Clandestine

Ethan Galaal, Book 1

By: Isaac Hooke

Narrated by: Grant Richardson

Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Officially, Ethan Galaal doesn't exist.

Very few people can do what he does, and do it well. Maybe a handful in the entire world.

As the DIA's most valuable undercover operative, his missions span multiple roles that blur the lines between case officer, private investigator, kidnapper, and assassin.

His specialty is that frothing cesspit of war and tyranny known as the Middle East. He has been sent to gather intel on the latest threat in the region: the Islamic State. Posing as a Saudi Arabian jihadist, he gains entry into the brutal regime, but it will take all his cunning and mental fortitude to survive. One mistake, one slip of the tongue, and he is as good as dead.

As he descends deeper into the morally reprehensible heart of the Islamic State, surrounded by enemies and unable to leave, Ethan wonders if the operation was a mistake.

When he meets the beautiful yet mysterious Alzena, the repressed neighbor of one of his targets, Ethan must decide if he will risk everything to get her out.

And he thought the mission was difficult before.

©2015 Isaac Hooke (P)2016 Isaac Hooke

A really great start to a series

I am a big fan of Isaac Hooke's writing. I got an ARC of this one, and basically devoured it over a 4 day period at work breaks. The story is basically pretty simple. The government has allowed a black ops program to send undercover operators into hotspots to disrupt terrorist and insurgent operations, in this case, ISIS. Ethan Galaal is just such an operator. He is tasked with disrupting ISIS operations, and provide intelligence on their movements and leader. Disrupt and disable are his orders. He does this in many ways, building up intelligence assets and disrupting operations where possible. He kills a dangerous foreigner trying to help their nuclear program. When the group moved out to take on the Kurds, he goes with them, is discovered, escapes, and in a terrific action scene, manages to escape. All very satisfying and excellently paced. This book is exceptionally well researched, with the details ringing true, as if the writer was there in Syria describing it all first hand. Isaac Hooke has the ability to make you feel like you are right in the thick of the action, rifle in hand, taking fire.This book will get your hear pounding with the exceptionally realistic battle scenes. Any fan of Brad Thor's and Tom Clancy should love this book. A great addition to the ranks of Thriller/Military action writers. Grant Richardson does a great job on the narration, really brings the characters to life and moving the story along.

Meh

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Not really. I couldn't get into the story.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Add more excitement. Seemed like someone just reading words, not telling a story. Although he did use different voices, I couldn't catch any emotion. Also the female voice sounded like someone put the words through a text reader.

Was Clandestine worth the listening time?

I didn't finish it, so i would have to say no.

Any additional comments?

“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.”

Power ride!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Definitely, love the author and the main character always saves the day in a believable way.

What did you like best about this story?

The non-stop action. Didn't drag at all.

What does Grant Richardson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brought good infliction of the characters that we dont aways get with a novel.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, definetly.

Good story but narration pulls it down

What did you like best about Clandestine? What did you like least?

There were several errors in the narration as well as the voices, no consistency of the voices with the characters. Some of the narration was hard to listen to as it sounded like a computer voice

Would you be willing to try another one of Grant Richardson’s performances?

maybe

Islamic State on the front lines

Would you try another book from Isaac Hooke and/or Grant Richardson?

Probably not. It was OK, but a couple of times I had to press myself to keep going. Their are enough other books out there that really grab me, that I will probably skip the next by Hooke or Richardson.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot was fairly basic. I wouldn't describe it as edge-of-your-seat type drama. However, some action sequences do a good job of grabbing your interest. I did enjoy the interaction that "Ethan" had with the Islamic State throughout the book. I've never had first-hand interaction, but Hooke painted a very believable portrait of what the life and mentality would seem to be like.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Richardson has a fairly broad range with his voices and accents. Unfortunately, some of the main characters (one of them in particular) seem forced. Also, the voices don't seem to be 100% consistent. No doubt, in a book such as this, it is a tall order to do it very well. I just didn't feel that Richardson was quite able to pull it off and make it believable at all times.

Do you think Clandestine needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

The book is obviously intended to be the first in a series. For some that seek a closer of the current world between ISIL and the Kurds, it may be a series that is appreciated.

Any additional comments?

I received this book at no charge in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

Another great book by Isaac Hooke

I really enjoy Isaac's books. This one is no exception. I found the reading a little distracting from the story. It felt like the reader was trying a bit too hard.

Definitely worth a listen.

A Great Listen!

Very enjoyable novel. The characters were well written, with enough back ground information to understand them, but not bore you. The narrator did an excellent job and at times, you forgot what the real purpose of the characters were. It was fast paced and kept guessing until the end and looking forward to the next novel.

"Black, the colour of ... fear"

What did you love best about Clandestine?

Mr,Hooke is a powerful writer and his description of life in the Islamic State paints a very powerful picture especially of the fear of and brutality towards the inhabitants and the lives endured by women.. The story is fast paced, violent at times and yet also has room for compassion.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

With so many things that could, and did, go wrong in the fragile situation, the book was constantly twisting and turning with adrenaline thrills.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Grant Richardson?

This is a difficult one as Mr.Richardson's dialogue was excellent, clearly differentiating between characters and giving them distinctive personalities. Unfortunately, the voice given for Ethan didn't conform with that which I had in my head but that is simply a personal matter.
However, when reading the text in between the speech, the presentation was irritating, an automaton with intonation and, at times, with odd phrasing - shorts bursts of text spattered with tiny pauses. It is especially bad in the earliest chapters. Sadly, there are several occurrences, also, of poor editting where a sentence is started, stopped, then repeated. The whole makes for a distraction from the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Ita was and I did.

Any additional comments?

I have previously read, and enjoyed, a print copy of the next book in the Ethan Galaan series and was fortunate to be gifted the audio copy of this book by the author. I did enjoy it despite a few problems with the narrator. One unusual aspect which was very pleasant and added to the atmosphere, was the insertion into the soundtrack of very occasional background 'calls to prayer' and a simulation of incoming radio calls.
Overall, I would recommend this book to all action, thriller or military fans but suggest listening to the audio sample first to ensure that the narration is an acceptable one for your personal taste.

Good book in the genre

Any additional comments?

Overall, this was a good book. This isn't my normal genre, but I love books, audio and paper/kindle. I received a copy of this for free, in exchange for an honest review, so here goes. I liked the book quite a bit, even though this isn't the type of book I normally listen to. The description of the book kind of says it all. It's an military action book about a spy who is fighting against the Islamic State. There's a lot of action, although there is also quite a bit of the book that is not action packed. Not a criticism, but I didn't find the intelligence gathering to be 'edge of your seat' exciting. That being said, they definitely added to the book, and made it a better read. All in all, it was well worth the listen, especially if this is your genre of books. If I had a criticism of the book, it would be the narrator. He has a fine voice, but I didn't feel like he was the right guy to narrate an action book, I feel like he'd be better off narrating a business or self-help book. Still, it was worth the listen, although if you're choosing between the audio or the kindle/paperback version, I'd go for the kindle version.

A Touch of the Present

This book was definitely an invite into what is happening in the Middle East today. Living with someone who is behind the lines is eye-opening. The danger for those who are trying to overtake the Islamic radicals is heartfelt. I hope Ethan will stay to help those who are oppressed.