Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the ARC of this audiobook for my honest review

I think there were times I got a bit bored and zoned out for a second and then I missed so much in that one second and had to take it back. I couldn’t understand it all but I did really like the key mystery. That was really well done. I didn’t really care for any of the characters but the base plot was well done and thought out.

I'll be publishing my review on Goodreads and StoryGraph 26th November and on Tik tok most likely will add to a monthly wrap up post with review the beginning of December.

I had to stop reading this book, I disliked the main character that much. He was referring to everyone as NPCs or not-NPCs after mentioning his son had talked about it once, and it felt like when your grandpa tries to do TikTok. My husband says this is a dog-whistle for the manoshpere and that I probably don't want to keep going if it's already that prevelent.

The same character was also complaining about how young spies don't "get it" and used an example of someone making a TikTok in their top-secret hangar cafeteria, then another employee was adamantly defending their right to do that. It was so contrived and clearly a scene written so that the author could soapbox about how younger generations are too entitled. I was pretty done after that.

Brad is the quintessential retired spy. Divorced, depressed, disillusioned. Also, he has an incredibly tragic backstory that was completely unnecessary and didn’t add a single modicum of complexity to his character. In the first book, Brad meets Kylie. Kylie is essentially the same character as Hailey from the Naturalist series, just with a different name and field of interest. She’s a genius and young, but not naive, and doesn’t need to be protected. Then Brad solves a problem for Kylie and she hires him as her head of security. Somehow, that only seems to involve going to foreign countries and killing people, instead of managing a security team at Kylie’s offices.
Mayne does have an innate talent at writing thrilling action scenes. As long as Brad was jetting around cities, hiding from corrupt local cops and jumping off buildings, I could stay invested. And I did learn a lot about cryptocurrency (every girl’s dream) without it feeling monotonous. But every Brad monologue was just “I’m too old for this shit” and that really started to grate on me. Brad didn’t even have cool retired spy friends he could visit in the foreign cities he visited, because Brad is so boring.
To be fair, 90% of this review could be about truly any James Bond or Lethal Weapon movie. So if you’re looking for a fun dad spy type of series, this could be an absolute homerun for you.
Thanks to Netgalley and Brilliance Audio for the free advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I was excited to read Death Stake as I've heard great things about this author's other books. The beginning caught my interest with the first person narrative from a fairly interesting character, and an intriguing premise: Brad Trasker, a former intelligence officer, now works for an aerospace DOD contractor. A top general cracks down on Trasker for allowing photos of a top-secret hydrogen engine to leak, and now Trasker has to figure out how it happened. His search traces back to a software startup in Bangkok, where three developers have gone missing.

There is a lot of information about cryptocurrency, blockchain, and the like, as Trasker tracks down anyone involved in the disappearance of the developers. As an action thriller reader, I have to say there's not really a lot of action in this book aside from a handful of scenes. Most of it feels more like an investigative procedural as Trasker goes through the motions of interviewing contacts and maneuvering with different agencies. It is interesting how Trasker comes up with ways to elicit information and get what he needs to do his job. He reflects a lot on his past, including his son, filling in some gaps I suppose of what happened in the first book (which I haven't read), but also bogging down the narrative at times. There are a few plot holes, especially near the end, such as breaking a key lock to prevent someone from driving off and then individual drives off anyway (and don't most high-end cars now have keyless entry and start systems)? The last few chapters also felt rushed, with much of the plot left unresolved and characters still in limbo. I'm not sure if these will be resolved in the next book but it left me more frustrated than intrigued. There are also a lot of characters, including some new ones introduced in the final chapters, and it became difficult to remember who was who.

Others may find this book well suits their reading style. Unfortunately it wasn't right for me. The audiobook was well narrated by James Anderson Foster. Thank you to the author, Dreamscape, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair review.

Spies and espionage, check. Fast paced adventure to uncover the links between all the bad guys and who is telling the truth, check. Still carries the elements over from first book of the mansions of memory, check. Andrew Mayne has become one of my go to authors for a bit cleaner side of crime and mystery books and Trasker book 2 continues to fit the bill. This book starts with the investigation of photos that shouldn't have been taken of top secret information that will end up leading him all the way around the world, using all of his methods of spycraft and evasion.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Brad Trasker is a retired intelligence operative who now works in security for an aerospace company. When details of the company’s top-secret plane appear on the dark web, Trasker follows the trail to Bangkok where the young coders responsible have gone missing. This is a fast-paced thriller with lots of spycraft and action. If you like the Reacher series, you will enjoy this. I did!
My thanks to the author, publisher, producer, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook for review purposes.

I requested this audiobook because I loved the Theo Cray series by Andrew Mayne.

Brad Trasker is a retired FBI agent now working for mega rich Wind Aerospace as head of security. Then Brad receives a call from Colonel Melchor about a security breach a the Pentagon. And Brad won’t say no to helping.

Quick paced through multiple cities, a little off-beat. Trasker is likeable, and has a quick wit, which leaves you waiting for next smart a$$ remark.

Thank you #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #DeathStake in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a huge fan of Andrew Mayne since I read my first book in his Naturalist series, and I haven't been disappointed since. Trasker is a totally different character, and I recommend reading the first book before reading this one so you know more about the characters. Trasker is a complicated character, and has almost fallen into his current situation. He's a retired spy working for a high tech company.
Death Stake has high stakes and has a lot of action, and you have to suspend your disbelief. While chasing down leads while investigating financial/cyber crimes, Trasker travels to Thailand and deals with dangerous people. I love his logical spin on everything and his internal dialogue.
The audiobook is terrific because the narrator brings out Trasker's cynicism and snark. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

I enjoy the underwater investigation unit series so I thought I’d try a new series by this author.

I love this one even more. I need to go back and read book one in November!!

Brad Trasker is a gruff & scary retired spy who’s currently the head of security at an aerospace facility where a breach has occurred involving a top secret engine design.

He’s tasked with finding out what happened. During his investigation he’s flown to Bangkok and runs down 3 coders who seem to be caught in something well out of their depth.

Trasker & his support staff travel around the globe and get themselves in a variety of situations. This is a great story. I recommend it if you like spy-like high-octane thrillers.

Publication day is 10/29/24.

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Audio. Now I look forward to book one!