Hard Target
By J. B. Turner
Copyright © 2020 Thomas & Mercer
ISBN 9781542014434

Recommended: 5 Star

I read this book as a pre-release e-book obtained through NetGalley, provided by the publisher.

This book was difficult to put down! Full of political and financial intrigue, hackers, government agents, and a wealthy government contractor. Fast-moving and gritty all the way through, with just enough flirtation between characters to be interesting.

I have not read the previous books in this series, but after reading this one, I intend to read them! This is not my usual genre.

This was the first book I have read by J. B. Turner. I found the topic very interesting, and certainly disturbing. The extent of the corruption and the lengths characters would go to protect their secrets really make you think about the world in which we live. The good actors were interesting, and I would have liked more character development to get to know them better.

A page turning thriller!

This is my first book by JB Turner and I really enjoyed it from start to finish. It was fast-paced, with a hard-as-nails protagonist that has common sense, a strong moral compass, and loyalty. The story was filled with twist and turns, some you’d expect and others that will surprise you.

I found the characters interesting and likable, and the plot engaging. Definitely will be checking out more of JB Turner’s work.

Jon Reznick is a great character; he is compassionate but will push all boundaries to get what he wants to protect those around him, and this was no different. Jon is the main character assisted by Trevelle Williams, a very talented hacker, tasked with protecting Rosalind Dyer. Rosalind is a key congressional witness, about to testify against the American government but someone is trying to stop her. Along the way, there are 7 men killed who have been associated with the case and there is are people trying to ‘eliminate’ her along the way, but she is very determined to complete her testimony. As usual, Jon will stop at nothing to bring them down and to keep Rosalind safe.

There are some dark political connections to those around the pentagon who want Rosalind gone, she knows too much and has evidence for it all. The FBI tries to help, and we see Jon’s long-standing friend, Meyerstein, involved but despite repeated requests, Jon and co will not hand themselves in until after Rosalind’s deposition.

The new characters are quickly and well developed, this is the usual action-packed read that you come to expect from Turner. However, this was a little slower paced than his last one for me and took me a while longer to read it but I am more sleepy this weekend so maybe that’s why!

Easily read as a standalone though book 8 in the Jon Reznick series.

Based on the story line of this book I thought I would enjoy it. However, the stereotypical characters and the "made-up" technology were distracting particularly since the technology was instrumental to the story. Situations and events didn't appear to have been thought through such as when a hacker who is being hunted by supposedly sophisticated bad guys travels from Miami to NYC on a bus without being spotted at either end of the trip in a bus station. Or, another character who is murdered in a fashion that is supposed to appear as suicide is "hung" in a hidden room where it's unlikely that anyone would have found him except someone suspecting foul play and searching for secret rooms. It was a disappointing read.

Jon Reznick, a sometime consultant for the FBI gets involved in protecting a whistleblower Rosalind Dyer who is scheduled to appear before a congressional committee to testify on corruption in the military. He is assisted by a young man, Trevelle Williams, a computer hacker who unlocks a critical file for Rosalind.
They barely keep ahead of the efforts to kill Rosalind by Max Charles who is connected to a National Security staffer in the White House. The plot moves quickly and lurches to its ultimate confrontation.
I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and thank them for it.

Fast paced and suspenseful. I wasnt' sure what to expect but I really enjoyed the book ! Very fast read ! Keeps you on your toes.

When I started reading I did not know it was 8 in the series. This book was good as a stand alone book and I look forward to reading the first book. Full of action, tension, and conflict. Once I started reading I could hardly put the book down! The only downfall for me personally was the language. I read a lot of mystery, fiction, ect. and prefer to read without all the language.
This political thriller will have you rethinking everything you know about the US military-industrial complex and corruption in Washington DC. Is there really this much corruption? How high does it go?

Action, edge of your seat suspense and a thrilling ride. This describes all of Mr. Turner's work. A master of spine chilling suspense that will you wanting more. Hard Target is another great addition to his growing accomplishments. A must read for Jon Reznick fans.

This was such an exciting and engaging read! It captured my attention from the very beginning and kept me invested the entire time.

In Hard Target, we follow Jon Reznick, a black ops specialist, as he gets pulled in to a crazy whirlwind of events that include murder, espionage, and corrupt government that all starts with a friend reaching out for help. This friend, Trevelle, is a hacker who is sent a file to decrypt - but the second he receives the file, one of his friends who is staying with him is murdered. This leads him to reach out to Jon, as they have previously worked together, and they learn that the file Trevelle was sent was a contract to assassinate an American citizen. We are swept along this fast paced story as they find, warn and decide to help the target, and start to uncover that this assassination is just the tip of the iceberg to this story.

I genuinely enjoyed this book! It is a total page turner that I could not put down. This is book 8 in the series, but when I stumbled upon it I didn't know that and this book definitely made me want to ( and I definitely will) read the rest!
That being said, it is a great stand-alone book. It made references to events and characters clearly from earlier in the series, but not so much that I felt I was missing anything at all!

Something I appreciated in this book was how much Reznick suggested to the other characters to reach out to the FBI and work with them (because of the specific situations in this book), instead of completely running off and going rogue. From my experience with this genre, protagonists (if not in the perspective of an agent or detective) typically avoid the law/government at all costs and then the story turns into something completely far fetched and unimaginable - which then just becomes less enjoyable. By having Reznick suggest they work with the FBI, it provided the chance for the characters to develop more and for the readers to see more than just another out of control story.

Ultimately, the ending was a little expected, however some of the events just prior to the finale completely shocked me and I was NOT ready, haha. The characters are likable, and do feel realistic - if this were to happen in reality, their reactions are fairly believable and understandable - some situations felt a little forced/unrealistic, but not so much that it deterred me from reading.
If you enjoy spy thrillers, conspiracy theories, and espionage stories, this is for you!

Thank you for the ARC!

J.B. Turner knows how to write a page-turning thriller and this eighth installation in the series about Jon Reznick is no exception.
This time around, Reznick is called upon to help his hacker friend from Miami who has helped him on numerous occasions in his past adventures, and suddenly Reznick finds himself on the run with the hacker as well as with a government whistleblower about to testify before Congress about large-scale corruption high up in the Pentagon echelons.
The story is more predictable than in the past books, and the "let's do what's right rather than what's easy" thing gets a little nausea-inducing this time around. Furthermore, the whole "only one person in the FBI trusts Reznick and gets in trouble for doing so" routine is also getting a little tiresome.
But, I was still entertained by this book that just barely makes the fourth star in the rating. This eighth book is not an ideal place to start reading this series, so an old-fashioned chronological approach is recommended.

I wasn't too worried when I downloaded this book and noticed that it was #18 in a series. I took that to be a good sign that if there were 17 others, I may miss out on some earlier character development or backstories, but that I could jump in easily enough. This is a fun and fast paced read. The story takes you from Florida to New York, to DC, so there's movement geographically along with the plot. The story wasn't cliched or predictable, but also not too wildly outrageous. I'd call this book perfect for a weekend or beach read.

In Hard Target, Jon gets a call for help from his friend and hacker Travelle Williams. Travelle’s life is in danger and they discover its connected to a plan to assassinate a government whistleblower (Rosalind Dyer). There are shadowy government officials, mercenaries, and lots of corruption.

Hard Target definitely had lots of action. My heart was racing much of the book. Travelle and Fifi are the most likable characters and you hope all parties are vindicated in the end. One of the biggest challenges I had was that quite a few chapters felt repetitive. The same conversations about Rosalind’s commitment to her cause were being had over and over again that it started to feel like filler and the book began to drag. Some of the violence also seemed rather gratuitous which may or may not be common in this genre. I’d give content warnings for violence and language.


Overall, if action books (or movies for that matter) are your thing, you’ll probably like this book. You’ll want to see what happens to these characters and the ending definitely has some surprises.

Fantastic page-turner! My first JB Turner novel, I enjoyed the pace of the story and love the characters. Ready for the next one! Highly recommend. Thank you!

I enjoyed the book. The action moved along, the characters were well-delineated, the dialogue was realistic, etc. The death of one of the key characters was unexpected and was a more realistic outcome than if the character had been saved at the last minute. I think the only drawback to the book is that I have met these types of characters and read similar plots before in other books. So not too original but well done overall.

Jon Reznick is a believable government agent whose mission involves a familiar tale in an exotic locale. The mission is a now familiar theme of a government cover-up of a massacre to achieve government ends. A good tale.

Hard Target.
An excellent story that is well written that has strong, well developed characters. I give this book 5 well deserved stars and a strong recommendation.

I enjoyed the pace of the book and all, this book lacked the excitement though. I was really wanting more from this book.

I was given this arc for my honest review.

This story has some twists and lots of action. It didn't end the way I thought it would, but is a good story. When Rosalind is targeted because she is going to testify to congress about some high profile corruption, Reznick gets involved and wants to help her get there to testify. He knows that she likely won't make it, but she is trying to do the right thing, so he will help her. He gets involved because a friend is sent a file to decode and it snowballs from there. Will Rosalind be able to testify? He only needs to keep her safe for a couple of days, will it happen?

This book defines the thriller genre! In Hard Target, book 8 in the Jon Reznick series, Reznick sets out to warn a whistleblower, who’s preparing to testify before congress, that she is targeted for assassination by a private security firm hired by the government. He empathizes with the women’s desire to do the right thing and, as a result, does what he can to defend her. Of course, that defense involves taking out a few assassins and blowing up the plane that the head of the security company is piloting. Luckily for Reznick, he is protected by the assistant director of the FBI who happens to be a close friend.

I love action thrillers like Hard Target and am dismayed that I hadn’t come across this series sooner. Book 8 was the first in the series that I read. What I can say with certainty is that this book stands alone and can be read without any foreknowledge of the characters.

Hard Target’s action made it impossible to put down. Neglecting more important responsibilities, I finished the book in one sitting.