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NCIS #1
Paid In Blood
The death of a fellow NCIS agent in North Carolina leads Will Coburn and his special team of naval crime-scene investigators to discover a drug-and-arms smuggling ring. The investigation leads them to a U.S. military base in South Korea. When a body is stolen from a crime scene, the team discovers that their suspect is not who he seems. Nuclear weapons have gone missing, and it's a race against time as the NCIS team uncovers the true face of evil.
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
131 people are currently reading
1232 people want to read
About the author
Mel Odom
281 books273 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
aka Jordan Gray
Mel Odom is a bestselling writer for hire for Wizards of the Coast's Forgotten Realms, Gold Eagle's Mack Bolan, and Pocket's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel book lines. His debut SF novel Lethal Interface made the Locus recommended list . The Rover was an Alyx Award winner. He has also written a scientific adventure of the high seas set in the 19th century entitled Hunters of the Dark Sea. He lives in Oklahoma.
aka Jordan Gray
Mel Odom is a bestselling writer for hire for Wizards of the Coast's Forgotten Realms, Gold Eagle's Mack Bolan, and Pocket's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel book lines. His debut SF novel Lethal Interface made the Locus recommended list . The Rover was an Alyx Award winner. He has also written a scientific adventure of the high seas set in the 19th century entitled Hunters of the Dark Sea. He lives in Oklahoma.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
September 27, 2022
Disclaimer: I have been reading and reviewing for over a decade, and in that time, I have grown and changed a lot. My views in the following review reflect the person I was when I wrote them and may not reflect who I am today - for better or for worse. While I would love to be able to reread and update my reviews to reflect who I am today, I think my time is better dedicated elsewhere. If you choose to read this review, please bear in mind this attitude.
April 10, 2011
"Paid in Blood" is a detective suspense novel which ended like an action-packed military thriller. While the reader knows who the main bad guy is and the broad picture of his evil plan, the reader had to learn the details of the scheme along with the heroes and hope they'd solve it in time. Suspense was also created by the various family problems that the characters were dealing with and the physical danger at various points.
The forensic details of the investigation were excellent and woven into the story without slowing the action. However, apparently there were many inaccurate details about how the Naval Criminal Investigation Service is actually run.
The characters were interesting, varied, and complex. They dealt with realistic family problems (a marriage falling apart, an unwanted marriage, a single mom feeling guilty about leaving her child so much, etc.) in addition to the investigation. The bad guys seemed unrealistically unwavering in their motives (a.k.a. cliche bad guys), but that's true for many thrillers.
Several of the main characters were Christians. Mel was bitter toward God for letting his marriage fall apart after all his prayers and efforts to save it, and several other main characters felt that God had let them down in their family situations. However, their parents or friends urged them to trust God despite circumstances.
There was no sex. There was a very minor amount of "he cussed" style bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this fast-paced, exciting novel.
The forensic details of the investigation were excellent and woven into the story without slowing the action. However, apparently there were many inaccurate details about how the Naval Criminal Investigation Service is actually run.
The characters were interesting, varied, and complex. They dealt with realistic family problems (a marriage falling apart, an unwanted marriage, a single mom feeling guilty about leaving her child so much, etc.) in addition to the investigation. The bad guys seemed unrealistically unwavering in their motives (a.k.a. cliche bad guys), but that's true for many thrillers.
Several of the main characters were Christians. Mel was bitter toward God for letting his marriage fall apart after all his prayers and efforts to save it, and several other main characters felt that God had let them down in their family situations. However, their parents or friends urged them to trust God despite circumstances.
There was no sex. There was a very minor amount of "he cussed" style bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this fast-paced, exciting novel.
June 27, 2024
Honestly, this is probably more of a 2.5 - 2.75.
But I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt for a minute because I’m not sure if it was a me problem or a book issue. And I can see why certain people would like this book.
This felt like someone took their favorite episodes of NCIS and just mashed them all together, but it was EXTREMELY HARD to follow. There were too many characters to keep tabs on and to be honest I don’t know who’s who or who the bad guy was or who caught them or if there were any casualties. It kind of just ended and I suddenly didn’t know I single thing I just read. I had a good time while I was reading, but once I closed the book I never once thought about it or remembered a single thing that happened.
It was also very technical, while also being very vague. So I felt a little stupid.
I think I’ll read the next one in the series and see if puzzle pieces fall into place while following the characters more. You know how sometimes you have to watch more than the first episode to get into a show? I’m hoping that’s what happens with this because I want to like it. However,as of now, I’m not a huge fan, but understand how some more technically brained people would enjoy this book.
But I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt for a minute because I’m not sure if it was a me problem or a book issue. And I can see why certain people would like this book.
This felt like someone took their favorite episodes of NCIS and just mashed them all together, but it was EXTREMELY HARD to follow. There were too many characters to keep tabs on and to be honest I don’t know who’s who or who the bad guy was or who caught them or if there were any casualties. It kind of just ended and I suddenly didn’t know I single thing I just read. I had a good time while I was reading, but once I closed the book I never once thought about it or remembered a single thing that happened.
It was also very technical, while also being very vague. So I felt a little stupid.
I think I’ll read the next one in the series and see if puzzle pieces fall into place while following the characters more. You know how sometimes you have to watch more than the first episode to get into a show? I’m hoping that’s what happens with this because I want to like it. However,as of now, I’m not a huge fan, but understand how some more technically brained people would enjoy this book.
January 13, 2023
Military NCIS Book 1
The death of a fellow NCIS agent in North Carolina leads Will Coburn and his special team of naval crime-scene investigators to discover a drugs-and-arms smuggling ring. The investigation leads them to a U.S. military base in South Korea. When a body is stolen from a crime scene, the team discover that their suspect is not who he seems. Nuclear weapons have gone missing, and it's a race against time as the NCIS team uncovers the true face of evil.
This book shows how they use forensic evidence to track down and bring justice to anyone who breaks the law in the military. The characters have been well fleshed out and believable. This gripping read kept me on my toes. There are a lot of religious aspects throughout the book. This was an intense read.
#FreeKindleBook
The death of a fellow NCIS agent in North Carolina leads Will Coburn and his special team of naval crime-scene investigators to discover a drugs-and-arms smuggling ring. The investigation leads them to a U.S. military base in South Korea. When a body is stolen from a crime scene, the team discover that their suspect is not who he seems. Nuclear weapons have gone missing, and it's a race against time as the NCIS team uncovers the true face of evil.
This book shows how they use forensic evidence to track down and bring justice to anyone who breaks the law in the military. The characters have been well fleshed out and believable. This gripping read kept me on my toes. There are a lot of religious aspects throughout the book. This was an intense read.
#FreeKindleBook
April 19, 2011
Will Coburn leads a specialized unit of NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Services) that goes beyond the ordinary police work of trying to solve murders. In fact, he and his team read crime scenes so well they can trace a good-deed-gone-terribly-wrong all the way to South Korea and back – because he and his team are not only well-trained forensicists, they’re also military personnel who know how to navigate the halls of military hierarchy and find what they need to solve their cases.
Qadir Yaseen, a man who’s lost two families to the Great Satan, and a man with enough money to get anything he wants, sets his heart on dividing Israel and her greatest friend, America. He knows he cannot successfully attack America directly, but devises a plan to do so another way.
Can Will and his team solve the mystery before the price in blood becomes too high? Mel Odom takes his reader on that journey in a well-written story that is at times laugh-out-loud funny, and at other times makes you reach for that tissue box. He intertwines the fictional story with the heart’s search for God in a way that is real and believable. Everyday problems as well as national security problems are treated with the same openness before God.
Qadir Yaseen, a man who’s lost two families to the Great Satan, and a man with enough money to get anything he wants, sets his heart on dividing Israel and her greatest friend, America. He knows he cannot successfully attack America directly, but devises a plan to do so another way.
Can Will and his team solve the mystery before the price in blood becomes too high? Mel Odom takes his reader on that journey in a well-written story that is at times laugh-out-loud funny, and at other times makes you reach for that tissue box. He intertwines the fictional story with the heart’s search for God in a way that is real and believable. Everyday problems as well as national security problems are treated with the same openness before God.
May 1, 2012
Right from the beginning this felt a bit like an ops technical manual. The author spends too much time on specific technical details in a way that pulls the reader out of the experience. Here's an example:
"Maggie manned the digital 35mm Canon SLR. The single-lens-reflex camera was outfitted with a one-to-one system that offered eight megapixel shots that uploaded onto the gigabyte-size flash card. With the ratio resolution, the Canon could reproduce images that were actual size."
The verbose detail offered here has no significance other than to headline the technology being used, and the author's knowledge of same.
There's a sub-plot about a major character's relationship with his family. I suppose this was to enhance a human quality behind the rigid discipline, but for me it added nothing but padding.
"Maggie manned the digital 35mm Canon SLR. The single-lens-reflex camera was outfitted with a one-to-one system that offered eight megapixel shots that uploaded onto the gigabyte-size flash card. With the ratio resolution, the Canon could reproduce images that were actual size."
The verbose detail offered here has no significance other than to headline the technology being used, and the author's knowledge of same.
There's a sub-plot about a major character's relationship with his family. I suppose this was to enhance a human quality behind the rigid discipline, but for me it added nothing but padding.
November 9, 2020
Lost stars because seaman second class and ensign are not the same rank. The odds of a Capt (06) leading a seal assault team are very slim. Making a cell call to a boomer on patrol are impossible. If an outsider can track the nuke on patrol, their deterrent value is greatly diminished. I also question the physics requirements needed to make the premise of a ICBM launch from a freighter.
Decent book until the action sequences at the end.
Decent book until the action sequences at the end.
March 24, 2015
I just didnt enjoy this book, to many focal characters, and I understand religion is big in some peoples live but this book was trying to beat it into my head that the characters were religious. It was anti climactic because of how transparent the story line was, you know about 3 chapters in what the total outcome is going to be. I would not recommend this story to anyone.
November 29, 2011
Do you love a good military based story with plenty of action and take charge men and women? Then join Will Coburn and the rest of his NCIS team as they struggle in their personal lives and follow the pieces of the puzzle that begin with an NCIS agent being found murdered in North Carolina.
January 20, 2019
I enjoyed this book, caught me on page one and I didn’t want to put it down – a lot of action and surprise twists and turns --- even though it’s not like the television series – it’s well written, well plotted and well worth reading!
April 30, 2011
This was awful.
August 24, 2020
Pretty hard to get through the first half...but then it picked up nicely😁
April 1, 2019
Paid in Blood is Book #1 in the Military NCIS trilogy
by Mel Odom.
Although there are no Bible verses or multiple conversations about faith, "faith challenges" appear in unlikely ways... interesting how God chooses to answer our prayers sometimes.
When an NCIS Special Agent is found dead, NCIS went on high alert, trying to figure out what happened. However, the deeper they dig, the more questions and trouble - and more dead bodies -arrive. With USA, South Korea, Japan, Russia, and Columbia all involved, can "Steadfast" team put the clues together in time to stop more deaths and "save the world" once again?
My favorite character was "Max" the lab ....
well, and the rest of the NCIS team, of course!
Will, who served as a ship's captain for 6 years,
is the leader of the team.
Estrella is the computer genius of the group.
Maggie is the gal you don't want to mess with.
Frank's the oldest man of the team who loved to give advice.
Remy, a SEAL, ends up - rather unhappily - being the newest guy on the team.
Nita is the medical examiner - with plenty of tales to tell.
I enjoyed learning about places I didn't know about,
learned a little bit about forensics tools,
and a bit more about submarines.
Cheering for good guys,
horrified at what bad guys are up to,
heart broken in a few places,
and plenty of heart-thumping action
kept me reading!
If you're a fan of TV trilogy of NCIS,
this book is one for you to read.
I look forward to reading the other two books in this series!
by Mel Odom.
Although there are no Bible verses or multiple conversations about faith, "faith challenges" appear in unlikely ways... interesting how God chooses to answer our prayers sometimes.
When an NCIS Special Agent is found dead, NCIS went on high alert, trying to figure out what happened. However, the deeper they dig, the more questions and trouble - and more dead bodies -arrive. With USA, South Korea, Japan, Russia, and Columbia all involved, can "Steadfast" team put the clues together in time to stop more deaths and "save the world" once again?
My favorite character was "Max" the lab ....
well, and the rest of the NCIS team, of course!
Will, who served as a ship's captain for 6 years,
is the leader of the team.
Estrella is the computer genius of the group.
Maggie is the gal you don't want to mess with.
Frank's the oldest man of the team who loved to give advice.
Remy, a SEAL, ends up - rather unhappily - being the newest guy on the team.
Nita is the medical examiner - with plenty of tales to tell.
I enjoyed learning about places I didn't know about,
learned a little bit about forensics tools,
and a bit more about submarines.
Cheering for good guys,
horrified at what bad guys are up to,
heart broken in a few places,
and plenty of heart-thumping action
kept me reading!
If you're a fan of TV trilogy of NCIS,
this book is one for you to read.
I look forward to reading the other two books in this series!
April 9, 2019
Paid in Blood is Book #1 in the Military NCIS trilogy
by Mel Odom.
Although there are no Bible verses or multiple conversations about faith, "faith challenges" appear in unlikely ways... interesting how God chooses to answer our prayers sometimes.
When an NCIS Special Agent is found dead, NCIS went on high alert, trying to figure out what happened. However, the deeper they dig, the more questions and trouble - and more dead bodies -arrive. With USA, South Korea, Japan, Russia, and Columbia all involved, can "Steadfast" team put the clues together in time to stop more deaths and "save the world" once again?
My favorite character was "Max" the lab ....
well, and the rest of the NCIS team, of course!
Will, who served as a ship's captain for 6 years,
is the leader of the team.
Estrella is the computer genius of the group.
Maggie is the gal you don't want to mess with.
Frank's the oldest man of the team who loved to give advice.
Remy, a SEAL, ends up - rather unhappily - being the newest guy on the team.
Nita is the medical examiner - with plenty of tales to tell.
I enjoyed learning about places I didn't know about,
learned a little bit about forensics tools,
and a bit more about submarines.
Cheering for good guys,
horrified at what bad guys are up to,
heart broken in a few places,
and plenty of heart-thumping action
kept me reading!
If you're a fan of TV trilogy of NCIS,
this book is one for you to read.
I look forward to reading the other two books in this series!
by Mel Odom.
Although there are no Bible verses or multiple conversations about faith, "faith challenges" appear in unlikely ways... interesting how God chooses to answer our prayers sometimes.
When an NCIS Special Agent is found dead, NCIS went on high alert, trying to figure out what happened. However, the deeper they dig, the more questions and trouble - and more dead bodies -arrive. With USA, South Korea, Japan, Russia, and Columbia all involved, can "Steadfast" team put the clues together in time to stop more deaths and "save the world" once again?
My favorite character was "Max" the lab ....
well, and the rest of the NCIS team, of course!
Will, who served as a ship's captain for 6 years,
is the leader of the team.
Estrella is the computer genius of the group.
Maggie is the gal you don't want to mess with.
Frank's the oldest man of the team who loved to give advice.
Remy, a SEAL, ends up - rather unhappily - being the newest guy on the team.
Nita is the medical examiner - with plenty of tales to tell.
I enjoyed learning about places I didn't know about,
learned a little bit about forensics tools,
and a bit more about submarines.
Cheering for good guys,
horrified at what bad guys are up to,
heart broken in a few places,
and plenty of heart-thumping action
kept me reading!
If you're a fan of TV trilogy of NCIS,
this book is one for you to read.
I look forward to reading the other two books in this series!
July 28, 2019
For anyone familiar with the tv series NCIS, and it's spinoffs, this book will definitely be your cup of tea. I do have to note though that it has absolutely no connection with the show except for using the NCIS as it's basis. This NCIS unit, led by Will Coburn, is based on North Carolina, where the Marine training base of Camp Lejeune, is located. The off base murder of a NCIS agent starts Coburn and his team down the road to an international plot that could launch the United States into a third world war.
Coburn and his squad are well drawn, with each of them receiving a look into their private lives throughout the book and the author does a great job of making the reader care for them. The action is also there, as the team follows their leads to the volatile area of the Korean peninsula and a great conclusion involving Navy Seals and the NCIS agents in a tense battle at sea to prevent a global conflagration.
There is quite a few references to religion and God, to be fair to report, but the story is terrific enough to stand on its own with them in there. If your taste in levels include great military thrillers, then this first installment of the NCIS trilogy needs to be put on your "to read" list.
Coburn and his squad are well drawn, with each of them receiving a look into their private lives throughout the book and the author does a great job of making the reader care for them. The action is also there, as the team follows their leads to the volatile area of the Korean peninsula and a great conclusion involving Navy Seals and the NCIS agents in a tense battle at sea to prevent a global conflagration.
There is quite a few references to religion and God, to be fair to report, but the story is terrific enough to stand on its own with them in there. If your taste in levels include great military thrillers, then this first installment of the NCIS trilogy needs to be put on your "to read" list.
September 12, 2025
First of all, why did we need the conservative white religion thrown onto all of the characters? It added absolutely nothing to the plot, and detracted from the story.
Second, no one who is actually Hispanic would say - "The janitor wiped her eyes. “Annie Hernandez.” No way is this woman Hispanic, Estrella thought." Hispanic people come in all colors, which is really effing obvious. I was not surprised at all to see this was written by an old white man, who likely has no clue about other ethnicities and cultures.
And third, you do not cut a neck the way he described. Anyone with a lick of sense knows the head is pushed down, chin towards collarbone. Why? It's easier to cut through.
I was hoping for something along the lines of the TV show, but the author was too busy pushing their religious agenda to make the characters interesting.
2 stars is generous. I won't be reading the rest of this series or anything else by this author.
Second, no one who is actually Hispanic would say - "The janitor wiped her eyes. “Annie Hernandez.” No way is this woman Hispanic, Estrella thought." Hispanic people come in all colors, which is really effing obvious. I was not surprised at all to see this was written by an old white man, who likely has no clue about other ethnicities and cultures.
And third, you do not cut a neck the way he described. Anyone with a lick of sense knows the head is pushed down, chin towards collarbone. Why? It's easier to cut through.
I was hoping for something along the lines of the TV show, but the author was too busy pushing their religious agenda to make the characters interesting.
2 stars is generous. I won't be reading the rest of this series or anything else by this author.
September 3, 2021
I didn't realize this was Christian fiction when I got it, but I was pleasantly surprised to find Christian characters struggle with real problems and not have everyone be perfect or preachy. The action level was high and so was the suspense. I liked most everything about this book, except it ended rather abruptly, with no denouement after the climax. I assume this is done to get you to buy the sequels. I liked all of the characters except the medical examiner. I hope the author gives her a wake-up call or something. I will definitely read the next book.
August 29, 2017
Worth the low price
The story started slow but when it picked up speed, I was hooked. I wanted the characters I am used to but again,they grew on me.
The story started slow but when it picked up speed, I was hooked. I wanted the characters I am used to but again,they grew on me.
January 28, 2018
Good read. Lots of suspense and detail. Some military terminology which I’m not familiar with. I’ve always enjoyed the show NCIS and this book is about an NCIS unit.
February 4, 2018
Quite challenging in places but quite a fast paced book. I read as an ebook and there were a lot of frustrating typos which didn’t help the narration.
February 26, 2021
This is one of my favorite book series. I could literally read it over and over again. Will Coburn is a great character.
May 11, 2023
The ending felt rushed and not tied up, otherwise a good story.
May 1, 2024
This was a good audio book to have on while I cooked, cleaned, did laundry, and drew. It wasn’t anything awe-striking, but I enjoyed listening.
September 19, 2025
Took me forever to finish this as it was slow in the middle definitely feels like it is setting up something bigger! The ending of this book was intense. I’ll try the rest if the series.
August 6, 2016
NCIS: Paid in Blood – Mel Odom
***Minor Spoilers***
Side note and disclaimer before I begin my review: Thanks to the CBS crime drama “NCIS”, many people know that NCIS stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Millions of viewers (myself included) watch Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his team solve crimes involving naval personnel every Tuesday evening. Mel Odom’s NCIS series is not based on the NCIS TV show.
Odom has his own team of NCIS investigators. Commander William Coburn is a naval commander formerly stationed on the John F. Kennedy. He has two children (a boy, Steven, and a girl, Wren) that he sees on weekends since he and his wife, Barbara, are separated. Commander Coburn leads of team of handpicked NCIS agents. Chief Warrants Officer Frank Billings served under Commander Coburn on the JFK. He is married with five children. He joined NCIS with Commander Coburn. Special Agent Maggie Foley is 27 years old and the lone civilian on the team. She is the daughter of Harrison Talbot Foley III, businessman and millionaire. Maggie has a strained relationship with her father and deals with him only to have permission to see her mother (whom her father has in a mental hospital). She plays the role of profiler for the team. Dr. Nita Thomlinson is the medical examiner on the team. She is married with a 4 year old girl, Celia. She is quiet about her childhood and would rather leave her past behind. Gunnery Sergeant Shelton McHenry is a former Marine of 13 years. His partner is his Black Lab Retriever named Max. Finally, Petty Officer Third Class Estrella Montoya is a widow with a young son, Nicky. She is the computer expert and communications officer for the team.
A murdered NCIS agent leads Commander Coburn and his team to a gun running operation and an U.S. Marine's assassination. That investigation takes the team to the Black Market and drug deals. They are eventually follow the leads to old Soviet nuclear missiles and a terrorist mastermind's evil plot.
I'll be honest, I don't know about military and NCIS other than what I've seen on TV (accurate or not, I couldn't tell you), but Odom writes his characters well. Commander Coburn is a military man whose job and naval career kept him away from his family. Coburn is well-developed with a background that covers his naval experience, family, career with NCIS, and his faith. I wish the other characters got a little more background, but I understand that everything can't be revealed in one book. Coburn's team felt real to me and I can see the different relationships and interaction between all of them. This is the first book I've read by Odom, but I enjoyed it and will be following this series. It had a good balance between character development and case related story line, which is something I look for in books like these.
***Minor Spoilers***
Side note and disclaimer before I begin my review: Thanks to the CBS crime drama “NCIS”, many people know that NCIS stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Millions of viewers (myself included) watch Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his team solve crimes involving naval personnel every Tuesday evening. Mel Odom’s NCIS series is not based on the NCIS TV show.
Odom has his own team of NCIS investigators. Commander William Coburn is a naval commander formerly stationed on the John F. Kennedy. He has two children (a boy, Steven, and a girl, Wren) that he sees on weekends since he and his wife, Barbara, are separated. Commander Coburn leads of team of handpicked NCIS agents. Chief Warrants Officer Frank Billings served under Commander Coburn on the JFK. He is married with five children. He joined NCIS with Commander Coburn. Special Agent Maggie Foley is 27 years old and the lone civilian on the team. She is the daughter of Harrison Talbot Foley III, businessman and millionaire. Maggie has a strained relationship with her father and deals with him only to have permission to see her mother (whom her father has in a mental hospital). She plays the role of profiler for the team. Dr. Nita Thomlinson is the medical examiner on the team. She is married with a 4 year old girl, Celia. She is quiet about her childhood and would rather leave her past behind. Gunnery Sergeant Shelton McHenry is a former Marine of 13 years. His partner is his Black Lab Retriever named Max. Finally, Petty Officer Third Class Estrella Montoya is a widow with a young son, Nicky. She is the computer expert and communications officer for the team.
A murdered NCIS agent leads Commander Coburn and his team to a gun running operation and an U.S. Marine's assassination. That investigation takes the team to the Black Market and drug deals. They are eventually follow the leads to old Soviet nuclear missiles and a terrorist mastermind's evil plot.
I'll be honest, I don't know about military and NCIS other than what I've seen on TV (accurate or not, I couldn't tell you), but Odom writes his characters well. Commander Coburn is a military man whose job and naval career kept him away from his family. Coburn is well-developed with a background that covers his naval experience, family, career with NCIS, and his faith. I wish the other characters got a little more background, but I understand that everything can't be revealed in one book. Coburn's team felt real to me and I can see the different relationships and interaction between all of them. This is the first book I've read by Odom, but I enjoyed it and will be following this series. It had a good balance between character development and case related story line, which is something I look for in books like these.
April 19, 2021
For lovers of intrigue and suspense, Mel Odom spins a wholesome tale with Paid in Blood—the first in his NCIS trilogy.
The book is fast-paced, starting off with an unusual crime scene, drawing the reader in with the need to know whodunnit. The backstory in the prologue almost seems irrelevant until the realization dawns that it is the crux of the matter.
What begins as a crime of petty theft turns out to be religious warfare spanning across countries. This is what Will Coburn and his team must fix before things get out of hand; and it does, many times.
Not realizing the magnitude of what’s at stake, Coburn’s surveillance, investigation, sniper, hacker, and combat experts suffer a significant loss before the pieces fall into place.
They face a mob boss, a drug baron, a corrupt military officer and a sect who would stop at nothing to achieve their mission. Unsolved crimes and dead bodies fill their path of discovery until everyone tires of the unknown.
Meanwhile, amid this tough case, every team member experiences personal problems of their own. Will is facing a family crisis; Estella is a struggling single mother; Maggie has an estranged relationship with her father; Shel’s effort to help an abused neighbour is frustrated; Nita jeopardizes her marriage.
Yet, the NCIS team proves their expertise and dedication to their work by unravelling the case, capturing the moles, and stopping a world war from happening.
I particularly liked the pace of the book and the diversity of the characters; from the Texan Marine to the Black SEAL. I also liked the way Mel balanced out the suspense by giving readers a glimpse of the family life of each character, to better understand their zeal.
If you’re into Christian fiction, then this book is for you because some characters in the book have a relationship with God and Odom expressed their beliefs, fears and everything in between.
Mel Odom delivered a unique story and lovers of suspense will love it.
***
This review was originally posted on https://folioreview.wordpress.com
The book is fast-paced, starting off with an unusual crime scene, drawing the reader in with the need to know whodunnit. The backstory in the prologue almost seems irrelevant until the realization dawns that it is the crux of the matter.
What begins as a crime of petty theft turns out to be religious warfare spanning across countries. This is what Will Coburn and his team must fix before things get out of hand; and it does, many times.
Not realizing the magnitude of what’s at stake, Coburn’s surveillance, investigation, sniper, hacker, and combat experts suffer a significant loss before the pieces fall into place.
They face a mob boss, a drug baron, a corrupt military officer and a sect who would stop at nothing to achieve their mission. Unsolved crimes and dead bodies fill their path of discovery until everyone tires of the unknown.
Meanwhile, amid this tough case, every team member experiences personal problems of their own. Will is facing a family crisis; Estella is a struggling single mother; Maggie has an estranged relationship with her father; Shel’s effort to help an abused neighbour is frustrated; Nita jeopardizes her marriage.
Yet, the NCIS team proves their expertise and dedication to their work by unravelling the case, capturing the moles, and stopping a world war from happening.
I particularly liked the pace of the book and the diversity of the characters; from the Texan Marine to the Black SEAL. I also liked the way Mel balanced out the suspense by giving readers a glimpse of the family life of each character, to better understand their zeal.
If you’re into Christian fiction, then this book is for you because some characters in the book have a relationship with God and Odom expressed their beliefs, fears and everything in between.
Mel Odom delivered a unique story and lovers of suspense will love it.
***
This review was originally posted on https://folioreview.wordpress.com
November 18, 2015
I think what I like the very best about this book was the authors commitment to referencing God and making sure they were strong Christian role model characters. However the book was a little bit hard to get into because I don't have a military background and I didn't always understand exactly what was going on. But I was able to follow the book enough to get the gist of things. I enjoyed the characters and like the storyline. It was interesting to watch it jump from one area of the world to another and the focus begin to narrow until it was on The correct "villain". I'm not sure if I will read the remaining books in the series, but I sure do appreciate the authors hard work and dedication to the novel and the characters therein.
January 23, 2016
PAID IN BLOOD by Mel Odom is filled with suspenseful twists and turns, riveting plots, and complex characters. What starts off as a murder investigation of one of their own NCIS officers, ends up leading Commander Colburn and his team to uncover a plot that links together terrorist from South Korea, Japan, Russia, and someone inside the United States Navy.
Though the genre I enjoy most is romance, which PAID IN BLOOD is not, I thoroughly enjoyed this action pack thriller and can’t wait to learn more about the intriguing characters that make up the NCIS team. If you enjoy fast paced fiction, you will enjoy PAID IN BLOOD.
Though the genre I enjoy most is romance, which PAID IN BLOOD is not, I thoroughly enjoyed this action pack thriller and can’t wait to learn more about the intriguing characters that make up the NCIS team. If you enjoy fast paced fiction, you will enjoy PAID IN BLOOD.
June 2, 2011
I've been reading a lot of religious books recently, because I've been able to get them free for my Nook. They tend to be chick flicks. One thing I noticed about this book was that, although it was religious, it wasn't geared towards the same audience as the rest of them were.
The NCIS team in this book, is investigating the death of a soldier, and ends up traveling to Chinhae in Korea. They suffer there, and there are ups and downs along the way, but eventually they solve the crime and save a lot more than what they'd originally set out to do.
It was an interesting read, but I'm not sure that I'd pick it up again to read it.
The NCIS team in this book, is investigating the death of a soldier, and ends up traveling to Chinhae in Korea. They suffer there, and there are ups and downs along the way, but eventually they solve the crime and save a lot more than what they'd originally set out to do.
It was an interesting read, but I'm not sure that I'd pick it up again to read it.
July 27, 2019
A MO Military Combat Action Thriller (PIB - NCISB - 1)
MO has penned a Military Combat Action Thriller that begins with nuclear weapons being stolen. Once the NCIS team determine that the minor weapons stolen were a ruse to ensure the major, nuclear weapons remained a secret. Once the team and the SEAL Team realize the error they have to double up to catch up. They end up chasing the weapons half way around the world. The conclusion is obvioys about three fourth if the way thru but this is still an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
MO has penned a Military Combat Action Thriller that begins with nuclear weapons being stolen. Once the NCIS team determine that the minor weapons stolen were a ruse to ensure the major, nuclear weapons remained a secret. Once the team and the SEAL Team realize the error they have to double up to catch up. They end up chasing the weapons half way around the world. The conclusion is obvioys about three fourth if the way thru but this is still an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
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