I won a KINDLE edition in a GOODREADS giveaway. ( )

This was a really good suspense novel. It kept me entertained all day, as I didn’t put it down. 10+ hours of audiobook is usually a 2 day listen for me, but I enjoyed it all in one day as I needed to see how things turned out for Ramon. He’s an interesting character caught up in extraordinary circumstances.

He’s been on death row for several years in a Texas prison, falsely accused of a murder. His lawyer, Barry, has worked hard for him but the inevitable has finally come. Ramon has made his peace with it. But then he wakes up in what turns out to be a military installation. Bio warfare is at the heart of this thriller and Ramon becomes the living proof of this clandestine military operation.

Lena Dryer was also an interesting character. She’s a rising journalistic star, excited for her career and about to make one of the biggest changes in her life. She was one of a few witnesses to the execution of Ramon, and that fact is what yanks her back into Ramon’s life. Yet part of her is very excited by the big story that just landed in her lap. Now if she can just stay alive long enough to get it out there!

The one issue I have with this story is that there are so few female characters. There’s Lena…. and …. and…. hmm…. Well, Ramon has some vague dream of her mom singing. So, yeah, we need more ladies because that would more accurately reflect life in general.

The villains are well represented, as we have different flavors of villainy. Dr. Meeks seems to be in it for the science. Cane just likes a good hunt, and revels in causing others pain. Others get up on a moral high horse, claiming they are doing what’s best for humanity. Yet another has a change of heart once he learns what the evil master plan is. Is it a sin that I enjoyed the villains more than the heroes?

The pacing is perfect and I liked that the story was plausible, being something that could happen in today’s age. I love the desert southwest setting for the bulk of the tale. 4.5/5 stars

The Narration: Gary Tiedemann gave a really good performance. His light Spanish accent (as described in the book) for Ramon was spot on. His voice for Lena was feminine. All character voices were distinct. I loved his vicious voice for Cane (the dominant villain). His pacing was perfect and there were no technical issues with the recording. 5/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Peter Thompson. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it. ( )