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The Alamo by Mark Dawson is Book 11 in the John Milton Series.
It's unclear exactly why John decided to visit New York, but he's rented a tiny apartment in the defunct Coney Island area where there are numbers of Crimean and Russian businesses and inhabitants. It's cold and wintry with a heavy snow warning in the near future. He's got a menial job as another cook in a Russian restaurant with a boss who's mean and nasty but has decided not to mess with John after being at the other end of one of John's ice cold stares. Of course when trouble arises that requires John's undivided attention, he quits and is simultaneously fired.
Finding an AA meeting, he meets a former soldier (Manny), single parent, who's worried about his neighborhood and its influence on his 13 year old son (Freddy) whose expensive sneakers were stolen from him. Manny can't afford to replace them. John single-handedly scopes out the neighborhood and takes care of the dope den across the street from his new friend. Then he replaces the sneakers with a made up story about a nephew he doesn't have.
A Detective Polanski in Internal Affairs is working on cleaning up the 7-5 Precinct which used to have a bunch of crooked cops, was cleaned up, and now once again there are bad things going on in the precinct. There's a gangster (Acosta) who's got several cops on his payroll, buying their allegiance with hefty packs of money. When Polanski's CI wants to help nail both Acosta and those cops who do his bidding, trouble hits hard.
Somehow, the one night Manny has a major failure, his son has a horrible experience and realizes he knows something that the cops need to know. John happens to be in the area where Freddy is and convinces him to trust him, later learning he's Manny's son when John inquires about the sneakers he's wearing.
Okay. The complex connections, the fear Freddy and his dad share because of what Freddy knows, John's critical advice and aid, twists and turns in the police department, John once again being in the thick of trying to make things right for this father and son and being a suspect by one ambitious detective, lead to all the favors called in and knowing the final decision can't be avoided.
Once all the pieces are in play, this thriller amps up. Mark's an author who gives specifics in locations, architecture, neighborhoods, weather, and means to an end which include identifying the types of weapons used, the incredible knowledge John uses to come up with his plans, while making John a type of Robin Hood replacing the rich royalty with the rich crooks and making those who are victimized by them the recipients of their "wealth". Once again at the conclusion of this story we see the other side of John - that one he's been suppressing for so long it surprises him every time it shows up again.
I've been trying to figure out if I could give an example of a comparable character to John Milton and the only one I can think of who comes close as far as temperament is Jason Statham as "The Transporter". Or perhaps Lee Child's Jack Reacher. That's just my opinion and really John Milton is one of a kind.
This is a truly enjoyable and compelling series no matter how many times John finds himself in a similar situation. His desire to do something good for someone invariably includes doing something bad for someone else who no doubt deserves it.
Profanity present.
Father, only you know hearts, souls, and minds. Only you save us. Only you. Please continue to bless Mark's life and writing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Waiting to find the . . . Redeemer
Redeemer is Book 12 in Mark Dawson's John Milton Series.
John has always wanted to go to Rio for their big music festival and an old friend from the Regiment (Shawn Drake) invites him to stay at his place with him and his girlfriend Sophie. Shawn is the owner/operator of a private protection agency and appears to be doing very well with his fancy Porsche and an elegant home. His beautiful girlfriend is considerably younger than Shawn, fun-loving, intelligent, and studying to be a lawyer. It isn't until Shawn gets roaring drunk at the festival the night before an important protection gig for a judge's wife and young daughter who plan to attend the child's recital that he admits to John he's in over his head financially. Added to that he can't get one of his men assigned to the detail to answer his phone so John volunteers. Shawn has no idea what followed John's life in the military so he can't see how John might be up for a protection detail. John assures him he can handle it without revealing his history with MI6 or Group Fifteen.
A young mechanic (Paolo) who races his car on the side to try to add extra money to pay for his sick daughter's expensive treatment is sabotaged during a race and with that his hopes are crushed. His very last resort is what his incarcerated father told him never to do, but he sees no other way to provide for his little girl. Within a matter of hours he regrets his decision and realizes there's no way out for him.
The intersection of these two lives proves to be valuable for both, but first John needs to find an old associate from his only other time in Brazil (Harry Marks) who provides John with everything he needs to gain access to the "Don" of the vast slums where Paolo lives and has been snared for employment.
Half-brothers, traitorous friend, a Judge and his wife, a gang kingpin/Don, and a desperate father all find out just how dangerous John "Smith" truly is when he determines what must be done. If you help him, he will honor your commitment. If you cross him, there's really no hope for you.
As is the case for laying the groundwork in a novel, authors sometimes run the risk of getting enough of the details right without making it tedious for the reader. Mark's excellent at providing those specific details and descriptions of locations, characters, main and peripheral, even the weather makes its appearance felt. In Redeemer he comes fairly close to the edge of tedium but pulls it out quickly and zaps the story into thriller mode. With occasional observations in the story of the famous statue of Redeemer Christ, Paolo seeks the Lord's assistance through his fear and summons bravery when he least expects it.
Of course a fan of this series knows John's only hope is placed in his reliance on the 12 Step Program and AA manual that he clings to when things threaten to go south in his life. He seems to be realizing that in order to seek his own redemption as defined by himself, he must use the skills and brain power that was trained into him in his multiple years in the military, in SAS, and as Number One. Being the supreme operator/assassin taught him those things he's been forced to rely upon while trying to redeem himself from the memory of his past. I do hope he realizes in one of these stories that he's unable to accomplish that redemption on his own.
Profanity present.
Father, thank you for gifting your writers/authors. It's a special joy to create with words. Please continue to bless Mark's multiple abilities. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Very successful and bestselling British author Mark J. Dawson has inadvertently become one of my favorite authors even though I have disagreed with certain characterizations and inferences in a couple of his John Milton Series stories. Regardless of that, he's given me hours of fun reading, intense scenes, a truly remarkable and unique in many ways character in John Milton but also in his other creations of Beatrix Rose and her daughter Isabella and his latest protagonist: private investigator Atticus Priest who is perhaps the most unique character of them all.
Every author has a style, a voice, and a few characteristics in his or her writing. Since I deal with fiction primarily, I look for both the similarities and differences between authors. Personally speaking, I like a fair amount of description in characters, locations, actions, and most everything. However, I acknowledge description can be overdone to the point where it becomes tedious to read. Mark is specifically descriptive of locations which only occasionally can border near tedium. He also gives his characters the practiced, professional eyes of quickly assessing people, places, and things so we're presented with a different way of receiving descriptive information. His action sequences are intense with pain-inducing cringes in some cases which speaks highly of his ability to recreate them for the reader.
I believe in order to make a great story and build on it for a series, you've got to have that dynamic hero/heroine to carry it, stuff it with meaningful peripheral characters trying to avoid clichés in the antagonists - which, let's face it, in this day and age is incredibly hard to do - and round it out with scenes that touch, exhilarate, stun, provide options even if all bad, and include good or great writing in the process. That's no small list of requirements. Not all authors can successfully do this - because any writer/author will tell you it isn't easy.
Some stories require a lot of research especially if the story or series takes a person all over the world as the John Milton novels do. I'm amazed at the authenticity transmitted in Mark's stories down to the street names in out of the way places. Has he been there himself? I have no idea but it sure seems so. That's authenticity. Yes, authors can take liberties with locations. I know I do, but I tend to venture to places I've actually been so I can create a reasonable picture that might resonate with someone who's been in the vicinity of where I've placed the story. From Marrakech to Sienna it has felt like Mark and hence his characters were intimately familiar with the areas.
Of all the reasons to like an author's writing and appreciate an author's stories, Mark Dawson accomplishes and fulfills the list. He's a fabulous writer and well worth the time I've spent reading his work.
Father, please continue to provide the inspiration and incentives for Mark's abilities. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Originally posted as "Why Christian Fiction Matters" on 12/02/2012. (Some additions to the original post.)
If you read a steady diet of general market fiction, you're probably familiar with generous portions of worldly philosophies associated with secular humanism which include erotic/graphic examples of those philosophies.
We know there are Christian authors who write for the general market, some who've chosen this career path from the beginning and experienced success. Other authors started their publishing careers in the Christian fiction industry but crossed over to the general market.
The reasons for crossing over to the general market range from the desire for a larger market for their particular style or genre to the imposed restrictions by CBA publishers which interfere with an author's creative choices.
Primary complaints regarding Christian fiction appear in both legitimate commentary and from those who simply don't prefer the strong spiritual content. The legitimate commentary is less critical, more observational, and usually formed after reading a considerable amount of all kinds of fiction. Other criticisms have been offered after reading a significantly limited amount of Christian fiction with a seemingly built-in resistance or prejudice to anything that portrays honest spirituality. However, what both of these types include as their common thread is the "preachiness" of Christian fiction.
I've read widely in the Christian fiction market, and I write Christian novels. I know what it is to read and write preachy fiction. In reality I think it can be done well and poorly. And I've read both kinds. One point that is ignored by some who read in the general market is that sometimes those authors also get preachy concerning their views within the secular humanism "theology".
Christian authors write to entertain, minister, give hope, and add meaning to simple and difficult life subjects. Each one recognizes the purpose of committing words to the page and mostly takes their instruction from the Lord of his or her life. These authors write in many different genres, styles, and voices. Christianity shows up demonstrably or quietly. Bold or covert. In a few CBA novels the gospel isn't really present, and in others conversion is explained.
Christian authors in the general market often state their worldview permeates their stories without making the "God-thing" obvious. They insist they can reach a lot more unbelievers with subtlety. And who can argue with them? No one can say for sure exactly what and how writers will be used. The important thing is to obey whatever God has for each one of us.
But I think it's important to emphasize the case for Christian fiction, why it matters in the world of the publishing industry. There are many excellent authors who pen Christian fiction. They deal with life issues, hard ones. They offer hope in the midst of tragedy, both overtly and covertly. Some of these books can be given as gifts to the lost - preferably with the Lord's direction. Giving Jesus a place in fiction by portraying who He is and what He offers must be done organically within a story and meaningfully with the best of prose. Because there is nothing more valuable in this hard life than offering Jesus Christ as the only true lifeline in a lost world filled with secular philosophies that add nothing of eternal value. This is why Christian fiction matters.
Father, may all your authors and writers be obedient to your desires for them above all others. That's my desire. Help me to be just that. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
It's summertime, and I love it.
Thank you, Lord, for the beauty in each season. You could've left the earth desolate but you chose to give it life, renewal, and beauty. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Blackout by Mark Dawson, Book 10 in the John Milton Series, begins at the cook shack for taxi cab drivers in London.
John Milton (aka John Smith) has resumed his graveyard shift as a cook in the nook provided as the rest stop for weary taxi cab drivers who need a bite and a cup of tea as they continue to wait for customers. As he's closing up shop one evening, a man approaches to tell him of a woman John once knew intimately. She hopes to meet him in Manila to introduce him to the son John never knew he had. Their association was many years ago when he was an operator in Group Fifteen. A conversation is arranged between them and John agrees to meet her in the Philippines.
Admittedly, John's actions seem a bit reckless for him, but he can't deny his affection lingers for the woman (Jessica). When a meeting place is set, John's slightly suspicious at the chosen locale, a dive bar, but it's refreshing to see her again after all this time until he awakens in his hotel room with two emptied bottles of vodka and what looks like a struggle took place with a dead person in his bathroom. No memory at all of anything after their initial meeting. It appears and feels like he's hungover, but the last drink he remembers consuming was a glass of orange juice.
Things only get worse from that point as he slowly begins to realize he's been set up, and his only help depends on the honest female cop (Josie Hernandez) who arrested him, but there's no information he can supply for her until he can figure out what's happening. As he learns who's behind it all, Josie has begun to realize just how deep the corruption goes in her department and suspects that John isn't guilty of this murder. But if she can't get him the help he requests, it's only a matter of time before he's dead.
In Blackout John is finally joined by Hicks and Ziggy in a treacherous scheme that could go wrong in so many ways. Josie desperately wants to survive this situation within the law's parameters, but it seems no one in law enforcement is of the same mind. When her little boy is threatened, things change for Josie.
The interesting part about John in this story is his beginning to recognize how much of his past is in his present, that what he was so good at and what it took to be that man - Number One in Group Fifteen - surfaces as necessary. That icy cold stare that's become his trademark was earned death by death. He was - and is, or can be - a killer. And when he decides that death is the reward for evil, he takes care of that evil. Remorse isn't part of it when the person deserves the end he receives. Making peace with it all has proven impossible for John even as he realizes the facts.
Blackout is a bona fide thriller with a torturous path to vindication and justification. Another good one from Mark Dawson.
Profanity present.
Father, please keep blessing Mark and seeking those whose hearts are willing to see what you've given to us all. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Can you think of five movies you paid to see that you didn't like or hated? Here are mine:
Carnal Knowledge (hated)
Dances with Wolves (hated)
Before Sunrise (didn't like)
Catch-22 (It was like a movie with two halves - hated the second half)
Old Yeller (broke my heart)
These are all older movies. I make sure I want to see a film now before I waste money on it. And now there are simply too many from Hollywood that I have no desire to support or watch.
Father, you give talents and gifts. We often abuse them. Forgive us, Lord. We've no excuse. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
I've now read all the John Milton novels by British author Mark Dawson and am waiting for the next one just like I do for Mitch Rapp's next stories. I'll save my overstated love for Mitch Rapp - still my Number One - for another day. John Milton is a British type of Rapp although he's much different in many ways.
John's mom and dad died when he was eight, and he was raised by an aunt. He didn't find himself until he'd fooled around at university and then joined the military where he obviously excelled, advanced, worked in the Regiment and with the SAS before he was recruited into the spy game.
John Milton was eventually the premiere Number One of Group Fifteen which meant his career included triple digit kills (assassinations) of all kinds for the secret side of the British government among many other incredible missions. However, the killing began to get to him and he found that the operations assigned to him could no longer be done without ensuing nightmares, blackouts from over-indulging in drink to dull those nightmares, and real attacks of conscience. When he learned of the corruption and intent of his immediate boss "Control" after John's effort to quit Group 15, he was forced to leave the country and watch his back.
Although John will not believe in the "Higher Power" of the AA 12 Step Program, he finds peace at the meetings and the inspiration to stay sober for another day. Desiring more than anything to figure out a way to "atone" for his many deeds while Number One, he tries to help those in need along his life's path. Inevitably that requires yet another "neutralizing".
Okay, that's his background. John Milton is intelligent, savvy, clever, innovative, strong-minded and willed, is remarkably tough, prefers to be alone most of the time but occasionally gets attached to certain people for two reasons. One, he needs a team to accomplish a mission of his own design and knows those well who he can trust. Or two, he finds that silent part of him that longs for connection. The second reason is the most infrequent, seems to always surprise him when it shows up, and is the most difficult for him to fulfill. This is because he doesn't feel worthy of that kind of deep connection, and he feels it can never be his reality due to the innate danger for someone being in his life.
Like Mitch Rapp, John Milton has a meter that registers good and evil and has no qualms eliminating evil which is why when he's trying to help someone who's being hunted, abused in some way, in terrible trouble at the hands of another, John will use his skills to eliminate the problem.
Physically, he's handsome even with the fine-lined scar across his face, around 6' tall, well-muscled, fit, but hides it all well - except for the scar. He has ice blue eyes and near black hair, and his death stare is infamous to those who've been on the other end of it - if they live to tell about it. He has a huge tattoo of an angel on his back mixed with all of his scars from gunshot wounds and stabbings.
Tell the truth, if you needed bona fide protection, wouldn't you want John Milton near you? And if you're female, wouldn't you like to make it a worthwhile challenge to see if you could establish a connection with him? Yeah, think about that.
Mark Dawson has created a morose but fascinating character in John Milton who can sink to the depths of soul-searching when his guilt overpowers his reasoning. If only he would choose the One who made the atonement for all sin . . . now that would make an unforgettable story.
Anyway, I love the character of John Milton. One of the best in thriller literature - even when I don't always agree with his creator. :)
Father, your gifts are plentiful in Mark. May he recognize from whom they are generously given. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
No Filter is Book One in this Barks & Beans Café Cozy Mystery Series by Heather Day Gilbert.
Macy Hatfield is recently divorced when her brother Bo calls with a new business venture that not only surprises her but requires her to move home to her deceased Auntie A's home in Lewiston, West Virginia, where she and her brother were raised after their parents died in a flood. It sounds like just what she needs.
Bo has already done extensive remodeling to Auntie A's house and is close to opening. Macy's moved into the other portion of the house and is impressed and grateful for the added addition to the place for customers to interact and hopefully adopt shelter dogs while enjoying their coffees, other drinks, and magnificent homemade pastries. Macy's a dog lover and finds her match in the beautiful black Great Dane "Coal" recently brought to the shelter because of the murder of his owner who was a golf instructor at the multi-faceted Ivy Hills Spiritual Center. Their connection is immediate and heartwarming. When Macy discovers an underside addition to Coal's collar, she senses it must be important and removes it, securing it in her hidden safe until memorizing the information on it and handing it over to the police.
The adventures amp up as Macy gets sucked into "investigating" who might've killed the golf instructor after someone breaks into the house and takes Coal. Multiple suspects, strange events at the "spiritual" center, and determination to find her dog keep driving her forward. Bo gets involved to help, and one solution comes through a curious source.
In order not to reveal too much, suffice it to say, it's a good cozy mystery for fans of the genre, and Heather gives the reader plenty of suspects, some surprises, some real danger, an amazing brother, and a good dog to help Macy along the way. No Filter provides an extra bonus in this story for dog lovers who treasure that connection between a man or woman and that certain dog. Not exactly a cliffhanger but an inkling of what's ahead in the series.
Father, please continue to bless Heather's writing, providing all she needs for her to tell the stories you have just for her to tell. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
The Jungle by Mark Dawson is Book 9 in The John Milton Series.
John "Smith" is still in London living his austere, minimalist lifestyle when he volunteers to help an acquaintance (Tommy) from his AA group to drive some furniture to Calais, France. Once that's done, as John and Tommy travel back to catch the ferry for Dover, refugees from the encampment known as "the jungle" threaten to get in the trucks lined up in the slow going traffic. After finally making it through to the ferry, everything seems in order when they disembark, but when they open the locked door to the back of the trailer, they discover men inside who entered through making a slash in the roof.
The final young man (Samir) is reluctant to come out, so John climbs up to assist before the police manhandle him to get him out. He explains he's come to find his sister (Nadia) who was sold to sex traffickers after they came on a boat from a place in Africa. He begs for John's help, so that's all it takes for guilt-laden John to find a purpose after advising the young passenger to ask for asylum.
John gets as much information as he can from Samir before he's introduced to an asylum attorney at the detainee center.
The process to find the Albanians who use the purchased girls for prostitution isn't easy, but John's not easily deterred. When what he manages to do requires help, he calls Hicks who helped him take down the killers of a taxi driver he knew in AA and through John's and Hicks' combined efforts rescued Hicks from a serious attachment in The Ninth Step while providing the money needed to treat his wife's cancer.
John dares to travel to Tripoli to find the man responsible for these "arrangements" for people seeking opportunities to find work and better lives - it's the sad worldwide tale for those in third world countries. While he isn't able to do as he'd hoped there, he learns what he needs to make headway at the jungle. Except that his efforts go horribly wrong.
With unforeseen trouble that could easily lead to both Hicks' and John's deaths, their predicament finds them in the worst of hands.
It's ironic that John doesn't believe in God but thinks he can atone for the wrongs he tallied up while being the number one assassin for Group 15. Again, through each circumstance where he decides to help someone, his God-complex allows him to execute some of the same kind of individuals as he did while serving in Group 15. At times, when he struggles with empathy and awkward displays of affection or appreciation, the reader sees him as a man stripped of his emotions in order to complete his near impossible but impeccably planned - even if often bizarre - missions both previously as Number One and presently as a private citizen. It seems somehow he needs to come to terms with the fact that there is evil and he worked against it in his past and now in his present. Not everything in his past needs atonement - even if he could atone for any of his sins, past or present. The fact that he can eliminate one kind of evil by using what he learned from his past does little to satisfy his innate desire for atonement. And that is something only God can provide.
This was perhaps the most difficult of the series so far (for me) to read which is why the ending was so satisfying.
Profanity present.
God, only you provide what we ultimately need. Only you. Please continue to give Mark the stories you have just for him to write. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Race
MONDAY
One
It was hard to say what witnesses noticed first—the shrill piercing screams or the nearly naked young woman uttering them. Apparently she woke up next to a dead boyfriend, both of them allegedly passed out from too much alcohol consumption. The designated “sleeping” tack rooms at the track were located at the end of the long shedrows. Though not large this couple’s was tidy with a few creature comforts such as the mounted flat screen, a queen-size bed, a sturdy and colorful throw rug, a small locked black metal file box, and what looked like a well-preserved near-antique chest of drawers with a pole rigged above it to hang clothes on.
When I arrived at the scene at 3:30 AM, Carmella Ortiz stood barefoot on the dirt in the shedrow, now clad in the couple’s bedspread concealing her apparently barely there lingerie. She spoke fast with intermittent tears and a hint of a Latino accent. Her story was she’d gone over to her sister’s place for some girls’ night-out event and proceeded to get too drunk to drive back, so her sister dropped her off at one of the racetrack gates, and after she staggered into the tack room, she passed out. When I spoke to her I asked if Mr. Wonderful was present at the time, she said she thought so but couldn’t really remember. Must’ve been some girls’ night-out. Easy to verify.
After speaking with the young woman, I took a few moments to survey the group huddling behind the tape and to inhale the familiar fragrant aroma of horses, listening to the whooshes of their nostrils, some of them pawing their hard rubber mats at the fronts of stalls wondering what all the commotion was about. Brought back memories of high school summers spent working at the track, of underage drinking and girls who liked taking their clothes off, guys who loved it when they did. Funny how some things never change.
Next I needed to ascertain Mr. Wonderful’s whereabouts the previous night and wait for the determination of cause of death. Turned out his name was Roman Diego, the assistant trainer for Walter Casey who was kind of a local big-shot, perennially in the top five leading trainers. Lying on his right side at the edge of the bed, Roman’s only clothing was the beige sheet covering his manhood, no blood anywhere, and it looked like he fell asleep—or passed out—and never woke up. Long dark wavy hair obscured his face, but his torso and left arm bent at the elbow and resting on the mattress were well-muscled which made me think he probably exercised the Thoroughbreds at his barn.
The crime scene tape forbade entrance to the immediate area which would surely annoy the people who had to work at this end of the barn and live in the neighboring tack rooms, not to mention spook a few Thoroughbreds with its unfamiliar yellow color flapping in the cool breeze.
Death always presents an inconvenience.
Father, plain and simple, your Word: Apart from you, I can do nothing. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Dad and Mom. Miss them. Loved them. So much. Classy. Loving. Best parents ever.
God, I can never thank you enough for allowing me to be born to these parents. They gave me so much love in spite of me. Like you do. Of course they weren't perfect and neither was I, but in my heart they were the best parents ever. I loved them so much. My rebellion was never at them. It was because I didn't know your Son. Thank you for rescuing me. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
In Keukenhof, you can find a bunch of classic Dutch bridges. This is one of them right at the entrance, surrounded by a sea of colorful tulips.
Lines and lines of tulips, hyacinths, and narcissus flowers in between the trees.
The world-famous ‘Blue River.’ A road of blue grape hyacinths zigzagging through the trees.
Father, thank you for leaving us beauty to see, touch, and experience. Your creation touches hearts all over this fallen world. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Headhunters by Mark Dawson is Book 7 of the John Milton Series. (I've mentioned how much I like the covers of the John Milton novels, but this one? It looks like a woman carrying a jacket or a large purse. Definitely doesn't work this time. If you go to Mark's homepage, the picture there is stunning and perfectly matches the one you want to have of John Milton. It's also used on the cover of The Cleaner.)
John Milton looks up an old military buddy now living in Australia who operates and works at sheep shearing stations. It's not a "nice" job in that there's plenty of filth involved in getting the little buggers clipped properly, but once John learns the methodology, the competition is on. Between his friend and the man's gorgeous younger sister (Matilda, aka Matty), John gets close to their totals but comes in second to one or the other. He can take some pride in that he's beaten their two co-workers once he gets his procedure down. It's actually very hard work in suffocating heat, and although the crew prefers to spend some of their after-hours at the bar, John hasn't struggled with resisting alcohol on this trip.
Having left New Orleans and the painful threat of the former Mossad psychopath killing machine Avi Bachman, John isn't expecting trouble when he and Matty are kidnapped on their way to dinner one evening. As the danger increases, he realizes a lot of things are going to have to happen before he can put this clash of the "headhunters" to rest once and for all.
Meanwhile John's old "friend" and genius hacker (Ziggy) has a huge mess to clean up in Tokyo and it just so happens that John once again needs his assistance.
The last third of this story is a nail-biter and John is clearly in another real life and death battle. Again. Ziggy is a consistently awkward character but a technological wizard, and Matty is entertaining in her feisty, gutsy, irrational, and sullen behaviors throughout the story.
From sheep-shearing in Australia to a ride in a container in Tokyo, trying to get on the offensive side of this cat-and-mouse struggle proves worthwhile in the end.
The complex nature of the disciplined and mostly celibate John Milton and his conflicts with his past force him to realize that certain things about himself cannot be changed or ignored. As he tries to escape those things he so deeply regrets, the necessity to rely on what he must use from those acquired skills to not only survive but to succeed in helping others that cross his path often confounds his hopes of ever leaving it all behind.
The John Milton Series is as addictive as any series I've read. Just can't quit them.
Profanity present.
Father, again, only you know hearts and souls. Only you. Please continue to bless Mark's writing and stories. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Impossible to take . . . The Ninth Step
The Ninth Step by Mark Dawson is Book 8 in the John Milton Series.
If you're at all familiar with Alcoholics Anonymous, you know it's often called a 12 Step Program. John has been attending as regularly as he can in cities almost worldwide for several years. By now, if you're a reader of this series, you know John's existence is consumed with guilt over his life in MI6's Group Fifteen where he reigned as Number One for a considerable amount of time. Suffice it to say he had triple digit kills during his tenure before he exited the Group (aka The Firm) and was pursued by Control's agents to make sure John was neutralized. They failed.
The Ninth Step instructs alcoholics to make amends/peace with those they've hurt or done harm to if they can and if it won't bring more pain to those where harm was somehow inflicted. It's the one rule or step that hangs up and snags John's thoughts time and time again. Those he "harmed" are dead.
In this story, John remains in London and at one of the meetings (or "the rooms") he meets a younger taxi cab driver (Eddie) who confides in John about his background and his family history. There is incredible pain and a determination to make things right which by doing so will prove to be quite dangerous. After talking with Eddie, John volunteers to accompany him to a meeting Eddie's arranged with a journalist to expose some dreadful events and people he knows are dangerous and influential.
Eddie never shows up to meet the journalist.
Enter Hicks, a young husband and father of two whose wife is battling cancer. Hicks was a former military man and a good one. He's been approached by a former General and his group of ex-military who provide "protection" for various types of clientele. When a "target" is slated for disposal, Hicks finds himself conflicted, and when he recognizes John "Smith" is John Milton and has a connection to the target, everything turns upside down for Hicks.
There are bona fide gangsters, a narcissist General, a crooked cop, a good-hearted young husband who Milton recalls as a true soldier, a sad and earnest taxi cab driver, and a hyper-focused and poor decision making journalist. And then of course there's John: a former assassin who regrets that he was the best at his job before he quit. However, he seems to fail to realize that his former skills are always demanded of him when he seeks to right a wrong - and he's not afraid to use them. His ice-blue stare is renowned for its total lack of empathy and sincere threat to exact harm.
The Ninth Step is an intense and multi-faceted tale of complex planning where so many things can go absolutely wrong and nearly do.
Profanity present.
Father, thank you for writers/authors. Please continue to bless Mark. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.