Crimson Phoenix
An Action-Packed & Thrilling Novel
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4.4 • 31 Ratings
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- $1.99
Publisher Description
The nightmare scenario has come to pass. America has fallen. In the aftermath, one woman becomes the last hope of a nation and its people in New York Times bestselling author John Gilstrap’s electrifying new Victoria Emerson thriller series.
West Virginia Congresswoman Victoria Emerson has always put the needs of her community before the power games of Washington, D.C. Then an Army officer appears on her doorstep, deploying the code words “Crimson Phoenix”—meaning this is not a drill. The United States is on the brink of nuclear disaster. The major will escort her to a secure bunker. She cannot bring her family.
A single mother, Victoria refuses to abandon her teenage sons. Denied entry to the bunker, the family somehow survives the unthinkable. In the aftermath, the nation is in chaos. The grid is gone. Food is scarce. Civility gives way to desperate survival. Against this total collapse, Victoria creates a new home in a small Appalachian mountain town. The community she builds around her shines like a beacon in a dark wasteland. Now she must defend it with her life—to give hope to a new America.
“A gripping page-turner.”
—Taylor Stevens, New York Times bestselling author of Liars’ Legacy
“An explosive story that locks you into your chair until the final page.”
—Jamie Freveletti, international bestselling author of Running from the Devil and Robert Ludlum’s The Janus Reprisal
“Snaps with action from the very first page. It's certain to hit the 10-ring with old and new readers alike.”
—Marc Cameron, New York Times bestselling author ofBone Rattleand Tom Clancy’s Chain of Command
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In John Gilstrap’s breathtaking, taut thriller, the U.S. as we know it vanishes in the blink of an eye. Congresswoman Victoria Emerson knows the score when officials appear on her doorstep to escort her to a shelter with the rest of Congress. But nuclear war or not, Victoria isn’t going anywhere without her boys—so she sets out with her two younger sons and sympathetic Major Joseph McCrea to find her eldest son. They’re soon in a harrowing life-or-death race through a small town that’s descended into anarchy. Gilstrap fills the first installment of this postapocalyptic series with terrifying details and emotions that feel raw and undeniably real. Victoria is a sympathetic heroine who relies on her strong survival skills and sound moral compass to navigate the chaos. We couldn’t wait to get back into the story each evening to see which insanely tense moments would have us hiding under the covers.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The U.S. approves an Israeli first-strike to destroy Iranian nuclear weapons, in this pallid near-future series launch from bestseller Gilstrap (the Jonathan Grave series). Given the threat of nuclear war, all members of Congress are transported to an underground bunker in West Virginia, but Victoria Emerson, a U.S. representative from that state, balks at entering when she's told her two teenage sons accompanying her aren't welcome inside. She resigns her post to go in search of her third son, a student at a West Virginia military academy. When word of the government's precautions leaks to the press, Iran acts first, killing millions of Israelis with multiple nukes and triggering a Russian attack that takes out 13 U.S. cities, the president, and the vice president. The House Speaker is left to try to run the country after most of America's power grid is knocked out, while contending with opposition to his leadership inside the facility. Implausible details both the president and v-p are in Washington, D.C., just hours before the planned Israeli operation, leaving them vulnerable don't help a familiar story line. Still, fans of apocalyptic thrillers may want to check this out.
Customer Reviews
Crimson Phoenix, a blockbuster thrill ride
Well folks, there wasn’t much I didn’t like. It was a thrill ride through and through. The main character is starting to flesh out very nicely, support characters same. Different ballgame that the world has been thrust into. It was a good start to a series one can relish. Thank you Mr. Gilstrap for a great read and hopefully more to follow with this new series. ( gleefully rubbing hands). Action and hope, building a new society, community. It’s all there. Enjoy this read as I have, with anticipation for the next.