Renee began the Throwback Thursday meme on her blog, “It’s Book Talk” to share some of her old favorites as well as sharing books published over a year ago. Sounded like a good reason to join! My TT posts will not come from current ARCs or new releases. Means I’ll be going back over some of my oldies from Goodreads, my favorite authors, and some of my favorite stories from authors you might not have previously experienced. Hopefully, you’ll find either a story or author that interests you and you’ll check them out.
This week I’m spotlighting Bob Mayer, prolific writer of several fast-paced series that include The Green Berets, The Presidential Series, and his #1 bestselling series Area 51, Atlantis. If he’s written it, I’ve probably read it, albeit some time ago now. I particularly love Cool Gus, his yellow lab who frequents Twitter. 
Chasing the Lost – Originally posted on Goodreads July 25, 2015 (Published August 25, 2013)
Chasing the Lost
Book Blurb: “Horace Chase arrives on Hilton Head Island to pay his last respects at the Intracoastal Waterway where his late mother’s ashes were spread and to inspect the home his mother left him in her will. He’s been forced into retirement, his divorce is officially final, and now he’s standing in the middle of the front yard of his ‘new’ house where a tree has crashed through the center of it. What could possibly go wrong? Within six hours of arriving on Hilton Head, Chase is exchanging gunfire with men who’ve kidnapped a young boy and tried to grab the boy’s mother, Sarah Briggs. Soon he’s waist deep in an extortion plot to funnel a hundred million dollars of Superbowl on-line gambling money into an offshore bank account or else the boy dies. Dave Riley has long retired from the military and living peacefully on sleepy Dafuskie Island off the coast of South Carolina. Sort of. Actually he’s bored, feeling old, and just a bit cranky running his deceased uncle’s small-time bookie operation. Chase and Riley assemble a team of misfits and eccentrics as they take on the powerful Russian mob in the lawless tidal lands of the Low Country to get the boy back. It adds up to a fiery confrontation to rescue the young boy, and settle some old scores. But Riley and Chase need to remember a basic tenet from their days in covert operations: Nothing is ever as it appears.”
“Mayer has established himself as one of today’s better military technothriller writers. A background in Special Operations gives him credibility and understanding from having been there and done that.” Airpower Journal
“Fascinating, imaginative and nerve-wracking.” Kirkus Reviews
My Review: Chasing the Lost
I absolutely loved Eyes of the Hammer and didn’t hesitate to download this free Bookbub offering, thinking it was another in the series of the Green Beret books. Or was it really? Horace Chase and Dave Riley are now both retired, the latter of which is now pushing 50 and drinking more than he should. It is easy to visualize the beer belly and former taut muscles relaxing.
Chase has just recently retired to a South Carolina location where he has inherited a somewhat questionable home near the water. Doesn’t take long to discover the dynamic of the island being anything but laid back. There is no southern hospitality when what he believes is the kidnap of an innocent child by the Russians gets him a plaintive request for help from his mother, Sarah.
Amazingly, an old flame turns up locally as well, and all get recruited along with some specialized local talent to retrieve the boy.
I fully enjoyed the description of the lay-out of the Hilton Head locale and it’s native residents, including descriptions of the Gullah (so much to know about this land of ours!) and their expertise with the sea, sand, and shipping of the area. Chase uses his Special Ops experience and that of Riley to form a plan of rescue. Talk about twists–you’ll never see these coming!
Still of the “happy ever after” generation, I waited for the ending to turn out closer to that scenario and was totally caught off-guard by the surprise at the end.
I’m a Bob Mayer fan; enjoy his writing expertise and recommend this book or any in his long list of publications. This one is different and you won’t be able to second guess the ending. In the Presidential Series, check out The Jefferson Alliance.
The Author: Bob Mayer is a New York Times bestselling author, graduate of West Point and former Special Operations. He owns two yellow Labs, one best known as Cool Gus. He has published over seventy books, including the #1 bestselling series Area 51, Atlantis, and the Green Berets. He was born in the Bronx and now lives peacefully with his wife and his Labs. He has a free Reader’s Guide listing all his books with information about them on Amazon. He also has free eBooks, short stories and audiobooks on his web site http://www.bobmayer.com. He wrote under a number of pen names including Robert Doherty (Area 51) and Greg Donegan (Atlantis). Follow Mr. Mayer @Bob_Mayer and Cool Gus @CoolGusPub
More Throwback Thursday Blogs
Renee at Its Book Talk
Jill at Jill’s Book Cafe
Rebeccca at The Book Whisperer
Lynn at Fictionophile
Sam at Clues and Reviews
Holly B at Dressedtoread
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