The Protector by Dan Latus
Frank Doy Thrillers #12

Grabbed me on page one and kept me interested till the last page ~ Not having read previous books was no problem and the story easy to follow.

What I liked:
* Frank Doy: security consultant, bodyguard, private investigator, good friend, strategist, helpful, would rather avoid violence but willing to defend himself and others, interesting
* Jimmy Mack: Frank’s neighbor, owner of a fishing boat, retired, good friend
* Jamie Burke: left witness protection, on the slate to testify in a murder case, ex-boxer, ex-military, security and bodyguard business, strong, resilient, wonder if he will show up again in the series
* Leon Podolsky: wealthy, Eastern European, owns businesses and a medical center and hotels, may have been in previous books
* Olga Podolsky: works with her brother, IT genius, likes older homes and creating a comfortable living space, different
* Lenka Podolsky: pilot, sniper, works in the family business, warrior
* The fact that Leon’s employees are dedicated to him and he to them
* That Frank is part of the Risky Point community on the Cleveland Coast
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* The way Leon took care of Jamie and Charles when they were injured
* That I was able to dislike the bad guys and wish Karma would descend on them
* All of it except…

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* That the bad guys were willing to do such evil things just to make money

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the ARC – This is my honest review

5 Stars

Frank Doy is a terrific creation and the world around him is as vivid and real as you could hope for. This is a fast paced book with plenty of interesting characters, including some sketchy ones who are just on the edge of incredible, which makes for a really satisfying read. I couldn’t put it down and look forward to diving into Frank Doy’s world again.

this was a strong crime thriller novel, it had that element that I was looking for and was invested in what was happening. Dan Latus wrote this well and worked well in the world about Frank Doy Thriller series. I was engaged with the characters and thought they worked overall in the setting. I was invested in what was happening and hope there is more in this series and from Dan Latus.

This is a fast and entertaining book, despite the changing POV between 1. and 3. that I don't see the point of and don't like. The plot is OK, but the characters could use more descriptions.

Thank you to Joffe Book, Dan Latus and NetGalley for allowing to pre-read this book. Dan Latus is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. This book is part of a series featuring security expert Frank Doy, In this book, Frank is immersed in two dueling story lines, one a person in Witness Protection has left witness protection, Jamie Burke, He left witness protection because he feels like the cops have a leak and they can no longer protect him. Frank is asked by multiple people to find Jamie Burke and convince him to go back into witness protection. In the meantime, Franks' relationship with a Ukrainian family the Podolsky's takes over and he is asked to come to Prague and provide protection for one of the sisters of the matriarch Leon Podolsky. While in Prague, the Jaime Burke story becomes a part of the Podolsky story and Frank is trying to save them both killers that they have no idea who they are or what they want, Well, maybe a little bit of an idea. This is a great crime thriller with all the elements of a great story. It flows really well, isn't too involved in the details but gives some great descriptions of eastern Europe which I love. I also love the characters especially the Podolsky's who are not quite with in the bounds of legality but rather walk the line of crime family and just a wealthy family. Great read I would recommend to any one.

Frank Doy is a private investigator/ protector with no bounds.
When Frank's friend from his past, oligarch Leon Podolsky asks
him to take on protection of his sister brilliant hitech creator Olga, Frank accepts the job,
and immediately is thrown into mayhem and men looking to kill not only
Olga but Frank as well.
The action and suspense are non stop as Frank tries to not only protect but get to the bottom of
the attacks and who are behind them.
Very good, strongly defined characters and a plot that gets a little roundabout at times but
the action and mystery more than make up for the side roads.
Goid series and very good read.

I met Frank Doy for the first time in The Protector, but I see from the series list that he's been on twelve other adventures before this one! I love a nice, robust series, and if this book is a bellwether for the others, I'll be in for a treat when I go back to the beginning and dive into Dan Latus's other Frank Doy novels. I saw the character described as being "Reacher-like" (from Lee Child's fantastic lone-wolf series), and I do see some similarities, but I like that Doy isn't the loner Reacher is. He's got a home, a neighbor, a fishing buddy, and a place he loves, Risky Point, to go back to.

The Protector follows Doy from his North Sea adjacent cliffside home to the bustling streets of Prague, and then out into the Czech countryside as he strives to protect the sister of a close friend. A close friend… who happens to be a billionaire with his fingers in many pies, some of which may not be exactly legal. I like Doy's style, including his reluctance to kill all the bad guys and his protective nature over not just his client, Olga, but a young man who tried to do the right thing and ended up with a target on his back. The writing style is clean, and the plot is well-explained and executed. Reading the book felt like watching an action movie.

Thank you, Joffe Books, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC of this book for an honest review.

Frank Doy is a security specialist/PI who is currently living along the Northumberland coastline who is asked by an old friend to protect his sister from enemies who wish to destroy him and the family business in the Czech Republic. He also looks out for a young ex soldier who was privy to a crime and was in witness protection but left due to trust issues within the Police (this was never followed though in the book).
It was very fast-paced and full of action, felt a bit "Reacher-esque" at times but there was lots of waffle, and dialogue that went on too long, and it did feel a bit stilted at times and the areas that could've been developed more, weren't.

All in all, it was a good book, and this is the first time I've read and heard of this author. I'll definitely try more of his books in the future.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Dan Latus's "The Protector" is a relentless and gripping crime thriller that is not a story for the faint of heart; Latus plunges readers into a dark and morally ambiguous world where the lines between justice and vengeance blur.

This story follows a former special forces operative turned vigilante, haunted by the ghosts of his past. Driven by a desperate need for redemption, he embarks on a dangerous mission to protect an innocent witness from a ruthless criminal organization. As the stakes rise and the body count climbs, the protagonist finds himself entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse, where every decision has devastating consequences.

Ultimately, for me, this read was a bit of a "reach" as in a Jack Reacher wannabe read where resolutions were too easily resolved.

The moral ambiguities are interesting, however.

I was excited to read this novel as the description was compelling. I have never read any of Dan Latus' novels and was looking forward to it. I was disappointed, sadly. The story itself was fine, however situations seemed to resolve themselves to simply. Situations happen and events all come together to easily and unnaturally in my opinion. The ending felt rushed and too easy.
I enjoyed the characters, the settings and the way they were presented and described.
It is possible I would have been more engaged and enjoyed this novel more if I had read other novels in the series and was more familiar with the protagonist's back story.

Review: There is an avalanche of Jack Reacher wannabe novels out there, some good, some bad. Where does this series fall? Read on!

IMO this was middle of the road in presentation, although some might find it appealing due to the foreign venues. Me, not so much. The MC is just kind of blah. He struggles around and through every scene while really rich people have full faith in his abilities. For instance, he is sent to protect Miss Genius in the countryside all by himself. Yet, Miss Genius' rich connected brother cannot have hidden men everywhere keeping an eye on her? No? Is it because she is so aware of her surroundings that she would know that her brother is going against her wishes? I didn't get the reasoning.

Besides the forced story line, the dialogue througout was very lengthy and verbose. You know, the kind of exchanges where the end of the sentences have exclamation points.

There is hope here, as the writer has talent that prays for experience. So I will be nice and give it a three.

I received this ARC for an honest review.

2.8/5

I feel slightly irritated about my lack of awareness of this author. This is the first book in this series I have read - I will now go back and start at the beginning. I think the references to 'Reacher' series are generally accurate, but I found the writing style to be of a higher quality - a little more like Scot Mariani/Ben Hope books. Gripping story, well-paced. Thank you for the approval to read the book. 4.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for my copy of The Protector by Dan Latus.
This book kept me interested all the way through. Lots of action and intrigue.
It's the first one I've read in the Frank Doy Series but it won't be the last.
Great reading.

Lots of action. The protagonist is an excellent action hero, and the story is set up well and progresses quickly through a variety of obstacles to a logical conclusion.

Suspense, action, intrigue, organized crime - it's all here and more. Driving story that just keeps moving and pulls you along with it, great choice for fans of well written action and suspense.

Frank Doy never wanted a fight. But he can’t walk away from this one. Not now his oldest friend is under threat!! Wow!! Action packed!! Great thriller! This book had great suspense, murder, mystery, intriguing, action packed moments, great shoot outs, a great who done it and some crazy twists! The story was very interesting! I definitely recommend reading this one! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!