Book Review: Motorhome Mayhem in the Rockies by Robert Boren (Bug Out #6)

They take refuge at Motorhome Park in Colorado, but the enemy finds them. It's one battle after another. The group becomes a battle hardened force to be reckoned with. 

A new General comes on the scene, and tells them a secret about the enemy. Frank becomes the most important person in the war, because only he can exploit the new knowledge. The Colorado RV Park is fortified, and has better defences than any other place they've been, but will it be enough? Will they have to get into their Motorhomes and flee to safety, while Frank works to exploit the enemy secret?

New characters join the team, and provide better capability. The group is committed to preserving liberty in the USA. Will they prevail?

My Review: 

Gabe welcomes them to his park which is isolated and protected by geography. It is a place that can be adapted for defence more easily than any other place they have stayed at. Have they finally found their ideal home base? The unexpected arrival of a helo with a new Major and his team proves that they can still be easily found...but have they been found by a new ally or new enemy and who else knows their location? The group have learned harsh lessons about trust and are very twitchy about the latest developments. Can these army people be trusted?

I don't know about the group but since the death of the General Walker at Hilda's park, I haven't trusted anybody other than those in an RV! I shall continue in that mode through the series I suspect! I liked the addition of Gabe and I liked the way the team started acting more like a prepared military unit, taking their defence seriously. I like this RV park as a base for them but Frank has concerns about there only being one exit if they face trouble. That could be an issue in future books for sure with the luck that this group seems to have.

There are quite a few more action scenes in this book as the new RV base is constantly put to the test by militia and IS attackers. It is a thriller pretty much from start to finish as they battle to take down their enemies and protect the park. However it's not just the same plot this time. The author has introduced new information supplied by the new General to Frank's group that will not only assist them in avoiding future attacks but will help the group go on the offensive against them. If you don't want to know what it is, skip the next paragraph because I must talk about this!

Last chance to look away! OK the IS and militia fighters are all implanted with a tracking device and each device is individually coded with name, rank and importance. If the code can be cracked, Frank would be able to use his tech knowledge to track the movements of every fighter, work out where the leaders are and see attacks before they happen. And if this information was made public, armed citizens could see traitors and take action against them, giving the good guys the chance to win this war. I loved this idea as a plot twist! It also explains how their locations are so easily found as every fighter they killed was trackable. Liking this!

Back in the outside world, there is a fight between the puppet government and the good guys but with betrayals around every corner, the army men cannot trust their own people or know who is loyal. This was why General Walker was arming and assisting many groups like Frank's to take up the fight as they could be trusted. Frank is still watching who is coming to Hilda's park and can identify some of the main players that they need to watch out for. Finding out that his group are on the most wanted list for the terrorists gives them a real shock and again they wonder if they should try to run again.

There is a lot going on in this book that I would love to talk about but it's very hard to do so without giving away all the good bits. There are attacks on the RV park. There is an assault on the enemy by a group from the park. There is a hostage crisis to deal with. There is the new twist to give Frank and Jerry something to work on. There is an excellent romance between Rosie and Jeb which I had been for as they make such a great couple. There is the continued struggle to survive and be on alert for trouble.

I can't wait to see what is coming next...

Read April 2016.

Book Review: RV Flight From Terror by Robert Boren (Bug Out #5)

The Motorhome Park in Utah is no longer safe. Our friends have to flee, but where can they go? Where is it safe for them? The Army has their hands full. They can't protect them. Our friends are on their own!
 
The RV Park has become an armed camp, but will it be enough? Will our friends have to get back into their Motorhomes and flee for their lives? Maybe they should stand and fight. If the enemies aren't defeated, what future do they have?

My Review:

Be advised that in each review I will be talking about things that happened in the previous book so be aware of possible spoilers if you plan to read the series.

The wedding of Charlie and Hilda is bittersweet after the recent tragic events. After the memorial service for Chester, the group leaders are getting ready for an uncertain future in a new state, still unsure if they are doing the right thing. Jerry and Frank are seriously worried about getting on the helicopter and fear for their safety if they do. The decision is taken from them when the General says he has been informed that a huge attack force is heading to the park and everyone needs to flee in their RVs NOW. In panic, everyone bugs out of the park in a convoy again, heading north with no real plan. But a flat tyre and gas issues derails Earl and Jackson at Boulder and the Sheriff and Terry have only just got out of the town as it falls to the enemy. Will they all make it to the next RV park alive? And what will become of the General and his men staying to defend the park?

I was surprised by just how exciting this journey turned out to be, as I had wanted them to stay at the park. The author of course was smarter than I am and kept the story fresh by putting the convoy on the road and having them strung out, worrying about each other and out of contact. I was worried sick about the Sheriff who is one of my favourite characters and I couldn't bear the thought of losing him so soon after poor Chester. I didn't want anything bad to happen to the army guys at the camp either as I liked them all. Frank takes a moment to check the security cameras back at the park from his computer and is shocked to see that the heads of the General, Major and Doctor are on spikes near the front gate and the LT and a few soldiers have escaped and plan to join up with them. IS have taken Hilda's park and their friends are dead in the worst way possible. Noooo! I liked the dead men but I was happy that the LT and Jenkins escaped as I really like their characters.

Robbie is able to update his dad on what has been happening in California. Restrictions are being placed on the people regarding distance you can travel and every vehicle is being tagged so that each citizen can be watched. Protesters are being arrested and it is illegal to quit your job. Frank is concerned to hear that the army have not been involved in any of these actions and understands that Robbie felt his only escape was to join up. Sarah reports that beheadings are occuring in Boise and that she and her new husband are thinking about whether to leave. Trying to work out where might be safe is becoming a real problem for all the survivors.

The group are at the RV park of Kurt and Mary when they receive news about their friends on the road behind, as well as the army men coming to join them. News of what happened at the park spreads and everyone keeps their RVs ready to move in case of unexpected trouble, while Kurt and Mary prepare their spare vehicles just in case they are required. The fear of the group is increasing as each moment passes, waiting for their friends to arrive. You just know that trouble is about to find our group as the tension ramps up again and they have to flee the unprotected park but when it happens, I was pretty shocked by the manner of it. Seriously WTF!!! I'm a bit speechless! How could that just have happened??? I was not expecting this major plot twist and it threw a spanner into the whole plot for me (in a good way though!). You really do not know what is going to come next in this book which is one of the many reasons why I'm enjoying the series so much.

Every time I wonder if the books can keep up their standard, new things are thrown at me to shock and surprise. I love a plot with twists I was not expecting and this book has them in spades. The group are now moving to the Colorado RV park owned by Gabe, up in the mountains and hoping it will be a safe haven. With eight books left in this action packed series, I seriously doubt they will ever be safe!

Read April 2016.

Book Review: Mortars and Motorhomes by Robert Boren (Bug Out #4)

The Motorhome Park in Utah is under increasing attack, as the enemies attempt to destroy our motley band of RVers. Is it time to get out of Dodge?
The enemy has targeted our group, at first for their supplies and vehicles, but now it's worse. Now they are after them for revenge! The fortifications they've built at the RV Park have been good enough to hold off small attacks, but will the attacks continue to be small? Motorhomes aren't a hard target. 

Will the group survive? Can they make a home in Utah, or will they have to Bug Out again?

My Review:

Arrgghh! The ending of book three had some real shockers that I wasn't expecting but the arrival of the CIA man was right up there! I think I was just as shocked as Frank to see Simmons stroll into the park! Now you KNOW there is no way that this guy can be trusted, right? Right? Simmons tells the group that he was a double agent causing trouble inside the militia and that he thought Frank's group were militia trying to escape, leading to the confusion and gun fight, but Frank is very nervous about Simmons being there and nobody else seems to trust him. Jackson and Earl fear for their own safety when Simmons makes it clear that he wants to arrest them and repay Frank for shooting him. It is a relief when the military arrest him as a spy and send a chopper to remove him...a chopper which then suddenly goes missing. Did it crash or were Simmons friends in the chopper to aid his escape?

Frank has other things to worry about as well as Simmons coming after him as his son Robbie enlists to join the fight so he can escape the worsening situation in California and daughter Sarah is too close to the IS northern front. Seattle is swarming with IS, nuclear devices are going off in Canada and Chicago, attacks occur in India and Singapore and bombs now hit Washington DC at the Capitol Building where a meeting was being held. The park is about to come under attack again and now the group and the army men must defend the park against the enemy and hope for victory, still wondering who amongst the troops can be trusted. And when Simmons pops up again it is the Sheriff's town that is about to take the full brunt of his fury...

Can I say what a total b*****d Simmons is? I hate that guy so much and this was where the true impact of this war hits home to our group. The Sheriff and his deputy are being held hostage by the psycho cop and he demands that certain members of the group meet him for discussions. It's one thing to know that it is a trap but another to find a way out of it without abandoning their law enforcement friends. The tragic events in town during the showdown are to have a longlasting effect on the group. General Walker has become certain that the park is not safe and wants to relocate the group leadership to a safer place, a decision which splits the park. Can they really leave everything they own and risk being transported by chopper to a safe state? Can they actually trust the army?

I shed tears reading this book. So many of my favourites were in mortal danger and at one point I feared that several of them were going to die. The author writes these emotional scenes so well and I was caught up in the story as it flowed along. I did like that a couple of my favourites got to be heroic and that the men finally realise that the women are more than capable of holding their own in battle. Usually in a book with a large cast, you have a couple of favourites but in this book, everyone has been well developed and you don't want anything bad happening to any of them! That says a lot for the writing ability of the author and that more than compensates for the poor editing that remains an issue in the copies I had. I love the story so I overlook it.

I'm at a personal crossroads here as I love the scenes at the park and all the attacks and don't really want to see them leave for an army base, but the way this story twists, who knows what is coming next? The second I put this book down I was already grabbing the next one.

Please release these in paperback omnibus!

Read April 2016.
 

Book Review: Motorhome Madness by Robert Boren (Bug Out #3)

A Motorhome Park in Utah has become their refuge.

Enemy fighters and scavengers are attacking, trying to take their supplies, weapons, vehicles, and lives. Our friends fight for their survival against the ruthless attackers!

The group fortifies the RV Park to make their stand. Will they prevail, or will the RV Park become their own Alamo?

Should they stay and fight, or Bug Out again in their Motorhomes?

My Review:
For me, this was one of my favourite books in the series. The tension of the last two books really explodes in book three.

The group thought they have found somewhere safe for the moment at Hilda's park in Utah. But internal suspicions over Arthur's death combine with the fear of what is going on in the outside world. The group start thinking about defending the property with whatever they can find including old hunting hides at the rear and armed men volunteering for guard duty. The Sheriff conducts his murder investigation while Jerry decides to repair the damaged radio. And then the shooting starts...

The book opens with the question of who murdered Arthur, and Frank and Jerry review the most likely suspects: Charlie, Jackson, Earl and Jeb. Did Charlie leave the bar during Happy Hour to kill Arthur? Is it possible that Simmons had something to do with it? Who wants the radio out of action enough to kill an innocent man? Whoever did it, it is clear that they have an enemy within the park, who is probably a militia plant, something the Sheriff agrees with. Jerry decides not to mention to the group that he can probably fix the radio in case he becomes the next target. The Sheriff alerts Hilda to the murder as owner of the park and now defence is going to be vital.

The sudden start of shooting from Jeb in the hunting hide is a wake up call to the real danger that they are in and Frank, Jerry and Sheriff run to his aid. The park is now under attack by militia and terrorists who are working together, a frightening development. The Sheriff has decided that they are going to need army help as he expects more than just a scouting party next time round, and as the army send people to investigate the mess the militia mole decides to make their move with a couple of attacks that throw the park into total chaos...

There is a lot of action and tension in the book with Charlie under suspicion as a murder suspect, and he is hurt to find himself being excluded from the meetings with the Sheriff. I had started to suspect one of the group by now, working it out from the things the others were saying about the night in question. While I was proved right, there was another piece of interesting information about militia plants that I hadn't been expecting, so that was a nice surprise. As well as the reveal of the murderer, we have a couple of action scenes where the park and the people are under attack from the enemy. Their hiding place has been revealed and they are now targets. These scenes shattered my nerves as I love the characters and was scared that one of my favourites would get hurt! And people do get hurt...

In the outside world, the Major reveals that the IS troops coming through Mexico were a diversion to the main force coming through Canada which is now in Civil War. The implications of being stuck between IS groups moving north and south towards them start to scare the group. IS men who arrived in the US as migrants were fasttracked into the military and are now revealing themselves by murdering the troops they have been working with, meaning the army cannot even trust it's own people. It is a worrying development for the group, especially when they suddenly see it impact right in front of their gate. When the phone lines go down, the group realise that an all out assault is coming...

I liked the addition of the Sheriff to the book. As the others observe, he is not the smartest man in the world but he seems hardworking and honest and I liked him from the start. I am very much enjoying the comic relief of husband hunting hard drinking Rosie, Jerry's mother-in-law. She is very funny and always makes me laugh the way she quizzes the men about their relationship status. I am also a fan of Jasmine and Jerry becoming MCs along with Frank and Jane. In fact it is the overall group dynamic that makes the book work so well, with all the different personalities and abilities helping the group develop.

The plot has developed to indicate that the militia that the convoy escaped are working with the IS forces, something the original militia leader would not have approved of. The group are now greatly concerned for their safety and all petty squabbles are put to rest as they plan what they are going to do next. Do they secure the park and hope that the army can assist in their defence? Or do they pack up and bug out, hoping to avoid danger on the road and find a new park to hide in? Or is it going to be too late for a chance at escape with the enemy moving in on them? Who is going to survive the coming battle?

I can't describe how nervous I was through this book. The murder plot mixes in perfectly with the continued action as danger finally catches up to the group. The characters are well developed through the tense investigation and the scary action scenes, making the reader care about what happens to everyone. The reveal of the mole was not a surprise to me but I got quite a shock at what happened in the last chapters of the book. A shocking death and a final reveal that had my jaw dropping!

Love this series! Wish it was in paperback!
Read April 2016

Book Review: Civilization in Peril by Robert Boren (Bug Out #2)

The Civilized World is under attack.
The world outside continues to go sideways in Bug Out! Part 2. We are in a nuclear war. Bombs are floated into American, European, and Russian ports. Militia leaders attempt to become warlords. Islamic Fighters flood into the USA and take over territory. Mexico collapses. Martial Law is declared in California - will it spread to other states?

The group stops at a place that appears to be safe, but they find themselves fighting off local scavengers and enemy scouting parties. They look for a safe haven, but it's always just a little further away. 

My Review:

I loved the first book in this series of 13 books and I went straight on to read book two, especially with the cliffhanger ending to the last one!

The cops have arrived at the trailer park to talk to Frank about the armed fight with the militia men and the crooked cop, confirming who survived and that Jane was right. The militia group were rounding up civilians and herding them to a place where they were to be robbed of their RVs, weapons, food and possibly murdered. Frank's relief that they attacked bad people is overshadowed by the news that Simmons is alive and may well come after Frank as he is known to be unhinged. News comes that the IS forces are coming their way and everyone prepares to leave, including the park owner Charlie. It is as they flee that reports hit the news of nuclear devices going off along the US coast putting Robbie and Sarah at risk along with attacks on Russia, and Mexican troops trying to fight more IS forces.

The action is really hotting up as the whole convoy has to flee from where they thought they were safe, heading to the RV park owned by Hilda, friend of Jeb, Charlie and Chester. The fear of being caught by IS terrorists causes tension and panic, and there is still the threat from Simmons and the remains of the militia they escaped from who are searching the surrounding area for Frank. IS attacks are hitting Europe with a blast killing a million people in Paris, and China is on the brink of invading North Korea as they are blamed for passing nuclear devices to the terrorists. Pakistan is being attacked by several countries, Turkey is kicked out of NATO and moderate countries in Africa and the Middle East seek alliances for their security. The global picture is shaky which adds a whole new set of fears for the RV convoy as they wonder what disaster is going to happen next. It certainly keeps things exciting! Muslims are coming under attack by angry citizens when they start protesting in the street and unrest is everywhere.

For me, the great thing about this book is the characters. Frank and Jane are just a normal couple who want to live a quiet life and are suddenly caught up in war, anarchy and violence. Having MCs who are in their 60's and 70's was so great as it brings a whole new dimension to an apocalypse plot. These are people who are perhaps former military or law enforcement but have issues with hips, backs and other ailments, adding realism to the story. They need to use their brain and experience in tricky situations and are not super human. I liked that diversity and it shows you can have older characters taking on hero roles in exciting plots. I'm already a fan of Jeb, Chester and Jerry!

The other interesting plot line is the suddent death of a character which took me greatly by surprise. As it becomes clear that this could be a murder, everyone starts to get suspicious of the others in the group. I was trying to evaluate the actions of each character, deciding who I thought might have been involved and who I really wanted to trust. It also appears that some group members may have other agendas to pursue that could compromise their collective safety. Seriously, there is never a dull minute in this series! Having fractures in the group starting to appear was an interesting side plot which I hope to see developed in the next book.

The excitement and tension from book one has just been ramped up again in this latest installment. I'm hooked!

Read April 2016.