Gregg Luke amazes me with every one of his novels. They are books that you do not want to put down and are full of facts that make the story believable. (I really hope that none of the scenarios come true, ever.) Red Cicada fits in with all of his other books. Intense suspense, a few people are trying to save the world from evil, bad guys trying to kill the good guys, and a plot that holds your attention until you read the last word.

Lana suffers from migraines. A trip to the ER reveals that her life has hidden secrets. A metal disk is found inserted into her skull with Russian letters that translate into "Red Cicada". The google search quickly brings Lieutenant Kipling to the scene. He has been researching a cold case from the end of the USSR era. Lana may have the clues needed to crack the case. Unfortunately, the bad guys are also alerted and not far behind.

This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. I love the partnership of Lana and Lieutenant Kipling. They make a great team with the chemistry between them. Just when you think you know what is going on there's a plot twist that keeps you guessing until the end.

3.5⭐⭐⭐



- the book honestly got me hooked from the first pages, until i wasnt .
it gotten to the point that it has to be combine with two scenes that i couldnt understand and nearly dnf.
Apparently , i tried to finish it and it was worth it the end .




+ thankyou netgalley for the opportunity .

❤️shaye.reads

WOW! This book was an interesting, fast pace suspense!

I don’t know much about biological warfare but the story was very interesting and eye-opening even though it’s considered fiction. These types of stories freak me out though and make me a little paranoid but it’s still fascinating to read. I have read a couple books by this author that also include some kind of biological warfare or medical stuff.

I liked the main characters Lance and Lana and their developed friendship as Lana is running from the Russians for some reason unbeknownst to her. Really enjoyed it-highly recommend this clean, suspenseful book!

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

This is a well written medical thriller that is full of twists and turns., mystery and suspense. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages to see what happens next.
I received a complimentary copy from Covenant Communications via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

How can an ordinary day turn into a nightmare? The main character Lana Baker can answer this question because that's what happened to her. One minute she has a migraine and the next she finds herself in a hospital with a doctor wanting to take a chip out of her head. Lana has no idea where the chip came from and so many things in her life don't make sense now. Throw in Lance Kipling a Lieutenant investigating a cold case, a kidnapping, and ruthless Russian spies that want Lana dead, and the reader is hooked.

This thriller keeps you reading and wanting to know more...right now! It is fun piecing all of the clues together to find out about the chip and Lana's past. There were some surprises that surfaced and things my mind made up that really didn't happen. Haha! I read too many suspense books I guess. One thing I do know is that Gregg Luke always comes through to give you a crazy, thrilling ride that'll keep you reading. Check this book out and his other suspense books. They all are very good!

A note of caution, once you start this book you will not want to put it down. Be prepared to become irritable with interruptions and decide that sleep is overrated.

Gregg Luke amazes me with every one of his novels. They are books that you do not want to put down and are full of facts that make the story believable. (I really hope that none of the scenarios come true, ever.) Red Cicada fits in with all of his other books. Intense suspense, a few people are trying to save the world from evil, bad guys trying to kill the good guys, and a plot that holds your attention until you read the last word.

Lana suffers from migraines. A trip to the ER reveals that her life has hidden secrets. A disk inserted into her skull brings Lieutenant Kipling to the scene when the words "Red Cicada" are found and an internet search is conducted. The bad guys are not far behind. The things that Lana has been told about her childhood are lies. Now the duo is on the path to discovering clues that have been left to discover what the Red Cicada project entails.

This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. I love the partnership of Lana and Lieutenant Kipling. They make a great partnership.

Red Cicada is an exciting thrill-ride! The author does a fantastic job of keeping me needing/wanting to turn those pages quickly. I loved the premise of this book and the mystery surrounding the disk in Lana's head was an adventure to read. Lance was a great hero. I loved every scene he was in. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the disk and Lana's past. There are many great twists and a really icky bad guy.

Despite suffering from severe migraines for most of her life Lana has managed to stay clear of doctors and hospitals. One day she blacks out at work and wakes up in hospital only to discover an X-ray has revealed there is a disc implanted at the base of her skull. She never had a standard childhood and she discovers the real reason why. Red Cicada was the code name for an overseas high-priority, ultra-top-secret program relating to pandemics where experimental research was conducted on herself and other subjects. The Russians have been searching for her due to what they think she knows and/or is contained on the implant.
Lance Kipling is a good looking army intelligence officer who ends up helping her find answers and evade the Russians.
A good read with an interesting storyline no doubt enhanced by the authors knowledge of pharmacy.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Does Gregg Luke know how to write a thriller or what? This is the kind of book that leaves lingering thoughts in your head about real life implications and could this have really happened.

Once I picked it up, putting it down was not an option. Lana was a fantastic lead character and so was Lt. Kipling. Together they pieced together the mystery, with the bad guy immediately behind them. I am pretty sure my heart was racing for at least the second half of the book.

I am not sure what kind of mind you need to think of how all this works, but it works.

I would read this one again just to pick up details I might have missed and even then, I am sure my heart would still race.

I received an early copy from the publisher through netgalley and this is my honest review.

This is the first book by Gregg Luke that I have read and I thought it was a really good book. The story kept me engaged the whole time and I cared about what happened to the characters. I liked the suspense in the story. I liked the pacing of how he shared information into what Red Cicada was. I also liked that this story was on of discovery for Lana and that she was able to learn more about where she came from. I liked this book and will probably read more by this author.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

4.5 stars rounded up.

To paraphrase Bette Davis *Fasten your seatbelts; it's going to be a bumpy ride.*

While at work, Lana Baker gets what she thinks is just another migraine, but she wakes up in the Emergency Room at the local hospital to find that she's had a seizure. While still being assessed she has another seizure and wakes up a day and a half later to learn she has a metal plate (disc) in her head, and she has no idea how it got there because she's never had surgery or been in a hospital. Upon further inspection by the doctor treating her, Lana discovers the metal disc has Cyrillic letters and a number on it. When translated the letters read Red Cicada 19. Soon after this mind-blowing discovery, Lana's visited by Lieutenant Lance Kipling, who's asking a lot of questions about her background and the disc that's just been discovered in her skull. Within hours of Lt. Kipling's visit, someone posing as an orderly kidnaps Lana, but she's rescued by Lt. Kipling, and now they're on the run from a cold-blooded Russian while trying to figure out clues Lana's father left her.

DO NOT start this book at night unless you plan to stay up into the wee hours of the morning. I couldn't stop turning the pages because I had questions and needed answers!! So. Many. Questions. How did Lana get a disc in her head? What's on the disc and why do these Russians want it so badly? How did they find her so quicky and why now, and not years before? Why doesn't she remember anything from her early years?

Sometimes I questioned Lana's decisions but then I reminded myself of how she was raised and how her life had suddenly changed in a matter of days. Would I make better decisions if I were in her place? There are a couple of lighter moments such as when Lance took Lana sailing--they weren't the only ones who needed a break--my blood pressure and stress levels needed one too.

Not all of my questions were answered so I'm hoping that it's because there might be a sequel. If you like clean suspense or thrillers you should definitely read this one--just not at bedtime. It's fast paced and will definitely keep you guessing. I received a complimentary copy from Covenant Communications via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

3.5 stars rounded up

This was a book that immediately sucked me in and I ended up finishing it late at night because I wanted to know how it was going to end. Lana Baker has had severe and debilitating migraines most of her life, although they have gotten worse since she lost her father. One particularly bad episode lands her in the hospital and that's when they discover she has a mysterious piece of metal in her head. Soon she is sucked into a race for her life and for answers as she works to unravel information about her past as well as who is after her. While this was what I would classify as a soft spy thriller, and therefore contained the usual tropes, some of which were predictable, I ended up enjoying this quite a bit. While the Russian villain was pretty cliched, and what Lana's dad did was quite predictable, I ended up rounding up, in part because I liked Lana and Lance and some of the characters they came across. If you're looking for an easy spy thriller that can likely be read in one sitting, this definitely fits the bill.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is one of those books that starts off so intense and stays that way! Gregg Luke is a master at writing this way. The way he writes leaves me not wanting to put the book down. In a good way.

This book starts off with Lana having to go to the hospital because of a migraine and seizure situation. She soon finds out that she has a piece of metal in her head. And apparently people are willing to kill over it. Lana isn’t sure who she can trust. Especially after she is kidnapped from the hospital.

Lance is looking into her father’s life. And he saves Lana, several times. I loved the way he was always there, right when Lana needed him to be there. Lance was really good at spotting traps and figuring out the puzzle.

There is so much danger in this one. I was on the edge of my seat from the very beginning. It was fun trying to solve the puzzles with Lance and Lana!

This was a fun, lightweight suspense story. I found the premise interesting, and the twist at the end (make sure you catch it—think about when this book was written/published!) was a nice touch.

Lana was…okay. I found her frustrating at times. She decides to pretend she knows something about Red Cicada, only for her next line to be “I don’t know!” There were frequent instances of this, particularly in the first half of the book.

Likewise, I found the impetus for the romantic part of the plot to be weak. Yes, Lance is good looking and protective, but is that enough for her to fall in love with him? He sees Lana in difficult situations, and finds her brave and tenacious, but again…a basis for love? I’d like there to be more.

I enjoyed the backstory, the plot went along at a fairly good pace. It was just, overall, a bit thin. A quick and undemanding read.

Possible Objectionable Material:
Intrigue, kidnaping, violence. People (past and present) die. Perilous situations. A man and woman share a hotel room, but nothing happens.

Who Might Like This Book:
If you’re a fan of suspense, international plots, and a bit of romance, this book will probably interest you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2022/05/its-been-roughsix-weeks-but-yearbook-is.html

Medical spy thriller

Lana Baker has been having terrible migraines for years. When she ends up in the Emergency Room with her latest, it is discovered that she has a metallic disc with Cyrillic writing on it embedded in the back of her head - and she had no idea it was there.

A Lieutenant Lance Kipling tracks her down (and he's not the only one trying) and together they try to discover how the disc got into her head, how she can get it out, and how her dead father might have been involved.

I enjoyed this medical thriller with spy tendrils back to Cold War days. Some of the early details about Lana's early life were hard to read about but fit in with the story accordingly.

There was romance but it was G-rated.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy medical spy thrillers.

I received this book from Covenant Communications through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Buckle up! This book starts off with a big revelation and just keeps throwing twists and turns at the characters. From a metal disc in her head to a lieutenant working on a cold case, to the Russian letters written on the disc, there are so many questions running through Lana's mind. Who can she trust? Who is being honest? Will she ever get this unknown disc out of her head?

I have to admit I was glued to the pages of this book. I stayed up late reading because I needed to know what was going to happen. I needed answers just like Lana and Lieutenant Lance did. And that bad guy, he just kept showing up and I needed to know if Lana was going to stay safe from him.

When more information started to be discovered, it had me changing my guesses about what the disc was and everything about Lana's life. Have you read the book? Did you guess correctly, or were you constantly changing your guesses too?

I might have held my breath a few times as well...ok probably more than a few times. Haha! But it was a little intense and I was stressing for these characters. Especially at the one clinic. Yikes!!!!!!!!! I was very stressed over that scene.

If you enjoy suspenseful reads with some mystery, a sweet love story and much more, this is a book I'd recommend! And just remember to keep breathing!

Content: I would say this is a clean book. There are no explicit relations and no language. It is a suspenseful read and there are aspects of fighting, murder, guns, science experiments and such in the book but not described overly graphic.

I received a copy from the publisher, Covenant Communications, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

I looked forward to Red Cicada because I have enjoyed other books by Gregg Luke. Red Cicada is an enjoyable read, but it lacks something in comparison to other suspense books by the author.
Lana Baker has migraines and one day at work her migraine is bad enough that is causes seizures and black out. Lana wakes in the hospital and a CT scan shows a metal disk at the back of her head. Lana knows nothing about it and doesn’t believe her father Deacon Baker could have either.
Writing on the disk causes army intelligence and bad guys to show up.
Lance Kipling is army intelligence. He and Lana go on the run.
The description sounds great. The flow wasn’t there. I didn’t connect with Lana or Lance. The bad guys are scary and willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish their aim. The puzzle that needs solving is sparingly laid out with a lackluster reveal in the last pages. Sometimes this works to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. It didn’t work this time. And I didn’t really like the ending.
I liked Red Cicada but it lacked whatever it is that usually keeps the reader engaged in a suspense novel.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

I have waited a long time for another Gregg Luke book to come out and was thrilled to get a digital advance copy of this book. The book was better than I had anticipated. It had me hooked from beginning to end. I was at the edge of my seat biting my nails anxious to know how Lana and Lance was going to solve the mystery before the bad guy catches up to them. If you like a good thriller with a subplot of romance, then this is definitely a book you want to read.

Lana Baker suffers a migraine at work and ends up in hospital, only to discover a small metallic disk at the base of her skull. This medical anomaly is the beginning of Gregg Luke’s Red Cicada, a spy thriller adventure with cold war echoes. Lana lack of details about her medical history and past places her in danger. As she hunts for answers, she is assisted by Lieutenant Lance Kipling, a military investigator into possible connections with biological weapons. As they dig deeper into Lana’s upbringing, the race to solve the mystery threatens their personal safety. A gentle run of the mill spy thriller, lacking salience, making for a three star read rating. With thanks to Covenant Communications and the author, for an uncorrected advanced copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

What a wild ride! This is my first book by Gregg Luke and I was pleasantly surprised by how much of a page turner it was. From the first few chapters I was hooked wondering why this young woman, Lana Baker, who went to the hospital after having a migraine induced seizure is found to have a small disc with Cyrillic letters implanted in the back of her skull. Not only does she have no memory of having this mysterious disk implanted, but soon she’s pursued by several people who want it by any means necessary. One of these is Lieutenant Lance Kipling with a background in biological warfare whom Lana decides to trust. The two weave their way across the country following the clues Lana’s father left after his death to find out what’s on that disc and why others are determined to get it. Hot on their trail is a pretty ruthless Russian who will do whatever it takes to get the disc including killing anyone who gets in his way. It’s a fast-paced medical suspense thriller that definitely kept me reading late into the night.

I enjoyed the characters. Lance was my favorite. I liked his caring personality. His teaching Lana how to maneuver a sailboat was one of my favorite parts. The two work well together and though their romance happens pretty quick, it added some welcomed lighter moments to the suspense. Lana while understandably shaken wavers back and forth between being strong and a helpless female. At times, she frustrated me, but I was definitely invested in her finding the truth. The villain is the stereotypical ruthless Russian killer. He’s straight out of a James Bond or Bourne Identity film. His cat and mouse pursuit really ratchets up the intensity and suspense.

The plot while extremely riveting was implausible in some instances. I couldn’t see a five year old not having any memory of what happened to her. If she were an infant or toddler, it would have been more realistic. I felt like some of the obvious mistakes made by Lana and Lance were rookie mistakes but necessary to further the plot. The ending while somewhat of a surprise felt a little flat to me. I wanted it to be more dramatic and questioned why the implant was necessary to begin with. Despite these issues, I found it to be a hard-to-put-down story that really drew me in.

If you’re a fan of medical suspense with some espionage and a hint of romance, you’ll enjoy this thriller. Sensitive readers should know that there are descriptions of medical procedures and violence. I would probably rate the violence level as PG-13. The romance is clean with nothing more than kissing. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review. I gave it 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4.