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Ricochet
Brenda Roseberry’s youth was fractured with personal loss and sexual assault. In response, she’s trained her body through rock climbing and Isreali martial arts. Her genius at engineering tends toward the she invents technology that allows her to see through walls, along with bulletproof clothing and specialized grenades. Brilliant, fearless, and eminently disturbed, Brenda is ultimately recruited by Special Crimes Response And Mitigation—SCRAM. And so begins her daring pursuit of white-collar crime, fringe terrorist conspiracies, and anyone deserving of her unique brand of draconian justice. Her only real friend is a notorious MS-13 gangster named Pucaso. He’s got a crush on her but that only makes Brenda deride him and loathe herself. Still, she relies on his help, whether she’s in Belize to wipe out the server farm of a corrupt hedge fund, or on Maui to take on the poisonous executives of a giant chemical company. Brenda treats wrongdoers like insects—the kind that need extermination.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2018
1 person is currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
David Kennedy
338 books16 followersDave is a guidebook writer/publisher turned novelist. He began rock climbing around 1984, which was a “logical” extension of hiking, camping and backpacking since boyhood. After his first article on climbing in San Diego’s back-country was published in Rock & Ice magazine, he created the San Diego County Climbing Guide, which proved extremely popular. Next came San Diego Adventures: Classic hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing. In 2007 he completed and published a second edition of the climbing guide, which vividly detailed over 2,000 routes.
Subsequently, he embarked on a fiction-writing odyssey, producing sci-fi novels and short stories “rather unsuccessfully” in terms of publication. He finally found his proper voice in 2017 when he wrote Ricochet, an intense modern-day thriller about a young female vigilante. Upon its completion, he learned about Acorn Publishing while attending the 2018 Southern California Writers’ Conference and was signed by them shortly thereafter.
David is also an accomplished horticulturist. He became interested in tropical plants called Bromeliads in 2010, which quickly turned into a passion. He is an active member of the San Diego Bromeliad Society, and has won “Best of Show” awards in their annual show multiple times. His Tillandsia collection is considered one of the best in the region. For many years he and his wife Debbie have been chief volunteer caretakers of the San Diego Zoo’s Kent Bromeliad Garden.
Becoming a novelist is the realization of a lifelong dream. David loves the process of storytelling, of waking up each day well before dawn and diving into the art of making words come together in a way that appeals.
Subsequently, he embarked on a fiction-writing odyssey, producing sci-fi novels and short stories “rather unsuccessfully” in terms of publication. He finally found his proper voice in 2017 when he wrote Ricochet, an intense modern-day thriller about a young female vigilante. Upon its completion, he learned about Acorn Publishing while attending the 2018 Southern California Writers’ Conference and was signed by them shortly thereafter.
David is also an accomplished horticulturist. He became interested in tropical plants called Bromeliads in 2010, which quickly turned into a passion. He is an active member of the San Diego Bromeliad Society, and has won “Best of Show” awards in their annual show multiple times. His Tillandsia collection is considered one of the best in the region. For many years he and his wife Debbie have been chief volunteer caretakers of the San Diego Zoo’s Kent Bromeliad Garden.
Becoming a novelist is the realization of a lifelong dream. David loves the process of storytelling, of waking up each day well before dawn and diving into the art of making words come together in a way that appeals.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 12, 2018
Received from Xpresso Book Tours
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Ricochet is spooky. Not the story itself, but the main Character. Brenda lost her parents at a very young age and her life has been hard ever since. Dealing with life, she made herself into the kick-ass machine. Her body is worked to perfection, she has incredible endurance, can climb and transfer herself into anyone (with help of wigs and accessories). What is the most thrilling about her, is her personality. She is extremely composed and doesn't break a sweet, even when she is "extracting" information from someone. It was very spooky to read the thing she did and how little it affected her. And what she does to bad people, when done with them is very terrifying. :)
Brenda is recruited by the agency SCRAM and she fights all kind of bad people. Her story slowly reveals herself.
Writing is OK, I wanted to see a bit more showing and a little less telling. However, Brenda makes up for all that. I just had to know what she will do next.
It's that kind of story that would make an amazing movie. :)
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Ricochet is spooky. Not the story itself, but the main Character. Brenda lost her parents at a very young age and her life has been hard ever since. Dealing with life, she made herself into the kick-ass machine. Her body is worked to perfection, she has incredible endurance, can climb and transfer herself into anyone (with help of wigs and accessories). What is the most thrilling about her, is her personality. She is extremely composed and doesn't break a sweet, even when she is "extracting" information from someone. It was very spooky to read the thing she did and how little it affected her. And what she does to bad people, when done with them is very terrifying. :)
Brenda is recruited by the agency SCRAM and she fights all kind of bad people. Her story slowly reveals herself.
Writing is OK, I wanted to see a bit more showing and a little less telling. However, Brenda makes up for all that. I just had to know what she will do next.
It's that kind of story that would make an amazing movie. :)
November 14, 2018
Move over, Laura Craft! A new video game hero-anti-hero has arrived!
With a sense of stubborn aloneness, graced with hyper-athletic finesse and a solid tinge of malevolence, Brenda is a crazy train of fierce. She’s a Robin Hood of right over wrong, whatever side she decides. Even if/when the sides switcheroo on her – and you!
She’s an uncommon Cat Woman, a Sasha Fierce, a Wonder Woman with barbs rather than deflecting cuffs.
Author David Kennedy performs a high wire act with vigorous prose and vibrant vocabulary. I don’t think he ever utilized an action word twice – and this is a novel whose actions rip across the pages. Ricochet.
Brenda rains vengeance across various terrains, swift justice via cosmic thought and plan. Funded by a limitless, unseen credit card, she’s here, there, and everywhere.
Me? I had to remain in my seat until her trajectory twisted and turned, along for the ride. Page turner? Yes, and this isn’t even my genre.
Brenda was always ten steps ahead of the heroes and villains, critters and unmentionables. Her artful chameleon character thrilled me as much as Jack Reacher.
I highly recommend this book.
With a sense of stubborn aloneness, graced with hyper-athletic finesse and a solid tinge of malevolence, Brenda is a crazy train of fierce. She’s a Robin Hood of right over wrong, whatever side she decides. Even if/when the sides switcheroo on her – and you!
She’s an uncommon Cat Woman, a Sasha Fierce, a Wonder Woman with barbs rather than deflecting cuffs.
Author David Kennedy performs a high wire act with vigorous prose and vibrant vocabulary. I don’t think he ever utilized an action word twice – and this is a novel whose actions rip across the pages. Ricochet.
Brenda rains vengeance across various terrains, swift justice via cosmic thought and plan. Funded by a limitless, unseen credit card, she’s here, there, and everywhere.
Me? I had to remain in my seat until her trajectory twisted and turned, along for the ride. Page turner? Yes, and this isn’t even my genre.
Brenda was always ten steps ahead of the heroes and villains, critters and unmentionables. Her artful chameleon character thrilled me as much as Jack Reacher.
I highly recommend this book.
November 25, 2018
# What I liked
I don't want to spoil everything so I'm telling you only the technical things that I liked or didn't.
First of all the writing style was great. I found myself to be engulfed by the novel like immediately after the first few sentences. I had absolutely no problems getting into the story and even though I didn't like the novel as much at the beginning as I did towards the end, I found myself being fascinated by it. The story is written in the third POV of Brenda so it's pretty easy to get to know the main character and to understand Brenda's actions better. Which is probably why I liked her so much.
The next thing I liked, was that it was action-packed. And I have to say that you get a lot of action in this book. I don't even know if there were some parts or chapters that were not action-packed. For some people, it's probably too much but for me, it was the perfect amount. I mean if you're reading a thriller you want the action in the novel right? So too much doesn't even exist in that case. At least for me!
I won't say that the last few chapters where the reader got to know more about a secret organization was a plot twist. At least I wouldn't classify it as a twist it was a bit predictable. But what I wanted to say is that I liked the whole story/plot. It's kind of different to see a badass heroine as the main protagonist with a not so typical history than the typical male main characters in other thrillers.
The pacing was also fine. For me, it was the perfect pacing. The chapters were not too long, they had the perfect length and I was able to read this book at a quick pace.
# What I disliked
Some parts were probably a bit too gory. But it's an adult novel so that's fine. But if you're not able to read such scenes I definitely wouldn't recommend it to you, as it's probably triggering!
# Favourite Character
Even though she was pretty insane, Brenda was by far my favourite character!
Overall this book was really good and surprised me in a lot of ways. If you're a thriller fan and don't mind more scary scenes that go into much detail, then I'd definitely recommend Ricochet!
I don't want to spoil everything so I'm telling you only the technical things that I liked or didn't.
First of all the writing style was great. I found myself to be engulfed by the novel like immediately after the first few sentences. I had absolutely no problems getting into the story and even though I didn't like the novel as much at the beginning as I did towards the end, I found myself being fascinated by it. The story is written in the third POV of Brenda so it's pretty easy to get to know the main character and to understand Brenda's actions better. Which is probably why I liked her so much.
The next thing I liked, was that it was action-packed. And I have to say that you get a lot of action in this book. I don't even know if there were some parts or chapters that were not action-packed. For some people, it's probably too much but for me, it was the perfect amount. I mean if you're reading a thriller you want the action in the novel right? So too much doesn't even exist in that case. At least for me!
I won't say that the last few chapters where the reader got to know more about a secret organization was a plot twist. At least I wouldn't classify it as a twist it was a bit predictable. But what I wanted to say is that I liked the whole story/plot. It's kind of different to see a badass heroine as the main protagonist with a not so typical history than the typical male main characters in other thrillers.
The pacing was also fine. For me, it was the perfect pacing. The chapters were not too long, they had the perfect length and I was able to read this book at a quick pace.
# What I disliked
Some parts were probably a bit too gory. But it's an adult novel so that's fine. But if you're not able to read such scenes I definitely wouldn't recommend it to you, as it's probably triggering!
# Favourite Character
Even though she was pretty insane, Brenda was by far my favourite character!
Overall this book was really good and surprised me in a lot of ways. If you're a thriller fan and don't mind more scary scenes that go into much detail, then I'd definitely recommend Ricochet!
November 16, 2018
Brenda is one of those main female leads that you want on your side. She is kick-ass, with incredible endurance. Her personality is captivating. Nothing bothers her and she rains vengeance on bad guys, and she was just a really awesome character to read.
This story is really driven by Brenda. It was almost like watching an action video game, and it reminded me a bit of Tomb Raider because of Brenda. I really liked that aspect.
David Kennedy has a knack for describing heart-pounding action. This is one action-packed novel, and I recommend checking it out!
*I received a copy of this book as part of a blog tour. All opinions are my own.*
This story is really driven by Brenda. It was almost like watching an action video game, and it reminded me a bit of Tomb Raider because of Brenda. I really liked that aspect.
David Kennedy has a knack for describing heart-pounding action. This is one action-packed novel, and I recommend checking it out!
*I received a copy of this book as part of a blog tour. All opinions are my own.*
September 27, 2018
With chilling, sometimes disturbing but always thought-provoking elements, David Kennedy carves out a novel with a distinctive narrative style. Brenda Roseberry is unique- and that, friends, is an understatement. Whether Brenda is a symptom of today's culture or a cure for it is debatable, but Kennedy's adept story-telling ability is not. Well created, readable and ultimately quite...surprising, this book will keep you engaged until the very end. This is not the genre I typically read, and this book was well out of my own comfort zone, but reading it was time well spent.
December 10, 2018
Lots of action as Brenda, the protagonist, begins work for secret agency SCRAM putting to work so many skills, talents, and techie inventions that James Bond would be jealous. Jumping into her psyche and history reveals much more of the character and the problems she faces. Looking for a serious thriller, try elsewhere, this is pure escapism. I received an advanced digital copy through #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 8, 2019
Whilst I enjoyed parts of this book, I felt it was a little hard to follow in the beginning, and took me a while to get into. Brenda is her own brand of crazy, a vigilante working for a secret organisation, to take out different kinds of criminals. She doesn't really trust anyone, and rightly so. I did enjoy the story more as it went along, and understood more about Brenda and why she is the way she is.
November 16, 2018
Ricochet is compelling and fast-paced. The female protagonist is quirky but cunning: an overall badass. In coordination with the tight plot, skilled writing, and plenty of action scenes, Ricochet will have you turning pages and wanting more!
January 11, 2019
Very strange
This is one weird macabre book ! Overwritten in some places,
It is part science fiction, part greeny protest, and a jumble of basic hostilities against humanity
This is one weird macabre book ! Overwritten in some places,
It is part science fiction, part greeny protest, and a jumble of basic hostilities against humanity
November 17, 2018
Brenda is a young woman who has had a hard life. But she has trained herself to be even harder than life itself. Brenda is one tough woman who can take anything life sends her way. She has taught herself to be tough and trained in martial arts. Brenda is one bada** who can take on just about anyone and survive. My opinion is this if you see Brenda coming then run like h3ll.
Brenda is hired by this secret company to do the one thing that she is good at and that is tracking people down and getting rid of them any way she sees fit. Brenda is one woman you don’t want to underestimate and plenty of people have. If you ever find yourself going up against Brenda watch out because she will come out on top more times than you can count.
Ricochet is filled with so many twists and turns that will have you feeling as if you are on a roller coaster. It has so much action that there is no way to get bored. Ricochet will keep you entertained from the get go. Brenda is always going after someone and locking them up some place or other. If you like a lot of action in your stories then be prepared to stay a while once you pick up Ricochet because you will be tied up for a while.
If action, mystery, suspense or a good thriller is your cup of tea then I suggest you pick up your copy of Ricochet today and get started reading your way through Brenda’s world.
Brenda is hired by this secret company to do the one thing that she is good at and that is tracking people down and getting rid of them any way she sees fit. Brenda is one woman you don’t want to underestimate and plenty of people have. If you ever find yourself going up against Brenda watch out because she will come out on top more times than you can count.
Ricochet is filled with so many twists and turns that will have you feeling as if you are on a roller coaster. It has so much action that there is no way to get bored. Ricochet will keep you entertained from the get go. Brenda is always going after someone and locking them up some place or other. If you like a lot of action in your stories then be prepared to stay a while once you pick up Ricochet because you will be tied up for a while.
If action, mystery, suspense or a good thriller is your cup of tea then I suggest you pick up your copy of Ricochet today and get started reading your way through Brenda’s world.
November 17, 2018
Ricochet is a medley of vigilantism, pulp feminism, and a splattering of misdirected romance. Kennedy's take on the fractured soul of a woman, who just happens to prefer the deviance over honor, is dark and gritty.
December 21, 2021
This was really not my cup of tea, I never reviewed it when I read it a few years ago as I didn't want to say anything bad about an up and coming book, but I really didn't enjoy the writing style. It's very graphic and sort of shove-down-your-throat kind of storytelling and I found it difficult to swallow. And I'm not just talking about the violent scenes, it's the way everything is described with a constant air of bluntness. Still though, I'm sure some people might find it quite the thriller.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews