The Strategist (Grisham/Sullivan Book 1)

The Strategist really stands out amongst other conspiracy books. It contains pretty much everything - mystery murders, a lot of corruption and interesting crime puzzle. Camille Grisham is the main character here and she tries to investigate the murder of her best friend Julia. She receives no support from the police, but she keeps sniffing around. Her journey goes through a lot of plot twists and interesting actions scenes that will occupy your mind completely!

This is a an exciting and well written story. The character descriptions were great, but what I liked most of all was the realistic dialogue. The character lives kept my interest throughout the book. I will recommend this one to y friends.

The book was just alright. It lacked mystery, everything was given to the reader. I like to play detective when I read books, this book did not allow for that. On top of that I can't believe how errors were overlooked. The mayor's son's name is mentioned three times in the same page two times it is the same (Cooper) then on the third time it is different (Owen). In addition, Elliot just walks away quietly once the wife confronts him, unless in the sequel there is more revealed, that seems unfinished.

This novel by John Hardy Bell is a fantastically written suspense thriller. His protagonist FBI Agent Camille Grisham is a well-rounded character that is far more 3-dimensional than most in this type of genre. The best feature of this book is how addictive it is; the pages flew by as I sped through it. Most of all, the action scenes are well done. Highly recommended.

This book was amazing. Camilla is such a strong female character that I found myself instantly connected with her. While reading there was times I literally got chills. The writing style so intense that it impacted me physically. I highly recommend this novel to any and everyone!

The story is ridiculous. An FBI agent never shows skills that would qualify her to be one. I can go on about how this book falls apart but ill save your time by just saying dont read it and waste your time. The author can write but his story is extremely weak and disappointimg.

John Hardy Bell's The Strategist was quite the page turner for me. FBI Agent Camille Grisham leaves the Bureau due to an onset of an emotional disorder. She heads home to Denver to regroup and get her fragile emotional state and life back on track when she suddenly becomes enthralled in a murder investigation. The victim is someone very close to her, her best friend. The Strategist leads you on a journey that is not always as clear cut as it seems. Without giving anything away Camille uncovers a conspiracy and a cover up that she fights to expose.
The story was well written. The characters are very lifelike and the action sequences are well told and clear. I look forward to more from this author. Highly recommended!

Great read! I enjoyed it all the way through. While reading, I found myself wanting to jump ahead just to see what would happen next. I actually appreciated the real life circumstances and consequences that the characters went through to fill their respective roles. I can't wait to read his next novel. Great book !

The Strategist, by John Hardy Bell, is a story that started with an interesting premise. Camille Grisham, an FBI agent who having quit the force after a traumatic incident, has returned home only to have her best friend murdered within a day of her arrival. Though she, at first, resists, Camille begins her own investigation into the murder. The story was fairly well developed with the back story of Camille's last FBI case used to make us understand where she is, emotionally, during the time frame of the novel. The story was interesting, however, there were issues that detracted from the overall experience. To start with were the stereotypical characters - the old, jaded, has-been veteran police officer, the young police officer who has incredible insight and a father who is obviously wise yet isn't listened to by his child. There were typos throughout the book that, while not egregious, were distracting. The overly excessive use of the word 'But' at the beginning of sentences, in fact too often during the reading of the novel, became tiresome and, for me, hindered my enjoyment of the book. Finally, the denouement, was a disappointment in how it played out. I cannot be specific without giving away too much information but I will say that the rule of distance is something anyone in law enforcement knows. That one, basic, mistake by the author took away significantly from what was a good story. Overall I did enjoy the story but was disappointed by the climax. For those reasons, I give 'The Strategist' 3*

I enjoyed reading this book because of the way it was paced. It takes off like a jet at the airport; slowly coming down the runway, building momentum and next thing you know you’re flying. A former FBI agent is finished with her career and looking forward to leaving all of the law enforcement crap behind her. She is met at the airport by her best friend. We get to laugh and joke with them. You get to know your characters, you get to know their circumstances, you get pulled into the moment. Then just as you are getting comfortable, it hits you. Bam! The pace suddenly changes. The best friend is murdered and the former agent is now involved in a murder investigation. It suddenly becomes a page turner, a nail biter. You want to work with our lead character to capture this murderer. You become involved with the dynamics of what it takes to bring a case to a close. You also get the lessons of the human experience and what are the components of solving a homicide. Like a game of chess, each move, each situation is highly calculated as the killer is drawn closer and closer to the trap or is it our hero who is actually being trapped? She had better be careful. Truly heart racing and exciting book. I recommend you to read this book.

Liked the development of characters. Good suspense. Looking forward to further installments and more character background. Good strong female realistic role models, while keeping you fully immersed in the plot.

I really enjoyed reading your novel, your style of writing was able to bring out what real love and bravery is all about. Looking forward to reading more of your hard work, which means great reading for us! Thank you.

This is a taut, suspenseful, slick thriller reminiscent of an early John Grisham novel. It's a real page turner. The characters are authentic and the situation convincing and captivating. The hook is a good one and the story unfolds with neat precision and is nicely unpredictable. A well crafted, meaty thriller. This is absolutely worth your time and a real bargain at the current price. Recommended.

Breathtaking, suspenseful, scaredy and wonderful character development. The story was almost too realistic,with bumps, twists,, turns to the point I had to walk away from it just to catch up with my self.

This book kept me reading until I finished. the heroine, Camille Grisham, a former hard-as-nails FBI agent has just quit and is returning to her hometown, Denver, Colorado. She's picked up at the airport by her best friend, surrogate sister, Julia, an attorney. They go to Camille's father's house where a crowd awaits to welcome her home. Julia leaves to go home after promising to talk to Cam about something that's bothering her. But that night, early morning, Julia is killed in what looks like a home invasion case and Camille is determined to find her killer, with or without the police.

A great realistic murder thriller. I came to the John Hardy Bell party late but am so glad I did. This book is one of those which grabs you and doesn't let go until the end. Camille Grisham is a former FBI agent who 'washed out' in her opinion after not recognizing a serial killer soon enough to save lives, including her partner. She resigns and goes home to Denver to lick her wounds and hang out with her best friend Julia Leeds and reconnect with her father, a former Denver Policeman. But, that is not to be. Julia has a secret and it leads to a web of conspiracy at the very top of the Denver political circle. It becomes Camille's job to find out who is running the conspiracy, committing the murders, and ultimately threatening people who get in the way. The characters are well developed, strong female leads, and the storyline has twists and turns. Didn't see the end coming but since this is Book 1 and there is a Book 3 to be published in July, I could breathe knowing Camille must survive. You'll like Mr. Bell's style. A bit too much dialogue at the beginning but then it levels out and is tight and to the point. If you like Connelly, Grisham, and Patterson, you'll like Bell.