This review appeared in Cullman Magazine Summer 2023 (published March 2023, 42-43):

Packing the beach bag … with books

By Tom Mayer

Beach reading is a state of mind, and in the state of Alabama the season begins early and lasts long. From a half-dozen select titles out early in 2023, we’ve curated a book list to prime the reading waters of early summer days and late summer nights. For full reviews on several of the titles included here we’ve included the links. For more reviews, visit cullmantimes.com and select the “columns” tab.

“The Rail Splitter” by John Cribb (Republic Books, 370 pages)
“The Rail Splitter” isn’t John Cribb’s first novelization about the life of our nation’s 16th president, but it’s unique in both the author’s oeuvre and the canon of Lincoln literature en masse. The story begins with Lincoln’s youth on the frontier and Cribb not only chronicles the adventures that will lead a young man to the presidency — that’s where his previous novel, “Old Abe,” picks up — he tells a story part love, part coming-of-age in a way that both humanizes and educates the life of America’s rags-to-riches president. We spoke with the author about his new book earlier in the year. Read that interview at https://tinyurl.com/5vjecrtb.

“In the Porches of My Ears” by Norman Prentiss (Cemetery Dance Publications, 344 pages)
Prolific horror writer Norman Prentiss won the 2010 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Long Fiction, but he also won a 2009 Stoker for his short story, “In the Porches of My Ears.” Cemetery Dance Publications recently published a debut full-length collection of stories that opens with the 2009 award winner: The story about an overheard conversation in a movie theater that has … unexpected … effects on a couple’s relationship is just the tip of the unsettling tales to follow. While the book is available in print and digital, also visit the author’s website, normanprentiss.com, for a free story download as of the time of the publication of this review.

“Bright and Deadly Thing” by Lexie Elliott (Berkley, 380 pages)
Lexie Elliott grew up in Scotland at the foot of the Highlands, earned a doctorate degree in theoretical physics from Oxford and her novels (including “The French Girl” and “How to Kill Your Best Friend”) typically reflect an erudite tone gained through her travels. In “Bright and Deadly Things,” mysteries are buried at the top of the world in an atmospherically offering the brings us to the Gothic-esque setting of the Chalet des Anglais. As Dr. Emily Rivers, a recently widowed, non-medical Oxford don invited to the rustic and rural mountaintop for a university retreat, the novel delves into psychological suspense as the death (murder?) of a student is revealed. Read the review at https://tinyurl.com/mry4n2ta.

“Lay This Body Down” by Charles Fergus (Arcade Crime Wise, 322 pages)
Similar to Cribb’s “The Rail Splitter,” Charles Fergus’ third offering in his three-book Gideon Stoltz Mystery series is a textured historical novel laced with action and the author’s signature intricate plotting. Highly readable, “Lay This Body Down” takes place in pre-Civil War America where human beings are considered chattel. The Pennsylvania Sheriff Stoltz, though, has his own mind about slavery when he is presented with the ethical dilemma on whether or not to uphold the Federal Fugitive Slave Act of 1793. From there, the murder of a white man, the disappearance of free Black people and a runaway boy from a Southern plantation converge to form one of the most important stories you’ll read this year. The novel works well as a standalone, but after being introduced to the young Stoltz, his wife, Truly, and the town, you’ll want to add “A Stranger Here Below” and “Nighthawk’s Wing” to your summer reading list.

“Dempsey” by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson (Blackstone Publishing, 412 pages, Feb. 21)
“Dempsey” is book 7 of The Tier One Thrillers (“meet the next generation of covert ops”) as a former Tier One Navy Seal, John Dempsey, works through physical, mental and ethical challenges to become one of the world’s most lethal spies. This story begins after Task Force Ember’s successful intervention in Ukraine and as Dempsey disappears. Intelligence places him in Russia, presumably captured by the Russian FSB. The spy is presumed dead, but not is all as it seems in the stories from the writing team of Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson.

“Hospital” by Han Song (Amazon Crossing, 405 pages, March 1)
Han Song’s “Hospital” is likely to be the most unusual book you’ll take to the beach this summer. A darkly satirical tale, this imaginative sci-fi selection spills out through the life of Yang Wei. When Wei travels to C City for work, he expects a normal business trip. The trip become a trap after a bout of stomach pain in his hotel room leaves him unconscious but waking up three days later to be sent to a hospital for examination. A confusing descent into the ever-spiraling workings of the hospital reveals secrets that are being hidden from the patients, culminating in a journey through a corrupt system and one man’s increasingly tortured mind. “Hospital” is a psychological suspense, dream-like tale that hearkens to the work of Haruki Murakami.

As one would expect from a book entitled "Dempsey", we get an unusually deep and intimate look at the crucible that turns out a product like John Dempsey and in that look we learn of the supreme grit, determination, and sacrifice, and, yes, love of those earning the trident and the deep debt those of us who enjoy the freedom their sacrifice has purchased owe each and every one of them. It is a look unique in its intensity and verity even for someone who has spent decades reading in this genre, and I am thankful to Andrews & Wilson for this intimate insight and for your service. Dempsey is destined to become one of the top books of its kind.

Hands down a fantastic book!!! I love feeling the action reading through this book!! It’s just that kinda book where you can feel yourself in the book, looking through the eyes of John!! Looking forward to book 8.

“Dying here tonight is simply not an option. I have too much work to do, too many promises to satisfy, and too many people to kill” (location 2985). This is typical Dempsey. He puts himself through incredible situations and wills himself through them by his grit, training, and determination. He goes to extreme lengths to accomplish missions. He’s a fascinating character. It was odd to see his team trying to get along without him. His impact on each of them was so great.

Fans of military fiction will love this book. It has a lot of action and danger and extreme plots. I love the focus on the team. It’s easy to remember characters from book to book because they’re so memorable. I enjoyed seeing the secondary plotline of Dempsey’s son going through seal training. It’ll be interesting to see how they end up crossing paths in the future.

This book can be read as a standalone but it makes way more sense having read the other tier one novels. There’s an author’s note that Tier One has been optioned for film and television and it’s easy to see why. They’re great novels with characters you care about who are kicking down doors to protect our country. The only negative for me is that there’s a lot of swearing in the book. The authors have other series that don’t have swearing so I’m not sure why they feel it’s needed here.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Tier One series has been a favorite of mine since I read the first book a few years ago. I was excited to have this continuation of the story and see what had happened to Dempsey and the Ember team since the last book. This book was great, can’t recommend it enough! Too many things that I’d want to point out but will keep it brief to avoid too many spoilers. First, love the story and what could happen with now Vice President Kelso. Second, some of the background characters were great like Makarov. And last, I really enjoyed the parts about Dempseys son going through BUDs, hope to see him incorporated more n future books. Please keep the story going, I’m sure what ever comes next will be great!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this in advance of release.

Thanks to Blackstone and NetGalley for the advance copy. The Tier One series remains a must read as always. I enjoyed the side characters in this one (more Makarov please🤣). I look forward to more adventures with Task Force Ember and an interesting candidate for the presidency

Revenge and justice are two of the most common words to describe the level of execution of hardened Tier One operators. But those that leave everything behind to answer a higher calling, so dedicated to the mission that the only thing that matters is completing the goal. John Dempsey, a man amongst boys, is locked away in a desolate Russian prison with almost no hope of getting out, and he might just be okay with that. While his whereabouts are unknown to the team, they are tasked with capturing a cartel officer so they can wring him for intel.

Oceans away, Dempsey is busy keeping a low profile and getting in the graces of some of the most vicious Russian mob members that just happened to be locked away with him. An unexpected agreement between Russian and American patriots forces the Ember team to play ball in a court they’ve never known before all while Dempsey is forced to complete his most dangerous mission. As if the Zetas weren’t an already formidable group that has wreaked havoc and death on Ember, they have tasking that involves bringing one to safety and rescuing the family of a Russian criminal.

Andrews & Wilson bring the heat in the most dangerous game of political chess ever played out on the world's stage. Well placed action and intrigue blend well with the murderous and psychotic dictator that needs to be removed from power. This might sound like current headline news, and it seamlessly fulfills that narrative, but Dempsey hits it in all the right ways. The dynamic between characters is fun to catch on to along with the hair raising action but there are some really dark scenes that show how truly dedicated John Dempsey is.

One of my favorite subplots in this Tier One adventure is how former Navy SEAL Captain Kelso Jarvis, now the Vice President of the United States, is helping run the country and learn to live with a girlfriend all while simultaneously running the single most deadly covert operations program. There are so many great aspects of this book and the characters have great style while the plot is detailed and thorough. Nothing is lacking in this adventure, and it is an instant classic added to the Tier One series.

A wonderful thrilling addition to the Tier One series. Jack Dempsey is now in Russian hands. There’s only one person that knows he is alive. Will Dempsey be able to succeed in his mission even though he remains in captivity? That is the major question. But what about his son? Is his life at risk? Thanks to NetGalley for the early read in this political thrill ride!

The saying goes.. there is “undercover” and there is “which way is up?”. After reading the latest from Andrews & Wilson, there is now a new level called “Dempsey Deep”.

Dempsey is a dark, dangerous, and dynamic story full of suffering and sacrifice. Andrew & Wilson not only examine how an elite soldier could withstand the horrific physical environments they find themselves in, but go a step further and examine the psychological hell that is the battlefield of their own minds.

Task Force Ember is reeling after a “successful” mission in Ukraine and the disappearance of team leader John Dempsey. While still in mourning, the President has directed the team to hunt down and finally finish Arkady Zhukov, the Russian spymaster, and his last few Zetas.

While his teammates think he’s dead, Dempsey probably wishes he was. Imprisoned in one of the worst prisons in Russia, Dempsey is on an undercover mission from Vice President Jarvis. Using all of his grit and guile, John manages to form a few alliances within those walls and one outside he never thought possible. In order for his mission to succeed, he must team up with the man he wants to kill above all others. The risks have never been higher and any misstep could drag the major powers into a global war.

Andrews & Wilson continue to prove they are a singularly unique pair of men and writers. They somehow never seem to put out a book that is less than their previous ones. They are always improving their craft, either in the storytelling itself or their choices to explore new themes within this universe. Somehow, some way… each story in this series keeps feeling as exciting and fresh as the first time I picked up Tier One.


Fans of the Tier One series have been screaming into the void for the past few years for the next installment of our favorite series. Andrews & Wilson heard those pleas and have rewarded our patience with what might be the best book in the already amazing series.

Now, to be fair to the guys… they haven’t been sitting idly by for the last couple of years and have blessed us with books in not one, not two, but THREE different series. All of which are deserving of your consideration if you haven’t picked those up yet. While I love the Sons of Valor, Shephards Series, and W.E.B. Griffin reboot… you never forget your first love and having Tier One group back together makes the pain of the wait all worth it. These boys deserve any and all success and awards in their future.

This is book 7 in the series. The first chapter is about as much background as you're going to get. That being said, the first chapter is the best storyline. The rest is like, way out there. Bad Russians, Confused Whitehouse, Convoluted Gulag-esque prison and then an enormous, choreographed escape. Who is Dempsey, by the way??? Not very fleshed out. But the first chapter hints that he was like an OG in their extra-military unit.

They should give Books 1-6 for free, because otherwise this twisty, turny, over, under is a disaster through and through..

Brian Andrews and Jeffery Wilson have truly soared since they first released the debut novel in their highly successful TIER ONE series entitled Tier One. This series was my first introduction to this power house writing team, and I have followed them on every new series they have penned ever since. A reader can not go wrong picking up a novel by Andrews and Wilson.
However, the TIER ONE series will always hold a special place in my heart with John Dempsey and the entire Ember team. So, you all can probably guess how excited I was when I heard that Andrews and Wilson were releasing the seventh novel in the TIER ONE universe entitled Dempsey.

In Dempsey, the entire Ember team is mourning the sudden loss of their leader, John Dempsey. The team must reorganize, and they are hard at work to complete their mission to end the Russian spymaster, Arkady Zhukov, and his cell of Zeta operators. However, unbeknownst to the team, Dempsey has been sent on an undercover solo op by Vice President, Kelso Jarvis, into the heart of Russia. Dempsey is neck deep in the world of organized crime and politics, and he must team up with one of his greatest adversaries to complete this mission. This is by far one of the most dangerous missions Dempsey has been task with. If he succeeds, it will lead to a desperately needed regime change for Russia, but if he fails World War III may be upon us.

Dempsey is a brilliantly written novel. It has a nail bitingly exciting plot, and it keeps the pressure on till the very end. For readers that have been with the series since the beginning, there is a side plot that I was head over heels for. It revolves around an individual from Dempsey’s past that, I as a long time fan, have been mulling over in my head for a while. I was so happy they added that, and I can’t wait to see where it leaded to in the future! All in all, Dempsey is beyond brilliant. For any first time readers of this series, get ready for a ride, and for the long time fans, many many questions are answered, which naturally leads us wanting more!

Another fantastic addition to a fantastic series!

Okay, first of all let me say how excited I was to be able to read and review this ARC. This is now one of three series that this writing duo is currently putting out and I can honestly say that I love ALL THREE series.

While this is the 7th book in this particular series, it has been a while since the last book came out. I had to go back and look at my review for the book Collateral- book 6 - and it was September of 2020 (it is now December 2022). Normally, with as many books as I read, having a 2 year time span between books would have me having to go back and peek at my review to try to remember what was going on in the series. With this series, it is so compelling and has such an amazing cast of characters that I was totally able to jump right back in as if no time had passed. I know that doesn't sound like much, but it is a big deal. I read about 20 books a week so .....

Okay. Back to the book. Without going into spoilers, this book has a very different set up than the previous books. It is very character centered and we are focused mainly on John Dempsey (JD). Something I will admit to is that when the book started, I was a little confused with exactly HOW Dempsey got into the predicament he was in. His Ember colleagues seemed to be going back and forth - acting like he was dead, then hoping he wasn't - so that had me a little confused. I DID go back and re-read the last chapter of Collateral to see if it told us what was going to happen. It did....kind of.

So, once that was settled I just decided to hold on for the ride -and what a ride it was. There are parts of this book that made my heart hurt - several actually. Dempsey definitely does not have an easy time in this book. We also got a new POV from Jake Kemper and there was a lot of attention given to him as he goes through BUD/S. I have a feeling there is going to be a storyline with Jake in the next couple of books that is not going to be an easy road.

Andrews and Wilson have already done a phenomenal job of character development in this series so I was just as invested reading about what was going on with Grimes, Munn and the Ember gang while they were separated from JD. There really isn't too much I can say that won't spoil this so all I will say is that this book was amazing. Near the end, I began to wonder whether or not a certain event was actually going to happen. The similarity to actual real world events made this even more interesting.

This is NOT a stand alone. Do not start with this book because you will miss all of the wonderful seeds that have already been planted and you will not have the level of investment that takes this book from good to great. And it was truly great.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.

It's good to have Dempsey back! Picking up a few months after Collateral, Dempsey and his teammate are struggling, but in vastly different ways. Their last mission has Ember reeling from the loss of Dempsey. Not sure whether Dempsey has been captured or killed, Dempsey's team is holding out hope he's alive and well, though the odds aren't in their (or his) favor. Unbeknownst to all, save one person, Dempsey is sitting in a Russian prison. On a secret mission devised by the Vice President, Dempsey, and a very unlikely ally, The odds of Dempsey surviving the mission are slim but if he is successful WWIII could be averted.

Andrews & Wilson are the dynamic duo if there ever was one. After not knowing if there would be another book featuring Dempsey, A & W delivered a book better than I could have imagined. Books galore have been focusing on Russia and the threat it poses but A & W are the first I've read that pushes the boundary in a provocative way.

Dempsey is an audacious, unflinching and complex thriller that can also be said about the character. The characters A & W develop are interesting, multidimensional, likeable -- or extremely unlikeable-- and constantly evolving; The key to A &W's success, I believe, is their ability to make readers emotionally invested in the characters. There are no throwaway characters and they all serve a purpose.

I cannot recommend Dempsey, the Tier One series, and authors Andrew & Wilson enough!

My sincere thanks to Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson, Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing an advanced copy of Dempsey!

Audacious, tenacious, dramatic and tense, Dempsey has everything readers could ever want in a military/spy thriller. Andrews & Wilson demonstrate once again why they are the best tandem writing team in the business, crafting a timely, action-packed and anxiety-inducing novel that tests the hero in incredible ways.

John Dempsey is performing a deep cover operation in the heart of Russia that will take him from a notorious prison to the Bolshoi theatre and require him to collaborate with his most hated enemy to pull off a brazen mission. Meanwhile his Ember teammates believe Dempsey is dead and are mourning the loss of their leader while still being tasked with critical operations. The latest of which is to hunt down a suspected Zeta member, which turns into much more than initially expected. Both Dempsey and his Ember team are unaware of what the other is up to, but their interests will eventually converge and culminate in either a world changing action or the beginning of World War III.

This novel shows Dempsey in a way that we’ve never seen before and severely tests the old adage “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Dempsey commits to going through hell to properly set up this mission that only the US Vice President knows about, meaning he’s without a safety net and must rely on his wits and training to pull this off in enemy territory. And then when he’s got all the proper individuals lined up to support this ridiculous and potentially suicidal operation, he then must trust and rely on the head of the Zetas organization – his sworn enemy who’s killed fellow Ember operators – to be his ally and co-conspirator. All of which tests Dempsey’s limits for suffering, operating, and willingness to do everything and anything necessary to prevail in his assignment. As a result, Dempsey puts everything on the line for the greater good with less support than he’s ever had and no guarantees of a positive result. He will either triumph or perish based on his abilities alone. But if he is successful, he will become larger than life and secure a more peaceful world for those who inhabit it.

Andrews & Wilson keep churning out winner after winner and Dempsey is no exception. It’s a fantastic edition to their Tier One universe and one that ties up a major storyline while setting up the series for a bright future.

Dempsey picks up about six months after the events in "Collateral". If you haven't read it, some of the storyline here will be hard to fully appreciate though it can be understood. Grimes is still regretting not killing Arkady, and she has no idea why Jarvis ordered her not to. She also doesn't know that Dempsey is in a deep cover mission in Russia. In fact, no one other than Jarvis knows.

Dempsey is a bit different than the other books in the series. While there is a lot of action here, it isn't non-stop like the previous novels. Much of John's story is set in a Russian prison, taking time to introduce characters and to establish the setting and circumstances. The Ember team has a separate storyline going as does John's son, Jake. While this is all building to something, the switch between plotlines, especially Jake's, causes the story to lose momentum.

These are terrific characters, and I enjoyed the story. I'm delighted to see the series back after a two year absence. The last two books have been especially tough on the team so I hope a little happiness is coming their way soon.

Not family friendly due to profanity and violence.

Brian Andrews and Jeffery Wilson once again prove the excellence of their writing duo with a captivating and action-packed journey that benefits enormously from the focus on their leading protagonist in a way we have never seen him before. A bold, exciting, WHOA-screaming thriller that is as timely as it is fun to read good guys take the fight to the bad guys.

Full review will be posted on https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/kashif-hussain