Have you ever wished that you knew what others were thinking? Have you ever had a desire to control their actions? How would you use this ability if you had it?
I couldn’t get the blood off my hands. This opening line immediately sucked me into a story where the action never quit. The setting is Iraq and there is a battle going on. Ash witnesses the death of someone he works with before being caught in an explosion that forever changes his life.
Ash’s hellacious day started and progressed in a normal way for him. He had gone to buy some beer, a lot of beer. He is on his way home when he notices a bank robbery in progress. Since he is a nice guy, he does what he can to stop it. He has no gun and looks like a homeless meth addict, so what can he do? He can use the one weapon that he always has with him: his mind. He can read minds, but that ability comes with a price.
Then he discovers that he is not the only telepath around. There is another one out there who is capable of even more than Ash. This man, Murdock, is angry and he wants revenge for wrongs he believes the government did to him. The revenge he plans on could destroy an entire nation.
After the bank robbery, Ash is kidnapped by the government. They want him to help stop this madman. But he feels something isn’t right. Can he trust the ones who took him? It could be just me, but the actions and dialogue of the one in charge of this organization put me in mind of a certain character from The Matrix.
During the next twenty-four hours, Ash’s life turns into a rollercoaster ride from hell as he discovers that not many can be trusted. He is kidnapped, beaten, threatened, and almost killed. He is arrested and put in jail. His friend, a cop, believes him and helps him along the way. There are also two women with him: one that he is seriously attracted to and another who looks like a little girl but sure doesn’t act like one. The bantering between these four individuals, even in the midst of danger, made me laugh.
The way the author gave some of the minor characters random names like Exact-Change Lady, Sour Face, and the Man in Black, brought humor to serious situations.
This story is written in first person (Ash) and in third person. The author switches back and forth between these POVs so smoothly that your flow of reading is never interrupted by having to figure out who is talking.
I already knew that Jason Brant could write great horror. With this book, he has proven that he can also write a paranormal political action thriller that will leave you wanting more.
This book that is not easy to put down has a satisfying ending, but some things are left up in the air. I have been told there will be several more books in this series, so a sequel is on its way.
Favorite Lines:
The problem with choking people is that they wake up a few seconds later when blood returns to their brain.
We’re on the run from the police, the federal government, and a mind-controlling psychopath. Our options are a little limited here.
I pried at the gap, working like an octopus trying to get in a jar.
Why carry a gun when your mind was the most powerful weapon in your arsenal?
New Word Learned:
Apparently, I need to brush up on my acronyms.
IEDs– improvised explosive devices
RPG – rocket-propelled grenade
shamble – to walk or go awkwardly
Cthulhu – a cosmic entity that first appeared in the short story “The Call of Cthulhu”, written by H.P. Lovecraft. I really need to read that story.
POTUS– President of the United States
PCL – posterior cruciate ligament
ACL – anterior cruciate ligament
MCL – medial collateral ligament
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you would like to purchase your own copy of this book, please click on the Amazon link below.
Amazon link: Ash (Asher Benson Book 1)
Editor Recommended Article: The Perfect Crime: An Asher Benson Short Story – a Review
About the Author:
Jason Brant used to work full-time as a Digital Forensic Analyst for the Department of Defense. One day, he did something that many of us long to do. He quit his job so he could write books, watch movies, and drink microbrews.
Even though that life sounds like a dream come true, he has been hard at work writing. That is awesome for those of us that like to read his work. He has written two series: West of Hell (Gehenna, Tartarus, and Sheol) and The Hunger (Devoured, Consumed, and Ravaged). The Gate and The Dark are two more horror novels he has written. Many short stories, one of which can be found in Paranormal Anthology with a Twist, have also been written.
Website: http://jasonbrant.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jmbrant
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason_brant
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