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A review by bookish1ifedeb
Light It Up by Nick Petrie
3.0
I'm ambivalent about this book. A few things rubbed me the wrong way, but I'm getting pretty picky as I get older...
I picked up Nick Petrie's book because I've seen his hero, Peter Ash, favorably compared to Lee Child's Jack Reacher. In my opinion, they aren't more than superficially similar. Ash, like Reacher, is retired military, with the associated skill sets. But while Reacher simply chose a life drifting around the country he had long served, Ash is dealing with PTSD and guilt relating to his service. And he spends way more time ruminating on his mental health and life choices than Reacher ever did.
This outing has Ash helping another vet, Henry, in his daughter Elle's security service. Their specialty is making deliveries and cash pickups for legal marijuana operations in Denver, CO. But a recent "shipment" was hijacked, along with Elle's husband. When Henry, Ash and their team are also hijacked, Ash is forced to make hard choices--but he can't save a badly injured Henry.
Ash's friend Lewis (who deserves his own book series, frankly) gets involved when Ash calls him for a legal recommendation.
That's where the book began rubbing me the wrong way. Within two chapters, Ash gets hit on by no fewer than 3 women. Such a babe magnet. It was like I was suddenly reading a teenage wet dream. Later, Ash's love interest is dragged into the mess--she had to be flown in for that purpose. It's not like she was already on the scene. If the author needed to put a woman in jeopardy, there were already two other likely characters who might have filled the bill. Add the unlikely coincidence of a past connection of Ash's being among the bad guys, and I found myself detaching from the story.
Anyway, it was an OK actioner (the action sequences were very well done) with some characters I liked. And the details about the legal marijuana industry were interesting. But no, this series won't replace Reacher for me. I'm undecided if I'll seek out other books in the series.
I picked up Nick Petrie's book because I've seen his hero, Peter Ash, favorably compared to Lee Child's Jack Reacher. In my opinion, they aren't more than superficially similar. Ash, like Reacher, is retired military, with the associated skill sets. But while Reacher simply chose a life drifting around the country he had long served, Ash is dealing with PTSD and guilt relating to his service. And he spends way more time ruminating on his mental health and life choices than Reacher ever did.
This outing has Ash helping another vet, Henry, in his daughter Elle's security service. Their specialty is making deliveries and cash pickups for legal marijuana operations in Denver, CO. But a recent "shipment" was hijacked, along with Elle's husband. When Henry, Ash and their team are also hijacked, Ash is forced to make hard choices--but he can't save a badly injured Henry.
Ash's friend Lewis (who deserves his own book series, frankly) gets involved when Ash calls him for a legal recommendation.
That's where the book began rubbing me the wrong way. Within two chapters, Ash gets hit on by no fewer than 3 women. Such a babe magnet. It was like I was suddenly reading a teenage wet dream. Later, Ash's love interest is dragged into the mess--she had to be flown in for that purpose. It's not like she was already on the scene. If the author needed to put a woman in jeopardy, there were already two other likely characters who might have filled the bill. Add the unlikely coincidence of a past connection of Ash's being among the bad guys, and I found myself detaching from the story.
Anyway, it was an OK actioner (the action sequences were very well done) with some characters I liked. And the details about the legal marijuana industry were interesting. But no, this series won't replace Reacher for me. I'm undecided if I'll seek out other books in the series.