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Asher Radman: By the Numbers #0
Zero Warning
When FBI agent Mateo Hachman took the undercover assignment, he knew the risks. Infiltrate the Proveedores Consortium and bring down the inner circle.
It took almost five years and he gathered enough evidence to bring down Demarco Sanchez the head of the Proveedores as well as over a dozen high level members.
When henchman Abraham Garceau was sentenced for multiple counts of murder, he swore he'd find a way to torture Mateo until he begged to die.
Eight years later, Mateo had a new name, new career, and new life. In those eight years, he never stopped looking over his shoulder; never let his defenses slip, and never got close to anyone. Until he met Isaac Konners. Konners was everything Mateo wanted in a partner. Getting close to Isaac though, would mean breaking his personal vow and endangering an innocent person. Yet Isaac wormed his way into Mateo's heart, took hold, and wouldn't let go.
Several weeks after Garceau escaped from a prisoner transport van, a video played on every news channel. A close-up of Garceau looking into the camera filled the screen. "This video is for one person and one person only - Mateo Hachman. I promised I'd get you no matter how long it took and now that I'm free of that f*cked up prison and those bullsh*t guards; I intend to keep my promise."
Suddenly Mateo was pulled into the worst nightmare he could have imagined. Did he know where to look? Did he know Mateo's new name? What about his new looks? And what about Isaac? How could he protect Isaac from that lunatic?
It took almost five years and he gathered enough evidence to bring down Demarco Sanchez the head of the Proveedores as well as over a dozen high level members.
When henchman Abraham Garceau was sentenced for multiple counts of murder, he swore he'd find a way to torture Mateo until he begged to die.
Eight years later, Mateo had a new name, new career, and new life. In those eight years, he never stopped looking over his shoulder; never let his defenses slip, and never got close to anyone. Until he met Isaac Konners. Konners was everything Mateo wanted in a partner. Getting close to Isaac though, would mean breaking his personal vow and endangering an innocent person. Yet Isaac wormed his way into Mateo's heart, took hold, and wouldn't let go.
Several weeks after Garceau escaped from a prisoner transport van, a video played on every news channel. A close-up of Garceau looking into the camera filled the screen. "This video is for one person and one person only - Mateo Hachman. I promised I'd get you no matter how long it took and now that I'm free of that f*cked up prison and those bullsh*t guards; I intend to keep my promise."
Suddenly Mateo was pulled into the worst nightmare he could have imagined. Did he know where to look? Did he know Mateo's new name? What about his new looks? And what about Isaac? How could he protect Isaac from that lunatic?
- GenresM M Romance
148 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 14, 2018
2 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
John Charles
15 books24 followersWhen asked why he writes under a pseudonym, he explains it this way, "My birth name was John Charles, but shortly after I was brought home, my parents changed it to Larry. I never got the real reason and I still have that original birth certificate." When he decided to write and publish, he chose to use his birth name - John Charles.
As a youngster, he had trouble reading. While in college, he learned that he had a form of dyslexia. When he was taught how to overcome the issues it caused, a new world opened for him. He now reads constantly.
John loves to read M/M mystery romance as well as action / adventure novels. He can be found with his Kindle or iPad in his hands most of the time.
He spent years in the technology industry and found himself immersed in writing marketing brochures, and technical and operations manuals. Writing fiction was not his lifelong dream, but emerged after his youngest went off to college. The writing bug stuck and now he writes every day.
Being single and living at the beach in southern Delaware has its benefits, too. You can frequently find him walking along the water's edge before the rest of the tourists and vacationers have awakened. He says that the secluded beach time is most precious.
The plots in his novels come from real life situations. "I have always believed that real life is more interesting than anything a person could make up. I listen, keep my eyes open, and let the world give me the ideas that make my stories believable and interesting."
"I find myself enjoying writing more than anything I've ever done in my life."
John's website is http://johncharlesbooks.com
To get a free book, sign up for his newsletter at: https://wp.me/P64Wfz-1dZ In his newsletter and blog, John reviews many of the books he reads.
You can stay in touch with John at:
https://twitter.com/johncharlesauth
https://www.facebook.com/johncharlesa...
http://www.goodreads.com/john_charles
As a youngster, he had trouble reading. While in college, he learned that he had a form of dyslexia. When he was taught how to overcome the issues it caused, a new world opened for him. He now reads constantly.
John loves to read M/M mystery romance as well as action / adventure novels. He can be found with his Kindle or iPad in his hands most of the time.
He spent years in the technology industry and found himself immersed in writing marketing brochures, and technical and operations manuals. Writing fiction was not his lifelong dream, but emerged after his youngest went off to college. The writing bug stuck and now he writes every day.
Being single and living at the beach in southern Delaware has its benefits, too. You can frequently find him walking along the water's edge before the rest of the tourists and vacationers have awakened. He says that the secluded beach time is most precious.
The plots in his novels come from real life situations. "I have always believed that real life is more interesting than anything a person could make up. I listen, keep my eyes open, and let the world give me the ideas that make my stories believable and interesting."
"I find myself enjoying writing more than anything I've ever done in my life."
John's website is http://johncharlesbooks.com
To get a free book, sign up for his newsletter at: https://wp.me/P64Wfz-1dZ In his newsletter and blog, John reviews many of the books he reads.
You can stay in touch with John at:
https://twitter.com/johncharlesauth
https://www.facebook.com/johncharlesa...
http://www.goodreads.com/john_charles
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 9, 2018
WOW! That was quite a journey I just took. I have to say I didn’t select this book myself. A friend thought it would be something I liked, and just goes to show how well she knows me because I loved it.
Mateo was a complete surprise to me. Here I thought I was reading about a school teacher, well technically he is, but he is so much more. This man has lived with danger most of his life. Sometimes willingly placed himself in the most dangerous situations trying to protect others around him.
What Mateo once was is supposedly no longer, he has a new life now. He will always be on his guard, and this makes me sad. He definitely deserves to live a life free from looking over his shoulder, or taking extra precautions just to do simple things which many of us do on a regular basis like eating out.
Mateo was missing the one thing he believes he wasn’t able to have in his life, love. That was until he met the handsome, Isaac. Mateo and Isaac are electric together it only cements my feelings for Mateo to have a happily ever after.
Isaac is unaware of the situation Mateo has found himself in. He does however know when something is up, and don’t think he’s quite ready to live and breath the life Mateo has to lead. Things, Life becomes increasingly more complicated.
This story had me hooked, it was intense and scary at times, but it was also very dare I say romantic? I found myself smiling at the growing relationship between Mateo and Isaac. Don’t get me wrong this story was no fairytale more action thriller with sexy times to boot.
Mateo was a complete surprise to me. Here I thought I was reading about a school teacher, well technically he is, but he is so much more. This man has lived with danger most of his life. Sometimes willingly placed himself in the most dangerous situations trying to protect others around him.
What Mateo once was is supposedly no longer, he has a new life now. He will always be on his guard, and this makes me sad. He definitely deserves to live a life free from looking over his shoulder, or taking extra precautions just to do simple things which many of us do on a regular basis like eating out.
Mateo was missing the one thing he believes he wasn’t able to have in his life, love. That was until he met the handsome, Isaac. Mateo and Isaac are electric together it only cements my feelings for Mateo to have a happily ever after.
Isaac is unaware of the situation Mateo has found himself in. He does however know when something is up, and don’t think he’s quite ready to live and breath the life Mateo has to lead. Things, Life becomes increasingly more complicated.
This story had me hooked, it was intense and scary at times, but it was also very dare I say romantic? I found myself smiling at the growing relationship between Mateo and Isaac. Don’t get me wrong this story was no fairytale more action thriller with sexy times to boot.
March 5, 2019
I was really intrigued by the blurb of this book, excited by the concept but when actually reading the book, I was not happy. First, there were so many errors. Grammatical errors in abundance. Second, some of the comments made to each other we're just really off to me. Scott's treatment of Issac sometimes was just ghastly to me. And even after all was said and done, Issac did feel like he could leave if he wanted. At least, that's how it felt to me. I'm going to go ahead and try the next book, but I'm really hoping its better.
May 9, 2018
gah!! loved mateo and issac! i love fbi agents. this book was really good, loved the whole story line and the bad guys, fast paced fun read. would def recommend.
May 21, 2018
Mateo Hachman went deep undercover and succeeded in bringing down the notorious Proveedores cartel. After the trial that saw its highest members sentenced to multiple life sentences Mateo was forced to shed his old life and assume a new identity, that of university professor, Scott Witier. Unfortunately, just as he becomes involved with Isaac, one of those men, a cartel enforcer, escapes prison and nationally broadcasts a message that he’s going to hunt down Mateo and torture him until he begs for death. Mateo is forced to rely on his skills, and his old boss at the FBI to keep himself and Isaac alive.
This book had my name written all over it. The promise of bad, violent men doing bad, violent things will snag my interest every time. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. If a book has undercover agents and murderous cartel members who are out for bloody vengeance, then I need it to be dark and gritty. I need to feel that mental and emotional turmoil that our main characters are dealing with, as good men are forced to act against their morals in order to survive. This book just didn’t give me that. And I’m not saying that the plot didn’t include one rather tormented soul in the shape of Scott Witier, but it was kind of like watching wannabe actors in a D-grade sitcom. I could watch everything playing out on the page but I just didn’t feel any of the described emotion.
The characters and their relationship were quite awkward. They meet in a library, at the university where Scott is a lecturer and he immediately starts flirting with Isaac. And it’s not cute flirting, it’s pretty creepy, throwing out lines like – “If I took my work home with me, I’d never get to play and I love to play.” But that wasn’t the extent of my problem with Scott. Firstly, after he discovers that the bad guy is hunting him, he decides that continuing their brand new relationship is worth the risk to Isaac’s life and that he’ll do his best to keep Isaac safe if the homicidal killer turns up. Right, well, maybe Isaac would have a different opinion. Although, to be fair, when Isaac finds Scott carrying a gun, and Scott tells him it’s to protect Isaac, the so called genius doesn’t question the threat to his life. Secondly, on multiple occasions, Scott comments on Isaac’s clothes, telling him that he dresses like a grandpa and that he looks frumpy. When Isaac indicates that he’s happy with his clothes, Scott tells him that they’ll discuss it later…I’m not going to comment any further on that one or the urge to throat punch Scott will come back.
I also need to add that there were errors and inconsistencies throughout the book. It’s possible that I read an ARC that wasn’t a final copy, but the fact that Scott’s surname changed from Wittier to Witier shows just how bad the mistakes were.
Now, just because I didn’t like this book doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t consider it if the blurb sounds like something that you might like. Maybe check out some of the other reviews here. At the time of me writing this, the consensus seems to be that I’m in the minority and most readers are enjoying it.
Oh and in case you were wondering about the name of the series, this is book zero in the Asher Radman series. Asher Radman is the name of Mateo’s boss at the FBI. I’m assuming that the rest of the series will feature him more heavily than his few appearances here.
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2018/05/1...
This book had my name written all over it. The promise of bad, violent men doing bad, violent things will snag my interest every time. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. If a book has undercover agents and murderous cartel members who are out for bloody vengeance, then I need it to be dark and gritty. I need to feel that mental and emotional turmoil that our main characters are dealing with, as good men are forced to act against their morals in order to survive. This book just didn’t give me that. And I’m not saying that the plot didn’t include one rather tormented soul in the shape of Scott Witier, but it was kind of like watching wannabe actors in a D-grade sitcom. I could watch everything playing out on the page but I just didn’t feel any of the described emotion.
The characters and their relationship were quite awkward. They meet in a library, at the university where Scott is a lecturer and he immediately starts flirting with Isaac. And it’s not cute flirting, it’s pretty creepy, throwing out lines like – “If I took my work home with me, I’d never get to play and I love to play.” But that wasn’t the extent of my problem with Scott. Firstly, after he discovers that the bad guy is hunting him, he decides that continuing their brand new relationship is worth the risk to Isaac’s life and that he’ll do his best to keep Isaac safe if the homicidal killer turns up. Right, well, maybe Isaac would have a different opinion. Although, to be fair, when Isaac finds Scott carrying a gun, and Scott tells him it’s to protect Isaac, the so called genius doesn’t question the threat to his life. Secondly, on multiple occasions, Scott comments on Isaac’s clothes, telling him that he dresses like a grandpa and that he looks frumpy. When Isaac indicates that he’s happy with his clothes, Scott tells him that they’ll discuss it later…I’m not going to comment any further on that one or the urge to throat punch Scott will come back.
I also need to add that there were errors and inconsistencies throughout the book. It’s possible that I read an ARC that wasn’t a final copy, but the fact that Scott’s surname changed from Wittier to Witier shows just how bad the mistakes were.
Now, just because I didn’t like this book doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t consider it if the blurb sounds like something that you might like. Maybe check out some of the other reviews here. At the time of me writing this, the consensus seems to be that I’m in the minority and most readers are enjoying it.
Oh and in case you were wondering about the name of the series, this is book zero in the Asher Radman series. Asher Radman is the name of Mateo’s boss at the FBI. I’m assuming that the rest of the series will feature him more heavily than his few appearances here.
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2018/05/1...
May 25, 2018
Scott Wittier (aka Matteo Hachman) has been living on the edge for seven years. His new life has given him a chance to earn tenure as a professor at the Colorado School of Mines. He loves living in Golden, and most everything about his life—except for his past, as that continues to haunt him.
Looking for solitude in the campus library, Scott meets Isaac Konners, who’s working on his dissertation in human physiology for a think tank. They’re both surprised that they have a common understanding of the subjects they discuss. Although they text and talk on the phone, their demanding schedules prevented them from getting together…but when they finally do, sparks fly between them. It has Scott yearning for a sincere relationship with Isaac, but he knows it isn’t safe. He doesn’t want a permanent relationship because he still fears he will put another life in danger.
When a nemesis from Scott’s past escapes from prison, Scott has no choice but to pick up the hidden burner phone that connects him to Asher Radman. Scott needs a guarantee that he is safe, but he fears there could be a mole in the FBI, so he decides to take matters into his own hands. He takes extra precautions to protect not only himself but Isaac as well. But even with Garceau coming for revenge, Scott still keeps the truth from Isaac. Will the past destroy what they have? When Asher and his team show up at Scott’s door, there’s no turning back. It’s time for Scott to overcome his fears.
I highly recommend reading A Cold Summer Sky before this book. It introduces Asher, a Special Agent with the FBI, beginning in his youth when he faced losing his parents. It shows how he succeeded, with the help of his grandparents, to joining the FBI. It tells the story of how he met Kyle, who owns the CoffeePorium, and gives a glimpse of their three-year relationship, which can be fragile at times. The plot involves a manufacturer of a money saving utility invention, so why is it bringing danger to a rural Kentucky town? Asher and his team take us through the technical procedure in tracking down and questioning suspects who are keeping their own secrets.
Both of these novels are page turners. There’s suspense, action, danger, and some solid secondary characters. The series also has an intriguing twist, Asher Radman, who isn’t the main character; he’s not the big hero or there to save the day, he just does his job when called upon. The plot is focused on Scott and allows him to tell his story—about how he struggles through his fears, tragedies, and just wants a normal life with Isaac. He also shows his strength in taking control of his situation. There are some intense moments between Isaac and Scott, and throwing Garceau into the mix, along with the other dangers, had me on edge. There were not a lot of clues for when Scott would come face to face with Garceau, and what will take place, so it was certainly surprising.
From what I can tell, John Charles is working on the next installment in the series entitled 11 Seconds. I have a clue what it’s about, so I’m curious to see how this story unfolds and brings Asher Radman into the fray.
Reviewed by Maryann for The Novel Approach
Looking for solitude in the campus library, Scott meets Isaac Konners, who’s working on his dissertation in human physiology for a think tank. They’re both surprised that they have a common understanding of the subjects they discuss. Although they text and talk on the phone, their demanding schedules prevented them from getting together…but when they finally do, sparks fly between them. It has Scott yearning for a sincere relationship with Isaac, but he knows it isn’t safe. He doesn’t want a permanent relationship because he still fears he will put another life in danger.
When a nemesis from Scott’s past escapes from prison, Scott has no choice but to pick up the hidden burner phone that connects him to Asher Radman. Scott needs a guarantee that he is safe, but he fears there could be a mole in the FBI, so he decides to take matters into his own hands. He takes extra precautions to protect not only himself but Isaac as well. But even with Garceau coming for revenge, Scott still keeps the truth from Isaac. Will the past destroy what they have? When Asher and his team show up at Scott’s door, there’s no turning back. It’s time for Scott to overcome his fears.
I highly recommend reading A Cold Summer Sky before this book. It introduces Asher, a Special Agent with the FBI, beginning in his youth when he faced losing his parents. It shows how he succeeded, with the help of his grandparents, to joining the FBI. It tells the story of how he met Kyle, who owns the CoffeePorium, and gives a glimpse of their three-year relationship, which can be fragile at times. The plot involves a manufacturer of a money saving utility invention, so why is it bringing danger to a rural Kentucky town? Asher and his team take us through the technical procedure in tracking down and questioning suspects who are keeping their own secrets.
Both of these novels are page turners. There’s suspense, action, danger, and some solid secondary characters. The series also has an intriguing twist, Asher Radman, who isn’t the main character; he’s not the big hero or there to save the day, he just does his job when called upon. The plot is focused on Scott and allows him to tell his story—about how he struggles through his fears, tragedies, and just wants a normal life with Isaac. He also shows his strength in taking control of his situation. There are some intense moments between Isaac and Scott, and throwing Garceau into the mix, along with the other dangers, had me on edge. There were not a lot of clues for when Scott would come face to face with Garceau, and what will take place, so it was certainly surprising.
From what I can tell, John Charles is working on the next installment in the series entitled 11 Seconds. I have a clue what it’s about, so I’m curious to see how this story unfolds and brings Asher Radman into the fray.
Reviewed by Maryann for The Novel Approach
June 15, 2018
When I saw the title I expected this to be about Asher Radman. He is in here as a secondary character late in the book but that is all. This story is about FBI agent Mateo Hachman. He went deep undercover and busted up a cartel and had threats on him. He is in protection, now a tenured professor in Golden Colorado and loves his home though he still looks over his shoulder a lot.
He now goes by Scott Wittier and is a well-liked processor. He swears off relationships after losing his lover Parick in a car crash. Until he meets Issac in the school library. They hit it off right away but they take their time to build a friendship that turns to more. Then Scott's past catches up with them.
I liked this story. I liked both Scott and Issacc though I wish there had been a story about Scott and the things that led to this. Perhaps it is in Cold Summer Sky which some reviews say to read first. Anyways I still liked this book. The romance is good, the storyline is interesting end the end is satisfying.
One issue I had was that the views hop around in each chapter instead of being separated into scenes or chapters and sometimes was a bit jarring trying to figure out who was talking or thinking and the texts were not italicized or set apart from the regular story so it was a bit confusing but still I liked it a lot and am looking forward to more in this series.
I recommend it if you like suspense, ex FBI agents, teachers and a very good romance.
He now goes by Scott Wittier and is a well-liked processor. He swears off relationships after losing his lover Parick in a car crash. Until he meets Issac in the school library. They hit it off right away but they take their time to build a friendship that turns to more. Then Scott's past catches up with them.
I liked this story. I liked both Scott and Issacc though I wish there had been a story about Scott and the things that led to this. Perhaps it is in Cold Summer Sky which some reviews say to read first. Anyways I still liked this book. The romance is good, the storyline is interesting end the end is satisfying.
One issue I had was that the views hop around in each chapter instead of being separated into scenes or chapters and sometimes was a bit jarring trying to figure out who was talking or thinking and the texts were not italicized or set apart from the regular story so it was a bit confusing but still I liked it a lot and am looking forward to more in this series.
I recommend it if you like suspense, ex FBI agents, teachers and a very good romance.
August 25, 2018
Hiding in plain sight
There was a lot to like about this story; intrigue, mystery, secrets, danger, smart intelligent men. There were also important bits of background information left out. Where, how and when did Scott earn his degrees in his chosen field? To be able to attain tenure at the college level, he must have been able to apply many years to that end.
At times I felt this book was a continuation of a previous story instead of " book 1" . Certain scenarios and characters needed to be more fleshed out.
Other than these few quibbles, the story was well written and kept my interest from beginning to end. I have the next book, "11 Seconds" in my queue and I am looking forward to reading it.
There was a lot to like about this story; intrigue, mystery, secrets, danger, smart intelligent men. There were also important bits of background information left out. Where, how and when did Scott earn his degrees in his chosen field? To be able to attain tenure at the college level, he must have been able to apply many years to that end.
At times I felt this book was a continuation of a previous story instead of " book 1" . Certain scenarios and characters needed to be more fleshed out.
Other than these few quibbles, the story was well written and kept my interest from beginning to end. I have the next book, "11 Seconds" in my queue and I am looking forward to reading it.
May 14, 2018
Sweet romance with action, deception and a fast paced plot create a terrific story! i enjoyed the character development and the writing flowed nicely. This was a good story with a bit of tension and fear of discovery. i liked the slow build of the relationship and the worry over if it was safe.
This is a story you will enjoy reading! It has heart, humor and interesting characters. This is the first that i have read by this author and i will definitely be looking for more to read by them.
This is a story you will enjoy reading! It has heart, humor and interesting characters. This is the first that i have read by this author and i will definitely be looking for more to read by them.
September 16, 2018
Interesting premise
The story "Zero Warning" isn't the first book I've read by Charles. I did enjoy the premise of it but there was something about the MC that I couldn't quite connect with. Yes, his life is in danger, but so is that of his love interest. There were steamy scenes and yes an interesting plot, but it wasn't always easy to follow. I liked Isaac, he had his own style and depth, but I felt he was easily duped by "Scott". It's a good story, and had good characters. Scott/Matteo had a backstory that gave compelling depth to the story.
September 16, 2018
Amazing, fast paced, hot thriller!
I just happened on this book and loved it. Scott was a former FBI agent in WITSEC type program where he had been given a new life as a professor at university. One of the men that he had helped out in prison escapes and tracks hem down. Meanwhile Scott meets and is falling in love with Issac. Everything is in high alert now waiting for the moment they might be found. I really enjoyed it, Scott and Isaac were so hot and amazing together. I couldn’t put the book down!
I just happened on this book and loved it. Scott was a former FBI agent in WITSEC type program where he had been given a new life as a professor at university. One of the men that he had helped out in prison escapes and tracks hem down. Meanwhile Scott meets and is falling in love with Issac. Everything is in high alert now waiting for the moment they might be found. I really enjoyed it, Scott and Isaac were so hot and amazing together. I couldn’t put the book down!
May 10, 2018
Great start to a new series! I highly recommend reading "A Cold Summer Sky" to learn more about Asher Randman. A full review will be posted on The Novel Approach.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews