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Sentinel
The Voyager story continues...Four years have passed since Voyager One sent back chilling photos of a spaceship from deep in interstellar space.
A shocked world prepared to meet the Visitors, but terrorism, pandemics, and global political turmoil have now consumed it. Discredited as a hoax, the Visitors have faded from public attention.
But the powerful global conspiracy known as the Triumvirate is behind much of the chaos. Creating a screen of subterfuge and misdirection, they prepare a clandestine welcome for the Visitors, whose origins may be more sinister than the aliens of popular fiction.
Standing in their way are the few brave men and women who foiled the Triumvirate’s last attempt to upset the world’s fragile balance of
Former FBI agent Brad Barnes leads Sentinel, a private intelligence and counter-terrorism operation founded in the wake of the Triumvirate’s last deadly plot.
Alex Ephraim – the former Triumvirate assassin known as Mirage – is Sentinel’s major weapon against terror.
Matt Ramprakash, former airline pilot and now an officer of the British intelligence agency MI5, is embroiled in a deadly standoff when an airliner is hijacked.
Callie Woolf, once the project manager of the Voyager mission, struggles against the sceptical government’s bureaucracy to continue the search for the elusive Visitors as her time and funding runs out.
Sentinel is the only organisation capable of taking the fight to the Triumvirate’s door – flexible, unorthodox well-funded and free of government red tape.
But as they pursue the Triumvirate from the streets of London to the wild, deadly wastes of Antarctica, Brad will need Matt and Callie’s help to stop the Triumvirate, which has its own plans for putting Sentinel – and especially Alex – out of the picture for good…
Sentinel is the pulse-pounding second instalment in the Voyager trilogy by Carl Rackman
Praise for Carl Rackman’s
‘This tautly constructed suspense novel kept me turning the pages’ – RA Book Review Team‘Carl Rackman has done it again.’ – Between The Lines Book Review‘Keeps you reading non stop enraptured’ – Odysseus, Amazon reviewer‘Voyager is a modern suspense thriller with unexpected twists that keep you guessing and engaged to the end.’ – Baldrick, Amazon reviewer
A shocked world prepared to meet the Visitors, but terrorism, pandemics, and global political turmoil have now consumed it. Discredited as a hoax, the Visitors have faded from public attention.
But the powerful global conspiracy known as the Triumvirate is behind much of the chaos. Creating a screen of subterfuge and misdirection, they prepare a clandestine welcome for the Visitors, whose origins may be more sinister than the aliens of popular fiction.
Standing in their way are the few brave men and women who foiled the Triumvirate’s last attempt to upset the world’s fragile balance of
Former FBI agent Brad Barnes leads Sentinel, a private intelligence and counter-terrorism operation founded in the wake of the Triumvirate’s last deadly plot.
Alex Ephraim – the former Triumvirate assassin known as Mirage – is Sentinel’s major weapon against terror.
Matt Ramprakash, former airline pilot and now an officer of the British intelligence agency MI5, is embroiled in a deadly standoff when an airliner is hijacked.
Callie Woolf, once the project manager of the Voyager mission, struggles against the sceptical government’s bureaucracy to continue the search for the elusive Visitors as her time and funding runs out.
Sentinel is the only organisation capable of taking the fight to the Triumvirate’s door – flexible, unorthodox well-funded and free of government red tape.
But as they pursue the Triumvirate from the streets of London to the wild, deadly wastes of Antarctica, Brad will need Matt and Callie’s help to stop the Triumvirate, which has its own plans for putting Sentinel – and especially Alex – out of the picture for good…
Sentinel is the pulse-pounding second instalment in the Voyager trilogy by Carl Rackman
Praise for Carl Rackman’s
‘This tautly constructed suspense novel kept me turning the pages’ – RA Book Review Team‘Carl Rackman has done it again.’ – Between The Lines Book Review‘Keeps you reading non stop enraptured’ – Odysseus, Amazon reviewer‘Voyager is a modern suspense thriller with unexpected twists that keep you guessing and engaged to the end.’ – Baldrick, Amazon reviewer
294 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 16, 2020
4 people are currently reading
About the author
Carl Rackman
6 books21 followersHi! I'm Carl Rackman, a British former airline pilot turned author. I spent my working life travelling the world and this has given me a keen interest in other people and cultures. I've drawn on my many experiences for my writing.
I write suspense thrillers with a grounded science-fiction theme. I like reading novels that feature atmospheric locales and I enjoy complex, absorbing storylines combined with rich, believable characters, so that's the sort of fiction I write. I try to create immersive worlds for the reader to explore, and characters who are more than just vehicles for the story.
I come from a naval military background and have held a lifelong interest in military history and seafaring - all my books usually contain some of these elements!
I hope you'll enjoy my books and leave reviews. I try to personally thank reviewers if they've particularly enjoyed my books.
I write suspense thrillers with a grounded science-fiction theme. I like reading novels that feature atmospheric locales and I enjoy complex, absorbing storylines combined with rich, believable characters, so that's the sort of fiction I write. I try to create immersive worlds for the reader to explore, and characters who are more than just vehicles for the story.
I come from a naval military background and have held a lifelong interest in military history and seafaring - all my books usually contain some of these elements!
I hope you'll enjoy my books and leave reviews. I try to personally thank reviewers if they've particularly enjoyed my books.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 19, 2020
4.5*
Although this is the second book in the trilogy, there is enough information included, in a non intrusive way, to understand about the conspiracy, and what happened in the first book, Voyager.
Matt Ramprakash is under pressure. His piloting days are behind him as he is now an operations officer for MI5 and there is a potentially devastating situation looming. A British plane out of Delhi is reported to have been hijacked by persons unknown and is heading for London Heathrow. It’s not confirmed whether the hijackers are terrorists or asylum seekers but as the drama unfolds it becomes apparent it’s something much worse.
When Matt’s suspicions regarding the Triumvirate seem to be realised, he and his wife Callie, who is still working on the Voyager project researching into the possibility of extra terrestrial life, find themselves again teamed up with former FBI agent Brad Barnes.
Barnes now heads Sentinel, a counter terrorism and intelligence operation. Sentinel’s secret weapon is the genetically enhanced former assassin, Mirage, otherwise known as Alex Ephraim. Matt and Callie’s previous encounters with Mirage leave them suspicious about her involvement with Sentinel.
As Sentinel’s mission becomes ever more dangerous and takes them into the frozen wilderness that is Antarctica, it’s anyone’s guess who or what they will encounter and what the outcome will be.
The characters’ lives have moved on in the years since Voyager and continue to develop as their personalities deepen. The story is told from multiple third person perspectives, giving a rounded picture as events unfold, while ramping up the intensity, intrigue and tension. Plenty of action and plot twists keep the story moving at a fast pace.
This is another excellent read from Carl Rackman. An imaginative conspiracy thriller with science fiction elements and, like this author’s previous books, is extremely well written and has a plausible storyline, which in this instance takes into account the strong desire for power. The plot is developed well and I’m looking forward to the concluding book.
Although this is the second book in the trilogy, there is enough information included, in a non intrusive way, to understand about the conspiracy, and what happened in the first book, Voyager.
Matt Ramprakash is under pressure. His piloting days are behind him as he is now an operations officer for MI5 and there is a potentially devastating situation looming. A British plane out of Delhi is reported to have been hijacked by persons unknown and is heading for London Heathrow. It’s not confirmed whether the hijackers are terrorists or asylum seekers but as the drama unfolds it becomes apparent it’s something much worse.
When Matt’s suspicions regarding the Triumvirate seem to be realised, he and his wife Callie, who is still working on the Voyager project researching into the possibility of extra terrestrial life, find themselves again teamed up with former FBI agent Brad Barnes.
Barnes now heads Sentinel, a counter terrorism and intelligence operation. Sentinel’s secret weapon is the genetically enhanced former assassin, Mirage, otherwise known as Alex Ephraim. Matt and Callie’s previous encounters with Mirage leave them suspicious about her involvement with Sentinel.
As Sentinel’s mission becomes ever more dangerous and takes them into the frozen wilderness that is Antarctica, it’s anyone’s guess who or what they will encounter and what the outcome will be.
The characters’ lives have moved on in the years since Voyager and continue to develop as their personalities deepen. The story is told from multiple third person perspectives, giving a rounded picture as events unfold, while ramping up the intensity, intrigue and tension. Plenty of action and plot twists keep the story moving at a fast pace.
This is another excellent read from Carl Rackman. An imaginative conspiracy thriller with science fiction elements and, like this author’s previous books, is extremely well written and has a plausible storyline, which in this instance takes into account the strong desire for power. The plot is developed well and I’m looking forward to the concluding book.
October 19, 2020
This is the sequel to Rackman's Voyager, which I haven't read, but it totally works as a stand-alone; there is enough information about what happened before, without long, tedious explanations. Could actually be presented as a masterclass in how to do this!
Former pilot Matt Ramprakash is now an aviation expert for M15, and, along with many from other government agencies, etc, awaits assitance from anti-terrorism body Sentinel in taking action on a hijacked plane - but who are the hijackers? The discovery that his old enemy, the Triumvirate, are involved, leads him to Antarctica, along with Sentinel, his wife - and Mirage, a 'supersoldier' who has been genetically engineered - or has she?
As I was reading this, it occurred to me that Carl Rackman has invented his own genre - seemingly earthbound thrillers that end up being a bit paranormal, without it seeming weird. Works very well! The amount of research that has gone into this book is evident; it's highly professional, extremely well-written, and should appeal to anyone who loves an intricate government thriller. With some alien stuff thrown in. I read at the end that a third book is planned - I would love to see some of it from the point of view of the Visitors. The ending was one of the best I have seen for this type of book—the sort that makes you want to open the next instalment immediately.
I felt it could have been edited down a little in places, with less factual detail and fewer conversational exchanges, to tighten up the pace, but that could be just personal preference; it's a smart, intelligent novel of which the author should be most proud. And I know it's a cliché, but it really would make a fabulous TV series!
Former pilot Matt Ramprakash is now an aviation expert for M15, and, along with many from other government agencies, etc, awaits assitance from anti-terrorism body Sentinel in taking action on a hijacked plane - but who are the hijackers? The discovery that his old enemy, the Triumvirate, are involved, leads him to Antarctica, along with Sentinel, his wife - and Mirage, a 'supersoldier' who has been genetically engineered - or has she?
As I was reading this, it occurred to me that Carl Rackman has invented his own genre - seemingly earthbound thrillers that end up being a bit paranormal, without it seeming weird. Works very well! The amount of research that has gone into this book is evident; it's highly professional, extremely well-written, and should appeal to anyone who loves an intricate government thriller. With some alien stuff thrown in. I read at the end that a third book is planned - I would love to see some of it from the point of view of the Visitors. The ending was one of the best I have seen for this type of book—the sort that makes you want to open the next instalment immediately.
I felt it could have been edited down a little in places, with less factual detail and fewer conversational exchanges, to tighten up the pace, but that could be just personal preference; it's a smart, intelligent novel of which the author should be most proud. And I know it's a cliché, but it really would make a fabulous TV series!
October 5, 2020
It is sometime since I read Voyager so picking up this next part of the trilogy I thought I would have forgotten the characters but as each person appears in the sequel the author reminds us of their role in past events so that you could easily read this action packed adventure without having read the first novel.
Former pilot, Matt Ramprakash, is well placed as the MI5 aviation expert dealing with an inbound hijacked plane, but is the plane held by terrorists, criminals, or asylum seekers? As it appears that an old foe is responsible, he awaits assistance from Sentinel, a private anti-terrorism group who have the trust of the FBI. Discovering that Sentinel is organised by Brad Barnes, who had shared his worst experiences 10 years earlier, he soon becomes aware that he must also work with Mirage, the genetically-engineered super soldier who had tried to kill him and his wife, Callie.
Dramatic events at the airport reveal the link to their old enemy, the shadow group, Triumvirate, and soon he and Callie are part of the Sentinel group travelling to Antarctica. Callie’s work has continued to involve investigation of the Voyager Mission and the evidence of extra-terrestrial life. Now, as the Sentinel team come into conflict with the well-armed Triumvirate in a harsh, dangerous environment, are the Visitors about to arrive?
This is not a book you can put down easily as the revelations and terrifying events keep you mesmerised to the text. A great read!
Former pilot, Matt Ramprakash, is well placed as the MI5 aviation expert dealing with an inbound hijacked plane, but is the plane held by terrorists, criminals, or asylum seekers? As it appears that an old foe is responsible, he awaits assistance from Sentinel, a private anti-terrorism group who have the trust of the FBI. Discovering that Sentinel is organised by Brad Barnes, who had shared his worst experiences 10 years earlier, he soon becomes aware that he must also work with Mirage, the genetically-engineered super soldier who had tried to kill him and his wife, Callie.
Dramatic events at the airport reveal the link to their old enemy, the shadow group, Triumvirate, and soon he and Callie are part of the Sentinel group travelling to Antarctica. Callie’s work has continued to involve investigation of the Voyager Mission and the evidence of extra-terrestrial life. Now, as the Sentinel team come into conflict with the well-armed Triumvirate in a harsh, dangerous environment, are the Visitors about to arrive?
This is not a book you can put down easily as the revelations and terrifying events keep you mesmerised to the text. A great read!
October 3, 2020
He keeps getting better
It's good to be reading another Carl Rackman book. He continues to draw you into his world until your gripped. It's taken me longer to finish Sentinel than previous stories, perhaps because I'm older, because although these are works of fiction, the world you are enticed into becomes a new reality and the tension builds with every page turned.
I won't disect the story, but suffice to say whatever money you pay for your copy it'll be money well spent. Hurry up with book 3!
It's good to be reading another Carl Rackman book. He continues to draw you into his world until your gripped. It's taken me longer to finish Sentinel than previous stories, perhaps because I'm older, because although these are works of fiction, the world you are enticed into becomes a new reality and the tension builds with every page turned.
I won't disect the story, but suffice to say whatever money you pay for your copy it'll be money well spent. Hurry up with book 3!
January 29, 2021
I preferred this book to Voyager - the pace was fast and the story exciting. Since I already knew the characters that made it more enjoyable, even though some of their roles were different now. The ending was intriguing - I wonder whatever will happen next...
January 16, 2021
Fast paced action
Another great book. Reminds me of the early work by Matthew Riley. Fast paced non stop action with enjoyable characters.
Another great book. Reminds me of the early work by Matthew Riley. Fast paced non stop action with enjoyable characters.
October 29, 2020
Sometimes sequels can be less exciting or well thought out than the original book, becoming a repository for ideas that were not quite good enough to make it into the first book. With Sentinel this is not the case at all. Voyager readers became used to a fast paced style with plenty of intrigue and excitement and Sentinel does not disappoint on this front. The action begins in England with Matt Ramprakash, the pilot/spy from Voyager now working full time for MI5, the UK’s domestic counter intelligence and security agency, taking control of a terrorist orchestrated airplane hijack.
Since we already know most of the characters from Voyager, the author is able to flesh out their personalities and relationships with more detail in the sequel and we feel like we are getting to know and like them more.
Mirage, the genetically enhanced, stone cold ice queen from Voyager is back and has become something of a superhero. Owing to her origin story, I couldn’t help imagining her as an enhanced version of Black Widow from the Marvel universe. She is gunning for the leader of the shady Triumvirate organization for her own personal reasons and we are behind her all the way.
Matt and Callie, the Voyager team project manager, are now married and soon both find themselves working with Brad Barnes within the private security organization known as Sentinel.
The narrative has plenty of action-filled sequences which keep you gripped to the story. They are related with such descriptive imagery that it is easy to imagine this story being made into a blockbuster action movie.
The theme of possible extra terrestrial life coming to Earth becomes more of a focus during this book. By the end of the story the action has moved to the deadly frozen wastes of Antarctica and the final showdown between the Triumvirate and the Sentinel operatives takes place against a background of the arrival of the mysterious Visitors.
I am giving this 5 stars, as opposed to the 4 star rating I gave Voyager, due to the increased amount of exciting action and decrease in character relationship development which I found distracted from the Voyager narrative. I believe it will be enjoyed by all fans of Sci-Fi and spy thriller genres alike.
Buy here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08JCM...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B08J...
Since we already know most of the characters from Voyager, the author is able to flesh out their personalities and relationships with more detail in the sequel and we feel like we are getting to know and like them more.
Mirage, the genetically enhanced, stone cold ice queen from Voyager is back and has become something of a superhero. Owing to her origin story, I couldn’t help imagining her as an enhanced version of Black Widow from the Marvel universe. She is gunning for the leader of the shady Triumvirate organization for her own personal reasons and we are behind her all the way.
Matt and Callie, the Voyager team project manager, are now married and soon both find themselves working with Brad Barnes within the private security organization known as Sentinel.
The narrative has plenty of action-filled sequences which keep you gripped to the story. They are related with such descriptive imagery that it is easy to imagine this story being made into a blockbuster action movie.
The theme of possible extra terrestrial life coming to Earth becomes more of a focus during this book. By the end of the story the action has moved to the deadly frozen wastes of Antarctica and the final showdown between the Triumvirate and the Sentinel operatives takes place against a background of the arrival of the mysterious Visitors.
I am giving this 5 stars, as opposed to the 4 star rating I gave Voyager, due to the increased amount of exciting action and decrease in character relationship development which I found distracted from the Voyager narrative. I believe it will be enjoyed by all fans of Sci-Fi and spy thriller genres alike.
Buy here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08JCM...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B08J...
November 20, 2020
I will confess I am a fan of Carl Rackman’s books but somehow missed the first book in this series, Voyager. Nevertheless, I plowed ahead and discovered that the author covered enough of the high points from Voyager that I could hit the ground running. I was not disappointed.
Four years have passed since Voyager One sent back chilling photos of a spaceship from deep in interstellar space. However, with terrorism, pandemics and political turmoil consuming the news, the story faded to the back page and the public has accepted it as a hoax. All but the Triumvirate, a global and powerful conspiracy that has inserted itself into the highest levels of various governments. They have created a wall of subterfuge so they themselves can welcome the Visitors, the occupants of the spaceship, who are coming with sinister plans.
Countering the Triumvirate are the strong characters typical of Rackman’s writing: Matt Ramprakash, former airline pilot and now an officer of the British intelligence agency MI5; his wife, Callie Woolf, who once headed the Voyager One mission and who believes that the spaceship is not a hoax; former FBI agent Brad Barnes who now leads Sentinel, a private intelligence and counter-terrorism operation founded to counter the Triumvirate; and Alex Ephraim, a superhuman soldier, thought to be genetically engineered, and a former Triumvirate assassin who has switched sides to join Sentinel.
The story opens a little slowly, which is where I think it could have been improved, but then starts to pick up speed until by the end, the reader is reading and flipping pages as fast as possible. The action scenes are meticulously plotted and easy to visualize and employ incredible technology. From a diversionary airplane hijacking to action on the icy cold and barren reaches of Antarctica, this suspense thriller pulls you in and then delivers a solid punch with a science fiction twist, leading directly to a third book in this series. Which I await.
This is a cracking good read.
Four years have passed since Voyager One sent back chilling photos of a spaceship from deep in interstellar space. However, with terrorism, pandemics and political turmoil consuming the news, the story faded to the back page and the public has accepted it as a hoax. All but the Triumvirate, a global and powerful conspiracy that has inserted itself into the highest levels of various governments. They have created a wall of subterfuge so they themselves can welcome the Visitors, the occupants of the spaceship, who are coming with sinister plans.
Countering the Triumvirate are the strong characters typical of Rackman’s writing: Matt Ramprakash, former airline pilot and now an officer of the British intelligence agency MI5; his wife, Callie Woolf, who once headed the Voyager One mission and who believes that the spaceship is not a hoax; former FBI agent Brad Barnes who now leads Sentinel, a private intelligence and counter-terrorism operation founded to counter the Triumvirate; and Alex Ephraim, a superhuman soldier, thought to be genetically engineered, and a former Triumvirate assassin who has switched sides to join Sentinel.
The story opens a little slowly, which is where I think it could have been improved, but then starts to pick up speed until by the end, the reader is reading and flipping pages as fast as possible. The action scenes are meticulously plotted and easy to visualize and employ incredible technology. From a diversionary airplane hijacking to action on the icy cold and barren reaches of Antarctica, this suspense thriller pulls you in and then delivers a solid punch with a science fiction twist, leading directly to a third book in this series. Which I await.
This is a cracking good read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews