Cover Image: Hard Target

Hard Target

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Member Reviews

I enjoyed the pace of the book and all, this book lacked the excitement though. I was really wanting more from this book.

I was given this arc for my honest review.

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This story has some twists and lots of action. It didn't end the way I thought it would, but is a good story. When Rosalind is targeted because she is going to testify to congress about some high profile corruption, Reznick gets involved and wants to help her get there to testify. He knows that she likely won't make it, but she is trying to do the right thing, so he will help her. He gets involved because a friend is sent a file to decode and it snowballs from there. Will Rosalind be able to testify? He only needs to keep her safe for a couple of days, will it happen?

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This book defines the thriller genre! In Hard Target, book 8 in the Jon Reznick series, Reznick sets out to warn a whistleblower, who’s preparing to testify before congress, that she is targeted for assassination by a private security firm hired by the government. He empathizes with the women’s desire to do the right thing and, as a result, does what he can to defend her. Of course, that defense involves taking out a few assassins and blowing up the plane that the head of the security company is piloting. Luckily for Reznick, he is protected by the assistant director of the FBI who happens to be a close friend.

I love action thrillers like Hard Target and am dismayed that I hadn’t come across this series sooner. Book 8 was the first in the series that I read. What I can say with certainty is that this book stands alone and can be read without any foreknowledge of the characters.

Hard Target’s action made it impossible to put down. Neglecting more important responsibilities, I finished the book in one sitting.

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As an avid read of the thriller genre, I don’t know how I could have missed the Jon Reznick series from author J. B. Turner—I must have been under a rock all these years. . Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an early reader copy and, again, introducing me to another wonderful author.

Whistle blower, hackers, government fraud all combine into a complex plot that is easy to follow and will keep on the edge of your seat. Pulled into what becomes a harrowing situation by a hacker friend who Jon feels he owes, both are soon fighting for their lives to enable a government employee to testify before a senate committee This pulls at your conscience over the whistleblower debate and at book’s end you might still be wondering if they are the good guy or the bad guy. Enjoy this well written book.

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This was an action-packed thriller. There was plenty of action from the very first page. I got half way through the book and thought this would make a good series. It was not until I finished the book that I found out there are several previous books in this series. However, as I had not read any of the previous books, it did not detract from the enjoyment of reading this as a standalone book. Some of the early dialogue was a little bit cliché and could possibly have been written differently, but it was still good. Now I know there are previous books by this same author in this series, I will be seeking them out and reading them. Overall a good, solid read.

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Trevelle Williams is an extraordinary hacker.  But he may have gotten too deep into this one.  They only place he knows to turn is to Jon Reznick, a former special ops guy who contracts sometimes with the FBI.  They find out that someone in the US government wants to kill Rosalind Dyer, a whistleblower getting ready to testify before the Senate.  They don't want her blowing the whistle of what they are doing.

This was a pretty good read, but there are some language issues.  The story moves, but it is scary.  Are there really things like this going on inside our government and military?  I hope not, but the daily news makes me more concerned as I hear it.  

I would recommend this if you are looking for a good read to keep you interested.

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This is a tough review for me. I have read most of the four and five star ratings and I cannot agree with these rankings. This book’s dialogue, with its pedestrian language, had me shaking my head. I cannot imagine high ranking government personnel and FBI big wigs, saying things like “gimme a break” and “are you kidding me?” When being told about a top secret plot within the government. The monotony and constant repetition of the vapid conversations among the characters, resulted in my one star rating. Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

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Jon Reznick left me breathless yet again. He is such a real guy who finds himself in crazy circumstances. This book is a mixture of action and intrigue with some romance thrown in for good measure.

This one added a little bit more insight into his personal life and I am looking forward to seeing where the next edition in the series takes us.

I didn't get much work done after I picked this one up and I bet you won't either. Definitely a great summer back porch/deck/poolside read.

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We all know the government is corrupt it always has been. This book was different because it centered around keeping this witness safe from harm. Really good book.

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Can Anyone Stop A Corrupt Government?

The government hides things they don’t want the public to know. Some say rogue government officials will kill anyone who threatens them or their self-serving programs. Treville Williams is a former NSA hacker, a very good one. When his place is ransacked by hooded thugs, killing the friend who was visiting him, he discovers a key witness in a deep-state cover-up is about to be executed. As he flees for his life he calls Jon Resnick for help. Although her life is in danger, Rosalind Dyer is determined to testify in a closed Senate hearing to expose the high-level corruption and financial gain by high-ranking government insiders. Jon and the hackers have their work cut out for them, keep her alive and deliver her to the hearing.

I found this storyline to be a bit different from the other Jon Resnick books in the series. The whole story revolves around protecting this witness and uncovering the attempts to assassinate her before they can succeed. And the bad guys are relentless, attempting time after time, only to be stopped and forced to try again.

Thank you Net Galley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

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Reznik is doing work on the side for the FBI and has acquired many useful skills thatnhenfinds very helpful. A young hacker friend contacts him after a shared, hacked email brings a hit squad to his door. Reznik helps him warn Rosalind, an accountant turned whistleblower on the corruption of the military big wigs. On the run from bad guys and trying to keep everyone alive uses a lot of Reznik's resources. He finds out who his friends are and who his enemies are also.
Characters, story line and setting is very engaging and keeps you waiting for the next adrenaline rush. My first book to read by J.B. Turner. Will definitely go back and read the rest of this series

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Trevelle Williams is a former National Security Agency turned top-level hacker. One day he discovers a government conspiracy involving the planned murder of a key congressional witness, Rosalind Dyer. When his own life is put in jeopardy, his only option is to turn to Jon Reznick.

Rosalind Dyer knows the risk she is taking but that won’t stop her from doing the right thing.

Will Jon and Trevelle get to her in time?

This novel is straightforward and fast paced and frankly, difficult to put down. It is a political thriller in the most strict sense of the word but with the added touch of technology / hacker themes, so it feels very modern and current.

The character development is good. I like that Rosalind Dyer is a strong, likeable woman. There are good philosophical elements in her story line. Would you be as brave as she is if you were in her position?

Jon Reznick reminds me a bit of Jack Reacher and Alex Cross -very likeable gentleman with a sense of justice, super smart and generally fun to read about.

This is the 8th novel in the Jon Reznick series, which I hadn’t read before. If this is anything to go by, I will definitely be reading the previous (and future!) installments.

Disclosure: I would like to thank Amazon Publishing UK for an advanced reader copy of Hard Target, A Jon Reznick Thriller by J. B. Turner

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Jon Reznick is contacted by Trevelle Williams who is a hacker but has helped Jon out in the past. Trevelle's home is broken into and his friend killed. Trevelle has an email with info about killing Rosalind Dyer. It seems anyone who might know what is planned is in danger. Rosalind is investigating some heavy handed misuse of funds at the Pentagon. They find her and then all three are on the run. She is to meet in a closed door session with the Senate committee on the following Monday. Can they all stay alive until then? Martha Meyerstein is finally convinced to offer help from the FBI, but is it too late?

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This book is amazing!! I read it not having read the rest of the series but plan on going back to read them soon. This book pulled me in from the beginning which makes it a great thriller. Highly recommend this book!

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Suspend your sense of belief and just enjoy the ride.

Everything is explained to exhaustively excessive detail, and there's way too much preaching about integrity and honesty. The cyber hackers are always successful at moving the characters to the next plot point. You'll either enjoy the protagonist and read all of the books in the series, or (like me) you'll move on after trying just one.

NetGalley, I'm glad that I have a habit of bookmarking a page before I put down my tablet. This file never opened up to the place I left off, but rather resumed with the book's title page and forced me to go to the bookmarks to get to my latest one. If it's deliberate, it's reader-hostile. If it's a glitch, it's with the latest version of iPadOS.

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Trevelle Williams is a hacker and ex-NSA. While helping a hacker friend, he discovers a memo ordering Rosalind Dyer, a key congressional witness to a government cover-up, to be killed. Everyone that knows about the cover-up and memo start dying. Trevelle turns to Jon Reznick who is the only person that can save him and help save Rosalind.

This is the eighth book in the Jon Reznick thriller series, but the first one that I’ve read. I was hooked from the very beginning and didn’t want to stop reading, but little things like sleep and work forced me to. Hard Target was fast-paced with a lot of action and it was a quick read. I’m looking forward to reading the first seven books and any future books in the series!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!

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Jon Reznick gets a call from a hacker, Trevelle, with whom he has worked in the past. He is in Miami and tells Reznick he needs his help. He had been living, with no problems, in a converted loft on Overtown and, while he was out having a 4 a.m. breakfast, saw on his home security system that his apartment had been broken into and his friend who had been visiting was brutally murdered. Also, all his electronics (excepting the laptop he had with him) were taken. Reznick and Trevelle meet up and Reznick learns that a woman named Dyer is on a hit list and also that the FBI is looking for her for removing security paperwork. She is a whistle blower who is scheduled to testify before a closed door hearing in Congress very soon about embezzlement in Pentagon funds occurring at the highest levels and also about the deaths of seven men who had learned the same facts she did. Reznick and Trevelle locate Dyer and convince her to come with them for her own protection. This is the beginning of Hard Target. The action is pretty much non-stop, the rationale complex. Reznick is hoping to convince her to turn herself in to the FBI and continually working toward that goal. It is well written and Reznick’s character is very obviously the result of his past. He is hard boiled. Thanks to Net Galley and Thomas and Mercer for an ARC for an honest review.

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There's a lot that I like about J.B.Turner's character Jon Reznick. While much is made about his detachment from normal life and other people, his actions show that he's quite loyal to and even dependent on a fairly wide circle of quirky friends, both lowly and high-placed.

Reznick is a former Delta Force operative who is now called on for "off the books" missions by the FBI. The themes are invariably geopolitical, but never "political," in a partisan sense. Unlike most gung-ho protagonists, Reznick has plenty of impulse control -- he just uses a different set of filters from most of us.

My nit-pick is about the dialogue, which is often stilted and repetitive. It doesn't stop me from reading the Reznick books,, it just leaves me with a lingering sense of disappointment.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon UK for an early readers copy.

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Absolutely riveting book.
Rosalind works in Washington and has uncovered illegal money transactions taken from the defense funds. She has also found links to seven deaths, all individuals investigating or working on the books, killed for their silence but made to look like natural deaths. Rosalind, with the support of her family, has gathered evidence and is set to testify to the Senate as a whistle blower.
Simultaneously a hacker, Trevelle, was sent an encrypted file from a friend and asked to decode it. What he uncovers is a plot to have Roslind silenced. He reaches out to the only person he knows can help him, Jon Reznick, who occasionally does secret missions for the FBI. Working with the contact Jon has in the FBI, Trevelle and Jon race against the clock to keep Rosalind alive as she is determined to go through with her testimony.
When lies are uncovered, deceptions revealed, and plots discovered there will be a lot of questions in Washington, and hopefully a lot of answers.
Awesome book, couldn't put it down.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Another fast, pacy ride with Jon Reznick who starts out helping a friend and ends up with the usual cat and mouse involving top tier players and a national scandal. Mr Reznick leads a hectic life but you always feel you’re along there with him making for a good read.

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