I about had a heart attack when I pulled this audio book for review out of the package a few weeks ago. I seriously love Tom Clancy and his brilliant mind. I love the twists and turns along with the edge of your seat story lines and here I was holding the newest offering created from the master of suspense. I even ran and woke up my hubby and told him I got first dibs. HA! So it is with pleasure that I bring you the newest story from the Op-Center.

Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Out of the Ashes
Audio Book
Written by: Dick Couch & George Galdorisi
Series: Tom Clancy’s Op-Center
Audio CD
Publisher: Macmillan Audio; Unabridged edition
Publish Date: May 20, 2014
ISBN-13: 978-1427241078

Synopsis: Tom Clancy’s Op-Center is back with this new thriller written by the New York Times bestselling authors of Tom Clancy’s ACT OF VALOR and featuring a chilling, ripped-from-the-headlines scenario.

Before 9/11 America was protected by a covert force known as the National Crisis Management Center. Commonly known as Op-Center, this silent, secret mantel guarded the American people and protected the country from enemies. The charter was top secret and Director Paul Hood reported directly to the president. Op-Center used undercover operatives with SWAT capabilities to diffuse crises around the world, and they were tops in their field. But after the World Trade Center disaster, in the interest of streamlining, OP-Center was disbanded—leaving the country in terrible danger.

But when terrorists detonate bombs in sports stadiums around the country leaving men, women and children dead or mutilated, the President executes an emergency order to bring back Op-Center—an Op-Center capable of dealing with the high tech crises of the 21st Century, and there is a lethal one brewing in the Middle East. A renegade Saudi Prince with ambitions of controlling the world’s oil supply has an ingenious plot to manipulate America into attacking Syria and launching a war against Iran. Next, they would ignite a sleeper cell to attack the America homeland, resulting in a bloodbath unlike any other. Only the men and women of Op-Center, using sophisticated technology, realize what is about to be unleashed. Only they have the courage to issue a warning no one wants to hear. But will anyone believe them?

My Thoughts: Even though this book is written by 2 different authors, it was created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik and it reads much like a traditional Clancy novel we are used to picking up. Op-Center is the newest series in this military action, suspense filled story where the authors pull the story from the headlines and create a decent read.

One of the things I noticed is that while Clancy had innate ability to tell and craft interesting in depth characters, the characters that the authors created in this book were a bit flat. There was not a lot of in-depth, behind the scenes knowledge of the people in this book and there were many folks you had to keep track of. That is why books like these are perfect to be listened to in audio because the reader, Erik Bergmann, took this story into a new light with his voices, cultural inflections and really made the story come alive.

The story line is very interesting on its own and there are many areas that catch your breath and keep you riveted but there are many others, especially in the conversational areas, that could have been developed much better. However, for me, by listening to the audiobook, it was a very entertaining read and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

If you love suspense, military thrillers written with a nod to Clancy, then Out of the Ashes is one that you will enjoy. My whole family loves this genre, so I know this will be listened to time and again.

Disclaimer: Affiliate link included. Chris has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.

Have you ever had that feeling when you pick up a book that you are not sure whether you will like it or not, but it sounds interesting and so you decide to go for it anyway and hope that it is good? That was how I felt when I read the release info on the novel from new author, Julia Dahl. It sounded interesting plus it was sure to have some suspense and intrigue which makes for a great read, but I wasn’t sure if it would keep my interest. However, I was glad that I decided to check out this new release that was sent to me for review.

Invisible City by Julia Dahl
Audio CD
Publisher: Macmillan Audio; Unabridged edition
Publish Date: May 6, 2014
ISBN-13: 978-1427239549

Synopsis: Just months after Rebekah Roberts was born, her mother, an Hasidic Jew from Brooklyn, abandoned her Christian boyfriend and newborn baby to return to her religion. Neither Rebekah nor her father have heard from her since. Now a recent college graduate, Rebekah has moved to New York City to follow her dream of becoming a big-city reporter. But she’s also drawn to the idea of being closer to her mother, who might still be living in the Hasidic community in Brooklyn.

Then Rebekah is called to cover the story of a murdered Hasidic woman. Rebekah’s shocked to learn that, because of the NYPD’s habit of kowtowing to the powerful ultra-Orthodox community, not only will the woman be buried without an autopsy, her killer may get away with murder. Rebekah can’t let the story end there. But getting to the truth won’t be easy—even as she immerses herself in the cloistered world where her mother grew up, it’s clear that she’s not welcome, and everyone she meets has a secret to keep from an outsider.

In her riveting debut Invisible City, journalist Julia Dahl introduces a compelling new character in search of the truth about a murder and an understanding of her own heritage.

My Thoughts: There are many communities where outsiders are not welcome because they do not understand the culture and traditions. It is hard for someone without intimate knowledge of these things to truly understand the inner workings of a tight knit group and community. That is what the main character was up against in this interesting storyline.

Like most people, not understanding a culture like the Hasidic Orthodox, can lead to many questions and interest from outsiders. This book opens the door into the inner workings of the Ultra Othrodox Hasidic’s in a way like no other author I have ever read. The story is unique, drawing from the interesting culture the author herself has – half Christian and half Jewish. The main character, Rebekah, is half Jewish and struggles to align herself with her faith and culture when she has to cover a story that hits close to home. But her name opens doors and mouths that she needs for her job, so play the part, she must.

The audio book is read by a talented reader, Andi Arndt, who offers voices to match the personalities of those involved in the story. It flows well and is full of twists and turns that keeps you guessing “who dun it” until the very end. I was somewhat surprised with the ending and I enjoy that!

This book is a refreshing change from the ordinary and it is full of interesting tid-bits about the hidden culture of the Hasidic Orthodox and their community. It is all realistic and true in today’s society? Only the author and those in the Hasidic culture really know, but it makes for a great departure plus an interesting mystery and that is what I enjoy the most.

Disclaimer: Chris has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.