Ambush by Barbara Nickless is a fast paced thriller.

Railway cop and former Marine Sydney Parnell is on the hunt. So is a killer she knows only as the Alpha. They’re in a race to find Malik, an eleven-year-old Iraqi boy with secrets to guard. Sydney wants to help him. The Alpha wants him dead.

From the dark alleys of Mexico City to the mean streets of Denver, Sydney and her K9 partner, Clyde, use their wits and determination to chase down the ruthless killer. But when their path collides with his, Sydney realizes just how far-reaching and sinister the Alpha’s past is. And how far he’s willing to go to save his secrets.

Overall, if you enjoy thrillers then this is the book for you.

This book was so much better than i had thought. I am not fond of the cover and although i know one should not judge a book by it's cover, it didn't really entice me to read sooner. As it turned out, i really enjoyed this book. So much so that i shall be downloading other books by this author, as i do belong to Kindle Unlimited.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, freely given.

Unforgivable

Ursula Le Guin, famously said that writers need to get away from saving the world. She was mostly talking about SF and Fantasy writers, but the same thing is true for mystery writers.

Here Ms Nickless veers away from homegrown Denver problems and embraces massive political and economic conspiracies, dragging Sydney Parnell and Clyde along. The book is pretty awful and the plot twist is unforgivable. Unfortunately I can't tell you about it, but if you search around someone will probably have handed out the spoiler somewhere else.

This is the first in the Syndey Rose series I have read and I will be going back to read the first two now. I don’t feel like I lost by reading this one first. Things were adequately explained. I really enjoyed the character of Sydney. She is a character we have seen a lot in the male version a damaged war veteran with much baggage. But having the character be female added a lot to the story. And her dog partner Clyde was awesome. It feels like this story may round out the other two as far as closing things out on her experiences in Iraq. I hope the author will find another way to keep this character going though.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I was given a free copy from NetGalley for an unbiased review.

Actually read this on Kindle Unlimited. It’s a good solid read and I enjoyed the story line.. I have read several by this author mostly through Prime Reads.

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

I enjoyed all 3 books in the Sydney Rose Parnell series. I would recommend reading the books in order. The bond that her police dog Clyde has with her is amazing. These books are a departure from the typical books I read, but I enjoyed the mystery, the role of a railroad police officer and the information about their prior military life. Ambush was a great 3rd book that answered lots of questions and still had its own suspenseful plot. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer publishing for the opportunity to read this final book (I believe) in the series! I'll look for future books from Barbara Nickless!

This is the third Sydney Rose Parnell novel I have read, and I only grow fonder of this former Marine lady cop as time goes by. Centered in the Denver, Colorado area, with flashbacks to Iraq and starring war dog Clyde, this mystery is complex and deeply hidden, the characters are wholesome and empathetic except for the bad guys, and the backgrounds are picturesque and compelling. Barbara Nickless is an author I am following, one I am happy to refer to friends and family. She mixes together the dangers of living in our country today with the necessity for policing and the psychological damage that must be overcome after serving in a war zone.

I received a free electronic copy of this railroad police procedural from Netgalley, Barbara Nickless, and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

A good action thriller, with an OK plot and very good characters. The only thing a really don't like, is the ghosts.

Railroad cop Sydney Parnell served in the Marines in Iraq before the job she has now. A fellow railroad cop Jeremy Kane is killed while Sydney is in Mexico looking for the boy she tried to help in Iraq after his mother was killed after she had worked as an interpreter for the Marines. Someone does not want Malik found or kept safe as he has something, they think, that can expose something that happened in Iraq. Sydney and her dog, Clyde need to find out what is causing people to be killed and causing the hunt for Malik. The story follows her as she goes from one lead to another and works to save those she cares about. It is a heart pounding journey.

Ambush by Barbara Nickless
Sydney Rose Parnell #3

Intrigue from beginning to end – who can anyone trust and who is the Alpha that is pulling the strings that causes people and even children to be kidnapped, tortured and killed? Sydney and others want to know and do all they can to find the monster and cage it.

This book had me looking up which division of the military deals with the dead, what they do and how traumatic their job actually is. I also found myself looking up what transit police do and that was another eye opener. I do like a book that has me wondering and looking things up because I learn and grow and become a bit wiser through the process.

The story itself was action-packed and intense. Having read the previous books no doubt would help but it is not absolutely necessary. I felt as if I was in the middle of the story right beside Sydney and wondering just what would happen next. The bad guys were BAD and the good guys mostly ex-military who had seen a LOT in the war. Sydney has some romantic conflict to deal with and a big surprise twist at one point that left me wondering how that person will play into future books of the series...and...I do hope there will be more books about Sydney to read as time goes by. I would like to see some books about what her job entails as a Transit Cop and how she interacts with others on that team. Clyde...what a wonderful K-9 partner and just plain old dog he is!

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Do I want to read more in this series? Definitely!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Note: Ambush is the third book in Barbara Nickless' Sydney Rose Parnell series and while it could potentially be read as a stand-alone, I'd highly recommend reading the rest of the series first.

Yet another nailbiter with some wicked twists, Ambush continues the story of former marine turned railway cop, Sydney Parnell and her canine partner, Clyde. Instead of beating down bad guys in her role as a railway cop, this time Sydney is dealing with a conspiracy from her service days - one that's been very much omnipresent in the series, but never fully explored.

Starting with a murdered marine and quickly switching to Mexico, where Sydney is trying to track down the young son of an Iraqi translator who she believes is in grave danger, Ambush doesn't beat around the bush and the action is fast-paced and non-stop. And the twists! It's not often a scene leaves my jaw hanging open, but there's one particular one that had me off my seat!

Sydney is definitely one of my favorite female characters - fleshed out, flawed, gritty and kickass and you can't help but root for her, even when she's making you want to reach through the pages and give her some well-phrased advice of your own. And as always, Ms. Nickless' writing is on point, well-researched and intelligent.

While I hope to see more of my favorite crime-fighting duo, Ambush is definitely a fitting conclusion to the series. Ms. Nickless neatly ties most of the loose ends and leaves you satisfied and smiling - something that doesn't happen too often in this genre!

4.5 stars!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing an ARC in return for my honest opinion.

I’m not much for gushing over a book, but I do get a little excited when I find one that is firing on all cylinders. That is the case with “Ambush,” the new Sydney Rose Parnell thriller from author Barbara Nickless.

This is the third book in the series, though that shouldn’t stop you from reading it. Although Ms. Nickless references some of the past events, new readers should have little trouble understanding what is happening. The only hiccup might come from the issues Sydney has brought back with her from time spent as a Marine in Iraq, but there should be enough explanation to help a new reader understand.

This is not another railroad mystery, but a fast-paced story that begins with Sydney working on a private mission in Mexico. Before mid-book, the tale has involved every part of Sydney’s life, from her current job to her time as a Marine, and spilling over into her personal life (both past and present). There is plenty of action that continually propels the plot forward, and since Sydney is telling the story, we solve the mystery with her, clue by clue.

Ms. Nickless is at the top of her game with this story. Meticulous research adds an element of realism missing from so many books today, breathing plenty of life into both the plot and the characters. Sydney tells the story with a level-headed cynicism, seasoned with the self-doubt of one who is grappling with the memories of a past that refuses to leave her be. I was extremely impressed with the author’s first two books in this series, but there is no doubt in my mind that “Ambush” is her best offering so far. Five stars.

Semper Fi. Always loyal.
To what? To whom?

Retired U.S. Marine, now Colorado railroad officer Sydney Parnell is being haunted. “Three years earlier, something terrible had happened in Iraq. Something outside even the so-called normal atrocities of war.”
[page 17]

That declaration combined with the ominous foreshadowing of the prologue, which vibrates with menace that essentially generates its own minor-key crescendo, warns readers that Ambush will bombard all their senses. It incorporates themes found in The Good Soldier, the Jason Bourne series, The Sixth Sense, and other complicated modern morality tales with a collision of painfully intimate character studies of the complex personalities of people who choose to serve and to protect others, especially in the ethical quagmire of war and its aftermath.

Messy soul-searching, macabre humor, multifaceted villains, tarnished heroes, a high body count, lots of violence that’s organic to the dire circumstances, and a surprisingly low frequency of profanity are only a few of the elements that make Ambush a one-sitting read. It’s the third installment of a series, but is coherent and entertains as a stand-alone.

Sydney is unique in the pantheon of female procedural/thriller protagonists. A retired Marine who worked in Mortuary Affairs, she sees and chats with some of those she saw dead. Don't worry-it's not woo woo. She is now working as a railroad police officer, along with her K-9 Clyde (terrific dog, btw). This is the third in the series; I read the last one but not the first and think this would be fine as a standalone. In this outing, she's chasing a global conspiracy as she tries to beat the mysterious Alpha to Malik, a young Iraqi boy. Frankly, there are enough thrillers of that ilk and I would have preferred Sydney to investigate something, for lack of a better word, more domestic. That said, it's a good read and I'm looking forward to the next one. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This is the third in Barbara Nickless's series featuring Sydney Rose Parnell, who's come home to Denver after combat in Iraq as a Marine, and is now working as a railroad cop. The series has a gripping premise and some unique elements: As a Marine, Sydney worked in Mortuary Affairs, and now often encounters and even talks with the ghosts of people she has seen in death.

I really enjoy the company of Sydney and her canine sidekick Clyde, but this book wasn't as compelling as the first two in the series. There were numerous spots where characters and events from the earlier books were referenced without so much as a sentence or phrase of introduction or explanation. Even though I read and enjoyed the earlier books, I felt like I was playing catch-up though most of the narrative.

What's strong about this series: Sydney functions wholeheartedly in her statebound, civilian life, even while she is plagued with the aftermath of her war service -- some of it psychological and some of it all-too-physical. She has a "village" of quirky, supportive folks (they are characters in every sense.)

In this book, there were some continuity problems and some unaddressed questions that bugged me. For one, Sydney's detective boyfriend Cohen leaves for a flight to Los Angeles. He doesn't make it, but no one at his work raises the alarm that he failed to show up.

I'm hoping there's another Sydney Parnell book, because this series overall has so much going for it. Thanks to NetGalley for an advance readers copy.

This is the third book in the series and I'm happy to say that this one is just as good as the other two.
Our intrepid heroine has an amazing adventure. There's travel to Mexico, meeting old friends and a great twist too.
I think that you could probably read this book as a standalone but why deny yourself the pleasure of the previous two books?!
Thoroughly recommended. When's the next book due out??

Thank you to #NetGalley for this ARC of #Ambush

This is the third book in the Sydney Rose Parnell series. While it can be read as a standalone, it is recommended to be read as part of the series.

Former Marine, now Railway cop, Sydney Parnell has seen her share of trauma but nothing can prepare her for the truth about her time in Iraq. This novel explores the intrinsic scars that war takes on veterans and the fall out that comes with harboring secrets from those we love. The narrative is fast paced and full of action. It deviates from the other books in this series as it focuses more on the military aspect of her past and less on her current police career. 4 stars.

First of all, a warning: This is the third book in the series and CAN NOT be read as a stand-alone. This story is the culmination (or so I hope) of the “secondary” suspense which begun in the first installment. So better not start here.
Anyway, the first two installments have been fabulous. It is worth reading them.

That said, I'm afraid this story has lost steam along the way.
The prose is still so good. It is written in first person, a tricky form of narrative, but that this author manages with absolute mastery. The suspense, as always, is exciting and addictive. It keeps you glued to the story with brutal intensity. The action is abundant and fast-paced and it seems that the pages fly by while you read.
But (and for me it's a big but) this story has two of my most feared pet-peeves:
A love triangle
And situations that have gotten (a bit) out of hand, in other words, OTT.


They are the only faults I found in this story, and they are personal mania, I can not stand them, they made me disconnect from the story so I didn´t enjoyed it as much as the previous ones. What I want to say with this is that if you have no problem with the two things I indicated above, this story is just as good as its predecessors. Unfortunately, it has not been like that for me.

On this occasion, the “personal melodrama” had too much weight in the story. The suspense is not so smooth, not so efficient. The heroine has lost part of her charisma and ”rubs” dangerously some clichés of the genre. There are lots of action but less common sense. Part of her sagacity, that attracted me so much in the previous books, here is replaced by good luck and coincidences. It is not a very suggestive mix.

The story has gone from having a tiny bit of romance to have a love triangle. It has disappointed me. It has been cloying, superficial, predictable and above all, totally unnecessary. Even the author dares to recognize through her characters that everything was being rather corny. And Sidney and corny can not go in the same sentence. Definitely, the story lost me at this point.
It would have been much more interesting to see how Sidney deals with her current relationship (which the author continually develops off page) that all the melodrama that I had to go through.

In spite of everything, I want to think that this instalment has been a point of inflection, and that from here, the melodrama of the past will be left behind for good and we will continue seeing the best Sidney Rose Parnell in action. Together with her awesome partners.
I´m looking forward to it!

***

Antes que nada, una advertencia: Este es el tercer libro de la serie y NO se puede leer como un stand-alone. Esta historia es la culminación (o eso espero) del suspense “secundario” que veníamos arrastrando desde la primera entrega. Así que mejor no empezar por aquí.
De todas formas, las dos primeras entregas han sido fabulosas. Merece la pena leerlas.

Dicho esto, me temo que esta historia ha perdido fuelle a lo largo del camino.
La prosa sigue siendo muy buena. Buenísima. Está escrita en primera persona, un tipo de narración muy peligroso, pero que esta autora maneja con auténtica maestría. El suspense sigue siendo muy emocionante. Te mantiene atrapada a la trama con una intensidad brutal. La acción es abundante y trepidante y parece que las páginas vuelan mientras lees.
Pero (y para mí es un gran pero) esta historia tiene mis dos grandes fobias:
Un triángulo amoroso
Y situaciones que se le han ido de las manos, o lo que es lo mismo, OTT.


Son las únicas pegas que le pongo a la historia, y son manías personales, no puedo con ellas, me han hecho desconectar de la historia y no la he disfrutado como las anteriores. Lo que quiero decir con esto es que, si no tienes problema alguno con los puntos que he señalado anteriormente, esta historia es igual de buena que sus predecesoras. Por desgracia, para mí no ha sido así.

En esta ocasión, la historia se sustenta demasiado en melodramas personales. El suspense no es tan “limpio”. La protagonista ha perdido parte de su carisma y roza peligrosamente algunos clichés del género. Mucha acción y poco sentido común. Parte de esa sagacidad que tiene el personaje y que tanto me atrajo en los libros anteriores aquí es sustituida por buena suerte y coincidencias. No es una mezcla muy sugerente.

Hemos pasado de no tener apenas romance a tener un triángulo amoroso. Me ha decepcionado. Ha sido empalagoso, superficial, previsible y sobre todo, totalmente innecesario. Reconozco que me ha descolgado completamente de la historia. Incluso la autora se atreve a reconocer a través de sus personajes que todo estaba siendo más bien cursi. Y Sidney y cursi no pueden ir en la misma frase.
Hubiese sido muchísimo más interesante ver cómo Sidney lidia con su actual relación (que la autora continuamente desarrolla fuera de escena) que todo el melodrama que me he tenido que tragar.

A pesar de todo, quiero pensar que este capítulo ha sido un punto de inflexión, y que, a partir de aquí, el melodrama del pasado quedará enterrado y podremos seguir viendo a la mejor Sidney Rose Parnell en acción. Junto con sus maravillosos compañeros.
¡Lo estoy deseando!

I love, love, love this series. Each book keeps getting better and better and this one is the best yet.

Sydney Parnell is a character I can't help but identify with. She is determined, stubborn, brave and vulnerable all rolled into one. Together she and her K-9 partner Clyde make a formidable duo and they will need each other to solve this mystery that has links to Sydney's time in Iraq and the loss of the love of her life. Or do ghosts have a tendency to return to the land of the living?

A on-the-edge of your seat ending and I can't wait for the next one. Highly recommended!