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Garrison Chase #2
A Thin Line
Framed for murder by a notorious human trafficker he was supposed to have killed, former operative Garrison Chase’s harrowing journey to clear his name takes him from an underground torture chamber deep in the heart of L.A.’s human trafficking ring to the highest office in the land.
Along the way, Chase learns the trafficker is a small link in a far more sinister chain. But the deeper he digs, and the more he uncovers, the more treacherous the stakes. Because powerful people are protecting a forty-year-old secret with devastating repercussions for the upcoming presidential election. And they’ll do anything to keep the truth buried.
Along the way, Chase learns the trafficker is a small link in a far more sinister chain. But the deeper he digs, and the more he uncovers, the more treacherous the stakes. Because powerful people are protecting a forty-year-old secret with devastating repercussions for the upcoming presidential election. And they’ll do anything to keep the truth buried.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2019
399 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
About the author
Craig N. Hooper
7 books38 followersCraig Hooper is the author of the Garrison Chase series. He was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. Growing up, he played lots of sports, and was an avid reader of action adventure and suspense novels. After earning a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from McMaster University, Craig left Canada and moved to Hawaii to pursue a lifelong dream of surfing.
After years of traveling and surfing, Craig settled in Southern California where he earned two masters' degrees and began adjunct teaching. While teaching part-time, he wrote his first standalone novel, a religious thriller. Though it never did get published, it spurred Craig on to keep writing.
Craig, along with his wife Janine, moved to Central California where he began work on his first book in the suspense series starring Garrison Chase. Years later, he landed a publishing contract with Endeavour Media for THE GREATEST GOOD. When Craig's not busy writing his next book in the series, you'll find him surfing or hanging out on the beach with his wife and three children.
After years of traveling and surfing, Craig settled in Southern California where he earned two masters' degrees and began adjunct teaching. While teaching part-time, he wrote his first standalone novel, a religious thriller. Though it never did get published, it spurred Craig on to keep writing.
Craig, along with his wife Janine, moved to Central California where he began work on his first book in the suspense series starring Garrison Chase. Years later, he landed a publishing contract with Endeavour Media for THE GREATEST GOOD. When Craig's not busy writing his next book in the series, you'll find him surfing or hanging out on the beach with his wife and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
April 10, 2022
Garrison Chase enjoys a weekend with his son at his place, when his friend Slim arrives at his house, badly wounded. All goes downhill from there for Chase and he gets into a fight over custody for his son and for his life. Add a human trafficking ring and a corrupt politician and you'll dive deep into Garrison's second adventure.
July 15, 2020
Garrison chase is pulled into another plot involving 2 cases and again the the suspense is maintained till the end.
November 1, 2019
A Thin Line is a story of mystery and intrigue with an underlying concept of its namesake, a thin line, that people like Garrison Chase live on, a narrow path between light and darkness. Sequel to The Greatest Good, A Thin Line is a worthy successor to The Greatest Good, which established Garrison Chase as a lethal and ingenious federal agent.
A Thin Line keeps the scope of the narrative grounded, with a first-person Point of View from Chase’s side. This allowed for a spotlight to be placed on Chase’s emotions and thought processes as he navigates through a political scandal of presidential magnitude. Chase is further involved in the conspiracy due to personal stakes that leave him cornered, but nevertheless feral and witty enough to maneuver around the hurdles thrown at him. The twists and turns within the novel felt even more engaging with the first person POV as I felt reasoning with Garrison Chase throughout the novel to make sense of the crafty conspiracy that did not let up until the very end.
As a fan of action thrillers, I was expecting more action but Mr. Hooper creates an aroma of storytelling focused intimately on characters for a character driven progression of events, which did not require action sequences to service the story. That being said, it does have realistic combat sequences at opportune moments. This book appealed to the mystery and thriller fan in me, keeping me glued to find out what would happen next as the book kept surprising me with sneaky twists as soon as I began to think I could predict what would happen next. The story felt fresh and interesting, not burning low even for a moment. Even if one has not read the first book in the series, this book takes you for a ride without needing to be familiar with the past events. I recommend A Thin Line for fans of thrillers with intriguing concepts of moral dilemma and conspiracies. Looking forward to the next Garrison Chase novel.
A Thin Line keeps the scope of the narrative grounded, with a first-person Point of View from Chase’s side. This allowed for a spotlight to be placed on Chase’s emotions and thought processes as he navigates through a political scandal of presidential magnitude. Chase is further involved in the conspiracy due to personal stakes that leave him cornered, but nevertheless feral and witty enough to maneuver around the hurdles thrown at him. The twists and turns within the novel felt even more engaging with the first person POV as I felt reasoning with Garrison Chase throughout the novel to make sense of the crafty conspiracy that did not let up until the very end.
As a fan of action thrillers, I was expecting more action but Mr. Hooper creates an aroma of storytelling focused intimately on characters for a character driven progression of events, which did not require action sequences to service the story. That being said, it does have realistic combat sequences at opportune moments. This book appealed to the mystery and thriller fan in me, keeping me glued to find out what would happen next as the book kept surprising me with sneaky twists as soon as I began to think I could predict what would happen next. The story felt fresh and interesting, not burning low even for a moment. Even if one has not read the first book in the series, this book takes you for a ride without needing to be familiar with the past events. I recommend A Thin Line for fans of thrillers with intriguing concepts of moral dilemma and conspiracies. Looking forward to the next Garrison Chase novel.
August 30, 2021
dnf 30%.
this story lost me with the friend of the main character, who is allegedly an expert on undercover/intelligence/etc shows up at the main character's personal home, while looking over his shoulder, because he's worried the bad guys may be following him. like under no intelligent circumstances would anyone even close to those fields of work experience ever compromise the safety of their civilian friend's personal home. and if they were looking over their shoulder and had to meet their friend, they'd meet far away from anyone's personal home. unless they're really really bad at their job, don't care, and/or want to put their alleged friend purposely in danger.
poor character design/research.
this story lost me with the friend of the main character, who is allegedly an expert on undercover/intelligence/etc shows up at the main character's personal home, while looking over his shoulder, because he's worried the bad guys may be following him. like under no intelligent circumstances would anyone even close to those fields of work experience ever compromise the safety of their civilian friend's personal home. and if they were looking over their shoulder and had to meet their friend, they'd meet far away from anyone's personal home. unless they're really really bad at their job, don't care, and/or want to put their alleged friend purposely in danger.
poor character design/research.
September 16, 2021
A Thin Line (Garrison Chase Thriller Book 2) by Craig N. Hooper
This is a stand-alone book. You don't need to read the first book to enjoy it.
Garrison Chase has a surprise visit from his friend and former co-worker Hans Schlimergard (Slim) who has been beaten up and poisoned. As Chase takes Slim to the hospital, he learns that Slim was supposed to testify against Anurat Wu (The Rat), who both men thought was dead. Slim wants Chase to testify in his place and also asks for help investigating Barrington Bradford Bollinger III, a US senator running for President of the US. His opponent Henrietta Valenzuela hired Slimm to find dirt on the Senator.
But Chase is framed for murder after his ex-wife, Gina Diekelman, is murdered at his house. Garrison Chase’s harrowing journey to clear his name takes him from an underground torture chamber deep in the heart of L.A.’s human trafficking ring to the highest office in the land.
Along the way, Chase learns the trafficker is a small link in a far more sinister chain. But the deeper he digs, and the more he uncovers, the more treacherous the stakes. Because powerful people are protecting a forty-year-old secret with devastating repercussions for the upcoming presidential election. And they’ll do anything to keep the truth buried.
Narrated from both the first and third-person point of view, the book has a very slow start. I almost thought of not finishing it. But after a while, the plot picks up, and then it's smooth sailing. I did enjoy it and if you're willing to put up with the slow start you'll be rewarded with a nice thriller.
This is a stand-alone book. You don't need to read the first book to enjoy it.
Garrison Chase has a surprise visit from his friend and former co-worker Hans Schlimergard (Slim) who has been beaten up and poisoned. As Chase takes Slim to the hospital, he learns that Slim was supposed to testify against Anurat Wu (The Rat), who both men thought was dead. Slim wants Chase to testify in his place and also asks for help investigating Barrington Bradford Bollinger III, a US senator running for President of the US. His opponent Henrietta Valenzuela hired Slimm to find dirt on the Senator.
But Chase is framed for murder after his ex-wife, Gina Diekelman, is murdered at his house. Garrison Chase’s harrowing journey to clear his name takes him from an underground torture chamber deep in the heart of L.A.’s human trafficking ring to the highest office in the land.
Along the way, Chase learns the trafficker is a small link in a far more sinister chain. But the deeper he digs, and the more he uncovers, the more treacherous the stakes. Because powerful people are protecting a forty-year-old secret with devastating repercussions for the upcoming presidential election. And they’ll do anything to keep the truth buried.
Narrated from both the first and third-person point of view, the book has a very slow start. I almost thought of not finishing it. But after a while, the plot picks up, and then it's smooth sailing. I did enjoy it and if you're willing to put up with the slow start you'll be rewarded with a nice thriller.
December 20, 2024
As the second book in the Garrison Chase series, A Thin Line had the potential to redeem the flaws of its predecessor, but it falls short. Despite giving the series another chance, this installment failed to meet expectations. The narrative alternates between first and third person perspectives, which feels disjointed rather than innovative. One of the key characters, Lu, is introduced with some intrigue in the first half but is killed off midway, leaving his arc unresolved and ultimately meaningless. This lack of payoff undermines the narrative.
The story itself is bland, with little excitement or tension to keep readers engaged. The plot meanders without offering compelling twists or emotional stakes. While the book had room to build on its premise, it feels like a missed opportunity.
The story itself is bland, with little excitement or tension to keep readers engaged. The plot meanders without offering compelling twists or emotional stakes. While the book had room to build on its premise, it feels like a missed opportunity.
May 2, 2021
Great book! First of the series that I read and I must confess I almost quit reading it after the hole set up of his ex-wife murder and the narrow minded detective that couldn’t believe a thing Chase said or asked him to do, but I kept reading and what comes next was good. That part was solved and also the details pertaining to his son custody. The plot was good and it kept moving so there was not a dull moment. No chapter skipping because it would have meant I’d have holes in the plot. I knew the whole boat thing was a set up and I liked how it was solved. Also, I knew he couldn’t keep being an FBI agent now. Would read the next book in the series
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2020
Good have been 5 stars
I had to deduct one star for the butchering of the English language. When using the word I or me, please remember that if it is after the verb of the sentence, it should be me. You failed at least half a dozen times. Example: I can’t believe you kept Khang and I alive. To make this more clear, if you dropped the word Khang, the sentence would have read “I can’t believe you kept I alive. Sounds awful, doesn’t it?
Otherwise, this was a good book and I recommend it.
I had to deduct one star for the butchering of the English language. When using the word I or me, please remember that if it is after the verb of the sentence, it should be me. You failed at least half a dozen times. Example: I can’t believe you kept Khang and I alive. To make this more clear, if you dropped the word Khang, the sentence would have read “I can’t believe you kept I alive. Sounds awful, doesn’t it?
Otherwise, this was a good book and I recommend it.
August 1, 2021
There are many good things about this book. It is a thriller; the language is very clear and easy to read; the characters are well-developed; the story line is very unique and interesting; most of all, it is extremely well-crafted. You will find it hard to believe all the things that happen to the main character. I was skeptical after a couple of chapters that this was going to be a no-win Count of Monte Cristo. But Hooper very cleverly crafted the events, making them believable. He leads the reader through the story with a well-written plot. I plan to read more by this author!
August 22, 2021
I enjoyed this fast-paced, cleverly written book. The action starts immediately and doesn't stop. Garrison Chase is officially "off work" for something (he's a special agent) - maybe that was in the 1st book. His sweetie is FBI and helps him when he runs into snags, but he's shooting blind trying to figure out: 1) who's tried to kill his mentor & friend twice; 2) who killed his ex-wife and tried to frame him; 3) what's the deal with the battling politicians: 4) who are the Asians and what are they doing; and on & on! A good read - a good ride!
August 1, 2020
Twists and turns
Walking the thin line, lots of intrigue and good guys who are not really the good guys. Garrison now dealing with full time dad due to the murder of Gina and a dog due to the death of the bad guys.....what will happen to his job? Maybe book 3 will enlighten us...that is next on my reading list. By the way, Karla is good for him and he does have interesting friends.
Walking the thin line, lots of intrigue and good guys who are not really the good guys. Garrison now dealing with full time dad due to the murder of Gina and a dog due to the death of the bad guys.....what will happen to his job? Maybe book 3 will enlighten us...that is next on my reading list. By the way, Karla is good for him and he does have interesting friends.
May 22, 2020
Page turner!
This story keeps moving as Chase Garrison finds himself constantly on the go as he solves this mysterious crime. As Chase spins from one situation to another, his character and life come to life. A great read for those who love a fast paced action packed story. Look forward to book 3 of the Garrison Chase series.
This story keeps moving as Chase Garrison finds himself constantly on the go as he solves this mysterious crime. As Chase spins from one situation to another, his character and life come to life. A great read for those who love a fast paced action packed story. Look forward to book 3 of the Garrison Chase series.
September 13, 2020
Right or Left Falling
This writing was superb,, Finding a line of work that you love and are good at is extremely important,, both make a person think good or bad,, which way is best.. Reading this story kept me involved in the mystery to the very end and only once did I even guess who done it..
This writing was superb,, Finding a line of work that you love and are good at is extremely important,, both make a person think good or bad,, which way is best.. Reading this story kept me involved in the mystery to the very end and only once did I even guess who done it..
February 16, 2021
Innocent Until Proven Guilty
Chase had an early morning visitor. An old friend who was beaten up and had come to tell Chase information so he could testify against a well known criminal. He collapses and is taken to the hospital. Lots of murder and questioning by the police all lead to an unusual ending.
Chase had an early morning visitor. An old friend who was beaten up and had come to tell Chase information so he could testify against a well known criminal. He collapses and is taken to the hospital. Lots of murder and questioning by the police all lead to an unusual ending.
July 30, 2021
A good story with some by lucky chance parts, which I never like. A politician who runs for president and is caught in a lie? Maybe that would be a story before 2016, not earthshaking these days, sorry to admit. There is a decent amount of action and mystery and the book is well written. Some side ventures to keep you guessing who the bad guys really are. A nice read.
July 31, 2021
A Thin Line .. A Good Story
A Thin Line by Craig Hooper is a story involving political intrigue, deception, murder, attempted murder, and treason. The only thing missing is adultery I guess. It is well written with few typos and it keeps you on your toes to stay ahead of the story line. It's the kind
of book we lovers of thrillers like.
A Thin Line by Craig Hooper is a story involving political intrigue, deception, murder, attempted murder, and treason. The only thing missing is adultery I guess. It is well written with few typos and it keeps you on your toes to stay ahead of the story line. It's the kind
of book we lovers of thrillers like.
August 7, 2021
Put this on your sure to read list
Absolutely loved this book. Very easy to read and done in a logical order. One of the best I've read in a very long time. Would highly recommend if you like a good story and one that's very easy to read. I will definitely read more by Hooper. If I could give it10 stars I would. Give it a try
Absolutely loved this book. Very easy to read and done in a logical order. One of the best I've read in a very long time. Would highly recommend if you like a good story and one that's very easy to read. I will definitely read more by Hooper. If I could give it10 stars I would. Give it a try
September 2, 2021
Well done and well thought out
An excellent look at what's right and wrong with today. Excellent characters and enough twist in plot to keep the reader wanting more. A dangerous look into the ideaology that is threatening to overtake us. Not a read for the faint of heart, but definitely worth reading.
An excellent look at what's right and wrong with today. Excellent characters and enough twist in plot to keep the reader wanting more. A dangerous look into the ideaology that is threatening to overtake us. Not a read for the faint of heart, but definitely worth reading.
January 29, 2021
Another great story
Craig Hooper is an excellent storyteller, and I wish I had the time to read each of his books from cover to cover. I like the twists and turns and not being able to figure out what each character is going to do.
Craig Hooper is an excellent storyteller, and I wish I had the time to read each of his books from cover to cover. I like the twists and turns and not being able to figure out what each character is going to do.
July 27, 2021
Really good
It runs like a train from the very beginning to the very end, with many unexpected developments and several strands of parallel stories evolving side by side. This makes for interesting and enjoyable reading.
It runs like a train from the very beginning to the very end, with many unexpected developments and several strands of parallel stories evolving side by side. This makes for interesting and enjoyable reading.
Read
August 3, 2021An excellent read. Hooper spins a good tale that keeps the reader on the edge of his seat. His characters are well defined and the storyline is quite plausible. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good read.
August 11, 2021
Decent read
I enjoyed the storyline and the characters my only negative there was a little bit of repetitive information e.g. Once it was mentioned he had no hair it wasn't necessary to repeat.😜
I enjoyed the storyline and the characters my only negative there was a little bit of repetitive information e.g. Once it was mentioned he had no hair it wasn't necessary to repeat.😜
September 15, 2021
A Thrilling Page-Turner
An outstanding book with gritty action, twists and turns, high stakes drama and intrigue, and fully developed characters and plot. You won’t be able to put it down!
An outstanding book with gritty action, twists and turns, high stakes drama and intrigue, and fully developed characters and plot. You won’t be able to put it down!
August 31, 2023
Election Time
The presidential race was heating up in several ways! The Senator may be a candidate but he has way too much that he's hiding. Garrison Chase is on the trail and it has a convoluted path! Chase keeps digging until it all comes to light!
The presidential race was heating up in several ways! The Senator may be a candidate but he has way too much that he's hiding. Garrison Chase is on the trail and it has a convoluted path! Chase keeps digging until it all comes to light!
May 8, 2024
HIGHLY ENTERTAINING THRILLER
An intense thriller loaded with shocking twists and turns that will keep a reader on the edge of their seat. Highly entertaining characters but good and evil that help Make this a very colorful adventure.
An intense thriller loaded with shocking twists and turns that will keep a reader on the edge of their seat. Highly entertaining characters but good and evil that help Make this a very colorful adventure.
July 13, 2024
This book kept me on the edge of my seat!
Constant action and plot twists with a surprise ending made this be a fantastic read for me!
I spent half my weekend reading if some start to finish!
Constant action and plot twists with a surprise ending made this be a fantastic read for me!
I spent half my weekend reading if some start to finish!
November 7, 2025
A Thin Line was an Excellent read!
The Garrison Chase series is a riveting read and well worth the complete series purchase! The changing fortunes of Garrison Chase is as good as the back story!
The Garrison Chase series is a riveting read and well worth the complete series purchase! The changing fortunes of Garrison Chase is as good as the back story!
February 5, 2020
A really good book
I really enjoyed reading this book if you haven't read it I fully recommend this book Craig n Hopper done a great job with it
I really enjoyed reading this book if you haven't read it I fully recommend this book Craig n Hopper done a great job with it
February 23, 2020
Good story telling
I like stories with believable characters and this author does this without going over the top to supply action or drama.
I like stories with believable characters and this author does this without going over the top to supply action or drama.
March 31, 2020
Thought it was awesome. Could never just read one chapter at a time. Can’t wait for next book?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews