I enjoyed this third book in the Victoria Emerson series. Well written as is all of John Gilstrap's books. Enthralling and very entertaining a must read.
I received this book from Kensington books and Netgalley for a review.

4.25 Stars 🌟

Let me start off by saying that I am a huge fan of John Gilstrap. I especially love the Jonathan Graves series but I have enjoyed the first two books in this new series - the Victoria Emerson Series - and now we are on the third and possibly last book in the series.

What has been particularly intriguing about this series is how it is so very possible to see society actually devolving in just the way we are shown after "Hell Day". First of all, the government and governing bodies of the US are a mess right now with the level of hate and negativity between the parties at an all time high. It seems as if the focus of these elected officials is on bettering their personal and financial situations, regardless of how it affects the American citizens. Secondly, there would not be very much, if any, notice to the public of the launch of nuclear weapons so there would not be any time to evacuate (and honestly, where would we even go?). And lastly, very few Americans have even basic survival skills not to mention the skills necessary to survive without automobiles, electricity, plumbing and what we have come to expect as "modern conveniences". So, yes, things could devolve very quickly.

What we see in this book is the continuation of Victoria Emerson's journey and how one person actually can make a difference in the middle of chaos. In this book we actually see the different results that come about from the drastically different leadership styles of two very different people. There is Victoria who has emerged as a leader and who still believes that we can be better and should aspire to be better and then there is Roger Parsons who has ruled through fear and whose only real concern is for himself.

We get to follow along on the journey that was started in the last book as the group from Ortho is traveling to try to get Victoria up to the Hillside Manor to preside over the trial of the new President. This book is full of action with lots of drama. We get to see the events occurring with Victoria's group and also the events happening with the group at the hotel at the same time.

I have to admit that I could not figure out how in the world this was going to have any type of a happy ending but decided to just go along with it. Without going into spoilers, let me just say that I finished the last page and felt like this story arc was complete and I was at peace. I really liked the character development that we saw with the Emerson family. The boys - Luke, Caleb and Adam - are amazing examples of how the skills and values that we teach our children really do make a difference. Each of the boys was able to step up under extraordinarily awful circumstances and were shining examples of surviving in the face of adversity. They still had their doubts and at times were completely overwhelmed, but they made a great team and served as examples to the others.

All in all, I enjoyed this series and would definitely continue onward if there are more additions to this series.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.

The Victoria Emerson saga continues as the nuclear war has devastated normal life and survival is everything. There is a lot of violence as people have no government and are trying to find ways to live with no support and fear is the overriding motivator.

In this third book, Victoria is called upon to travel to Hilltop Manor, where the remainder of the US Government have been imprisoned by a ruthless band of marauders. She was requested by the now acting President to be the judge in his trial. Roger Parsons, the leader of the marauders, has his own plan though - and it is not for a fair trial to take place. Victoria answers the call and takes a group from the Ortho community toward the Hilltop Manor site. Her group is met with serious obstacles on their journey. Will they arrive? What will they find when and if they get there? Will they survive?

This is a tense drama surrounded by unimaginable circumstances. I have followed each book with anticipation of what will happen next to these determined people or Ortho. Victoria's moral character amazes me with some of the decisions she faces. You can't help but admire her leadership.

Thanks to Kensington Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on February 21, 2023.

I had a great time reading White Smoke by John Gilstrap, it's the third book set in a dystopian world featuring Victoria Emerson. The world has gone mad and some people are trying to start over and some people are only trying to be rich and powerful. I found this series very interesting from the start and I still like the struggle and the problems that arise for the survivors. I don't know if there will be more books in this series but I sure hope so. The book is like anything else from Gilstrap, well written and he poses some great thoughts in it, I like the thoughts mrs. Emerson has on how to deal with right or wrong along their journey to a new society. I stongly recommend this series and thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for letting me have a copy.

I would follow Victoria Emerson through the gates of Hell. And that's saying something because I'm a world-class wuss. White Smoke is the third (and possibly final?) installment of John Gilstrap's nuclear armageddon series featuring former WV Congressional Representative Victoria Emerson. Living in Ortho, WV, Emerson has helped create an idyllic community based on respect, accountability and forgiveness.

Meanwhile, the bunker the president and the rest of Congress sheltered in has been taken over and the acting government faces a kangaroo court and probable execution. Victoria is asked to come to be an impartial judge. Emerson also knows eventually a fight is going to come knocking on the doorstep. Knowing it is possibly a trap, Emerson and her ragtag group must decide whether to leave relative safety and face who-knows-what or stay knowing what's left of the government will be executed along with any hope of resurrecting the country she loves.

I hate books like this. They scare the doo doo out of me. I am certain I would be one of the first to die assuming I survived the bombings. My idea of "roughing it" is a Motel 6. However, this series is fantastic.

Not only a terrific story with deep characters, this series, and especially White Smoke, is a world-class lesson in leadership. I mean topnotch. I got more out of this series than most of the leadership books I've read.

While not for everyone, I still recommend White Smoke and this series to everyone I talk to . It really is an eyeopener.

Many thanks to John Gilstrap, Kensington, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of White Smoke.

I have read all three books in the Victoria Emerson series.
White Smoke brought a fitting conclusion to the post apocalyptic nuclear and civil devastation set in rural West Virginia.
Victoria Emerson is the hero of the novels and in this bleak but fast paced she is tasked with trying to overcome the dark forces that have overtaken the Manor Annex where the remnants of the US government have been holing up.
This series hits close to home and could act as an allegory for what we all could become in a divided world with civilization ceasing to exist.
The book ends with HOPE....Gilstrap believes the world needs a reset and a return to community values where power and safety are not defined by what you have by what or the technology you can deploy but instead by what basic skills you can contribute to the people who live as your neighbors.

This has been my favorite book series of apocalyptic fiction by one of my fave authors. John had me hooked with Nathan's Run and he's had me ever since. This series is a winner!

While I hope this isn't the last installment of the Victoria Emerson series, I have enjoyed the ride!!!

The world has come to an end as we know it by way of a nuclear war. Everyone is in the dark with no communication. With this is the third in the series, they should be read in order to get the full effect of the story line. Jon is an excellent storyteller and get a message through his work of fiction. I'm not a political person, but as in the novel, the world was reset, and I think the real world in need of a reset.

The tempo of Whtie Smoke isn't super-fast but keeps moving along. If you've enjoyed the first two novels, this will be a fitting end.

Following a “mini” nuclear war and an electromagnetic pulse, the United States is in shambles with most national elected officials having been evacuated to a luxurious resort. With no national leadership, Victoria Emerson, a Congresswoman from West Virigina, emerges as a leader and helps to establish a peaceful community in her state bringing the populace some of stability that was lost. A dystopian story with hope. I received an ARC from Net Galley and the opinions expressed are my own.

This was an intense read! Shocking, heartbreaking, stressful, and too close to reality for my taste.

I wish I had read the first two books in the series, it’s not totally necessary, but I would’ve preferred it.

Excellent writing that sucks you into the story, this one was hard to stop reading, even if you emotionally/mentally need a break. It was really captivating.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author & Kensington Books for a copy!

What happens when the world is turned upside down overnight, technology no longer works, and every thought and action is all about simply surviving? White Smoke delves into these questions in a novel with action, death and intrigue around every corner. John Gilstrap delivers another thoughtful novel in this blossoming series that simultaneously feels distant to reality yet too close to comfort given the state of today’s world.

The surviving citizens of the United States are still adjusting to nuclear Armageddon. Looking for blood from those who led to this catastrophic event, congressional politicians and the President of the United States are imprisoned and awaiting trial for their actions. Held captive by a merciless group of men that have seized power, the President sends a messenger for Victoria Emerson, a former congresswoman who is doing her small part to pull society back together. The request is anything but simple: travel to where her former colleagues are being held and preside over a fair trial. Despite living within and leading a safe, burgeoning, functioning society, Victoria will risk everything to rise to the call of duty. Why would she leave the safe haven she’s helped create, travel through dangerous lands where people are desperate and trigger happy, and arrive at a location where people will likely want her dead? Because she might be the only person left who can bring peace, law and order back to the country.

White Smoke is another compelling and thought-provoking novel, the third in this series. It forces you to contemplate your preparedness for a catastrophic event that removes all comforts of modern life and eliminates the functionality of electronic devices. It shows how quickly society can devolve, ushering in a panicked desperation for people whose only concern is survival and changing behavioral norms overnight to adapt to a new reality. How would you fare in this instance? Would you be willing to kill for food? Shelter? Weapons? Could you do it if your life depended on it?

Additionally, there’s a lot of great leadership lessons in this book. Victoria role models good leadership and Roger Parsons, the head of the murderous band holding the politicians for trial, is a cautionary tale on the impact of poor leadership. Victoria shoulders the burden of leadership, understands the impact she has on others, and makes decisions that are intended for the greater good. In fact, she’s put in conflict several times between her commitment and sense of duty to the community versus the safety and well-being of her own family. And Roger learns that ruling by fear with an iron fist can backfire and put you in a perilous position. Witnessing this dichotomy certainly makes you reflect on your values, how you would respond in these situations and the importance of good leadership.

For those looking for a book about a post-apocalyptic world that contains plenty of action and makes you think, White Smoke is right in your wheelhouse. Kudos to John Gilstrap on another well-crafted novel!

Things are running almost smoothly, or as smoothly as they can after the end of the world as we knew, when Victoria gets a visitor in the form of an severely thin rough looking man. He's delivering a letter from the now President who is begging for her help in assuring a fair trial for him. Now she and some of the towns people must pack up and go try to keep the President of the United States from being unjustly killed. What she encounters on the way is shocking and heart stopping. Follow along as she finds one of her sons shot and another kidnapped and has to make the hardest decision of her life.

Keep some tissue ready and maybe some Xanax as you read the next installment in the Victoria Emerson series. You might be able to breath by the end of the book.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

White Smoke is an apocalypse novel within an apocalypse.
After a war decimates much of the world, communities struggle to survive. In West Virginia a congresswoman (and single mother) leads the community in an effort at the stabilization of the area and works to restore some level of order.

In DC a group of surviving government members have taken over and they intend to create another destructive war - to annihilate all other survivors and rule the world by themselves.

I am not a fan of books that mirror contemporary issues - or is it vice-versa. Which says the book is relevant and stressful.

I tried to like this book. I really did…I do not like this genre…mystery but unrealistic. Others may love this novel. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Even after the carved T, I kept reading…as a former educator, I do maintain there will be an audience for this book…it is just not this teacher.