Wet Work

Dick Thornby #2

by Donald J. Bingle

Dick Thornby is not Hollywood's idea of a spy. He's a new kind of spy for a new kind of world.

Dick's not a supercool guy in a tuxedo or a crazed loner who does nothing but kill and drive fast. He's just a regular guy with some skills for a job that needs doing. He also has a wife, a teenaged kid, a mortgage, and all the mundane problems associated with life. His friends from the New Jersey subdivision where he lives all think he is a wastewater treatment consultant. But instead of dealing with the dirty job of processing sewage in third world countries, he is really on missions, some mundane and dirty, others of vital importance and even dirtier.

After taking personal revenge on the criminal behind both his son’s injuries and the continued disintegration of his marriage, Dick Thornby is teamed with Acacia (“Ace”) Zyreb, a young, female agent from the East European office of the Subsidiary, to deal with the mystery behind coordinated hacking of the braking systems of several car models.Doing his best to maintain his vows to his wife, Dick struggles to deal with the inexperience and provocative attitude of Ace on her first non-European mission. Their somewhat combative investigation takes a left turn by uncovering a much more sinister threat to the world and to Dick's family. He's willing to risk his job, his partner, and his life to eliminate the threat, but the clock is ticking.

Here's what Spy Guys and Gals had to say about Net Impact , the first book in the Dick Thornby "I love spy novels. I devote my hobby time to them. I write about them on my website. When I find a series that I really enjoy, I am delighted and that word most definitely applies to this series. It has action, great characters, interesting twists, and enough suspense to make you both hold your breath and turn the page (digitally in my case). I like Dick Thornby and I like reading about him and I hope to continue to do so."

Explosions! Action! Spycraft! Car Chases! Thrills! Mysteries! Conspiracies! Globe-Trotting! Sexual Innuendo! More Explosions!

Now available, Flash Drive , the third installment in the Dick Thornby Thriller series.

From the author of Net Impact , plus other fine thrillers, including Forced Conversion , GREENSWORD , and Frame Shop .

285 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 11, 2018

About the author

Donald J. Bingle (sometimes credited as Don Bingle) is the author of Frame Shop, a mystery thriller set in a suburban writers' group, Net Impact, a spy thriller which incorporates real-world conspiracy theories, Wet Work, the follow-up adventure to Net Impact, GREENSWORD, a dark comedy about global warming, and Forced Conversion, a military science fiction novel set in the near future. He is also the co-author (with Jean Rabe) of The Love-Haight Case Files, an urban fantasy about the legal rights of supernatural creatures in a magical San Francisco. He has also written a variety of short fiction in the fantasy, science fiction, horror, and comedy genres, and also in gaming material, including stories in the Dragonlance and Transformers universes and in a variety of DAW themed anthologies. Many of his published stories have been collected by theme in his Writer on Demand TM series. He was the world's top-ranked player of RPGA Classic roleplaying game tournaments from 1985-2000.

Reviews

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dick Thornby is not what you think of when you think of a spy. He is an average guy with more than average training. He has a wife and kids and mortgage just like us. His friends and family think he works as a wastewater treatment consultant and he does, in a way. Wetwork is another definition for murder or assassination and Dick does take out the trash.

Things are going to hell for him with his marriage and injuries to one of his children. But he doesn’t really have time to sit down and mend the problems. Instead he is partnered with Acacia Zyreb a young agent from Eastern Europe. Ace and Dick are looking into someone that has been tampering with some very important peoples brakes. But the deeper they dig, the more of a connection they find to those that have hurt Dick’s Family.

I love Dick as a detective. He is your average Joe with some intelligence and knows how to get things done. He clearly loves his family although there are some troubles there. And it is a dance to get used to working with Ace and all of her quirks. But in the end, I hoped for the best and was afraid that everything was going to fall down around Dick’s head.

This is my first book from author Donald Bingle but I have to say that is won’t be my last. I loved how you could easily get into this story and not be lost without having to read Net Impact first. Thankfully I do have a copy of Net Impact and I will be posting a review for it shortly. Dick Thornby is a great character and I can’t wait to see what Donald has in store for him next.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The modern day, working man's James Bond, Dick Thornby, returns in this brilliant and engaging sequel to Net Impact. This was a great read and I'm not sure who was faster: Dick driving his car or me swiping the pages of my Kindle! More please!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

[Laurie Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent novel in the series.
Seemingly random events come together with some eventful twists.
Totally different in many ways to the first in series with a new character partnered.
Thoroughly recommended for those readers with a penchant for something different.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good espionage thriller so I really wanted to read this book. It is the second book in a series but works as a stand alone. The story itself is totally believable and contains lots of plausible dangerous scenarios. My problem with the book is the writing style. The author never misses a chance to insert detailed descriptions of things that absolutely have nothing to do with the plot. If he can add an extra adjective, he usually does. It’s almost as if he is trying to fulfill some word count quota. This greatly takes away from the action and makes the story seem to plod along. Another problem I had was with the two main characters. They are not very likable people which is okay but their dialogue was so unrealistic and childish, I didn’t see them as viable characters. With some good editing, this book could be refined to make it a good thriller but as it is now, it isn’t for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[John E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trouble in paradise

Solo agent Dick Thornby is back and his bosses at the Syndicate need to decide if he is still useful to the organization. Their answer? Team him up with a new, young, female agent and assign them to investigate a possible low level threat. Dick can't possibly again cause damage similar to the results in New Zealand or Denver. Dick has to find a way to rebuild his relationship with wife and son while focusing on the mission and his troublesome partner. Well developed characters, conspiracies, intrigue and of course, explosions interlaced with humor and other tidbits, this is a fun, fast paced read.

Fair disclosure: I know the author and we have a number of mutual friends. This is also not my usual genre to read. That said, i think most readers will enjoy this story. For me, Dick is a tougher male, more laconic, more explosive version of Hallmark Channel's Jane Doe.

[R.G. Ziemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wet Work by Donald J. Bingle brings back agent Dick Thornby, veteran agent and hit man. In this action-packed thriller, Dick has days-- nay, hours, possibly minutes—to halt an anarchist’s plans for disaster on a global scale. Teamed up with a young, hot Eastern European agent, Dick has a few tricks to show her, if he could only slow down enough to appreciate what she brings to their team. The rushing sequence of events takes them from Southeast Asia to Hawaii, and on to the Canary Islands, with shoot ‘em up action, hand-to-hand fighting, and—yes, stuff blows up!
In this 2nd of the Dick Thornby trilogy, Bingle puts together a fast-paced narrative with a plausible plot and vivid description. With an economy of words, the still develops the characters and gives a true sense of the exotic settings. Regular fans of the spy thriller genre won’t be disappointed by Dick Thornby in Wet Work.

[Terri McClean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read about a guy who has real life problems , who just happens be be a spy. Not a James Bond, but a guy who is a regular joe, who uses his brain to think outside the box. Now suppose you have proved your worth and shown that your ways work, but hey your bosses want you to colour inside the lines. So they give you a young inexperienced minder. What's a guy to do but to try to get them to be like you. What follows is a fast paced spy book that has you rooting for the good guys whilst you are turning the pages to see how it works out. It reminds me of a mix of Bryan Mills and Maxwell Smart. This is part of series but you can enjoy it as a stand alone. Read book one if you haven't yet, because you will be wanting to follow this series.

[Baglady · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the "hero" - normal guy in a one-of-a-kind spy job, who isn't super-human. Can't put my finger on it, but the relationships between the agents seemed stereotyped; the young female seemed more capable, more intelligent, more physically fit for the job and seemed to think of herself as being better, smarter, faster in a way that wasn't humorous. Characterizations of the "hero" degraded the middle-aged guy as an over-the-hill out-of-shape old-timer who doesn't "get" modern electronics. Could have been self-deprecating humor, but just seemed more of a put-down. Maybe it was a lack of respect between people who are working as partners. That respect developed over time, but I couldn't imagine them being able to work together for a common purpose.

[Lori Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an audio copy from the author narrated by Bruce Pilkenton, delivering a witty and humorous performance of this fast paced adventure thrill ride.


Received as a review copy from Story Origin, this is an honest review. With is injured son Seth on the mend from his injuries, Dick Thornby seeks out how to get back at the guy whom nearly had his son son murdered. Saving the world for a second time this round has Dick partnered with Ace- a no nonsense woman constantly frustrated by his crazy antics. Dick is a very unconventional spy, but his tricks may just keep themselves alive as they go against criminals taking control of vehicles and causing panic to preventing a dangerous, cataclysmic event earthquake and Tsunami and the countless deaths along with it. A brilliant on the edge of your sequel and thrill ride. Highly recommended.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying, modern spy thriller from a prolific author. I enjoyed seeing a spy that is not super human and is well-written. The author's polish shows at times, and the plot is quite engaging. I'll have to circle back and read the previous Thornby.

I really appreciate the copy for review!!

[Heather Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set Work fell short for me,the characters are unlikable and could use some editing. The book was a bit slow and too political.