The Protector
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
The secret weapon developed by the man Cavanaugh is assigned to protect is like Kryptonite to the former Delta Force officer turned security guard--it multiplies the effects of adrenaline, a hormone associated with fear, so it incapacitates instead of energizing him. A lot of people want Daniel Prescott's secret, but Cavanaugh, who's felt the drug's effects, wants his antidote. When Prescott disappears after causing the death of the Global Protective Services team charged with keeping him alive, Cavanaugh and his wife Jamie go after him in a high-speed chase that traps them between government agents and foreign operatives each racing to find the scientist first and kill him before he can use his formula on them. Despite Prescott's double-dealing, and the bloody battle in a mountain redoubt that results in the deaths of his friends and colleagues, Cavanaugh knows the only way to banish the fear that may compromise his and Jamie's own safety is to track the elusive scientist to his last refuge. In this propulsive thriller, Morrell turns the tables so often that it's hard to separate the good guys from the bad ones, but that won't keep readers addicted to violence, treachery, and high-tech weaponry from staying with it to the last surprising chapter.
“Spectacular action backed by the author’s hands-on research . . . a horrifying climax . . . twists and turns . . . one of the best of the genre.”—Associated Press
“Everything [Morrell} writes has a you-are-there quality, and that, coupled with his ability to propel characters through a scene, makes reading him like attending a private screening.”—Washington Post Book World
“Impressive action . . . plenty of twists . . . most notable, though, is the advertised ‘tradecraft’—from clever ways to modify one’s ammo and armor to the very best method of taking out a car you’re chasing.”—Publishers Weekly
“The story accelerates to warp speed, hurtles to a stunning climax. A wonderfully entertaining action adventure.”—Booklist
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Packed with state-of-the-art tradecraft relating to escape and evasion, car-fighting, mind control, and sophisticated weaponry," crows the galley copy for this latest thriller by the author of numerous brawny tales from First Blood to Long Lost, "... takes its place alongside the most innovative thrillers ever written." Well, not really. Innovative this tale of a professional "protector" is not, but the "tradecraft" that Morrell apparently researched in person and reveals here in fiction for the first time makes the novel a groovy bet for armchair tough guys. The plot is standard: Protector Cavanaugh (who uses that one-name pseudonym as camouflage) and his company are hired by scientist Daniel Prescott, purportedly to help him escape from a drug gang that is after the perfectly addictive substance Prescott claims he's created while searching for a cure to addiction. But Prescott is not quite what he seems, and soon he and Cavanaugh, plus some vicious shadowy federal operatives, as well as the FBI, are involved in the sort of cat-and-mouse, stalk-and-attack at which Morrell excels, with the life of Cavanaugh's wife hanging in the balance and upping the suspense ante considerably. As one would expect from a veteran pro like Morrell, there are plenty of twists, several impressive action set pieces and a narrative that speeds like the souped-up Taurus (combining power and anonymity) that Cavanaugh likes to drive. Most notable, though, is the advertised "tradecraft" from clever ways to modify one's ammo and armor to the very best method of taking out a car you're chasing (strike a rear fender corner with the opposite front corner of your car). Readers should keep in mind that these stunts are performed in the novel by trained professionals and are not to be attempted at home.