She moves to a quieter place to raise her sister's children... and it ends up not being quiet at all.
It's a great start for a series!
I would love to know in what kind of trouble Irene and her family will end up as time passes.
It was a good audiobook. I hope the author keeps working with the same narrator further on.

I've been reading Gilstrap for years, but I've never listened to one of his books before. I found the experience to be enjoyable. It's not Shakespeare, so I was able to bump up the speed a bit to get that fast-paced plotting he's known for. I like that no matter how fast I had the speed, I never lost focus of the plot or the characters. Not all books can do that (especially if there's a lot of info-dumping). That, to me, takes just as much skill to write. Clean and clear prose. The narrator was good, but when reading the books for so long, you kind of forget that Irene is from West Virginia. Hearing her voice played back with that WV accent was a little jarring at times, but accurate. I appreciate that. Hopefully I can catch the next book on audio too!

What a great start to a new series. I am so glad Irene is getting her own series. I loved her character & this story makes me love her more. The plot was interesting & fast-paced. The villain is fabulous and very unlikeable. I cannot wait for the next installment. Well done.

What an incredible book!
And yet, how scary to think that these things could actually be happening, RIGHT NOW, in little towns across the US! 😮😕

Irene Rivers was the head honcho at the FBI. She actually brought down the President of The United States USA…and with it, her career…

So now, she moves her teenage daughter, Kelly, and her 12 year old nephew, Wyatt (that she’s raising as her own) to a quiet, run down farm/home in West Virginia… where she hopes to decompress, relax, and maybe even enjoy life a little.

What she does NOT expect is for her nephew, and their ever loving dog, to discover a dead body on the property. One that’s obviously been there for a long time….

But, THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!
The stuff that happens next, and then continues to happen is the actual grits of the story… and my mouth 👄 was just hanging open. 😮😮😮

I will say that there are a lot of characters in this one… and sometimes that messes me up… trying to keep them straight.
That did not happen here. They are all clear cut, and have their own agendas… literally!

This seems to be the beginning of a new series for this author, and I look forward to reading more!
This is only the 2nd book I’ve read of his, and it looks like I might have to go back and invest some time in this gifted author! (At least when my TBR list gets a bit shorter!) But, his books are definitely worth the read!! 😁🤣

#BurnedBridges by #JohnGilstrap. Narrated beautifully by #NataliaPayne.

5 big, bright, crazy-townsfolk, shenanigans-laden 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 for me!

*** RELEASE DATE WAS MAY 27, 2025 !! ***
***SO LOOK 👀 FOR IT ON SHELVES NOW!!!!! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley, #RBMedia and #RecordedBooksAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

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Another cracking book from John Gilstrap. Former FBI director Irene Rivers moves to a new house in West Virginia with her children and nephew. When the nephew find a body on their land that when the trouble starts. Full of intrigue and plenty of action with well drawn characters, this is an excellent start to a new series. The narrator Natalia Payne does an excellent job of bringing this book to life. Thanks to RB Media and Netgalley for this review audiobook.

When a body turns up at their new home, it was the last thing she expected. Now, as they settle in, and navigate the town's politics, there are many undercurrents. One family seems to run the entire county, and one wrong step can prove fatal.

Oh, my goodness! I absolutely LOVED this book! I absolutely could not put it down. From the beginning, the author draws you in, promising a thrill-filled book, and he did not disappoint.
As a mother, sometimes I had my heart in my throat. But there was no way that I was going to stop reading. There were too many questions that I needed answers to, and a few characters that you want to cheer for something bad to happen to.

Now that I have this first book under my belt, I am going to be impatiently waiting the next installment. I cannot wait to see what happens next!!

John Gilstrap launches an electrifying new series with Burned Bridges, thrusting unforgettable FBI Director Irene Rivers, code name Wolverine, into the spotlight. Seeking refuge from the cutthroat power games of Washington D.C., Irene moves her children to a seemingly idyllic farm in West Virginia. But this peaceful retreat quickly transforms into a new battlefield when her 12-year-old nephew discovers a body in a cave, hinting at a long-buried murder and a deep-seated cover-up.

What begins as a local mystery rapidly escalates into a full-blown threat. Powerful, homegrown forces demonstrate their willingness to kill to protect their secrets, and the danger against Irene's family intensifies. She's forced to confront the harsh reality that her past actions in Washington have left her isolated, with no official avenues for help. As the attacks on her and her family mount, Irene realizes the local police are ineffective, and her "burned bridges" in D.C. mean the FBI is out of reach. So, Irene becomes the Wolverine again, determined to keep her family safe from any and all threats.

While this bestselling author temporarily sidelines beloved characters like Digger and Big Guy, Gilstrap's masterful plot weaving, character development, and action scenes shine through. Burned Bridges powerfully showcases Irene's formidable resolve and intelligence in this high-octane thriller. Fans of Gilstrap's Jonathan Grave series will find themselves immediately immersed in Irene's world, left heart-pounding and eagerly anticipating the next installment in what promises to be a superb new series.

Burned Bridges by John Gilstrap

Burned Bridges kicks off an exciting new series with Irene Rivers, a former FBI director who’s just trying to live a quieter life away from the chaos of D.C. She moves to rural West Virginia with her daughter and nephew, hoping for some peace. But that doesn’t last long — her nephew stumbles across a body hidden in a cave on their property, and everything starts to spiral.

What starts as a creepy mystery turns into a tangled mess of small-town secrets, corruption, and danger. The deeper Irene digs, the more deadly things get. It doesn’t take long to realize the local cops are in on it, and with no help from her old connections in Washington, she’s left to protect her family on her own and figure out the truth.

I’ll admit, the story felt a little slow at first, and there were a lot of characters to keep track of early on. But once the action picked up, I was hooked. The twists, tension, and drama kept me listening, and I couldn’t wait to see how Irene would take on the bad guys.

Thanks to NetGalley and RBmedia | Recorded Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Irene Rivers was the former head of the FBI who took down the president in a scandal (while this is book one in her own series, Irene was in a prior series by the author which I didn't read). She now lives in a small West Virginia town with her daughter and nephew. A dead body is found on her property and the family gets involved with a local family that controls the town. Solid mystery and I look forward to reading more in the series.

I enjoyed Natalia Payne's narration.

John Gilstrap’s Burned Bridges still has me reeling long after finishing the novel; combined with a giggle or two, when I think of the family dynamic present in Irene Rivers’ (the protagonist’s) world.

This book was the first in the new Irene Rivers series, which is an offshoot after her being of Codename: Wolverine and Johnathan Grave series fame. It follows the former FBI director that is best known for her polarizing takedown of the sitting president on charges of corruption as she settles into civilian life in rural West Virginia, with her daughter and adopted nephew.

As her kids get a rocky start in school, so, too, does Irene in her private detection firm that she’s just launched. Her first clients are the parents of a kid who has a seeming mountain of evidence stacked against him. So much so that Irene tried to dissuade his parents from hiring her to do due diligence on said evidence, which his firm of attorneys were either too lazy or too underwhelmed to perform.

This is just the Jenkins County way.

As Irene delves deeper into her client’s charges and “evidence”, more dangerous things start happening, almost as if to warn her away. Eventually, the danger passes the tipping point, and Irene realizes what is Actually going on. But can she stop anything without anyone else to lean on, and no backup to call upon?

This is an amazing start to a new series for Gilstrap, and I can’t wait to read the next episode!!

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media and Recorded Books for this audio ARC!!

Irene Rivers was FBI Director and now lives on a farm in West Virginia with her family. A body is discovered on her property and trouble comes to her family. Things escalate to dangerous levels.

Very well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Excellent characters in this fast paced novel. More than one issue needs resolving including corruption at high levels. Irene and her family will be put in danger. Her professional skills will prove very useful. Lots od suspense, drama and intrigue. Highly recommend.

As FBI director, Irene Rivers experienced corruption on the national level after bringing down the president and burning many bridges with people around her in the FBI. She thought after being forced out of the FBI and moving to a small rural town in WV with her 12 yo nephew and 17 yo daughter that she would be away from the spotlight, away from corruption, and away from danger. Instead, she finds herself in the thick of things when human remains are found on her property, when she accepts a PI job trying to prove a teenager was being framed for murder, and when her daughter becomes the victim of sexual harassment. She soon finds more corruption than even she could imagine. Burning Bridges is non-stop action from the beginning to the end and filled with people who do not hesitate to do away with anything and anyone in their way and people who either help or look away. They soon come to realize, however, that Irene Rivers is a force to be reckoned with.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for the audiobook edition.

Well written, action packed novel about a family trying to find solitude in the hills of West Virginia, but other plans await as they are caught up in a corrupt family held county with ties throughout the state.

I did not have a knowledge of Rivers from the previous Gilstrap books, so I don't know what her character's personality was going into this novel, but the way she started out treating the people she dealt with like simple minded pleebs that couldn't touch the soles of her shoes almost ruined this for me. Too much high-mighty and haughtiness. She kind of turned it around as the story progressed. Also, the characters that had just had their coworkers and daughter like figure murdered just forgetting and moving on within pages was a miss. They were just gone from the narrative with no impact after being a main portion of the early story.

A good listen. My first Gilstrap and it had me from the very start. Love it as it will undoubtedly lead me to other of his works. Love discovering a new author I like.

John Gilstrap's Burned Bridges (audiobook) ignites an electrifying new series, pulling former FBI Director Irene Rivers (code name: Wolverine) from the treacherous power games of Washington D.C. into a new and equally deadly battle in rural West Virginia. Fans of action-packed thrillers by authors like Catherine Coulter and Tess Gerritsen are in for a gripping ride as Irene, seeking safety for herself and her loved ones, finds her idyllic farm refuge anything but peaceful.

Trouble ignites when Irene's 12-year-old nephew discovers a dead body in a cave on their property. The grim evidence points to a long-ago murder and cover-up, and powerful forces are willing to kill again to protect their interests. Soon, Irene's family becomes the target of the very kind of threats and intimidation she once faced from major crime syndicates, only this time, the enemy determined to tear them down is homegrown.

When the attack she most fears finally comes, putting everything she cares about at risk with an impossible deadline looming, Irene realizes she can expect no help from the local police. And, having "burned too many bridges" in Washington, the FBI is out of the question. This time, Irene Rivers is truly on her own. Burned Bridges is a fast-paced, nail-biting fusion of suspense, drama, and searing intrigue, thrusting listeners into a compelling world of unseen dangers and unexpected heroes.

This was my first John Gilstrap novel and it did not disappoint. I can’t wait to go back and get more of Irene’s story. It’s well written to go in without having read any of the previous books in the series.

She thought she and her loved ones would be safe here. The lovely farm nestled in the heart of West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle looks like the perfect refuge from the backstabbing maelstrom of DC politics. But this seemingly peaceful new home is anything but safe for former FBI director Rivers and her children.

Troubles begin when Irene’s 12-year-old nephew finds a dead body in a cave on the property. Grim evidence points to a long-ago murder and cover-up. Powerful forces will do anything—including kill again—to protect their interests. Soon Irene’s family is the target of the kinds of threats and intimidation she’s seen before from major crime syndicates . . . but this time, the enemy determined to tear them down is homegrown.

Then comes the attack she most fears. With everything she cares about at risk and an impossible deadline looming, Irene knows she won’t get any help from the local police force. And she’s burned too many bridges in Washington to get help from the FBI. This time, Irene Rivers is on her own

Interesting story. Good guys were complex but the bad ones were just plain unlikable. Small town West Virginia and corruption are hand in hand here. The narrator did a fine job.

This book made my blood BOIL. There’s not much that makes me more angry than corruption and abuse of power, and there’s plenty of it in this small-town thriller. The story was really well built, and even though it took me a bit to get into it properly, once I did, I stayed up really late to finish it.

I haven’t read this author before, but I really enjoyed how he uses multiple POVs effectively to build suspense and slowly knit everything together. I also love it when male authors write strong female characters. She isn’t perfect of course — that would make it really boring — but she’s a badass who stands up for what’s right, even when she really doesn’t want to. Sometimes you’re tired of always getting involved and want to stay retired.

I’m quite intrigued by the ending of Burned Bridges, so I’m excited about the next book. There is a bit of a cliffhanger, but the main mystery/plot is resolved nicely, so it can be read as a standalone without issue.

The narrator — Natalia Payne — did a really good job with the story and the big cast of characters.

A former director of the FBI, Irene Rivers relocates with her family to a small West Virginia town in the hope of putting Washington politics behind her.

But when one of the children finds a corpse on the property, it's clear that there is more going on here than meets the eye. The problem is, vested interests are at play, and Irene may be about to find out that leaving Washington DC does not mean leaving behind greed, corruption and criminality...

Gilstrap has created a dynamic, interesting female character in Irene Rivers, and makes it easy for the reader to root for her - especially given what she is up against! Action packed and enjoyable storytelling, this gets 3.5 stars.

In the book Burned Bridges, author John Gilstrap begins a series about Irene Rivers (code name Wolverine), the FBI Director that brought down the President. With the country split on her actions, she moves from the political maelstrom to live with her teenage daughter and nephew, to her grandparents farm nestled in the heart of West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle. Life is peaceful, till her 12-year-old nephew finds a dead body hidden in a cave on her property. Now the cover-up begins and Rivers is finding out that corruption is not just in Washington DC. Can she get to the truth? Will her kids be collateral damage in this fast-paced drama? This was a great story that kept my interest and I look forward to more books in the series. Love the cliffhanger at the end of what decision she will make. I would recommend this book. The audio-book narration was good. I received a copy of this audio-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.