The Last Second – Catherine Coulter & J.T. Ellison

I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.

Nicholas Drummond & Michaela Caine are back, as they become embroiled in a case that may result in the Earths destruction…

Astronaut Nevaeh Patel, formerly of NASA, is now the CEO and President of Galactus, a private company that has excelled in flawless launches into space. Grounded by NASA after experts disbelieved her story of extraterrestrial contact while on the International Space Station, Nevaeh has one goal – to either return to space, or to provide an opportunity for the Numen, a highly intelligent species that saved her from drifting off into space on a spacewalk, to descend to Earth. Is she truly in touch with other life? Or suffering from a psychiatric break??

It’s launch day at The Guiana Space Center, and the Galactus 5 rocket is on the pad and in its countdown. Unbeknownst to anyone, the payload, a satellite, has been loaded with plutonium, and Nevaeh has altered its trajectory. When the satellite doesn’t respond to ground control, it is presumed lost, due to a faulty system.

Meanwhile, Galactus owner Jean-Pierre Broussard is out on his yacht, the Griffon, in the Strait of Sumatra, where he has discovered the remains of the Flor de la Mer, a ship that sunk in these very waters over 500 years ago and was rumored to be carrying the Holy Grail. As the object of his search is brought to the deck and revealed, a traitor is drugging the evening meal, and the item is very quickly stolen, before a ballistic missile is fired that strikes the ship and her sleeping crew. Amongst the crew is Grant Thornton, friend of Nicholas & Mike, now missing and presumed dead with the disappearance of the Griffon from radar.

As Nicholas & Mike search desperately for the Griffon and their friend, the clock is ticking on Nevaeh’s plan to detonate a nuclear bomb in space. But can they put the pieces of the puzzle together in time?? A heart-pounding new thriller from the ‘Brit in the FBI’ series. This one will keep you up well into the night!! Great read!!

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Not having read a book in this series of a Brit in the FBI, I was curious about this thriller
A female astronaut is removed from the NASA program after she returns from her mission to the space station. Her mental health is questioned when she insists that aliens have saved her life when her tether to the space station broke, yet she was able to make her way back to safety. She continues to hear the voices and speak with them. For years she makes plans to meet up with these aliens and change the world, while becoming its leader. Her plan involves a nuclear weapon on a satellite circling the earth. Time is running out as the FBI attempt to stop the explosion from happening without throwing the world into pandemonium. The characters were believeable and there was plenty of action. This book made me want to go back and read the first 5 books in this series.

YES! I really LOVE the "Brit in the FBI" series and every time a new book comes out, I am pleased as punch. The familiar characters, the dynamics of the Covert Eyes team and the excitement of a new case just makes my day. Each book has some elements of the out of the ordinary, but this one is really OUT THERE -- as in, out in space!

If you are new to this series, at least read the first one, firs! [Corrected note: "The Final Cut" is book one.] That will give you the feel for the main characters, like the Brit in the FBI himself, Nicholas Drummond. You see, Drummond came to the FBI from a background working at Scotland Yard. Achieving both is notable, as it is something only a dual-citizen could accomplish. It was meeting Michaela Caine that put it all in motion-- the two work together with the unmistakable charisma of a true team. Their knack for finding international cases resulted in the creation of the team called "Covert Eyes" to do what the FBI simply never does: work outside the USA and with the help of connections around the world.

The series works on the premise of combining realistic threats in the world with things that are frankly a little hard to explain from the realm of the fantastical. This time around we learn of the frightening reality of an EMP -- an Electro-Magnetic Pulse, which knocks out computers on small scale, this one is planetary in scale and can be triggered from a satellite launched by the French-based Galactus company. Galactus is owned by a seagoing treasure hunter who longs to find the mythical Holy Grail. Unbeknownst to him, his second in command in the satellite company has created this EMP threat. You see, former NASA astronaut Dr Nevaeh Patel has her own obsession, to unite with a race of extraterrestrials called the Numen. They saved her life while she was doing a spacewalk outside the International Space Station, but no one else on the ISS was aware of them. The Numen have become the focus of Dr. Patel's life.

This EMP is Dr.Patel's method of proving herself to the Numen and achieving everything NASA denied her of when they grounded her. The Holy Grail has a role in her plans as well, so when her boss actually finds the Grail, she has her asset on the ship kill everyone aboard -- or nearly everyone. One survivor is Grant Thornton, yes, from the opening of this story. Tracking their friend Grant when he is missing at sea, Mike and Nicolas receive his signal about the danger of the EMP and set the mission into motion. While Dr. Patel will stop at nothing to achieve her ends, she has yet to see the handiwork of the likes of the Covert Eyes team to thwart her goals. And as with each book, the solution comes at the titular time-frame: "The Last Second."

I have to admit, these books are a total romp. I love this one (nearly) as much as all the others, and I am incapable of being picky about these pesky star ratings when I am in love with a series that progresses with each adventure. Aliens? The Holy Grail? It's a lot of weird to swallow, so I guess I can say it's merely a 4.5 to me, but ... I round up when a series gives me ALL the feels like this. SO! Unsurprisingly, I land at a predictable 5-star rating. Which is just like me saying: More, please, more!

Another collaboration between Catherine Coulter and J T Ellison , The Last Second is a fast moving spy-esque, FBI thriller that covers ground from South America, to France, to an island in the Indian Ocean.

What happens when someone has a near death experience while in outer space? In this case, Dr Nevaeh Patel comes back convinced that the Earth needs to be reset, so that sentient and beneficent aliens can come help us. Unfortunately, that means people have to die to allow her to fulfill her destiny. Special Agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine are pulled into the fray and begin a race to determine who hijacked the Galactus space capsule that was launching a communications satellite into orbit.

With an eye for detail, and a love for suspense, the Coulter/Ellison duo writes a good story.

Even when the members of the Covert Eyes group are on vacation, they can't seem to avoid trouble. Nicholas and Mike are supposed to be enjoying some time off and the beautiful Mediterranean area - but they hear about a downed yacht and spring into action. It is understandable that they would rush to the assistance of the yacht when one of their friends was known to be on board. But things are not as simple as a sinking ship, and would readers really expect anything so uncomplicated from these agents?

As usual in the cases that the team takes on, there are multiple lines to follow and complicated plots to unravel. This time there are ancient shipwrecks, legends of the Holy Grail, satellite launches, stolen nuclear material, an EMP bomb, telescopes, the International Space Station, and aliens. So ... just an average day for the Covert Eyes. The search for answers has Adam hacking into networks best left unnamed, while Nicholas and Mike travel from Italy to Malaysia, Lyon, and Sri Lanka. Along the way there are shootouts, crashes, ambushes, and even an encounter with Al Qaeda and the CIA. Between Nicholas and his skills on the computer and Mike's weapons and hand-to-hand proficiency, they make a great field team even when the rest of their group is halfway around the globe. The continuous countdown shown at the beginning of each chapter heading increases the tension as readers wonder if it truly will take until the last second to find those responsible and stop them.

This series continues to deliver fast-paced action, humor to break the tension, intricate plots, and the sizzling attraction between the team's leaders. The relationship highlights the mutual respect for their abilities and the story line takes advantage of their faith in each other as well as their desire to keep each other safe. Highly recommended for fans of suspense thrillers.

While I love both of these authors, this feel apart for me. And I tried so many times to keep going but just couldn't do it. I got about half way through the book before I gave up. The characters meant nothing to me, I had no desire to know what happened to them and while some of my old favorites play roles, there wasn't enough to draw me into the story.

Another fast paced adventure as Mike and Nicholas attempt to save the world. As the pair are wrapping up a vacation in Italy after their last escapade, they learn that a good friend has gone missing during a protection detail on the ocean. Immediately jumping in to the action, they find out there is a lot more going on than just a regular rescue mission. History, technology, and heaven combine to keep the reader on edge once again in this latest Brit in the FBI book. I couldn't put this one down, and can't wait to pick up the next. Well developed plot, characters, and twists, the books just keep better.

Fast paced story, impossible to put down. Even though the plot lagged and seemed predictable at some points, it was a compelling read.

A dangerous conspiracy that began in space…

This is the sixth book in the A Brit in the FBI series that can be read as a stand-alone.

The unthinkable happened to astronaut Dr. Nevaeh Patel outside of the ISS (International Space Station) on her first EVA (extravehicular activity). What should have been a routine excursion almost resulted in her death. When that which tethered her broke and her jet pack failed to respond she began drifting off into space. Panic set in but just when all was feared lost the melodic voices of an alien species sounded within her mind providing a soothing balm and something unseen pushed her back toward the ISS.

When faced with the reality of your impending death that cannot be thwarted what does one think of? Do years of rigorous training take over even when the mind hesitates? Mission control found Nevaeh’s explanation of her miraculous rescue incredible, she was recalled to Earth and subjected to debriefings and psychological testing. No amount of rationalization could sway Nevaeh from her story and with no proof, she was permanently grounded. What does one do when not believed? What does someone highly intelligent do when not believed? They find a way to prove their claims.

Leaving NASA for the corporate sector Nevaeh begins a long game working for the corporate sector as an executive in a French company that sends satellites into orbit, Galactus. As the years progressed the goal of just returning to space mutated and now she’s set to irrevocably change the world to what she believes it should be with an EMP nuke in a satellite and the help of the aliens she still converses with.

When the vacationing FBI Special Agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine, a part of the Covert Eyes team, learn that their friend Grant, who was working protective detail for a French treasure hunter (the head of Galactus) has run into trouble aboard a luxurious yacht anchored in Malaysian waters while seeking the mythical Holy Grail, they are pulled into a dangerous plot that began years ago in space.

A conspiracy that threatens the very existence of all that man has known and depends upon does grab and keep one’s attention riveted. I liked how the authors combined the technologically plausible with the fantastical and how they then took it to the realm of possibility, the mythology aspect leaves you wondering if there really might be a grain of truth in the myth, and don’t forget the extra-terrestrials.

The fast-paced action and suspense plot is complex and detailed, everything builds up to conclusion in the last second, the FBI agents racing against a countdown that perhaps can’t be thwarted. You wonder for a while whether Nevaeh is insane or did she really make first contact with an alien species. The story is enjoyable with amusing banter at times between the likable characters, you do need to read this book with an open mind, suspend your beliefs and just go along for the ride. I would have liked more on the dispensation of the Holy Grail in the epilogue.

An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.

This book is everything I love about thrillers with characters I know and love. A fast-paced, tricky thriller that keeps my interest. And moves the relationships of the characters along. And we get to go for the ride for both.

A Brit in the FBI series returns us to our Brit, Nicholas Drummond and his partner, both at work and away from work, FBI agent Michaela "Mike" Caine. We're also treated to sharing more time with Grant Thornton, private security consultant who is the husband of the lovely Kitsune, (thief extraordinaire).

We are brought into this case thanks to Grant being missing on an assignment to protect the Billionaire "playboy" Jean-Pierre Broussard, the founder of Galactus Industries. His right hand woman, former Astronaut Dr. Nevaeh Patel was drummed out of the space program thanks to a near-death-experience where she was "saved" by Aliens called the Numens.

After taking over a satellite designed to be a nuclear EMP, Patel must be stopped But will they make it in time?

Though the Alien plot may be out there for some readers, it's a 5 in my book!

Thanks to Catherine Coulter, JT Ellison, NetGalley, and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARC. The opinions are mine.

I should have read the synopsis and reviews before I requested as this isn’t my typical read. I’m not a fan of sci-fi and aliens, and requested this book because of my love for JT Ellison. Typical fans will probably enjoy this read, it just wasn’t for me.

Neveah is outer space and she comes back with a tale to tell. I wasn't sure I could believe her tale, and neither did NASA shrinks. Nicholas and Michaela are back again in a fast pace technological thriller.
We meet Jean Pierre who is in desperate need of the Holy Grail, we have the threat of EMP and just what it could mean to the world and we have aliens, or do we. The threat of EMP is so scary in our world today. This book took a plausible world catastrophe (EMP) and opened our eyes to what could happen, but that wrapped in a fast pace thriller with our wonderful Brit in the FBI partners. I will be honest, some of the technological was over my head, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment. Thank you Net Galley, Gallery, Threshold Pocket books for my arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own and were unsolicited.

I absolutely adore Catherine Coulter and this book did not disappoint! So much action Drummond and Caine (And Grant Thornton here and there) race against time to save the world once again. This time we have a psychotic former astronaut bent on helping the Numen (beings she claims to have met while in space) come to Earth using a EMP and nuclear bomb to make this happen. From start to finish this book had me hooked! I can’t wait to see where Mike and Nicholas end up next!

Probably 3.5-3.75 stars but just not quite 4 stars for me.

I struggled some with the premise, though it's obvious from the very beginning what is going on with Neveah (the "bad guy") and the aliens. The continuity and connections between some things were also hard for me to follow at times and didn't always feel like they worked. However, I did enjoy the story line, the main characters, and the action. I haven't read any of the previous books in this series, though I have read books in Ms. Coulter's other FBI series. I think that was one thing that I struggled with, not feeling quite as connected to the characters without knowing more of their backstories and connections to each other, though I was able to pick up the basics.

There's a fast pace to the story that keeps it moving, which I liked, but I did struggle some with the back-and-forth and trying to keep track of who's who and the action, so I had to re-read things, which slowed it down some for me (having read the previous books before probably would've helped me with the who's who). It was a bit predictable and "of course something bad has to happen now" moments, though there were some interesting twists that I didn't expect and building of suspense that kept the interest up for me.

Also, the other FBI series I've read by this author is more of a romance thriller, where this book appears to just focus on the thriller aspect, with the only romance mentioned just the relationships between the two main, recurring couples in the book. There's not a lot of strong language either.

Overall, an interesting and entertaining read with a lot of technology, even if the premise is a bit far-fetched, though I have heard a lot of talk about EMPs and what could happen, so it was more the aliens/Holy Grail/extremely fast action/resolution that are just outside of the range of plausible. I would like to read the previous books in this series and then re-read this one again to see how it fits in with the timeline of the previous books and the main characters.

Having read this entire series, along with Ms. Coulter's FBI novels, I always look forward to the next novel. This one is a bit far out, in more ways than one. I'm not one to give away plot lines or spoilers but this one combine a little science fiction with adventure and treasure hunting...it's got something for everyone. The plot takes us into space featuring a disgruntled ex-astronaut with plans to return the earth to peace, not to mention the aliens she's been communing with for years. In a parallel story line we meet a billionaire playboy adventurer who's seeking the Holy Grail. How these two plot lines intersect is a fanciful suspense thriller that moves quickly to a satisfying conclusion. The author and her writing partner put the imaginations into overdrive with this novel, so if you're a fan of the series and can just let your imagination travel on their journey, this newest installment won't disappoint.

Title:The Last Second

Author:Catherine Coulter

Series:A Brit in the FBI, #6)

Genre: adult mystery /thriller

Pages:448

Publishers:Gallery , Threshold, Pockect Books

Netgalley



book synopsis

Galactus, France’s answer to SpaceX, has just launched a communications satellite into orbit, but the payload actually harbors a frightening weapon: a nuclear-triggered electromagnetic pulse.



When the satellite is in position, Galactus’s second-in-command, Dr. Nevaeh Patel, will have the power to lay waste to the world with an EMP. A former astronaut, Patel believes she is following the directions of the Numen, aliens who saved her life when she space-walked outside the International Space Station. She is convinced that with the Holy Grail, just discovered by the owner of Galactus—eccentric treasure hunter Jean-Pierre Broussard—she can be reunited with the Numen, change the world’s destiny, and become immortal with them.



The countdown has begun when Special Agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine are thrown into the pending disaster. They must stop the EMP that would wreak havoc on communication and electronic systems on Earth, resulting in chaos and anarchy.


My thoughts

rating: 4.5

Would I recommend this series: yes

Will I be reading any more of this series : yes

Would I read anything else by this author : yes

Would have given it 5 stars but it left some questions not answered , even though that happened it was a very good read, it pulled me into the story , made the story believe able, as well as the characters, in fact even though I give it a 4.5 rating , i would say that it is the best one so far of the the 2 I've read, and I will be picking up the rest of the series, in fact this series reminds me of my favorite series by James Rollins Sigma Force series in some ways, I do have to say that one of the character is just plain nuts , to the point that I would never be in a room with with her. With that said I would like to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion.

Catherine Coulter has done it once again with "The Last Second" . This book had me on the edge of my seat and I definitely didn't want to put it down!

It has been nearly a year since I read The Sixth Day by these very talented authors and I really wondered if, like just about every novel I have read from either of them, whether or not it would be worth the wait. Well, it was! Not only that, I read this book in just two sittings. The story is utterly captivating and not the fare I expected when about to read the next in The Brit in the FBI series.

Dr. Nevaeh Patel has been pulled from space. After a space-walk outside of the International Space Station, Nevaeh is now touting her first-hand experience with the Numen, who she believes are aliens who are communicating with he. Furthermore, she is convinced that with the aid of the Holy Grail, something long sought after and recently discovered by treasure hunter Jean-Pierre Broussard, she can change the destiny of the entire world.

To achieve her purpose, Nevaeh takes extreme measures. As the story is told, readers see that her belief in the Numen is 100% real. She really wants back in space. So, she has a dual purpose. What Nevaeh does in order to achieve both of these goals is nothing short of extreme madness. Yes, mad beyond belief. Her nefarious activities prove that she is certainly not afraid of consequences.

The Last Second is a thriller beyond compare. Michaela "Mike" Cain and Nicholas Drummond are the FBI agents handling the case. While healing from a badly damaged ankle, Mike and Nicholas are visiting Grant and Kitsune Thornton (familiar characters from previous tales), and they become involved in what happens to Broussard when cooky ex-astronaut Neyaeh tries and grabs to newly found Holy Grail.

Whether on land, air or water, action is never ceasing in The Last Second. All the while, readers are sucked into the very sick mind of Neyaeh. No one is safe from danger, even those perpetrating it. I loved all the techno talk in this book - whether from the former astronaut (who is the epitome of an unreliable character), or from Broussard while on his ship, the Galactic.Then the heroic actions of the FBI team is nothing short of spectacular.

Obviously, I could go on and on and on. But, no matter what I write here, I am desperately striving to avoid spoilers. I definitely think that fans following this series will be as drawn into this story as I was. As a matter of fact, this book certainly is already one of my Top Picks for this year! I look forward to the next book in this series.

The previous five books in the series are The Final Cut, The Lost Key, The End Game, The Devil's Triangle and The Sixth Day.

Many thanks to Gallery Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC. I had a hard time getting into this book and finishing it. Just not my cup of tea.

I enjoy this style of story. Sure, the way over the top, the world is going to end thing has been done many times, but this one hums right along and goes down easy. A reasonable cast of characters, a couple of nasty ladies as villains and a semi plausible scenario al resonate fairly well. A pleasant surprise.