Secrets: in a corrupted society

by Dennis K. Hausker

A dystopian society developed when politics and leaders go awry. Lily is a CIA agent suddenly sent overseas on a strange mission with a weird mix of personnel which quickly turns dangerous and increasingly deadly. Shadowy background figures must be identified before they face their time runs out. The mystery seems unsolvable, yet it must be done.

227 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2021

About the author

I, Dennis K. Hausker was born and raised in Michigan. Now both retired, my wife and I loved to travel. Prolific as an author, I follow my alma mater Michigan State University Spartans. Facing the challenges of this stage of life with friends and relatives dying around us, it puts into perspective our mortality and how fragile we are. My latest books have strived for even stronger female characters and the interplay in those relationships. Fast-paced tales are what I like, so that is what I write. Gripping tales with plenty of drama, and angst, I hope you enjoyed the stories.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Dennis Hausker for sending me this book. It was exciting, thought-provoking, an attention getter.
Lily is a top-level CIA agent. Evn her husband doesn't know her true job. She is being sent on a mysterious assignment made up of top agents from other various agency like the FBI. I liked this group is headed by a strong woman an is respected highly by the rest of the men and women making up this team.

The group is sent to many foreign countries as these countries are politically going awry. As the group goes from country to country, other governments and groups are trying to kill them. When finally coming back to US, they discover Americans including some officials from Washington, and military, and patriotic Americans have fled to Canada and Mexico. The American president has allowed RUssians into our government, Russian military has been allowed to take over etc. The President has put American democracy in jeopardy. Instead of the United States of America, he's renamed in the United Soviet States of America.
Can Lily's group be safe enough to take back the country with help from those Americans in Canada and Mexico?
This was such and enjoyable and exciting read for me.

[Dennis K. Hausker · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the author, of course I would think it is good. What I set out to do, I believe I did. Weaving into this mystery; intrigue, action, a fast-paced story with a lot of questions to solve. It's both a tongue-in- cheek look at our politics and a dystopian look at what can happen to societies no longer with guard rails. I like to write strong female characters, and Lily is that. Lily is a top tier CIA operative, though her family doesn't know it. She's suddenly dispatched on a strange mission starting in the Middle East and then being chased across multiple continents. Her 'team' is a strange mix of some unlikely characters she must blend into a functioning unit without benefit of the usual assets and resources from home. The enemy always seems to be a step ahead at every turn and they face numerous harrowing near-misses. Surviving becomes priority one in order to be able to address the extreme danger to the nation.

[Tanya Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book as it is much different than the usual CIA, FBI, mystery/thriller storylines. There were a few parts where I would have enjoyed "more" (more information, more depth, more fine details), just "more" to make it a completely rounded story. I won't call out the areas, as it is a good book and I highly recommend it and don't want to have to hide my review due to spoilers. I will say that I believe that a more "forceful" resolution to all of the problems that were being faced in the story would have been more exciting and in line with what might actually be a reality if the situations were actually occurring. Throughout the book, the "wins" had forceful storylines but the end "win" just kind of happened and it was done.

For me, it did create some "trepidation" because I could see this book becoming reality with the current state of our own country and the world. Some parts seemed "too far out" to ever really occur, but then again, a lot of the events we have seen in the last few years seem "too far out" to have occurred, but they did. If you have anxiety or tend to spend a lot of time worrying about what could become of our country or the world due to current trends and discord, I would not suggest this book, it has great details that could unfortunately become real and would increase the anxiety and worry that a person is already experiencing.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fast paced, gripping read. While definitely well within the apocalyptic and dystopian genres, it hit entirely too close to home to limit it to just those genres. It was certainly thought provoking, especially when considering the practical differences between being “for” something as compared to being “against” something. There were multiple strong female characters that I felt were portrayed realistically as strong and also intrinsically human, with the strengths and flaws all people display.

[Stephanie McKinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book of mystery!! This book is a must read for mystery lovers!! It has great characters, storyline and is an easy read!! I was hard to put down….loved it!

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sizzling read - discover a new voice!

Michigan author Dennis K. Hausker earned his degree from Michigan State University, served in the military - a Vietnam War veteran - and worked as a medical specialist for an insurance company. Now retired, he is a financial consultant and an author. His genre is suspense thrillers with a nod to history and social commentary, presented with a fluid writing style that creates credible characters: ‘Mentally distracted by her concerns, Lily stared blankly at her reflection in the vanity mirror as her mind was elsewhere pondering job issues. Living dual lives had always been challenging but recently it was becoming more difficult. Outside her bedroom door she heard her children arguing. Like living examples of sibling rivalry gone to extreme, Tommy at eight and Cathy at seven sparred constantly over virtually anything and everything. It brought Lily out of her stupor.’

Who Lily is and why she is important is explained - ‘Lily is a top-tier agent for the CIA, though her husband was told she’s an agricultural attaché, to explain her overseas missions. Disturbing developments at the office foreshadow developing troubles. When she is suddenly sent on a strange mission starting in Afghanistan with a multinational mixed team, they subsequently are forced to fight for their lives constantly on the run, chased across several continents. Aware of background players, she must cope without the normal support and resources at home. The political decay at home mirrors dangerous turns in society requiring the most extreme of responses.’ With terrific pacing this novel magnetizes attention from page one to the end, evidence that a new literary voice is one to note. Recommended

[Swati Tanu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is a gripping and action-packed mystery that keeps readers on their toes until the very end. The story follows Lily, a strong female CIA operative who is suddenly sent on a mission to the Middle East and then chased across multiple continents. With a team of unlikely characters, Lily must navigate dangerous situations while trying to stay one step ahead of the enemy.

Hausker weaves a tale of intrigue and action that is both a tongue-in-cheek look at politics and a dystopian view of what can happen to societies without guardrails. The story is fast-paced, with a lot of questions to solve, and the enemy always seems to be one step ahead, making for numerous harrowing near-misses. The survival of Lily and her team becomes a top priority in order to address the extreme danger to the nation.

One of the most compelling aspects of the book is the strong female character of Lily. As a top-tier CIA operative, Lily is a force to be reckoned with, and Hausker does an excellent job of portraying her as such. Despite her strength and competence, however, Lily must also navigate the challenges of keeping her family in the dark about her profession.

You might like to wander through a few artistic journals — they’re full of sparks and surprises.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

This self-published book has a very interesting take on political leaders who are out of control. The story line moves along quickly. The book could have used a professional editors hands. Some of the pieces don't quite fit together. The adventure part should have had at least another fifty-one hundred pages just to flesh out the characters. Dennis Hausker is a talented writer with a good eye for the future.

[Kimberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a difficult read as it aligns itself with present day’s political climate . It’s handbook to a possible outcome if the swirls continues on its path . It’s an intense read and a page turner . Well done !

[Paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me