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Monte Rio
Every July since 1878, two thousand of America’s wealthiest men have gathered at the Bohemian Grove near bucolic Monte Rio, California, for “the greatest men’s party on earth.” Hidden in the redwoods, protected by a vast array of federal and local police, the Bohemians feel safe from any threat.
But spying on the Bohos is great sport for the Russian River Society of Pirates and Thieves, a rowdy group of Monte Rio eccentrics. The Pirates rely on high-tech electronics, vintage technology, and old-fashioned nerve — just for fun, because they can.
And when they are co-opted by the FBI to help improve security at the Grove, they stumble across a cell of genuine terrorists in the most unlikely of places. As the suspense builds, the Pirates' true mettle is put to the test.
But spying on the Bohos is great sport for the Russian River Society of Pirates and Thieves, a rowdy group of Monte Rio eccentrics. The Pirates rely on high-tech electronics, vintage technology, and old-fashioned nerve — just for fun, because they can.
And when they are co-opted by the FBI to help improve security at the Grove, they stumble across a cell of genuine terrorists in the most unlikely of places. As the suspense builds, the Pirates' true mettle is put to the test.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 22, 2018
443 people are currently reading
541 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 5, 2019
This Would Be a Fantastic Movie
This inventive storyline features a bunch of oddball good-guys who stumble upon a terrorist plot in Sonoma County. The bad-guys are a now-wealthy former KGB agent, and an assassin who has fifteen “mind-warped” minions. This storyline would make an exciting movie, and as in the best action thrillers, good guys sometimes die.
As usual, Federal alphabet agencies along with local law enforcement are hip-deep in it. This time not in a good way. At first the bad situations are embarrassingly laughable, but soon all goes pear-shaped, and then turns deadly.
I enjoyed the fast-paced plot, but it’s the California redwoods setting and eccentric characters that bring this book to life. This story—which takes place in 2009—has ‘em all: geeks à la Silicon Valley; a metal-artist ‘Nam vet; a former South Vietnamese general; semi-rogue FBI agents; Keystone Cops-like police situations; a secret service agent kidnapping a CHP Officer; an ex-KGB agent and handler. And presciently, there is a Russia-Belarus angle.
Warning: NSFW language, God’s name in vain, some semi-racist views, and out-of-nowhere-porno for reasons known only to the author.
This inventive storyline features a bunch of oddball good-guys who stumble upon a terrorist plot in Sonoma County. The bad-guys are a now-wealthy former KGB agent, and an assassin who has fifteen “mind-warped” minions. This storyline would make an exciting movie, and as in the best action thrillers, good guys sometimes die.
As usual, Federal alphabet agencies along with local law enforcement are hip-deep in it. This time not in a good way. At first the bad situations are embarrassingly laughable, but soon all goes pear-shaped, and then turns deadly.
I enjoyed the fast-paced plot, but it’s the California redwoods setting and eccentric characters that bring this book to life. This story—which takes place in 2009—has ‘em all: geeks à la Silicon Valley; a metal-artist ‘Nam vet; a former South Vietnamese general; semi-rogue FBI agents; Keystone Cops-like police situations; a secret service agent kidnapping a CHP Officer; an ex-KGB agent and handler. And presciently, there is a Russia-Belarus angle.
Warning: NSFW language, God’s name in vain, some semi-racist views, and out-of-nowhere-porno for reasons known only to the author.
April 7, 2019
Growing up, my family had a cabin in Rio Nido, so Monte Rio and the surrounding communities along the Russian River were a big part of my childhood and teen years, which is what initially drew me to this story. The characters are just that, real characters, and add richly to a story that I otherwise not find interesting. The title and location drew me to this book and the characters are why I stayed. There is one chapter involving a brief sex scene that seemed a little out of place and had nothing to do with the story, otherwise everything else seemed to gel. There were several ways the story could have ended, so I was curious to see how the author would end the story - and I was surprised by a few things. Some may think this story moves too slowly, but I enjoyed the pace because I was familiar with the setting of the story and loved the characters.
January 27, 2019
Pretty good book. Colorful characters. However, it didn’t really pull me into the story.
November 18, 2018
I was provided with a complimentary copy of Monte Rio so I could provide an honest review of it.
Mark Joseph, the author, and I have known each other for a number of years and so I was delighted at the opportunity to read and review the book. It is my intention to provide an objective review as though the book was not free and as though we were not acquainted.
Monte Rio was of particular interest to me as I live in West Sonoma County California, about a half hour drive from where the story takes place. I know this beautiful area well. One of the characters avers that “The world doesn’t look too bad from Monte Rio, probably because you couldn’t see very much of it”. One wonders whether “Monte Rio is a psychic magnet that attracted crazy people from all over or a mystical force that makes them crazy once they got here”.
The underlying plot is an attempted terrorist attack on the Bohemian Grove encampment which is attended by members of San Francisco’s famed Bohemian Club and their guests. It is not a secret that its attendees are many of the wealthiest, most powerful, and influential men in America. It centers on four West County (specifically Monte Rio) men who call themselves the Russian River Society of Pirates and Thieves who derive fun from tracking and spying on the men who annually attend the two week long encampment in the exclusive and beautiful redwood Bohemian Grove forest. The “Pirates” are recruited by the FBI for their knowledge and acumen related to the Grove and the habits of its “campers”. In the process of looking for things out of the ordinary they uncover a plot on the part of Russians, Belarusians, and expat middle Easterners living in South America to attack the encampment, murder the President of Belarus, and as many of the high profile ultra-wealthy club members as they can. Wow, that’s a lot of goings-on.
The book is a thriller; a genuine page-turner. Mark Joseph weaves an exciting story with interesting and sometimes bizarre and sometimes rather normal characters. There were times when I could not put the book down and read late into the night. While the reader has no doubt where the author stands on major issues of our day (particularly the concentration of vast amounts of personal wealth), this is not a political book. It is a fast read that is likely to divert one’s attention from the television.
Mark Joseph, the author, and I have known each other for a number of years and so I was delighted at the opportunity to read and review the book. It is my intention to provide an objective review as though the book was not free and as though we were not acquainted.
Monte Rio was of particular interest to me as I live in West Sonoma County California, about a half hour drive from where the story takes place. I know this beautiful area well. One of the characters avers that “The world doesn’t look too bad from Monte Rio, probably because you couldn’t see very much of it”. One wonders whether “Monte Rio is a psychic magnet that attracted crazy people from all over or a mystical force that makes them crazy once they got here”.
The underlying plot is an attempted terrorist attack on the Bohemian Grove encampment which is attended by members of San Francisco’s famed Bohemian Club and their guests. It is not a secret that its attendees are many of the wealthiest, most powerful, and influential men in America. It centers on four West County (specifically Monte Rio) men who call themselves the Russian River Society of Pirates and Thieves who derive fun from tracking and spying on the men who annually attend the two week long encampment in the exclusive and beautiful redwood Bohemian Grove forest. The “Pirates” are recruited by the FBI for their knowledge and acumen related to the Grove and the habits of its “campers”. In the process of looking for things out of the ordinary they uncover a plot on the part of Russians, Belarusians, and expat middle Easterners living in South America to attack the encampment, murder the President of Belarus, and as many of the high profile ultra-wealthy club members as they can. Wow, that’s a lot of goings-on.
The book is a thriller; a genuine page-turner. Mark Joseph weaves an exciting story with interesting and sometimes bizarre and sometimes rather normal characters. There were times when I could not put the book down and read late into the night. While the reader has no doubt where the author stands on major issues of our day (particularly the concentration of vast amounts of personal wealth), this is not a political book. It is a fast read that is likely to divert one’s attention from the television.
December 14, 2018
As a former resident of Monte Rio I enjoyed this tale of the residents against the government . I like that the residents were against the Bohemians as they have been a problem for that environment for decades and hated by the residents. The emphasis on the "rich tech environmentalists" was far fetched for that area but added humor at the easy luxurious lives they lead in the plot. Most of the residents of Monte Rio are in fact poor starving hippies and those that live off the grid. The story of us against the corruption of corporate government visitors to the Bohemian meetings is realistic and what this area truly needs is residents that take up the fight against this abomination to the environment. The heads of corporate America and government officials have been allowed to infiltrate and destroy this area for decades. The descriptions of the area are exact and the author captured the truly unique beauty of living in this area which is little known to outsiders and truly beautiful. This is a very enjoyable read with the exception of the extreme wealth of the residents I enjoyed it very much as a old Rio resident. The plot is well crafted, the charcters are rich and enjoyable.
January 8, 2019
Very unusual counter terror novel.
Characters were great the plot was very original the author made the characters very real and the action was very well done. I hope to see more with these characters.
Characters were great the plot was very original the author made the characters very real and the action was very well done. I hope to see more with these characters.
January 20, 2019
Ugh. I’m 20% into this book and nothing has happened. Maybe it gets better, but I’m not sticking around to find out. With so many riveting books out there, I no longer feel obligated to finish the weak ones.
December 6, 2018
Received this book free from Goodreads Giveaways and really enjoyed. It was well written, suspenseful, and moved along at a good pace.
The story centers around the town of Monte Rio, California and the Bohemian Grove which is a "campground" for some of the richest and most powerful people in the country and their guests. A very exclusive gentlemen's club.
It is the beginning of the annual 2 week encampment at the grove and some of the locals are very interested in the goings on there. There are 4 of them that listen in on the activities with some high tech equipment and follow the 'campers' when they leave the camp to go into the surrounding towns for entertainment. There is lots of various law enforcement agencies around protecting the campers and 2 FBI guys hook up with the 4 locals thinking they know more about what is going on then anyone else. They also want to expose any shortcoming in the camps security. They stumble upon a plot to infiltrate the camp and with suicide bombers. The bombers have been trained in South America and are sponsored by the Russians with specific targets in mind.
Each of the locals has there own quirks and the FBI agents are definitely nontraditional.
The story centers around the town of Monte Rio, California and the Bohemian Grove which is a "campground" for some of the richest and most powerful people in the country and their guests. A very exclusive gentlemen's club.
It is the beginning of the annual 2 week encampment at the grove and some of the locals are very interested in the goings on there. There are 4 of them that listen in on the activities with some high tech equipment and follow the 'campers' when they leave the camp to go into the surrounding towns for entertainment. There is lots of various law enforcement agencies around protecting the campers and 2 FBI guys hook up with the 4 locals thinking they know more about what is going on then anyone else. They also want to expose any shortcoming in the camps security. They stumble upon a plot to infiltrate the camp and with suicide bombers. The bombers have been trained in South America and are sponsored by the Russians with specific targets in mind.
Each of the locals has there own quirks and the FBI agents are definitely nontraditional.
November 2, 2018
Goodreads Kindle Copy Win
A group of rich eccentric men gather to take part in the greatest men party at a Bohemian Grove in Monte Rio, California. A secluded area in the redwoods which is protected by local and government police which makes them feel safe.
The group is into spying as they test out their skills. They and the FBI will try to improve security but their plans will be interrupted. Accidently stumbling upon a cell of terrorists they will get more than they bargain.
An interesting read.
A group of rich eccentric men gather to take part in the greatest men party at a Bohemian Grove in Monte Rio, California. A secluded area in the redwoods which is protected by local and government police which makes them feel safe.
The group is into spying as they test out their skills. They and the FBI will try to improve security but their plans will be interrupted. Accidently stumbling upon a cell of terrorists they will get more than they bargain.
An interesting read.
January 21, 2019
Mark Joseph, author of Monte Rio, created an appealing cast of characters whose antics kept me smiling, if not downright laughing, left me entertained until the very end. By the time I read the last chapter, I realized the author was writing more than just a spoof on political figures, big business and the American people. He was making a dramatic political statement.
The ending surprised me and made me wish for more.
The ending surprised me and made me wish for more.
June 14, 2019
This was a really, really good book. I have had it on my Kindle for a few months and overlooked it, but when I finally started reading it, I was hooked immediately and couldn't put it down. The characters are well-defined and interesting, the plot was intriguing, and the resolution was well done. All in all, a wonderful read!
December 3, 2018
Cover- Simple yet catchy.
Title- Good and justified.
Storyline- Compact.
Narrating style- Captivating.
Characterization- Connecting and perfect.
Plot- Well developed.
Presentation- Appreciable.
Recommendable- Yes.
Title- Good and justified.
Storyline- Compact.
Narrating style- Captivating.
Characterization- Connecting and perfect.
Plot- Well developed.
Presentation- Appreciable.
Recommendable- Yes.
December 7, 2018
A really fun read
This is a really good book for its genre. I can see it making into a great movie because it has a great cast of characters. You can just picture some of your favorite movie stars playing various parts. I will definitely read this author again
This is a really good book for its genre. I can see it making into a great movie because it has a great cast of characters. You can just picture some of your favorite movie stars playing various parts. I will definitely read this author again
January 24, 2019
Excellent
Set at the fabled Bohemian grove the novel starts comic and turns into thriller. The 4 wisecracking heroes have been spying on the annual rich boys party for years, and are recruited by 2 FBI agents who have an uneasy feeling this year there will be trouble
Set at the fabled Bohemian grove the novel starts comic and turns into thriller. The 4 wisecracking heroes have been spying on the annual rich boys party for years, and are recruited by 2 FBI agents who have an uneasy feeling this year there will be trouble
January 29, 2019
Terrorist humor
This is a great book. The story portrays anti-government civilians,federal agents and terrorists stumbling into each other. I smiled all the way through .Mr. Joseph is a fine writer and reminds me of Joseph Wambaugh.
This is a great book. The story portrays anti-government civilians,federal agents and terrorists stumbling into each other. I smiled all the way through .Mr. Joseph is a fine writer and reminds me of Joseph Wambaugh.
March 2, 2019
Somehow this book just didn't pull me in, even though it's about the Bohemian Club and is set in Sonoma County, which I thought I'd really enjoy. The first part was rather quirky and fun, but then we shifted gears to Paraguay and I just lost interest. Maybe another time?
January 5, 2019
Outstanding read
Vivid characters, interesting and unique. This was a novel you do not stop reading until you finish. Totally enjoyable read. Thank you😺
Vivid characters, interesting and unique. This was a novel you do not stop reading until you finish. Totally enjoyable read. Thank you😺
January 6, 2019
Great Read
Enjoyed this book. Interesting and well described characters, scenery and story line. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
Enjoyed this book. Interesting and well described characters, scenery and story line. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
January 22, 2019
Good, entertaining read
Offbeat characters, quirky and exciting story. Well done sense of place. Would like to try another book by this author.
Offbeat characters, quirky and exciting story. Well done sense of place. Would like to try another book by this author.
January 10, 2019
Fantastic story.
A great read that you won't want to put down. The kind of book that grabs you and leaves you wanting more from it's charade.
A great read that you won't want to put down. The kind of book that grabs you and leaves you wanting more from it's charade.
January 10, 2019
This book was an entertaining and fun read, especially for a Sonoma County local, like myself. The characters were unique and full of local flavor, and the plot was engaging!
January 13, 2019
Great Read!
Couldn’t put it down. Excellent characters and story line. Highly recommended. Can’t wait to read more from this author. Get it now!
Couldn’t put it down. Excellent characters and story line. Highly recommended. Can’t wait to read more from this author. Get it now!
January 14, 2019
Interesting read
Fascinating story line, well written. Loved the eccentric characters in the story. Some could have been relatives you see once a year at Holidays.
Fascinating story line, well written. Loved the eccentric characters in the story. Some could have been relatives you see once a year at Holidays.
January 20, 2019
I tried to get into it, but it didn't hold my interest much.
January 21, 2019
Monte Rio
Different from what I usually like to read.
Kept my interest and showed how vulnerable we are
A good read
Different from what I usually like to read.
Kept my interest and showed how vulnerable we are
A good read
February 17, 2019
This was better than I expected. I chose it because I know the area and it sounded quirky. It has its quirky side, but also realistic characters and an entertaining story.
February 22, 2019
Profanity!!!
Another writer with a limited vocabulary. If you can't use profanity then you can't write. What a sad day for some of us readers.
Another writer with a limited vocabulary. If you can't use profanity then you can't write. What a sad day for some of us readers.
June 27, 2019
Nice
Stared reading this story just as a time killer,b but once I started I couldn’t stop. Fun , sad story.
Stared reading this story just as a time killer,b but once I started I couldn’t stop. Fun , sad story.
October 31, 2019
What a bunch of crazies
This story started out with the craziest group of characters and the wildest premise. I ended up enjoying it very much
This story started out with the craziest group of characters and the wildest premise. I ended up enjoying it very much
December 21, 2019
I wasn't sure I'd like this book because it's not my usual selection, but I was caught up in the characters from the start. Monte Rio starts slow, but barrels along to its explosive conclusion.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews