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Alex Polonia Thriller #2
Saigon Red
An ex-cop goes to the far side of the world to discover her family’s darkest secrets. Believed complicit in her ex-husband’s prison escape, Cleveland police detective Alex Polonia is methodically being forced out of the department. Not waiting, she does them one better and resigns, taking on a new profession as a special agent for an international security firm. Her first bodyguard for the family of Nevio Lucchese, a wealthy Italian industrialist relocating to Ho Chi Minh City. But Vietnam is where Alex’s unknown past casts a dark shadow—and a mysterious assassin could be hiding in it. Known only as the Ghost, he kills with drone-like precision and eludes all attempts at capture. Most disturbingly, he may hold the key to a love that Alex’s father lost fifty years earlier. Now caught in a dangerous and personal game, Alex must outwit the Ghost to save the Lucchese family and her own family’s reputation. But when Alex’s ex-husband suddenly shows up, she fears that the entire operation could fail, and that the real enemy is disturbingly close.
- GenresFictionMystery Thriller
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 5, 2019
About the author
Gregory C. Randall
42 books42 followersMichigan born and Chicago raised, Randall has made the San Francisco Bay Area his home with his wife for the last 45 years. A graduate of Michigan State with a degree in landscape architecture, Mr. Randall has 45 years of community design and urban planning experience. He has his own design firm, Randall Planning & Design, Inc., and has designed hundreds of residential, commercial and retail properties throughout the western United States.
Mr. Randall has enjoyed writing for many years but it has become a serious vocation in the last twenty years. His books almost always have an historical component and often reflect how the past has impacts on the present. Randall has developed all the cover cart for his books as well as the interior design, graphics, and overall formatting. This also includes ebook formatting.
Greg is the author of the five book series, The Sharon O’Mara Chronicles. The six book in the series is under development.
He is also developing the third book in the Detective Tony Alfano thriller noir series set in 1933 Chicago. The first book in the series, Chicago Swing, won the Silver Medal in the 2016 Global Ebook Awards. The second, Chicago Jazz, is now available.
His edgy young adult novel, Elk River, has won acclimation and awards from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and Northern California Book Publishers Association (BAIPA).
Mr. Randall and his wife have their own independent publishing company, Windsor Hill Publishing. He is a book cover designer and artist and is well versed in the ebook conversion process. All of his books are available through the usual sources.
BLOGS: WWW.WRITING4DEATH.BLOGSPOT.COM
WWW.COGITOURBANUS.BLOGSPOT.COM
WEBB SITE: WWW.GREGORYCRANDALL.INFO
WWW.GREGORYCRANDALL.COM
Mr. Randall has enjoyed writing for many years but it has become a serious vocation in the last twenty years. His books almost always have an historical component and often reflect how the past has impacts on the present. Randall has developed all the cover cart for his books as well as the interior design, graphics, and overall formatting. This also includes ebook formatting.
Greg is the author of the five book series, The Sharon O’Mara Chronicles. The six book in the series is under development.
He is also developing the third book in the Detective Tony Alfano thriller noir series set in 1933 Chicago. The first book in the series, Chicago Swing, won the Silver Medal in the 2016 Global Ebook Awards. The second, Chicago Jazz, is now available.
His edgy young adult novel, Elk River, has won acclimation and awards from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and Northern California Book Publishers Association (BAIPA).
Mr. Randall and his wife have their own independent publishing company, Windsor Hill Publishing. He is a book cover designer and artist and is well versed in the ebook conversion process. All of his books are available through the usual sources.
BLOGS: WWW.WRITING4DEATH.BLOGSPOT.COM
WWW.COGITOURBANUS.BLOGSPOT.COM
WEBB SITE: WWW.GREGORYCRANDALL.INFO
WWW.GREGORYCRANDALL.COM
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 9, 2019
This is a Kindle e-book that I received through a Goodreads Giveaway. While this is the second book in the series, it worked as a standalone novel. I do plan to read the first in the series when I can find the time. The only reason this was not rated 5 stars is that the style of writing switched back and forth between several points of view. While they all came together eventually, it is not my favorite writing style. The novel has action, espionage, international crime, mystery and suspense. The main character shows depth and growth during the course of her adventure. For those that like technology, you won't be disappointed as there are some interesting developments during the book. Additionally, there were lots of twists and turns that kept me hooked throughout this fast-moving book.
February 14, 2019
Gregory Randall takes you on a head-spinning journey across the globe where secrets are sacred and family ties are deeper - and more deadly- than you can ever imagine. Buckle up. You're in for one heck of a ride!
June 22, 2022
I have lived in Vietnam for many years and whenever I come across an English-language book set in Vietnam that isn't just Yet Another Vietnam War Memoir I tend to pick it up and give it a chance.
As my 1-star indicates, this was not good. I came to this for the Vietnam setting so let me just get this out of the way first: nothing about the Saigon setting rang true for me. It just didn't feel right.
Some of it is just outright wrong: he calls it "Kinh Thanh Da canal". But Kinh means canal. It should be Thanh Da canal. Same for "Cau Thu Bridge". Cau means bridge, so it should be Thu Bridge. Except there is no Thu Bridge in Saigon; I think he means Thu Thiem Bridge here. Similarly "Cau Phu My Bridge" should be "Phu My Bridge".
Some of it isn't impossible, I suppose, but just feels...extremely unlikely. Like some security guards driving a Humvee in District 7(?!?). Why would they bother to import one? It barely fits on most of the streets. I've never seen a Humvee here.
Americans in Saigon are carrying an assault rifle and pistols. Guns are so heavily controlled here it is pretty hard to imagine the government allowing foreigners to carry them.
There's a police helicopter in the first chapter. The police don't have helicopters here.
The software company is doing testing in Vietnam "because of the density of high-speed motorbikes on Saigon’s streets", which is just laughable for anyone who has ever driven here. The speed limit is 40kpm (25mph) and you're usually lucky to be going 30kph (18mph) due to traffic. Nothing high-speed about it.
Mention about a warehouse in District 7 being graffiti-free is "surprising for this part of the city". But District 7 is one of the nicest, up-scale areas of town.
A police detective mentions "a couple of murders" from gang activity in District 3. District 3 is one of the richest areas full of restaurants and offices. Several murders there, especially from gangs, would be pretty shocking. Not to mention murders are a lot rarer here than in the US. Several murders in the same area would be extremely high profile. Not something just sitting on his back burner.
Claims that District 7 are Saigon's main port, that it was built by Americans during the war, that it was the largest port in Southeast Asia. District 7 is a new development, it didn't get developed until 1996 it used to be swampland. I think maybe he means District 4? Or maybe Binh Thanh? I'm not actually sure what he's talking about, to be honest.
The claim that when murdered people are foreigners the police don't really pursue the case. "The dead were not Vietnamese and as such fell into an investigative limbo." Usually it is the opposite, since murdered foreigners are all over the news.
Several times a Vietnamese person tells an American not to call it Saigon -- call it Ho Chi Minh City. "We Vietnamese prefer Ho Chi Minh City." Everyone calls in Saigon in casual conversation. No one will ever correct you for calling it Saigon. The government launched a waterbus service along the rivers and canals a few years ago called "Saigon Waterbus".
He describes Tan Son Nhat airport as: "In many ways, it looked like a modern American airport, except nicer and far more elegant." No one who has ever been to Tan Son Nhat would call it nicer or elegant.
They go to Ben Thanh market. "According to the internet, they have the best street food, and clothing". I'll give the author a slight pass on this because it is possible the internet says something ridiculous like that. No one who has been in Saigon more than 5 minutes would say Ben Thanh market has the best food or clothing. It is a tourist trap of overpriced Chinese t-shirts that no one who lives here ever goes to.
Ben Thanh market is described as "almost a direct shot south from their apartment". But when they are driving to their apartment from the airport we are told they cross the Thu Thiem Bridge. So that means they are east of Ben Thanh market, not north.
The Vietnamese policeman does all kinds of super weird things. He doesn't drink coffee, he drinks tea. In Saigon that is super weird! Who drinks tea? I've never met anyone who drinks tea in Saigon, unless they mean Taiwanese bubble tea.
And possibly the weirdest thing in the entire book: the policeman walks 30 minutes from the police station to a hotel where he is meeting someone. No one walks here. They definitely don't walk 30 minutes. He would take a Grab or something. And then he orders a Budweiser beer. Weird.
Okay. I went a bit overboard there. Needless to say, I was extremely extremely extremely disappointed with the depiction of Vietnam. If you're coming to this book for Vietnam vibes, just don't.
But what about the rest of the book? Is there something salvageable here?
There is a bunch of meaningless gobbledygook. "software was stolen that allowed financial organizations to manipulate bitcoins" and "Even in today’s world, data can easily be hidden. I may be in my forties, but even I’ve heard of the cloud and blockchain. It would be easy to keep this information out of the hands of a group like this."
I have no idea what "manipulate bitcoins" even means. Or how using the blockchain would keep data out of the hands of bad guys.
Then there's the plot. Which, for a thriller, moves at a glacial pace. Half the book is spent with Alex interviewing for a new job, going for a few weeks of new hire training, going on some dates with her boyfriend, having dinner with her family. She doesn't actually get to Saigon -- and the book actually resumes with any real plot -- until the 50% mark. It was surprisingly boring.
But, surprisingly, none of that was actually the worst part. The worst part was just that so much of the dialogue that somehow always fell flat and never conveyed emotion.
At one point Alex is talking with her family about the Balkans:
Then later:
At one point, while looking over some reports on DNA analysis Alex says: "I've been trained by the best". The best? While you were working at Cleveland PD for 20 years? The best is in Cleveland?
And what does the CIA agent reply to her analysis of the DNA report?
You're telling the DNA people at the CIA were outsmarted by this Cleveland cop? Everything in this whole scene was just so stupid.
But the part that made me actually put the book down for good:
As my 1-star indicates, this was not good. I came to this for the Vietnam setting so let me just get this out of the way first: nothing about the Saigon setting rang true for me. It just didn't feel right.
Some of it is just outright wrong: he calls it "Kinh Thanh Da canal". But Kinh means canal. It should be Thanh Da canal. Same for "Cau Thu Bridge". Cau means bridge, so it should be Thu Bridge. Except there is no Thu Bridge in Saigon; I think he means Thu Thiem Bridge here. Similarly "Cau Phu My Bridge" should be "Phu My Bridge".
Some of it isn't impossible, I suppose, but just feels...extremely unlikely. Like some security guards driving a Humvee in District 7(?!?). Why would they bother to import one? It barely fits on most of the streets. I've never seen a Humvee here.
Americans in Saigon are carrying an assault rifle and pistols. Guns are so heavily controlled here it is pretty hard to imagine the government allowing foreigners to carry them.
There's a police helicopter in the first chapter. The police don't have helicopters here.
The software company is doing testing in Vietnam "because of the density of high-speed motorbikes on Saigon’s streets", which is just laughable for anyone who has ever driven here. The speed limit is 40kpm (25mph) and you're usually lucky to be going 30kph (18mph) due to traffic. Nothing high-speed about it.
Mention about a warehouse in District 7 being graffiti-free is "surprising for this part of the city". But District 7 is one of the nicest, up-scale areas of town.
A police detective mentions "a couple of murders" from gang activity in District 3. District 3 is one of the richest areas full of restaurants and offices. Several murders there, especially from gangs, would be pretty shocking. Not to mention murders are a lot rarer here than in the US. Several murders in the same area would be extremely high profile. Not something just sitting on his back burner.
Claims that District 7 are Saigon's main port, that it was built by Americans during the war, that it was the largest port in Southeast Asia. District 7 is a new development, it didn't get developed until 1996 it used to be swampland. I think maybe he means District 4? Or maybe Binh Thanh? I'm not actually sure what he's talking about, to be honest.
The claim that when murdered people are foreigners the police don't really pursue the case. "The dead were not Vietnamese and as such fell into an investigative limbo." Usually it is the opposite, since murdered foreigners are all over the news.
Several times a Vietnamese person tells an American not to call it Saigon -- call it Ho Chi Minh City. "We Vietnamese prefer Ho Chi Minh City." Everyone calls in Saigon in casual conversation. No one will ever correct you for calling it Saigon. The government launched a waterbus service along the rivers and canals a few years ago called "Saigon Waterbus".
He describes Tan Son Nhat airport as: "In many ways, it looked like a modern American airport, except nicer and far more elegant." No one who has ever been to Tan Son Nhat would call it nicer or elegant.
They go to Ben Thanh market. "According to the internet, they have the best street food, and clothing". I'll give the author a slight pass on this because it is possible the internet says something ridiculous like that. No one who has been in Saigon more than 5 minutes would say Ben Thanh market has the best food or clothing. It is a tourist trap of overpriced Chinese t-shirts that no one who lives here ever goes to.
Ben Thanh market is described as "almost a direct shot south from their apartment". But when they are driving to their apartment from the airport we are told they cross the Thu Thiem Bridge. So that means they are east of Ben Thanh market, not north.
The Vietnamese policeman does all kinds of super weird things. He doesn't drink coffee, he drinks tea. In Saigon that is super weird! Who drinks tea? I've never met anyone who drinks tea in Saigon, unless they mean Taiwanese bubble tea.
And possibly the weirdest thing in the entire book: the policeman walks 30 minutes from the police station to a hotel where he is meeting someone. No one walks here. They definitely don't walk 30 minutes. He would take a Grab or something. And then he orders a Budweiser beer. Weird.
Okay. I went a bit overboard there. Needless to say, I was extremely extremely extremely disappointed with the depiction of Vietnam. If you're coming to this book for Vietnam vibes, just don't.
But what about the rest of the book? Is there something salvageable here?
There is a bunch of meaningless gobbledygook. "software was stolen that allowed financial organizations to manipulate bitcoins" and "Even in today’s world, data can easily be hidden. I may be in my forties, but even I’ve heard of the cloud and blockchain. It would be easy to keep this information out of the hands of a group like this."
I have no idea what "manipulate bitcoins" even means. Or how using the blockchain would keep data out of the hands of bad guys.
Then there's the plot. Which, for a thriller, moves at a glacial pace. Half the book is spent with Alex interviewing for a new job, going for a few weeks of new hire training, going on some dates with her boyfriend, having dinner with her family. She doesn't actually get to Saigon -- and the book actually resumes with any real plot -- until the 50% mark. It was surprisingly boring.
But, surprisingly, none of that was actually the worst part. The worst part was just that so much of the dialogue that somehow always fell flat and never conveyed emotion.
At one point Alex is talking with her family about the Balkans:
I thought we had trouble in Cleveland, but for people in that part of the world, when you combine the Bosnian War and seven hundred years of hate, our difficulties seem trivial
Then later:
Alex thought about her nieces and nephews and came to the conclusion that kids were pretty much the same in the United States and Europe.
At one point, while looking over some reports on DNA analysis Alex says: "I've been trained by the best". The best? While you were working at Cleveland PD for 20 years? The best is in Cleveland?
And what does the CIA agent reply to her analysis of the DNA report?
Chris looked at Javier. “Is what she is saying about the DNA correct?”
“Yeah, maybe. Hell, I don’t know.”
You're telling the DNA people at the CIA were outsmarted by this Cleveland cop? Everything in this whole scene was just so stupid.
But the part that made me actually put the book down for good:
January 31, 2025
There is a LOT going on in this book. It’s action packed with a lot of interesting people. Kidnapping, drones, technology, assassins, family secrets and more make this a really fun read. Very enjoyable!
July 13, 2019
Description
An ex-cop goes to the far side of the world to discover her family’s darkest secrets.
Believed complicit in her ex-husband’s prison escape, Cleveland police detective Alex Polonia is methodically being forced out of the department. Not waiting, she does them one better and resigns, taking on a new profession as a special agent for an international security firm. Her first assignment: bodyguard for the family of Nevio Lucchese, a wealthy Italian industrialist relocating to Ho Chi Minh City. But Vietnam is where Alex’s unknown past casts a dark shadow—and a mysterious assassin could be hiding in it. Known only as the Ghost, he kills with drone-like precision and eludes all attempts at capture. Most disturbingly, he may hold the key to a love that Alex’s father lost fifty years earlier. Now caught in a dangerous and personal game, Alex must outwit the Ghost to save the Lucchese family and her own family’s reputation. But when Alex’s ex-husband suddenly shows up, she fears that the entire operation could fail, and that the real enemy is disturbingly close.
My Review
If you like fast paced novels that will keep you turning page after page until the very end then this is the book you need.
Excellent writing and great characters.
The story Saigon Red starts off with Alex having had a very busy 12 months. And ends beautifully.
I was provided this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion.
I give this book a 5 star ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Because there is no higher ranking.
Great job, highly Recommend.
An ex-cop goes to the far side of the world to discover her family’s darkest secrets.
Believed complicit in her ex-husband’s prison escape, Cleveland police detective Alex Polonia is methodically being forced out of the department. Not waiting, she does them one better and resigns, taking on a new profession as a special agent for an international security firm. Her first assignment: bodyguard for the family of Nevio Lucchese, a wealthy Italian industrialist relocating to Ho Chi Minh City. But Vietnam is where Alex’s unknown past casts a dark shadow—and a mysterious assassin could be hiding in it. Known only as the Ghost, he kills with drone-like precision and eludes all attempts at capture. Most disturbingly, he may hold the key to a love that Alex’s father lost fifty years earlier. Now caught in a dangerous and personal game, Alex must outwit the Ghost to save the Lucchese family and her own family’s reputation. But when Alex’s ex-husband suddenly shows up, she fears that the entire operation could fail, and that the real enemy is disturbingly close.
My Review
If you like fast paced novels that will keep you turning page after page until the very end then this is the book you need.
Excellent writing and great characters.
The story Saigon Red starts off with Alex having had a very busy 12 months. And ends beautifully.
I was provided this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion.
I give this book a 5 star ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Because there is no higher ranking.
Great job, highly Recommend.
February 13, 2019
Fans of Alex Polonia won’t be disappointed! Saigon Red tosses Alex into the high-stakes and high-risk world of private security and multi-national criminal organizations. Her first assignment involves “babysitting” the family of a corporate executive on their new posting in Vietnam. Alex soon finds the family in the crosshairs of an international assassin and as she struggles to keep the family safe, nothing is as it seems. Her friends, her career, even her own family are irretrievably changed by what she uncovers in Saigon. Saigon Red has that crisp dialogue that I’ve come to expect in a Gregory C. Randall novel. The plot and conclusion make for a page turning thriller. Highly recommended. 5 Stars!
January 28, 2019
This novel, the second in the Alex Polonia series, is a follow-up to the successful Venice Black. This time the protagonist, Alex, takes the reader to Ho Chin Minh City, formerly Saigon. She’s an engaging, tough, no-nonsense heroine working for a Blackwater-type organization who is sent to Saigon to solve a problem with international implications. This Bondish thriller has continual twists to keep one reading. Very entertaining, with the villains appropriately evil and cunning and the plot lines keeping one guessing. The physical descriptions, especially of Saigon, are on the mark. A fun read. This series has legs.
February 16, 2019
From a career destroying mess in Cleveland, to a boot camp in Texas for a security firm, to beginning her first assignment in Italy with the destination of the former Saigon now Ho Chi Minh City, smart and savvy Alex finds herself involved in corporate espionage and high tech assassins. The pace is fast and intense with a few breathers, the characters engaging, the technology fascinating, and the suspense critical. The secondary plot revolves around her family, a CIA social interest, the felonious ex husband, and insinuates itself into the main plot quite deviously. It's a real thrill ride!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Thomas and Mercer via NetGalley. Thank you!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Thomas and Mercer via NetGalley. Thank you!
May 3, 2019
Alex Polonia is trying to pick up the pieces of her crumbling career as a Cleveland detective after her ex-husband raged havoc of her life. When the department wants her out she agrees to take a job with an international security firm. This firm is reeling from a loss of their own after a classified burglary at one of their assignments left two operatives dead and a high tech assassin on the loose. Alex is sent to Ho Chi Minh City to protect a high profile family, while trying to solve the murders and sniff out a potential double agent in the company, but her findings may hit closer to home then she ever imagined.
This is a good fast-paced detective style thriller. I was new to the series and it was easy to pick up the storyline.
This is a good fast-paced detective style thriller. I was new to the series and it was easy to pick up the storyline.
June 18, 2019
I enjoyed the read, although I knew within the first chapter that it would have a lot of far-fetched ideas going on. But the book was still enjoyable, having twists I hadn't anticipated, and kept moving at a fast pace to keep you from getting bored. Although I haven't read book #1, this can easily serve as a stand-a-lone read, with nothing being lost. Not a lot of depth to the story, but a fun, enjoyable read. I would read another in the series.
February 24, 2019
I've been in and out of Saigon for decades and I can tell you that Greg Randall has crafted a thriller that feels and smells like the reality of that enigmatic and often times puzzling city. If you like your thrillers dripping with atmosphere, SAIGON RED is the book for you.
May 27, 2019
Saigon Red
This era belonged in History to my age group. After losing several of my friends I grew up with I felt almost drawn to a book of later Vietnam. This was as real as my memories.
This era belonged in History to my age group. After losing several of my friends I grew up with I felt almost drawn to a book of later Vietnam. This was as real as my memories.
June 3, 2019
Good mystery
I only chose this book because my son just moved to Saigon and I wanted to learn a bit of the city. It was a good mystery and the afterward told a small history of Vietnam.
I only chose this book because my son just moved to Saigon and I wanted to learn a bit of the city. It was a good mystery and the afterward told a small history of Vietnam.
September 9, 2020
Saigon Red
Well written with intriguing plot twists. Having served in Vietnam I can easily see the connections Mr Randall presents. It was a very confusing time for relationships. Nice to read that some turned out well.
Well written with intriguing plot twists. Having served in Vietnam I can easily see the connections Mr Randall presents. It was a very confusing time for relationships. Nice to read that some turned out well.
March 8, 2019
This is a very well written story, but the plot is too far-fetched to score top score. The characters and the setting are very interesting, however, and make for a great read.
April 13, 2019
Saigon Red
As with Venice Black, too many coincidences heaped on one another in a short timeframe for me. Pity really because the basis of a good story is there.
As with Venice Black, too many coincidences heaped on one another in a short timeframe for me. Pity really because the basis of a good story is there.
May 4, 2019
More genetic coincidences for our Cleveland heroine. Plot involves those plagiarising orientals. Easy read.
August 3, 2019
Another great story
A great follow up story to Venice Black.I like the way the story of Alex Polonia is developing.The way the story ended gives scope and hope for more to follow.
A great follow up story to Venice Black.I like the way the story of Alex Polonia is developing.The way the story ended gives scope and hope for more to follow.
February 14, 2020
Good read
A page turner that I enjoyed spending time in highly recommend for those who are captivated by suspense and moving action
A page turner that I enjoyed spending time in highly recommend for those who are captivated by suspense and moving action
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September 7, 2021I wrote a review here: https://shine-news.com/book-review-sa...
September 15, 2025
An exceptional read, based on a fascinating premise. well executed plotline supported by outstanding prose.
March 4, 2019
Taut, fast moving. The writing is tight, character development is superb and the plot and themes are obviously well thought out.
Hard to put down. You are left craving for more.
Hard to put down. You are left craving for more.
May 16, 2019
Fast paced, thrilling CIA-type novel that keeps you reading. I wish I had read the first book prior to this one but it did not take much away from my reading. Although there were some unbelievable plot twists, I think we partly read these “James Bond” sort of books for that suspension of reality. I enjoyed this and especially enjoyed the setting.
#SaigonRed #NetGalley
#SaigonRed #NetGalley
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews