Sorry I was not able to read you book but it went to archive before I could get to it. Sorry once again.

Terrific characters and a well thought out plot make this debut novel wonderfully entertaining!

If you know the name Hart Hanson, it's probably as the creator of the hit TV series Bones, loosely based on the life and writings of author and forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs. Bones somehow manages to remain breezy and light despite the grizzly and gory deaths the show's characters are always investigating.

With his first novel, Hart Hanson manages to pull of the same trick. In The Driver, one-time Army Special Forces officer Michael Skellig is trying to live a quiet life. Running his limousine company affords him an OK living but his real goal for the business is to employ veterans who might not otherwise be able to earn a living. His team includes Lucky, an undocumented Afghan immigrant and lady's man who once translated for American military forces, Tinkertoy, a genius-level auto mechanic suffering from severe PTSD, and Ripple, a permanently stoned 19-year-old who lost both his legs to a sniper.

During a routine job chauffeuring for Bismarck Avila, a millionaire skateboard entrepreneur, Skellig saves his client's life from a pair of amateur assassins and ends up being coerced into taking over the role of Avila's bodyguard. This new job puts Skellig and his ragtag team at the center of a Elmore Leonard-esque crime plot involving crooked cops, motorcycle gangs, ghostly voices floating on the wind, and barrels full of laundered cash. Not to mention Skellig's potential love interests, a high-powered lawyer and a police detective who can't decide whether to assist him or take him in for questioning.

Like his show Bones, Hanson's novel is a good humored, pleasant way to spend some time, which is saying something considering the violent treatment its main characters both receive and dole out.

It's not often you hear a fresh and unique voice in the world of mysteries, but this book presents one. Main character Michael Skellig is a veteran who manages to be violent, screwed up and totally likable all at the same time.

Skellig, a decorated soldier who spent time in the the murky world of special ops, came back with PTSD and an abiding concern for other wounded warriors. He bought a limo service and his staff of three is just as compelling as he is: Lucky, an Afghan interpreter who seems to intuitively tap into Skellig's thoughts; Tinkertoy, a female soldier who survived torture and rape and can function only within a strict set of rules; and Ripple, a young double amputee who would not be able to participate in polite society but is ok with his comrades.

They watch out for each other and it all tenuously works until Skellig is forced to take a job driving for Bismarck Avila, a zillionaire skateboard king. Someone is trying to find something and isn't above killing and hurting to do it -- and Avila is seemingly the only one who knows where the missing items are. The scenes between Avila and Skellig are priceless -- terrific dialogue, humor, and high intelligence on both sides.

Caution: there is a ton of violence in this book, not sanitized bops on the head, but torture and maiming and killing. And Skellig, likable as he is, is a killer -- not indiscriminate, but willing and able if the circumstances permit it. The main ensemble characters are interesting, and the interactions and repartee are excellent. Factor in a passionate young female lawyer who is Skellig's sometime girlfriend, and a female cop who plays hardball and is a subject of Skellig's fantasies. Skellig's parents are finely drawn as well.

I'm not certain if this is a stand alone or if we will see Skellig and his motley crew again. But either way, this was a terrific read. Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in return for an honest review.

Michael Skellig is ex-Army, current limo driver, and leader of a rag tag foursome of ex-military dealing with the aftermath of their own personal hells. When he accidentally saves the life of his skateboard mogul client, Skellig is blackmailed into working exclusively for him. This draws him and his employees back into a dangerous world where someone is trying to kill them, the skateboarder, and looking for barrels. Written in the first person, the story is full of Skellig's internal stories about himself and his employees all presented in a casual conversational tone. Mr. Hanson did a wonderful job of developing his characters, to the point that I wondered if this would be the first in a series. I would read them!

I received this ebook as an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from Netgalley. Thank you to them. But I didn’t feel it lived up to its synopsis. I expected more of a fast moving, edge-of-your seat thriller. This one seemed much slower than the average thriller. Skellig, a former Army Special Forces operator in Afghanistan, now owns a limo service. The folks who work for him are a quirky band of characters, to say the least. Bismarck Avila, a famous skateboarder hires Skellip to chauffeur him around and that’s where the trouble begins. Told in first person, from Skellig’s point of view, some romance sneaks in along with which of the people he interacts with can he trust.

If you like violence, suspense, spiced with humor, this is the novel for you. Many, many readers give it very high marks. It's just not what I typically read.

The Driver by Hart Hanson is about Michael Skellig, the owner of a limousine company. He's also a military veteran, and employs an interesting crew of other veterans, each with their own defined personalities, injuries, and traumas. While on a job, Skellig is waiting in the alley and hears voices of those he's killed on the wind, warning of danger. He rushes inside to see someone attempt to kill his employer, and Skellig is blackmailed into serving exclusively as the driver to said employer, a skateboard star turned mogul named Bismarck Avila. He doesn't love the arrangement, considering someone is still trying to kill Avila, but he nonetheless attempts to solve the mystery surrounding the murder attempt, while also dealing with his shambles of a relationship with a lawyer and the police who suspect him of various wrongdoings.

I will admit I picked this book up due solely to the fact that Hart Hanson, creator of Bones, wrote it. I love Bones and I'm still very sad it ended last spring. One thing I really liked about it was the wittiness and offbeat sense of humor it had. I was hoping to find those things here as well, and it did not disappoint. All of the characters are very  much their own people, which leads to some sadness, some happiness, and some out loud chuckles. Skellig, as the narrator, has a very dry sense of humor that I really appreciated and came to enjoy.

The story was more of a mystery than the thriller I expected, but it was solid nonetheless. In the beginning, it seemed to jump around a lot, but eventually settled into a cohesive narrative that I really enjoyed. The mystery was solid and drew me in, but I really loved reading about Skellig and his life the most. He fascinated me, as did his limo crew and the women in his life (a lawyer & her best friend--a cop). I would love to see a sequel written, if only to follow their lives for a longer amount of time.

Overall, this book was a solid mystery read. It was funny and entertaining, but also dealt with some of the realities of living in the US as a veteran. Skellig, who hears the voices of those he's killed on the wind, is a fascinating character in his own right, but the supporting characters were great additions to his narrative. Just like on Bones, the mystery is important, but the people are really what make the novel what it is. I hope to see more of these characters in the future!

Note: I received this book from Netgalley & the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

An Ex-Speical Forces Limo Driver Gets Wrapped into a Murder Plot

Michael Skelling, owner of a limo company, is waiting for his fare in an alley behind a hotel. He’s been driving Bismark Avila, a skateboard rapper, for the last twenty-eight hours and wonders when Avila will get tired and go home.

A voice on the Santa Ana wind, like that of a Chechen torturer he shot in Yemen, warns Michael of danger. Knowing not to disregard the warning, he charges into the hotel just in time to save Avila from a bullet, but not before Avila’s body guard is killed. When Michael wakes up in the hospital, he finds he’s implicated in the murder. Avila refuses to alibi him unless he agrees to be his personal driver which puts Michael in a direct line to take a bullet for his employer.

The book is packed with action and snappy dialog. The ending is quite violent. Michael seems almost superhuman. The plot is filled with twists. It’s almost impossible to figure out what’s behind the murders until the very end.

For me, the best part of the novel was the quirky characters Michael employs in his limo service. Two are wounded veterans, one is his Afghan interpreter. The veterans are damaged, fighting their demons, but they are all supportive of each other and willing to sacrifice their lives, if necessary, to save each other.

I recommend this book if you enjoy fast paced action and interesting characters.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

Thank you Netgalley and Dutton for the chance to review. All opinions are my own. Publish Date: 8/8/17

Michael Skellig hears the voices of the men he has killed and through his work in the military and his secret work for the government he has killed many people. Even after settling down into a more civilized life as a limo driver he cannot escape his past.

When he is hired to drive for a celebrity skateboard mogul, Bismark Avila. Avila, a former “street rat” has not been able to escape his past either. He has been involved with a vile criminal who now has decided he wants to kill everyone around Avila until Avila gives him what is his.

Did Avila hire Skellig just to drive or for his capabilities from his past? Through a cast of characters ranging from Skellig’s motley crew of veterans that help him run his business to his attorney on again off again girlfriend and his girlfriends best friend who is a detective with the LAPD he must figure out a way to keep all of those he loves safe while figuring out a solution to Avila’s problem.

So action packed you will wish you could possibly read faster! Every explosion and gunshot jump off the page as if watching a movie while you read. This will not disappoint anyone who enjoys suspenseful thrillers!
5⭐️’s

Loved it! Michael Skellig, a former Special Forces sergeant, now runs a limo service, staffed with a strong, loyal group of wounded veterans and his Afghani translator. He runs into problems with one of his clients, and has to keep everyone alive as he solves the mystery. The Driver has a unique, memorable cast of characters, smart, snappy dialogue, and a great story with a great hero. I pretty much raced through this book, and can't wait to read more! Written by the scriptwriter for Bones, this would translate just as easily to a TV series. It's a quick but compelling read, humorous, deadly and moving by turns. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the arc. I hope we don't have to wait long for the next installment!

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review this book. However since I did not finish it I will not review it on public sites.

For me the main character just wasn't someone I card about or could relate to in any way. Perhaps I should have researched more before requesting. By 30% of the way in it just was too violent and had too much sex in it. Just a case of "not my type of book"

Thanks again for the opportunity

This one just wasn't for me. I couldn't connect with the characters and had a difficult time getting into the plot.

I'd rate this between 4 and 4.5 stars.

When I saw that Hart Hanson, creator of the television show Bones, had written a thriller, I jumped on it pretty quickly. And while there are certainly similarities between the show and the book, particularly the smart-ass banter between the characters, The Driver is a rip-roaring, complex, humorous, and satisfying thrill ride, with some fantastically memorable characters.

Michael Skellig is a limo driver, the owner of his own limousine company. A former Army Special Forces officer who has seen and done things he doesn't like to talk or think about, he hears voices on the wind of those he has killed in the past. But strangely, these voices don't mean him harm, they warn him of impending danger, and sometimes force him to wise up before something goes totally awry. Skellig's employees are all fellow veterans, each with their own set of issues to deal with, whether physical, emotional, or cultural.

"I don't know for absolute sure whether the voices I hear in the wind are supernatural or if they're just in my head. Do they tell me things I don't know or things I just don't know consciously? Are those voices my own guilty subconscious trying to tell me something and the only way to get my attention is to speak to me in the voices of those whose lives I've taken? Or do ghosts actually exist?"

Skellig has spent more than a day driving Bismarck Avila, a skateboard star-turned-business mogul, from place to place. While waiting for Avila to come out of a hotel, he is waiting with his car in an alley when the voice of one of his victims warns him that trouble is on the way. He rushes into the hotel and is able to thwart an attack on Avila's life, although in the process one of Avila's bodyguards is killed. And when Skellig wakes up in the hospital a few hours later, he finds himself the only suspect in the bodyguard's murder.

Being at the right and wrong place at the right and wrong time throws Skellig into the midst of Avila's problems, which further intensify around the time he blackmails Skellig into becoming his personal driver. People around Avila keep winding up dead, and Skellig is too curious and too noble just to let things unfold around him. And as the danger mounts for Skellig and his colleagues, it also causes friction in his relationships with his sometime-girlfriend (and attorney), Connie, and his friend and periodic nemesis, Detective Delilah Groopman, Connie's best friend, with whom Skellig has always been a bit infatuated.

The Driver is a wild ride which will make one hell of a movie. Hanson has created some complex characters whom I hope to see more of, and as you might imagine, he has a knack for memorable dialogue and some pretty fantastic action scenes. He throws in some gimmicks as well which irritated me a little—in trying to describe how one character speaks, he writes many of the words this character says In Capital Letters, and another tends to talk in fragments, so. He writes. That way. (See what I mean?)

But those quirks aside, I really enjoyed this book and hope it's just the start of a long relationship with Skellig and his ragtag band of compatriots. This is a fun, cool read, and hopefully it marks the start of a fantastic writing career for Hanson.

NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

Michael Skellig, ex-army, runs his Los Angeles limo company with a small contingent of fellow veterans: Lucky, his wise Afghan interpreter, Tinkertoy, his Amazonian mechanic, and Ripple, his smart-mouthed, amputee dispatcher. While waiting for his client, a YouTube-famous skateboarding rapper, the voice of one of the men he's killed whispers that something isn't right. Skellig barges onto the scene just in time to save his client and to involve himself and his crew in a world of trouble involving deceit, millions, corrupt law enforcement, and all the action sequences your heart could desire.

Fans of Carl Hiassen will absolutely love this crime fiction debut from Hart Hanson. The novel is terrifically sharp. I grinned through much of the book with a good number of involuntary guffaws sprinkled in. The story is filled with a wild cast of characters and circumstances. Skellig's narrative is wonderfully fun in the face of some pretty dire situations. A quick and pleasurable read. Recommended for a reader looking for a good time and a must-read for Hiassen fans.