Readers, please note that according to the copyright page, "Tibetan Cross" was "initially published in a different form as “Fire Like the Sun” by St. Martin's/Marek, New York" in 2014.

REVIEW

I’ve read several books by Mike Bond and enjoyed them. I did not enjoy “Tibetan Cross” and stopped roughly 200 pages in or about halfway through.

Sam Cohen is a mountain climber/adventurer hired (along with several friends) to guide a supposed photographic expedition through the Himalayas sometime during the 1970s (before the Shah of Iran was deposed). Along the way, Sam discovers that the expedition is actually a CIA arms smuggling operation and that he’s about to be murdered. Escaping, he goes on the run—and runs, and runs, and runs, from Tibet to Nepal to Iran to Greece to Crete to Algeria, along the way dodging magically appearing assassins, enduring some of the most disgusting locales and conditions, having graphic sex, and getting high, all the while suffering various serious injuries.

Yes, it’s an action-packed adventure, a "man-on-the-run" novel; and action junkies may well love it. But I found it so unrelentingly intense as to be both exhausting and not believable. For example, suffering a days-old knee wound that goes down to the bone, in order to escape pursuers (including dogs), Sam swims through freezing ocean waters out to a dilapidated freighter to shinny up its rusty, slimy anchor chain and slip over the stern completely undetected; and that’s after having been on the run for hours. Superman couldn't have done better.

It doesn’t help that there are no likable characters here. Sam seems to be the ultimate hedonist, having bedded hundreds of women and agreeing to go on this ill-fated expedition in order to have the money to bed more in Thailand. The rest, except for one female character, are shallowly drawn; and most are villains, or at least disreputable.

The style of prose Mr. Bond has chosen to employ in places also doesn’t help. There’s no question that he’s a fine writer. But here, he seems to be experimenting with the rhythm and tempo of his sentences, delivering long passages of short, choppy phrases apparently meant to excite readers' senses. Unfortunately, he often sacrifices clarity. Many times, I found myself not fully understanding what was going on. Mr. Bond also uses ten-dollar words (where simpler ones would have sufficed) as well as dialogue in foreign languages, which sometimes added to the lack of clarity.

Finally, there’s a decidedly anti-American flavor to the novel.

Halfway through, not caring about the characters or what was at stake, not believing much of what was going on, and out of patience with the prose, the unrelenting intensity, and the anti-Americanism, I finally gave up.

I received a free ARC through NetGalley. My thanks to it, the author, and the publisher. The foregoing is my independent opinion.

Tibetan Cross by Mike Bond is an action packed mystery full of intrigue & mystery.
Bond has created a highly intense read. This book is full of action from start to finish.
There are plenty of highs and lows throughout the narrative. Bond did a masterful job of research, which provided the reader with plenty of background information.
The characters are relatable, settings and dialogue are realistic. And this was a very gripping story.

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

Thank You NetGalley and Mandevilla Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing
eARC!

An action-packed story is what you can expect from the author, and once again he delivers. I do ish the main character had been a better role model throughout. In the early stage of the story, some of his actions were cringeworthy.

This was my first Mike Bond novel and I found it engaging. I like an action packed thriller with some romance, so the climbing in the Himalayans and being rescued by a capable woman appealed to me.

I received a complimentary electronic copy of this exceptional novel from Netgalley, author Mike Bond, and publisher Mandevilla Press. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read Tibetan Cross of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am always pleased to recommend Mike Bond to friends and family. He brings important aspects of existence to life that help set the record straight. This novel is no exception.

And it is a hard book to read, in places. But if you don't lose sight of the overview, it is enlightening. I appreciate the depth of understanding the author brings to my own tree-hugging view of the world at large. There was a bit more drug use and sexual content than I am comfortable with, however.

I’m trying to find the right words to review this book. It’s not that I didn’t like it, but maybe it wasn’t for me. It had action and a story that I’m sure many will love. I would recommend everyone give this a read who enjoy these types of stories. It could be your favorite.

Review of eBook

Sam Cohen, Paul Stinson, and Alex Vlasic work as guides in the Himalayas, leading an American photographic expedition into Tibet. When they meet up with a caravan of Sherpas, the Americans insist on traveling with them after their report of robbers in the direction they are traveling.

It isn’t long before the guides discover that the caravan is actually a hidden CIA weapons venture, smuggling weapons into Tibet to use against China.

And then the killing begins.

=========

Populated with unlikable characters who make what seem like phenomenally irresponsible decisions, the gritty tale begins on a low note with the main character’s repeated use of drugs. Violence and far-too-graphic scenes of torture are difficult to read; many readers may find the crude language offensive.

The sense of place is first-rate here as the story travels to many places around the globe. But brutality is the watchword for much of the action where drugs and human trafficking also play a part in the telling of this often life-threatening tale.

Recommended for readers who enjoy intense narratives that are both action-packed and adrenalin-fueled.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Mandevilla Press and NetGalley
#TibetanCross #NetGalley

Another good book from Mike Bond. Enjoyed the characters, and the plot/pacing was good too. Action all around the world. Can't wait to read more from Mike Bond.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Tibetan Cross is a mysterious haunting novel following Cohen as he journeys to discover the forces behind a failed nuclear bomb in Tibet. After many captures and deaths as he struggles to join his friend Paul, twists and turns lead to excitement, heartbreak, intensity beyond imagination. Read it for adventure and gruesome details.

I have never read such an intense, long-running (no pun intended) chase around the world. Cohen is the most wanted man in the world. .No one is safe if they decide to help him or even greet him. His enemies are completely soul-less. The chase end up in the cold mountains of Colorado.

This is an interesting book with a lot of seemingly unconnected threads that, on occasion, leaves the reader wondering where the story is going. It is about a group of friends who have been hired to be guides on a hiking expedition into the Himalayas. This turns into much more than a simple guiding adventure.. An a whole clandestine adventure begins!

There are some rather gruesome murders and lots of intricate clandestine activity with multiple characters involved. It takes a long time until the whole story comes into view; near the very end. Knowing who is the enemy and who the friend is not always apparent as they characters seem to change throughout.

There seems to be an almost psychological aspect to the story as the main character, Sam Cohen, has this deep need to get justice and help in achieving revenge/justice. But there are other players who seem bent on preventing him from doing it...in a couple of cases approaching almost rendition levels to do it and to gain information.

The mention of the "Tibetan Cross" is in the story line but doesn't really play an obvious role. This being said, I'd recommend this with the caveat against the psychology and gruesome nature of the multiple deaths.

Tibetan Cross by Mike Bond

9781627040129

410 Pages
Publisher: Mandevilla Press
Release Date: September 20, 2014

Fiction, Action, Adventure, Conspiracy, Drugs, Violence

Sam, Paul, Alex, and Elliott are in the Himalayas working as Sherpas. When they are asked to lead an expedition for a photo shoot. They should have known the money was too good. They meet up with a group of Nepalese men with ponies who warn them of robbers up ahead. The group decides to team up with the men and travel together for safety. When one of the ponies loses its footing and its pack opens, Alex recognizes the components of nuclear weapon. Things get nasty after that, and the killings begin.

I have read many books by this author and my favorites are the ones with Pono Hawkins. This book is completely different. I did not like any of the characters, the heavy drug use, profanity using the “c” word. I could not tell if Sam was a conspiracy theorist or if he was just high all the time. Everyone everywhere was after him and that might have been the case, but it was hard to distinguish. This book was a miss for me and to be honest, one of the only books that I did not finish.

There was plenty of action in this engaging thriller. Occasionally I wished for the pace to slow but it was a very good plot.
Many thanks to Mandevilla Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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The book grabs your attention right from the start. The protagonist, Alex, witnesses an explosive device which launches a journey. At every turn, the reader is rooting for Alex. This book is his journey. It is an action packed book with numerous twists and turns. If you like suspense, pick this one up.

Unfortunately, I did not finish reading Tibetan Cross by Mike Bond. It may been a timing issue. As we all know, it has to be the right book at the right time.

**I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book.

A difficult book to review - at times I liked it but at other times I hated it. Good in concept, I guess, but sometimes the main protagonist does unlikely things and at others stupid things. I loved reading about the parts set in Nepal, but other times it was less interesting. Not the easiest book to read, but I did continue until the end - and gave myself a pat on the back!

I am reading everything I can find by this author now. The book was well paced and I enjoyed the protagonist very much. Will be looking forward to more in this series.

Thin plot without much character development. The book does have non-stop action but kind of falls flat.

A very exciting read and I did want to put it down. The story is well traveled and holds your interest early on. I love how this tale expresses the hero’s commitment to friendships as well as his ability to deal out justice.