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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
I won this book on Goodreads, and was really surprised by it. I’m pretty picky when it comes to what books I read, and this one kept me hooked until the end. There was always something excited going on that just kept you interested in it. This is a book that I would recommend to anyone to read!
Hm. Some good stuff, but a LOT happens to Zac, with no field training. He’s insanely lucky. Some of the scenes weren’t as well written as others - occasionally info-dumps, some weird transitions, etc. But, it kept me reading despite these quibbles. It’ll be interesting to see what Ricciardi writes next. The ending could have been better.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Having been handed the ARC for the latest novel in this series, I thought it a great idea to read all that David Ricciardi has to offer. I do love a good spy thriller, particularly when there is a unique twist. Ricciardi presents an exciting story that is sure to pull the reader in and keep them excited throughout the reading experience. When a CIA operative finds himself aboard a passenger airline that has to make an emergency landing in Iran, it's no major issue. Zac Miller is prepared to play the tourist, while he tries to get a better look at what the Iranians are hiding within the country. However, his innocent 'photographing' of the countryside raises red flags for some local officials and he is taken into custody. Vowing not to be found out, Miller is able to escape and finds a way out of the country, only to be met with new troubles when he cannot substantiate who he might be. Trying to make it back to Paris, he soon discovers that his issues are not put to rest, as he is a wanted man, with no one to vouch for him. A stunning series debut that has surely caught my attention and has me wanting to delve deeper.
Zac Miller is a CIA operative who's been called into duty at the last moment. He leaves Paris en route to Singapore, sitting on a commercial airliner as it travels across Asia. When the plane is forced to make an emergency landing in Iran, things definitely take a turn for the local authorities, who do not want any visuals made of their military capabilities. However, once the plane lands, Miller and the other passengers deplane and spend time waiting to be collected for the next leg of their journey. The airliner’s emergency landing may not have been all that innocent after all, and Miller has been tasked with using his time wisely to help his superiors. Using his time to capture some of the local scenery, Miller does his duty before making his way back to to the airport to await news of what is to come.
When the Iranians take time to question Miller about who he is and what he’s been doing, he pleads innocence and refuses to admit to being anything other than a passenger. Howeever, someone is on to him and the local authorities try to be as persuasive as possible to extract some admissions. Torture and various threats are issues, but nothing comes of it, as Miller holds firm, vowing to get out of there in one piece. When the chance arises, he flees and travels across the countryside, in hopes of making it out of the country and back to safety, armed with details the Americans will need to know soon.
While Miller sets his sights on the UAE, the Iranians have tried to cover their antics and place a 'plant' on the outgoing airliner, in hopes of smoothing everything over and ensuring that no one is the wiser. It seems to work for the time being, but they will have to find Miller before he is able to reveal what he’s discovered. As Miller arrives inside the UAE, he is able to steal a boat and hopes to check in with the American authorities. However, he's captured again, due to his lack of Agency finesse, and brought it for more questioning, which only leaves him even more troubled than before.
Making another harrowed escape, Millier will have to get back to Paris to ensure his protection. Little does he know, someone's framed him for murder there and the authorities are looking for him. The one person he was sure he could trust is no longer sure of his innocence. He will have to clear his name, if he can make it there alive. Zac Miller is holding onto an explosive piece of information, but it will mean nothing if he cannot make it somewhere safe. David Ricciardi offers a stunning piece with a character that could be called the new Jason Bourne. Perfect for those who love the genre and need a little pep to keep them going.
There's nothing like a debut novel to really provide the reader with something to judge and David Ricciardi does that repeatedly here. This aptly titled novel does offer a warning light to readers that there is a new author ready to stun fans of the style and perhaps rise to the top before too long. Ricciardi has all the elements I sought and kept me hooked throughout, even as things did get a little far-fetched on some occasions.
I enjoyed the development of the Zac Miller character and am eager to see how he progresses, should he return in Ricciardi’s second novel. While he knows what he is tasked with doing, Miller is surely out of his element in this piece and is trying to stay one step ahead of those who would destroy him. There may be little personal backstory injected into the narrative, but it leaves much room for subsequent novels, where the other side of Zac Miller could come to light. I am intrigued and curious to see what the series will bring, including returning characters and larger story arcs.
The cast of secondary characters did well to keep the story moving. From the keen-eyed passenger sitting next to Miller on their flight into Iran, through to the military and police officials across other countries who had the CIA officer on their radars. The attention to detail was present and kept me wanting a little more, never letting me down throughout the process. I am intrigued to see if there will be some returning faces as I get deeper into this series, hoping to find some links that will build as the novels progress.
The story was strong and help my attention throughout. I did enjoy the early Jason Bourne novels and this has that same feel, though one can hope that Ricciardi will not allow things to stray too much and turn things into a repeated game of cat and mouse. I love action, but I also need some progression in my writing, something that Ricciardi has done to date. The mix of chapter lengths kept me wanting to read a little more, if only to discover what awaited the protagonist. I am happy to keep reading, so that I can get to the aforementioned ARC that awaits me. Let’s see what’s to come and who might appear.
Kudos, Mr. Ricciardi, for a stunning series debut. I am surprised that this is your first novel and cannot wait to see what else this series will bring.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at: http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
3.5 stars.
This is my first Advance Reading Copy! I won it in a Goodreads giveaway.
I'm not sure this is my normal type of read (and normal for me is all over the place.) I really liked the fast pace of the story; it kept me interested. "A chase scene that never ends" is a fair description. However, there were definitely some eye roll moments, like really, no one would do that, say that, or whatever. I guess ARCs will have typos, so I won't hold that against the rating though.
This is my first Advance Reading Copy! I won it in a Goodreads giveaway.
I'm not sure this is my normal type of read (and normal for me is all over the place.) I really liked the fast pace of the story; it kept me interested. "A chase scene that never ends" is a fair description. However, there were definitely some eye roll moments, like really, no one would do that, say that, or whatever. I guess ARCs will have typos, so I won't hold that against the rating though.
Thank you to Berkley Pub for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Check out my blog for more about the author!
If you've followed my reviews for awhile, you'll know that I'm a huge fan of the political and espionage thrillers. With my senior project being on the espionage tactics in the Cuban Missile Crisis, I love when there are thrillers that dive into the cat and mouse game of espionage. WARNING LIGHT by David Ricciardi is a consistently paced novel where the action doesn't stop. You hit the ground running and don't stop until the end.
Zac Miller is an undercover analyst for the CIA. After a staged crash landing in an Iranian military base, he figured the hardest part of his mission was over. He was very wrong. He is captured by the Iranians, but the real troubles start after he manages to escape.
This is the perfect cat and mouse suspense novel. People are after Zac and he must try to remain one step ahead of them at all times. Will he be able to get home? Will he have a home and a normal life to return to? WARNING LIGHT is an entertaining read from start to finish. The action and fluidity of the novel will keep you flipping the pages. I would definitely classify this as more of a lighter thriller, which is exactly what I needed!
Overall, this is a solid thriller debut and I can't wait to see what Ricciardi comes out with next. That ending...is it really over? Or is there more to come?! I'll be anxiously waiting.
I give this 4/5 stars
If you've followed my reviews for awhile, you'll know that I'm a huge fan of the political and espionage thrillers. With my senior project being on the espionage tactics in the Cuban Missile Crisis, I love when there are thrillers that dive into the cat and mouse game of espionage. WARNING LIGHT by David Ricciardi is a consistently paced novel where the action doesn't stop. You hit the ground running and don't stop until the end.
Zac Miller is an undercover analyst for the CIA. After a staged crash landing in an Iranian military base, he figured the hardest part of his mission was over. He was very wrong. He is captured by the Iranians, but the real troubles start after he manages to escape.
This is the perfect cat and mouse suspense novel. People are after Zac and he must try to remain one step ahead of them at all times. Will he be able to get home? Will he have a home and a normal life to return to? WARNING LIGHT is an entertaining read from start to finish. The action and fluidity of the novel will keep you flipping the pages. I would definitely classify this as more of a lighter thriller, which is exactly what I needed!
Overall, this is a solid thriller debut and I can't wait to see what Ricciardi comes out with next. That ending...is it really over? Or is there more to come?! I'll be anxiously waiting.
I give this 4/5 stars
I received a copy of Warning Light by David Ricciardi from the publisher (Berkley/ Penguin Random House) in exchange for an honest review.
Imagine this. You are on an international flight, perhaps for business, perhaps for vacation. Your plane begins to struggle, the pilot tells everyone that there is a minor engine issue and all is well. Then the pilot revises his statement. Your plane will be making an emergency landing due to complications with the minor engine issues.
Your plane lands safely. In the midst of Iran. Your plane is emptied into a deserted, earthquake damaged airport. You are pulled aside by airport staff and asked why you are in Iran, why you were taking pictures as you exited the plane. You insist that you are there by coincidence, just like everyone else on the plane, that you were taking pictures of the beautiful sunset.
But they don’t believe you. You are beaten. You are detained.
What do you do? More importantly, what should you do? What choices can you make that will keep you alive, that will get your back home?
This is how Warning Light starts. And I was all in.
I am hit or miss on spy/ political thrillers. Sometimes I struggle to get into the story. But that was not the case here. I was eager to continue reading, knowing that this type of book would be loaded with twists and turns that would keep the story moving.
And that was the problem. Far too soon in the story Warning Light had a plot twist that I feared was coming. One that I won’t reveal here, but it took the story directly into the land of the type of story I don’t usually enjoy. From there, Ricciardi continued to pile on the improbabilities and I found myself buying into the story less and less, caring about the main character less and less.
This is probably a novel that many people will enjoy, but it was not the novel for me. I would have enjoyed the story more if the novel had not turned so far from the path it started down in the first thirty pages.
Imagine this. You are on an international flight, perhaps for business, perhaps for vacation. Your plane begins to struggle, the pilot tells everyone that there is a minor engine issue and all is well. Then the pilot revises his statement. Your plane will be making an emergency landing due to complications with the minor engine issues.
Your plane lands safely. In the midst of Iran. Your plane is emptied into a deserted, earthquake damaged airport. You are pulled aside by airport staff and asked why you are in Iran, why you were taking pictures as you exited the plane. You insist that you are there by coincidence, just like everyone else on the plane, that you were taking pictures of the beautiful sunset.
But they don’t believe you. You are beaten. You are detained.
What do you do? More importantly, what should you do? What choices can you make that will keep you alive, that will get your back home?
This is how Warning Light starts. And I was all in.
I am hit or miss on spy/ political thrillers. Sometimes I struggle to get into the story. But that was not the case here. I was eager to continue reading, knowing that this type of book would be loaded with twists and turns that would keep the story moving.
And that was the problem. Far too soon in the story Warning Light had a plot twist that I feared was coming. One that I won’t reveal here, but it took the story directly into the land of the type of story I don’t usually enjoy. From there, Ricciardi continued to pile on the improbabilities and I found myself buying into the story less and less, caring about the main character less and less.
This is probably a novel that many people will enjoy, but it was not the novel for me. I would have enjoyed the story more if the novel had not turned so far from the path it started down in the first thirty pages.
Received this book from the Goodreads Giveaways. Really enjoyed it. It was a fast paced, action packed thriller. It was an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) and there was some errors in it and it needs a little proofreading. Hopefully this will get cleaned up before it's official release. Looking forward to reading some others books by this author.
The story is about a CIA analyst who goes into the field on an assignment and everything goes wrong. He is captured in Iran and tortured but manages to escape. Most of the book is about his adventures trying to get back to England and all the things that happen to him. He is driven to get back and let his superiors know what he learned. The Iranians are hunting him with agents in several foreign countries and they have framed him with a murder in Paris and one in Singapore that the rest of the world thinks he committed. He is helped in France by a French intelligence agent.
There is some hostility between his two supervisors and it causes him problems.
The story is about a CIA analyst who goes into the field on an assignment and everything goes wrong. He is captured in Iran and tortured but manages to escape. Most of the book is about his adventures trying to get back to England and all the things that happen to him. He is driven to get back and let his superiors know what he learned. The Iranians are hunting him with agents in several foreign countries and they have framed him with a murder in Paris and one in Singapore that the rest of the world thinks he committed. He is helped in France by a French intelligence agent.
There is some hostility between his two supervisors and it causes him problems.
The book offered non-stop action. I liked that the main character was an analyst rather than a field agent, so he wasn't just whipping out skills left and right to get out of tricky situations. It wasn't always entirely believable (too many missed calls), but it was exciting. I would continue with this series to see what happens to Zac on future missions.