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Christopher Wren #1

Saint Justice

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They stole his truck. Big mistake.

CIA black-ops legend Christopher Wren pulls over on a Utah highway after three weeks on the road. An arbitrary decision he's about to regret.

A biker gang attacks Wren, leaves him for dead and steals his truck.

Now he's going to get it back.

From a secret warehouse in the desert. Ringed with fences. Filled with human cages.

As the body count mounts and a shocking national conspiracy unravels, one thing is for certain.

Justice will be done.

The acclaimed Chris Wren novels are each a complete action adventure, and can be read in any order.

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 10, 2019

3062 people are currently reading
996 people want to read

About the author

Mike Grist

27 books134 followers
Mike Grist is the British/American author of the Christopher Wren and Girl Zero thriller series.

For 11 years Mike lived in Tokyo, Japan, exploring and photographing the dark side of the city and the country: gangs, cults and abandoned places. Now he writes from London, UK, about ex-DELTA operator Christopher Wren - an anti-hero vigilante who brings brutal payback for dark crimes on an unprecedented scale.

Mike also writes science fiction and fantasy as Michael John Grist:

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5 stars
1,265 (38%)
4 stars
1,057 (32%)
3 stars
625 (19%)
2 stars
211 (6%)
1 star
94 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
Profile Image for "Avonna.
1,461 reviews589 followers
August 20, 2020
Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com

SAINT JUSTICE (Christopher Wren Book #1) by Mike Grist is the start of a new vigilante thriller series featuring an ex-CIA operative. I love these over-the-top, action packed vigilante thrillers especially when they give me a protagonist like Christopher Wren and escapism writing where evil always loses and I cannot put the book down.

The soon to be ex-CIA operative who goes by the name of Christopher Wren has been dismantling cults, cartels and corporate conspiracies all around the world. What the company did not know is that Wren had a kept a secret life outside of his job. While working cases for the government, Wren collected a vigilante army of his own called the Foundation.

Wren is looking for a fight and he finds it at a biker bar, but they are not an average club. The Vikings are a small part of a large chain in a human trafficking organization with ulterior motives. There is nothing more abhorrent to Wren than human trafficking. He calls for help from members of the Foundation and they come without hesitation.

As Wren works to uncover the leaders of the trafficking organization, he needs all the help he can get and he finds that this may be turn out to be his last fight.

I love this genre of thrillers. Yes, the protagonist can be so wounded there is no way he can plausibly continue on, but he does. And yes, the protagonist can get out of any situation to fight again, but that is what makes them so much fun. Christopher Wren, as other heroes such as Jack Reacher and John Wick, has a moral code that can step over the legal lines, but is always on the side of justice. And do not forget, there is always a tortured past or incident that sets them on their path and a terrible injustice that they must correct or stop.

Mr. Grist has written this type of genre book perfectly with a great balance of tortured protagonist and a fast-paced plot with plenty of action, weapons, and blood. I could not put it down and cannot wait for more adventures with Wren.

I highly recommend this vigilante thriller with a great, new protagonist – Christopher Wren!
Profile Image for Meenaz Lodhi.
1,021 reviews86 followers
June 16, 2019
“It takes a cult leader to kill a cult.”
A gritty, gripping, compulsive, compelling, twisted, spine tingling and edge of the seat read! A modern day vigilante and ex CIA Agent,with a Foundation, a broken man barely surviving from his past, brings back meaning and hope to the lost souls’ lives, finds himself embroiled in a worst situation imaginable. A harsh and cruel reality reflected with a clear perception of an abandoned and ignored part of a society in decline. A seedy, grimy underground life, filled with rundown people and degradation, slavery, human trafficking, a white supremacy cult, vengeance of a psychotic and deranged man, a real and harsh perceptive look at present day life. Active and fast paced, it is a thought provoking story, hard, gritty and cruel, a very sad outlook, with real life characters. A John Wick style. A hard to put down book, it had me snagged from the beginning, with a masterful, poignant characterizations. This book has really captivated my attention and pulled the strings to all kinds of emotions, it has left an impacted print deep inside, that these atrocities and outrageous existence exists in real life in some countries. An exciting glimpse of what's to come by this author in the Thriller genre. Looking forward to reading Monsters #2!
I received an early version of this book from the publisher and my review is entirely voluntary.
Profile Image for Jim A.
1,267 reviews82 followers
August 5, 2020
Maybe a third into the book and I gave up. Way to convoluted plot for me.
Profile Image for Dave.
638 reviews9 followers
December 3, 2019
This action thriller started with great promise, but got bogged down halfway through. It was a chore to finish, mostly due to the excessive, morbid violence. There was no real puzzle to solve, as the bad guys running the white supremacist cult were all identified early on. After our hero gets captured, the violence multiplies and the story slows down. Although I know there are more books to come in the series, this will likely be my last.
Profile Image for Megan.
300 reviews3 followers
August 6, 2020
Managed to read 40% of this novel before giving up in disgust. I struggle with unrealistic themes and this guy just kept them coming. Quasi vampire blood-sucking cults, human traffickers targeting the homeless and drug addicted and a virtually indestructible protagonist. The initial whirlwind of action was enjoyable enough but it just became ridiculous (for me). Gave it more time than I should have.
Profile Image for Cherry Mischievous.
594 reviews289 followers
May 29, 2024
My Thoughts:
This is my first Mike Grist read and I like the way he tells a story.

I do not understand the psychology, the basis, nor the system of Wren's Foundation. Or why it works. It is so much simpler to just accept that it does, whether it is realistic or not.

While the ending resolved the current dilemma in the book it is also a cliffhanger that points to the next book at the same time. An incentive to encourage readers to buy book 2. While a very good marketing ploy, I do not like it. I do not like cliffhangers.

I've been listening to Jeff Harding as Charlie Parker by John Connolly for more than ten years now. Every time I hear him it is like hearing Charlie Parker talking. It takes a lot of adjusting to hear him as Christopher Wren.

Quantitative Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 3
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (7 hrs and 49 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries
372 reviews3 followers
July 3, 2019
Not for those with a weak stomach

Unlike Grist’s Last Mayor and Soul Jacker series (Written as Michael John Grist for some reason), this is a thriller set in contemporary times. Like those series, it moves ahead at a near-blinding pace, though the action in this one rarely takes a break so as to let the reader take a full breath.

The protagonist – Christopher Wren – has a lot of backstory that is provided for the reader only in abrupt and brief flashback. I am guessing that this will be an ongoing element in the books that follow, as Wren’s history is gradually filled in.

A previously unknown terrorist organization has planned out a race war. America’s official first line of defense would seem to be the CIA. And they have no clue as to what is about to happen, won’t believe Wren’s warnings, and are hunting him down, leaving him in a war with at least two main fronts. There is no reference to the FBI or Homeland Security. Literary license, I assume.
Meanwhile, Wren is beaten, shot, burned, and stabbed etc., to the extent that few heroes could endure and continue to think clearly and act effectively.

That may sound like a lot of negatives, but the bottom line is that Grist creates complex and original storylines that intrigue the reader and create a strong sense of desire to find out what is really going on, and how it will work out. And Grist delivers.

3.5 stars rounded up.
Profile Image for Reggie Parker.
53 reviews1 follower
August 8, 2019
Floored!

What in the hell did I just read? My head is still trying to wrap itself around this story. In today’s time, (2019), I can really see this happening in America. I’ve read many novels that gave me reason to believe there is a darker side to the our country however, this novel has me believing it more so than ever. With the astounding numbers of black and brown people being murdered by white males in mass shootings, by the hands LEOS, the presidential rallies filled with hate and chants of degradation for non whites, the uprising of white supremacy, the media’s portrayal of blacks being thugs/animals/criminals by using that person’s (the victim) background as cannon fodder to make them appear as the perpetrator who deserved to be killed while the aggressors are painted as mentally disturbed regular people have all become the norm and had been widely accepted. Even at time is been encouraged as a tool to divide the nation with the insane belief that the white race and religion is superior to all others and that they are doing God’s work. This novel is right on time because it shows the darker underbelly of how America’s one percent perceive themselves. Yes this is a book of fiction however, it’s not far from the truth. Five stars!
Profile Image for Ann Salmon.
204 reviews9 followers
June 25, 2019
This is more detailed killing and branding and chopping bits of than you have written before Michael Grist .It's a different kind of grewsome to the Last mayor series of books and it had me squirming a lot . Rushing pages because I couldn't bear for wren to be hurt anymore. I am an ARK reader and I will read lots of different sorts of books . If you don't mind all the blood and gore it's a good read.
173 reviews1 follower
June 26, 2019
I'm not sure, but I think I read the book on one sitting. Wow! Kept me glued the whole time. Really exciting book, flows smoothly. This was my first book by this author, and it won't be the last. I'm giving it 4 instead of 5, which it deserves, btw, because and this important to me, somebody made a mess of a last name, which is important for the story. Editor did not notice? Who knows. Won't explain, it would be a spoiler. Read the book!! It's worth it!
Profile Image for Dayle.
549 reviews4 followers
July 10, 2019
Not for the faint of heart. Very graphic but I couldn’t put it down!
Profile Image for John (JC).
617 reviews48 followers
November 11, 2022
It was an okay start to the series. I did not have any dry spells. I am interested enough to see what the next in series will be.
Profile Image for Victoria Grimes.
15 reviews9 followers
August 23, 2020
Saint Justice, the first in Mike Grist’s Christopher Wren Vigilante Thriller series, begins with an incredibly moving opening told through the eyes of Mason, a homeless ex-marine living in Chicago. It was a creative and poignant introduction to the main plotline, and I became heavily invested within the first five pages. Part-psychological thriller and part-crime, this book is filled with fast-paced action paired with in-depth character profiles that left me quickly flipping pages to find out what happened next.

This book is like candy to a psychologist - there are a plethora of messed up personalities that you can dissect until your heart is content. Clearly a well-researched book, Wren digs into the psychology behind cultist groups as well as radical white supremacists. It is both fascinating from a psychological standpoint as well as extremely disturbing at times. It puts a whole new twist on the novel that I wasn’t expecting going in.

Wren himself is a dynamic character. At first giving off Jason-Bourne-minus-the-amnesia vibes, you quickly begin to realize the parts of his past that have significantly shaped his personality are purposefully hidden from the reader.

“There was no backup team to accompany him, no phone signal to summon support through his dark net, only a knife at his waist and his wits.”

His “Foundation” is essentially a cult, constructed to give him purpose and help others who are going down the wrong path. Wren saves them, filling a role similar to a sponsor for a drug addict. From there, the longer they stay on the straight and narrow, the more coins they accumulate. The coins are how Wren controls his Foundation members. With each new member comes another unique personality. Together they created an interesting and dynamic story. Parallels between Wren’s Foundation and the human trafficking ring created another layer of intrigue.

The more of his vigilantes you meet, the more you wonder whether he might need them more than they need him. Wren is a complicated character perfectly created for Grist’s thriller series. He works to right wrongs, but he’s not all pure. He essentially runs a cult and uses people’s worst fears against them in an effort to make them better which forces you to question his true motives – does he do it for them, or rather for himself?

Summary

Grist’s writing style mirrors Wren’s fast-paced story while also providing moments of sarcastic brevity that lighten the mood when needed. Saint Justice completely deserves 5 out of 5 stars. With on-point metaphors, suspenseful action scenes, and psychological twists, Saint Justice will not disappoint.
Profile Image for Colin Garrow.
Author 51 books144 followers
August 29, 2020
When former CIA agent Christopher Wren picks a fight in a biker bar in Utah, the gang beat him up and steal his truck. But Wren likes to help people and having stolen one of the biker’s wallets, he sets off to pump the guy for information—information that will give him a chance to take revenge on the gang and maybe do some good into the bargain. Thing is, there’s something going on that Wren doesn’t know about and that something is about to throw him into a whole heap of trouble.

This is the first book in the Christopher Wren Vigilante series, and it gets off to a cracking start. With a protagonist who is part Jack Reacher, part anti-hero (with a penchant for rehabilitating offenders), he even has his own cult of former delinquents he can call on for help. The story zips along at a good rate, with lots of shooting, punching and generally sorting out the bad guys, which is nice. However, there is a slightly unreal quality to the hero in that he appears to be pretty much indestructible. While this may be fine for the likes of Captain Scarlet, it’s harder to believe with an actual human being—how Wren doesn’t die several times over is little short of amazing. Having said that, I loved the story and the whole set up with Wren’s Foundation is clever and original, the gradually unfolding backstory letting us into how the guy ended up this way.

A fast-moving thriller with a curiously interesting protagonist.
Profile Image for Jane Hunt.
Author 3 books114 followers
August 17, 2020
This is the first book in the Christopher Wren series, and my first book by this author. There's violence, written using graphic imagery, that is a signature of this type of action international thriller.

The main protagonist is a contemporary anti-hero. He's the weapon government agencies use to rid themselves of predatory forces and terrorists. His moral compass is finely balanced, and his emotional damage great, in some ways more of a creation than a human his effectiveness is legendary. He has a story, of course, which the reader learns as the story progresses.

Wren's vigilantes have his back, but it's a fine line between good and bad in this complex and fast-paced plot. The setting and scenarios are believable, and this authenticity gives the story its edge. Vividly described characters draw the reader into this dark world, which in many ways seems frighteningly real.

This story of relentless action and violence with an intricate plot is addictive if unsettling reading.

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
Profile Image for Jeff Benham.
1,710 reviews15 followers
May 29, 2021
Christopher Wren is former Delta and CIA black op agent. In 20 years he has put together quite a network of people that are on the edge of society. He directs their talents for a more positive use. When some bikers steal his truck, he wants it back. He traces it back to a warehouse and finds a whole lot more. He finds human trafficking. By the time Wren organizes a rescue, they are gone? But where? Seems he has exposed a white supremist plot. Loads of action!
Profile Image for Abibliofob.
1,586 reviews102 followers
November 25, 2020
I have read #SaintJustice by Mike Grist, I got this from #Netgalley and wow. This is non stop action with a great character named Christopher Wren. I wasn't sure at first but I found that the pace kept me reading and it was hard to put down. I actually will get the other parts in this series since I like the lone hero vigilante type books.
Profile Image for Benjamin Kasper.
2 reviews1 follower
January 6, 2021
Non-stop action in the US. It started at 100mph and never stopped. I raced through the story enjoying Christopher Wren and his backstory, leaving much to be learned in the next books. It satisfied my itches and left me wanting more. Fans of Bourne and Bond will definitely enjoy this thriller. I've moved straight on to the second of Wren's books.
12.6k reviews189 followers
March 11, 2021
Wow. This was one intriguing, suspenseful story. CIA Christopher gets attacked and left for dead. What will he do for revenge. I was totally hooked and ready for the next.
Profile Image for Tim.
152 reviews14 followers
May 19, 2021
A good read

I enjoyed the book, lots of action and a good plot, but I hope Wren gets a bit more organized in the next book.
Profile Image for Joel Anderson.
167 reviews5 followers
January 14, 2022
Saving the World

A wild ride...how many impossible fixes can one man get into and still make it out the other side...even if barely? At the end, one hopes there is a Chris Wren out there when things. I wonder how crazy it will get if someone close to him is threatened...on to the next chapter.
537 reviews4 followers
August 6, 2020
Head Trip

Strangest book I've read in awhile. Needed a good puzzle and it certainly wasn't what I expected. The ending was a bit of a wild ride. Thanks for a decent read that only came together at the end.
Profile Image for Between The Pages (Gemma M) .
1,355 reviews28 followers
August 6, 2020
This is book one in the Christopher Wren series and what a brilliant start to the series. I would love to continue reading this series. Within the first few pages I was hooked, intrigued. It is a fast paced story with plenty going on to keep the readers attention.
Christopher is the main character... He's clever, determined, brave and will not give up until hes finished the job and solved the case. Even if that means putting himself at risk. A page turner of a read. Brilliantly written. Full of action.
A well deserved four stars. Highly recommend. Perfect for fans of Lee Child. I can't wait to see what lies ahead for Christopher in this series.
199 reviews1 follower
July 15, 2020
EBook Review: SAINT JUSTICE by Mike Grist

(S) mothering
(A) ssists
(I ) n
(N) egating
(T) ruth

(J) ump
(U) p
(S) tand
(T) all
(I) ncrease
(C) ulpability
(E) verywhere

SAINT JUSTICE is coin, with two sides.
Someone horrible comes along, and flips it.

Hand is covering it, what to call?
Important to know answer, before can proceed.

Then disappears in smoke, where'd it go?
Pick up this book, and find out!

It takes the reader, to places unknown.
Now join the search, start right now.
Profile Image for Nancy (The Avid Reader).
3,063 reviews128 followers
July 11, 2020
Christopher Wren is an ex CIA operative, working undercover to stop an all out race war from happening. A white supremacist cult leader is taking people off the streets and forcing them into his little cult. Saint Justice is filled with violence, human trafficking, action, murder, and human cruelty.

Saint Justice grabbed my attention from the first page and held on right up until the last. There was never a dull moment in between. The action never stopped and the twists just kept on coming as each page was turned. Wren is a tough dude who never gives up no matter how many beatings he takes on.

Wren’s life has not been an easy one as he has changed over the years going from an ex-cult member to ex military to ex CIA you name it and Wren has probably took it on in some fashion or another as an undercover operative.

Saint Justice is not an easy read with all the violence, beatings, murders, and gore but if you can handle things of this nature then I think you will like this one. One click your copy today to begin this hard core thriller!
Profile Image for Melissa Bryan.
203 reviews2 followers
July 2, 2020
I just finished Mr Grist, Saint Justice and thoroughly enjoyed the adventure. It's a story about an CIA Agent battling white supremacy terrorism here in the the USA. It is a good size book but I went through it so fast I was surprised when it ended.

Everything about the book is high energy and fast-paced it keeps you wanting more and Mr Grist delivers more. It has everything you want in an action novel. There is a lot of violence and gun play. It is all done with great writing skill and knowledge on how to write and make a story run smoothly and quickly. I never got bored or tired with the story and it always kept me guessing on what was going to happen next.

With what's going on in our world today, with the white supremacy racism in our news and our law enforcement, this book shows you what can happen when government and corrupt individuals partner to take over. It's really scary when you tune into your local news and see stories of people being killed by white supremacists and it's true life not the book your reading, Saint Justice.

I can't wait to start the next book in this series, Monsters, were Christopher Wren takes on another gang of monsters. I'm sure I'm going to enjoy it as much as the first one. I'll let you know what I think. So if you want a fun exciting adventure with terrorist in bloodshed this is the book for you you won't be disappointed I promise.
3,970 reviews14 followers
April 5, 2020
( Format : Audiobook )
"It's on you to make better choices."
Reformed cu!t leader and ex CIA operative, Christopher Wren, still needs to satisfy his addictive nature by punishing himself, and a beating in a biker bar leads him into unexpected danger and a conspiracy which threatens the entire USA. This is a refreshingly different thriller, full of action and unexpected twists, even if the amount of punishment inflicted seemed too great to be humanly sustainable. The lead character is certainly a weird one.

Saint Justice certainly held this reader's attention from The introductory chapter through to the very last sentence. And that is all down to the intriguing g story and, of course, the excellent narration of Nick Cracknell, who reads with understated emotion, clearly, with good inflection and pacing, as well as giving each protagonist, make or female, an appropriate and distinctive voice. A fine performance.

I was fortunate in being freely gifted with a complimentary copy of Saint Justice, at my request, by the rights holder via Audiobook Boom. Thank you. It was an enjoyable read with some very concerning undertones and I certainly recommend it to all who like action filled thrillers with slightly unconventional heroes.
Profile Image for Julian White.
1,709 reviews8 followers
October 20, 2023
Proofread before publication.

Christopher Wren is a survivor - survivor of a cult in his childhood he is currently absent from his day job in Intelligence... He is himself a cult leader but with one major difference to the norm - his aim is the rehabilitation of potential offenders. His current mission (?obsession?) is to track and destroy a cult dealing in human trafficking...

The subject matter may be distasteful but the writing is gripping. I don't like using the terms 'page-turner' and 'roller-coaster' read but I can't think of suitable alternatives - they are certainly applicable here. The protagonist is an enigma (even his name is assumed) and his past is initially opaque but his progress in following the cult is gripping - and very fast-moving, with the entire book taking place over only a few days (I think).

Recommended - but those with a weak stomach may wish to be cautious!


Beta read of 2023 revision - epub on kobo

A tightened-up/streamlined version here (and probably yet another cover? - not seen). The plot remains the same but the pace is almost even more relentless without the interpolated Mason interludes.

272 reviews
January 26, 2020
Absolutely brutal book. Ex CIA agent who has broken under what he has done and what has been done to him spends his life keeping his collection of psychopaths from falling over the edge. The coin system binds them to him and gives him the hold he needs to function. None of them even come close to normal but each strives to climb the coin ladder, accruing them over time. His own personal cult, The Foundation. While visits checking on them he discovers a white supremacist group snatching homeless people off the streets and torturing them or killing them as targets. As he chased down leads on the group he is beaten, shot, bones broken and like other superheroes just hops up and keeps going. Not very realistic but never boring. Total action from beginning to end but lots of bad stuff.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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