The Protector: A Novel (Library Edition) [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

David Morrell (Author), Stefan Rudnicki (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2009

Cavanaugh is a former member of Delta Force who now works as a protector for those rich enough to afford him and his team. A brilliant scientist named Prescott hires Cavanaugh to protect him from a powerful drug lord who, he says, is seeking the highly addictive drug he has invented. But after Cavanaugh trains the scientist in escape and evasion, the unthinkable occurs: Cavanaugh's team is viscously attacked and entirely wiped out and Prescott seems to be in collusion with the attackers. Now Cavanaugh must fight against his own tactics and anticipate his enemy's every move, while suffering the consequences of the real secret Prescott is hiding: a unique weapon that induces fear.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The secret weapon developed by the man Cavanaugh is assigned to protect is like Kryptonite to the former Delta Force officer turned security guard--it multiplies the effects of adrenaline, a hormone associated with fear, so it incapacitates instead of energizing him. A lot of people want Daniel Prescott's secret, but Cavanaugh, who's felt the drug's effects, wants his antidote. When Prescott disappears after causing the death of the Global Protective Services team charged with keeping him alive, Cavanaugh and his wife Jamie go after him in a high-speed chase that traps them between governmnt agents and foreign operatives each racing to find the scientist first and kill him before he can use his formula on them. Despite Prescott's double-dealing, and the bloody battle in a mountain redoubt that results in the deaths of his friends and colleagues, Cavanaugh knows the only way to banish the fear that may compromise his and Jamie's own safety is to track the elusive scientist to his last refuge. In this propulsive thriller, Morrell turns the tables so often that it's hard to separate the good guys from the bad ones, but that won't keep readers addicted to violence, treachery, and high-tech weaponry from staying with it to the last surprising chapter. --Jane Adams --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

"Packed with state-of-the-art tradecraft relating to escape and evasion, car-fighting, mind control, and sophisticated weaponry," crows the galley copy for this latest thriller by the author of numerous brawny tales from First Blood to Long Lost, "[the book]... takes its place alongside the most innovative thrillers ever written." Well, not really. Innovative this tale of a professional "protector" is not, but the "tradecraft" that Morrell apparently researched in person and reveals here in fiction for the first time makes the novel a groovy bet for armchair tough guys. The plot is standard: Protector Cavanaugh (who uses that one-name pseudonym as camouflage) and his company are hired by scientist Daniel Prescott, purportedly to help him escape from a drug gang that is after the perfectly addictive substance Prescott claims he's created while searching for a cure to addiction. But Prescott is not quite what he seems, and soon he and Cavanaugh, plus some vicious shadowy federal operatives, as well as the FBI, are involved in the sort of cat-and-mouse, stalk-and-attack at which Morrell excels, with the life of Cavanaugh's wife hanging in the balance and upping the suspense ante considerably. As one would expect from a veteran pro like Morrell, there are plenty of twists, several impressive action set pieces and a narrative that speeds like the souped-up Taurus (combining power and anonymity) that Cavanaugh likes to drive. Most notable, though, is the advertised "tradecraft"-from clever ways to modify one's ammo and armor to the very best method of taking out a car you're chasing (strike a rear fender corner with the opposite front corner of your car). Readers should keep in mind that these stunts are performed in the novel by trained professionals and are not to be attempted at home.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.; Unabridged library edition (November 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1433219093
• ISBN-13: 978-1433219092
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Morrell at his best, August 1, 2004

By 

A. Christie "bibliofiend508" (Plano, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Protector (Mass Market Paperback)

Cavanaugh, ex-Delta Force operator, is in the protection business working for Global Protection Services, a firm that protects those in dire circumstances. Their newest client is biochemist, Daniel Prescott. Prescott has developed a hormone that induces fear to be used by the military on the enemy. He is now hunted for the secrets that he has developed. He needs to disappear and enlists Global Protection Services. Prescott is not quite as helpless as he seems. Just as the plan for him to disappear comes to fruition, Cavanaugh's entire team is killed. Now Cavanaugh with the help of his wife, Jamie, is on the hunt for Prescott. With the use of every facet of his training, he and Jaime create a masterful plan to find a man with a brilliant mind trained by Cavanaugh himself in the art of disappearance.

In a myriad of plot twists and turns there is non-stop action. The plot is fast-paced and so riveting it is hard to put down. Cavanaugh and Jamie are well-drawn sympathetic characters that you can really care about.

David Morrell seems to fly a bit under the radar, but to me he is one of the best in his genre. If you are a first time reader, Morrell has a wonderful backlist of books. I would rank this one as one of his best.

Highly recommended.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Morrell's best book in years!, May 10, 2003

By 

Gary Jonas "author of Modern Sorcery" (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Protector (Hardcover)

THE PROTECTOR is a tour de force that ranks right up there with THE FIFTH PROFESSION and THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE ROSE. Cavanaugh is a protector (different from a bodyguard in that Cavanaugh is a highly trained special operations agent). When he's assigned to protect a biochemist, things go wrong. Cavanaugh's team is killed and he's forced to turn to his wife for help as he tries to set things right. Morrell uses plenty of authentic tradecraft and the book rockets along building suspense. If you're not on the edge of your seat turning pages as fast as you can, you don't have a heartbeat.

Tight plotting, smart characters, cool action set-pieces. This would make a great movie, but there's no way that Hollywood can match what Morrell brings to the table.

On a scale of one to five stars, THE PROTECTOR deserves a six. Don't start this one late at night or you'll be up until the wee hours of the morning and the last satisfying page is turned.

Whatever you do, don't miss this one!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What Morrell readers come to expect from him--and more, March 13, 2005

By 

MA Higgins "MA" (Farmington, NM) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Protector (Mass Market Paperback)

As usual, Morrell fills the pages with tips and tricks of the "protection" business (ie, espionage-type action and "secrets of the trade"). The plot is intriguing and the characters are well drawn. The fear-inducing agent that triggers the novel's events is creepy, right in line with what we expect of our government's shadowy side, and used to great effect. Nice plot twists. There was a brief stretch just past the middle of the book when the story seems to get bogged down a bit, but by the end, it's back up to ninety miles per hour. I'm a big Morrell fan and this book didn't let me down.