Blog Tour Review of Dangerous Past by A.F. Ebbers

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Release Date: September 11, 2021 (ebook version)
Buying Links: Amazon    Barnes & Noble     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from author):

Airline Captain Frank Braden and his wife Nicole are suddenly stalked by professional assassins who have a deadline to make their deaths look like an accident or a suicide. And the couple doesn't know why they are being targeted. They don't realize that they stand in the way of a deadly conspiracy. Little by little they are pulled into a dangerous web of intrigue by a murderous criminal network that deceptively offers the pilot his wife's life if he will concede to their demands. This is a thriller that rocks the highest levels of Washington.

Teaser:

Standing in the shadows, John smiled. For whatever reason, whether his victim was a macho know-it-all type or just naive of the danger, man y of the men he had killed had swallowed that bait...The voice startled Frank and he whirled around to face a well-built man wearing all black as though he was on a Special Forces recon night team. I'm in trouble, Frank thought, as he looked down the silencer barrel of a 9mm pistol. God, this guy is really good.

Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

I enjoy mysteries and thrillers and I'm always eager to find new authors to read. The blurb for this book was intriguing so I thought I'd give it a try. Ebbers knows his material, and spins an interesting story. Parts of the story occur, via flashback, in Vietnam during the Vietnam war and it feels like it was written by someone who spent time there (and it was). I appreciate when an author actually makes his setting come alive, otherwise it could be anywhere, a bland vague representation of the real thing.

As you may have guessed, the story and the mystery behind the attacks on Frank and his wife, have to do with Vietnam. We get flashbacks periodically throughout the story which reveal important information. Occasionally, Ebbers takes a little too long to reveal information and I would get annoyed; but he always came through, if I was just patient and kept on reading. The plot was a little overly complicated at times and Frank's luck at escaping death was amazing, but other things were spot on: the relationship between Frank and his wife Nicole, the FBI's attitude toward him in the beginning, and the way that none of the characters were completely black or white but had some depth to them. My attention dragged a few times but that didn't stop me from continuing to read; I assumed there would be a happy ending and wanted to see how Ebbers got there and how things played out. Was I right about the happy ending? Read and find out.

There were some editing issues, particularly with POV's jumping around, and some typos; I kept wanting to get out my red pen. This example shows both a POV problem and a spelling error:

Fenton, shinning his light ahead of him, cursed and stumbled along the trail. He knew he was catching up since he could avoid most of the obstacles that would slow them down. I got to get this over in a hurry when I catch them. He figured he would shoot Nicole first in front of Frank, just to make him suffer a moment longer.

While they were noticeable, and occurred often enough to mention, they didn't strongly affect my enjoyment of the story. If you like military action thrillers, you should definitely read this one.

Author info: A. F. Ebbers, a journalism graduate of Ohio University was a reporter/writer for major newspapers, ad agencies, and in public relations for Cessna Aircraft Company. He also graduated from Army Flight School and flew for the Ohio and Kansas Army National Guards. Later he was called to active duty and served two flying tours in Vietnam. After retirement from the military, he flew for corporations and for regional airlines. A dual rated ATP pilot, he has written for numerous national magazines, Sunday supplements and trade and travel magazines and has written screenplays and short stories. Today he lives with his wife in the Austin, Texas area and, when not writing, enjoys tennis, flying and piano. Dangerous Past is his debut novel.

About writing: I write realistically about what I have experienced. Most of the places in this novel are real because I’ve been there: from Vietnam to Europe to Asia to Washington to Texas and most places in-between. I create characters using a combination of real and imaginary personalities. My motto for writing fiction is always write what you know.  Website

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising*