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Kirk McGarvey #27
Traitor: A Kirk McGarvey Novel
Traitor is the final, explosive adventure in the thrilling Kirk McGarvey series from New York Times bestselling author David Hagberg--perfect for fans of Jason Bourne!
When McGarvey’s best friend, Otto, is charged with treason, Mac and his wife, Petey, set out on a desperate odyssey to clear Otto’s name. Crossing oceans and continents, their journey will take them from Japan to the US to Pakistan to Russia. Caught in a Kremlin crossfire between two warring intel agencies, Mac and Petey must fight for their lives every step of the way.
And the stakes could not be higher.
When McGarvey’s best friend, Otto, is charged with treason, Mac and his wife, Petey, set out on a desperate odyssey to clear Otto’s name. Crossing oceans and continents, their journey will take them from Japan to the US to Pakistan to Russia. Caught in a Kremlin crossfire between two warring intel agencies, Mac and Petey must fight for their lives every step of the way.
And the stakes could not be higher.
- GenresThriller
240 pages, Hardcover
Published April 26, 2022
35 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
David Hagberg
80 books137 followersaka David Bannerman, Sean Flannery, David James, Robert Pell, Eric Ramsey
David Hagberg is a former Air Force cryptographer who has traveled extensively in Europe, the Arctic, and the Caribbean and has spoken at CIA functions. He has published more than twenty novels of suspense, including the bestselling High Flight, Assassin, and Joshua's Hammer.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidh...
David Hagberg is a former Air Force cryptographer who has traveled extensively in Europe, the Arctic, and the Caribbean and has spoken at CIA functions. He has published more than twenty novels of suspense, including the bestselling High Flight, Assassin, and Joshua's Hammer.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidh...
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 25, 2022
What a fun and exciting book. Sadly I have done it again? This is book 27 and it's the first ever book by this author I have read. I knew just a few chapters in that I would love this series and I wish that I had started from the beginning. Such fun and interesting characters and the storuline is great, even though I figured out rather early who the traitor was I was never disappointed when it was revealed. Traitor by David Hagberg is so far this year one of my top three surprises. I will collect and start this series from the beginning because I feel there is so much fun to be had doing that. I must thank @MacmillanUSA @ForgeReads @macmillanusa @forgereads @Edelweiss_squad @this_is_edelweiss for letting me read and review this advance copy out in stores April 26th and #DavidHagberg for writing #Traitor
May 11, 2022
Book #27 about CIA spy-assassin Kirk McGarvey, who has lost his first wife, daughter, and son-in-law, and is now trying to save his best friend, Otto Rencke, who is arrested and charged with treason. Strong evidence is presented that he has left open back doors into the U.S. intelligence computer systems, leading to meteoric rises by foreign spies in Russia, North Korea and elsewhere. Everyone is afraid of Otto's technology so they shut down his AI, named Lou after his deceased wife. His second wife (Mary), Kirk and his new wife Pete, work to assemble a defense for Otto, even at the expense of their lives. Tragically, David Hagberg died in 2019, and I am skeptical that he wrote very much of this book. The battle scenes are too quick, the witty dialogue is missing, there is barely a mention of Kirk's granddaughter Audie, who was adopted by Otto and Louise.
December 16, 2025
I actually had a very hard time putting this book down and kept reading until I had to get some sleep. Almost immediately after getting up the next morning I was back at reading where I left off the night before.
I had never read a book before from the author (or so I thought) until I saw that he also had written several novels Writing As Sean Flannery. I have over the years read at least 8 or more of his Flannery novels. If anyone reading this likes military-based thrillers and espionage novels I highly recommend this book.
I had never read a book before from the author (or so I thought) until I saw that he also had written several novels Writing As Sean Flannery. I have over the years read at least 8 or more of his Flannery novels. If anyone reading this likes military-based thrillers and espionage novels I highly recommend this book.
May 30, 2022
Having recently read GAMBIT and thinking it could not possibly have been written by David Hagberg because it was so ridiculous and poorly written, I did find out that Mr. Hagberg passed away in 2019. Thus, GAMBIT could not have been written by him. Then, TRAITOR was published in May of this year (2022) and I see that it a Kevin Hagberg was given the copyright. Therefore, I expected another poorly written Kirk McGarvey adventure.
Well, it was not nearly as awful as GAMBIT, but it just wasn't a typical McGarvey adventure. In TRAITOR McGarvey's best friend and CIA employee is arrested and charged with treason. If you have read all the McGarvey books, you know this would never happen. However, the developing story has Otto's new wife, Kirk McGarvey and his new wife working to solve the mystery and prove Otto a true patriot. There are actually many pages of suspense in this book as well as many killings. That, at least kept me turning the 230 pages. But..................who the actual traitor (or traitors) is leaves me wondering what I read in those 230 pages. Ridiculous.
Well, it was not nearly as awful as GAMBIT, but it just wasn't a typical McGarvey adventure. In TRAITOR McGarvey's best friend and CIA employee is arrested and charged with treason. If you have read all the McGarvey books, you know this would never happen. However, the developing story has Otto's new wife, Kirk McGarvey and his new wife working to solve the mystery and prove Otto a true patriot. There are actually many pages of suspense in this book as well as many killings. That, at least kept me turning the 230 pages. But..................who the actual traitor (or traitors) is leaves me wondering what I read in those 230 pages. Ridiculous.
April 19, 2022
Traitor by David Hagberg is a highly recommended thriller and the 27th and final novel in the Kirk McGarvey series.
Otto Renke, the CIA chief of electronic surveillance, has been arrested, charged with treason and quickly whisked away to be held in a secret location. His best friend, Kirk McGarvey (Mac) and his wife Petey fly in from Japan to clear Otto's name and support his wife, Mary. In the meantime, Otto is being interrogated by a homeland security agent. Someone or some foreign agency is clearly targeting Otto and must be stopped. Sadly Otto's computed, named Lou, is unable to be accessed for help. The real traitor must be found in order to clear Otto.
As the 27th novel in the series, I admittedly felt like I was several steps behind in knowing the players and their background in this series. It is still an enjoyable thriller and provided plenty of tension and suspense. There is enough information provided to follow along with the characters current situations as well as their back story. No concrete information is giving about the evidence that is being used to charge Otto, but Mac and Petey are fighting other intel agents while trying to prove Otto's innocence. This was at times a rather slow moving thriller but it still held my attention throughout. I somehow haven't read any of the previous novels in the series, but Traitor has convinced me that it's time to start at the beginning of the series and work my way to this final novel.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Macmillian
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2022/0...
Otto Renke, the CIA chief of electronic surveillance, has been arrested, charged with treason and quickly whisked away to be held in a secret location. His best friend, Kirk McGarvey (Mac) and his wife Petey fly in from Japan to clear Otto's name and support his wife, Mary. In the meantime, Otto is being interrogated by a homeland security agent. Someone or some foreign agency is clearly targeting Otto and must be stopped. Sadly Otto's computed, named Lou, is unable to be accessed for help. The real traitor must be found in order to clear Otto.
As the 27th novel in the series, I admittedly felt like I was several steps behind in knowing the players and their background in this series. It is still an enjoyable thriller and provided plenty of tension and suspense. There is enough information provided to follow along with the characters current situations as well as their back story. No concrete information is giving about the evidence that is being used to charge Otto, but Mac and Petey are fighting other intel agents while trying to prove Otto's innocence. This was at times a rather slow moving thriller but it still held my attention throughout. I somehow haven't read any of the previous novels in the series, but Traitor has convinced me that it's time to start at the beginning of the series and work my way to this final novel.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Macmillian
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2022/0...
April 16, 2022
Great end to the Kirk McGarvey series. This is the last book in the series due to David Hagberg’s passing. The series went out with a bang. Otto Renke, Kirk’s best friends and CIA tech guru, is accused of treason and placed under arrest. With Otto out of commission, Kirk and his wife Pete need to find who is framing Otto and quickly before the CIA interrogators go too far. This task is made more difficult as they do not have Otto and his computer (named after his deceased wife, Lou) to help them. It a race to find the real traitor and clear Otto.
This book was a page turner. The chase to find the traitor was intriguing and easily kept you engaged the whole book. It was also interesting to see Kirk function without Otto to back him up. While I was able to determine who the traitor was roughly halfway through the novel, it did not take away from my enjoyment or engagement with the book. Some of the earlier books in the series have failed to reach the heights of earlier books, but I felt that Traitor was right up there among the best in the series.
This was an excellent thriller that any Kirk McGarvey fan will enjoy as a cap to the series. I also believe this story can be read as a stand alone or out of order within the series. If you enjoy a good thriller with an unnamed traitor to be hunted, this book is for you.
This book was a page turner. The chase to find the traitor was intriguing and easily kept you engaged the whole book. It was also interesting to see Kirk function without Otto to back him up. While I was able to determine who the traitor was roughly halfway through the novel, it did not take away from my enjoyment or engagement with the book. Some of the earlier books in the series have failed to reach the heights of earlier books, but I felt that Traitor was right up there among the best in the series.
This was an excellent thriller that any Kirk McGarvey fan will enjoy as a cap to the series. I also believe this story can be read as a stand alone or out of order within the series. If you enjoy a good thriller with an unnamed traitor to be hunted, this book is for you.
April 29, 2022
I have read each and every one and am sorry to see the series go. Can't someone pick up from Hagberg as was done with Vince Flynn?.
A solid spy story, a bunch of villians including one close to home (which I figured out about half way through). Mac, & Pete are striving to prove their friend Otto innocent of treason charges.
Not sure from many of these spy novels if it is in anyone's best interest to work for the government- they spend more time tripping over their own feet rather than being able to find the culprit and seem easily lead to the wrong conclusion and once there, refuse to believe anything else.
Please sign a ghost writer up to helm the Executive Solutions series!!!!
A solid spy story, a bunch of villians including one close to home (which I figured out about half way through). Mac, & Pete are striving to prove their friend Otto innocent of treason charges.
Not sure from many of these spy novels if it is in anyone's best interest to work for the government- they spend more time tripping over their own feet rather than being able to find the culprit and seem easily lead to the wrong conclusion and once there, refuse to believe anything else.
Please sign a ghost writer up to helm the Executive Solutions series!!!!
June 24, 2022
I first read about Kirk McGarvey when Gambit was published one year ago. I knew immediately, before I finished the first chapter, that I wanted to read the series. I stopped reading the book and kept it until I could read the others written before it. It did give away some information that I wished I didn’t know about his family, but I have enjoyed all of his books. With Traitor being the 29th McGarvey book I have read, I hope there’s more. Because I wanted to read them all I had to find some at Thrift Books so I could read every one. I will be waiting to see if there are more or if someone will be picking up where David Hagberg has left off.
JW
JW
March 18, 2022
A good book that I enjoyed quite a bit. I actually figured out who the traitor was about halfway through the book but wasn't 100% sure so the book was still suspenseful. The book had many parts where it wasn't totally believable but it spurred the story along so I didn't mind all that much. I don't see how a suspected traitor would be given any leeway to move into a less restrictive house under any circumstance. McGarvey and his wife were a very good team that kept the action flowing and I liked Otto as the cranky genius. A very enjoyable book.
August 13, 2022
This is rumored to be the end of the Kirk McGarvey series with David Hagberg's passing and the attempt to launch Kevin Hagberg into "legacy" mode...I'll be sad if is indeed the end, because I really like the series...In this one, Otto Renke, Kirk’s best friend and CIA tech guru, is accused of treason and placed under arrest. With Otto out of commission, Kirk and his wife Pete need to find who is framing Otto and quickly before the CIA interrogators go too far...Great action and twists for a Good read!!!
August 18, 2024
One of the hallmarks of Hagberg's writing in this series has been great endings, and this one definitely had a great ending.
Despite all that has happened, I'm happy for Kirk, Pete, and Otto and believe they are as well.
Sadly, not a great ending for the series.
The writing, not by David, was amateurish at best.
Clichés and aphorisms used liberally and often enough repeatedly I sometimes thought I had read that passage already.
It also felt like chunks of the story had been left out or cut making it hard to stay engaged and ultimately less enjoyable.
Despite all that has happened, I'm happy for Kirk, Pete, and Otto and believe they are as well.
Sadly, not a great ending for the series.
The writing, not by David, was amateurish at best.
Clichés and aphorisms used liberally and often enough repeatedly I sometimes thought I had read that passage already.
It also felt like chunks of the story had been left out or cut making it hard to stay engaged and ultimately less enjoyable.
May 25, 2022
This author really has the thriller/espionage touch. From beginning to end with a lot of violence in between, this novel checks all the boxes for a decent read. The plot moves at a very quick but followable pace, along with the typical character development expected from this author. The progression from novel to a novel is still enjoyable and fairly creative. It almost has a who done it kind of feel to it, as opposed to a spy/mole hunt. I look forward to reading more from this author.
June 10, 2022
After I heard about David Hagberg's death a couple of years ago I wanted closure. Luckily there were 2 more books in the works.
When Otto Rencke is arrested for treason it's up to McGarvey and Pete to prove his innocence. While they're attempting this there are folks trying to kill them, presumably sent by the real traitor.
An excellent end to the McGarvey saga, even though I would have liked to have seen where the story went from here.
When Otto Rencke is arrested for treason it's up to McGarvey and Pete to prove his innocence. While they're attempting this there are folks trying to kill them, presumably sent by the real traitor.
An excellent end to the McGarvey saga, even though I would have liked to have seen where the story went from here.
January 18, 2023
I have submitted this review after listening to the audiobook of this title. (Goodfm)
Otto, the computer genius is under suspicion of treason. After all the times he had helped, along with is AI creation, he has been the rock that has helped hif friends Kirk McGarvey and his wife through some tough situations, as Government agents.
So, those that have loved him, now do all they can to help clear Otto's name, and find the real mole in the system.
Otto, the computer genius is under suspicion of treason. After all the times he had helped, along with is AI creation, he has been the rock that has helped hif friends Kirk McGarvey and his wife through some tough situations, as Government agents.
So, those that have loved him, now do all they can to help clear Otto's name, and find the real mole in the system.
October 14, 2022
Since David Hagberg passed away in 2019, and the copyright date is 2022 by Kevin Hagberg, we either have a posthumously published book or Kevin (his son?) is doing an excellent job of continuing the Kirk McGarvey saga. Very well done and left as a “new” career for main characters.
May 12, 2022
A must read excellent book and story
May 14, 2022
In spite of the traitor being obvious, it was an excellent read, one of his best. Looking forward to a new series where Otto and Mac and Pete are private.
May 31, 2022
McGarvey's best friend, Otto Reinke, has been arrested and charges with treason. It is McGarvey's job to find out what is going and and how it happened.
Great story.
Great story.
Read
June 5, 2022Another page turner. Lots of twists and turns, and the ending.....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2022
I found a new writer , who’s story selection and story telling and writing got me hooked . Only sad thing is that Mr.Hagberg passed away 2 years ago.
August 12, 2022
Excellent,..... could not put it down!
January 5, 2023
Sad this is the last Kirk McGarvey book. Would have given it 5 stars, but as a not so great sleuth ,I figured out who was the mole 3/4 of the way into book.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews