Strike Price

Lynn Dayton #2

by L.A. Starks

When several people involved in bidding for an oil refinery are murdered, the situation becomes far more than a billion-dollar business deal.
A self-made woman in the oil industry, Lynn Dayton fights to save lives when escalating attacks reveal a hired assassin’s plan to disrupt energy trade, wreck world economies, and draw another global power into dangerous confrontation with the United States.
Are the killers rogue civil servants challenging the Cherokees’ financial independence, Sansei operatives again wreaking violence, or sinister investors swapping the bidding war for a real one?
Lynn Dayton and Cherokee tribal executive Jesse Drum must learn to trust each other so they can find and stop the killers. Can sobering up really be fatal? How have so many of the deaths been made to appear accidental? Who’s creating weapons with modern poisons and ancient Cherokee arts?

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery

358 pages, ebook

First published April 21, 2013

About the author

Social media hub https://linktr.ee/lastarks

WINNER'S CURSE: A LYNN DAYTON THRILLER
Pub date: August 20, 2024
Publisher's Weekly Review: "Takeaway: Gripping sprint through the make-or-break oil and gas industry."
"Starks’s latest thriller, the fourth in her Lynn Dayton series, after (The Second Law), takes readers on a raucous ride of misadventure with Lynn Dayton. . . . Fast-paced and dramatic, Starks’s novel offers a slew of fascinating characters, including spies, estranged fathers, and both upstanding and morally corrupt politicians, all while establishing Dayton as a strong female lead, succeeding in a male-dominated, treacherous industry. Starks not only showcases the profession’s heavy sexism but also its complex web of power, effectively weaving in her own experience in the global energy sector to build a sharp plot that’s bolstered by obvious insider knowledge . . .Despite the many subplots that eventually unfold, from corporate rivalries to international politics, the novel ultimately comes together well, offering plenty of twists and turns along the way. Dayton’s undertakings are as risky as they are critical, but Starks offsets the danger with hefty character-driven scenes that will resonate with readers."
https://www.amazon.com/Winners-Curse-...

WINNER'S CURSE: A LYNN DAYTON THRILLER is a pulse-pounding new thriller hurling you through the eye-opening, dramatic world of oil and gas. While taking you from the west Texas plains to Hungarian salons, Starks expertly infuses insider knowledge of this trillion-dollar industry into this suspenseful technothriller to keep you on the edge of your seat.

THE SECOND LAW (Lynn Dayton Thriller #3): *winner of first place award from Texas Authors for best international thriller,
*quarter-finalist (one of 62 out of 800+) for the 2019 BookLife Prize with a critic's rating of 9.5/10.0.
*finalist in action/adventure category of the National Indie Excellence Awards 2020.
*quarterfinalist in ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition 2023.
https://www.amazon.com/Winners-Curse-...

THE SECOND LAW is about deadly cybersabotage. Protagonist Lynn Dayton must uncover and stop a multi-pronged plot.

"unremitting suspense throughout...Spirited characters, both good and bad, populate this engaging, often surprising thriller."--Kirkus

Readers who enjoy stories of mystery, murder, mayhem and espionage will relish the intricate, complex yet highly accessible series of events The Second Law unfolds."
--D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

STRIKE PRICE, (Lynn Dayton thriller #2), winner of a first place award from Texas Authors for best mystery/thriller, is a story about a business deal turned deadly, concluding with a plot to destroy a hidden-but-crucial energy base and force the US into confrontation with another global power. To stop it, up-by-the-bootstraps Lynn Dayton must trust a Cherokee elder who carries a corrosive secret.
https://www.amazon.com/Strike-Price-L...

“Strike Price takes the reader from Oklahoma Indian reservations to the streets of Florence, in an imaginative and well informed fusion of oil refining economics, Native American politics, and the potential for lethal mayhem in the global energy market.”
Michael Ennis - - - author of New York Times bestseller, The Malice of Fortune

13 DAYS:THE PYTHAGORAS CONSPIRACY (Lynn Dayton thriller #1) is about a plan to sabotage oil refineries and Lynn Dayton, the woman who must discover and stop it.
https://www.amazon.com/13-Days-Pythag...

Rating: Excellent “Author L A. Starks delivers an unstoppable thriller that put this reviewer in mind of bestselling novels of this genre over the last several decades, with the welcome addition of depth . . . This is truly a book which will linger in the reader's mind long after the final ending, as we wond

Reviews

[Frank Kryza · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a veteran of a long career in the international oil and gas sector, it was clear to me within the first couple of chapters of L.A. Starks’s masterful "Strike Price" that the author has deep and personal familiarity with the industry herself, both domestic and foreign. Too often, writers of fiction stoop to unconvincing caricature and cardboard insights when it comes to petroleum and the people who find it and it produce it.

In a marvelous series of scenes set in Paris with a high-ranking Saudi ARAMCO negotiator, she gets the nuances of such confabs down tone-perfect. Few writers can do that because they have to try to imagine life inside a big oil and gas company, whereas Starks has obviously been there and done that in the real world. That background helps her.

You will find no overly-simple stereotypes in Starks's writing about oil companies being nefarious. In my own experience, oil and gas executives are at least as honest and financially scrupulous as other business executives in America, and it gets tiresome to see them all depiicted as cheap flim-flam con men like J. R. Ewing. And let’s not forget that without Exxon and Chevron we would all be riding bicycles to work!

"Strike Price" is a gripping story of international business intrigue that combines real insights into the energy industry with a rip-roaring plot that I found quite imaginative and plausible. I started this book thinking I would read a few chapters a day, but by the third evening, I was burning the midnight oil and didn’t turn off the light until much later than I had expected to. But that’s ok!

L. A. Starks has found a niche that is worthy of further fictional exploration. I was pleased, too, to see such a strong female protagonist who seemed very much in character with the sort of young women who are attracted to the industry in real life. I think there are few businesses where talented women have made more inroads since the 1970s than energy. It was delightful for me personally to meet Lynn Dayton. She rang true. There are quite a few women who are actually that smart and that talented in real world oil and gas companies.

I heartily recommend this book! Five stars. And waiting for the next one!

Frank Kryza, Dallas

[John Buissink · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost gave this book 5 stars and would have given it 4.5 stars if it were an option. This story allows one to imagine oneself flitting around Europe hobnobbing with the rich and then returning to Tulsa, Oklahoma and driving the dusty back roads of small-town USA. The story involves Saudi oil-rich sheiks, native Cherokees, Chechan mercenaries, and hometown American characters who are all embroiled in a plot to hinder the sale of an oil refinery. There are a number of believable characters who jump in and out of the story. The main character, a powerful woman named Lynn, has to fight prejudice as well as many other pitfalls in order to survive the story. I enjoyed reading this exciting story and was fully involved in the build-up to the final conclusion. I received this book for free on goodreads.com.

[Jeff Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

L.A. Starks, her book Strike Price, and her strong female protagonist, Lynn Dayton are all world class. Reminiscent of Dagny Taggert in Ayn Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged. A super-capable petroleum industry executive, Dayton, is working to add to a petroleum company’s assets against corporate greed, corporate sabotage and, if that wasn’t enough, a complex murder conspiracy. While Strike Price is part of a series and does refer to other books in the series, the references are minor and add to the story line. The ending action is what I liked most. Strike Price is a stand-alone read, excellent. Like I said, world-class and worth the five stars. Jeff Bailey, author of the conspiracy thriller Not On My Watch.

[Tamra LeValley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again too technical for me. I continually got lost when the author attempted to describe the refinery process. This book had a fabulous plot and the characters were once again written so well that I felt as though I knew them personally. The way in which this novel was written was precise and it flowed perfectly.

It was however, predictable! You know pretty clearly who the trader of the team is. It was also a very slow book with little to no action in it. Although it really did not need much action to keep me entertained because of the way the author wrote it. It almost seemed too long of a read for the plot though.

[James Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

L.A. Starks (13 Days: The Pythagoras Conspiracy) gets the smell and noise of the petroleum industry just right in her newest thriller Strike Price. Oil company executive Lynn Dayton faces off with the seven deadly sins: pride, lying tongues, hands that shed innocent blood, hearts that devise wicked plots, feet that run to ruin, deceitful witnesses, and those who sow discord. You'll find yourself turning the pages faster and faster as Lynn's hell-on-wheels race to end a chain of murders takes her to the brink of her own death and a national catastrophe. Plan on not sleeping tonight. - James Gary Vineyard, The Grave on Peckerwood Hill

[Laura Hallissey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a really interesting and suspenceful thriller with a great female protagonist. It is the second in the series but even though I hadn't read the first I could still follow it. It works as a stand alone story on it's own. There is a lot of the technical jargon that sometimes went over my head but I found it interesting and intriguing none the less. Another aspect of this story that I really enjoyed is learning about the Cherokee and Native American history. I learned a huge amount of information but it didn't distract or take from the pace of the story. If thrillers are your thing this will be right up your street.

[Delta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great thriller with non-stop action. Don't get too attached to any particular character because there are deaths right, left, and center. There is quite a bit of technical jargon thrown about, but I found it to be pretty interesting.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exceptional global energy thriller.
It's thoroughly engrossing and the pace never lets up.

Lynn Dayton is an executive vice president at TriCoast oil out Dallas, Texas. She's in the middle of lining up a sale of their refinery in Tulsa.

When people around her begin meeting suspicious, untimely ends, it becomes clear that somebody wants the sale to be steered towards a certain bidder.

But who and why?
That's what we have the fun of discovering.

All the characters are finely-drawn and placed in a suspenseful plot.
It really kept me guessing.

I will read the others in the series.

This was an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Maria Riegger · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with the first book in this series, this was a great read. Like the first book, Strike Price definitely hits it stride about 40% of the way through, where the reader starts to put all the mysterious pieces together. You will learn a TON about the oil industry, which I love, since I love learning new things. The setting of the novel definitely makes it an original mystery.

[Patricia Bergman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an impressive well researched mystery centered around the international oil industry. Add Oklahoma's Indian history and this could be considered a text book. I learned an enormous amount of information while being entertained by an excellent thriller. This is a must read.

[Amani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has high stakes and the murder aspect of it is what kept me going. I would recommend this to fans of The Bloodprint by Ausma Zehanat Khan. It is a fast paced book. This also has Native American history in it too.

[Prashanth Bhat · Rating 4 out of 5]

An oil deal is turned deadly.
An elderly person carries a secret. The plot to destroy an oil centre.

How he can stop all these.

The second installment of the series. Can be read as a standalone.
The detailing of the oil industry is very interesting. This part most of the readers are unknown about. All action is good.

Very good read.

[Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting

[Jai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jumped right in without reading the first book (because I was too muddleheaded to realize it was a sequel) but I must say, it stood pretty well on its own and it didn't feel like I lost out on the backstory at all. For the most part, it was the brewing conspiracy that kept me glued in. The first half felt rather slow as there wasn't much action; it mostly laid down the framework for the oil and gas industry of which I wasn't very keen on. But as the pieces started coming together, the thrill gradually accelerated along with the plot twists towards the end. 

The integration of Cherokee culture and history was I think one of the highlights of this book. It served as both an eye-opener for those not too familiar with Native American tribes and a tribute to honor their historical significance. Often, the sins of the past end up buried deep within the pages of history that most people fail to realize the irreparable effects on those directly affected. This novel not only explored that but also provided a great insight into the minds of the Cherokee diaspora, in a setting that's laden with as much controversial power play as the oil sector. It was evident that the author had academic and experiential background on both science and business as reflected by the technicalities in the methodologies, giving the story a more realistic dimension compared to others within the same genre. Recommended for those into mystery/thriller who love a good international conspiracy with a psychotic kick.

[Maria Rivas-mc · Rating 4 out of 5]

L.A. Starks is a super achiever and a runner - so is her character Lynn Dayton. Lynn is going through a stressful period in her life as she struggles to let go of her dying father while planning a new life, complete with young children. Then, there is the job. Lynn is a senior executive in an energy company battling sexism, the constant need to be on point, plus a crazy travel agenda. It’s a tough business that takes no prisoners. Add in murder, mayhem, and a cross border conspiracy and that’s enough to flatten the average human. So I admire her determination as much as her eventual recognition that the one area in her life she could control - the personal - needed to pare down for her own sanity.

Starks draws characters who pull us in, even the minor ones, and who we are sad to let go (people get knocked off pretty frequently). I particularly enjoyed how she interwove the Cherokee Nation’s history and culture. However the very intricate detailing of energy operations got a bit too much midway and I began skating past these to follow the real storyline. A solid 4, with thanks to @Booktasters for facilitating the read.

[Lisa Cobb Sabatini · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of Strike Price: Book 2 of the Lynn Dayton Thriller Series by L.A. Starks from Goodreads.

Strike Price, a Lynn Dayton Thriller by L.A. Starks, is a mystery with a very unique setting: the oil industry. From Oklahoma to Europe, fracking fields to boardrooms, and major cities to Native American reservations, protagonist Lynn Dayton is constantly on the move as she meets with Saudi princes, Russians, and others in pursuit of the best deal for her company's shareholders. But somebody does not want her to succeed.
Readers witness the maneuvering from Lynn's point of view, and the underhanded evil from the killers' point of view.
The Historical Notes and References at the back of the book not only support the story, but also offer facts and insight about the people, Native Americans, African Americans, and Okies. The Oklahoma City bombing is also addressed.

[Naomi Roks · Rating 4 out of 5]

strike price by l.a Starks is a stunning mix of culture and mystery! It had me enraptured from start to end, with it’s compelling story and amazing writing. The book is very well written, but as a non native english speaker I did have some struggles understanding everything. I believe the higher difficulty of understanding it helped me learn more!! While reading i obviously spent more time trying to grasp everything and therefore recalled everything much better than i usually would. The story is gripping, and never gets boring. While it is thrilling, it is also very informative! Learning about the oil and gas industry, the cherokee and many other cultural groups was extremely interesting.

I give it a 4/5! It is well worth reading and absolutely worth your time.
Booktasters helped me get into contact with the author to read this book!

[Linda Haas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strike Price is a suspense thriller that takes place in the oil industry. I admit, I’m not familiar with this industry although I’m more familiar now thanks to this book. When executives start looking to sell one of their refineries murders start happening. The executives travel to various locations by private jet which makes for a fun read. There is an interesting variety of characters including a Saudi prince. The reader learns a lot about the state of Oklahoma and the Native Americans who live there. I’ve never traveled to Oklahoma but I will go there sometime as this book made the history of this state really interesting. At first I didn’t think much of the murder mystery but it turned out to be very good. In other words, I couldn’t guess who the murderer was until the reveal.

[Londeka Shabangu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well researched mystery centered around the oil industry. A good thriller with non-stop action.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One thing I'd love to point out is that the author really makes you feel like you know exactly what's going on till a twist is thrown in and somehow you feel like you reading a different book.

With more than a fair share on her plate, we follow the FMC through the trials and tribulations of life.
• a warning... AS INTERESTING AS THEY ARE, DO NOT GET ATTACHED TO THE CHARACTERS.
• the novel is well delivered, from the small important details to different descriptions.
A suspenseful read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys thriller/mystery.

Thank you to the author and BookTasters as I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Deby Beran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping action and tension are laced with momentous personal life changes for a complex heroine. It kept me guessing to the end and had a satisfying conclusion, not just an ending. So many books just end!
I won this book as a Goodreads Giveaway and am eager to read the other 2 Lynn Dayton books. I live in southeast New Mexico so oilfield culture and economy are everyday life.
Kudos for all the research, background and realism by L A Starks. I enjoyed the historical notes as my mother's family lived in Oklahoma during the early 1900s. Books that entertain as well as educate are fully engrossing and provide enrichment on a higher level.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received Strike Price in a Goodreads Giveaway.
This is a very good thriller. It has realistic characters, several twists, and a lot of interesting information about how the oil industry functions. The settings were partly in America and also international due to the way of oil industry negotiations. I also enjoyed the inclusion of Native American cultural references and characters. Lynn Dayton is a powerful female character who I hope to see in more books by the author.
As an added bonus the Historical Notes and References included my copy of the book were very interesting and informative. I highly recommend this book.

[Laura Hardin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been in a sort of reading slump until one day I went to a book signing at Full Circle and I heard Laura talk about her book. I took it home and I started reading it and I was hooked. This book reads from the stance of an author who knows her stuff. It is fast paced, keeps you guessing, and is chalk full of Native American & Oklahoma history. If you read it too fast you will miss the small details of the book that make the story line so unique. It is also what separates her from the mainstream writers. I really recommend that everyone reads this book. You will like it. Thats a promise.

[Travelmaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew! What a ride. First time I've read a book by this author, and won't be the last. I'm still reeling, and trying to figure out how the author could create such an incredible sense of place and people and educate me about everything from oil wells to the Tulsa Race Riots to food in Florence. It feels like you're right there with them on a roller coaster.
Personally, I appreciate the note the author chose to wrote at the front of this book I wrote. Thank you for the suggestions of other stories to read. I'm looking forward to reading more of your work!

[Artemis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read many thriller books but this has to be one on the best. I really like the pace of the book and the suspenseful tone near the ending as everything is on the line. I also like how it blended Cherokee syllabary and history as I like languages and history with references at the end. I won this book as a Goodreads Giveaway, so I can't wait to obtain the rest when I can. It is really worth reading.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This was a wild ride. Many things I did not know about the oil industry and Native Americans in this book, I found very interesting for sure. It took me awhile to read this one, I had to back track a few times to catch up with the ever-changing story/plot which was very suspenceful and intriguing. I enjoyed reading Strike Price- very good book.

[Virginia Serna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a mile a minute ride about an oil deal going wrong. You are kept guessing til almost the last chapter who the other person killing and injuring those involved in the sale of a large refinery .
I loved all the technical data that Laura presents about the oil industry. It shows that there is more to it than pump it and ship it.
I recommend it to lovers of suspenseful mysteries.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received a copy from Goodreads Giveaways.

Thought it was very well written and the storyline flowed smoothly. Not a lot of on the edge of your seat excitement but still an enjoyable read. A lot of jargon I did not understand but was still able to enjoy the book. Lost track of who was who a couple of times and had to backtrack. Well researched.

Well worth the read.

[Barbara White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put Strike Price down. I was captured from the beginning....big business....its life and games. The pace of the story is quick and the characters will make you feel as though you know them. Thanks to Goodreads First Reads for my copy of Strike Price. I highly recommend this book, and look forward to more from L. A. Starks. Thanks.

[Rhea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lynn Dayton is a baddie. Who knew that the world of crude oil and refineries was so dangerous and cutthroat. L.A. gives a glimpse into that world with Lynn. Poison and car accidents seem to be the hallmark of ruthless assassins. Come along for the ride of high-stakes bidding in the world of Crude oil. Lynn does it with ease and intelligence. You will not be disappointed.

[Annika · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great murder mystery, well researched, and keeps you wondering until the end. Occasionally, the technical details about the oil industry was a little detracting, but it is easy enough to gloss over without losing anything in the plot. It was very enjoyable to read and I will be looking for the previous book in the series, and hopefully, the next in the series too!