Book Review – Zero Sum – John Gilstrap/Basil Sands
Author John Gilstrap’s Jonathan Grave series is my favorite thriller series with book 16, “Zero Sum” being one of the reasons why. When a 12-year-old boy at Jonathan Grave's at Resurrection House – the school he created for the children of incarcerated parents – dies of a drug overdose after consuming fentanyl disguised as candy – Grave decides it's time for a war on drugs with the Mexican cartel that provided the poison. Gathering his Security Solutions team, Big Guy, Gunslinger, and Mother Hen, Grave goes after the ‘head of the snake’ drug cartel – with help from Wolfie – which leads to some corrupt US politicians including the President of the United States himself. With some interesting new special operations toys – an assassination drone with facial recognition – the final raid on the Los Muertos Mexican drug cartel is explosive, fiery, and turbulent. Gilstrap does it again with a strong believable narrative with lots of action and plenty of intense drama. The narrative was on point and Gilstrap’s writing propelled this story into the top-notch action thriller that it is. Another two-thumbs-up read by John Gilstrap.

This one hits the ground running and doesn't stop. The audio version is amazing and truly enhances the story. I was so invested in the story, I had to finish it in one day. Great story, great characters, and really great action/suspension. I cannot wait for the next one.

Zero Sum—John Gilstrap’s newest Jonathan Grave thriller—pulls no punches amid a seismic shift to the series. An overdose at Resurrection House—the school he founded and funds for children of incarcerated parents—sends Grave on the warpath. He and his small team are going to visit a cartel and hell is coming with them.

Losing a main character in a series takes balls. Gigantic balls. It can have major ramifications on the series and readership, even though it’s difficult for the readers in the moment—and sometimes longer. I’m looking forward to how Gilstrap moves forward—in the Grave series and his new series. If his latest series starring a female lead is an indication, we’re in for a heck of a ride.

Thanks to Kensington Publishing for the advanced copy of Zero Sum via NetGalley.

Zero Sum by John Gilstrap
A Jonathan Graves Thriller #16

Intense, intricately plotted, intriguing story that I hope brings us closer to the demise of corrupt power brokers at the highest levels of the government ~ Fingers crossed and eagerly waiting to find out what happens next.

What I liked:
* Jonathan “Digger” Grave: intelligent, lethal, committed to causes that require a special type of black ops operative to provide justice, caring, wealthy, gives back, rights wrongs, sees the bigger picture
* Brian “Boxer” Van de Muelebroecke: big, quiet, lethal, good friend and lethal colleague of Jonathan’s, works with him to right wrongs, quirky sense of humor, can fly anything, enjoys a good fight
* Gail “Gunslinger” Bonneville: brilliant, ex-FBI HRT member, ex-sheriff, bright, capable, vigilant, talented, lethal, and part of the team doing secretive things with Boxer and Digger, recovering from an injury, seems to be having questions
* Venice “Mother Hen” Alexander: mother, daughter, hacker extraordinaire, brilliant, intriguing, great asset to the team that can provide anything required anywhere
* Irene “Wolfie” Rivers: FBI Director, mother, guardian of orphaned nephew, works with people she doesn’t trust, knows of the corruption in government, trusts Jonathan and his team, intriguing and has a spin-off series coming that I look forward to
* Sissy & Grayson Buchannan: twins, took a dangerous risk, kidnapped on vacation, resilient, survivors
* Big Roxie and her smaller assistants: drones with special abilities that I would never want to be a target of
* Being able to hate the bad guys and root for their demise

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how evil so many were in this story and what they were willing to do for personal gain
* Having to wait for the next book

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series/by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington-Pinnacle Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

John Gilstrap and his character, Jonathon Grave are one of my favorite series of books. I couldn't hit request quick enough when I saw that the new one was available. The story of Digger, Boxers, Mother Hen and all the cast starts out with an attack at Res House. It gets personal again, when Venice's son is part of the attack. The story unfolds and gets bigger when they figure out the drug cartel's part in all of what is going on. The action picks up and never quits until the last page. This is one of my all time favorite series with some of my all time favorite characters. It is best that the books be read in order, though, as none are really standalones.

What an exciting and unexpected beginning! Johathan Graves is assaulted in a mock attack by a tiny six-inch drone developed by Boxers and Venice. The miniature drones play a major role in a devasting attack on drug cartel members later in the story.

A book by one of my favorite authors presents you with two story lines. The primary focus is that of Jonathan Graves (Digger) seeking retribution for a young boy dying from a drug laden piece of candy. The boy was a resident of what is supposed to be a “safe home” (Resurrection House) financed by Johathan and overseen by a close friend of his, Father Dom D’Angelo. Along with explosives expert and pilot Boxers (Big Guy), Venice (Mother Hen) hacker extraordinaire, and other characters including Irene Rivers (Wolverine) Director of the FBI, Jonathan seeks to close the drug pipeline running from Mexico into the United States. He has had it with the United States and its supposed “war” on drugs. He eventually learns that contributing to the successful flow of drugs are a wide swath of major political figures including those at the White House.

I was disturbed to discover that a significant part of this novel includes human trafficking. I was not previously aware of, nor prepared for, this dark content. Maybe I am too sensitive, but at times, this part of the book upset me enough to consider not finishing it. However, since I received an advanced copy for review, I owed it to the author and publisher to finish reading it.

Overall, an interesting book with lots of action you come to expect from Mr. Gilstrap.

A drug cartel just made a serious miscalculation.

When a twelve year old boy dies from eating a piece of candy that was actually a fentanyl-laced tablet the people involved in Resurrection House, a residential school created for the children of incarcerated parents where he was living, are devastated. When they realize that Roman, the son of Rez House patron Jonathan Grave’s go-to hacker and team member Venice, was very nearly a second victim, devastation turns to anger. Rez House was created to provide safety and security for young people whose lives have imploded due to a parent’s misdeeds, and that someone managed to target one of the residents can not be allowed to pass unanswered. The victim’s father was connected to the Los Muertos drug cartel, and the son of the cartel’s leader wanted to send him a message to make sure the man didn’t snitch….but instead, the killing of the man’s son just took away his last reason to live. Jonathan Grave and his team at Security Solutions, the people you call when a problem that is impossible to fix needs to be fixed anyway, are now fully engaged in bringing down Los Muertos completely and irrevocably. That the cartel has connections throughout the US government, up to and including the White House, is irrelevant. The war on drugs has just become personal for Grave and company…and they never, ever fail.
The latest in a series featuring the highly efficient Jonathan Grave, his scarily efficient right hand Boxers, markswoman Gail and hacker extraordinaire Venice is a ripped-from-the-headlines thriller that involves corruption at the highest levels of power, a weaponized justice system, and law enforcement agencies who can not be counted upon to actually perform their mission. Grave trusts director of the FBI Irene River, aka Wolverine, as they have a complicated but solid history of working in cooperation with one another, but neither of them know who else around her can.be trusted. They must keep their mission small, limited only to those whom they know can be trusted if they are to have any chance of success. Boxers has new electronic toys he can use to blow things up, and the rest of the team buckles up and looks to get the job done by whatever means necessary. The villains are easy to despise, including (maybe even especially) those who use their positions to make money as they allow drugs to flood the country they are supposed to represent and protect. Readers of the previous installments in author John Gilstrap’s Jonathan Grave series won’t want to miss this one, and readers of authors like Mark Greaney, Lee Child and Brad Taylor should give this book/series a try if they haven’t already done so. Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing/Pinnacle for allowing me early access to a copy of this latest gripping adventure.

Zero Sum, it's not really a standalone, need to read 'Harm's Way' first, easily could be ripped right out of today's headlines, and mix Security Solutions, Inc..

Then add a drug cartel, a mafia family, mix in the corrupt President of the United States, along with it's corrupt in hand Washington politicians, along with multiple law enforcement agencies they've bought trying to control the US citizen's, they step out of line and pay the price.

A mafia investigation by the FBI, leads to a informants son being killed by a drug cartel, leads into a plausible, believable, realistic yarn about an elite private investigation team, in retribution they behead a dangerous snake, along the way they help out the former Director of the FBI and slay evil.

End up with my style of book, entertaining, has a intertwining storyline, fast paced, action packed, tension filled, full of suspense, gripping, full of twist and turns, a little predictable, builds to a great conclusion and has a good verse evil theme.

I really liked his characters of Jonathan Graves aka: Scorpion, Brian Van de Muelebrocke aka: Boxers, then you have his IT Specialist Venice Alexander, Gail Bonneville aka: Gunslinger, add FBI Director Irene 'Wolfie' Rivers, and the role Michael Hite plays as Birdman.

Guess some writers are just blessed when it comes to bring characters to life in their books, they all play a role in telling the story, doesn't matter if they are good or bad and Gilstrap does just that with Zero Sum.

Don't want to give anything away, the author gives you a believable read, one that enables you escape into the pages, forget life's problems and would recommend.


Thanks to Netgalley, Kensington Publishing and the author for the opportunity too read an advance ARC copy.

John Gilstrap is one of my favorite thriller writers. I've read many of the Jonathan Grave series and this is number sixteen.

Description:
When a boy under Jonathan Grave’s protection dies of a drug overdose, the black-ops veteran decides it’s time for a war on drugs that actually looks like a war. Jonathan Grave long ago lost faith with the so-called war on drugs, a futile campaign that enables cartels to make billions under the protection of corrupt officials on both sides of the border. But when a twelve-year-old dies after consuming fentanyl disguised as candy inside the dormitory at Resurrection House, the school he created for the children of incarcerated parents, Jonathan knows it’s time to use his special talents to change the game. Gathering his Security Solutions team, Jonathan activates Operation Heat Seeker. Nobody and nothing will stop them from ending the flow of poison—not even a vow of revenge from the President of the United States himself . .

My Thoughts:
This was a fast-paced thrill ride all the way through. I was glued to the story. This was a massive undertaking for Jonathan Grave and his crew to try to take down a complex drug and human trafficking network that reached all the way from Mexico to the White House. There are a lot of politics here - and a lot of politicians involved in a deceitful endeavor. It was a totally absorbing read and I would recommend it to all thriller lover - this is a five star thriller for me.

Thanks to Kensington Publishing - Pinnacle through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Zero Sum is the next book in the Jonathan Graves series from John Gilstrap.

"After a resident dies from a fentanyl overdose in Resurrection House, Digger is determined more than ever to cut the head of the snake bringing drugs into the US. What do you do when it's your small team against the biggest cartel in Mexico? And when the corruption goes all the way to the White House? Nothing will stop them."

Gilstrap adds in the NSA, the White house and CIA in this wild story. Money corrupts. Boxer has some interesting new toys - an assassination drone with facial recognition is pretty scary. The final raid is big and explosive. Boxer does like to blow stuff up.

There are character story arcs with big changes in this book. It'll be interesting to see where Gilstrap takes them.

Very few write action like Gilstrap, so take a look if you're an action/thriller fan.

Death, astonishing action scenes, and vengeance take center stage in Zero Sum, the sixteenth book in the Jonathan Grave action thriller series. When a boy under Grave’s protection dies of an overdose disguised as candy, he’s had enough. He decides it time to put a substantial dent in the flow of the drugs and the corruption that allows it. Once again, he is joined by his covert team as well as getting some help from Irene Rivers, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Grave loves his country. He’s great at making connections, planning, and adjusting as situations change. As a bold and intense protagonist, he runs a detective agency that has a clandestine sideline to it. He stands up for justice, but is willing to cross the line to ethical ambiguity to get it. Not everyone will connect with him, but he’s very good at bringing justice to victims of evil. I loved how his team connected with each other. Their chemistry added to my enjoyment of the novel.

As usual, the first chapter grabbed my attention. Gilstrap is an excellent storyteller who combines a creative plot with gripping scenes and plenty of action and suspense. This kept me engaged throughout the book. As usual, his expertise in weaponry and explosives plays a role in the action as well as his experience as an emergency medical technician. The author weaved another page-turning installment involving corrupt officials, drugs, political intrigue, human trafficking, greed, power, fear, found family, friendship, family, ethical ambiguity, and violence. Additionally, there’s a sub-plot featuring twins that are kidnapped that adds another dimension to the story. My only quibble is with the ending. I wanted a little more closure.

Overall, this was an intense, emotional, and suspenseful novel with a riveting story arc that kept me engaged throughout. While this novel can be read as a standalone, readers will be missing some background and character growth and changes over time. I can’t wait to see where the author takes the next book in the series. Additionally, the author’s note at the end states a new spin-off series will start in 2025. I’m looking forward to reading it too.

Kensington Publishing – Pinnacle and John Gilstrap provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for August 20, 2024.

Once again, Jonathan Grave goes against the Cartels, the Mafia, and the corrupt actors in the highest levels of the US Government to try and stop the flow of drugs and human trafficking across the border. The death of a young boy in the home Jonathan finances gives Jonathan and his associates access to the boy's father and his knowledge of the players in this scheme,

Heading into Mexico with some new toys that have recently been developed, as well as the munitions that travel with this band to every fight, the war is on.

Excellent secondary story with a brother and sister kidnapping, and of course what happens when there is a breach of trust where there shouldn't be! This was a bit of a cliff hanger, but I'm hoping we get some resolution in the next book, or in the new series that begins soon!

I love the Jonathan Grave series and although this is the 16th book, it is as good as the previous 15. I enjoy catching up with all of our favorite characters and for me, this was an excellent read.

This is a very entertaining book, very well written and with excellent characters. The strategies of the main characters don't always seem very thoughtful, but that may be the typical American way.

Though this book has the fun expected of a John Gilstrap novel, the book wraps with a contrived parts and the ending just to spin-off a new series. My view is this should've been handled separately. The two plot lines don't work well together.

Setting that aside, the Graves and Big Guy plot line is typical of Gilstrap fun. Making the story pertinent is the exploring the cartel activities in the U.S. that is kept buried by both the right and, especially, the Left. Americans are generally in the dark of the furious activity of the Cartels feeding drugs and human slavery 24/7 and the billions they make. T.J. English's new book, the 'Last Kilo' deep dives into the activities from the '80s to now. It's much worse now.

I believe our military should be carpet bombing these mostly known locations of the Cartels as compared to Graves, Big Guys and helpers, coming to the rescue. Since that is not happening, this book is very satisfying!

Anyway, this book has all the fun and action-packed exploits of Graves and friends...and another. Though the basic plot is similar to other Graves books, I've yet to experience the deja vu I have with other series books. Gilstrap straps plenty more to the story to keep it fresh and fun.

I do have a trouble with this one. That is, a side story tyhat is tacked on to be explored further in other books. This read as tacked on and, much of it, was written almost in a different style than the Graves part. Clunky and frivolous, with the intent of being more. The character invovled is also out of character. Fortunately, that is a side story and doesn't take up too much space. However, distracting.

Bottom like: I recommend this book. 7 out of ten points.
To note, I read an advanced copy via NetGalley.com, which I also recommend.

Book #16 in the Jonathan Grave series. I started this series with a title in the middle, then had to go back and read the titles I had missed. Yes, you can read Zero Sum as a stand alone but I'd recommend reading the entire series, you won't be sorry. John Gilstrap is a prolific writer who also writes one of my favorite "end of the world as we know it" series. So if you are going to look for the first 15 Jonathan Grave books, get the Victoria Emerson books too. Again, you won't be sorry.
Jonathan Grave is a billionaire. He owns and operates a security investigation business that is utilized by other billionaire and companies that only want the best. Gilstrap has given Grave an interesting back story and a supporting crew that each adds an element to the story. These characters have become a family, but a family like you've never met before.
In ZERO SUM, a child under Jonathan's protection is killed with a deliberate drug overdose. This crime crosses a line that cannot be ignored. In previous books, Jonathan's crew operated with a precision to save the innocent who had been kidnapped. This time, Jonathan will deploy a scorched earth retribution that will forever change the crew's outlook. Gilstrap gives a thriller with a capital T.

Another excellent addition to the Johnathan Graves series. The 16th book in the series is every bit as fresh as the first fifteen. Most of the usual characters are here along with a couple of intriguing new ones. All the characters are fully developed, the action is non-stop, and the twists are unpredictable. This is easily read as a stand alone, but to more fully understand the relationship between the main characters, I strongly recommend reading the entire series from the beginning starting with "No Mercy". Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Pinnacle for an advanced reader copy.

The book starts with the death of a young boy at a house for youths from a drug disguised as candy. The hunt is on for the source of the drugs and it goes all the way to the Presidency. This book is action packed and full of suspense from the first page. This is definitely a page turner. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Another quick-read but complex mystery in the ongoing series. Strong enough to read as a standalone, the book deals with the current issue of drug overdoses.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Gilstrap's Zero Sum (Pinnacle Books 2024), Book 16 in the Jonathan Grave Thriller series, is another ripped from the headlines sort of tale. It starts when a child under the protection of our hero, Jonathan Grave's, Resurrection House, is killed by an overdose of drugs. Of all the attacks on Graves, breaking his promise to safeguard the vulnerable children of incarcerated parents, who have already suffered too much through their parents, puts him over the edge. He is determined to not only stop the entry into his sanctuary, but destroy those who created and sold the drugs so they can never do it again. That's a big order, but Graves is mad. What complicates it even more is that the drug lords lead to corrupt political leaders who’ve forgotten about the Americans they've sworn to serve. The price of failing to stop these drugs and their masters is immense but to NOT stop them--that is even worse. Graves and those with him decide the risk is worth it.

This is a high stakes story that cuts too close to the truth in our own country as well as others. As always, the story is fast moving and dangerous. It loses a point because there is more backstory than I recall in earlier books and it detracted from the pace in parts. There was also an over abundance (IMHO) of reflection and reaction which slowed the action. I get we need those, but balance is critical. Overall, a worthy read. I've ready every one of this series and will read the next one.

When I opened the newest entry in the Jonathan Grave thriller series, it kind of shocked me to realize that this way the 16th entry in the series. Time does fly. And so do these books. Another quick entry that has all the hallmarks the series is known for. We have some RezHouse drama, we have some political intrigue, we have scenes of Boxers being Boxers, and a speech by Digger about how he's "on the side of the angels." People get blown up, people get killed. Sometimes it feels like all the entries kind of blend together, but this one had a real forward momentum compared to the previous entries (minus the sub scene from Stealth Attack -- that was awesome). Some earlier plot points come to a head, and the last third does move a rapid pace. I found the middle third a little slow, which brought my score down a bit, but it's still a fun time hanging out with the crew of Security Solutions. I'd heard going into it that there was a big twist at the end, and was a little disappointed to see that the "twist" wasn't something I'd necessarily call a twist. Nevertheless, it does leave the door open for new things and when a series starts to approach legal age, it's nice to spice things up a bit. Very curious to see what Irene gets up to in her own series. Hopefully we still get another JG book next year as well. I'd miss the guy.