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rmarcin's review
4.0
Second installment of the Nick Mason series. Nick has been assigned to take out witnesses in the witness protection system who testified against Darius Cole. In the meantime, everyone he knows and loves is in danger. Taut thriller, gruesome and graphic violence, eerie consequences. Nick's life is forever changed.
jacki_f's review
3.0
It still baffles me how Steve Hamilton went from writing the excellent Alex McKnight series to this junky Baldacci rip off series. Exit Strategy is better than its predecessor, The Second Life of Nick Mason, but that's not saying much. It is cliched, with formulaic characters, a laughably high body count and little or no tension. The middle section is reasonable but that's as far as it goes.
If you've read the first book in the series, you'll know that Nick Mason was sprung from prison in exchange for a lifetime of servitude as hitman for the very nasty Darius Cole. Mason hates his situation and longs to be free but is afraid that his daughter will be hurt if he tries to get away. Meanwhile Cole, who is in prison, has a retrial coming up and wants anyone who originally testified against him or anyone who could potentially testify against him, silenced.
There are shades of Tom Woods' "Victor" series here, but Mason has less talent than Victor and is considerably less interesting. With characters being eliminated almost as soon as they've been introduced, it's hard to care about anyone in this book. It's fast paced, and if you want something mindless with lots of action it will deliver, but it's frustrating to me knowing that Steve Hamilton can write such terrific characters, with realistic dialogue and authentic settings, that none of those elements are here.
The ending sets it up for another book in the series, but I'm not sure I'll be back.
If you've read the first book in the series, you'll know that Nick Mason was sprung from prison in exchange for a lifetime of servitude as hitman for the very nasty Darius Cole. Mason hates his situation and longs to be free but is afraid that his daughter will be hurt if he tries to get away. Meanwhile Cole, who is in prison, has a retrial coming up and wants anyone who originally testified against him or anyone who could potentially testify against him, silenced.
There are shades of Tom Woods' "Victor" series here, but Mason has less talent than Victor and is considerably less interesting. With characters being eliminated almost as soon as they've been introduced, it's hard to care about anyone in this book. It's fast paced, and if you want something mindless with lots of action it will deliver, but it's frustrating to me knowing that Steve Hamilton can write such terrific characters, with realistic dialogue and authentic settings, that none of those elements are here.
The ending sets it up for another book in the series, but I'm not sure I'll be back.
jshel10's review
5.0
This is a great follow up to the first book in the Mason series. Mason does his best to get himself out from under the control of Darius Cole. Definitely a dark book and I like that Hamilton puts everything on the table - no one is safe. Lots of twists and turns, as well as some really good action scenes. Not a happy ending kind of book, but satisfying nonetheless.
stefanilp's review
4.0
I always enjoy this author's books. Hoping to have some more of his Alex McKnight series very soon. This is a good substitute in the meantime.
laurenpedersen's review
4.0
I think this is a series I could get into. Guess I’d better go back and read Nick Mason #1.
dave37's review
4.0
Fast, fun read. Yes, there are some improbable and under-developed characters and story arcs, but it is an enjoyable page-turner. The body count is uncomfortably high for me, and I likely won't continue with the series if the next book is the same.
lwalker77's review
4.0
Steve Hamilton is becoming one of my favorite authors. This was a really good book. Nick Mason is a great character and the story kept me hooked from start to finish.
disasterchick's review against another edition
3.0
Nick Mason is an anti-hero in my mind. I really don't like a man who resorts to a life of crime which lands him in prison and in turn a more substantial life of crime occurs. This book focuses on Nick trying to get out, but if it was so easy why didn't others do so? Lots of violence and suspense. I would probably have liked this book more had I liked Nick.
cathy1665's review against another edition
2.0
Too violent to start. Enjoy Steve Hamilton but maybe not the right book at the moment.