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The Last Second

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NASA astronaut, Neveah Patel, has been grounded. While on a mission in space she had a near death experience when she became untethered from the International Space Station. During those harrowing moments she believes she was saved by an exo-planetary species - The NUMEN. However, when NASA reviewed the shuttle transmissions after the incident there was no evidence of anyone else, human or otherwise, besides Neveah and her team. NASA's belief is that she suffered a delusional event brought about by this traumatic event. Neveah feels that the head NASA psychiatrist has it in for her. She believes the determination is unjust and led by jealously rather than science.
She embarks on an endeavor to reunite with the Numen and bring peace to the world. But as time goes by Neveah becomes more delirious, more fraught, and more bitter as she feels slighted and betrayed by NASA. Quickly, she becomes bent on revenge. Her new aim - destroy the International Space Station and be granted immortality by the Numen. In order to achieve this goal she has to rid Earth from the "noise" created by our cellular devices and satellites. Her grand plan is to send a nuclear bomb up into space to set off an electromagnetic pulse that would effectively shut down the world's electrical grid. With the potential to bring about a world war Special Agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine do not have much time to recover the Holy Grail, capture Neveah and her psychopathic killing machine of a lover, defuse a nuclear bomb and save the world. As you can guess <b>The Last Second</b> takes place in break neck speed and is action packed.

I just had a bit of a time with this book and I am not sure why. This is my second Coulter book. I really liked the first one, <b>Paradox</b>, a lot which is why I requested this one. I think it is because I was in the middle of a reading slump. I've gone over a whole week without completing <b>a</b> book. Usually I read a book a day or two. So I am going to blame this one on me and my slump. For now this book will suffer a three star rating, but I will definitely return and read more from Catherine Coulter.

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The Last Second is the sixth book in the Brit in the FBI series by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison. The story centers around the actions of a grounded astronaut’s obsession with space, her boss, a billionaire treasure hunter and his obsession with the Holy Grail.

The adventure starts with FBI agents Nicholas Drummond (the Brit) and Michaela (Mike) Caine going to rescue of their friend. This is where the story truly begins. There is action that holds you from the start up until the last second.
I was thoroughly invested in the story and the thrills from the action throughout. The characters are interesting and well developed. Reading the first five books in the series is not necessary. There is enough backstory to learn about the main characters and develop a relationship with them.
Catherine Coulter and J. T. Ellison have written an exciting mystery. I highly recommend this book to all readers. Thank you to #Netgalley and #GalleryBooks for approving my request. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

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The Last Second by Catherine Coulter, J. T. Ellison is a recommended thriller, highly for the right reader, and 6th in the Brit in the FBI Series.

Dr. Nevaeh Patel is an astronaut who left NASA after she returned from a mission on the International Space Station with claims that aliens, who she calls the Numen, saved her life.She was declared unfit to return to space and she resigned. Currently she is working for Galactus, a French company which launches satellites into space. The owner of Galactus, Jean-Pierre Broussard, is on a treasure hunt in his yacht for the Holy Grail. Nevaeh has nefarious plans into place. She has placed a nuclear bomb on the current satellite sent into space and plans to detonate it, causing an EMP. Then she believes the Numen will come and she will rule the world with them. If she can take the Holy Grail from Jean-Pierre Broussard, then she believes the Grail will give her immortality.

FBI Special Agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine are on vacation when they learn that their friend Grant, a body guard for Broussard, is in trouble and they leap into action to help him. They also learn about the plan to cause an EMP which they need to stop.

This is an action-packed thriller, but it also expects you to swallow a whole load of disbelief and improbabilities for the bulk of the action to take place. I had a difficult time with this. I imagine fans of the series who have read the other books in it will accept any scenario to get to the action and the subsequent denouement. There is just a few days to stop crazy people doing believable things while a hurricane is coming, and maybe aliens.

Now, the quality of the writing is very good, which helps the acceptance of some of the absurdities. The main characters aren't quit as well developed as a new reader would hope, but this is also the sixth book in the series. New readers might want to start with earlier books for a greater understanding of the background of these characters. The new characters are basically well developed.

This is an exciting book I like thrillers and can accept quite a lot of speculation in the action, but this novel went just a bit too far afield. If I find myself shaking my head and talking back to the novel, it is not a good sign. Fans of the series will likely jump right in and ignore any questionable occurrences. Start with the earlier books, if possible, for a better reading experience.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Gallery Books.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2019/03/the-last-second.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2765883969
https://www.librarything.com/work/22260361/book/167211262
https://twitter.com/SheTreadsSoftly/status/1111057304605085697

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The Last Second is packed to the brim with break-neck speed and thrilling suspense.

Whether you love coding, FBI thrillers, space, or fantasy The Last Second has something you’ll love. It amazed me how absolutely versatile it is.

One of the things I love most is the lack of steam and foul language, making this suitable for a much larger audience!

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If you are looking for a hold your breath thriller this is the one! Just all the information and threats of an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) is enough to scare the living days out of you, especially since the information and threats are reality based.
The story is full on rapid movement that will get your heart going at every turn. It’s an excellent novel, just excellent!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Once again Catherine Coulter and J. T. Ellison have taken their writing to new heights, quite literally! Reading this I was immediately launched into an adventure that took me to the heights of the International Space Station and to the depths of the Indian Ocean.

Our wonderful hero and heroine, Special Agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine are having a lovely vacation when they are called into action, when someone aboard the eccentric treasure hunter Jean-Pierre Broussard’s ship has sent out a message about a pending EMP attack.

Jean-Pierre, founder of Galactus, a company that builds and launches satellites, has been seeking the Holy Grail and he has found in it in the depths of the Indian Ocean. Jean-Pierre has no clue there is someone in his company that has taken one of his satellites and armed it with a nuclear powered EMP and that same person is coming to steal the Holy Grail.

Galactus’ second in command, Dr. Nevaeh Patel, once a famous astronaut, had contact with aliens on her last trip to the International Space Station. The Numen saved Nevaeh’s life when her safety line snapped while outside the Space Station. Since that day she has longed to go back into space and be with the Numen. There were many that didn’t believe her story when she came home and told what had transpired. She thought she would become famous for being the first human to have contact with aliens, instead she was thought to have had a mental breakdown. It has taken years to get to this point but now that she has the Holy Grail in her possession the countdown has begun for her to have her revenge on all who doubted her. No one will be able to stop her from joining the Numen and ruling the world.

Catherine Coulter and J. T. Ellison certainly have created a fast-paced and exciting tale in this book six of A Brit in the FBI. It had me on the edge of my seat more than once and holding my breath especially as Nick and Mike take a dive headfirst into the churning waters of the Indian Ocean inside a crashed helicopter! I’m not usually one to read an alien tale but there was so much more to this than little green men. Bravo ladies for another outstanding novel!!

Thanks to Gallery Books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Disappointed. While both these writers do write excellent thriller fiction, switching to science fiction was a (bad) stretch for them. I could easily have gotten bored with their setup, which took half the book,but when the action actually started to move they stalled it several times to give more flashback information. The final few chapters were relatively good. This was really just a (slow) action thriller that science and science fiction had little to do with. It is a wonder that I did not put this book down and move on. I did actually finish it and it was okay,; but I wouldn't have missed much if I had just put it down. If you are looking for a sci-fy read look elsewhere.

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HOLY AMAZEBALLS!!! This book grabbed my attention and held on not letting go until I finished the entire book.

Nicholas and Michaela are on the hunt for a rouge Astronut Dr. Nevada Patel. It is quite the adventure full of twist and turns when you least expect it.
Catherine Coulter keeps her readers on their toes on what will happen next.

Who needs sleep? Seriously, I couldn't put the book down. Talk about book hangover.
I more than highly recommended reading this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books

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Thank you so much to Gallery books and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first novel by Catherine Coulter and who knows what number by J.T. Ellison. I honestly couldn't get into this novel. I think if I had read the first books in this series it would have helped but this one was way too "out there" for me. Also I feel if I had read the previous novels before this I wouldn't have been so confused and struggled to figure out who was who and who was doing what at the beginning. That slowed down my reading a lot as I had to keep re-reading certain parts I was confused on to figure out what was going on. Once I got further in the book it made more sense but I feel as someone coming into this series as a newbie I was completely lost and didn't have a grasp on the characters.

The beginning of the book seemed to drag on and on to the point where I was getting bored. All that was talked about was Nevaeh and her whining and complaining and then finally about halfway through it started to get a little more interesting but still not enough for me to enjoy it. I'm not sure if it's because I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi but everything seemed so far fetched to me to the point I wanted to roll my eyes. The suspense parts of this novel didn't really thrill me or leave me gasping wanting to know what would happen next.

One thing I did enjoy about this book was the characters and their humor and banter with each other once I figured out who everyone was and what role they played in this book. That alone makes me want to read the other books in the series but this one was a flop for me. I prefer J.T. Ellison as a mystery writer and will continue to read her books and might pick up Catherine Coulter's as well.

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This book is a real page turner full of action. It is written in such a way that it is rather believable of this happening for real.
It has a bit of everything nicely pulled together to form an interesting story.
An intelligent woman who is obsessed with revenge for not been believed and feels that she has been unfairly treated. Terrorist actions. FBI and CIA involvement. Space missions. All by all I really enjoyed this book.

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Warning! Don't start this one at night if you expect to go to sleep. This is a fast paced read you will not be able to put down until you finish it, at least that was the case for me. I picked it up late Saturday afternoon and finished it early Sunday morning before I was able to finally go to bed. Sleep, no way! This is a thought provoking and spine tingling thriller and crazy, crazy fast paced. It takes place over only 4 days (I think) and WOW, a lot happens through these pages. Dr. Nevaeh Patel, a former astronaut is convinced she was saved by aliens while on a space walk and now she must release an EMP that was launched on a satellite and that along with the Holy Grail that was recently discovered can save her and give her immortality (seriously). This brings in FBI Special Agents Dummond and Caine and it is their job to stop this and they are at their best in this one. Hang on to your bits as you are reading this one! This one thrill ride after another and a fast one too!

**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

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Move over James Bond, there is a new group in town saving the world. The Last Second by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison is another in the Brit Series of Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine. The story line is the scariest believable and totally implausible of their stories yet.. Makes no never mind, because it is 100% thrillingly enjoyable.

Blockbuster of a book that would make an awesome blockbuster of a movie.

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A little bit out there in that I didn't really know what an EMP was or how the nuclear blast would affect anyone on Earth. I'm not sure I really understood it either once it was explained. As usual Nicholas and Mike are in the thick of things and save the day in a spectacular fashion. Love the interaction between them so much. Can't wait to visit them again in the next book (that I assume is coming :) ).

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

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Another wild ride. Mike and Nicholas are having some relaxing days before returning to work. When a friend, Grant, goes missing, they try to find him and the others that were on the ship. They have just disappeared and there is a storm coming. If they don't hurry, they will all be lost. The man Grant was guarding, was searching for the Holy Grail and he found it, but immediately someone drugged them all and sunk the ship. There is so much treachery and someone is about to blow up a satellite in space which could set off a major disaster. They have to figure out who is behind it all and why. It is all tied together? Can they get there in time to stop the madness?

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The Last Second by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison
The characters in this book were not familiar to be but neither was J.T. Ellison. I had to Google to find out who she was. Apparently, this is part of a series, a Brit in the FBI. Regardless of pedigree, the book was enjoyable. An astronaut has a near death experience in orbit. She reports her escape from the peril was facilitated by aliens. The resulting turmoil leads to her dismissal from the program and fuels her desire for revenge.
Jean-Pierre Broussard, a billionaire and a treasure hunter is seeking the Holy Grail. His search and Dr. Nevaeh Patel’s for revenge and redemption coincide.
Mike, Michaela, Caine and her partner, Nicholas the Brit, are drawn into the mystery due to their friendship with Grant whose current posting is guarding Jean-Pierre as he searches for the Holy Grail.
Believe it or not these seemingly incongruous events are pulled together into an acceptable action adventure.
I enjoyed the book.

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The Last Second has it all, with a fast-paced plot filled with twists and turns. The tension builds and builds, and then the ending sets you up for more. Space travel, nuclear bombs, space aliens, and terrorists are all intertwined with finding the Holy Grail. I pretty much read it in one sitting! This would make a great movie.

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Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

I love this series. Mystery-Thriller-Suspense with a touch of fantasy and two wonderful main characters. Each new book is an experience to be savored or read non stop first page to the last, which is how I did it this time around. Lots of wonderful information woven through a plot with non-stop action. Prepare for a sleepless night.

FBI Special Agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine are on vacation, well Mike is recovering from a hairline fracture to her ankle, but they are kicking back and taking it at a slower pace . . . until friend Grant ends up in a situation that requires their assistance.

Jean-Pierre Broussard (think Richard Branson) is the treasure hunting founder of French company, Galactus (think SpaceX). His company is under siege and he has an out of control second-in-command, Dr. Nevaeh Patel. Jean-Pierre is on a quest to find the Holy Grail and the guy is kinda distracted right now. He has hired Grant's company to provide security for this operation.

Former astronaut, Dr. Nevaeh Patel, has high jacked the latest Galactus satellite to deploy an EMP to rid the world of noise, wars and take control of the world for herself and the "aliens", the Numen, who she thinks saved her life in outer space and become immortal with them. Nicholas and Mike have a matter of days to save Grant and stop the deployment of an EMP that would destroy the communications and electronic systems on a good portion of the planet.

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This book is #6 in the series A Brit in the FBI. I haven’t read any of the others, but will likely go back and read the first ones. I like the characters of the FBI agents and their interaction. This book is non-stop action and would likely make a good movie. The lines of good and evil are defined and it is easy to like the heroes and hate the villains. The story is a bit science fiction ish in places as it involves space aliens and the holy grail.

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The Last Second is a well crafted suspense. Great edge of your seat plot that will keep the reader guessing. I highly recommend this book. I received an arc from Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

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Space aliens? Treasure hunting? The Holy Grail? It sounds crazy but somehow the team of Coulter and Ellison gives us another great Brit in the FBI thriller as Nicholas and Mike give chase around the world to stop an atomic bomb! Sit back and enjoy the ride.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

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