Exploit

Deadlock #2

by P.D. Atkerson

A normal life was what Gregory wanted, but is it what he got?

Months after Gregory's face-off with his former mentor, Deadlock goes quiet, and his life with the Winfields seems to hit a rhythm. But as Gregory is about to learn, Deadlock isn't the only player out there who needs his skills.

What was supposed to be a normal day spent with Mr. Winfield quickly takes a turn when Gregory finds himself grabbed by a group of men and brought before a man who has a proposition for him. Get close to a drug dealer’s son, or the Winfields might find themselves childless.

With no choice but to do what the man wants Gregory must go undercover in a juvie center with no real backup and no way out.

Genres: Suspense

301 pages, Paperback

Published January 15, 2022

About the author

P.D. Atkerson is a homeschooled writer, living in Montana, who may or may not be a secret agent. She spends almost as much time in the worlds she creates as she does the real one.
When she’s not reporting the stories of her agents, she’s learning different languages, or traveling to different worlds through the portals of books.
She has a black belt in sarcasm and a master’s degree in useless facts.

If you're interested in reading any of her books for an honest review, just fill out the form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...

Reviews

[P.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord willing, this book will be coming out 02/02/2022!

[Kacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

You kidding me? There's another one?? And I'm gonna have to wait A WHOLE YEAR FOR IT?? 😒😒🥺🥺☹️☹️😫😫 Oddly enough, this is the second time this week that I've read a book about an underage guy going undercover in juvie (against their guardian's wishes of course) to get close to another inmate in order to infiltrate an evil organization. Or something along those lines. But to be honest, Exploit was WORLDS better than that other one. I enjoyed coming back to the characters I love :D especially Gregory ❤️❤️ the plot was fantastic too! Very well executed. Overall such a fun read! I may have to go back and reread Phantom Thief because reading about Gregory has made me miss Winnie XD

[Deigan Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

They won't just let him walk away...

When Gregory is contacted by the government to do some secret work for them, it requires him to go undercover at a juvenile detention center...Oh, how fitting.

And yet not.

Gregory's not used to being pushed around, and when he goes to juvie, that's exactly what happens...At first. But Gregory plays his cards wisely and bides his time.

But walking away from a life isn't easy. Bad guys are in the shadows. Watching, waiting. Even when you think you've lost them, they're breathing down your neck.

Can Gregory get rid of the men that ruined his life?

Or will the consequences of choosing what he wants be greater than anyone will imagine?




*Note: I was given this book to beta-read 😉

[Lydia Willcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exploit was a fast-paced, suspenseful book that drew me in on the first page and kept me reading for hours. While not my favourite of all P.D. Atkerson’s books, I still loved it. It was an excellent continuation of Deadlock and I loved seeing more snatches of Gregory’s life that helped shape what he became by the time of the AKA SL series.
Jonathan and Esther were wonderful as always, and I love Jackson so much. I really wish we had got to see more of him in SL! Mia was… Mia… and without any spoilers I’ll say there’s some little things – little hints – scattered throughout that were brilliant. Gregory… there isn’t much I can say about Gregory. I’ve said it all in my other reviews XD Suffice it to say he was as amazing as ever.
Then there were the… other characters. Uncle Sam, for instance… I dislike him even more than I already did. But I was so excited to meet for the first time a certain character from the later AKASL books… even knowing how it all ends for him, I was still glad to see him. And was sorrier than ever about what happened in Rebel Mind…
And then there was Ricky. And the guards. And Mario. All the characters were unique in their own way, and I loved or hated them accordingly XD Particularly one of them… I was not expecting what happened there at all. I really love Huntley, though.
Gregory in a juvenile detention centre… the premise was brilliant, and hilarious, and highly suspenseful. I didn’t like the way he lied to Jonathan and Esther, and others in the centre, but this was addressed at the end of the book. I appreciated his effort to try and break away from the way he has been brought up and to not behave as his father would have wanted to, at least as much as he can. I look forward to watching him progress further in the rest of the series.
There isn’t very much I can say without spoilers, but Gregory’s story remains one of my very favourites and his series is one I can’t wait to continue. I can’t wait for the next book!

Note: I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


Recommended Reading Order for the Simon Lee Universe books (SLU):
Note: This is the order I've put together after reading and rereading almost all of these books, sometimes at once. While there are different opinions on which series should be read first, this is the order I personally feel is best for a first-time reader. It is NOT the chronological order - and I strongly recommend that a first-time reader does NOT read these books in chronological order. That's great for rereads, but the most will be got out of the SLU books by reading them loosely in the following order
Phantom Thief
Nicholas Bishop
Gregory's Epilogue (blog short)
Christmas Hostage
Guardian Eagle
Murphy Lawson
Ghost Hunter
Most Wanted
Winnie Winfield
Not Enough
Rebel Mind
Talking Turkey (blog short)
Killian Young
Domestic Conflict (Seize the Fight)
They Call Her Ella
Deadlock
First Christmas (blog short)
Exploit
Choices
License
Training
Guilt
My Name is Anastasia
Night Crier (blog short)
Only For a Moment (blog short)
Christmas Bear (blog short)
Everything
Sick Leave (blog short)
Water Boy (Classified Files)
Школьник (blog short)
Bank Robber (Classified Files)
Blinded (blog short)
Room Escapee (Classified Files)
Dare (blog short)
Wrong Number (blog short)
Minor Detail
Unwanted Services
Off the Rails
Smoke Screen
Lost Time
Web of Lies

[Katja Labonté · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This was a harder read for me than most Atkerson books, simply because I was saddened by the cynical overview of the book. Atkerson’s books usually are, which fits the characters and the books, but gets a bit wearing. It’s tiring to always have almost everyone presented as bad, and this one was particularly so. Everyone was bad (except for the nurse, the Ws, & Uncle H) and the harshness of the prison staff really got to me.

However, I did enjoy seeing Gregory’s adventures! He’s definitely matured a little and softened a little—I loved seeing him interact with Jackson and Mia and even Mr. & Mrs. Winfield, and especially his uncle. It explained a lot of the stuff that happens in the AKA Simon Lee series. Also, R. was quite a betrayal (!!!). The sarcastic humour was just as on point as ever, and I liked the sort of understated message of the book… the value of family and the importance of seeking help instead of trying to handle everything yourself.

Content: violence, euphemisms.

A Favourite Quote: “Protecting Mia and Jackson is our job. Just like protecting you is also our job. Do you understand? If anything like this happens again, you speak with us first and then we’ll work out what to do.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “Your uncle, Special Agent Justin Denver Huntley, wants to spend some time with you in D.C.” …
“Does he know that he wants to see me?” Gregory asked, raising an eyebrow at the man as he waited for a response.
“Agent Huntley is currently out of the country,” Agent Lighthouse supplied from the front of the car. “He won’t be back for the foreseeable future. Which will most likely mean until your own mission is done, if not a little bit longer.”
“Well, ain’t that just peachy,” Gregory grumbled, letting out a long sigh as he grimaced and pinched the bridge of his nose....
“So… Will you do it?” Sam asked, tilting his head.
Gregory snorted and rolled his eyes. “I don’t really have much choice, now do I?” he asked....
“No, not really,” Sam admitted, with a shrug. “Then again, I was just being polite by asking."

[Jayna Baas · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with the first Deadlock book, I enjoyed a lot of Gregory’s character arc. The writing style still has its flaws, but I was able to read past most of them. However, there were times when it was just really hard to keep rooting for Gregory. He kept mouthing off, and I kept thinking, Not again. I know there were many times he had to fight, but there were also many times it seemed like he was just picking fights. Not my favorite. And to be honest, I have friends with food allergies, and it’s very, very hard for me to get behind a character who deliberately uses someone’s food allergy against him. Notwithstanding, my favorite parts were the sections where we see Gregory softening—or using his skills against genuine bad guys who genuinely deserve it. I don’t know if I’ll keep reading, as the violence wears on me after a while, but these first two books are a good start to the new series.

[M.L. Milligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gregory's done with that life.

But that life isn't done with him.

It's hard being a bright boy. People notice it, both for the right and wrong reasons. Unfortunately, Greggy isn't given much of a choice with this one. And I mean, really, PD? Juvie? So cruel. Yet so cool. This book allows for no breaks as Gregory is shoved into the middle of classified affairs and criminal kids. If you've read Deadlock, you do not want to miss Exploit.

[Michelle D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading P.D.'s stories, and this was no different.
Couldn't put the book down.

[C.K. Heartwing · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot in Exploit very quickly takes off when Gregory is forced to go undercover in a juvie center to find out the whereabouts of some important intel. Exploit is a bit darker and more cynical than Deadlock in some ways, and Gregory often gets himself into trouble by mouthing off when he should really hold his tongue. With that said, it is to be expected with Gregory's upbringing for him not to change overnight, and so I look forward to seeing how he grows as the series progresses. The plot was interesting with several twists and turns. My favorite moments were when we get to see Gregory show a little more kindness and when he defended those who needed it. I'm looking forward to seeing where the next book goes.

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

After my family got KU for a few months, I jumped at the chance to read the next Deadlock book. I suppose I should’ve read the Aka Simon Lee series first, but I wanted more of young Gregory first. (Is this a bit like eating dessert before dinner? Maybe…)

It appears trouble follows Gregory wherever he goes. He just doesn’t get a break. Exploit is definitely a edge-of-your-seat book, chock-full of action and witty dialogue. Going into it, I wasn’t sure it would be as interesting as the first. Thankfully, I was wrong. I flipped through the pages at at alarming speed and found myself holding my breath at times, and laughing at others. The plot was well done, and one twist even startled me just as much as it did to Gregory. Sadly, the Winfields weren’t as involved as I would like, but after all, it’s Gregory’s story. I enjoyed seeing a certain uncle again, and loathed the bad guys, (Uncle Sam, anyone?) although I highly suspect they’ll make an appearance later due to the ambiguous last chapter.

I didn’t care for Gregory’s consistent mouthing off. A little sarcasm I like, but constantly using it as a weapon is not right. Also, the situation with a candy bar and a particular bully didn’t sit well. I get that Gregory isn’t a Christian and it was never dangerous, but it seemed to be a low blow, almost cowardly.

Overall, this is a perfect book for an afternoon of reading and I plan on reading the Aka Simon Lee series ASAP.

[S.campbell8655yahoo.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clean suspense and action

If you like action and suspense along with a loving family you will find yourself waiting for the next book to be released.