Friendly Fire

This was a cool read, clearly taking advantage of the author’s insights as a successful journalist and insider covering government and military in Washington. In this second installment of the Nik Byron series (note it’s not necessary to have read the first, and the book does a good job of bringing the reader up to speed), Nik is covering what is seemingly the story of his career. The novel opens with the bizarre death of Geoffrey Tate, the world’s richest man and CEO of Yukon, a disruptive AI company that is building the Pentagon’s next generation of AI-driven war machines. When Nik finds out he was shot and killed by significantly younger trophy wife in a home invasion gone wrong, his investigative senses are immediately piqued and he starts to dig. What follows is a somewhat generic-y storyline of government cover-ups, conspiracy and meddling nation-states, but written in engaging prose and with mostly well-developed and likable characters. I enjoyed the detail associated with the journalistic process (though it was somewhat concerning how readily lippy police can be with reporters!) and it was clear the author knew exactly what he was talking about. I was able to quickly smash this one out in a couple days – a solid, enjoyable page-turner. Again, while I found the plot a bit too familiar, the strength is in the writing and character development. I give this 4/5 stars. The book is due out in March 2023. Many thanks to Girl Friday Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Friendly Fire is a thriller which keeps the reader constantly turning pages to see what happens next in this immensely rewarding novel of reporters, artificial intelligence, political intrigue, murder, sex, etc. The characters are well developed and the pace is replete with frenetic, non-stop action mostly in and around Washington, DC.

This novel is highly recommended for fans of this genre and I personally look forward to Mark Powalsky’s next novel. I thank NetGalley and Girl Friday Books for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.

A bizarre death leads a reporter to a twisted tale of military contracts, artificial intelligence weaponry and the corruption swirling through Washington DC.

Nik Byron is a dogged reporter who has been sidelined by a spiteful boss to a podcast series. When Geoff Tate, CEO of the world’s largest AI company, is mistaken as an intruder and shot to death by his young wife,the media goes wild. Nik and his crew had done done research on Tate and Bullwhip, his company’s huge contract with the government, a few months earlier but had shelved the work. Nik can’t resist going back to the research and starts creating podcasts on Tate, his quirky marriage, and Bullwhip. This is DC, where intrigue, back room deals, lobbyists, foreign agents and the ever present jaded media outlets clash and conspire. Was Tate’s death an accident….or murder? Will Bullwhip live up to expectations, and if so who will profit?

In Friendly Fire, author Mark Parlowsky demonstrates that he knows the world of DC - it’s reporters, lobbyists snd government agencies - extremely well The characters are likeable, and the book was an enjoyable read. The plot doesn’t break much in the way of new ground, but the familiarity of the author with the city and the powerful circles that dwell there made it worth the read. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy!

The author has obviously dedicated much time and effort into research. The organizations, the in-fighting, the cover-ups provide an intricate maze into which the characters must work their magic.

An enjoyable book. Although you don't need to read the first in the series, I wish I had for more background of the characters. The story starts slow with the death of Geoffrey Tate, the CEO of Yukon, the leading AI company. Nik, a reporter and his still start investigating Bullwhip, a major contract that Yukon has with the Pentagon. With more murders, more teams of journalist. 2 police teams, an FBI team and Saudi interest I did get a bit confused over the detail of the ending. I still had questions but am not sure if I just missed the full answers or there is more to come in the next book. Having said that, it was still a good read.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.

A fast-paced political thriller with compelling characters. loved the DC setting, having lived there for 10 years, the investigative journalism, and Nic's character. The plot was well-developed and complex enough to keep me turning the pages non-stop. I'm definitely going to read the first book in the series now.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.