Rarely has a title been so accurate. This one is particularly disappointing because it starts with a great premise - what if some bored and inexperienced American lady decided to crowdfund a rescue of girls kidnapped by terrorists similar to the real world situation that occurred in Nigeria ten years ago? However, that question is almost immediately abandoned for an incoherent mess of regurgitated mafia thriller schlock. Characters come and go constantly without being three dimensional enough for anyone to care, action sequences are shoehorned in with no relevance to the story (to the extent a story can be found in all this) - it’s basically an audio (or written) version of every D-grade thriller that TNT pulls out on Sunday afternoons for your dad to fall asleep in front of. But longer.

Thank you (I think?) to NetGalley for the ARC.

Sie ist eigentlich Reporterin, soll aber einen gefährlichen Verbrecher ausschalten, weil nur sie an ihn ran kommt. Um ihre Familie zu schützen tut sie es. Aber trotzdem gibt es kein Happy End.

If you’re in the mood for a fast paced thriller jam-packed with international espionage and the Italian mafia, this is the book for you!

Though the storyline was a bit unrealistic, the main character Tiegan navigates through very real and relatable issues, such as infertility and a rocky marriage. She finds herself in extraordinary situations and leaves the reader wondering how she will protect herself and her family.

The narrator does an excellent job portraying the characters in the book and is very easy to listen to. I will definitely be looking for more audiobooks narrated by Braden Wright.

Eagerly awaiting the publication of book #2 in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen and Picture for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Title: A Disappointing and Offensive Narrative: A Review of "The New Bad Thing" by Michael Ebner

"The New Bad Thing" by Michael Ebner has inexplicably garnered rave reviews, with many praising it as riveting, engaging, exciting, action-packed, a thriller, and a page-turner. I might have agreed if I could have stomached enough of it to see if these reviewers were correct. Unfortunately, I couldn’t.

The book starts off promisingly with a gripping terrorist attack at a Paris hotel, setting up what seems to be a thrilling rollercoaster ride. But then, Ebner makes the fatal mistake that too many authors do—resorting to lazy, harmful stereotypes. He dives headfirst into the tired trope of depicting Black characters as mere muscle for their "master's" whims.

One of the main characters, Roman, has Black bodyguards. Predictably, one is described as a hulking, slow, and dim-witted figure, untrustworthy enough that he must wear headphones with music blasting during sensitive conversations to prevent him from overhearing. In another demeaning scene, this same character is shown salivating at a cart of food delivered to the hotel room, prohibited from eating until the boss gives the nod. This grotesque portrayal harkens back to the dehumanizing treatment of slaves on plantations, who couldn't eat until their master allowed it. It's not just disgusting—it's offensive and inexcusable.

Why do authors continue to take this approach? It baffles me. Are they so tone-deaf to the sensitivities of people of color, who have been subjected to these servile, docile depictions for far too long? Or is it that they simply don’t care, knowing that the majority of their readers will not be people of color and thus won’t notice or mind these disparities? I can't fathom why Ebner would choose this path, but I can only surmise that he thinks it's acceptable. Well, it is not.

There are other stereotypes in the book that I won't delve into, but suffice it to say that Ebner seems intent on appealing to a certain audience, one that finds comfort in these outdated and offensive portrayals. That’s his prerogative, but I certainly won't be a part of it.

This was my first foray into Michael Ebner’s work, and based on this distasteful experience, it will be my last. He had one chance to win me over, and he utterly failed.

I rate this book as a non-starter, and it should be for anyone who is exhausted by authors who perpetuate demeaning stereotypes of certain races and ethnic groups. If you're looking for literature that respects and uplifts, steer clear of "The New Bad Thing."

Charles Francis, June 1, 2024

I have to say that I unfortunately did not finish this audiobook, I found it difficult to get past the halfway point. I am a big fan of this genre normally and love a bit of espionage drama and mystery. This book however did not have the sort of pacing that I am used to in this genre and I found that there was not enough intrigue to keep my interest past this point. The characters were forgettable and the backwards and forwards jumps in the timeline made me lose track. It may have been better if I had read this in kindle form and perhaps it had something to do with the narration this particular audiobook but I struggled with it.

Fast-paced, ACTION-Packed, QUICK, day-long listen!

In my post-Blacklist (series ended) and Girl Zero (Book 2 isn’t out until July) era, I was ready for a new spy book FIX.

Admittedly, I have not traveled internationally. Therefore, my reference point on the travel elements were non-existent. However, from an emotional perspective, and on the ACTION front, there were some HIGH-OCTANE, thrilling moments!!!!

I was instantly attracted to the highs and lows of The New Bad Thing…

Super good book! I also rather enjoyed the Italian language. The narrator did a great job with those parts. My gut says a male-female cast for the audiobook could have made engaging with the female lead flow more naturally. However, Braden Wright did an excellent job narrating solo!

Hats off to the author and narrator!!!

Can’t wait for book 2!

Special thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for the amazing digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

#TheNewBadThing #NetGalley #Suspense #Thriller #Audiobooks @penandpicturebooks @Wright_Braden @BookShell_F

The New Bad Thing

Teagan, a journalist, and her husband have been trying to start a family. There hasn’t been any success and decided to see a fertility doctor.
She hears about a story that she can’t seem to shake and soon finds herself involved in something bigger than planned. Her decisions affect everyone in her life as something unexpected happens.

This gripping tale of heartbreak and purpose is full of suspense that keeps the reader’s attention. There are several plot twists that shocked me. I found myself rooting for Teagan and feeling what she felt as the story progressed. I wouldn’t mind seeing this turned into a movie.

The audiobook was narrated by Braden Wright. He expressed the emotions experienced by each character precisely.

Special thanks to #NetGalley and #PenandPicture for this #ARC audiobook.

I had high hopes for this book, but I ended up abandoning it around 40% in. Despite going back and rereading sections several times, I couldn't seem to maintain my interest. It's not that there was anything glaringly "wrong" with the book or that I disliked, but I simply couldn't become engrossed in the story.

The premise for this book was fine enough, but the execution was badly off. Some parts were inexplicably rushed through or brushed off, where more in depth writing was given to sections that really didn't warrant it. Thank you for the ARC but I won't be looking at the sequel

I enjoyed reading ' The New Bad Thing'. It was a solid and entertaining read.

I feel that some of the dialogue was bit forced and unrealistic at times. However, overall, the book was entertaining with an interesting storyline.

3,75 stars

Though it promises intense action featuring an ordinary lead character, The New Bad Thing isn’t the kind of book that will instantly pull readers in. Instead, it takes an uneven and needlessly complicated path to action and adventure.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery.

This is a fast paced and thrilling read. I connected to the main characters and raced through the chapters.

I would definitely recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Reagan and her husband want to start a family but in the meantime Teagan needs a project and decides to raise money for to save children affected by terrorism. She becomes trapped in her hotel when terrorists attack and her actions to save herself will affect her life going forward. It will become dangerous and very complicated.

This is an exciting well paced novel. Well written and well narrated (I listened to the audiobook). Teagan is a strong character who is determined to get through the ordeals ahead of her to save her future. Can she and her family survive, enjoy finding out.

I was excited for this read but I DNFd it about 40% into the book. I backed up and reread a few times, unfortunatly, my interest wasn't held at all. There's nothing, specifically, that I can say was "wrong" with the book, or that I didn't like, other than I just wasn't pulled in.

The New Bad Thing

This incredible story is a real page-turner! I got the audiobook through NetGalley thanks to Pen and Picture Publishing, and let me tell you, it was an awesome book to listen to. The book was very well written and progressed at a good pace to tell the story and keep the reader engaged. I liked how the storytelling jumps back and forth in time, revealing all these jaw-dropping clues that connect everything. Along with such an interesting main character, Teagan, I was hooked. Teagan is such a complex and charming character, and her journey was enjoyable. While I did feel like some of the other characters were a bit unrealistic, the themes the author explores like mafia, terrorism, fertility, and marriage make you think about what you would do to protect the ones you love. I recommend this book and look forward to reading more works by Michael Ebner. Very special thanks to Pen and Picture Publishing and NetGalley for giving me this awesome audiobook experience! 4⭐⭐⭐⭐

I loved this action packed book. So many twists and turns that I couldn't keep up. Read to find out how a journalist struggling with infertility ends up in a foreign country forced by the mafia to become an assassin. Boy oh boy did she step up to the challenge.

It was easy to listen to the audiobook, and it was narrated well. “The New Bad Thing” seems to be a pretty good beginning of a series that will most likely delve deeper into the characters and story line of Teagan. Michael Ebner’s storytelling entertains and leaves listeners hoping that more secrets will be revealed in forthcoming books. The novel is a pretty fast-paced mystery thriller that has an ominous feeling. The main character, Teagan, and her path becomes more treacherous as it unfolds. Suspense and intrigue are present in this book, as it does not only tell about a reporter who is trapped in a terrorist attack in a foreign country, but also about her passion for making change, which comes through strongly. The stakes are heightened when her family’s survival now depends on her locating Roman, a man who has kept himself hidden.

The plot races as Teagan's skills have become very crucial since she is the only one who has seen Roman in the past decade. I have a lot of questions about Teagan and her skills, especially as we are to believe that she learned from Roman a few weeks ago. I wonder why Roman trusted her so much and how she got so good after a brief lesson. I think some things are purposefully left hanging, indicating that they might be solved in other subsequent publications. I enjoyed this first book, “The New Bad Thing,” and I can't wait to read the next installment.

An arc audio copy of this book was provided by Netgalley.

This book was hard to follow for me. But it follows a woman named Teagan whom needs to be distracted from specific life problems. She sees a news story that shocks her and she decides to make a difference. She makes a special project that is illegally funded and travels to Paris and her plans get interrupted. Can she save her family or is it too late? I found that it jumped around a lot. I don’t know if it was the book itself or because it was an audio book but I just really didn’t enjoy the reading/writing style. I think the story line could have been better written but the idea was really good and the jist of it was a great concept. Thank you for the opportunity to read!

Overall, an ok thriller. Some of the plot twists were predictable. At times, the story felt repetitive. I do not think I will continue with the series. Thank you for the copy.

Wow, "The New Bad Thing" by Michael Ebner had me hooked from the get-go! This book is a rollercoaster ride packed with action, suspense, and a strong-willed protagonist, Teagan, who you can't help but root for.

Teagan is a relatable character, successful but yearning for more, especially after a shocking news story propels her into a dangerous mission to make a difference in the world. As a mom myself, I felt deeply connected to her struggles and her fierce determination to protect her family.

The story takes us on a thrilling journey across Europe and America, with Teagan facing intense interrogation and joining forces with a counterterrorism agent to locate a mysterious figure. The pace is fast, and I found myself turning pages eagerly, eager to see how Teagan navigates this dangerous landscape.

Ebner's writing keeps you on the edge of your seat, and I loved how he blends suspense with emotional depth. It's not just about the action; it's about Teagan's personal journey and the sacrifices she's willing to make.

I can't wait for the next installment. If you're looking for a gripping thriller that will keep you guessing until the end, "The New Bad Thing" is definitely worth picking up!