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Peter Ash #5
The Wild One
In the latest thriller from the bestselling author of The Drifter , war veteran Peter Ash tracks a murderer and his criminal family through the most forbidding and stark landscape he has ever encountered.
Losing ground in his fight against post-traumatic claustrophobia, war veteran Peter Ash has no intention of getting on an airplane--until a grieving woman asks Peter to find her eight-year-old grandson. The woman's daughter has been murdered. Erik, the dead daughter's husband, is the sole suspect, and he has taken his young son and fled to Iceland for the protection of Erik's lawless family.
Finding the boy becomes more complicated when Peter is met at the airport by a man from the United States Embassy. For reasons both unknown and unofficial, it seems that Peter's own government doesn't want him in Iceland. The police give Peter two days of sightseeing in Reykjavik before he must report back for the first available seat home. . . and when they realize Peter isn't going home until he accomplishes his mission, they start hunting him, too.
From the northernmost European capital to a rustbound fishing vessel to a remote farm a stone's throw from the arctic, Peter must confront his growing PTSD and the most powerful Icelandic snowstorm in a generation to find a killer, save an eight-year-old boy, and keep himself out of an Icelandic prison--or a cold Icelandic grave.
Losing ground in his fight against post-traumatic claustrophobia, war veteran Peter Ash has no intention of getting on an airplane--until a grieving woman asks Peter to find her eight-year-old grandson. The woman's daughter has been murdered. Erik, the dead daughter's husband, is the sole suspect, and he has taken his young son and fled to Iceland for the protection of Erik's lawless family.
Finding the boy becomes more complicated when Peter is met at the airport by a man from the United States Embassy. For reasons both unknown and unofficial, it seems that Peter's own government doesn't want him in Iceland. The police give Peter two days of sightseeing in Reykjavik before he must report back for the first available seat home. . . and when they realize Peter isn't going home until he accomplishes his mission, they start hunting him, too.
From the northernmost European capital to a rustbound fishing vessel to a remote farm a stone's throw from the arctic, Peter must confront his growing PTSD and the most powerful Icelandic snowstorm in a generation to find a killer, save an eight-year-old boy, and keep himself out of an Icelandic prison--or a cold Icelandic grave.
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 14, 2020
1166 people are currently reading
2972 people want to read
About the author
Nick Petrie
24 books1,193 followersNick Petrie received his MFA in fiction from the University of Washington, won a Hopwood Award for short fiction while an undergraduate at the University of Michigan, and his story “At the Laundromat” won the 2006 Short Story Contest in The Seattle Review, a national literary journal. A husband and father, he has worked as a carpenter, remodeling contractor, and building inspector. He lives in Milwaukee.
For more on Nick Petrie, see his website NickPetrie.com, or find him on Facebook or Twitter.
For more on Nick Petrie, see his website NickPetrie.com, or find him on Facebook or Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 508 reviews
April 20, 2020
An interesting story is nearly sidelined by an incomplete ending, thus earning only 5 of 10 stars
November 23, 2019
it is a nice thriller but not great. it is enjoyable but have it flaws. i admit it took me around 60 pages to start to enjoy. l have read any of Patrie thrillers before. so to take for granted that the reader knows the history and the burden Ash is carry in his wounded soul takes time. the title is exactly what you meet first - a wild one. slowly we find out why he is so brutal and aggressive to humanity or to the worst part of it. Patrie have a great sense of landscape and his description of the wild nature of Iceland is great. problem is that dialogues are minimal and used to move plot and not to enrich other characters which most of them stay in the shallow side. there is one intriguing irish killer which is built delicately even better than two main characters - the murdered parents of the boy who keep the secret of a an evil done by a civil servant close to the usa top. all this story of a plot is a bit weak.
on the whole enjoyable and really good writing. there is a lot of soul of the writer which float out and this is nice when you can feel the person, the writer.
on the whole enjoyable and really good writing. there is a lot of soul of the writer which float out and this is nice when you can feel the person, the writer.
January 19, 2020
"the simple prospect of dying made him feel more alive"
No doubt about it, Peter Ash has issues. This is a gripping thriller from the very first chapter.
The Wild One can be read as a standalone. Peter, a recon Marine commander of 8 years has Post Traumatic stress following his extensive deployments, possibly of what had happened in Fallujah. His PTSD episodes lessen when he's amid threatening circumstances. In this installment Peter heads to Iceland to rescue a boy, taken by his murderous Icelandic father at the request of his American grandmother with Peter's former fellow Marine as a go to guy. I just love the atmospheric setting of this book. With the Arctic hurricane forming and alone without help, Peter has to find a way to stay alive and save this boy.
4.5 stars for this fantastic thriller. I could use less reminder of his PTSD and the blue Toyota. Also the ending felt a little rush. Overall a hard to put down thriller. Love!
I am adding The Wild One to my top list of thrillers I read in 2019 that got me this excited so much so I didn't want the book to end. Those on my list are Out of the Dark OrphanX #4 by Gregg Hurwitz, The Terminal List James Reece #1 by Jack Carr and Backlash Scot Harvath #19 by Brad Thor.
Thank you to Goodreads giveaway, GP Putnam's Sons and Penguin Random House for this advance copy.
No doubt about it, Peter Ash has issues. This is a gripping thriller from the very first chapter.
The Wild One can be read as a standalone. Peter, a recon Marine commander of 8 years has Post Traumatic stress following his extensive deployments, possibly of what had happened in Fallujah. His PTSD episodes lessen when he's amid threatening circumstances. In this installment Peter heads to Iceland to rescue a boy, taken by his murderous Icelandic father at the request of his American grandmother with Peter's former fellow Marine as a go to guy. I just love the atmospheric setting of this book. With the Arctic hurricane forming and alone without help, Peter has to find a way to stay alive and save this boy.
4.5 stars for this fantastic thriller. I could use less reminder of his PTSD and the blue Toyota. Also the ending felt a little rush. Overall a hard to put down thriller. Love!
I am adding The Wild One to my top list of thrillers I read in 2019 that got me this excited so much so I didn't want the book to end. Those on my list are Out of the Dark OrphanX #4 by Gregg Hurwitz, The Terminal List James Reece #1 by Jack Carr and Backlash Scot Harvath #19 by Brad Thor.
Thank you to Goodreads giveaway, GP Putnam's Sons and Penguin Random House for this advance copy.
January 23, 2020
Definitely worth waiting for.
I've adored Peter Ash since he first appeared in The Drifter... that adoration continues.
Early on, The Wild One felt like I'd stepped into a ping-pong match. Back and forth, forward and backward between unrelated sets of characters in unrelated places. Then the story came together and took off at jet speed. How do you figure out who the good guys are in blizzard conditions when you can't tell what color their hats are in the resulting white-out? And deal with a severe case of PTSD at the same time?? This was one wild ride of a read.
Interesting tidbit about the use of ecstasy to treat PTSD... memo to self to Google that.
I've adored Peter Ash since he first appeared in The Drifter... that adoration continues.
Early on, The Wild One felt like I'd stepped into a ping-pong match. Back and forth, forward and backward between unrelated sets of characters in unrelated places. Then the story came together and took off at jet speed. How do you figure out who the good guys are in blizzard conditions when you can't tell what color their hats are in the resulting white-out? And deal with a severe case of PTSD at the same time?? This was one wild ride of a read.
Interesting tidbit about the use of ecstasy to treat PTSD... memo to self to Google that.
March 3, 2020
The first book in this new, exciting, and fresh series – The Drifter – introduced Peter Ash, an ex-military man who suffers greatly from post-traumatic claustrophobia from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. A promotional blurb on the cover from Lee Child certainly didn’t hurt either.
The second book – Burning Bright – continued Peter’s attempt at re-integrating himself into society, provided a tighter and more intricate plotline, and introduced June Cassidy, a strong potential love interest.
The third book - Light It Up – Peter helped his good friend, Henry Nygaard, and his daughter, who run a security company providing protection to legalized cannabis companies in Denver, Colorado. Peter investigated how their deliveries were being ambushed by a professional team.
The fourth book – Tear it Down – Peter Ash went to Memphis to help a friend, Wanda Wyatt, a war correspondent and photographer who’s being receiving serious threats. By the time Peter drives cross-country to get there, he finds that those threats have accelerated into an unknown person driving a dump truck right into Wanda’s house.
And now in his fifth outing – Tear it Down – Peter Ash is back in action and still struggling big time with his PTSD, which keeps him from acclimating back into the real world. This time the action takes Ash to the barren and raw landscapes of Iceland during a December winter storm.
When the book begins, Ash has struggled through three airplane flights to arrive in Reykjavik, the northernmost capital in all of Europe. The purpose of his journey is to find the year-old grandson of an American woman whose daughter has been murdered. The husband is only suspect, and he has fled with his son to Iceland, where is presumed to be hiding with his renegade and lawless family.
To make matters worse, the moment Peter arrives at the Reykjavik airport, he is detained by a man from the United States Embassy, and told to return home on the next available flight departing in two days. If he’s not on it, the police will be hunting him down. Dealing with these challenges – the police, an unknown party who wants him gone, and crazy criminal relatives of the boy he is searching for – not to mention the increasing dreams and PTSD attacks may be too much for Ash as he searches for the eight-year-old boy in an oncoming generational level snowstorm.
As with the first four books, there continues to be a lot of good things to like about this one too. Petrie does an excellent job of laying out the primary mystery and challenges facing Ash. Petrie starts off Ash arriving in Iceland, and then includes flashbacks throughout to introduce the backstory of how Ash ended up in his current job. His fast paced, fluid prose pulls you in and keeps you actively involved through-out the current action, as well as the key information provided in the flashbacks. As In the previous books, Petrie uses Ashe’s memories to delve into his background, character, and personal conflicts. However, this time he evens creates some interesting personal situations for Ashe that will be carried forward into the next book, and I look forward to those arcs.
Petrie pulls you in and makes you care about solving the mystery; you care about Ash’s challenges and survival; and you certainly care about the outcomes. It’s easy to see that with each book, Petrie is gaining strength and creativity as a writer and storyteller, connecting several complex elements together in an engaging outcome.
There are several reasons as to why this series continues getting so much praise. At first look, Ash is a copy of Jack Reacher, the main character in Lee Child’s very popular action series. To be honest, that’s understandable. There are definite similarities between the two characters. It would be wrong to overlook or try to downplay that reality. And there’s Lee Child providing a promotional blurb on each of the book covers promising “Peter Ash is the real deal.” Having read all the Reacher books and being a fan, of course I must admit an interest in looking at another version of Reacher. At least a small look…
However, because Ash suffers from such a serious post-war syndrome, he causes you to look at him in a different light. After five books, Ash is developing into his own exceptional character with his own defined strengths and weaknesses. Ash is human, flawed, and full of his own serious weaknesses. He is not Reacher incarnate, nor a cheap copy. Nick Petrie has successfully established his own-antihero - one that stands firmly on his own.
It works because Nick Petrie has done his homework and delivered something new. He has taken the foundation that prior great mystery and adventure writers have established and moved the art a step forward. Although it is early in his career, I believe he is making a significant impact in this genre by creating a flawed anti-hero, unable to conform to societal norms, and created opportunities for him to make a difference in the only ways he knows how. His moral code of conduct is eerily similar to such literary heroes like Robert B. Parker’s “Spenser”, Lee Child’s “Reacher”, and Craig Johnson’s “Longmire”.
I have become an avid fan of what Petrie has created, and have no problem going out of my way to recommend his “Peter Ash” series to others with a confident and knowing smile.
My grade: 4 out of 5 stars.
The second book – Burning Bright – continued Peter’s attempt at re-integrating himself into society, provided a tighter and more intricate plotline, and introduced June Cassidy, a strong potential love interest.
The third book - Light It Up – Peter helped his good friend, Henry Nygaard, and his daughter, who run a security company providing protection to legalized cannabis companies in Denver, Colorado. Peter investigated how their deliveries were being ambushed by a professional team.
The fourth book – Tear it Down – Peter Ash went to Memphis to help a friend, Wanda Wyatt, a war correspondent and photographer who’s being receiving serious threats. By the time Peter drives cross-country to get there, he finds that those threats have accelerated into an unknown person driving a dump truck right into Wanda’s house.
And now in his fifth outing – Tear it Down – Peter Ash is back in action and still struggling big time with his PTSD, which keeps him from acclimating back into the real world. This time the action takes Ash to the barren and raw landscapes of Iceland during a December winter storm.
When the book begins, Ash has struggled through three airplane flights to arrive in Reykjavik, the northernmost capital in all of Europe. The purpose of his journey is to find the year-old grandson of an American woman whose daughter has been murdered. The husband is only suspect, and he has fled with his son to Iceland, where is presumed to be hiding with his renegade and lawless family.
To make matters worse, the moment Peter arrives at the Reykjavik airport, he is detained by a man from the United States Embassy, and told to return home on the next available flight departing in two days. If he’s not on it, the police will be hunting him down. Dealing with these challenges – the police, an unknown party who wants him gone, and crazy criminal relatives of the boy he is searching for – not to mention the increasing dreams and PTSD attacks may be too much for Ash as he searches for the eight-year-old boy in an oncoming generational level snowstorm.
As with the first four books, there continues to be a lot of good things to like about this one too. Petrie does an excellent job of laying out the primary mystery and challenges facing Ash. Petrie starts off Ash arriving in Iceland, and then includes flashbacks throughout to introduce the backstory of how Ash ended up in his current job. His fast paced, fluid prose pulls you in and keeps you actively involved through-out the current action, as well as the key information provided in the flashbacks. As In the previous books, Petrie uses Ashe’s memories to delve into his background, character, and personal conflicts. However, this time he evens creates some interesting personal situations for Ashe that will be carried forward into the next book, and I look forward to those arcs.
Petrie pulls you in and makes you care about solving the mystery; you care about Ash’s challenges and survival; and you certainly care about the outcomes. It’s easy to see that with each book, Petrie is gaining strength and creativity as a writer and storyteller, connecting several complex elements together in an engaging outcome.
There are several reasons as to why this series continues getting so much praise. At first look, Ash is a copy of Jack Reacher, the main character in Lee Child’s very popular action series. To be honest, that’s understandable. There are definite similarities between the two characters. It would be wrong to overlook or try to downplay that reality. And there’s Lee Child providing a promotional blurb on each of the book covers promising “Peter Ash is the real deal.” Having read all the Reacher books and being a fan, of course I must admit an interest in looking at another version of Reacher. At least a small look…
However, because Ash suffers from such a serious post-war syndrome, he causes you to look at him in a different light. After five books, Ash is developing into his own exceptional character with his own defined strengths and weaknesses. Ash is human, flawed, and full of his own serious weaknesses. He is not Reacher incarnate, nor a cheap copy. Nick Petrie has successfully established his own-antihero - one that stands firmly on his own.
It works because Nick Petrie has done his homework and delivered something new. He has taken the foundation that prior great mystery and adventure writers have established and moved the art a step forward. Although it is early in his career, I believe he is making a significant impact in this genre by creating a flawed anti-hero, unable to conform to societal norms, and created opportunities for him to make a difference in the only ways he knows how. His moral code of conduct is eerily similar to such literary heroes like Robert B. Parker’s “Spenser”, Lee Child’s “Reacher”, and Craig Johnson’s “Longmire”.
I have become an avid fan of what Petrie has created, and have no problem going out of my way to recommend his “Peter Ash” series to others with a confident and knowing smile.
My grade: 4 out of 5 stars.
August 1, 2020
I have read all of this series. I was disappointed with this story. I missed Peter Ash's interactions with his companions, June Cassidy and Lewis. These characters usually insert some humor into the stories and there was no humor in this one. The ending was disappointing.
March 9, 2020
One hell of an adventure!
This latest adventure pushes Peter like he’s never been pushed. He’s up against a State official who wants him out of the country, a family who wants to keep their private business their own, and his own personal “static”. All throughout this read, I kept asking “how is he going to get out of this one??”. This entire book is Peter versus (insert here). It makes for one hell of a read, and a shocking revel at the end!
This latest adventure pushes Peter like he’s never been pushed. He’s up against a State official who wants him out of the country, a family who wants to keep their private business their own, and his own personal “static”. All throughout this read, I kept asking “how is he going to get out of this one??”. This entire book is Peter versus (insert here). It makes for one hell of a read, and a shocking revel at the end!
January 21, 2020
Peter Ash is the real deal as Lee Child says. Petrie wrote something special here. What a ride! I enjoyed it from the first page. In the last year I have read all of the Ash books. It’s going to suck having to wait a year for the next one. If you haven’t read Petrie, start now, this series is incredible.
July 10, 2022
There are no geographical limits as to where Peter Ash will show. Always exciting. Excellent plot.
April 21, 2020
Well, this novel holds humongous amounts of physical action. Most of which is highly and ruinous of life- extreme violence. Ash is compared to Reacher in the trailers and other ads I read before I read the book. But I feel Peter Ash is quite different, but only equivalent in the take down skill/power for intense and immediate fisticuffs.
It was the characterizations that set me back during the read- which took me eons longer than an average fiction book of these many pages. It was the non-continuity. I just lost interest to the seeking of Oskar from about page 100 on. There were too many flip flops in time, flashback, place, Erik narration etc. And too much repeats about "static" which is the word / term used for Peter Ash's awareness re his PTSD condition.
Not a fan of the ambiance between him and his love interest either. Peter is way, way too beyond the outlier curve to be "there".
This is a story that will be enjoyed by the most violent action movie posit people. It's mean and it's savage. Iceland is a dynamic place and the weather is huge copy portent to the physical turmoil- as well.
Just not my level of interface for this genre at all. I need to know more about characters who are the adversary, for instance. This puts them into extreme stereotype- like the 007 "villain" or Bat Man foe characters. Others love that aspect, perhaps? I feel the cartoon, not the terror.
It was the characterizations that set me back during the read- which took me eons longer than an average fiction book of these many pages. It was the non-continuity. I just lost interest to the seeking of Oskar from about page 100 on. There were too many flip flops in time, flashback, place, Erik narration etc. And too much repeats about "static" which is the word / term used for Peter Ash's awareness re his PTSD condition.
Not a fan of the ambiance between him and his love interest either. Peter is way, way too beyond the outlier curve to be "there".
This is a story that will be enjoyed by the most violent action movie posit people. It's mean and it's savage. Iceland is a dynamic place and the weather is huge copy portent to the physical turmoil- as well.
Just not my level of interface for this genre at all. I need to know more about characters who are the adversary, for instance. This puts them into extreme stereotype- like the 007 "villain" or Bat Man foe characters. Others love that aspect, perhaps? I feel the cartoon, not the terror.
May 26, 2023
Several reviews mention an abrupt ending, which is understandable, but this was still a great installment in the series. My 5th favorite out of the first five and still 5-stars.
In one scene Peter uses a hardback book as a weapon… that was a first. His PTSD has worsened in book #5 and that’s a part of the character that makes him real and identifiable to me.
He’s a war veteran who’s still struggling in some ways with life as a civilian, but it’s what he learned in war and how he was trained that keeps him alive in his life after Iraq.
🇺🇸
In one scene Peter uses a hardback book as a weapon… that was a first. His PTSD has worsened in book #5 and that’s a part of the character that makes him real and identifiable to me.
He’s a war veteran who’s still struggling in some ways with life as a civilian, but it’s what he learned in war and how he was trained that keeps him alive in his life after Iraq.
🇺🇸
August 31, 2022
It seems that Nick Petrie is running out of ideas and has to plunk down his character in a really weird place and hope that makes it interesting. It does not. Too bad. The first novel in this series was just great.
November 14, 2020
Another good read from Petrie but the ending was abrupt and seemed too hasty. Iceland was the perfect set for the novel but I got the impression Petrie didn’t know where to take the ending or it was edited considerably before publishing. Still great action and look forward to the next.
March 18, 2020
A very good read that would have been far better imo if the
author could have removed "white" & "static" from his
lexicon. We got it, Ash suffers from PTSD, really, we got it.
author could have removed "white" & "static" from his
lexicon. We got it, Ash suffers from PTSD, really, we got it.
January 20, 2020
“Fucking Vikings.”
I’ve been watching and reading a lot of The Witcher and it always amuses when he utters his famous gruff one liners, “Hmmm,” and “Fuck.” Like Jack Reacher and The Witcher, Peter Ash can be a man of few words. But the three or four times he shakes his head in disbelief and announces the two words cracks me up.
It’s not that the comment isn’t warranted. It’s actually the opposite, how much he sums up the situation in a neat bow like that is amazing.
At first I was skeptical of the set-up. Peter in Iceland sounds far-fetched. After all, he’s famously claustrophobic and his PTSD flared up in large crowds. How the hell is he going to be on a long plane ride or even multiple plane rides? What I failed to consider is how the snow, the ice, and isolation would play to his comfort zone. And just how far he would go to rectify a situation where the guilty are out to kill the innocent.
But its the victims’ family, the fucking Vikings themselves, that are the real treat. Not only do they treat protecting the family like an honor and privilege, but they do it with such blue collar attitude that it makes you smile. They’re not squeamish about killing, injuring, or even torturing folks if it means defending their loved ones. And it’s this lack of hesitation and unrelenting zeal they gave for their duty that makes an impression on you.
The story sings because you believe the people at the heart of it. And it sings because it’s like a Viking legend—loved ones killed and their family (plus one vet) get their bloody revenge on the evildoers in the end in the most ruthless fashion.
I’ve been watching and reading a lot of The Witcher and it always amuses when he utters his famous gruff one liners, “Hmmm,” and “Fuck.” Like Jack Reacher and The Witcher, Peter Ash can be a man of few words. But the three or four times he shakes his head in disbelief and announces the two words cracks me up.
It’s not that the comment isn’t warranted. It’s actually the opposite, how much he sums up the situation in a neat bow like that is amazing.
At first I was skeptical of the set-up. Peter in Iceland sounds far-fetched. After all, he’s famously claustrophobic and his PTSD flared up in large crowds. How the hell is he going to be on a long plane ride or even multiple plane rides? What I failed to consider is how the snow, the ice, and isolation would play to his comfort zone. And just how far he would go to rectify a situation where the guilty are out to kill the innocent.
But its the victims’ family, the fucking Vikings themselves, that are the real treat. Not only do they treat protecting the family like an honor and privilege, but they do it with such blue collar attitude that it makes you smile. They’re not squeamish about killing, injuring, or even torturing folks if it means defending their loved ones. And it’s this lack of hesitation and unrelenting zeal they gave for their duty that makes an impression on you.
The story sings because you believe the people at the heart of it. And it sings because it’s like a Viking legend—loved ones killed and their family (plus one vet) get their bloody revenge on the evildoers in the end in the most ruthless fashion.
January 11, 2023
3.5 I keep forgetting that Ash is more than any human is, ever was, or ever will be. There is over the top, and then there is over the space launch in mid flight.
February 15, 2020
In perhaps his most straightforward civilian mission yet, veteran Marine Peter Ash sets out for Iceland with one purpose: bring home a kidnapped eight-year-old boy. Of course, there are obstacles. The American embassy (or is it?) wants him deported in 48 hours for unknown reasons; the boy's family have driven off previous investigators; a winter storm is coming that will teach this wilderness-savvy Wisconsin native a whole new appreciation for nature's fury; oh, and the claustrophobia that has plagued Peter since he came home from combat is worsening by the day, and he doesn't know why. Just another adventure in the life of a man who never passes up an opportunity to "be useful," to atone for wartime tragedies, and to bring justice when no one else is able or willing to do so.
Peter Ash is one of my favorite current-series characters; I haven't missed a book yet. This one diverges from previous installments, and whether or not it wholly succeeds is likely only discernible after I've read the next book. Like the rest of the series, it's a taut, concise suspense novel with a literate voice and a plot that never takes a breath. Its uniqueness lies in Peter's utter isolation from previously developed secondary characters, i.e. his entire support system: June (the woman he loves), Lewis (his best friend and fellow warrior), Don (his therapist, of whom we've seen less on the page, but he's still a vital part of Peter's life right now). Peter is alone in Iceland. Alone with ghosts and the "white static" (his name for his PTSD-induced claustrophobia). Alone with what happened to him and others while he fought in a war he sees as unjustified. Truly alone with himself.
In a way, Peter's stranded condition--the physical storm a potent symbol for the mental/emotional storm--makes this the most extreme book thus far for its protagonist, though this plot certainly isn't more violent or more dangerous than those of previous books. As a reader I really missed Lewis and June, partly because I like them and partly (mainly?) because Peter so clearly needs them in his life. Almost 400 pages with this guy off on his own is a stressful venture. He's got no one to help him, to ground him, to speak truth to him when he gets bogged down. There's a lot of inner processing in this book, nightmare images on a loop, fear that he's losing himself to his losses.
If the next book addresses what happened in this one (if June and Lewis respond to it directly and relationships grow through it), my guess is this will become a less re-read but equally important installment of the series. I'm trusting Petrie for those rewards, and I was relieved when, in the climax, a little of Peter's old sarcastic wit flickered back to life (I had missed it!). I hope this character's path will angle toward healing (not an easy fix but a true, realistic growth process) and that the events of The Wild One will be integral to future books.
Peter Ash is one of my favorite current-series characters; I haven't missed a book yet. This one diverges from previous installments, and whether or not it wholly succeeds is likely only discernible after I've read the next book. Like the rest of the series, it's a taut, concise suspense novel with a literate voice and a plot that never takes a breath. Its uniqueness lies in Peter's utter isolation from previously developed secondary characters, i.e. his entire support system: June (the woman he loves), Lewis (his best friend and fellow warrior), Don (his therapist, of whom we've seen less on the page, but he's still a vital part of Peter's life right now). Peter is alone in Iceland. Alone with ghosts and the "white static" (his name for his PTSD-induced claustrophobia). Alone with what happened to him and others while he fought in a war he sees as unjustified. Truly alone with himself.
In a way, Peter's stranded condition--the physical storm a potent symbol for the mental/emotional storm--makes this the most extreme book thus far for its protagonist, though this plot certainly isn't more violent or more dangerous than those of previous books. As a reader I really missed Lewis and June, partly because I like them and partly (mainly?) because Peter so clearly needs them in his life. Almost 400 pages with this guy off on his own is a stressful venture. He's got no one to help him, to ground him, to speak truth to him when he gets bogged down. There's a lot of inner processing in this book, nightmare images on a loop, fear that he's losing himself to his losses.
If the next book addresses what happened in this one (if June and Lewis respond to it directly and relationships grow through it), my guess is this will become a less re-read but equally important installment of the series. I'm trusting Petrie for those rewards, and I was relieved when, in the climax, a little of Peter's old sarcastic wit flickered back to life (I had missed it!). I hope this character's path will angle toward healing (not an easy fix but a true, realistic growth process) and that the events of The Wild One will be integral to future books.
February 18, 2020
Peter Ash is back in another blow the doors off action thriller. While a little slow in the beginning, Petrie gets in high gear once the action gets to Iceland as he has our hero tackle the weather, some burly Icelandic men, cops with batons and killers all to try and find a little boy, who may have been kidnapped by his killer dad.
There are a couple of slick twists and not all of the action involves fisticuffs but Peter Ash is up for almost any challenge.
I was sick for two weeks and really could not get into a groove in reading, but opened this up last night and danced with it to 1:30 am when I finished it in one long glide.
Petrie is the real deal, and Peter Ash, who suffers from bad PTSD from his service in the military is a good hero to find.
There are a couple of slick twists and not all of the action involves fisticuffs but Peter Ash is up for almost any challenge.
I was sick for two weeks and really could not get into a groove in reading, but opened this up last night and danced with it to 1:30 am when I finished it in one long glide.
Petrie is the real deal, and Peter Ash, who suffers from bad PTSD from his service in the military is a good hero to find.
April 8, 2021
Thrilling, but I think the author tired before the ending.
January 21, 2020
Titling this installment of the Peter Ash series THE WILD ONE certainly constitutes truth in advertising. Setting Peter up as a fish out of water --- and a wounded fish at that --- in Iceland manifests itself as a stroke of genius on Nick Petrie’s part. While the book is complete in itself, with a satisfying if not neatly wrapped conclusion, readers will be echoing the famous question posed repeatedly by DCI John Luther: “What now?”
We are getting ahead of ourselves, so let’s start at the beginning for the folks who are just joining us. Peter Ash is a U.S. Marine veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars whose experiences have left him with post-traumatic stress disorder, manifested by, among other things, head-buzzing when under stress and claustrophobia. It isn’t a good combination even under the best of circumstances, which is why Peter is content to live quietly in his girlfriend’s home in Washington State and occasionally rehab buildings.
So it is only with the greatest reluctance that Peter consents, at the request of a government acquaintance, to even talk with a distraught woman named Catherine Price. The fact that she is extremely wealthy has nothing to do with it. Her sorrowful demeanor is the hook, and the story she tells sinks it. She says that her daughter, Sarah, was murdered by Sarah’s husband, Erik. Erik proceeded to leave the country with their son, Oskar, and go back to his native Iceland. Catherine wants Peter to locate Oskar, her only grandson. It is a fool’s errand, for sure, particularly when the errand involves a claustrophobic person spending hours on a commercial plane. For reasons that even he has difficulty articulating, Peter accepts the job.
Things get hinky almost from the moment that Peter sets boots on the ground. It is immediately made clear to him that the United States does not want him in Iceland, and, through a reluctant Icelandic law enforcement officer, he is ordered to fly out of the country within a couple of days. That order, of course, is one that Peter is inclined to disobey. The problem is that Erik’s family and a revolving group of Reykjavik citizens don’t want him there either, and as a result, he’s getting bounced around in a locale and climate that he finds to be extremely inhospitable. Worse, it appears that both Erik and Oskar are dead.
Peter is determined to pursue the truth wherever it might lead him. His biggest problem is figuring out who he can and should trust, which at least in some instances are mutually exclusive sets. He eventually gets to the truth, which is bittersweet and complex. In that way, it has much in common with the book’s enigmatic conclusion, which, while resolving much, leaves Peter hanging.
Petrie’s physically and emotionally flawed hero is at his tenacious best in THE WILD ONE, the ending of which sets up the possibility for a change of direction for the series on several fronts. This latest installment should go a long way toward getting Peter and Petrie the audience that both have earned and deserve.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
We are getting ahead of ourselves, so let’s start at the beginning for the folks who are just joining us. Peter Ash is a U.S. Marine veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars whose experiences have left him with post-traumatic stress disorder, manifested by, among other things, head-buzzing when under stress and claustrophobia. It isn’t a good combination even under the best of circumstances, which is why Peter is content to live quietly in his girlfriend’s home in Washington State and occasionally rehab buildings.
So it is only with the greatest reluctance that Peter consents, at the request of a government acquaintance, to even talk with a distraught woman named Catherine Price. The fact that she is extremely wealthy has nothing to do with it. Her sorrowful demeanor is the hook, and the story she tells sinks it. She says that her daughter, Sarah, was murdered by Sarah’s husband, Erik. Erik proceeded to leave the country with their son, Oskar, and go back to his native Iceland. Catherine wants Peter to locate Oskar, her only grandson. It is a fool’s errand, for sure, particularly when the errand involves a claustrophobic person spending hours on a commercial plane. For reasons that even he has difficulty articulating, Peter accepts the job.
Things get hinky almost from the moment that Peter sets boots on the ground. It is immediately made clear to him that the United States does not want him in Iceland, and, through a reluctant Icelandic law enforcement officer, he is ordered to fly out of the country within a couple of days. That order, of course, is one that Peter is inclined to disobey. The problem is that Erik’s family and a revolving group of Reykjavik citizens don’t want him there either, and as a result, he’s getting bounced around in a locale and climate that he finds to be extremely inhospitable. Worse, it appears that both Erik and Oskar are dead.
Peter is determined to pursue the truth wherever it might lead him. His biggest problem is figuring out who he can and should trust, which at least in some instances are mutually exclusive sets. He eventually gets to the truth, which is bittersweet and complex. In that way, it has much in common with the book’s enigmatic conclusion, which, while resolving much, leaves Peter hanging.
Petrie’s physically and emotionally flawed hero is at his tenacious best in THE WILD ONE, the ending of which sets up the possibility for a change of direction for the series on several fronts. This latest installment should go a long way toward getting Peter and Petrie the audience that both have earned and deserve.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
November 1, 2021
Enjoyable read which takes place largely in Iceland. A chilling tale!
January 8, 2022
Book Review - Nick Petrie’s “The Wild One” is probably one of the most beautifully written mystery/thriller novels that I have read in quite some time! I don't really know how else to describe it. I can’t believe I’ve only read two of the Peter Ash stories. Petrie's writing, especially for this story was top notch with his vivid descriptions, allowing the reader see, hear, and feel exactly what's happening in the scene. With this narrative largely set in Iceland, Petrie made me feel as if I was there, sitting right next to Peter Ash on this mysterious adventure. To do that, I’m sure it took him to do a large amount of research, which is so evident by the descriptions in his writing. This novel felt like a combination of amazing authors all coming together to tell an exciting tale. Peter Ash does feel a little like Jack Reacher, the setting and detailed intricacies like Tom Clancy and the storyline and plot keeps you locked in like Vince Flynn or Brad Thor. I can't begin to describe how much I enjoyed this book. This series quickly rocketed up to one of my favorites in the mystery thriller genre. I applaud Nick Petrie for his ability to develop this amazing, in-depth character, who isn't necessarily this can-do-no-wrong gunslinger that we see lots of nowadays. This character feels real, and his unrelenting adventures are “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”! Although you could easily read The Wild One as a standalone, I definitely recommend reading the series in order. It will provide some backstory to the Peter Ash character that you don't want to miss out on. The Wild One was an extra impressive novel, with the Icelandic and Irish accents. I’m now a huge fan of the series and highly recommend this book.
January 2, 2020
Nick Petrie is a gifted wordsmith with a nack for storytelling. In The Wild One, the fifth book in the Peter Ash series, Nick puts both of these talents to good use. Nick packs the book full of action while still gifting the readers with lush descriptions in a manner that's remicient of Daniel Silva. If you're already of fan of Peter Ash, you'll love The Wild One. If your new to the series, pull up a chair and crack open this book. You won't be disappointed.
March 19, 2021
Not perfect, but still the best of the Peter Ash books so far. I'm enjoying the author's decision to locate each book in a different city. This story is based in Iceland, and the descriptions of the landscape is fantastic, and it plays an integral part in the plot.
This plot holds up better than those in previous books, though the ending seemed a bit abrupt and anti-climactic. Definitely recommend this book though.
This plot holds up better than those in previous books, though the ending seemed a bit abrupt and anti-climactic. Definitely recommend this book though.
January 15, 2020
This book is an absolute blast. Peter Ash again finds trouble, but this time he is all on his own. Everyone around him is trying to stop him from finding what he went to do. He will stop at nothing even if it means almost dying in the massive snow storm coming in, vicious killers, and cops chasing him. It keeps you on your toes, with a new twist always right there. Peter Ash at his best!
January 31, 2020
Throughly enjoyed the tail. I enjoyed how Nick took you from the beginning 12 months prior to the future and back. It keep me trying g to figure out who was who which keep the suspense out throughout the entire book. Enjoyed the Iceland side of the book and how a winter storm could effect the country.
March 31, 2020
What a story. I stumbled upon this series a while back and got hooked. The character Peter Ash is fantastic, the way Petrie handles his difficulties and comes up with new settings all the time. I hope this will continue for a long time. Strong recomendations from me.
May 12, 2020
4.5 stars. Peter Ash has had PTSD ever since he returned from Iraq. He has extreme claustrophobia so he can barely manage to be indoors. Now add horrible dreams to that.
He's hired by grandmother Catherine Price to find her 8 year old grandson in Iceland. Catherine tells Peter that her son-in-law Erik murdered her daughter Sara and took grandson Oskar to Erik's homeland of Iceland. Peter is detained at the airport, told he's not welcome, and given a return ticket for 2 days later. Anyone who knows Peter is well aware that he won't be on that plane.
The story goes back and forth in time to 12 months earlier when Sara stumbled upon videos showing horrible activities by high ranking government officials.
The book contains beautiful descriptions of Iceland and great Viking loyalties but that couldn't quite make up for the absence of Peter's sidekicks June and Louis. The stories are always better when Peter does not have to faced adversity alone. Expect lots of fight scenes because you know Peter is not going to back down despite insurmountable odds.
If you love Jack Reacher, you will love Peter Ash. Cut from the same cloth!
He's hired by grandmother Catherine Price to find her 8 year old grandson in Iceland. Catherine tells Peter that her son-in-law Erik murdered her daughter Sara and took grandson Oskar to Erik's homeland of Iceland. Peter is detained at the airport, told he's not welcome, and given a return ticket for 2 days later. Anyone who knows Peter is well aware that he won't be on that plane.
The story goes back and forth in time to 12 months earlier when Sara stumbled upon videos showing horrible activities by high ranking government officials.
The book contains beautiful descriptions of Iceland and great Viking loyalties but that couldn't quite make up for the absence of Peter's sidekicks June and Louis. The stories are always better when Peter does not have to faced adversity alone. Expect lots of fight scenes because you know Peter is not going to back down despite insurmountable odds.
If you love Jack Reacher, you will love Peter Ash. Cut from the same cloth!
August 14, 2021
#5 In a Good Series
I am working my way through the Peter Ash series and I did enjoy this outing, but it is my least favorite so far. It's plot is extremely complicated and an enormous amount of research obviously went into it, but I just didn't love it like I did the first four. First of all, June isn't in it at all, and I have come to really like her character. Secondly, pretty much the entire story takes place in Iceland, and things seemed off kilter to me as a whole. I felt like I was continually playing catch up to understand the various plot twists. Finally and most importantly, I did not like the way it ended, a thing I can't explain in a review because of the spoiler problem. I have already put #6 on my Kindle, though, because right now I cannot get enough of Peter Ash.
I am working my way through the Peter Ash series and I did enjoy this outing, but it is my least favorite so far. It's plot is extremely complicated and an enormous amount of research obviously went into it, but I just didn't love it like I did the first four. First of all, June isn't in it at all, and I have come to really like her character. Secondly, pretty much the entire story takes place in Iceland, and things seemed off kilter to me as a whole. I felt like I was continually playing catch up to understand the various plot twists. Finally and most importantly, I did not like the way it ended, a thing I can't explain in a review because of the spoiler problem. I have already put #6 on my Kindle, though, because right now I cannot get enough of Peter Ash.
February 23, 2020
Nick Petrie is stellar and his Peter Ash series is one of the finest series out there. These books are well written with well drawn characters that you genuinely care about.
In The Wild One, Peter is trying and failing to control his PTSD from the war. Unable to escape from the dreams if people who died underbid watch, Peter takes a job from a wealthy woman whose grandson is missing with his father who is accused of killing his wife
who is her daughter. The real story however is that she did overed secret files that would prove damaging to the powerful in Washington DC.
The job is in Iceland and as Peter arrives it becomes quickly apparent that someone powerful doesn't want him to succeed.
The action begins immediately in this book with the scenes alternating between current day and 12 montgs previous where the child, Oskar and his parents, Erik and Sarah are in the throes of trying to expose the powerful. Much to their own danger.
In Iceland, Peter comes to find the relatives if Erik and Oskar and to see if they are hiding with family. The brutal beauty that is Iceland is on full display as is the powerful loyalty of family.
This book is not to be missed.
In The Wild One, Peter is trying and failing to control his PTSD from the war. Unable to escape from the dreams if people who died underbid watch, Peter takes a job from a wealthy woman whose grandson is missing with his father who is accused of killing his wife
who is her daughter. The real story however is that she did overed secret files that would prove damaging to the powerful in Washington DC.
The job is in Iceland and as Peter arrives it becomes quickly apparent that someone powerful doesn't want him to succeed.
The action begins immediately in this book with the scenes alternating between current day and 12 montgs previous where the child, Oskar and his parents, Erik and Sarah are in the throes of trying to expose the powerful. Much to their own danger.
In Iceland, Peter comes to find the relatives if Erik and Oskar and to see if they are hiding with family. The brutal beauty that is Iceland is on full display as is the powerful loyalty of family.
This book is not to be missed.
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