picked up the book and I was even more excited when I put it down at the end. I definitely feel that I have found a new author to add to my must-read pile. I am always looking out for ways to get my Jack Reacher fix and Nothing Short of Dying is written in a similar style, but is still different enough to not be a clone. It would be an understatement to say I am excited to see what happens to Barr next!
Is it worth a read? If you like action-packed mystery thrillers with strong characters and a simple, but effective story, then Nothing Short of Dying is definitely worth a read. The best way to describe it is that Clyde Barr is what Jack Reacher would have been if he was a cowboy instead of a military policeman.
This review was originally published at Worth a Read.
August 1, 2016
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Scribner.
I think there is the possibility of a good thriller series buried under the mound of dead bodies in this debut novel introducing Clyde Barr. I didn't connect enough with the lead character to make me anxiously await the second book in the series, though. Clyde doesn't really have much for me to connect with in this first book. Okay, he finds himself coming to the aid of underdogs, people having a hard time, people being mistreated. That's it? That's a pretty thin premise to set a series on. Clyde needs a whole range of things to make him more interesting because just killing people isn't going to keep readers interested for very long or at least not this reader. And it isn't even the high body count which was the problem for me. There is one series I follow where the protagonist went up against twelve professional assassins in the first book and lived to tell the tale, but the encounters were smart and different each time and showed the ability to think through a problem. Not Clyde; no Clyde goes barreling ahead and then tries to figure out how to work out the problem once the bullets, arrows or knives begin to fly.
If author Erik Storey can formulate his main character into someone other than a one dimensional killer, and if he can ignore the comparisons between Clyde and Jack Reacher (really, there's only one Jack Reacher and comparisons are not doing this author any favors), then Clyde can become someone I want to read about and follow in his exploits. I'm hoping that growth of the character happens and I'm willing to give a second book a try.
I think there is the possibility of a good thriller series buried under the mound of dead bodies in this debut novel introducing Clyde Barr. I didn't connect enough with the lead character to make me anxiously await the second book in the series, though. Clyde doesn't really have much for me to connect with in this first book. Okay, he finds himself coming to the aid of underdogs, people having a hard time, people being mistreated. That's it? That's a pretty thin premise to set a series on. Clyde needs a whole range of things to make him more interesting because just killing people isn't going to keep readers interested for very long or at least not this reader. And it isn't even the high body count which was the problem for me. There is one series I follow where the protagonist went up against twelve professional assassins in the first book and lived to tell the tale, but the encounters were smart and different each time and showed the ability to think through a problem. Not Clyde; no Clyde goes barreling ahead and then tries to figure out how to work out the problem once the bullets, arrows or knives begin to fly.
If author Erik Storey can formulate his main character into someone other than a one dimensional killer, and if he can ignore the comparisons between Clyde and Jack Reacher (really, there's only one Jack Reacher and comparisons are not doing this author any favors), then Clyde can become someone I want to read about and follow in his exploits. I'm hoping that growth of the character happens and I'm willing to give a second book a try.
June 12, 2016
I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaways.
I've read plenty of books of this genre; although I don't consider myself to be a connoisseur, I've been around the block a few times. The author brought enough new elements to the table to keep me interested and to not leave me feeling like I was reading "just another man against the odds thriller" (which, if I'm honest, I would've been happy enough reading anyway - it's a template I'm okay with - but it's nice when people colour outside the lines a little bit!)
I liked the outdoorsy/survival-themed elements and the setting itself, I liked that the protagonist wasn't a suave and collected ladies' man like so many seem to be, or even a respected citizen at all, and that although he seemed a fairly typical 'tough loner' he wasn't magically equipped for everything that happened, too cool for school, or able to fully go it alone.
Story-wise, it was satisfying in the way that most books of its ilk are, as it progressed steadily and reached a resolution in the standard sort of fashion! I don't like spoilers, so I'm not going into it further.
While it's not breaking new ground and won't turn the thriller-fiction world on its head (what will?), I enjoyed reading it. It's a pretty solid first offering and I'll keep my eye out for anything else by the author; one would hope that since this is "A" Clyde Barr Novel rather than "The" Clyde Barr Novel, we might be treated to some more of the protagonist's adventures - all of which I'd be perfectly happy to settle in with a nice cup of tea and read.
I've read plenty of books of this genre; although I don't consider myself to be a connoisseur, I've been around the block a few times. The author brought enough new elements to the table to keep me interested and to not leave me feeling like I was reading "just another man against the odds thriller" (which, if I'm honest, I would've been happy enough reading anyway - it's a template I'm okay with - but it's nice when people colour outside the lines a little bit!)
I liked the outdoorsy/survival-themed elements and the setting itself, I liked that the protagonist wasn't a suave and collected ladies' man like so many seem to be, or even a respected citizen at all, and that although he seemed a fairly typical 'tough loner' he wasn't magically equipped for everything that happened, too cool for school, or able to fully go it alone.
Story-wise, it was satisfying in the way that most books of its ilk are, as it progressed steadily and reached a resolution in the standard sort of fashion! I don't like spoilers, so I'm not going into it further.
While it's not breaking new ground and won't turn the thriller-fiction world on its head (what will?), I enjoyed reading it. It's a pretty solid first offering and I'll keep my eye out for anything else by the author; one would hope that since this is "A" Clyde Barr Novel rather than "The" Clyde Barr Novel, we might be treated to some more of the protagonist's adventures - all of which I'd be perfectly happy to settle in with a nice cup of tea and read.
May 22, 2016
ARC received from: Goodreads
Rating: 5*
One-Sentence Summary: Clyde Barr will stop at nothing to rescue his sister
Review: Very seldom do I come across a book so good that I will clear my entire day just to sit and read it in one go. This debut by Erik Storey was one of those!
This book is being sold as the "new Jack Reacher series" and it was very much in that vein, except with even more fights and gun battles (if that's even possible!). It was non-stop action from start to finish with a few brief softer moments thrown in courtesy of a love interest of sorts.
One of the key differences between Clyde Barr and Jack Reacher is the fact that Barr still has living relatives and his relationship with his three sisters is key to this book. His whole mission is to rescue his sister Jen and throughout the book there are flashbacks to Barr and Jen's childhood which helps explain why Barr is the way he is.
With Barr's sisters, his murky job history and his time in prison, there is plenty of material here for hopefully a long and successful thriller series. I can't wait to read the next one.
Originally posted @ Love's A State Of Mind
May 18, 2016
“Nothing Short of Dying” by Erik Storey, published by Scribner.
Category – Mystery/Thriller Publication Date – August 16, 2016.
This is a story that will delight those who like, what I would call a modern western. The action, and there is a lot of it, all takes place in Colorado. Clyde Barr has been away for sixteen years but is drawn back by a plea from his sister.
Clyde is no stranger to roughing it. He has been employed around the world as a hunter, adventurer, and mercenary. He has also been an imprisoned convict. These and the contacts he has made will serve in well in his attempt to rescue his sister.
Jen is his youngest sister with whom he has had a special relationship. They both have seen trouble and been in trouble. When Jen calls for his help he has no idea where she is or whom she is with, in fact, he doesn’t even know if she is alive.
Clyde begins a journey through Colorado that has him forging friends that assist him in his search. Unfortunately, all do not turn out to his benefit. Clyde becomes involved with a drug lord and finds out that Jen is being kept only until she can provide the necessary help for him to gain his objective.
A fast paced, thrill on every page story, that will keep you turning the pages wondering where it will take you next.
Category – Mystery/Thriller Publication Date – August 16, 2016.
This is a story that will delight those who like, what I would call a modern western. The action, and there is a lot of it, all takes place in Colorado. Clyde Barr has been away for sixteen years but is drawn back by a plea from his sister.
Clyde is no stranger to roughing it. He has been employed around the world as a hunter, adventurer, and mercenary. He has also been an imprisoned convict. These and the contacts he has made will serve in well in his attempt to rescue his sister.
Jen is his youngest sister with whom he has had a special relationship. They both have seen trouble and been in trouble. When Jen calls for his help he has no idea where she is or whom she is with, in fact, he doesn’t even know if she is alive.
Clyde begins a journey through Colorado that has him forging friends that assist him in his search. Unfortunately, all do not turn out to his benefit. Clyde becomes involved with a drug lord and finds out that Jen is being kept only until she can provide the necessary help for him to gain his objective.
A fast paced, thrill on every page story, that will keep you turning the pages wondering where it will take you next.
June 6, 2016
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. I was going to give this book 4* but on reflection it is so near to a 5* that I had to go for it. Just a little too much violence for my liking, but I loved Clyde Barr - a man you would want in your corner. He is in the vein of Lee Child's Jack Reacher but with a slightly softer edge. This book had me gripped from the start, it was like watching a great all action film (please don't cast Tom Cruise as Clyde!!!). This is the first in hopefully a long series. Erik Storey is now on my list of must read authors. The big disadvantage of reading an advanced copy is that I have to now wait until 2017 for the next book! Please write quicker Mr Storey!
August 25, 2016
GNAB I received a free, electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Erik Storey and Scribner in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
This is an excellent, edge of your seat action novel, with a gritty, gold-hearted hero and strong female characters. Only the bad guys are without a saving grace. I look forward to more from Mr. Storey. He is an author I will follow.
Aug 16th, 2016
This is an excellent, edge of your seat action novel, with a gritty, gold-hearted hero and strong female characters. Only the bad guys are without a saving grace. I look forward to more from Mr. Storey. He is an author I will follow.
Aug 16th, 2016
May 21, 2022
4.5 stars!
December 16, 2024
It's a decent action, suspense thriller. I'll check out next one so it's good enough to see where it goes.
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