Ben Koenig – The Unseen Library

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight three outstanding sounding thrillers coming out in the first half of 2024.

In recent years I have really grown to love the thriller genre, having had a lot of fun reading a variety of different books from this awesome category of fun novels. Something about the action, intrigue and adventure really speaks to me, and I always have an outstanding time with a good thriller. Thanks to my increased interest in this genre, there are several series and authors I am a massive fan of, and whose books I am always going to grab whenever they come out each year. As such, there are three particularly outstanding thrillers coming out in the first half of 2024 that I am very excited for, and I cannot wait to check them out.

The first book I want to look at is the awesome sounding Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz. Lone Wolf is part of Hurwitz’s Orphan X series that follows a former government assassin turned resourceful vigilante as he attempts to help those who have nowhere else to turn. This is a very fun series and I have enjoyed several epic entries so far, including Out of the Dark, Into the Fire, Prodigal Son, Dark Horse and The Last Orphan.

Lone Wolf Cover

Amazon

The next Orphan X book, Lone Wolf, is set for release in February 2024 and has another epic sounding plot behind it. This time the protagonist is caught between a dangerous assassin who might be as good as he is and a mysterious tech billionaire, each of whom have their own twisted agendas. This upcoming novel sounds pretty awesome, and I cannot wait to see what carnage, intrigue and deep personal growth occurs in this next fantastic book.

Plot Synopsis:

AN ASSASSIN IN FREEFALL: Following a career in which he was always the most dangerous man in the room, ex-government assassin Evan Smoak is the last person his friends should ever have to worry about. But when Evan, formerly codenamed Orphan X, drops out of sight they’re concerned. They were right to be. A personal crisis has left him on his knees.

A RECLUSIVE BILLIONAIRE: If anyone remembered his first name they never cared to use it. But Allman’s lack of empathy hasn’t proven any barrier to building a tech empire whose tentacles reach into every aspect of people’s lives. And in the rush to praise his genius, no one’s asking what it could mean for humanity. Nor what Allman’s got coming next.

A KILLER AT LARGE: Someone is leaving a trail of dead in their wake. Apparently chosen at random, their deaths dressed up as accidents or suicides. The woman responsible is known only as the Wolf and looks to be every bit Evan’s equal. She now has him in her sights.

How does it all connect? What is at stake? And will Evan rediscover the instinct and skill he needs to prevail? Or die trying . . .

The second book I want to highlight is the complex and entertaining sounding new release from Steve Berry, The Atlas Maneuver. The 18^th entry in Berry’s long-running Cotton Malone series, The Atlas Maneuver contains another intricate conspiracy laden storyline whose origin lies in the depths of history. I have a lot of love for this awesome series as Berry constantly works outrageous moments from history into elaborate modern day thriller storylines, and I have really enjoyed the last few entries, including The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol, The Kaiser’s Web and The Last Kingdom.

The Atlas Maneuver Cover

Amazon

This next Cotton Malone book, which is coming out in late February 2024, will see Cotton Malone thrust into another conspiracy, this time involving hidden Japanese war gold, the world’s oldest bank and the CIA, all wrapped into a story about bitcoin. I am very intrigued to see a financial based thriller plot, especially with such awesome sounding historical elements, and I know Berry will do a wonderful job bringing this all together. As such, The Atlas Maneuver is currently one of my most anticipated releases for 2024 and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

Plot Synopsis:

From celebrated New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry comes the latest Cotton Malone adventure, in which Cotton unravels a mystery from World War II involving a legendary lost treasure, Yamashita’s Gold, worth billions.

1945. In the waning months of World War II, Japan hid vast quantities of gold and other stolen valuables in boobytrapped underground caches all across the Philippines. By 1947 some of that loot was recovered, not by treasure hunters, but by the United States government, which told no one about the find. Instead, those assets were stamped classified, shipped to Europe, and secretly assimilated into something called the Black Eagle Trust.

Present day. Retired Justice Department operative, Cotton Malone, is in Switzerland doing a favor for a friend. But what was supposed to be a simple operation turns violent and Cotton is thrust into a war between the world’s oldest bank and the CIA, a battle that directly involves the Black Eagle Trust. He quickly discovers that everything hinges on a woman from his past, who suddenly reappears harbouring a host of explosive secrets centring around bitcoin. The cryptocurrency is being quietly weaponized, readied for an assault on the world’s financial systems, a calculated move that will have devastating consequences. Cotton has no choice. He has to act. But at what cost?

From the stolid banking halls of Luxembourg, to the secret vaults of Switzerland, and finally up into the treacherous mountains of southern Morocco, Cotton Malone is stymied at every turn. Each move he makes seems wrong, and nothing works, until he finally comes face-to-face with the Atlas Manoeuvre.

The final book I want to highlight is Nobody’s Hero by M. W. Craven, an author I only recently became a fan of. Craven has written several intriguing thriller novels over the years, and I was lucky enough to get a copy of his latest book earlier this year with Fearless. A fast-paced and over-the-top read that focussed on a cocky and deadly protagonist who literally feels no fear, Fearless was an exciting and exceedingly entertaining revenge romp that saw the protagonist destroy a sinister organisation.

Nobody's Hero Cover

Amazon

I had an amazing time with Fearless and I was very excited to see that there was another Ben Koenig book coming out in June 2024. This outstanding book will see the protagonist thrust into another daring adventure, this time involving the CIA, a deadly killer in London and a long-hidden agent with a ton of secrets in her head. Nobody’s Hero sounds extremely fun and impressive, and I am expecting another crazy and bloody action romp from Craven.

Plot Synopsis:

The man who can’t feel fear is back, in a race against time to find the woman who knows a secret that could take down the world as we know it.

When a shocking murder and abduction on the streets of London leads investigators to him, Ben Koenig has no idea at first why the highest echelons of the CIA would need his help. But then he realises he knows the woman who carried out the killings. Ten years earlier, without being told why, he was tasked with helping her disappear.

Far from being a deranged killer, she is the gatekeeper of a secret that could take down the West, so for years she has been in hiding.

Until now.

And if she has resurfaced, the danger may be closer and more terrifying than anyone can imagine.

So Ben Koenig has to find her before it’s too late. But Ben suffers from a syndrome which means he can’t feel fear. He doesn’t always know when he should walk away, or when he’s leading others into danger . . .

Fast, brutal, smart, and violent, Nobody’s Hero is an engrossing story of contract killers, international terrorism, hard choices — and a fearless man.

Early 2024 is shaping up to be a hell of a year for thriller readers. The three books above sound so damn awesome and I am very excited to continue all these great series. I imagine all three are going to be some of my favourite books of the year and I look forward to seeing what elaborate new adventures these amazing authors have come up with.

Fearless Cover

Publisher: Constable (Trade Paperback – 27 June 2023)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 435 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Amazon

The talented M. W. Craven debuts an awesome thriller protagonist with his epic and intense new novel, Fearless.

Craven is an interesting thriller author who has been establishing himself over the last few years. Craven already has a fantastic catalogue of novels behind him, including his Washington Poe and Avison Fluke series, although I had not previously had the pleasure of reading any of his books. As such, I was intrigued when I received a copy of Fearless, which looks to be the first book in an awesome new series. I really liked how cool Fearless sounded and I was glad I got the opportunity to check out another author who was new to me this year.

Ben Koenig is a man who knows how to disappear. The former leader of the US Marshals’ elite Special Ops Group, Koenig was the man who brought the very worst fugitives to justice, and his relentless attitude and uncanny abilities made him feared throughout the criminal community. But after an operation goes bad, Koenig goes into hiding, drifting from small town to small town.

After managing to stay off everyone’s radar for six years, Koenig suddenly finds his face plastered across every television screen in America. His old boss at the US Marshalls desperately needs Koenig’s help for a personal mission, and he’ll do anything he can to get his attention. Soon Koenig finds himself back on the job, but this time he has no limits, no backup, and no idea the amount of trouble he is about to find himself in.

His assignment will eventually lead him to the small town of Gauntlet in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert. Someone in Gauntlet has a dark secret that they will do anything to protect, and they have the entire town, and more, at their disposal. However, they have never encountered anyone like Koenig and they soon begin to realise that Koenig has no fear, no mercy and no desire to stop. But against the dangerous forces in front of him, as well as dangerous assassins from his past, can even the fearless Koenig stay alive and complete his mission?

Fearless was a very fun and over-the-top thriller from Craven, who crafts together a very intense and addictive narrative for this new book. Starting off with a strong introduction to the character of Ben Koenig, the reader gets quickly swept up in both his unusual life and his new mission as he is drafted in to find a missing girl and revenge on the people that hurt her. Fearless’ story has a lot of great elements to it, and Craven takes his protagonist on a wild and blood-soaked thrill ride through several great locales and impressive scenarios. Most of the story takes place in the Texas town of Gauntlet, where Koenig investigates a mysterious solar energy company involved with his case. Craven does a great job setting up the antagonists of this series, as well as a compelling underlying mystery about who they are and why they are there, and I loved the combination of suspense and intrigue that emerged, as well as the fear and brutality of the villains as they try to take Koenig down. At the same time, Craven works in several compelling flashback chapters that give greater context to Koenig’s character and flesh out why he was on the run and the implications that has on his current situation.

Craven works a ton of brilliant and action-packed set pieces into the story as he goes, and the reader really sticks around to check out all the violence that emerges as a result. The author goes pretty over the top multiple times throughout the book as he tries to make the scenarios, and his protagonist, as explosive and unpredictable as possible. These memorable sequences mesh well with the investigative and character driven aspects of the story, and the reader really gets drawn into the entire compelling plot. Everything leads up to the big finale, where the author unleashes several massive and exceptionally brutal fights, which really draw the reader in and ensure that they cannot stop turning the pages. Everything ends on a very interesting note, although a couple of the final twists are clearly only there to set up the future books. Still, this ended up being a very thrilling and enjoyable story, and I honestly managed to knock off this lengthy book in a couple of fun-filled days.

Craven utilises a pretty effective style for this book that is focused on making the novel as fast-paced and easy to read as possible. Fearless is dominated by multiple short and impactful chapters which are very easy to power through and which encourage the reader to keep going, especially as you can get through the next exciting chapter with only a few page turns. I honestly found myself just going and going as I was reading, as I really wanted to see what awesome event was going to pop up next in the story. The author did a really good job of quickly and effectively setting up the protagonists, the story, and the general vibe of Fearless, and you quickly realise what sort of fun and compelling story the author has planned, which helps to keep you hooked. The primary focus on protagonist Ben Koenig is nicely balanced with several chapters told from the perspective of the antagonists, and I loved seeing some of the different angles of the story, especially as the villains get more and more desperate, and ruthless, as the book continues. This ended up being quite an attractive and highly accessible new series to test out, and Fearless will appeal to most thriller readers, especially those who are interested in something with a ton of action and a fun plot. There are obviously some interesting parallels between Fearless and the Jack Reacher novels, which Craven does cleverly and humorously reference at the start. I think this book will appeal to anyone who appreciates intense, fast, and unpredictable thrillers, and this really was a great treat.

One of the more interesting and distinctive elements of Fearless is the over-the-top protagonist, Ben Koenig. Written as an elite former government agent on the run after upsetting the wrong crime family, Koenig is a very capable and effective killer who serves as the book’s main point-of-view character and narrator. Koenig is a fun central figure for Fearless, and I loved his unique and entertaining viewpoint of the world, which translates through his chapters and gives the book more of a humorous edge. Most of the novel is designed to introduce readers to the author’s new major protagonist up and I liked the intriguing background that Craven built around him in several fantastic flashback chapters. There is a certain arrogance and cockiness to Koenig that some people might not like, but I though it fit his story arc well, and he does get called out on it a bit. There is also a great ruthlessness to him at times, which does make you wonder if he is really a good guy. These elements are cleverly tied into Koenig’s most defining character feature: due to a medical condition, he lacks the ability to feel any fear. While this does seem like a bit of a weird character element, Craven does an excellent job working it into the story, and the entertaining interactions that emerge from Koenig failing to react with any fear make for some fantastic reading. It was surprisingly fun to see Koenig blithely walk through a range of scenarios without any concern at all, such as when he’s digging his own grave, and the resulting reactions from his opponents are so much fun. The character’s inability to feel fear does has some downsides, as Koenig’s risk assessment capability is shot, so he does end up making some mistakes from a lack of caution, which was a useful narrative handicap. Still, the inventive ways that he gets out of several unfortunate scenarios makes for some compelling reading, and Craven really manages to stretch his imagination thanks to this protagonist. I honestly enjoyed seeing the story from his perspective, and I look forward to reading a larger series featuring this character in the future.

Overall, I had an absolute blast reading Fearless by M. W. Craven, and it really was a particularly fun and exciting thriller. While the story might get a bit to over-the-top crazy in places for some readers, I honestly enjoyed how silly and insane it got, as it made for some entertaining reading that I could quickly power through with a big smile on my face. As such, I am giving Fearless a pretty good rating, and I would strongly recommend this novel to anyone who wants a huge dealing of action, funny characters, and wonderfully violent thriller storylines.

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