The Reluctant (Crayder Chronicles) [Kindle Edition]

C.S. Splitter (Author), Tricia Kristufek (Editor)

Book Description

Action, adventure, suspense, and thriller in one story told with a liberal dose of humor.

Tom’s problems are not unique. His business is failing and his wife has to work too many hours to make ends meet. He is under some rather large financial pressures and wants more from his marriage and his life.

He finds his respite in the air as a private pilot. Unfortunately for Tom, he is behind on payments for his plane and is forced to take odd jobs from a local crime boss. Tom is no criminal, but the errands he is running are just slightly on the wrong side of the law and the money is almost good enough to allow him to make his plane payments.

Just as things begin to come under some semblance of control, he meets a woman who just might represent the adventure he seeks. He soon discovers that appearances, and beautiful women, can sometimes be deceiving.

“The Reluctant” is the first in the Crayder Chronicles series and yet is a stand alone story with a satisfying conclusion of its own.

80,000 Words (approximately 320 pages)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

C.S. Splitter is a businessman, author, and stand-up philosopher living in rural Maryland with his beautiful wife, small dog, and astonishingly large cat. He is an avid shooter and loves being 5000 feet above the ground, upside down, in an open cockpit. He will never again jump out of a perfectly good airplane and feels the need to color outside of the lines. Book three in the “Crayder Chronicles” will be published by June of 2012.

Product Details

• File Size: 397 KB
• Print Length: 212 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1461070686
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004VS751O
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #483,593 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Surprise April 28, 2011

By Leslie Thompson

Format:Kindle Edition

I tend to like stories that involve characters and plot lines with some depth to them. "The Reluctant" did not disappoint.

The main character is a fairly normal guy and has many of the every day stress factors that many of us encounter in our own lives. Money is tight and he is bored with his life. I found myself able to relate. His solutions to those problems create moral dilemmas and I found myself rooting for him to make the right decisions as he was drawn deeper into the intrigue that is the center of the plot.

However, right and wrong can be hard to distinguish in the real world and the author did a good job presenting the main character's conflicts.

The action, when it occurs, is crisp and detailed. No punches are pulled. The dialogue is natural, easy to follow, and has a surprising amount of humor mixed in. I found myself giggling several times thinking, "I see what you did there." I may have to re-read it to see what I missed.

If you like good guys with flaws, bad guys to hate, and characters who are more than they first appear to be, you will enjoy this book.

I will definitely be buying the next in the series!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't be reluctant to read this book. May 29, 2011

By MH

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I had wanted to read this book before, but it was only available in digital download. When I received my Kindle last week, this was one of the first titles that I put on it. A true "can't put it down" type of book. Interesting storyline, with enough twists and turns to keep your interest, but not so much as to make the story confusing and hard to follow. The author interjects a sarcasm and dry wit that adds just enough humor to the dramatic scenes, without overdoing it and taking away from the impact of the action. The book, like a good movie, was over too soon, and I'm very much looking forward to his next work.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story! May 15, 2011

By Paul R. Hetzer

Format:Kindle Edition

The writers style keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the twists and turns of this wonderfully written intriguing story. Although the storyline is serious the author injects subtle humor throughout the novel that had me chuckling and empathizing with the main character.

For a non-pilot like me it was nice to have some of the ins and outs of piloting a small plane described in the story without the normal 'talking down' to the non-pilot reader that I have seen in other novels.

This is a definite must read for any suspense novel official-ado and I look forward to the continuing saga.

More About the Author

C.S. Splitter is a businessman living in rural Maryland with his beautiful wife, small dog, and astonishingly large cat. He is an avid shooter and enjoys any "stick" time he can finagle.


The Willing, the second volume in The Crayder Chronicles, was published in November 2011. Volume three, The Unmasked, will be published in June of 2012.