The Devil's Brigade: Volume 1 (A Nick Lassiter - Skyler Thriller) - Softcover

Marquis, Samuel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1943593000 ISBN 13: 9781943593002

Publisher: Mount Sopris Publishing, 2015

Synopsis

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) BY SAMUEL MARQUIS - #1 DENVER POST BESTSELLING, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR 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is also a man in crisis: he has lost his girlfriend and his job, is wanted by the police, and has discovered that his unpublished thriller, Blind Thrust, has been stolen and turned into a blockbuster movie called Subterranean Storm.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 this title

Review:

"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

About the Author:

Samuel Marquis is a bestselling, award-winning suspense author. He works by day as a VP–Principal Hydrogeologist with an environmental firm in Boulder, Colorado, and by night as the spinner of the Nick Lassiter-Skyler International Espionage Series, a World War Two Series, and the Joe Higheagle Environmental Sleuth Series. His thrillers have been #1 Denver Post bestsellers, received multiple national book awards (Foreword Reviews’ Book of the Year, USA Best Book, Beverly Hills, Next Generation Indie, and Colorado Book Awards), and garnered glowing reviews from #1 bestseller James Patterson, Kirkus, and Foreword Reviews (5 Stars). Book reviewers have compared Marquis’s WWII thrillers Bodyguard of Deception and Altar of Resistance to the epic historical novels of Tom Clancy, John le Carré, Ken Follett, Herman Wouk, Daniel Silva, and Alan Furst.

About this edition

• Publisher: Mount Sopris Publishing
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1943593000
• ISBN 13: 9781943593002
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 270