BLOWN (Gregg Kaplan Thriller Series Book 1)

I first met Chuck Barrett at the Savannah Book Festival 7 or 8 years ago. He then came to Dahlonega,
GA to our Literary Festival. I've been a devoted fan since I read his first book, Savanna Project.

Gregg Kaplan - officially he wasn't there, wasn't even in the country. He should have listened to his intuition as he entered the restaurant in Little Rock, Arkansas and got got back on his Harley Fat Boy and drove away. Instead he gets caught in the middle of a gunfight and ends up promising a dying U.S. Marshall (who also happens to be ex-Delta Force) that he'll get his witness from the Witness Security Program, Tony Q, to a WITSEC safe house. He had NO idea what that was going to entail.

There are stories within stories within stories in this lightning-paced thriller. Just when I thought one tale was finishing up, another storyline popped up. And the thing is - all the story parts are fun to read and kept me guessing.

What do you get with BLOWN? Colorful characters including U.S. Marshall Pete Moss (yes, that's his name) and an assassin called Valkyrie. A storyline that stretches from Lebanon to Arkansas to New Jersey to Martinique and all kinds of dangerous points in between.

I liked the pacing, the descriptions of people and places, especially the CIA and WITSEC safe places, and the sleight of hand moments when the author caught me unawares.

What I'm trying to say - with too many words probably - is that I really liked this book. And I recommend it to anyone that likes imaginative thrillers.

NOTE: I received this book from Switchback Press through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

Blown starts with a bang, a shootout at a restaurant in Little Rock, and doesn't stop. Everyone it would appear is trying to kill/capture the witness Tony and it turns out Kaplan.
Murphy's Law seems to follow Kaplan as well. For every time he gets himself and Tony out of danger even more trouble seems to show up. The ever present "promise" the author seems to believe the reader should be reminded of often seems to conflict with Kaplan's better judgement and training.
Essentially this is one big chase scene stretching from Little Rock, AR to Virginia with a stop over in New Jersey. From the moment Kaplan flees with Tony on his Harley motorcycle we have car chases, shootouts, fights, and explosions. All the while I was trying to figure out what the heck was really going on. Honestly I'm still not sure exactly. As enjoyable as this book was it was still frustrating to read. I like a good mystery with my thriller but I don't want to feel like I'm missing something important that is right in front of me.
Multiple story arcs run through the main story of keeping Tony alive and delivering him to WitSec. Mob bosses, FBI secret missions, leaks at the CIA and US Marshals, unfinished business from a past mission in Lebanon, and finally what Tony has up his sleeve. Seriously I felt like I should be taking notes just to keep it all straight. The multiple POV, something I'm not usually fond of, actually helped in this area. Each story line is connected however convoluted it might feel and they each get an ending, a separate ending. I appreciated that none of the plots got left hanging. However it did give the end of the book a never-ending feel to it. I kept glancing puzzled at the % read after each "ending" wondering what more could there be.
I liked this book. I didn't love it. Will I re-read it sometime in the future? No. Will I read future books in the series? Yes. Will I seek out other series books by this author? Maybe.

Thanks to netgalley.com, Chuck Barrett and Switchback Press.

What an awesome read, Kaplan's badass, makes Reacher look tame and loved the action filled fast pace. Has some of the best chase writing in it; a Harley Davidson Fat Boy verse a Police loaded Crown Victoria, that same Harley verse a helicopter, a Jeep Wrangler verse that same Crown Victoria and end up with a Mercedes Benz verse a Buick Lacrosse.

Blown has it all a CIA agent that's off the grid, the US Marshals series, the FBI, various Sheriff Depts, various local police, a hot redhead assassin, the MOB, contract FBI agents, the Mossad, a terrorist and one clever snitch named Tony Q.

Absolutely love Chuck Barrett's writing style, he puts you into the pages your right their with Kaplan and Moss, and love the huge extra helping of action he gives you with Blown.

I've always thought the coolest thing about being an avid reader. When you see one like Blown, where the cover catches your eye, you know nothing about the author, and the description hooks you in.

You end up reading a tour de force, you don't want it to end and wish it was one of those 1000 page Stephen King masterpieces.

Blown has stories intertwined with more stories, a storyline that takes you from Little Rock, Arkansas to the Ports of Newark, New Jersey, then off to Tel Aviv to help the Mossad, to Martinique and end up back in Little Rock. Barrett's as good as Ludlum, Flynn or Thor.

The other cool thing with this one is, you'll like Pete Moss a US Marshall, that ends up befriending Greg Kaplan and Barrett could very easily create a series about Moss.

I highly recommend Blown, Chuck Barrett will end up being your new favorite author and I'm eagerly waiting for the next installment on Greg Kaplan.

I do hope that he'll write a prequel or release it as short story, we're Kaplan rescues the niece of the Mossad leader and it's mentioned in Blown.

First in a new series by Chuck Barrett, this involves a covert intelligence agent/government assassin in the wrong place at the right time, saving a man from a hit squad in a restaurant and making a promise to his Marshals’ bodyguard to deliver him to safety. From there everyone—good, bad, and indifferent—is after him and his charge, who isn’t as meek as he comes across. So at its simplest it’s a chase story, though as it goes on there are other elements added to the plot.
I can’t stand watching most fight sequences in movies because they’re so unrealistic, so it’s refreshing to see them here over so quickly, as would happen in real life, especially when one of those involved is a trained assassin. The description of the dam near the beginning is also well done, as well as the various safe houses and the Italian restaurant. However, there were other settings I had problems picturing, especially the big fights in the warehouse/shipping yard, the private island, and the terrorist’s villa; this is what most likely kept me from giving the book a 5.
The characters, on the other hand, are well drawn, the secondaries as well as the mains. The author has a relatively fluid writing style that makes the reading easy, though I could have done with less reminders of how he’d sworn to the dying deputy marshal that he’d get his charge to safety. When we are first introduced to the killer-for-hire, the writer goes out of his way to be gender-neutral, enough so that I guessed it was a woman; think he could have been more subtle there. And the storming of the warehouse annoyed me, as both men should have known better than to attack a much bigger force alone, only saved by a ridiculous deux ex machina that was never hinted at; not fair.
But despite all that, there’s still much to enjoy. There’s also plenty of backstory for future novels, including threads about a woman from his past that he was on his way to hunt down when he was rudely interrupted, and a female Mossad agent he had a fling with. At first I didn’t remember the prologue, which involved a covert mission in Lebanon, but it comes full circle in the end.

I would like to thank Switchback Press and NetGalley for providing me with an electronic copy to review. Gregg Kaplan, former Special Forces but now a civilian worker for the Government, finds himself in the middle of a blown witness protection detail at a restaurant. Feeling obligated due to the dying wish of the WitSec deputy, Kaplan has no choice but to protect the witness. WitSec seems to be no longer safe because of an obvious leak, so Kaplan attempts to go off the grid to get the witness to safety. His efforts to protect the witness are complicated by the unwillingness of the witness himself to comply with true safety protocols. The only place that the book falls short for me is regarding Kaplan's protection of the witness. Regardless of the fact that is not his area of expertise, I would think that logic would direct Gregg to never letting the witness out of his sight. This fast paced story will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the exciting conclusion. The plot of Blown is highly developed and the characters, main and otherwise, are well defined. Gregg Kaplan is the ideal main character for a thriller such as this one - smart, strong, and able to adapt to ever changing circumstances. With most of his backstory yet to be revealed, I would definitely be interested in reading future books that delve more into Kaplan's past.

Blown is a military thriller mystery adventure with sexy and dangerous Gregg Kaplan.

Mobsters, assassins, good guy, bad guys and her.

Gregg Kaplan was a Special Forces assassin, but now he works on the civilian side of government. He had to find her. He had four hours. But something happened and his cover is Blown.

He had made Tony, Senior Inspector Moss of the Marshal’s Service,a promise. A promise is a promise and he would deliver the man to WitSec, no matter what.

I quickly became enamored of Kaplan and his unique skills.

The woman he is searching for is his love interest from Toymaker. I have not read that…yet.

The identity of the assassin was a marvelous surprise.

I love complex scenarios with more than one angle. It keeps the mystery alive and me on the edge of my seat with suspense, trying to figure it out.

Chuck Barret makes me think he brings his personal life into his books with nicknames for his characters, like Dirt Man for Pete Moss. What can I say? It’s that something extra that gives the writing that additional kick. Do we see a book coming in the near future telling us his story? Could Greg and Tony become a team? I can see it.

I received Blow from Chuck Barret in return for an honest review.

Chuck knows his stuff when it comes to writing thrillers. Blown was full of realistic action, intrigue, and overlapping story lines that keep the reader guessing. Varying locations are set in just enough rich detail—making it obvious the author did his research—and the prose moves quickly and easily from one scene to the next, the tone very fitting for characters involved. From the first page you feel like you’re in the hands of an author at home in the genre, and you can just sit back and enjoy.

Chuck Barrett has quickly become one of my top authors from my first read of the Savannah Project to his newest addition Blown. The addition of Greg Kaplan was brilliantly created in this story starting from a promise between two Delta Force brothers. The story progresses into a thriller that keeps you turning the pages and setting it down only to lower the blood pressure. After enjoying this book so much I went and bought Mr. Barrett's other books and have not been disappointed. He draws you into the story and transports the reader right to the location of the character. Can't wait for the other books that are on the way. Get a copy of Blown and take the journey....

NetGalley Review
This was an excellent read. Everyone that reads action books should read this book. It is fast paced and exciting. Hard to put down. Will be reading Chuck Barrett books from now on... Highly recommend.

Great reading ! Within this great story, you feel compelled to be a better person. Friendships, honesty and commitment to oneself and country make Gregg Kaplan a person that most readers wish were their qualities as well.
Great book for the beach, However, remember to put your sunscreen on first, because you won't want to put the book down until you have finished it. Other books written by this same author that should be on your must read list are - The Savannah Project, The Toymaker and Breach of Power.

BLOWN is dynamite and the best fast-paced, twisting and turning thriller I have read in a long, long time! I can't wait to see Kaplin in action in a sequel!!!! Get busy Chuck Barrett....my curiosity is on fire!

If you're looking for an action packed, page turning adventure to read, then this is the book for you! Blown by Chuck Barrett is a thriller that you will not be disappointed in reading! Just make sure that you have plenty of time available because you will not want to put this book down! This book will literally BLOW you away ?

Another fantastic thriller from Chuck Barrett. I have read most of John Grisham's and James Patterson's books and Blown is right up there with them. Blown was like a Formula 1 race. You begin with a standing start and immediately accelerate to a fast pace with twisting turns and never know the outcome until the final lap. I can't wait for the next book.