Customer Reviews

Power Down

5 star:		(97)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I don't expect too much from new thiller authors. It just seems like these novels are so often churned out by formula and tend to concentrate on page-turning action at the expense of proper plotting, characterization, setting, etc. Even some of the old "pros" succomb to this. But Ben Coes has written an absolutely terrific action-thriller novel.

Does it have action? Definitely! Is it a page-turner? You bet. But it also has near flawless plotting that builds the suspense and lets the reader know the characters, truly caring what happens to them. There are edge-of-your seat chase scenes, but they are balanced with a realistic plot that is extremely plausible in our current age. It combines the horror of terrorism (and the body count is quite high) with the financial markets, and with the US infrastructure power systems as targets. The idea of a terrorist group of a different stripe and with different motivations is a welcome change to the landscape of thriller fiction. The author has certainly done his homework, whether it comes to off shore oil platforms, electricity grids, or the ins and outs of hedge funds. And the character of Dewey Andreas, former Army Ranger and Delta, has all the makings of a new Jack Reacher, Mitch Rapp, or Dirk Pitt.

This novel will be available in the US in October 2010. It's complete in this one volume but the epilogue clearly leaves room for sequels. If so, I will be among the first in line to get the next book!

It seems that since Tom Clancy took a major vacation from writing (although in fairness he is releasing his first full novel co-written with another author later this year), there has been a large chunk of new authors who have stepped up hoping to assume the crown as the new Techno-Thriller King. Since Clive Cussler has resorted to co-writing these days as well, it isn't him...many can make a good argument that Brad Thor or Vince Flynn are in the running (and in all honesty, my money is on Brad) along with the likes of Jack DuBrul, and AJ Tata certainly ought to be considered, too (although IMO Mr. Tata has earned the title free & clear)...now comes Ben Coes out of virtually nowhere with a new twist on an otherwise quite tired and oft-used premise of America being attacked (again) by terrorists. So how is this one different?

First off we get an attack on an off-shore oil rig, right there we see a pretty different change of scenery (however in all fairness, Jack DuBrul had a similar attack on a rig in Charon's Landing), and not just a change, but a very relevant and realistic one, too. From the detailed description of weapons, technology and character development, I see a very bright future indeed for Mr Coes. 9/11 taught us that coordinated attacks on America or our interests not only CAN happen, but will continue--if not for the tireless work of those in intelligence gathering and of course, our brave men & women serving to protect our freedoms all over the world. But what if, against all odds, an attack actually happened as described here in Power Down? I was blown away at how utterly plausible this story was--and more than a little frightening, too. It all boils down to a new voice in the techno-thriller genre that deserves attention.

So...after all that, why only 4 stars, huh? Because as fun as Power Down was, I know we can expect bigger & better things to come from Mr. Coes. Some of the writing seemed 'forced' and a little Hollywood at times, and while it certainly made for an exciting read, parts read much less realistic than others (read and you'll see what I mean). Now I don't wish to distract from how much I overall enjoyed Power Down, but I don't want those who read this review to think I thought it was on par with Clancy just yet. If you enjoy a fun, action FILLED techno-thriller which combines part Clancy, Thor, Flynn and a little Cussler, I think you just may enjoy this entry quite a bit. I look forward to Dewey's next adventure which, from the ending certainly seemed as though we should expect...

This novel wasn't bad. It flows like a Flynn novel, at least for the first 200 pages before it slows down. That's when I started to have problems with it. There are a lot of meetings with a lot of characters that brainstormed and hashed out ideas that could have been summarized rather than taking pages upon pages to inform us. If you read thrillers you know meetings like this take place but you don't need to know every single thing that is said in them. I thnk Coes was trying to introduce a character (Tanzer) that is going to be major player in future novels but way too many meetings. This slowed the novel down considerably and took a long time before it picked up again.

Dewey Andreas is your typical hero in the sense he's handsome (never an ugly hero), ex special forces, can do just about everything. He's a reluctant hero, doesn't want to be a part of the solution but his pride and patriotism gets the best of him. I think of the Godfather part 3 when Al Pacino says everytime I think I'm out, they pull me back in. It looks like Dewey is going to be dragged into the war whether he wants to or not. I like heroes like this (who doesn't) but I like someone I can more relate to like the family guy Jack Ryan was.

Overall, if you like thrillers and the United States you will probably enjoy this. This is his first novel and it was good enough I'll check out his next one after he writes it.

I debated 4 stars or 5 for this one because it's true that these characters could've been more nuanced; ultimately, I went with the 5 stars because, for these times we're living in, I just plain thoroughly enjoyed characters who thumbed their noses at political correctness. If we're stuck in real life with powerful people unwilling to make courageous decisions, at least it's refreshing to have some heroes and heroines in fiction who aren't afraid to kick ass and take names in extreme circumstances. Not unlike the Mitch Rapp novels (Vince Flynn), the main characters don't sit around debating the morality of their actions. When the threat level goes to red, racial profiling comes up and nobody suggests forming a congressional committee to study the matter. (That certainly reminds you this is a work of fiction!) I loved the settings in this book, especially in the beginning where we're taken into the workings of an offshore oil facility and a massive hydroelectric dam, and I also thought the plot was completely (and eerily) plausible. 5 stars from me and I'll be looking forward to seeing these characters again in the future!

I' picky about the authors I read so getting involved with someone new is usually an ordeal. In this case I saw one of my favorite authors, Vince Flynn, recommended Power Down. I had a hard time putting it down. It was well written and I look forward to Ben's next book.

Terrorists set about a coordinated attack against America's energy producing system. A hydroelectric dam is blown up in Canada. However, when the terrorists attack the Captiana oil platform near Columbia, they are pitted against Dewey Andreas, a former Delta member in the Army, who runs the platform like a "...battalion during wartime."

As the terrorist bring Andreas to the pumping station to complete their sabotage, Dewey realizes what the conspiracy is all about. He vows that if he lives, he'd find out who was behind the operation and hunt them down. He'd kill the men who were involved on the platform but then he also elliminate their bosses and then, those above them.

The attack was timed to coincide with the merger of KKB and Anson Energy, a company with the goal of making the United States not have to rely on foreign governments for their energy supply.

As government officials scramble to find answers, we learn who masterminded the attacks. This man was born in Lebanon and was part of a plan to have him grow up in the United States and learn American ways. Then he'd plot a sudden and massive strike against the country.

As exciting a thriller as I've read, the action flies off the pages. Dewey is a sympathetic character who the reader wants to succeed in his payback scheme. The FBI is portrayed in a stereotypical manner as a bungler and the fact that a few men can accomplish what the government cannot, seems a stretch.

Even though some of the story has been done before, I feel that thriller fans will get a thrill out of this exciting novel.

A good thriller is full of action, hits you where your fears are, and stretches the bounds of your ability to suspend disbelief without breaking down. "Power Down" does all that and I blame this book for not getting anything done all day because I had to keep reading "just one more" chapter until I was at the end.

First, the fears. This is a thriller about terror attacks in or affecting the U.S., a scary prospect for most people since 9/11. And the way the various terror attacks in the book are set up strikes at the core of a lot of fear. I consider myself a normally level-headed intelligent person and not a reactionary. But while I was caught up in the story, I could understand the fears that make some people want to boot everyone from a Middle Eastern country out of the U.S. no matter how long they've been here. Like I said, the author really nailed the "fear" part of the thriller.

The main character is Dewey Andreas. He is the crew chief of a deep sea off-shore oil rig and is a former Ranger and Delta. (The story of how he went from Delta to working an oil rig is later in the book.) His Ranger and Delta training provide the possible believability for all the dangerous and action-filled situations as he tries to avenge the deaths of most of his crew. There are a couple other major characters on the "good guy" side: Teddy Marks (CEO of a major US energy company and former Navy SEAL), Terry Savoy (security chief for that company and former Army Ranger), and Jessica Tanzer (FBI head of counterterrorism -- yeah for at least one strong female character in the book).

The main villain is particularly scary because someone like him would be among the last people suspected of being a terrorist. Another character on the "bad guy" side is someone you could believe might sell out the country for money but hope no one in the real life position ever does. The rest of the bad guys are frightening for reasons you'll find out as you read the book -- I don't want to spoil it.

The book starts a little slowly to set the scene for what it going to happen. But a few chapters in, things start to blow (literally) and the action picks up. I liked the main character and found much of the action arguably believable -- or at least within my ability to suspend disbelief. (There were only two parts that didn't quite pass my believability test. One is not essential to the plot -- a small bit about a PR firm puff piece TV ad that I didn't believe they would do for free not to mention the breach of confidentiality in making it. The other isn't critical to the whole book, but there is a scene that takes place in a pumping station under the oil rig that read more like it was on dry land than at 600 feet underwater. But those are small criticisms of a book I really enjoyed. The ending sets the book up for a sequel and I look forward to reading the author's next Dewey Andreas thriller.

For most of the 20th century, America was THE major player in both global politics and the international economy. It was a simpler time in those days when Americans grew accustomed to their government acting as the leading player on the world stage, advancing the democratic ideals that nurtured a young, flowering nation into an economic and political superpower.

But as we entered the 21st century, times had changed. Much of the world was sick of America's self-indulgent appetite for cheap oil. Claims of climate change only encouraged more anti-Americanism. After all throughout the 20th century, the United States gulped up oil in prodigious amounts, at ridiculously low prices, releasing huge amounts of carbon into the global atmosphere. As it did, much of the world began to look at America in a new light - a nation that put its own indulgences ahead of the global common good.

Now a new novel, POWER DOWN, by first time-author Ben Coes, portrays an ominous future for America in the new world order of the 21st century. In the book, foreign extremists have put the United States squarely in the crosshairs of their violent terrorist tactics, and Coes describes terrifying consequences for a nation that has begun to offend many parts of the globe, including the Arabs, South Americans, and Asians. Middle East terrorists are at the center of Coes narration, but there are other extremists lying in wait. Coes describes a new world where violence by terrorists is only a hair trigger away from apocalypse.

Coes's novel is rich in the details and intricacies of the American energy industry, including off-shore oil rigs and mammoth power plants that energize America. He also writes knowledgably about Washington politics and the elite American Special Forces known as the Delta Force. The author knows whereof he speaks: He worked in the White House in both the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, and wrote speeches for Energy Secretary, Admiral James Watkins during the first Gulf War. Coes also worked for oilman T. Boone Pickens and later was a key campaign manager for Mitt Romney when he ran for governor of Massachusetts.

Ironically, POWER DOWN opens with the destruction of an American offshore drilling rig by terrorists. The fictional $8 billion oil rig sits off the coast of South American, atop the largest oil find outside Saudi Arabia, and it is operated by the fictional Anson Energy, one of America's largest oil companies. Coincidentally, Coes' novel was published just after the destruction of the destruction of the BP's off shore rig, Deepwater Horizon, and Americans spent the summer watching in horror as up to 60,000 barrels of oil per day were released into the Gulf of Mexico before the rogue oil well was brought under control.

The plot in POWER DOWN involves Saudi kings and princes, as well as Al Qaeda and Hamas, the political/paramilitary wing of the Palestinians. Moles filter in and out of both sides of the drama, creating new twists and turns. The terrorists are very well organized, as they plan their attacks across both the United States and Canada, stretching from Bath, Maine (location of one of the largest U.S. shipyards) to South Bend, Indiana, to Long Beach, California. Some terrorist attacks are thwarted, but not all - it is best left to the reader to discover which attacks succeed and which ones fail.

The hero in this spellbinder is Dewey Andreas, who was in charge of Capitana, the fictional oil rig that is destroyed by terrorists in the opening pages of the book. Andreas was a former member of the Delta Force, the highly trained U.S. military unit that in the past decade has been the arrowhead in the quiver of American military forces. Dewey's training in America's elite military forces leaves him well equipped to counter the terrorist attacks that break out across America.

The key to stopping the attacks is finding out who is instigating them, and following that trail is what keeps the reader from putting this novel down. The chase is thrilling, mysterious and doesn't climax until the very end.

POWER DOWN is littered with colorful characters that add dimension to the book. In addition to Dewey Andreas, the heroes include a national security expert in the FBI, Jessica Tanzer; an unnamed President of the United States and his wacko Secretary of state; and a character called Teddy Marks, who is the CEO of a unique American energy company. If there is a message in this book, it comes from Marks who has a vision for America. Here is Marks talking in a Goldman Sachs conference room as he pulls off a mega merger of American energy companies:

"I'm talking about a new paradigm here. I'm taking about an American energy company. A company whose very existence is testament to the American spirit. Whose profits stay within our borders. Whose products don't come from the Middle East or any foreign government that is hostile to the U.S. Whose men and women are American men and women or at the very least allies of the United States...This will be a company that could help free this country of its addiction to Middle East Oil. It's an addiction that not only costs American consumers their hard-earned money, but also lives, the lives of our sons and daughters."

Once Marks succeeds in building such a unique, altruistic American company, it is an obvious threat to foreign oil interests in the Middle East. Those foreign interests are determined to destroy the new mega oil conglomerate, KKB-Anson. The pace of POWER DOWN moves quickly as Dewey Andreas tries to defend the nation from one terrorist attack after another. Coes injects considerable violence into his narration. Some might say there is too much violence, and the string of incidents seem a bit unworldly, even unbelievable at times. Certainly the interrogation techniques will raise a few eyebrows. The violence builds intensity as Dewey Andreas, and his antagonist, Alex Fortuna, a Lebanese, Princeton-educated financier, finally face off. It's the Delta Force against an Arab jihadist all the way to the bloody end of this terrifying novel.

The political and economic dynamics that Coes brings to this fascinating narration infuse the book with urgency. This is a work of fiction, of course, but there is also a strong sense of reality; a foreboding of what the future may hold for America as it struggles to overcome its addiction to cheap oil and become energy independent.


Full disclosure: astute readers of this review will note that the reviewer's name is Ted Marks, the same name as one of the principal characters in the book. The author of POWER DOWN, Ben Coes, is in fact the reviewer's godson, and he refers to our relationship in the book's acknowledgments. But the writer was not in the oil business; rather, the writer is a retired journalist who writes book reviews, and he is glad to do so for this first-time author who has penned a fascinating, topical novel.

I read this a while ago but just wrote a review for Mr. Coes's second book, Coup d'Etat, and realized I hadn't written a review of Power Down yet. Because I'm sitting at O'Hare right now with an hour and a half to do NOTHING, I thought I'd add my 2 cents to this one. Power Down was brilliant, violent, exciting, pulse pounding, and everything you could want in a thriller. While I liked Coup a little better, it's only because to me the author seems to be growing and becoming a better, more complex writer. Doesn't mean I didn't love Power Down, which I couldn't put down from the first sentence on. The best part for me was seeing the behind the scenes of the terrorist and his vast wealth, really fascinating. Also the hero Dewey is, for my money, the best thriller hero out there right now, up there with Bourne. Ok, time for a few thousand calories from Cinnabon!

Ben Coes has substantially raised the bar in the "Thriller" genre by writing the exceptionally exciting novel "Power Down". When I purchased the book, I did so with average expectations. I did not recognize his name, and I select most of my 100 or so books a year by the Author. This book grabs you from page one and does not let go until the very last page. Ben Coes brings something new and refreshing to the "Thriller" novel: Believability! In "Power Down", the good guy is not invulnerable. I was shocked within the first few chapters when characters I thought would be alive all the way to the end......didn't make it. None of the protagonist running through hails of automatic weapons fire (time after time) and emerging unscathed. Some of the terrorist's targets are NOT defused with 1.7 seconds left on the timer. This is a book that requires no suspension of reality in order to enjoy it. When I read this superb novel, I felt I was let in on what will be happening in the U.S. in the days...weeks..months to come. When reading Flynn, Thor, Baldacci et al., I usually can figure out what will happen in the chapters to come. Not because I am a genius, but on occasion, many authors are so predictable in their prose. Not Ben Coes. I guarantee that you will not even begin to figure out the conclusion, much less what happens in the pages between beginning and end. "Power Down" for me, was an exceedingly rare and rewarding find. Keep on writing Ben!! J. Boyer AZ