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Kill Chain
TWENTY YEARS OFF THE GRID AND HE THOUGHT HE WAS SAFE Pascual Rose is back-and this time the lives of his wife and son hang in the balance. Years ago, Rose put his life as a terrorist behind him. He sold out his colleagues for a new identity and low profile in Barcelona. All was quiet until he received a midnight Come join us on the terrace .
The stakes are if he fails, it will cost him his family; if he succeeds, one million euros will buy a lot more than translation piecework will. But the money-laundering scheme involves a nexus of diverted revenues, shell companies and cryptocurrencies, peopled by shadowy benefactors, Russian mobsters, German intelligence agents, and a mysterious woman with a chilling Get out before it's too late . Rose races against time, navigating twists and turns and mortal danger knowing no one can be trusted and nothing is happenstance. Can he uncover who is behind the operation that has the potential to destroy entire governments and global financial markets before he loses everything?
The stakes are if he fails, it will cost him his family; if he succeeds, one million euros will buy a lot more than translation piecework will. But the money-laundering scheme involves a nexus of diverted revenues, shell companies and cryptocurrencies, peopled by shadowy benefactors, Russian mobsters, German intelligence agents, and a mysterious woman with a chilling Get out before it's too late . Rose races against time, navigating twists and turns and mortal danger knowing no one can be trusted and nothing is happenstance. Can he uncover who is behind the operation that has the potential to destroy entire governments and global financial markets before he loses everything?
344 pages, Paperback
Published October 6, 2020
36 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
September 27, 2020
This is a perfect novel for those readers who like to see the suspense slowly ratcheted up yet do not feel the need for a shot of adrenaline with each chapter in order to keep turning the pages. Pascual is presented with a rock-and-a-hard place decision in the first chapter, and the book initially felt like it would be just another good guy being pulled against his will back into illegal activities. As the story unfolded, the plot became more convoluted as more characters are added to the mix and Pascual’s situation became a trap that seemed to offer no possibility of escape.
I had never heard of Dominic Martell nor of his ex-terrorist character, Pascual Rose, but I was aware that Mr. Martell had written three previous novels about Pascual’s adventures. I was happy to discover that it was not necessary to read any of the previous novels in order to understand the background of “Kill Chain.” The author included enough information to fill in all the blanks.
I enjoyed the book’s realism on a couple of levels. Pascual Rose is a flawed person, someone whose past is cemented in his memories and continually chasing him. He is good at what he does and is smart, but not so intelligent that he never makes mistakes. The plot was excellent, and Mr. Martell tied small bits of information throughout that would later be an important piece of the story. This is a tale that has many moving parts, and the author successfully juggled all of them. Five stars.
My thanks to Meryl Moss Media for an Advance Reading Copy of this book.
I had never heard of Dominic Martell nor of his ex-terrorist character, Pascual Rose, but I was aware that Mr. Martell had written three previous novels about Pascual’s adventures. I was happy to discover that it was not necessary to read any of the previous novels in order to understand the background of “Kill Chain.” The author included enough information to fill in all the blanks.
I enjoyed the book’s realism on a couple of levels. Pascual Rose is a flawed person, someone whose past is cemented in his memories and continually chasing him. He is good at what he does and is smart, but not so intelligent that he never makes mistakes. The plot was excellent, and Mr. Martell tied small bits of information throughout that would later be an important piece of the story. This is a tale that has many moving parts, and the author successfully juggled all of them. Five stars.
My thanks to Meryl Moss Media for an Advance Reading Copy of this book.
October 28, 2020
Gotta be honest: Before I got an invitation to read and review this book, I'd never even heard of main character Pascual Rose. In part, that may be because he hasn't been heard from in quite a few years. Apparently, the former terrorist turned on former colleagues and, for the past two decades, has been living under the name of Pascual March (also apparently, Pascual must be a very common name in the Barcelona area, where he now makes his home. Otherwise, surely he would have changed his first name as well).
But the premise was enticing, and now that I'm finished I'm glad I said yes to this one. In many ways, Pascual isn't a very savory character, but over the years he's acquired a very talented woman (whom he did not marry) named Sara and a now-grown son, Rafael. Rather solidly ensconced in his new identity, lifestyle and work as a freelance translator, he's quite upset to get a text that will change the course of his life, and most likely not for the better. Two rather shady characters ask him to help them pull off a scheme to "move" an enormous amount of money into various bank accounts in exchange for one million euros. Oh yes - in case that's not enough of an incentive for him to say yes, there's a threat that if he doesn't, Sara and/or Rafael may suffer the consequences.
Left with no choice, Pascual agrees; but soon, things get even more complicated as other unsavory characters make appearances - from German intelligence agents who'd love nothing more than to nail him for old activities to Russian agents to whoever's really behind what essentially is an extremely high-stakes money-laundering caper. Confounding the matter is that Pascual isn't exactly at the top of his game anymore, so he needs to depend on other people who may or may not have his interests at heart.
The very complex plot takes him to several countries and puts him up against several adversaries (both known and unknown), with the action picking up considerable steam as time to close the deal - and Pascual to remain alive - start to run out. For sure, it held my attention all the way.
But the premise was enticing, and now that I'm finished I'm glad I said yes to this one. In many ways, Pascual isn't a very savory character, but over the years he's acquired a very talented woman (whom he did not marry) named Sara and a now-grown son, Rafael. Rather solidly ensconced in his new identity, lifestyle and work as a freelance translator, he's quite upset to get a text that will change the course of his life, and most likely not for the better. Two rather shady characters ask him to help them pull off a scheme to "move" an enormous amount of money into various bank accounts in exchange for one million euros. Oh yes - in case that's not enough of an incentive for him to say yes, there's a threat that if he doesn't, Sara and/or Rafael may suffer the consequences.
Left with no choice, Pascual agrees; but soon, things get even more complicated as other unsavory characters make appearances - from German intelligence agents who'd love nothing more than to nail him for old activities to Russian agents to whoever's really behind what essentially is an extremely high-stakes money-laundering caper. Confounding the matter is that Pascual isn't exactly at the top of his game anymore, so he needs to depend on other people who may or may not have his interests at heart.
The very complex plot takes him to several countries and puts him up against several adversaries (both known and unknown), with the action picking up considerable steam as time to close the deal - and Pascual to remain alive - start to run out. For sure, it held my attention all the way.
October 25, 2020
Fast-paced and suspenseful spy thriller with lots of action and a whirlwind tour of so many different countries that it may make your head spin!
Pascual Rose has been out of the terrorist business for 20 years and is now residing quietly in Barcelona with a new identity and a boring translator job. Thinking he's living a peaceful middle-aged life, Pascual is yanked back into action when his cellphone and laptop are hacked by a man and woman who want him to do a little job for them. This piece of criminal activity may cost him dearly as they've threatened the safety of his wife and son, but if he pulls it off, they promise him one million euros. The task involves a money laundering diversion of massive proportions and there's danger at every turn. As he travels from one locale to another, setting up accounts here and there, he finds that he can't trust anyone because he doesn't know who is behind the scheme. NO SPOILERS.
This was a fun read if you like complicated cross and double-cross narratives with lots of shady characters and mysterious, threatening situations. He's no James Bond, but Pascual didn't forget everything from his past days as an operative. I enjoyed the descriptions of the different countries and felt the tension build as he finally started getting some answers when the plot came to its climax. With every move and each decision comes danger. I found the character of the protagonist to be quite complex and interesting even when situations seemed impossible. I haven't read any of the books in the original series featuring Pascual Rose but may have to search them out.
Thank you to Tracy at Meryl Moss Media for sending along this ARC for me to read, review, and recommend.
Pascual Rose has been out of the terrorist business for 20 years and is now residing quietly in Barcelona with a new identity and a boring translator job. Thinking he's living a peaceful middle-aged life, Pascual is yanked back into action when his cellphone and laptop are hacked by a man and woman who want him to do a little job for them. This piece of criminal activity may cost him dearly as they've threatened the safety of his wife and son, but if he pulls it off, they promise him one million euros. The task involves a money laundering diversion of massive proportions and there's danger at every turn. As he travels from one locale to another, setting up accounts here and there, he finds that he can't trust anyone because he doesn't know who is behind the scheme. NO SPOILERS.
This was a fun read if you like complicated cross and double-cross narratives with lots of shady characters and mysterious, threatening situations. He's no James Bond, but Pascual didn't forget everything from his past days as an operative. I enjoyed the descriptions of the different countries and felt the tension build as he finally started getting some answers when the plot came to its climax. With every move and each decision comes danger. I found the character of the protagonist to be quite complex and interesting even when situations seemed impossible. I haven't read any of the books in the original series featuring Pascual Rose but may have to search them out.
Thank you to Tracy at Meryl Moss Media for sending along this ARC for me to read, review, and recommend.
October 23, 2020
Pascual Rose left his previous life as a terrorist who worked both sides of the aisle some 25 years ago. He has gotten a new identity and hope he has settled all old debts . He and his wife, Sara and their adult son, Rafa are now living in Barcelona. However, some people have found his old identity and want him to do one more BIG job. These people have hacked into his computer , his phone and anything they can find to hold him accountable for their big operation.......a huge money laundering scheme that will make them all rich.......including Pascual.
This is a story where you could possibly use a scorecard to keep track of all the players. Pascual is willing to cooperate if it means nothing will happen to his wife or son but the plot is going to become more complicated as there are other people interested in all this money that is sitting in different international accounts. It is a non-stop journey for Pascual and his friend , Dris .
Please enjoy " Kill Chain "
This is a story where you could possibly use a scorecard to keep track of all the players. Pascual is willing to cooperate if it means nothing will happen to his wife or son but the plot is going to become more complicated as there are other people interested in all this money that is sitting in different international accounts. It is a non-stop journey for Pascual and his friend , Dris .
Please enjoy " Kill Chain "
December 29, 2020
This book has a very unusual plot, making it quite different from the usual thriller.. The main character is forced into a series of actions that put himself and his family in grave danger. He struggles to be a good man, but many forces are working on him. The people who appear along the way to help him are unique and interesting on their own. I not only enjoyed a mystery, I got a quick lesson in cryptocurrency. I also got to visit many places in the world as the actions take place.. The style of writing makes for easy reading. The descriptions are brief but do the job. The author does a great job of portraying his character's anguish as he tries to do the right thing. The book was not real compelling, but I stayed the course. I do have to rate it extremely high on imagination.
November 12, 2020
Set mostly in Spain, KILL CHAIN is a thrilling tale of international intrigue, money laundering at the highest levels, and the perfect patsy. Pascual March has been lying low for some twenty years. Facing threats to his wife and son, he is forced to steal his own former identity, Pascual Rose. Convoluted? To be sure!
Dominic Martell has written a novel both for and of the 21st century. It is current enough to mention the death of Jamal Khashoggi at the hand of the Saudi prince. After reading this book, you may find yourself wondering which world power is friend or enemy to others. Is any government to be trusted?
KILL CHAIN is masterfully written, action packed, and stands on its own despite earlier works starring this same main character. If anything, I now want to read the earlier books by Martell detailing the exploits of Pascual March.
Dominic Martell has written a novel both for and of the 21st century. It is current enough to mention the death of Jamal Khashoggi at the hand of the Saudi prince. After reading this book, you may find yourself wondering which world power is friend or enemy to others. Is any government to be trusted?
KILL CHAIN is masterfully written, action packed, and stands on its own despite earlier works starring this same main character. If anything, I now want to read the earlier books by Martell detailing the exploits of Pascual March.
October 31, 2020
This was a solid espionage story featuring a protagonist who is an ex-terrorist who has been living under the radar for the past twenty years. (His earlier escapades were written about in the ‘90s.) He is ‘hired’ under duress (either his wife or his son would be killed if he didn’t cooperate) to travel throughout parts of Europe, Africa and the Mid-East to open commercial bank accounts for large sums of money and eventually learns that these accounts are for converting bitcoins back into currency. I won’t go further into the plot because of spoilers, but it is well developed although, in my opinion, slow reading. All in all it made me think of many of the remarkable non-action driven spy novels of the last century. Thanks to Net Galley and Dunn Books for an ARC for an honest review.
October 4, 2020
I had grown a bit weary of romance novels. The “meet cutes” were fun, the “first kisses” were charming and there’s nothing wrong with a “happy ever after”. But I yearned for something more exciting. I wanted my pulse to pound in a different way for different reasons. Enough of the sweetness and light. I wanted cunning, ingenuity, deceit, skill, a bit of murder and mayhem and an intriguing rascal…
…so, I decided to accept Dunn Books and Meryl Moss Media’s offer of an advance paperback review copy of a new international mystery crime and suspense story, “Kill Chain”! I read it and I love it!
Author Dominic Martell had featured ex-terrorist Pascual Rose in three novels, published in the 1990’s. Now Pascual is back. He’s an older, wiser, off-the-grid guy in the present day. He has a wife and son that are his world, and every day is a vacation day for him.
“Twenty years off the grid and Pascual thought he was safe.”
But, before he realizes that anything is wrong- it’s too late. The kill chain has been activated. “Kill chain” was first used as a military term, to show the steps of a military action. Now it’s a cyber intelligence term. What this means for Pascual is that his phone, computer- really his whole life- has been taken over and he is plunged into the tech world of high stakes electronic money laundering.
Taken over by whom, you ask? Pascual doesn’t know. But he must race against time to save himself and his family. Pascual may be older now and it’s harder for him to outrun the bad guys, but he still has his smarts and cunning. Shell companies, cryptocurrency, international conflicts and intelligence agencies- Pascual must outwit them all.
This book is more than just an exciting plot. The book features marvelous writing and characters. Readers will thoroughly enjoy the detailed yet crystal clear plot, presented in taut and tight detail. Complex situations are the heart of this book and the author makes them understandable and engaging. Pascual and his family and friends, even the bad guys are vivid and real.
My question for Pascual Rose is- how does ordinary me stand a chance in our high-tech world? Looking forward to seeing you in more books!
A truly readable and memorable book and I thank Dunn Books and Meryl Moss Media for a review copy. This is my honest review.
…so, I decided to accept Dunn Books and Meryl Moss Media’s offer of an advance paperback review copy of a new international mystery crime and suspense story, “Kill Chain”! I read it and I love it!
Author Dominic Martell had featured ex-terrorist Pascual Rose in three novels, published in the 1990’s. Now Pascual is back. He’s an older, wiser, off-the-grid guy in the present day. He has a wife and son that are his world, and every day is a vacation day for him.
“Twenty years off the grid and Pascual thought he was safe.”
But, before he realizes that anything is wrong- it’s too late. The kill chain has been activated. “Kill chain” was first used as a military term, to show the steps of a military action. Now it’s a cyber intelligence term. What this means for Pascual is that his phone, computer- really his whole life- has been taken over and he is plunged into the tech world of high stakes electronic money laundering.
Taken over by whom, you ask? Pascual doesn’t know. But he must race against time to save himself and his family. Pascual may be older now and it’s harder for him to outrun the bad guys, but he still has his smarts and cunning. Shell companies, cryptocurrency, international conflicts and intelligence agencies- Pascual must outwit them all.
This book is more than just an exciting plot. The book features marvelous writing and characters. Readers will thoroughly enjoy the detailed yet crystal clear plot, presented in taut and tight detail. Complex situations are the heart of this book and the author makes them understandable and engaging. Pascual and his family and friends, even the bad guys are vivid and real.
My question for Pascual Rose is- how does ordinary me stand a chance in our high-tech world? Looking forward to seeing you in more books!
A truly readable and memorable book and I thank Dunn Books and Meryl Moss Media for a review copy. This is my honest review.
September 28, 2020
Marketers created “ChickLit” so I am creating “SpyGuy”. These are novels where the hero is a guy with mysterious skills, always seen in the company of Germans/Russians/Saudis/Israelis, has multiple run-ins with government agencies that only use alphabets as designation and relies heavily on a computer hacker. Think Brad Thor, Vince Flynn, Lee Childs, Daniel DaSilva, etc.
.
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This is a new book in a series that ended 20-ish years ago but felt very stand alone for me. Kill Chain tells the story of an aging ex-spy who has no special skills other than himself and a few trusted friends to help him out. He is a technophobe, has no money and his only contacts are as old as him or died a long time ago. It was nice to see that Pascaul couldn’t fight his way out, only used a cell phone (of course he help from a hacker - this a SpyGuy novel after all!) and actually followed directions from his ‘handlers.’
.
.
The author did a great job of explaining things without going into pages of details (you all know exactly what I am referring to!) on how to launder money, what a block chain is or how our hero identified every bad guy he comes across because of some obscure action only trained observers would notice. Basically, Pascaul is a regular guy who has a bad history. My favorite part was how easily Pascaul traveled across the globe and through airports - he just magically appeared in a new country every few days. This is a really good book for someone who is looking for a bit of realism with their spies and believes that even older folks can still lead interesting lives. Second really interesting part - the US (CIA, NSA, FBI, etc.) aren’t involved - at all. Pascaul lives in Spain, uses it as his base of operations and drinks with the flare of European.
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This book comes out next week, October 6th. Give it a try - you won’t be disappointed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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.
This is a new book in a series that ended 20-ish years ago but felt very stand alone for me. Kill Chain tells the story of an aging ex-spy who has no special skills other than himself and a few trusted friends to help him out. He is a technophobe, has no money and his only contacts are as old as him or died a long time ago. It was nice to see that Pascaul couldn’t fight his way out, only used a cell phone (of course he help from a hacker - this a SpyGuy novel after all!) and actually followed directions from his ‘handlers.’
.
.
The author did a great job of explaining things without going into pages of details (you all know exactly what I am referring to!) on how to launder money, what a block chain is or how our hero identified every bad guy he comes across because of some obscure action only trained observers would notice. Basically, Pascaul is a regular guy who has a bad history. My favorite part was how easily Pascaul traveled across the globe and through airports - he just magically appeared in a new country every few days. This is a really good book for someone who is looking for a bit of realism with their spies and believes that even older folks can still lead interesting lives. Second really interesting part - the US (CIA, NSA, FBI, etc.) aren’t involved - at all. Pascaul lives in Spain, uses it as his base of operations and drinks with the flare of European.
.
.
This book comes out next week, October 6th. Give it a try - you won’t be disappointed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
October 12, 2020
Dominic Martell – Kill Chain – Reviewed 10/11/20 – Read 10/7-8/20
20 years have passed since I got my new identity, things have been so quiet, why now?
The years have passed, and it has been 20 years now since Pascual got his new identity. Life has gone on; now married and one son in college. He has been surviving with his translation jobs and keeping a low profile. Although not rich, but he has been as happy as he could expect himself to be, considering everything that he had done in his past.
He receives a midnight text: Come join us on the terrace! How can this be, who can it be? Is he safe? As he goes to the terrace, he spots a man and woman there and he is sure that he does not know them. They tell him that they have a little proposition for him, but the stakes are extremely high. If he does not do as they tell him, his wife and son are in danger! What can he do???
They have deposited 100 thousand euros to his bank account as a deposit and promise 1 million when he completes his tasks. It would buy a lot of things and would keep his family for many years, but the stakes are so high, does he truly have a choice, with his family threatened?
Now the story begins…
What did I like? As I said about the previous book “Lying Crying Dying”, this book also was a real test of my languages, but I loved it, as I do not use some of them often enough. Again, the action is just incredible. I have enjoyed my tour of Europe with the fascinating descriptions that Dominic uses to tell his story. I read the two books back to back so I did not have to try to remember what happened previously, but I don’t think that you would have to have read the first to enjoy this book. I do recommend it as it was just as awesome as this one.
What will you like? The action begins on page one, and you can breathe again when the last one falls over. Dominic keeps everything in high gear and there is not a dull moment at all. The mystery will hang over every page as Pascual tries to figure out who is behind this whole scheme, and how the heck they found him after 20 years of nothing! Every one of the characters is certainly believable in addition to being incredible. The storyline is well told, keeping you in the loop always. I never had to look back to figure out who the current characters were. Another extremely exciting and wonderful read, it will be a great addition to your library.
• File Size: 5629 KB
• Print Length: 280 pages
• Publication Date: October 6, 2020
• Publisher: Dunn Books
• ASIN: B08F2S1NSH
• Genre: International Mystery & Crime, Suspense
20 years have passed since I got my new identity, things have been so quiet, why now?
The years have passed, and it has been 20 years now since Pascual got his new identity. Life has gone on; now married and one son in college. He has been surviving with his translation jobs and keeping a low profile. Although not rich, but he has been as happy as he could expect himself to be, considering everything that he had done in his past.
He receives a midnight text: Come join us on the terrace! How can this be, who can it be? Is he safe? As he goes to the terrace, he spots a man and woman there and he is sure that he does not know them. They tell him that they have a little proposition for him, but the stakes are extremely high. If he does not do as they tell him, his wife and son are in danger! What can he do???
They have deposited 100 thousand euros to his bank account as a deposit and promise 1 million when he completes his tasks. It would buy a lot of things and would keep his family for many years, but the stakes are so high, does he truly have a choice, with his family threatened?
Now the story begins…
What did I like? As I said about the previous book “Lying Crying Dying”, this book also was a real test of my languages, but I loved it, as I do not use some of them often enough. Again, the action is just incredible. I have enjoyed my tour of Europe with the fascinating descriptions that Dominic uses to tell his story. I read the two books back to back so I did not have to try to remember what happened previously, but I don’t think that you would have to have read the first to enjoy this book. I do recommend it as it was just as awesome as this one.
What will you like? The action begins on page one, and you can breathe again when the last one falls over. Dominic keeps everything in high gear and there is not a dull moment at all. The mystery will hang over every page as Pascual tries to figure out who is behind this whole scheme, and how the heck they found him after 20 years of nothing! Every one of the characters is certainly believable in addition to being incredible. The storyline is well told, keeping you in the loop always. I never had to look back to figure out who the current characters were. Another extremely exciting and wonderful read, it will be a great addition to your library.
• File Size: 5629 KB
• Print Length: 280 pages
• Publication Date: October 6, 2020
• Publisher: Dunn Books
• ASIN: B08F2S1NSH
• Genre: International Mystery & Crime, Suspense
May 16, 2021
Pascual Rose has been declared dead for over 30 years. He was removed from his undercover duty and given a new name and identity. He has lived with the horrors that he has seen and done . However, he is grateful that he has been able to live under the radar. One day he is approached by a female and male, who have told him that they have been able to hack his computer as well as his phone. They also have figured out that he is Pascual Rose. The two individuals explain that they have a job for him, and that one million euros will be paid to him upon completion of various tasks. He is amazed that they found him, and cannot believe that they have basically taken over his computer and cellphone. They have told Pascual that if he doesn’t do the job, they know where his wife and son are staying. He feels he has no choice. Pascual must go to various countries to open up business accounts. Why is he having to open up all these business accounts? What are these two going to do with the accounts, after they are open? Why did they choose him? How did they find out he was alive? Pascual doesn’t trust these two, so he calls on some of his own old resources. Which country do these two pledge allegiance to? There are so many unanswered questions, and these two seem to enjoy keeping him in the dark. Will he find out what they are really doing, before it’s too late? Will Pascual survive this job? If you enjoy intrigue, spying and cryptocurrency, you will enjoy this book. The plot is very well engineered. The descriptions of scenes and countries, show that quite a bit of research was accomplished to write this book. The character development was spot on. The reader could almost feel as if they were in the actual scene. I came to a point where I was really disliking the two antagonists very much, and hoping for their demise. I was actually cheering on the protagonist. The ending was a surprise too. I would like to see more from this author.
November 10, 2020
In author Dominic Martell’s newest thriller—and fourth of the series, the writer revisits a character named Pascual Rose, a former terrorist who’s been living quietly in the Catalonia region of Spain for the past twenty years, regretting his former life, but not quite repenting from it, while ekeing out a living translating legal documents.
His quiet, humble life is upended without warning however, when a menacing pair of operatives calling themselves ‘Lila’ and ‘Felix’, track Pascual down and offer him a carrot and stick deal he can’t refuse. The carrot . . . one million dollars in an untraceable bank account in the Cayman Islands. The stick? “We will kill your wife and son.” All Pascual has to do is travel to various tax havens in Europe and around the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, where he’ll open bank accounts using his real name, with seed money provided by the pair of thugs. Their plan is to steal an epic amount of funds in a cyber attack. As Pascual travels, he’s approached by a tough and beautiful woman named Artemisa Pereda, who turns out to be a lawyer. She alerts Pascual to an international scheme of lies, corruption and murder involving several countries, informing him of dangers he’s not likely to survive. And all of a sudden, Pascual is in the clutches of the German Police, the Spanish Police and some evil Russian gangsters . . . as well as the diabolic Lila and Felix . . . while the Kill Chain gets longer, and the attacks more frequent and deadly in this kinetic, propulsive and electrifying international thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page . . . and looking for the next caper from author Dominic Martel and the wily Pascual Rose!
His quiet, humble life is upended without warning however, when a menacing pair of operatives calling themselves ‘Lila’ and ‘Felix’, track Pascual down and offer him a carrot and stick deal he can’t refuse. The carrot . . . one million dollars in an untraceable bank account in the Cayman Islands. The stick? “We will kill your wife and son.” All Pascual has to do is travel to various tax havens in Europe and around the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, where he’ll open bank accounts using his real name, with seed money provided by the pair of thugs. Their plan is to steal an epic amount of funds in a cyber attack. As Pascual travels, he’s approached by a tough and beautiful woman named Artemisa Pereda, who turns out to be a lawyer. She alerts Pascual to an international scheme of lies, corruption and murder involving several countries, informing him of dangers he’s not likely to survive. And all of a sudden, Pascual is in the clutches of the German Police, the Spanish Police and some evil Russian gangsters . . . as well as the diabolic Lila and Felix . . . while the Kill Chain gets longer, and the attacks more frequent and deadly in this kinetic, propulsive and electrifying international thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page . . . and looking for the next caper from author Dominic Martel and the wily Pascual Rose!
November 26, 2020
A Terrorist Comes Out of Retirement
For twenty years, Pascual Rose has been out of the game. Under his new identity he’s earning a living as a freelance translator living with his wife, Sara, and his teenage son in a provincial Catalan town. One quiet night he receives a text asking him to meet two strangers on the terrace of his home. Pascual knows this means trouble.
The strangers have a proposition for him, help them carry out a major money laundering operation and he’ll receive a million euros, fail to accept their offer and his wife and son will suffer. Although he no longer has his contacts, and he’s a little rusty, Pascual is smart. He starts the job taking advantage of the skills of others, but who can he trust as he sets up his shell companies taking advantage of places where the laws are set up to allow investors and businesses to shield large amounts of money.
This is a fast paced thriller with lots of action. The book is full of characters who Pascual uses to accomplish his mission in various countries as well as being pursued by security forces. Sometimes I thought there were too many characters, but as Pascual moves from country it’s necessary for him to have a variety of contacts.
I found the information on money laundering and the legal requirements of various countries very interesting. However, the detail and the fact that much of the book is done through dialogue slowed the story a bit. However, if you enjoy a fast paced thriller this is an interesting one.
I received this book from Net Galley for this review.
For twenty years, Pascual Rose has been out of the game. Under his new identity he’s earning a living as a freelance translator living with his wife, Sara, and his teenage son in a provincial Catalan town. One quiet night he receives a text asking him to meet two strangers on the terrace of his home. Pascual knows this means trouble.
The strangers have a proposition for him, help them carry out a major money laundering operation and he’ll receive a million euros, fail to accept their offer and his wife and son will suffer. Although he no longer has his contacts, and he’s a little rusty, Pascual is smart. He starts the job taking advantage of the skills of others, but who can he trust as he sets up his shell companies taking advantage of places where the laws are set up to allow investors and businesses to shield large amounts of money.
This is a fast paced thriller with lots of action. The book is full of characters who Pascual uses to accomplish his mission in various countries as well as being pursued by security forces. Sometimes I thought there were too many characters, but as Pascual moves from country it’s necessary for him to have a variety of contacts.
I found the information on money laundering and the legal requirements of various countries very interesting. However, the detail and the fact that much of the book is done through dialogue slowed the story a bit. However, if you enjoy a fast paced thriller this is an interesting one.
I received this book from Net Galley for this review.
October 26, 2020
Review of eBook
It’s been twenty years, and after so much time had passed, Pascual Rose believed he’d put the past behind him and found a way to stay safe. But when a couple arrives on his doorstep, they force Pascual into participating in an obviously-illegal scheme in order to keep them from killing his wife and his son. As, at their instruction, he travels from bank to bank, he comes to realize that he’s become part of a money-laundering scheme.
What will Pascual have to do to keep his family safe? Will he identify the people behind the scheme or will his efforts be for naught? Will he forfeit his life?
Well-defined characters populate this complex tale of spies and counterspies as the players in the game keep the tension high and the double-crosses in play. For aficionados of spy thrillers, “Kill Chain” has plots, sub-plots, and surprising twists that keep everyone on edge.
Technology plays a part in the telling of the tale, but it refrains from meaningless mumbo-jumbo as it supports the unfolding narrative. Readers will be pulled into the intriguing narrative as Pascual does his best to thwart the enemies and keep his family safe.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Meryl Moss Media / Dunn Books and NetGalley
#KillChain #NetGalley
It’s been twenty years, and after so much time had passed, Pascual Rose believed he’d put the past behind him and found a way to stay safe. But when a couple arrives on his doorstep, they force Pascual into participating in an obviously-illegal scheme in order to keep them from killing his wife and his son. As, at their instruction, he travels from bank to bank, he comes to realize that he’s become part of a money-laundering scheme.
What will Pascual have to do to keep his family safe? Will he identify the people behind the scheme or will his efforts be for naught? Will he forfeit his life?
Well-defined characters populate this complex tale of spies and counterspies as the players in the game keep the tension high and the double-crosses in play. For aficionados of spy thrillers, “Kill Chain” has plots, sub-plots, and surprising twists that keep everyone on edge.
Technology plays a part in the telling of the tale, but it refrains from meaningless mumbo-jumbo as it supports the unfolding narrative. Readers will be pulled into the intriguing narrative as Pascual does his best to thwart the enemies and keep his family safe.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Meryl Moss Media / Dunn Books and NetGalley
#KillChain #NetGalley
November 8, 2020
Kill Chain by Dominic Martell is the second best installment to a wonderful suspense series. I was lured in from the get go with this story. The predicaments that Pascual, the main character, gets himself into is deadly. His situation keeps getting worse. Only this time, it involves the lives of those he loves most. Enemies are everywhere. The tale is action-packed with high tensions. There are plenty of ways Pascual's story could go. Risks are upped as the pages fly past. Dominic Martell's storytelling skills are fantastic. It's as though he waved a wand and the next thing I know, I'm right inside the book with Pascual. This is a definite must read for all fans of military ops, suspense, and thriller. If you liked, The Bourne Series, you will definitely love this book as much as I did.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
September 27, 2025
“All I want you to do for me is live. Wherever it may be. Just stay alive.” “That’s the plan,” says Pascual. “Believe me, that’s plan A, B and C.”
Spanish/Mediterranean noir, as twenty years after he went into hiding - and twenty plus years since the original novels - Pascual is forced into one more job.
I didn’t know about the original novels when I started, but that didn’t matter. Pascual’s past is hinted at, and that’s enough for you to get a flavour of who he is - or was - as he’s pushed and pulled from every side; state actors, police, spies, tech wizards, gangsters, smugglers, family loyalties and more, as Pascual seeks to manoeuvre himself and his loved ones out from the threats and tangled web he finds himself in.
Enjoyed it. Builds well.
Spanish/Mediterranean noir, as twenty years after he went into hiding - and twenty plus years since the original novels - Pascual is forced into one more job.
I didn’t know about the original novels when I started, but that didn’t matter. Pascual’s past is hinted at, and that’s enough for you to get a flavour of who he is - or was - as he’s pushed and pulled from every side; state actors, police, spies, tech wizards, gangsters, smugglers, family loyalties and more, as Pascual seeks to manoeuvre himself and his loved ones out from the threats and tangled web he finds himself in.
Enjoyed it. Builds well.
October 21, 2020
Rooting for an unsavory character like Pascual gets easier after meeting his far worse foes. I enjoyed his resourcefulness when faced with seemingly overwhelming odds. This was my first Martell read and it was entertaining. Learned it was his fourth Pascual story and I will read more about this good bad guy.
January 13, 2021
After 20 years of not being involved in terrorist activities, Pasqual Rose feels save that he will never be contacted again. Unfortunately, once you have been in that business, someone always finds you. He didn't want to get involved but when they threatened his wife and son, he felt he had no choice but to do what these people wanted.
April 11, 2021
Quite a story
It’s a fast-moving story with colorful characters everywhere. My only criticism is that there are so many characters and organizations, not to mention the whole cryptocurrency world, I was frequently confused as to who and what was happening. That may have been deliberate as I feel sure that is what the world is like.
It’s a fast-moving story with colorful characters everywhere. My only criticism is that there are so many characters and organizations, not to mention the whole cryptocurrency world, I was frequently confused as to who and what was happening. That may have been deliberate as I feel sure that is what the world is like.
June 8, 2021
Heart pounding thriller. International money laundering, cryptocurrency, and, yes, some gun play. A kind of Cyrptonomicon meets Jack Ryan thriller. I really appreciated Martell’s look at old and new Barcelona as it was once a favorite city of mine. Good writing here.
July 15, 2025
2.5 stars. The premise was great but the execution was a bit of a miss for me. Slow moving and overly explanatory in the money laundering requirements, I found myself struggling to get through the first half. Perhaps I would have enjoyed this more if I read earlier books in the Pascual Rose series.
November 10, 2020
I received a copy of this book for review from Netgalley.
This intriguing crime drama, Kill Chain, has such a strong continental feel that it's hard to believe that the author, Dominic Martell, was born and raised in the USA. I loved the start of the book where the main character Pascual Rose, once a young firebrand terrorist from Barcelona and now, 20 years later, a plodding freelance translator just trying to stay under the radar, is trapped into fronting for cyber criminals intent on committing the crime of the century. It's a slick setup and explained impeccably well by 2 agents that seek to have Pascual Rose take all the risk with the payoff being the safety of his family and a million Euros.
Of course nothing in life is simple and soon there's multiple interest groups, official & criminal, attempting to control or kill poor Pascual. His many attempts to thwart his controllers and keep his friends and family safe add up to a compelling narrative that I highly recommend. This is a really well put together and exciting novel.
Martell wrote several books about Pascual Rose back in the 1990s when the character was in the midst of his youthful indiscretions. I've not read them but they should be well worth investigating. Martell is a heck of a good storyteller.
This intriguing crime drama, Kill Chain, has such a strong continental feel that it's hard to believe that the author, Dominic Martell, was born and raised in the USA. I loved the start of the book where the main character Pascual Rose, once a young firebrand terrorist from Barcelona and now, 20 years later, a plodding freelance translator just trying to stay under the radar, is trapped into fronting for cyber criminals intent on committing the crime of the century. It's a slick setup and explained impeccably well by 2 agents that seek to have Pascual Rose take all the risk with the payoff being the safety of his family and a million Euros.
Of course nothing in life is simple and soon there's multiple interest groups, official & criminal, attempting to control or kill poor Pascual. His many attempts to thwart his controllers and keep his friends and family safe add up to a compelling narrative that I highly recommend. This is a really well put together and exciting novel.
Martell wrote several books about Pascual Rose back in the 1990s when the character was in the midst of his youthful indiscretions. I've not read them but they should be well worth investigating. Martell is a heck of a good storyteller.
December 12, 2020
Plenty of action and danger in this thriller. You never know what is coming next so keeps you guessing.
November 3, 2020
Somehow I missed Dominic Martell's earlier books about Pascual Rose. It was my good fortune to get an advance reader's copy of this sequel. After this introduction, I'm going back to read everything else I can find by this author.
Martell is a solid writer who produced an intelligent espionage story with some satisfying twists. Pascual is a reformed terrorist who for 20 years has been living a quietly as a translator in Barcelona. His peaceful life is detonated by a visit from mysterious Russians or perhaps Israelis or maybe Americans who are skilled in tradecraft and make him an offer he can't refuse --not if he values the lives of his wife and son.
Pascual becomes a pawn in a scheme involving secret bank accounts, wire transfers and multiple identities. Martell gets the geopolitics right, and delivers quite a primer on money laundering and cryptocurrency as he unspools the tense plot.
The suspense is keen: Where did all that money really come from? How many more nation-states or criminal syndicates will be dragged in as Pascual tries to come out ahead (or at least alive)? But it's the relationships I will remember, of Pascual with his wife and son, and his family with the numerous friends who take on enormous risks to assist them.
I really can't recommend this book highly enough. Thanks to NetGalley and Meryl Moss Media/Dunn Books for an ARC.
Martell is a solid writer who produced an intelligent espionage story with some satisfying twists. Pascual is a reformed terrorist who for 20 years has been living a quietly as a translator in Barcelona. His peaceful life is detonated by a visit from mysterious Russians or perhaps Israelis or maybe Americans who are skilled in tradecraft and make him an offer he can't refuse --not if he values the lives of his wife and son.
Pascual becomes a pawn in a scheme involving secret bank accounts, wire transfers and multiple identities. Martell gets the geopolitics right, and delivers quite a primer on money laundering and cryptocurrency as he unspools the tense plot.
The suspense is keen: Where did all that money really come from? How many more nation-states or criminal syndicates will be dragged in as Pascual tries to come out ahead (or at least alive)? But it's the relationships I will remember, of Pascual with his wife and son, and his family with the numerous friends who take on enormous risks to assist them.
I really can't recommend this book highly enough. Thanks to NetGalley and Meryl Moss Media/Dunn Books for an ARC.
October 12, 2020
Dominic Martell – Kill Chain – Reviewed 10/11/20 – Read 10/7-8/20
20 years have passed since I got my new identity, things have been so quiet, why now?
The years have passed, and it has been 20 years now since Pascual got his new identity. Life has gone on; now married and one son in college. He has been surviving with his translation jobs and keeping a low profile. Although not rich, but he has been as happy as he could expect himself to be, considering everything that he had done in his past.
He receives a midnight text: Come join us on the terrace! How can this be, who can it be? Is he safe? As he goes to the terrace, he spots a man and woman there and he is sure that he does not know them. They tell him that they have a little proposition for him, but the stakes are extremely high. If he does not do as they tell him, his wife and son are in danger! What can he do???
They have deposited 100 thousand euros to his bank account as a deposit and promise 1 million when he completes his tasks. It would buy a lot of things and would keep his family for many years, but the stakes are so high, does he truly have a choice, with his family threatened?
Now the story begins…
What did I like? As I said about the previous book “Lying Crying Dying”, this book also was a real test of my languages, but I loved it, as I do not use some of them often enough. Again, the action is just incredible. I have enjoyed my tour of Europe with the fascinating descriptions that Dominic uses to tell his story. I read the two books back to back so I did not have to try to remember what happened previously, but I don’t think that you would have to have read the first to enjoy this book. I do recommend it as it was just as awesome as this one.
What will you like? The action begins on page one, and you can breathe again when the last one falls over. Dominic keeps everything in high gear and there is not a dull moment at all. The mystery will hang over every page as Pascual tries to figure out who is behind this whole scheme, and how the heck they found him after 20 years of nothing! Every one of the characters is certainly believable in addition to being incredible. The storyline is well told, keeping you in the loop always. I never had to look back to figure out who the current characters were. Another extremely exciting and wonderful read, it will be a great addition to your library.
• File Size: 5629 KB
• Print Length: 280 pages
• Publication Date: October 6, 2020
• Publisher: Dunn Books
• ASIN: B08F2S1NSH
• Genre: International Mystery & Crime, Suspense
20 years have passed since I got my new identity, things have been so quiet, why now?
The years have passed, and it has been 20 years now since Pascual got his new identity. Life has gone on; now married and one son in college. He has been surviving with his translation jobs and keeping a low profile. Although not rich, but he has been as happy as he could expect himself to be, considering everything that he had done in his past.
He receives a midnight text: Come join us on the terrace! How can this be, who can it be? Is he safe? As he goes to the terrace, he spots a man and woman there and he is sure that he does not know them. They tell him that they have a little proposition for him, but the stakes are extremely high. If he does not do as they tell him, his wife and son are in danger! What can he do???
They have deposited 100 thousand euros to his bank account as a deposit and promise 1 million when he completes his tasks. It would buy a lot of things and would keep his family for many years, but the stakes are so high, does he truly have a choice, with his family threatened?
Now the story begins…
What did I like? As I said about the previous book “Lying Crying Dying”, this book also was a real test of my languages, but I loved it, as I do not use some of them often enough. Again, the action is just incredible. I have enjoyed my tour of Europe with the fascinating descriptions that Dominic uses to tell his story. I read the two books back to back so I did not have to try to remember what happened previously, but I don’t think that you would have to have read the first to enjoy this book. I do recommend it as it was just as awesome as this one.
What will you like? The action begins on page one, and you can breathe again when the last one falls over. Dominic keeps everything in high gear and there is not a dull moment at all. The mystery will hang over every page as Pascual tries to figure out who is behind this whole scheme, and how the heck they found him after 20 years of nothing! Every one of the characters is certainly believable in addition to being incredible. The storyline is well told, keeping you in the loop always. I never had to look back to figure out who the current characters were. Another extremely exciting and wonderful read, it will be a great addition to your library.
• File Size: 5629 KB
• Print Length: 280 pages
• Publication Date: October 6, 2020
• Publisher: Dunn Books
• ASIN: B08F2S1NSH
• Genre: International Mystery & Crime, Suspense
November 3, 2020
Thank you @meryl_moss for sending me a copy of Kill Chain by Dominic Martell for an honest review.
Kill Chain caught my eye because it is about a terrorist 20 years after he helped betray his friends for a new identity and a new life. Pascual Rose is now a translator and a family man, but when he receives a mysterious message to “meet me on the balcony” all that changes. They risk his family’s life if Pascual doesn’t help them use his old identity to open some bank accounts for them. He doesn’t know who they are or where the money is coming from. The race is on to figure out a way out of the deal without harm coming to his wife and son.
Kill Chain was an interesting thriller. I thought it was an unique idea to use someone’s past identity, his real identity, to open accounts because it would have all the accurate documentation and a paper trail already built into it. And he was known to be a criminal at one point so he had skills and tricks to not be too nervous about some of the shady stuff.
Overall, an interesting plot and a different character.
Kill Chain caught my eye because it is about a terrorist 20 years after he helped betray his friends for a new identity and a new life. Pascual Rose is now a translator and a family man, but when he receives a mysterious message to “meet me on the balcony” all that changes. They risk his family’s life if Pascual doesn’t help them use his old identity to open some bank accounts for them. He doesn’t know who they are or where the money is coming from. The race is on to figure out a way out of the deal without harm coming to his wife and son.
Kill Chain was an interesting thriller. I thought it was an unique idea to use someone’s past identity, his real identity, to open accounts because it would have all the accurate documentation and a paper trail already built into it. And he was known to be a criminal at one point so he had skills and tricks to not be too nervous about some of the shady stuff.
Overall, an interesting plot and a different character.
October 6, 2020
Pascual Rose thought he had left his past behind twenty years ago, but when two people show up on his door step knowing exactly who he is and the things he has done, his life changes. They have recruited him, or you could say forced him, to be their pawn in a job that pushes him back into the criminal life he had sought never to return too. With no choice but to do as they say unless he wants to risk the safety of his family, Pascual begins a money laundering scheme that has him questioning everything he is doing and who to trust. Traveling from country to country doing the dirty work, Pascual questions if he will be able to come out of this tangled web without losing everything, including his life.
This was a book that is not a normal read for me but I found the pacing perfect, little bread crumbs drop with each turn of the page. I was fascinated by Pascual because he is not your ordinary hero, he is a former terrorist which adds a completely different angle to the story. Page turning suspense that never lets up. Will have to check out the other books in the series.
This was a book that is not a normal read for me but I found the pacing perfect, little bread crumbs drop with each turn of the page. I was fascinated by Pascual because he is not your ordinary hero, he is a former terrorist which adds a completely different angle to the story. Page turning suspense that never lets up. Will have to check out the other books in the series.
Read
October 7, 2020Between constantly nagging anxiety over what is and isn’t being monitored by the bad guys, and the plot’s many turns and skin-of-the-teeth escapes, KILL CHAIN will keep you on the edge of your seat and turning pages well into the night.
Read our full review here:
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Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2020/10/06/repen...
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