Description
THE DEVIL'S PILE BRIGADE - A NICK LASSITER-SKYLER THRILLER BOOK 1 (FORMERLY THE SLUSH PILE BRIGADE)
#1 DENVER POST BESTSELLER (FICTION)
AWARD-WINNING FINALIST BEVERLY HILLS BOOK AWARDS (MYSTERY)
In this first thriller in the Nick Lassiter-Skyler International Espionage Series, Mr. Everyman Nick Lassiter becomes an unwitting intelligence operative and encounters for the first time the beautiful female assassin Skyler, who plays a prominent role in Books 2 and 3 of the series. As he celebrates his thirtieth birthday with friends, Lassiter is also a man in crisis: he has lost his girlfriend and his job, is wanted by the police, and has discovered that his unpublished thriller, Blind Thrust, has been stolen and turned into a blockbuster movie called Subterranean Storm. Even worse, the movie is based on a soon-to-be bestselling novel by Australian thriller writer Cameron Beckett, one of the world's biggest brand-name authors. Rather than seek revenge through a financial settlement or public humiliation, Lassiter sets out for New York to obtain mea culpas from Beckett and his renowned literary agent, whom he is certain colluded with the Aussie in stealing his debut novel.
Once in New York, Lassiter, and his three fish-out-of-water friends who insist on accompanying him, instantly run afoul of the law and other powerful forces intent on thwarting them and their mission. As they encounter one thorny obstacle after another, the scope of their inquiries expands and they are soon in way over their heads, battling toe-to-toe not only against the mega-bestselling author and his agent, but a formidable army of antagonists, including the NYPD, Beckett's Big Five publishing house security squad, and the Russian mob. Collectively, these adversaries present Lassiter with the greatest--and deadliest--challenge of his life.
Unexpectedly aided by his CIA father, Director of the Russian Counterintelligence Desk, and his former girlfriend turned CIA-informant, Lassiter and his comrades take to calling themselves the Devil's Brigade in tribute to the legendary U.S.-Canadian First Special Service Force, an elite commando outfit that fought in Italy in World War Two. Outmatched and outgunned, they are foiled at every turn but still they are determined to win. But will justice be attained? Can they prove that Beckett and his crooked literary agent have stolen Lassiter's blockbuster novel and are undeservedly reaping the success? More importantly, can they solve one of the most important counterintelligence cases in CIA history and in the process honor the original Devil's Brigade?
About the Author
Samuel Marquis is a bestselling, award-winning suspense author. He works by day as a VP-Hydrogeologist with an environmental firm in Boulder, Colorado, and by night as a spinner of historical and modern suspense yarns. He holds a Master of Science degree in Geology, is a Registered Professional Geologist in eleven states, and is a recognized expert in groundwater contaminant hydrogeology, having served as a hydrogeologic expert witness in several class action litigation cases. He also has a deep and abiding interest in military history and intelligence, specifically related to the Golden Age of Piracy, Plains Indian Wars, World War II, and the current War on Terror. His first two thrillers, The Slush Pile Brigade and Blind Thrust, were both #1 Denver Post bestsellers for fiction, and his first three novels received national book award recognition. The Slush Pile Brigade was an award-winning finalist in the mystery category of the Beverly Hills Book Awards. Blind Thrust was the winner of the Foreword Reviews' Book of the Year (HM) and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and an award-winning finalist of the USA Best Book Awards and Beverly Hills Book Awards (thriller and suspense). His third novel, The Coalition, was the winner of the Beverly Hills Book Awards for a political thriller. Ambassador Marc Grossman, former U.S. Under Secretary of State, proclaimed, "In his novels Blind Thrust and Cluster of Lies, Samuel Marquis vividly combines the excitement of the best modern techno-thrillers, an education in geology, and a clarifying reminder that the choices each of us make have a profound impact on our precious planet." Former Colorado Governor Roy Romer said, "Blind Thrust kept me up until 1 a.m. two nights in a row. I could not put it down. An intriguing mystery that intertwined geology, fracking, and places in Colorado that I know well. Great fun." Kirkus Reviews proclaimed The Coalition an "entertaining thriller" and declared that "Marquis has written a tight plot with genuine suspense." James Patterson compared The Coalition to The Day After Tomorrow, the classic thriller by Allan Folsom. Other book reviewers have compared Book #1 of Marquis's World War Two Trilogy, Bodyguard of Deception, to the spy novels of John le Carre, Daniel Silva, Ken Follett, and Alan Furst.
Reviews
"Calling themselves the Slush Pile Brigade as a nod to the unsolicited writings sent to publishing houses, four friends take on the publishing industry and get caught up in dangerous events beyond their control in Samuel Marquis's The Slush Pile Brigade. This high-energy, rollicking misadventure will change the way you look at the publishing industry forever. The plot--complete with car chases and the requisite gun play--is unpredictable and sometimes turns violent; twists and turns and counterturns abound. So, too, does the humor. Numerous references to classic movies, songs, and literature are sprinkled throughout...The dialogue is superb, especially the rat-a-tat round robin responses given when the Slush Pile Brigade members are in discussion. Be prepared to never look at the publishing world in the same way again." ----Foreword Reviews - Five Stars (******) "Twists, turns and double crosses in literary theft quickly expand to threaten the globe in: THE SLUSH PILE BRIGADE. At its core, the book is a solid thriller. It has clearly defined stakes and goals for the main characters. The dialogue and plot tend to fluctuate between thriller and pulp adventure. Marquis laid the groundwork as a thriller writer with The Slush Pile Brigade and hopefully his following novels build up a James Patterson-esque empire. The Slush Pile Brigade is a promising debut from an up-and-coming thriller writer." ----IndieReader Book Review - 4.5/5 Stars (****1/2) "Marquis makes the whole bewildering journey entertaining, particularly with the supporting cast of quirky college friends who accompany Nick on his mission. Frequent nods to popular literature, and the fact that Marquis himself wrote a novel called Blind Thrust, bring out the book-within-a-book theme, and the New York City scenes and dialogue feel authentic throughout. Read The Slush Pile Brigade not for the rewards of carefully crafted intrigue, but for the enjoyable romp that it is." ----BlueInk Book Reviews
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