ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’m finally catching up with some of my ARCs I have from this year. I found the subject of this book complex and interesting, although I would’ve felt more connected to the characters if I had read the other books in the series. I felt like I could pick it up easily and was given context on where the story was headed and where it had been. Some of the repetitiveness started to bother me about half way through, phrase like “deep state” and “operative” even though I understand their use for them there. I will definitely try out other books from this author.

I can't remember the last time I had tears in my eyes as I finished an excellently written novel, I have been a fan from the first title but now I'm completely devoted to Hayley Chill. This young woman is a total badass, and a fallible human, she's the real deal in a fictional universe. She uncovers a white nationalist succession plot involving the military while trying to find answers about her father all while weighted down by the trials of living the insane secret life she's chosen, or should I say, was chosen for her. I don't know how to talk more about the book without giving away the key points, I will say that Hauty is a first class writer that I'm so glad I found by chance, I truly find Hayley's story deeply personal, and I'd be proud to cover her in a firefight. There are a few authors for whom I will drop everything to read their newest release and Chris Hauty just moved to the top five of that list. If you're on the fence about reading this one and you haven't read the others in the series, please read this series from the very beginning to actually comprehend the importance of what happens in this story, it's worth it. I've got my pre-order for the next installment in as of last night's alert that it was available, and I can hardly wait for it to pop up on my reader.

Another winner from Christ Hauty and another great addition to this series. I've come to expect a lot from Chris and he always delivers! I must read.

A conspiracy is growing in oil rich Texas

“Storm Rising” by Chris Hauty is book three in the series featuring Hayley Chill. There is a continuing thread of characters and relationships throughout the series, but each story stands alone. The narrative weaves in a detailed summary of events in previous books to remind readers of past relationships and bring new readers into the scene fully aware of the connections, the past traumas, and the current entanglements. Readers Follow Hayley Chill through her physical and mental preparation to become a lifelong public servant. She has an extraordinary gift, eidetic memory -- the ability to recall an image after seeing it only briefly. She has a public persona and a very personal and private side. She can be extraordinarily ordinary and extraordinarily dangerous.

Hauty tells Hayley Chill’s story in three narrative threads, two personal and one national; they are inextricably intertwined. The present tense narrative immerses reader fully into the action. Chill is pursuing the “what” and the “why’ of her father Tommy Chill’s death. She has found curious links that take her to a congressman who served with her father in Iraq as Marines that holds the promise of new revelations. She travels to complicated, deceptive, oil rich Texas. Texas, where cartels from the Mexican desert reach over the Rio Grande; where malevolent plots spring from oil money. Texas, where a conspiracy is growing that is expansive, complicated, and well planned. Texas, where patriotism means Texas first. The truth seems unbelievable, unknowable even, like the dark side of the moon.
In the midst of the political chaos, Chill’s personal life takes an unexpected and dramatic turn. For most of her life, she has lived “on the go,” carrying her entire existence along in a tote bag. Now she has to face a new self, a new reality; her life could be different, inexplicably.

“Storm Rising” is a multi-faceted story of moral challenges, misplaced loyalties, and complicated relationships. Events happen over just a few days; the pace is fast; the action complicated. When it finally appears that things might be over, it turns out that they are just beginning. I received a review copy of “Storm Rising” from Chris Hauty, Atria Books, and Emily Bestler Books.

“Storm Rising” by Chris Hauty is now available in print, as an e-book, and on audio from independent bookstores, online booksellers, retail stores, public libraries and anywhere you get your books.

Third installment in the Hayley Chill series. This time Hayley is up against a secret cabal that has racist intentions. If she does not take down this group before it’s too late, America will never be the same. Taking place mostly in Texas and New Mexico this book has a definite southwest feel to it. The plot is very interesting, and it keeps your interest throughout the book. There is a good amount of action as Hayley begins to uncover the organization and their sinister plot.

As with the first two books in the series, Hayley is a great character with lots of depth. I would say most of the supporting characters in this book are minor although there is one sheriff’s deputy who pops up multiple times. Most of the book is Haley on her own versus the Cabal. As with Mr. Hauty’s previous books there is no lack of action as Hayley works to achieve her objective. Throughout the book Haley is not only battling this secret organization, but also herself as she deals with balancing her life within the deeper state responsibilities and her personal obstacles. II felt like Hayley was not only on a journey to stop the bad guys, but also to hash out where she wants to go in life.

As with with Mr. Hauty’s previous books, there is a major twist at the end. This twist was much less of a bombshell than his previous two books, and I felt like it wasn’t super hard to see where he was going. That being said it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of reading the book. I probably need to cut him some slack, as his twist in the first books were massive. Overall this is an above average thriller that most people will enjoy. Thank you too @ChrisHauty @EmilyBestler @netgalley @atriamysterybus for a free arc for an honest review.

Hayley Chill is back and ready for a new challenge, this time taking on a white supremacist group embedded in the US military.

In terms of plot and setting, this is a departure from the first two books. From an entertainment perspective the switch worked well and kept the series from growing stale. It’s a bit tough to reconcile Hayley’s role here with her previous work, though. This feels more like FBI or military intelligence work, which isn’t exactly a match for Hayley’s training and experience. I’m not sure I agree with casting her in the umbrella-like, entirely fictional concept of the SuperSpy, which doesn’t square with the tone the books seem to strive for, which lands more on the political intrigue end of the spectrum than the action hero side of things.

I also didn’t care for the personal subplot given to Hayley in this book. It involves a series of decisions that don’t really match what a hyper-careful, career driven person such as herself would do, from what gets her there in the first place to her ultimate choice of how to handle it. And I didn’t love that Hauty took typical coward’s way out that make authors tend to when approaching this type of subject matter.

But the story itself is fun, a good adventure in a Spy novel meets Western sort of way, and Hayley’s ability to outthink her adversaries is always a great read. I’m curious where the series might go next, since the ongoing plot involving Hayley’s father now appears to be solved, but I’m sure Hauty can come up with something enjoyable. Hayley on a mission abroad, perhaps?

I'm sorry to say that I could not finish this one. There's probably a good story in there somewhere. I was initially intrigued because someone is blowing up natural gas plants in West Texas and it so happens that my husband builds gas plants and spends a lot of time in West Texas. But what finally just broke me down was how the author continually refers to his main character, Hayley Chill. Repeatedly (157 times by my Kindle count which does include blurbs, etc) as a "deeper state agent". The deeper state agent drove to.... The deeper state agent drank her coffee... and on and on. I have a teenager who gets ahold of a word (like, sick) and won't let go until I cry uncle. In this case, all I needed to do was close the cover. I tried to go back a couple of times but it was too annoying and took from my enjoyment of the book. I don't think I've ever DNF'd a book for a reason such as this, but here we are.

I do want thank NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Published by ‎ Atria/Emily Bestler Books on May 3, 2022

The “storm” in Storm Rising is a white separatist conspiracy to carve a whites-only nation out of Texas and other states that fall within the Permian Basin. The conspirators expect to gain power by controlling the nation’s largest oil deposits. A congressman, local politicians, a few military leaders, and some cops are orchestrating the scheme. The Storm movement blends white supremacy, nationalism, and hatred of government, the three pillars of far-right extremism. The congressman doesn’t care about hatred or ideology, but he does care about power. He wants to see his face on the dollars minted by the Free States of America.

The story begins with exploding oil storage tanks near Texas oil wells. The bodies of two Spanish-speaking migrants are found at each site. Ignoring the improbability that terrorists would be so inept, the far right immediately claims that drug cartels, or maybe just migrants in general, have declared war on the US. The Texas governor dispatches the Texas Army National Guard to help score a political victory from the mayhem. The real victory that the conspirators hope to achieve is more sinister, although only as a matter of degree. Stoking racial and ethnic hatred hurts the country even if it is not meant to further a civil war.

Hayley Chill is an operative of the “deeper state.” Trained by the military and a proficient mixed martial arts fighter, Chill works for an ambiguously defined entity called Publius. The organization is tasked with “preserving the nation’s constitutional democracy.” These days, that’s a tall order.

This is the third Hayley Chill novel but the first I’ve read. The story mentions that Hayley saved the nation from a president who was a Russian spy, presumably in one of the earlier novels. I can’t imagine where he got that idea (said the reviewer in a comment that drips sarcasm).

Hayley catches wind of the white supremacist conspiracy while digging into the mystery of her father’s death. Hayley is haunted by the memory of finding her father swinging at the end of a rope. She thought he died in Iraq, but she found him dead in the home of his old buddy Charlie Hicks. Did he come back to the US in secrecy and assume Hicks’ identity? Why did he abandon his family? Her only clues suggest that her father (and/or Charlie Hicks) were involved with something called the Storm that will not be good for democracy. She convinces Publius to send her to Texas to investigate.

The thought that insurrectionists could hold their newly acquired nation is far-fetched, but their “ace in the hole” plan to do so is the final component of the conspiracy that Hayley discovers in her investigation. It is the nature of conspiracy plots to be far-fetched but this one has currency, given the number of Americans who supported the overthrow of democracy by overturning a fair election. I give Chris Hauty credit for plugging obvious plot holes, making the conspiracy sufficiently plausible to encourage my willing suspension of disbelief.

Hauty’s prose gives the story a sense of urgency, making this a “just one more chapter before I sleep” book. The action is relentless, but Hauty does not sacrifice characterization as he speeds the novel to a satisfying conclusion. Hauty adds interest to the story by giving capsule descriptions of the lives that minor characters led before they played a role in the novel and/or the lives they will live after the novel ends. He gives heroic roles to people who, like most Americans, care about democracy and resent the idea that a “civil war” would suddenly make them residents of a new country they neither want nor support. White supremacists won’t like this novel, but the majority of thriller fans should find that its combination of action and characterization pushes all the right buttons.

RECOMMENDED

I definitely didn’t realize that this was part of a series so I was super confused about the characters and such. It wasn’t my favorite but still good.

Author Chris Hauty creates an engaging character in the feisty deep state operative Hayley Chill. She's investigating a white supremacy effort to help certain states secede from the Union. Hauty handicaps his effort by his propensity for detail. Every character needs to have a background, however unimportant to the story. The author also takes his time building up to the action, but when he gets there, it's fascinating and exciting. I'd be glad to see Hayley at work in the future.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Pub date: 5/3/22
Genre: political/spy thriller
Series: Hayley Chill, book 3
In one sentence: Hayley Chill discovers a dangerous white supremacy movement in the US military - can she stop them from destroying the US government?

If you haven't read book 1 of the Hayley Chill series, Deep State, please stop now and read it. It's one of my favorite political thrillers, and if you read Storm Rising first, you'll spoil a lot of what happens in Deep State (including an awesome twist!) So do yourself a favor and start from the beginning!

I enjoyed this book because I love Hayley as an MC and I like seeing her pursuit of justice. She's essentially a modern day superwoman - excellent at spycraft, marksmanship, combat, etc., etc. Her work fighting white supremacy felt very timely, and I appreciated Hauty's attention to domestic terrorism since earlier books focused on enemies abroad.

This isn't my favorite Chill book because it was very violent and felt a bit repetitive as Hayley took down bad guy after bad guy. But if you like nonstop action/adventure, you may really enjoy this one!

Thank you to Atria Books for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Free ARC from NETGALLEY

Love Hauty's writing, but tire of the obvious liberal undertones

Chill?

Training as an MMA fighter in her off time?

Whatever, the story is good but his politics got in my way a few times.

Enjoy

Haley Chill is formerly a White House intern, now a deep cover CIA operative. After finding her father in the aftermath of an apparent suicide, she decides to investigate his death. She discovers a piece of paper with a coded message hidden in the floorboards of his home entitled, “The Storm,” and receives permission from her handler to pursue its meaning. In the process of the investigation, she uncovers a plot for the succession of several states into what they are calling the “Free States of America,” with ties that she follows to a large white supremacist group of the United States military. The race is on to stop a second Civil War while figuring out her father’s role in the attempted coup.

What a powerful novel! The stakes keep getting higher and more dangerous for Haley the deeper she digs into the operation known as “The Storm.” In a frightening way, it is very reminiscent of the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, with its false sense of patriotism and involvement of former military, ex-police, and white supremacy leaders. There are parts of the book that make the reader breathless, some that cause a sad, knowing feeling, and many that provoke a deep anger. The point is that throughout, “Storm Rising” (the perfect title, by the way) is a thought- provoking, emotional experience, that involves the reader fully in its plot, characters, and conclusion.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Chris Hauty, and Atria Books for the ability to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Storm Rising, by Chris Hauty, is the third superb thriller featuring the badass, Haley Chill. Storm Rising can absolutely be read as a standalone but to you really should read the first two beforehand. Hauty does a nice job of giving a basic overview of the past so you won't be totally lost but there is only so much he can divulge without giving away spoilers. As much as I loved the first two in the series, I think Storm Rising is better.

Chill's life is, lets say, complicated and about to become more so. While searching for answers following the events in Savage Road, Chill learns of a conspiracy to secede from the US to create a country founded on the principles of white supremacy. Chill, along with a new friend or two, are determined to ferret out the leadership of the secessionists and stop a possible second Civil War.

In Storm Rising, you can really see Hauty's growth as an author. His writing is more crisp, dynamic. His development of Chill's character is topnotch. We see a side of her we haven't seen previously which makes her more relatable, real.

I love how Hauty lets readers know you won't see a character again by giving a synopsis of the rest of the their life. That is if they survive the events of the book. It gives the reader closure and a shows they were more than just a footnote in a book.. I am also a big fan of his inclusion of the Storm Prediction Center. Being a meteorologist, I applaud Hauty's use of a weather phenomena that happens a few times a year even if it isn't 100% accurate.

I cannot recommend this book and series enough! I hope to see Haley Chill on the screen in the future!

My sincere thanks to Chris Hauty, Atria /Emily Bestler Books, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing Storm Rising!

Storm Rising is a fast paced explosive thriller that is fiction but, honestly, hits a little close to home. Hayley Chill is a “deeper state operative” (this was repeated no less than 20 times throughout the book) searching to find out why her father died the way he did. As she is seeking answers, she realizes that there is a faction of people trying to overthrow the US government (sound familiar?).

It’s a well written novel that grabs from the first page. This is also the third book in a series so there were definitely characters that were present in this one from the previous novels. I didn’t feel that I was missing anything by not reading the first two books (and the second book seemed a little too prescient for me). The characters are well developed and I liked how Hayley Chill was a badass all on her own. The twists were a roller coaster ride and the end was just as explosive as the beginning. I look forward to reading more of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

(3.5 stars)

A deep state operative is on the hunt for information about her late father and stumbles upon a white supremacy plot that will tear the nation apart. As the operative chases down clues about her dad, she discovers his connection to the plot may be more direct than she’s prepared to accept. Author Chris Hauty brings back his whip-smart, self-sufficient protagonist Hayley Chill in the most thoughtful, introspective book in the series, Storm Rising.

Hayley Chill is doing something she never thought she’d do: biding her time. Her job in the White House disappeared the minute she exposed the previous president’s underhanded schemes, and now she’s waiting for her next assignment from the deeper state organization that she was recruited to join. Although Hayley is used to waiting on orders from her superior, she’s also getting a little restless.

The restlessness, she knows, also comes from another source. Ever since discovering her father dead, Hayley has been plagued by questions. Her dad was her hero. As far as she knew, he’d died on tour in Iraq. The fact that he lived close to her was a big enough shock; coming upon his dead body and then learning he’d assumed the identity of a fellow soldier nearly threw her off completely. Why did he do it? What was he hiding?

After discovering secret papers in the house where he lived, Hayley suspects her dad’s death is less a tragedy and more a murder. With the blessing of her handler in the organization, Hayley flies to Texas to track down some leads. The papers her dad left her—because she’s convinced he left them for her to find—are in code. The cipher she needs to crack the code is somewhere in the Lone Star state; so are the answers about why her father had a different identity for so long.

Once Hayley gets on the ground and starts asking questions, it’s clear her father was involved in something frightening. A white supremacist organization has made plans for several states to secede from the country and form their own. Over and over, as Hayley tracks people down, she finds lines drawn from her father back to this organization, but she can’t figure out what role he played.

Hayley is also dealing with some troubling personal issues. Her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Sam, is currently off again, but Hayley realizes she may not be free from him just yet. She also finds herself reflecting on her place within the organization she works for. Hayley has a deep-seated commitment to the Constitution of the United States, and the covert operation supports—well, mostly—her pursuit of the truth about her father. But as her investigation keeps tangling with her professional life, Hayley realizes the two may be more at odds than she previously understood.

Author Chris Hauty brings back the self-confident Hayley Chill in her most inward-facing adventure yet. While Hayley’s commitment to the Constitution is what kept her going in the two previous books in the series, here readers will find Hayley more conflicted than ever before. She wants to know the truth about her father, yet she has to unearth the truth about the white supremacist organization at the same time and she’s not sure she wants to know where the two intersect. After two full books of Hayley’s unwavering commitment to the operation at hand, watching her doubt herself in this way is a surprise.

Fans of the Hayley Chill series will find everything they love about the protagonist well in place here. Even with all of the uncertainty in her life at the moment, there are still plenty of moments where Hayley has no trouble setting her sights on a person and taking them down within minutes. Her bravado and ability to dig deep when she’s injured, lost, or outnumbered shine once again. Hayley is most definitely a heroine worth cheering.

Her uncertainty might surprise some readers who look forward to Hayley’s self-assurance, and some passages include a little too much background. Hauty undoubtedly included those paragraphs for anyone coming to the book without having read the previous two, but of the three this is the least able to stand on its own. For the full effect and charm of Hayley, readers should read the first two in the series.

Those who enjoy political thrillers that echo current events will want to check this out. Others might need to read the other books first.

The author has done it again in this excellent sequel. He takes the readers to places we would never want to be and exposes us to things we hope never could be. His protagonist continues to grow as well as engender awe in the minds of the reader.

Storm Rising is the 3rd book in the Hayley Chill series, and it’s another winner. The “deep state” operative is no longer working as an intern at the White House, as the book picks up where the last story ended, with Hayley searching for answers about her father’s death. That search leads her to uncover a far-reaching conspiracy involving white supremacists acting in concert with the upper echelons of the US armed forces. Lots going on here, with nonstop action, plot twists galore, and some intense soul-searching by Hayley that will keep you glued to the pages. As with the previous books, the plot is a bit implausible, but the unique style in which it’s told has the reader fervently rooting for Hayley, and that makes up for any plot shortcomings. Well done! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fresh off the defection of POTUS, and the discovery of her dead father, recently dead and not KIA in Iraq, Hayley Chill is pulling at threads trying to gather information and make sense of her emotions and understand why her hero, her father, would have abandoned the family. There is a storm brewing, and this time it is personal for Hayley.

After backing her way into an assignment for Publius, the Deep State group for whom Hayley is an asset, Hayley is on her way to El Paso and West Texas trying to find leads that will help her understand more about her father, and what he has been doing since his supposed death.. As she pulls at various threads, a grim picture of systematic racism within the military starts to take shape, as well as something unknown to her, referred to only as The Storm.

Chris Hauty is a magnificent writer, and master of the unexpected plot twists. After blasting on the scene with Deep State, his debut novel, he cemented his place as an annual "must read" author with his follow up novel, Savage Road. A novella, Insurrection Day gave fans a much needed "fix" this year while his publication date for the novels shifted from early January, to May, kicking off the summer reading blockbusters.

The characters continue to be well developed and interesting. In Storm Rising the author also gave brief summaries of the future for several characters that we have either met previously, or were somehow integral in this book, but will no longer be part of the Hayley Chill series. This was a cool addition to the story, bringing closure to some of the characters. The plotline of the Storm was well done, and somewhat chilling in the fact that it seems very plausible in the current geo-political environment that we find our nation in currently.

Fans of the Hayley Chill series will be excited for this new novel. New readers can pick it up and have enough background given to them to enjoy the book, although reading the three novels in order of release will give the best reader experience in terms of back story and flow of the different plot lines.

I am extremely thankful to the marketing teams at Atria and Emily Bestler Books for allowing me to read an advance copy of Storm Rising in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions. This is the best novel yet in the series, and has me already looking forward to Hayley Chill #4.

I just reviewed Storm Rising by Chris Hauty. #NetGalley I have loved the Hayley Chill series from the start. I thought this started a little slow compared to the the first two. The story seemed very vanilla, but this is because the current climate in US politics and the media shoving it down our throat daily. I hope the story continues back the espionage roots as the series progresses.