Gauntlet: A Novel of International Intrigue [Hardcover]

Richard Aaron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2009

660 tons of Semtex is detonated in a massive explosion in Libya. The operation seems to have gone smoothly, but within minutes of the explosion, CIA agent Richard Lawrence discovers that one shipment of the explosive has been hijacked. Days later, a glory-seeking 'Emir' broadcasts to the world that he is planning a massive terrorist strike against a U.S. landmark. And he gives a time line of one month. Now a desperate chase is on, as the men bent on attacking the U.S. use every weapon at their disposal to evade American authorities. Time and again they prove willing to destroy anything - and anyone - standing in their way. But Hamilton Turbee, an autistic computer mastermind at the newly created TTIC agency, discovers a way to track them. His flawed genius gives the nation its only chance at stopping the attack . if the American leadership will listen. As the enemies near their destination, it is up to the TTIC team to stop the massive explosion that could destroy the lives of millions.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cutting-edge research, complex plotting and in-depth characterizations lift Aaron's debut, a terrorist thriller. Afghan Yousseff Said al-Sabbhan, who's built an enormous drug-smuggling enterprise, has worked out with his co-conspirator, the Emir, a plan to destroy an American city and bring the country to its knees. Opposing the plotters is the Terrorist Threat Integration Center, a secret agency staffed by men and women drawn from every sector of the U.S. intelligence community. Autistic mathematician Hamilton Turbee, a TTIC employee, is a standout in a vast cast of characters, surely one of the most interesting and endearing heroes ever to star in an action adventure novel. Despite the incredible amount of detail and the constant flashbacks, Aaron keeps the action moving swiftly forward. Some readers may be frustrated by the abrupt ending as well as patches of mundane prose, but all will eagerly await the two projected sequels. 6-city author tour.(Mar.)
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Review

"Loads of really good writing... Aaron knows his stuff. GAUNTLET [is] a damn fine novel." -- David Hagberg, bestselling author of Allah's Scorpion

"The plot... is riveting, the possibility that this could happen [frightening]. [An] emotionally thrilling novel, well worth the read." -- John Foxjohn, bestselling author of Cold Tears, winner of the Readers' Award for best mystery

"Wow, what a story! I absolutely couldn't put it down. Can't wait to work on the movie." -- Quay Terry, Hollywood Military Consultant, Jarhead, Flags of Our Fathers, Stop-Loss, Wolverine --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 504 pages
• Publisher: Glass House Press; First Edition edition (March 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 098167688X
• ISBN-13: 978-0981676883
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,390,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely phenomenal...!!!!, March 16, 2009

By 

Jason Frost "RubiconReader" (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Gauntlet: A Novel of International Intrigue (Hardcover)

Length:: 1:27 Mins

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Gauntlet by Richard Aaron, May 11, 2009

By 

Becky (Haxtun, Colombia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gauntlet: A Novel of International Intrigue (Hardcover)

Gauntlet is not an easy or mindless read. It required me to pay attention to what was going on and think about what was happening. When I started this book, I was a little overwhelmed. Not only with the size of the book but the complexity with which the author discusses the various government agencies involved in the plot. Once I finally got into the book a few chapters I started to connect with a few of the characters. Once that happens for me, I tend to have an easier time sticking to the book.

There were places in this book that became too in-depth and more detailed than I needed which seemed to drag things out a bit. I also think that this is much more a man's book than a woman's. However, even with the length of the book, I found that I got more interested in it toward the end. The further that I got, the more that I really wanted to finish it. But I wanted to finish it because I was invested in the characters and I wanted to see how things ended for them. Not because I wanted to know what happened.

The last 100 pages of the book were definitely better than the first 100, but I didn't like the end. I really feel like it left me hanging. I believe that Aaron intentionally left the ending hanging since there is a follow-up in the works, but I don't know that I'm invested in the story enough to pick up the sequel. That being said, I still liked the book. It took me a while to read (I wasn't giving up sleep because I couldn't put it down) but it was good enough to keep me interested. I didn't ever think about putting it down or quitting altogether. I just felt that I was more interested in what happened to the people than the missing Semtex. I guess that says a lot for character development, huh?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling and frightening, June 18, 2009

By 

Valorie T. "Morbid Romantic" (VA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gauntlet: A Novel of International Intrigue (Hardcover)

In Richard Aaron's Gauntlet, about 4.5 tons of a highly explosive plastic material known as semtex has gone missing and is in the hands of Afghanistan terrorists plotting against America. Authorities don't know where the attack will take place and have only a month to find out and stop it from killing a lot of innocent people. The terrorists, skilled at what they do, evade detection and catch at every turn. A major hub of the action is a group known as the Terrorist Threat Integration Center, or TTIC. One of their most vital employees turns out to be an autistic math genius named Hamilton Turbee who is good at cracking codes and doing quick calculations in his head.

The plot will take you everywhere from the caves of Afghanistan where terrorists hide and plot, the deserts of the Middle East, the Canadian border where a cop is investigating drugs, and to Washington and back. While reading, you will jump around the world, and this constant movement gives a sense of scope to the plot such that you realize how widespread and serious an issue like the one in the book really is, and of all the work that goes into cracking the plots of and stopping terrorists.

Everything is fast paced, jumping from one character to the next, and there are A LOT of characters. Each character is distinct, though, even the terrorists that you come to understand the motives of. Gauntlet is a book to read when you don't have anything else to do because you will not want to put it down. With each page, the suspense builds until you feel like it is going to crack. What makes the book even more immediate and hard to put down is that everything within it feels real, as if it is happening or has happened. After all, we are living in a world aware and fearful of terrorist attacks. The thought that something like this could happen, or could be happening behind the scenes, is quite frankly very terrifying.

This is really the first time that I have read a book like this and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love a complex plot that twists and connects all over the place, and this book certainly delivered a well thought out and wonderfully written series of events. I don't want to give too much away, but suffice to say that you will be on the edge of your seat.