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Quinn: The Short Stories

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Michael Quinn, former Navy SEAL, is now a special operative for the CIA.
Following the best-selling debut novel 'Night of the Bonfire', this collection of eight short stories will take the reader on a roller-coaster ride into Quinn's world of missions that must be kept off the books.
Each story stands alone:
'Paradise': On a rainy night, traveling along a desolate path of the California coast, Quinn pulls his motorcycle off the highway and checks into a roadside inn. An unforgettable evening awaits him...if he can live through it.
'Baltic Dance': Amidst global tensions rivalling those of the Cold War, Quinn travels undercover into Russia, and into the world of dassic espionage.
'Texas Time': A Mexican drug cartel makes a bold move to extend its territory into the United States, and only Quinn can stop them.
'Roseblood': In New York City, a beautiful Russian concert pianist refuses to believe her life is in danger.
'The Goddess of the Deep': After a long training day at the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado, California, a night out on the town brings an unexpected encounter.
'Night Dive': In the warm waters of the Caribbean, Quinn must use his combat diving skills to uncover a threat posed by a dangerous dictator.
'The Ballerina': The hunt for a legendary artwork reaches the snowy streets of St. Petersburg, Russia...and Quinn must complete a crucial journey.
'Breakout': Quinn receives one of his most challenging assignments when a Navy SEAL sniper is taken captive in a hellish Mexican prison. Quinn must rescue him before time runs out.

Intrige. Adventure. Action. This thrilling collection of short stories has it all!

264 pages, Paperback

First published July 25, 2019

24 people are currently reading
1199 people want to read

About the author

Kevin Scott Olson

9 books355 followers




Kevin Scott Olson lives in southern California, where his hobbies include travel, outdoor sports, and keeping up with the adventures of ex-Navy SEAL Michael Quinn.

His debut Michael Quinn novel, Night of the Bonfire, is an Amazon Best Seller, reaching #6 of the top 100 novels in its genre.

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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Charlie.
362 reviews43 followers
July 9, 2019
I expected a 5-star rating even before I started reading KEVIN SCOTT OLSON'S short stories about this guy called QUINN. This is a GEM of a book. Needing some quick stories while waiting for your next 400-page book. Here you go.
Reading the reviews on this book you should now know that Michael Quinn is the elite CIA independent contractor that can get the job done, ALWAYS.
Excellent writing, yep, it's a page-turner too.
Thanks to Kevin Scott Olson for sending me this outstanding 5-STAR gem of a book for review.
Profile Image for Kay.
1,724 reviews18 followers
July 6, 2019
My introduction to the world of Michael Quinn, a man who acts on behalf of the CIA but as an independent contractor. Seven excellent short stories and one oddity. Superb writing all the way through.

Paradise:

A stormy evening starts with Quinn, on his motorbike, narrowly avoiding being squashed by a passing truck being driven in an erratic manner. Just along the highway he spots a motel so decides to stop for the night. At this motel he bumps into an old professor from his time at Oxford university. The truck incident becomes a minor event as the night takes an unexpected turn for the worse.

Baltic Dance:

Quinn, having completed a successful mission in Berlin, is walking through the streets of this famous city and is accosted by two strangers. Strangers that turn out to be enemy agents. Having sorted them out, thoughts turn to a well earned break back home. No such luck. Next stop Russia, via Latvia, to rescue an important Latvian.

Texas Time:

Short but exciting story where Quinn makes dealing with an ill disciplined, but highly armed members of a drug cartel, look a piece of cake.

Roseblood:

Quinn's job is to protect a very talented expatriate Russian pianist who is the highly probable target of a hitman employed by the secret service of her former home. Not an easy ride as the pianist is a bit of a diva.

The Goddess of the Deep:

Tough underwater training, presumably for the mission in the next story. Almost a pointless addition to the collection.

Night Dive:

The mission is to take underwater photos of devices suspected to have been bought by a central American dictator. Seems straightforward enough but the fact that Quinn has been chosen for the mission is proof enough that this is potentially dangerous and so it proved to be.

The Ballerina:

Back to Russia, this time to return a special egg to its rightful owner. Sounds dull but it is far from that.

Breakout:

A navy SEAL sniper is in a hellhole Mexican prison but his identity and reasons for being in Mexico have not been fully uncovered. It is Quinn's job to get him out of there, preferably in one piece.

I chose to voluntarily read and honestly review this book. All opinions are my own.

Ray Smillie
Profile Image for Conny.
1,143 reviews35 followers
June 24, 2019
If you are not familiar with Michael Quinn, the hero and our James Bond of America, he shares the title with Jason Bourne, then this book is a great way to get to know him. This book includes 8 short stories that are full of suspense, action and even a little bit of romance. Whenever I pick up one of Kevin Scott Olson's books I know I will be at the edge of my seat entertained. Can't wait to see what will mission he will be on next, I need more please!
Profile Image for Donna Foster.
857 reviews164 followers
June 24, 2019
The passionate nature and driving force in each short story is the powerful strategic thinking.
Profile Image for Laina.
237 reviews2 followers
August 28, 2019
**I got this book from the author for an honest review.**

Note: I'm going to post my separate reviews for each book. So, fair warning this will be a very long review.

~~Paradise Review:~~
Oh man, Michael was almost splattered across the highway. It's a good thing that he managed to come up with a plan on how to get past the truck at the last minute. I'm just glad that neither he nor the other driver had an accident.

Yeah, I agree that it was for the best that he got off the road in that kind of weather. There's no telling what other kind of mess he could've gotten caught up in if he had decided to keep going and ride the last 3 hours to get home.

I think that it's kind of nice that we're getting a little bit of Michael's background by this scene with the professor and his friend's daughter, as they talk about his pass class with the professor.

I liked that we got to know some of the professor's background and it's interesting to learn that he had been in a Nazi prison camp. I was glad that he shared some of his story with his student and with Quinn again.

Well, now that the professor's gone to bed for the night, I know what's about to happen between Michael and Rebekah, they're gonna play pool for about five minutes and then go to his room and warm up the sheets.

Okay, Rebekah is weird. I'm sure it's great that Michael's teaching her how to play pool and all, but who the hell hugs and kisses some random stranger that they just met off the street? Hooking up is one thing, it's just sex. But hugging and kissing is something else.

Nicely done. I like how Michael used only a few well placed punches and attacks with the pool stick to knock those guys on their asses. I like that he barely had to do anything to get those stupid clowns to back off and leave.

On the one hand, I'm glad that Rebekah went to Michael when she was scared, but on the other hand, I won't be surprised at all if it turns out that they're gonna hook up and that those guys already left.

The 'Magic Fingers' always makes me think of Supernatural and it always makes me laugh. And Rebekah's flirting made me laugh, too. She's so in over her head and she doesn't even know it, not that Michael would do anything bad.

But more in over her head as in experience wise. As in, Michael has all of the experience and she has none. Not that I think he'd have a problem with helping her get experience, but he doesn't want to do anything to mess with his friend, the professor's, trust.

Rebekah's a flirt and it's driving Michael crazy and I love it. I know that he's trying to be a good guy and not hook up with Rebekah but I have a feeling that he's going to eventually give in.

The fact that she had taken off her shirt and climbed in bed with him is a bit much. She should have taken the hint when he turned down her flirting earlier when they were playing pool. But, now he's left the bed and gone to the couch.

And now he's even flirting back. With his threat of putting her over his knee so that he can give her a spanking. How did he think that was going to sound to her? All it sounded like was a return to her flirting with him from earlier.

So, the men were looking for Rebekah and found the professor instead, and plan to use him as a hostage? Also, they're planning a terrorist attack or more than one? Well, hopefully Michael will be able to stash Rebekah somewhere and take out all of those men and save the professor.

Man, that's kinda crazy. He shot the guy blocking the room, then shot into the room where the men are keeping the professor. Then he jumped onto some kind of electricity box thing and will probably drop down inside the room from the roof to take out the rest.

Damn, Michael's fucking badass. From killing some of Alpha's men, to not worrying about his injuries, to blowing up the damn van with a grenade. Man, that was just awesome, and I can't wait to see what he does next.

Whoo! Love that he was finally able to put some bullets into Alpha and take that asshole out. Also glad that he was able to save the professor and keep both him and Rebekah safe.

I loved the ending with Michael and Rebekah talking about meeting up again. Hopefully down the line we'll get another book and they'll have a chance to catch up with each other, and the professor again.

I loved this book. It took a little while to get going, but when it did, the action came blasting through and it was great.

~~Baltic Dance Review:~~
I'm not really surprised that Michael was attacked in the first part of the book. Firstly, because I hear of all kinds of terrible things happening in other countries at night.

And second, I feel like even though the woman came off as a prostitute, and the man as her pimp or something, I get the feeling it was more than that.

I feel like they knew about the flash drive he has, and that's why they were attacking him. That they wanted to get the information that's on the drive, for whatever reason.

Well, I was right. It seems like the man and woman that tried to attack Michael, wanted to steal the information that was on the flash drive. I'm glad he stopped them.

I like that he got an assignment to go and save the woman, Karina, who was kidnapped. I can't wait for him to kick bad guy ass, and get her out of there.

The fact that Michael's taking on a job that usually requires a team of about 20 people, is a bit much. And I just can't see him getting through the rescue without getting caught and in a possible firefight.

Sure, he's armed decently enough. But if more than one person is around and tries to resist, the weapons and bullets he has, won't mean much against multiple people with possibly multiple guns and tons of bullets.

I like that Olson doesn't skimp on the details when it comes to having Michael get ready to breach the building. He doesn't weigh the story down, either.

Some author's put so much detail in, that it weighs down the story and adds nothing to it. But the way Olson does it, it flows well with the story.

While I enjoyed the action, I did feel it was over too quickly. I also did feel like Michael took out the enemy too easily. I think the firefight should've lasted at least a few more pages.

I'm glad that Michael and Karina were able to sneak onto the cruise ship with no problems. Their conversation was nice and easy. And when the jet or jets went over the plane, I was thinking it would lead to an attack.

I figured that the book would end on a cliffhanger, but thankfully it didn't. And Michael's comment about the others being sore losers, made me laugh. I liked this book and look forward to reading more by Olson.

~Texas Time Review:~~
While I do like that we got a few pages of Quinn setting up the explosives onto the trailers that contained the drugs the cartel was keeping, I wish that there had been more action in the story. I know that it's just a short story, but it felt like it went by too quickly.

I did like how well he's able to pull off acting normally after just setting up explosives on the trailers. And even then, a few minutes later, once the explosives had gone off, he acted like it was no big deal and just continued eating his dinner and talking to the waitress that had taken his order and brought his food.

~~Roseblood Review:~~
I loved this short story. I like that Michael was able to protect Anna and able to help the two NYPD police officers take down the bad guys. I can't wait to read more by Kevin Olson.

~~The Goddess of the Deep Review:~~
I enjoyed this story, just like I enjoy the rest of the stories in the Michael Quinn series. The thing about this story, though, is that it's different than the usual stories in the series, but that's a good thing.

In the usual stories in the series, Quinn is usually on some kind of mission and there's some action in the story. While there was no action in this story, I did like that we got to read about him training for one of his missions.

We got to see Quinn as a normal man. He did some training for his job, interacted with people, had a hiccup with his airmask and the line, but managed to work it out, and then we also got to see him spending time with friends and just enjoying a night out.

I like that we got to see Quinn struggle a bit. It makes him seem less perfect, which is something I feel the series has needed. Usually he plans the jobs, executes the jobs, and they go off without a hitch.

While that's great and all, sometimes I wish that things would get messed up or there would be some kind of an issue. It makes things more interesting.

With all of that said, I liked this story and that we got to see Quinn enjoying himself amongst new friends and outside of a work setting. Sure, he was training for his next mission, but he wasn't actually on a mission. So, anyway. I loved the story.

~~Night Dive Review:~~
Note: Apparently 'Night Dive' and 'The Third Man' are the same story. So I'm posting my review from the first time I read this book:

I have to say that I liked that we got to see Michael's underwater mission and I look forward to seeing more of them in the future. This whole thing had me on the edge of my seat.

First with Michael dealing with the group of barracuda and then with the tiger shark. I was freaked out that the shark or the group of barracuda was going to end up getting a piece of him.

The part where the group of barracuda attacked the shark was damn awesome and I'm glad it allowed Michael to get the hell out of there so he could take the pictures of the missiles and then leave.

I was also worried that he was going to be spotted and/or shot by the police harbor patrol that was constantly monitoring the area where Michael was taking the pictures.

The action in this book was great and I love these flash stories, or short stories as they're better known. I really hope we get to see Michael doing more diving soon.

As for the second half of the book, the open ending would definitely make me want to read Night Of The Bonfire, which I already have and love.

Kevin Scott Olson does it again with his Michael Quinn series. He packs great fear and action into short stories that always leave you wanting more.

~~The Ballerina Review:~~
I wasn't expecting what happened in this Michael Quinn story, but I like that his mission involved getting the egg to the rightful owner. I'll admit that I was hoping for a little more action when he was delivering the egg to Elena. I was hoping for a few pages of him fighting anyone who tried to hurt Elena.

Or anyone who tried to steal the Ballerina egg thing. Well, it was still a good story. It hit the points it needed to hit. Had a little drama, a little action, and the plot was pretty good. The only thing I'd ask for, is a longer plot, and for more action. But other than that, I liked the story and was glad that Quinn got a bit of a break from his usual job.

~~Breakout Review:~~
I loved this book, just like I loved the other two Michael Quinn books 'Roseblood' and 'Night Of The Bonfire'.

Michael rescuing the soldier Devereaux was awesome. And of course I love that Michael blew some stuff up to distract the guards to get them out of the prison.

I like that the story had so much action within its 35 pages. And it didn't feel rushed at all, it felt completely natural.

Also loved when Michael broke Devereaux out and they rode off on the motorcycle. I can't wait to read the next Michael Quinn short story.
Profile Image for Read Ng.
1,372 reviews26 followers
August 13, 2019
This was a GoodReads giveaway win of a paperback copy. But the publisher stated that the printing is delayed for some technical reason, so I have been provided a complementary Kindle ebook. I don't know if I will be provided a paperback once the publishing is completed.

I did read the first story in this collection some months ago. I don't recall much today, but at that time I really liked it and gave it a fairly high rating. It had a lot of action.

Now that I have a more comprehensive set of Micheal Quinn tales, I am giving this collection a more critical eye.

As single short stories, I rather like that the read is quick and somewhat satisfying. But now that they are in a collection, I find these stories more of a disappointment. It would appear our hero is a James Bond type of character. I mean the 1960's Bond, flashy cars, expensive tastes, etc. Our hero kills at the drop of a hat and will bed any attractive woman. And just about every woman he meets is extremely attractive (and mostly white). The character and plots are a bit dated and all too short. These stories are just prelude stories to a longer novel. And there are a few nit picky details that just further detract from realism. This would be a great set of stories if they were published in the 60's, but that is approaching 60 years ago and the reader deserves an updated hero, better detailing, and more realistic women.

Have a GoodReads.
Profile Image for Cezara Corbu.
11 reviews10 followers
July 17, 2019
This is a great collection of short stories featuring the CIA operative who always gets the job done and ends up being the real hero - Michael Quinn. The stories are, as always, fast-paced, full of action, with growing suspense and with an easy to visualize setting. And of course, there's always the female element, which I wouldn't include in the romance category, but some readers might find it enjoyable. To me, it feels more like objectifying women, which is a minus.
I think the story order is great - after a series of difficult missions, the readers can relax with The Goddess of the Deep, which allows us to get to know Quinn not just as a man dedicated to his job, but also as a person in his free time. And after that short break, there come other exciting missions.
This story collection is a quick read, due to its thrilling nature and it definitely stands out among other books of this genre.
Profile Image for James Joyce.
377 reviews35 followers
October 10, 2019
A series of quick reads about your standard unofficial official black ops warrior, under orders from the CIA, of the "we will disavow" variety. Quick and easy reads, with good, entertaining action and a wide variety of settings and situations. From hostage rescue to espionage to protection detail... a little something for everyone.

The best: "Paradise", about an accidental encounter with wannabe domestic terrorists, in an out-of-the-way motel on rainy night. The least: "The Goddess of the Deep", about training and someone else getting married... not really a story, so much as vignette.

Quinn is presented as very talented and casually lethal. Think Lee Child's Jack Reacher or Don Pendleton's Mack Bolan, but working for the CIA. Written well enough to make it easy to believe his skills.

The main flaw, as I see it, is the fixation on women. Or "a" woman, in each story. Almost like it's a character tic. Every story has a woman who is super hot, sexy in an athletic way, and definitely interested in doing a triple gainer into bed with him. Every story.

I'd have no problem with his borderline pervy way of looking at and describing and hitting on women, if it didn't come across as the equivalent of an obsessive-compulsive having to check the gas and the locks, twice, before leaving home. "Killed the bad guys? Check. Completed the mission? Check. Had sex with the hot babe? Check." Yes, sometimes the sex is implied as occurring after the story ends, but still.

Well... okay, there were three stories I had a specific problem with, regarding the women. "Paradise" where he SPECIFICALLY self-identifies as the young woman's sort-of chaperone. But that doesn't stop him from perving over her body and ultimately ending with implied sexual relations, though thankfully he doesn't have sex with her in the story. Or even get physical.

The second was "Baltic Dance", where he must rescue a woman who has been captured and will soon be tortured and executed. She even implies the various things they were going to do to her, before Quinn rescues her. I guess Quinn doesn't know much about psychology (unlikely), since he seems unaware of the tendency for people to become overly-thankful to those who rescue them from great danger, especially if the danger were long-lasting. Sure, she ends up coming on to him... too bad he is too weak to say no.

The third was Roseblood. In this, the issue was his (as in all of them) fixation on analyzing the woman's physical form. His job (unusually, as it would seem outside his wheelhouse) is protection detail. This ex-patriot Russian dancer is given performances in America and there's reason to believe she will be assassinated. She has bodyguards and Quinn's job, at her show, is to hide in the rafters with a sniper rifle and watch for danger. And the first page or two is spent with him basically studying her and the stage she is on, through his sniper scope. I mean... creepy much? This wwas the most troublesome one, because Mr. UberGuy is not doing his job. If a killer were lining up a shot, Quinn would have no chance of finding him, because he's busy watching the only person who is definitely not a threat. And when he does look around, he goes back to her. Because he needs to talk about her sexiness and her body. I mean...

Aside from the weird, B-Spy-movie-of-the-60s approach to women, the only other problem I had is that Quinn is SO good, SO perfect, SO deadly that when it comes to actual conflict, he eliminates it almost without effort. As a result, after a couple of stories, I stopped having any doubts about his ability to get through anything, without doing more than breaking out a light sweat. This is not good, for thrillers.

Fast-paced, well-written action sequences, but a tad too, um, "old fashioned" in the character's approach to, and the author's treatment of, women, for my tastes.
Profile Image for William Bitner Jr..
604 reviews34 followers
June 26, 2019
Quinn: The Short Stories, Volume 1
By Kevin Scott Olson

Genre - Fiction
Sub Genre - Suspense/Thriller/Action/Adventure
Pages - 264
Publication Information - South Pointe Press, May 24, 2019)
Format - Print
Reviewed by William C. Bitner, Jr. (https://booksinmylibraryblog.wordpres...)
Rating - 📙📙📙📙📙

If you’re looking for a read filled with action, suspense and thrills “Quinn: The Short Stories, Volume 1” by Kevin Scott Olson would be a perfect fit. Here we have 8 Short Stories involving Michael Quinn, a former Navy Seal, now an independent contractor for the CIA, who must work in the shadows of the law and his missions must be kept off the books. With adventures in California, Germany, Russia and South America to name a few locations, he is sent to rescue an operative or detonate a device or any number of missions on land or in the sea. Kevin’s writing is very descriptive and atmospheric. He can set a scene and have you feeling as if you are a part of the story. You will find yourself being transported all over the world and caught up in some of the most incredible adventures. Quinn is a lone wolf in many respects. Getting a woman is no problem for Quinn, it’s settling down and finding the time for a relationship that’s the problem. Quinn is a mix of Ian Fleming’s Bond character and Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne character along with his own niches and personality traits. Great fun and very enjoyable reading. Suspense, mystery, intrigue and thrills await in the pages of one of Kevin Scott Olson’s stories.

From the back cover:
Following the best-selling debut novel 'Night of the Bonfire', this collection of eight short stories will take the reader on a roller-coaster ride into Quinn's world of missions that must be kept off the books.

Each story stands alone:

'Paradise': On a rainy night, traveling along a desolate path of the California coast, Quinn pulls his motorcycle off the highway and checks into a roadside inn. An unforgettable evening awaits him...if he can live through it.

'Baltic Dance': Amidst global tensions rivalling those of the Cold War, Quinn travels undercover into Russia, and into the world of dassic espionage.

'Texas Time': A Mexican drug cartel makes a bold move to extend its territory into the United States, and only Quinn can stop them.

'Roseblood': In New York City, a beautiful Russian concert pianist refuses to believe her life is in danger.

'The Goddess of the Deep': After a long training day at the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado, California, a night out on the town brings an unexpected encounter.

'Night Dive': In the warm waters of the Caribbean, Quinn must use his combat diving skills to uncover a threat posed by a dangerous dictator.

'The Ballerina': The hunt for a legendary artwork reaches the snowy streets of St. Petersburg, Russia...and Quinn must complete a crucial journey.

'Breakout': Quinn receives one of his most challenging assignments when a Navy SEAL sniper is taken captive in a hellish Mexican prison. Quinn must rescue him before time runs out.

Intrige. Adventure. Action. This thrilling collection of short stories has it all!

About the Author: Kevin Scott Olson lives in southern California, where his hobbies include travel, outdoor sports, and keeping up with the adventures of ex-Navy SEAL Michael Quinn.

His debut Michael Quinn novel, Night of the Bonfire, is an Amazon Best Seller, reaching #6 of the top 100 novels in its genre.

Other books by Kevin Scott Olson: “Night of the Bonfire”, “Paradise”, “Baltic Dance” “Roseblood”, and “Goddess of the Deep” i.e..
Profile Image for Cath.
950 reviews17 followers
July 30, 2019
The main character in this set of short stories is Michael Quinn, a former Navy SEAL, who now works as an independent contractor for the CIA. His work is the sort of missions that not many others can do, those that are kept off the books and completely in the black. There are eight short stories in this book, showing Quinn as he gets put into dangerous situations, often with a young female to be rescued. The stories told in this book are: Paradise; Baltic Dance; Texas Time; Roseblood; The Goddess of the Deep; Night Dive; The Ballerina; and Breakout.

Each short story finds Quinn embroiled in trouble, acting on behalf of the government, in secret and usually alone. Taking a break for the awful weather, at a roadside motel and inn, he meets up with an old professor he admires and his young female companion. Add in a group of drunk and obnoxious men and the girl is in danger and so are Quin and the professor. Another tale has him taking a job which leads him to Berlin, Latvia and even Russia. Then a job having to deal with a drug cartel and its highly armed men.

A supposedly simple job babysitting a prima donna of a pianist. An ex-Russian young female with a mind of her own, being hunted down by a hitman hired by her old country’s secret service. Then Quinn gets some extra level, intense deep water diving training, which leads him into his next job doing a night dive to get photographic evidence of devices thought to have been placed by a South American dictator. Another job takes him back to Russia, to find the whereabouts of a long forgotten and little known of Faberge egg, with a ballerina in the middle of it. The last tale sees Quinn travelling to rescue a Navy SEAL sniper from a Mexican prison, preferably without the Mexicans knowing who he really is and why he was there.

This is a great group of short and sharp tales of a secret contractor for the CIA and the strange and unusual jobs he is given to do by the government. Most place him in mortal danger or lead to him placing himself in harm’s way whilst saving others. Each story is full of action and suspense and Quinn is a character you want to root for each time. You can read each story one at a time, then come back to the book for the next wee tale, to add to your enjoyment. Each is a complete storyline, no matter how short it is. Each gives you a new experience to discover and an adventure to be had.

I loved reading each one and just wish they had been longer! I received a copy of this book from Hidden Gems and would recommend it to all who love action and adventure, set in black ops territory. I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
Profile Image for Bruce McNair.
300 reviews2 followers
August 3, 2019
A collection of short stories featuring Michael Quinn, a CIA agent. The stories include:

* Paradise - On a wet and windy night, Quinn checks into an obscure hotel where he meets an old acquaintance and his young female charge. But the night turns into violence.
* Baltic Dance - Quinn is sent to rescue a Latvian intelligence operative from a sadistic Russian in St Petersburg. Suspenseful from beginning to end.
* Texas Time - Quinn is on a mission to stop a Mexican drug cartel’s theft of US arms stolen from an American military base.
* Roseblood - Quinn has been assigned to protect a young Russian pianist who has defected to the West. The Russian FSB has made threats against her.
* The Goddess of the Deep - a colleague falls for a stripper.
* Night Dive - Quinn undertakes a dive at Caribbean island ruled by a dictator.
* The Ballerina - Quinn is assigned to deliver an artwork to its rightful owner in Russia.
* Breakout - Quinn is assigned to rescue a Navy SEAL sniper from a Mexican prison.

I found these stories of varying quality: some very good and suspenseful, some quite ordinary with little to thrill. However, in my opinion, overall the writing is good, I enjoyed it, and I’m sure others will enjoy it too. I gave the collection 4 stars.
Profile Image for James.
338 reviews38 followers
September 19, 2019
I have read a few of the Quinn short stories previously. This book is a collection of them.

Michael Quinn is a former Navy SEAL turned independent contractor for the CIA. The individual short stories are great to read in one sitting, but are fairly formulaic. Quinn is hired for job that the government cannot officially be involved in. He comes up with a one man plan, executes the first part without issue but faces some unforeseen obstacle near the end. Quinn then uses his training and his wits to escape. Usually somewhere along the way meets a beautiful woman and is able to hookup with her for a brief fling.

I am looking forward to the full length novel, just to see how the character gets developed, and hopefully with a few more unpredictable twists an turns.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher as a thank you for previous reviews.
682 reviews9 followers
July 28, 2019
I am a huge fan of Kevin Scott Olson's character Michael Quinn! So when the Mr.Olson offered this free copy of QUINN: THE SHORT STORIES VOLUME 1, I was more than pleased to get it.
Short stories or full length novels,when it comes to a good spy read,you can count on Mr. Olson's character,Michael Quinn to have plenty of action. With this book , you get short ,short stories and long short stories. Just when you think nothing is going to come of the story a bad guy shows up and Michael Quinn goes to work.

Like I said before,if you are into the spy genre then you will like KEVIN SCOTT OLSON'S MICHAEL QUINN CHARACTER.

I received this book free from the author in exchange for a honest review.
Profile Image for Deborah Gebhardt.
914 reviews5 followers
October 10, 2019
I received this book from the author and I freely offer this review.
I had already read two of the short stories included in this volume, but, it's nice they're included here with some additional stories. Quinn is a loner, a government agent, who goes in and gets the job done when a larger government presence can't be used. He is excellent at thinking fast and on his feet, he's well trained, relatively young, and attractive to women. The stories are exciting, well written and make you hunger for more.
At the end of the book there is an ad for a Michael Quin novel, Night of the Bonfire, here's hoping that the excitement in the short stories is sustainable in novel length, fingers crossed.
554 reviews13 followers
July 1, 2019
This book was given to me by the author.
It is a collection of eight of the Michael Quinn short stories.
The stories are stand alone but it is nice to have several together.
I had previously read two of the stories and enjoyed them very much.
The others were no less enjoyable.
Each story is concise and hard to put down until the end.
Instead of reading from cover to cover, I read only one a day so as to spread out my enjoyment of them.
Since this is volume one, I look forward to another volume.
Profile Image for Alice.
695 reviews20 followers
July 28, 2019
First of all, many thanks to the author for sending me a copy of his book.

To this day, I can say I'm familiar with Michael Quinn.
This is a collection of short stories with him as protagonist and it was a pleasure to also read the ones I already knew.

I always like the way Olson can describe places and people surrounding his hero - it always feels very realistic because Michael Quinn isn't only an ex-Navy SEAL and now a spy, but he's also a human being.

My favorites so far?
"Paradise", "Baltic Dance" and "The Ballerina".
Profile Image for Marissa.
3,604 reviews48 followers
December 4, 2019
Paperback Copy

Features CIA spy extraordinaire Michael Quinn in a set of eight short stories in this collection. We have Paradise, Baltic Dance, Texas Time, Roseblood, The Goddess of the Deep, Night Dive, The Ballerina and Breakout for our enjoyment.

Fans will enjoy these quick reads as it propels you into a world of danger which only our spy can get into and out of. A world like no other awaits the reader.
Profile Image for Dwayne Wojtowicz.
225 reviews5 followers
September 9, 2019
Kevin Scott Olson keeps doing it right. Every paged turned brings a new adventure to his character Michael Quinn.

Eight short stories; One main character; action on almost every page.

If you are looking for a fast and easy read, look no further. "Quinn: The Short Stories, Volume 1" is the book for you.
894 reviews66 followers
June 27, 2019
Kevin Olson's writing does not allow me to do anything but read, read, read.
Volume 1 is fast moving, exciting, and holds the reader's attention.
Keep on writing Kevin Olson.
Michael Quinn's adventures would make a great T.V. series.
Profile Image for Darren.
2,057 reviews49 followers
July 12, 2019
I got this book in the mail from the author. It is a good collection of short stories by the author. I enjoyed reading it. I hope to read more books by this author. It was a rainy day where I am today so I read this book in one day.
Profile Image for John.
422 reviews12 followers
August 5, 2019
Michael Quinn has quickly become one of my favorite literary characters, and Mr. Olson one of my go to authors! These short stories are action packed, have interesting characters, and exciting plots. I look forward to my next Michael Quinn adventure!
336 reviews18 followers
December 6, 2019
Great short stories about Michael Quinn. His jobs are so sensitive they have to be done in secret.
843 reviews
February 9, 2020
Exciting, fast-paced short stories with a hint of romance. Perfect for a lunch-break read or beach read.
Profile Image for Bobby Johnston.
11 reviews
August 20, 2019
good read

been along time since I read short stories. Gives you enough action to get into it. Then the story is over. If you're short on time tryout the short stories. Bobby

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