Book Review: Cleopatra's Vendetta (Stryker #1) by Avanti Centrae
Narrated by Tim Campbell
Published by Thunder Creek Press, November 15, 2022

★★★★☆ (4.25 Stars)
Positive!

Fast-paced with short chapters like a full throttle Jack Bauer season of "24" counted down, Avanti Centrae crafts a dizzying tour de force to introduce her new protagonist, Timothy Stryker, a Think Tank Special Ops leader cum CIA adjunct operator, along his team (and family).

Veering off the ancient mysteries of the Winter Solstice (VanOps Book 2) and the prophetic quatrains of M. Michel de Nostredame (VanOps Book 3), Avanti Centrae offers her take on the legend of Cleopatra, even as her protagonist Stryker force find themselves juxtaposed against the lingering legacies of the Egyptian Queen (61-30 BC) and the Roman Emperor Octavian (aka Gaius Octavius Thurinus aka Caesar Augustus, 63 BC-14 AD), long after that decisive Battle of Actium in 31 BC that saw the Octavian defeat Cleopatra and Mark Antony.

On a seven-day mission to save the world, the Stryker team pursues an ancient cult raising havoc through the assassination of world leaders, Deepfake technology, kidnapping and sex-trafficking, as they barrel through places in Saudi Arabia, Italy, India, Greece, through the seven hills of Rome, to Taposiris Magna in Alexandria, Egypt off the Mediterranean, generally reputed as burial grounds for Cleopatra and Mark Antony, the Roman General and Triumvir.

And finally to a mysterious islet called Eden on the Adriatic sea...

// "Man's most valuable trait is a judicious sense of what not to believe." - Euripides (Circa 450 BC) (Cited by Avanti Centrae) //

Two things that make for pleasurable reading in the author's novels: One, a well-researched twist on something historically mysterious or significant. And, two, a bucket list to exotic far-flung places inexorably tied to the twist.

Once again, Avanti Centrae delivers for her readers - and readers to be!

Review based on an advanced reading copy courtesy of Thunder Creek Press and NetGalley.

First of all, I would like to thank Thunder Creek Press, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks, Avanti Centrae, and NetGalley for allowing me to read/listen to this ARC free for an honest review.

My initial interest in this book was its historical aspect. It was refreshing to see a different approach to Cleopatra, as a beautiful woman with a lot of smarts--perhaps even a bit of a trickster--instead of the time and tried one of her being a "romantic femme fatale" who committed suicide by an asp's bite. It was obvious that Avanti did a lot of research, not only about Cleopatra but also about artificial intelligence deepfakes and modern propaganda techniques, military think tanks, and sadly the massive worldwide issues regarding sex-trafficking. Being able to weave a story around these topics made for a good read. I give that part of this book 5 stars.

However, I pulled back to an overall 4 star rating only because I had some trouble with one of the main characters. For me, perhaps not for other readers, maybe I was being overly critical, but in the case of one of Angie, I felt perhaps too much emphasis was placed on her difficulties dealing with the tragic death of a newborn and finding "comfort" from a bottle. instead of being able to properly grieve. I'm not being unsympathetic here either. It took away from the importance of her having been kidnapped and facing possibly being sold off as part of an international sex-trafficking ring. For me, it just felt like it was being way overused for the story the way it kept being brought up so much. Perhaps though, she was meant to be a weaker female character, versus her very strong sister, Sam, and through her experiences with the sex traffickers, made stronger.

Nevertheless, the way the other military characters, such as Rey, was portrayed was a bit better and I was able to empathize better with them and their PTSD. To me, it wasn't as overdone. For that reason, I think I could have been more sympathetic to Angie had it not seemed like she came off with "woe is me" and she could have been a much stronger lead female character, such as the secondary characters of Luna and Zola (seemed to me) were. That's not to say that Angie didn't have her moments.

Despite how I felt about a few of the characters, the over all story had a good pace for the action scenes, which made Cleopatra's Vendetta a strong book.

I wasn't sure how much of the book I would actually read as an e-book versus listening to the audiobook version. I wound up listen to about 60-70 percent of more, so I should also say that the narrator, Tim Campbell did a wonderful reading, so it was a pleasure for me to listen to the story. He did an excellent job with voicing the characters and using accents.

So if you either read an e-book, hardcopy, or listen to the audiobook, overall, I think if you enjoy historical fiction with some intrigue, mystery, suspense, adventure, international locations, and a race-against-time elements, you will enjoy Cleopatra's Vendetta.

Cleopatra’s Vendetta is the first book in the Stryker series by Avanti Centrae.
In short, Think Tank Special Ops leader Tim Stryker and wife, ex CIA agent Angie take a much needed Italian break but it shockingly ends when Angie and their daughter are kidnapped and vanish into thin air. This results into a fierce fight against time to find and save his wife & daughter from a centuries old secret and powerfully dangerous man cult who despise women.
I really enjoyed Cleopatra’s Vendetta, it’s an action packed thriller briskly paced through a labyrinth of mystery, a clever blend of fact and fiction which leaves you thinking about it long after the last page. My only tiny niggle was the cringy ‘old school’ writing of the love interest between Rey & Jane, however, the Cleopatra plot was masterful.
Big thanks to Avanti Centrae, Thunder Creek Press and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

Royal secrets. Epic lies. This "dangerous" and controversial standalone thriller from international bestselling VanOps author Avanti Centrae is a fast-paced bombshell of a story about truth and courage.

Global Thriller First Place Winner — Chanticleer International Book Awards

Runner Up — Paris Book Festival

Born a goddess, Cleopatra died a prisoner. But the cobra's deadly kiss was just the beginning...

Bari, Italy, present day. Think tank Special Ops leader Timothy Stryker and his wife Angie, a self-made CEO, haven’t exactly been seeing eye-to-eye. They take a much-needed Italian holiday, but it comes to a shocking end when Angie and their daughter are kidnapped.

Still raw from the death of their infant son, Stryker is desperate to rescue Angie and reconcile their differences. As he works to locate the captors’ lair, he discovers the kidnappers are behind a string of recent assassinations and attempting another high-profile hit in only seven days. But when he learns their plans for his only remaining child, the scab on his heart tears open and blood begins to spill.

Working from inside her brutal captors’ high-security compound, Angie realizes the cabal is hiding an ancient secret using modern propaganda techniques. And as Stryker races hitmen across India, Egypt, and Greece to thwart the next assassination and save his family, he has to connect a series of deadly dots tracing all the way back to the time of Cleopatra. Ultimately, the estranged pair must shake the deeply buried pillars of western civilization to save their four-year-old daughter from an unspeakable fate.
A gripping tale!

I’m a big fan of global thrillers that delve in ancient mysteries that have the potential of impacting present-day society. Cleopatra's Vendetta fits the bill with a connection that goes as far back as the legendary Cleopatra.

Special Ops M2 leader Timothy Stryker and his team are tasked with preventing some world leaders from being assassinated. Some have already been hit and more are being targeted but no one has claimed responsibility thus far.

Stryker is grappling with marital issues with his wife Angie, a self-made CEO, following the death of their infant son. To cool off, they take a much-needed holiday with their daughter Harper. But this does not go well. Stryker gets called back to duty, and Angie and their daughter are kidnapped. Desperate to patch up his differences with Angie, Striyker swings in action to try to rescue them.

Working with intel from his team members, he discovers that The Sons of Adam, a mysterious group with links to the ancient past, is behind a string of abductions, including Angie’s and his daughter, for sinister purposes. He also discovers that the kidnappers are behind the high-profile killings and planning another hit in the next few days. In their quest for answers, he and his team keep hearing the name of Cleopatra. They learn that before she died of snake poisoning, she had some secrets locked up in a secret location in Egypt. What have these secrets got to do with The Sons of Adam? They must race against time to connect the deadly dots to the ancient secrets to be able to not only to rescue his family but also thwart the next assassination, failing which a worldwide catastrophe will happen.

This is my first Centrae read and I must say I loved it. I enjoyed the fast-paced action narrative and the suspense that builds up to a show-down with the kidnappers and assassins. The historical research that went into this novel lends it authenticity, making it a challenge for one to separate fact from fiction. But, as always, Centrae, being true to her craft, helps to clear up the mystery. The novel is indeed a real treat for a thriller fan like me.

A word of thanks to Netgalley and Thunder Creek Press for the opportunity to enjoy this read. My review is given voluntarily.

NEW series, suspense, action, thriller, threats, assassins, international-crime-and-mystery, artifact, tomb-raiders, covert-ops, survival, espionage, abduction, political-intrigue, international-tensions, historical-research, intrigue, psychological, trafficking, tragedy, friendship, family, ruthless, severest-misogyny, conspiracy, treasure-hunt, cabal*****

Another complex and unpredictable thriller from the author of the VanOps series.
The author's world class imagination and ability to project it from the page into the mind of this reader plus the sense of urgency and suspense make this another winner.
The publisher's blurb is pretty good for an intro, and no spoilers here. An amazing read!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Thunder Creek Press/Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) via NetGalley.

This was an enjoyable and easy read; fast-paced and intriguing though I personally found no attachment to any of the characters and whilst the concept was relatively unique, I thought it was under-developed.
A 3/5 for me.

A race to save his wife and daughter lead Tim Stryker across continents. Adventure intertwined with history takes you on a thrill ride. Well paced and good characters.
I received this book from Thunder Creek press and Netgalley for a review.

#CleopatrasVendetta #AvantiCentrae #TimCampbell #ThunderCreekPress #IBPA #NetGalley

This is a rollicking tale of action and adventure spanning continents and centuries.

When Tim Stryker with Special Ops learns that his wife Angie and daughter Harper have been kidnapped by an unscrupulous group called the Sons of Adam, he initiates a frantic search across the globe.

Tim learns that this shadowy group has existed for centuries, waging a covert war on women, trying to demean and belittle them by molding public opinion and influencing narratives, using propaganda, misinformation and in the modern era, deep fakes.

This brand of virulent misogyny takes various forms, one of which is to kidnap and brutalize women and children.

Even Cleopatra was not spared this defamation and how she chose to deal with this on her own terms, gives an interesting dimension to this story.

Tim with his team races against time to unravel the clues from past and present and save his wife and child.

This nefarious group also plans to sow chaos and disruption on a global scale by assassinating key figures and seeding conspiracies and violent discontent.

Will he be able to stop this evil?

This was an entertaining ALC with familiar overtones.

The narration is expressive.

I was intrigued by the premise of the plot, but the book didn't work for me so I wasn't able to finish it.

I'll leave a neutral 3 star review since I didn't finish it.

loved this book! Could not put it down! Loved the action. Even though she knew is was going to die she still had a plan to have her revenge. The author did great combining cleopatra's story with a modern day family twist.

I enjoyed this novel. It was written many short chapters. Each chapter concentrated on a certain character and their portion of the plot. I enjoyed this format. It is not what I am used to for reading. I also listened to this in audio format, but I preferred the written version.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thunder Creek Press and Avanti Centrae for allowing me to read this before publication.

This book is totally gripping and kept me up late into the night to finish it.

Shortly before her death, Cleopatra had secret items and a journal hidden...

Present day: Tim Stryker is on a mission to find out who is taking out world leaders, having to cut short his family vacation. Stinging from an argument they had, Angie, Tim's wife, meets with some friends for a drink. The three of them are served tainted drinks and are taken, along with Angie's daughter and her friend, Reno's daughter.

As Tim and Angie's sister Sam, along with other agents from M2, a secret government agency, race to find clues, they uncover an ancient society dedicated to finding Cleopatra's secret journal. How are the disappearances connected to the journal?

In this book, we follow Special Ops leader Stryker and his team as they investigate a series of assassinations. But then Stryker's wife, Angie, got kidnapped along with their daughter and their friends. Then clues started emerging that might have something to do with Cleopatra. As is common in these kind of books, these seemingly different plotlines merge into one point. The storyline is quite predictable though, especially for this genre. So overall, it's an enjoyable book if you like thrillers with a side of history lessons.

What I liked about this novel – the action, the drama, the intricate details involving the special ops agents and how they work together to solve the issue and prevent untold damage.
I liked the international intrigue and the settings in various cities with long histories and hidden mysteries.
The fact that Angie didn't just sit back and wait to be rescued. She methodically assessed her situation and looked for ways she could not only save herself, but everyone else as well. She was the epitome of what The Sons of Adam despised.
The history and science intertwined to make a credible story. It was a lot like Indiana Jones meets James Bond or Laim Neeson.

The spy story was fast-paced, informative, well researched and totally intriguing. I felt that the small sections of romance and more intimate sections were a little forced and not natural. I would have like to the characters to have had a little more depth to them. But the story would have been great even without the romance, as it was exciting and entertaining.

At the end I feel that the motivation for the Sons of Adam group was not worthy of such a dramatic and horrible plan. It fell somewhat flat for me. The topic is a very real one and important in today's society, but it lost a little impact in the telling.

Overall this was a great international spy thriller, that appealed to my historical fiction lover side as well.

I thought this was a well written book with well developed characters. This book has a lot of action and intrigue too.
I was expecting it to be more about looking for Cleopatra’s treasure than sex trafficking.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

I tried to read it as it was a very interesting storyline. I just couldn't! It lacked in keeping my attention and in the end, a book that I put down and just couldn't pick back up again.

This was an excellent book. This historical aspect was very educational. I love learning about Cleopatra, and this was an interesting look into her history. I would definitely recommend this book to others. It was a very well written story and the plot was just awesome. I am giving this five stars.

Didn’t take long to read this book, I am a fan of Indiana Jones type plots. Two seemingly unconnected missions that came together. Didn’t think it flowed as well as it could have, but a good read overall.

What does Cleopatra and a Special Ops commander have in common? More than you would imagine. Tim Stryker is the leader of an elite Special Ops team. He is in Italy, with his wife, a smart, driven, powerful CEO. They are on holidays with their daughter, Harper, trying to save their fast crumbling marriage following the death of their infant son. The holiday comes to an abrupt halt when Angie and Harper are kidnapped.

Stryker will stop at nothing to get his family back. But this is more than a simple kidnapping. As his team gets to work on the case, working to find where the kidnappers base is, they discover a connection to a recent string of assassinations. While Stryker and team are working from the outside, Angie is using her smarts to work on escaping from the kidnappers' compound. She unearths a dark secret, linking the group to a plot that connects all the way back to Cleopatra herself.

This book managed to weave two completely seemingly unrelated, and unrelatable, topics together in a fascinating manner. As a thriller, it would have been action paced and engaging, but not the most memorable of reads. But weaving in the historical fiction, and the mystery wound throughout was a tantalising hook, keeping you completely vested in the outcome throughout.

Think Indiana Jones, meets Dan Brown, meets National Treasure, meets Liam Neeson in Taken. Then stir it all up, add in some kick ass female characters, and you have a page turner on your hands!

*I received this book from NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.