Friday, June 8, 2018

Brainrush

A sudden-savant, his days numbered, tries to rescue a woman and autistic child, unwittingly becoming the only hope against a global terrorist—or the fanatic’s ultimate weapon. 

Before he slid into the MRI machine, Jake Bronson was just an ordinary guy with terminal cancer. But when an earthquake hits during the procedure, Jake staggers from the wreckage a profoundly changed man, now endowed with uncanny mental abilities.

An ocean away, Luciano Battista wants a piece of Jake's talent. Posing as a pioneering scientist, the terrorist leader has been conducting cerebral-implant experiments in a sinister quest to create a breed of super jihadist agents...and Jake's altered brain may be the key to his success. But Jake refuses to play the pawn in an unholy war--and when an innocent woman and autistic child are taken hostage to force his cooperation, he embarks on a jihad of his own. Jake and his band of loyal friends are thrust into a deadly chase that leads from the canals of Venice through Monte Carlo and finally to an ancient cavern in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan--where Jake discovers that his newfound talents carry a hidden price that threatens the entire human race.


Brainrush (SF/Action/Thriller)
By Richard Bard
Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN #978-1533257604
Price $16.99 (Paperback)
Price Free (Kindle)
418 Pages
Rating 5-Stars

Jake Bronson is dying from a cancerous tumor in his brain. A veteran AF pilot he is going through an MRI at the VA when an earthquake rattles the machine. Coming out of the MRI he finds that he has changed, and now has some curious abilities, which he displays at a bar where a local TV station is filming a segment. Luciano Battista, a terrorist living in Italy sees the film and wants the new savant for experimental purposes.

Although the first 25% of the book is the set up, and a bit slow, the story soon takes off at top speed and never lets up. There is a good mix of genres. It’s a little cross between Doc Savage and men’s action novels. Jake’s friends are special in their own right, and become team players in the action. But going up against a terrorist organization, and the need to penetrate an enemy camp in the mountains of Afghanistan, a team of well-trained mercenaries is brought in for the final confrontation, and royal battle.

This was well written, a lot of fun, and the characters were three-dimensional. Very pulpy in nature, it was hard to put down once the action started and got into full swing. Readers who like novels with great action, and good story telling will thoroughly enjoy this fast-paced thriller with a science fiction slant. Highly recommended.

Tom Johnson

Author of THESE ALIEN SKIES

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