The Export

by J.K. Kelly

The tranquility of the moonlit beach in Thailand was a far cry from the Base Camp he'd visited months before. After all, people die on Everest all the time, that's to be expected. But when a trekker is found in his tent with a climbing ax stuck in his forehead that got people's attention. Coincidentally, a very talented investigator from the U.S. was there on a personal journey and was able to make some sense of the mystery - as much as time would allow. The unique challenges he confronts from there and how he winds up standing over a beach body in Ko Samui is quite a tale. When the rich and powerful he targeted forced him to leave his homeland, Matt Christopher became THE EXPORT. International settings, suspense, crime, fast-paced action and more.

301 pages, Paperback

Published May 25, 2021

About the author

JK's first novels, FOUND IN TIME and THE LOST PULSE, were recognized for their fast pacing, and, in reviewing the latter, THE REAL BOOK SPY, wrote, "A must-read for fans of Brad Taylor and Mark Greaney." International thrillers THE EXPORT and THE EXPORT’S REVENGE came next. “I worked with a great editor, Ryan Steck, on those novels, and I couldn’t be more proud of them." The autobiography of JK's life in motorsports was titled FUELIN' AROUND and became very popular with the racing crowd. Then, tapping into his auto racing knowledge and writing talents, JK produced the Formula One/CIA spy thriller DEADLY DRIVER to great reviews. His love of World War II warbirds and his passion for thrillers drove him to write THE LOST BIRD with the 'Deadly' sequel SWITCHBACK launching in 2024. In addition to writing thrillers, JK gave screenwriting a try, and as 2023 comes to a close, he has three feature film scripts in the hands of Hollywood producers at their request.

He lives in Media, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Lisa, and continues a never-ending pursuit of the next adventure.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

#Have done joint review for this and the 2nd book ‘The Exports Revenge’ so both reviews are the same covering both books#

Meet Matt Christopher, he has had his fingers in every pie, be it FBI, MI5/6, Mossad and everything in between
In ‘The Revenge’ we find him in various life threatening situations on Mount Everest and in Moscow, The UK and Quebec ( amongst others ) and the book takes you on his adventures and mishaps, to say he is a lovable rogue somewhat covers it but he is intense, very intense and always ends up in eye watering situations, the book ends and
‘The Exports Revenge’ starts, this was my favourite of the 2 books, I knew him more and knew what to expect a bit more, the writing is good but at times complex but at all times exciting
This time we see him in Rome ( so beautifully described I wanted to go ) Camp David and London to name a few as his life becomes more and more complicated and fragile, some of the things he does seem cold bloodied but he has his reasons as we find out as the book progresses
I really grew to understand him and what makes him tick and what life he had and it came together really well
The characters are pin prick descriptive and the excitement and action keeps on coming, he also loves his food and coffee and hotels and fine things and I loved all that, there is also rye humour in there
A really good 2 parter that for me excelled in book 2 and I wonder if there will be a Book 3…..

Altogether its a combined score of

8/10
4 Stars

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 1 out of 5]

A little too cheesy and all over the place for me. Throwing in the towel at 50% 🤷🏻‍♀️

*ARC Via NetGalley**

[AC · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not above popcorn style spy/thriller novels. I understand that sometimes, you just need a James Bond-type to fly around the world, being invincible and solving puzzles that apparently no one else is capable of solving. At least, that's how Matt Christopher, ex-FBI agent and current international man of mystery (no offense, Austin Powers) strikes me.

When the book opens, we're at a base camp at Mt Everest, in a tent where a man and woman have just finished having sex. Matt makes his entrance, suffering from altitude sickness and jet lag. The man from the first chapter has an ice axe embedded in his skull and Matt sort of barges into the investigation, directing local law enforcement to do this or that. Then, he bids them farewell, and he's jetting off (first class, of course) to London.

OK, fine. We're to believe that Matt is now an independent contractor for the US government, because he can tell when people are lying or read a crime scene or a witness or anything else (he's described at one point as a tracker, which was a little confusing and weird). So he flies around the world, setting up meets and reviewing evidence and interviewing people - you know, the things that local law enforcement could probably do without him.

In London, he meets up with a friend who works for British intelligence, and they're hunting for a guy who slashes womens' throats - and all the victims have been members of Parliament. Naturally, Matt swoops in and figures out whodunnit. Then: he's off again.

We get more descriptions of how he's flying from one place to another. There was a lot of that in this book. I have to say that I don't care at all how characters get from point A to point B unless there's something significant about it. Is thee a bomb on the plane? Is the bus going to be hijacked? Does the car have a tracking device on it?

Stick Matt on a plane, send him somewhere, point him to a case. He figures out the bad guy, jets off. Repeat this for what seems to be a dozen times in this book. The bad guys are the type who are immediately identifiable to the reader and who like to confess. Except the beautiful, sexy Russian spy who kills someone close to Matt. She's all over the place, a superspy, just like him, skating just out of reach.

Until the end - the final scene in the book, which I'm going to spoil for you.












The Russian is found in a Thai tourist resort - just like Matt forecast with his spidey sense. She's meeting Matt's best friend (there's stuff earlier in the book where this guy is at the house where the woman Matt is close to is murdered; they are lifetime pals), and that friend meets her on the beach in the dunes to set her up for Matt, who comes up behind her and shoots her in the head. The two of them drag her into the dunes, and then? They're off to the bar, which is not terribly far away, to have a cold one and toast their friend. That just seems a little psychopathic to me.

There are a number of things that this book needs or needs to eject. It really and desperately needs an editor. There's no need to pile all of these escapades into the same book instead of just picking one or even three and fleshing those out. The good guy doesn't have to take down all the bad guys in a single book.

All the unnecessary travel stuff can also go. Most of them don't matter to the story and do nothing but serve as filler.

Within the first five pages, Matt says he had spent some time in a "hyperbolic chamber" to charge up his red blood cells because apparently flying to Kathmandu from Qatar to sale Everest was a spur of the moment thing. While this book may be a "hyperbolic chamber", it is a hyperbaric chamber that is used for the medical purpose Matt describes.

When in London, Matt decides to help his pal Charlie (of British intelligence) and it is described thusly: "It took a split second for Matt to agree to help, and Charlie knew that meant it would be in any way he could. That was his friend's Motus Operandi, his "M.O.""

Two things: people know what an MO is, and they don't need the Latin. Also, if you are going to use the Latin, it is "modus operandi" and it doesn't need to be capitalized.

I wasn't looking terribly closely at things after the first dozen chapters. I skimmed through much of the rest, seeing the pattern (Matt flies somewhere -> crime -> superdude solves it -> goodbye -> repeat), and skipping forward. At no point - even when Matt's been hit in the head and hauled off - is there ever a question that he will get out of the situation, and no indication that he's even perturbed or worried about it. There's no real tension here.

If you need something fast, don't mind what could be described as serials pushed together into a single book, and want an indestructible good guy (who does bad things, like kill people), take it for a ride.

Two out of five stars.

Thanks to JK Kelly and NetGalley for the review copy

[Hazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher J K Kelly Consulting LLC for the ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - it's fast-paced and action-packed. Although at first I wondered if it was just going to consist of a series of unconnected exploits, the strands that tie them altogether gradually become clear amongst the twists and turns of Matt Christopher's assignments.

Matt, codenamed The Export, is a highly-trained asset who, by an arrangement with the US Government, can only operate outside the USA. He is independently wealthy and has connections all over the world. His manager in Washington is Claire Dale of the FBI - his ex-lover but also a colleague from their training together. The Director of the National Intelligence Service is his aunt, Helene Coleman, and he's devoted to her. He travels in luxury, has numerous passports as well as FBI, CIA and diplomatic credentials. He yearns to spend some time on his 60ft luxury yacht but as soon as it seems possible he has to fly off to another crisis he's expected to solve. He know he doesn't have to work but he's good at it - problem-solving anything or anyone who may cause embarrassment to the USA.

On some rare downtime he's in Everest's base camp when one of the trekkers is murdered by an ice axe being embedded in his head. The girl he had spent the night with had disappeared but he works with the local crime investigators until it's his time to leave and, running into an old British friend at the airport, Charlie Chaste, working for MI5, he takes on an interagency assignment to find out if a highly-placed person and/or his son are responsible for murders of young women. Back in the States he's assigned a "baby-sitting" job - an American undersecretary with close connections to the White House is due to attend an environmental conference in Quebec City. Following other conferences he's suspected of leaving a trail of assaults and possible murder in his wake. He thinks he's untouchable and Matt needs to defuse anything before it starts. It doesn't end too well.

Wherever he goes Matt - sometimes through no fault of his own - leaves a trail of bodies and cover-ups. But someone is out to get him and he gradually pieces things together. Just coincidences, or something more sinister?
I liked the characters and relationships - Matt's a George Clooney look-a-like who has access to people in high places, weaponry and technology. He wants to re-kindle his love affair with Claire but they both know that can't happen for as long as they have their respective jobs.

Looking forward to #2.

[BooksCoffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kelly delivers a fast-moving plot, topnotch characterization, and a mind-bending mystery in his series kicker in The Export series, featuring the former FBI Special Agent Matt Christopher.

Tired of dirty politics and corrupt politicians, Matt’s job as the Export for FBI provides him the opportunity to do what he loves most—to apprehend the most dangerous criminals and bring them to justice. On a personal excursion to see Base Camp on Everest, Matt has an opportunity to study the crime scene of a British national’s murder before he is called to London to nab a serial killer. But when one of his own is murdered, Matt finds himself thrown in a deadly game of betrayal and treacheries.

Kelly risks exploring several storylines with murder and conspiracy around different places in the world, but it pays off greatly: as the story progresses, he expertly jacks up the suspense, and several different threads come together to form a single picture, with the narrative racing toward an explosive climax.

The heavy doses of procedural detail and killing make this an ideal read for hardcore FBI thriller devotees, who will welcome Matt as the kickass protagonist.

This is a knockout.

[John Purvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author J. K. Kelly (https://jkkelly.com/) published the novel “The Export” in 2021. This is the first novel in his “The Export” series. He has published six novels.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains mature situations, mature language, and violence. The story spans the world. The primary character is FBI agent Matt Christopher.

Christopher is a good agent. One who seeks the truth. That cost him earlier in his career when he doggedly pursued the wrong people. People with deep government connections. As a result, he is now limited to operations outside the US. He has become an export. Christopher has assisted various US government agencies as well as those of allies. In short, he has become a ‘fixer’.

The story bounces around the world. Christopher gets involved in one deadly situation after another in his travels. He enters these challenges well prepared. He has training as an FBI agent. He had almost completed SEAL training before he was forced to transfer to the Army Rangers. He is ready for almost anything. At least that is what he thinks until his aunt, the US Director of National Intelligence, dies.

I enjoyed the 5.5+ hours I spent reading this 383-page thriller. The book reminds me of the original James Bond novels by Ian Fleming - thrillers with lots of action. The book is more of a collection of related short stories than a novel. The Christopher character moves from one thrilling and lethal situation to another. He is no stranger to violence and deals out at least as good as he receives. When pressed he is not above doling out justice himself. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a 3,8 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action-packed adventure novels are always a great escape, and J.K. Kelly’s THE EXPORT certainly offers enough exploits to get lost in, even if the plot is kind of all over the place.

Special Agent Matt Christopher is a unique brand of hero in the U.S. intelligence and defense services. He (unrealistically) straddles too many agencies at once apprehending dangerous criminals — with clearance only to act outside of U.S. soil for a reason which will undoubtedly be explained… at some point. He bounces from various life-threatening escapades in rapid succession while seeming to exist mainly on a diet of coffee and alcohol. And what’s more, he doesn’t need the job. He’s privately wealthy.

But don’t expect Christopher to be an Americanized James Bond. He’s far more rough and ready… even if Kelly does place him in luxury hotels with private jet travel and sets him up with a potential new love interest in every city.

In THE EXPORT, which is clearly the first in a series of Matt Christopher episodes, he singlehandedly solves a barrage of various crimes and other sinister situations (Spoiler: Many of them, but not all, are connected) with barely a scratch.

The best character development actually happens when he meets up with relationships from his past — a parental figure, a childhood friend, and a colleague/lover — that bind some of Kelly’s loosely connected plot points and offer some humanity to coincide with the heroics.

All in all, THE EXPORT is overly complicated, but interestingly written, and contains more than a fair share of intrigue. 3.5 stars.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Matt Christopher is the "go-to" guy when the U.S. government needs to take care of indiscretions overseas. His secret assignments send him all over the world, including Mt. Everest, Russia and Wyoming. Along the way, Matt parties and drinks hard while enjoying all the luxuries his inherited wealth and work position allow. But can he really stay safe as he chases the bad guys? And can he trust the people who claim to be his closest friends?
There is plenty of action in this book. Prepare to rush from one kick-butt adventure to another. Matt is also bisexual, unless I read the innuendo wrong. And while at least one of the plotlines is predictable, the ending includes a twist I didn't see coming!
While full of fisticuffs, the flow of this story is often choppy and confusing with many words dedicated to Matt's plane hopping, which gets redundant. There's also a lot of drinking and partying, which led me to question how Matt can keep his muscles, skills and cardio ready for all the action.
Basically, "The Export" is a macho story that relies heavily on muscle. It could use some finesse to smooth out the rough edges and improve readability.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book starts with a brutal murder at the base camp of Mount Everest and the action doesn't stop until the very last page; the novel follows Matt Christopher an government 'fixer' who hops countries and cleans up messes.

The story was quite frantic and the amount of escapades that Matt finds himself in was almost exhausting but this was a really enjoyable read and I read the whole thing in nearly one sitting.

Thank you to the Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

[Doug Yonce · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story has a good premise, but the characters were rather plain/boring/two-dimensional. The plot started out promisingly, but soon bogged down and barely moved at all. I received an advanced digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.

[Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow fans who like Jack reacher type books must read this its epic. Normally it one case that takes the whole book to go through not this one. Its one after another nonstop action from the get go. I was at the edge of my seat the whole time. I read it in just over two days it was that good. The next book is out now so im moving onto that. Praise to the author for bringing use this amazing book. I cant wait to tell everyone about it.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit hard to follow switches from one part of the world to another

[Lyndi (mibookobsession) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A highly-trained independent contractor for the US government, Matt Christopher, codenamed "The Export" is only allowed to operate outside the US. Born with an instinctive knowledge of when people are lying, he travels to assist other countries catch criminals. The book is fast-paced and action packed, but sometimes I got a bit lost with the story jumping from one location to the next. In the end it all tied well together, but I felt it could do with a bit more editing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.