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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Inside Threat by Matthew Quirk

Book Description

Assume the worst. Code Black.

The day that every secret service agent trains for has arrived. The White House has been breached; the President forced to flee to a massive doomsday bunker outside DC to defend against whatever comes next. Only the most trusted agents and officials are allowed in with him—those dedicated to keeping the government intact at all costs.

Among these is Erik Hill, who has given his life to the Secret Service. They are his purpose and his family, and his impressive record has made him a hero among them. Despite his growing disillusionment from seeing Washington corruption up close, Erik can’t ignore years of instincts honed on the job. The government is under attack, and no one is better equipped to face down the threat than he is.

The evidence leads him to a conspiracy at the highest levels of power, with the attack orchestrated by some of the very individuals now locked in with him. As the killers strike inside the bunker, it will take everything Erik Hill has to save his people, himself, and his country.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Inside Threat by Matthew Quirk is a political thriller that will remind readers of Vince Flynn’s Transfer of Power and David Baldacci’s characters Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, retired Secret Service Agents. The plot has secrets, lies, and betrayals with the readers not knowing who the bad guys are and who are the good guys.

The book begins with an attack on the White House, obvious that it has been breached. The President, his wife, the most trusted officials, and the best Secret Service Agents move to a secure underground facility known as Raven Rock. Most impressive is how Quirk drew a simplified version of this complex. It is a facility 700 feet under a mountain near Camp David.

Secret Service Agents Eric Hill and Amber Cody, soon discover the threat is locked inside with them. Communications have been cut, exits sabotaged, and bodies piling up. Hill and Cody must use their skills and instincts to determine who can be trusted. Are the perpetrators the officials, or those in the Army, or the Secret Service? Both know they must do whatever it takes to protect the institution they have been sworn to serve and protect.

Given the current events, this concept of a threat to the government from within is very scary. Wondering who is a friend and who is a foe has readers taking the dangerous journey with Hill and Cody. The many twists will keep people reading, not wanting to put the book down. The Q&A below comes from notes from a conversation with Quirk that has been condensed.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea?

Matthew Quirk: I try to strike a balance between a conspiracy shadow behind certain powers, while adding hope, realism, and not feeding into the cynicism. The premise has what would happen if a President came under attack? I played with these questions for the readers to think about. What is the drive behind someone going against the office they are protecting? Are they protecting a larger value by taking matters into their own hands? Is going rogue part of the problem or solving the problem? Who can be trusted? This is my go at a Die Hard or Seven Days in May story with a bit of Agatha Christie thrown in.

EC: Was the President based on anyone?

MQ: This is an interesting time for politics, with such a high temperature. I try in writing a plot to be non-partisan. Some readers of my books have diametrically opposed views. They find corollaries of what is currently happening. For them, the story will often confirm their views of how they perceive Washington DC. For instance, if there is a crooked President in the book, each side thinks the President is part of the other side. For me, it is interesting that I can write these political thrillers in an incredibly polarized time and still have them appeal broadly.

EC: How would you describe President Kline?

MQ: Some think he is paranoid, elitist, aloof, but others think he is caring and protective. One of the mysteries of the book is, can the President be trusted to defend the Constitution?

EC: What is real in the book?

MQ: “Yankee White,” a special background investigation, basically a clearance, required of anyone who will hold the President’s life in their hands such as a chef, helicopter pilot, and a doctor. There is this distinct circle of people that would single handedly be able to kill the President.

The saying “shut up and color,” which is military slang for “do your job and follow orders.” This was one of the themes of the book because what if doing the right thing and following orders are at odds.

My friend had written an entire book on Raven Rock, the bunker 700 feet under a mountain near Camp David. I tried to find a bunch of imagery. In the beginning of the book, I drew a simplified layout of the architectural buildings and tunnels. I wanted the reader to follow along with the action I did take some liberties to streamline things, but everything in the book comes from real life.

The Presidential Emergency Action Documents, which are documents that can be invoked by the President. No one knows what is in them. The President could possibly create martial law, suspend Congress, nationalize industries, and ignore the Constitution.

EC: Do you think Secret Service Agents can be flies on the wall?

MQ: I have this book quote, they “can see everything and see nothing.” I did talk to Secret Service people for the book. Their job is to protect the person and yet they are seeing Washington politics up close. They still do their job, which is protecting the office. Even if it someone they do not respect they are still willing to protect them, even to the point of sacrificing their life. This is very honorable.

EC: How would you describe the Secret Service Agent Eric Hill?

MQ: Direct, a straight talker, protective, has a slight temper, loyal and suspicious. Because of his backstory he is disillusioned.

EC: How would you describe the rookie Secret Service Agent Amber Cody?

MQ: Tough, smart, stubborn, enthusiastic, disciplined, and feels she needs to prove herself to be brave.

EC: There is a book quote about the Secret Service that reminds me of those in the military. Please explain.

MQ: You are referring to this book quote, “The Service was in many ways closer than family. Agents spent more time with each other than they did with their wives and husbands and kids. They gave everything to the job, including their lives… They lived together, ate together, counted off endless hours driving through the sticks, standing in the rain, staked out in cars, and holed up in hotels.” Many of them are former military. Talking to the real-life Secret Service Agents gave me this impression. They are so dedicated. It is like a military brotherhood.

EC: A movie or TV show being made?

MQ: Yes, we just announced that Chernin Entertainment has optioned the book for a feature film. I’m really excited to be working with them. The Night Agent has been renewed for season two with the plan to be out in 2024.

EC: Your next book?

MQ: It’s early, so this could change, but the premise is that an actress who always plays tough characters and is well trained in weapons and martial arts has her friend gone missing. While looking for them, she is drawn into the world of espionage and diplomacy. To save her friend and survive she needs to become as tough as the characters she plays on TV.

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Breakneck by Marc Cameron

Book Description

Off the northeast coast of Russia, the captain and crew of a small crabbing vessel are brutally murdered by members of Bratva, the Russian mafia—their bodies stuffed into crab pots and thrown overboard. The killers scuttle the vessel off the coast of Alaska and slip ashore.

In Washington, DC, Supreme Court Justice Charlotte Morehouse prepares for a trip to Alaska, unaware that a killer is waiting to take his revenge—by livestreaming her death to the world.

In Anchorage, Alaska, Deputy US Marshals Arliss Cutter and Lola Teariki are assigned to security detail at a judicial conference in Fairbanks. Lola is tasked with guarding Justice Townsend’s teenaged daughter while Cutter provides counter-surveillance. It’s a simple, routine assignment—until the mother and daughter decide to explore the Alaskan wilderness on the famous Glacier Discovery train. Hiding onboard are the Chechen terrorists, who launch a surprise attack. While they seize control of the engine, Cutter manages to escape with Justice Townsend by jumping off the moving train—and into the unforgiving wilderness.

With no supplies and no connection to the outside world, Cutter and the judge must cross a treacherous terrain to stay alive. Two of the terrorists are close behind. The others are on the train with the judge’s daughter—and they plan to execute her on camera. With so many lives at stake, Cutter knows there are only two options left: catch the train and kill them all . . . or all will be killed.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Breakneck by Marc Cameron comes alive with a train ride deep into the Alaskan wilderness. US Marshal Arliss Cutter along with the Alaskan setting plus the Russian mob make for a good thriller recipe. There is plenty of action, suspense, and mystery.

The main plot line has Deputy US Marshal Arliss Cutter and his partner, Lola Teariki assigned to a security detail at a judicial conference in Fairbanks. They are appointed to the protective detail of US Supreme Court Justice Charlotte Morehouse and her teenage daughter Ramona. After the conference ends, they decide to take a scenic train ride to explore the Alaskan wilderness on the famous Glacier Discovery Train. Unfortunately, no one suspects the Russian mobster, Maxim Volkov, who wants the Justice dead in retribution for the role she played in the death of his wife. The Russians are brutal, unrepentant, and have no qualms about killing anyone who gets in their way. The train’s confined space makes the Justice an easy target. To save the Justice, Arliss has them both jump overboard. This is where another antagonist, the setting, comes into play.

The other sub-plots involve the growing romance between Lola and Anchorage Policeman Joe Bill Bracket, the pursuit for truth about Arliss’s brother Ethan’s death, and the need for Arliss and his sister-in-law Mim to address their feelings for each other.

This story takes off, putting readers on a wild ride with the characters who are fighting for their survival. The action is authentic, the characters well written, and the plot intense.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: The idea for the story?

Mark Cameron: All these books are boiling around in my mind from my career. I wanted to write about the different jobs of US Marshals including a protection “gig” for my main character Arliss.

EC: How would you describe US Supreme Court Justice Charlotte Morehouse?

MC: For many years my primary focus in the Marshal service was protecting Supreme Court Justices and District Judges. It is something I am familiar with including the setting of Alaska. Justice Morehouse lives in an insulated world and has a position of power. She rises above people waiting on her and doing all the research. She is a good listener and a good person. I did not write her as a damsel in distress, but Arliss did help her survive Alaska. She has a teenage daughter, Ramona who Lola, Cutter’s partner, protects, interacts with, and can show a playful side.

EC: Was Morehouse based on anyone?

MC: None of the characters are based on any one person. But she was inspired by those I met. I was on Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s detail a few times. I met her when she had come to Alaska to fish. I always respected her demeanor, a wise human being. I interacted with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg since I was the Chief when she came to Alaska. I wanted to write about how the US Marshals protected them. We protect everybody equally and stay out of the politics.

EC: You mention in the book another types of law enforcement, VPSO?

MC: It stands for Village Public Safety Officer. They have a motto, “First Responders in the last frontier.” They are funded by the state and the tribes. It is a quasi-law enforcement type. They help the state troopers. They are generally unarmed but do carry teasers, pepper spray, and a baton. Many times, they are in places where there are no troopers stationed and do have power to arrest. They do everything from combating criminals, fires, and do search/rescue. I wrote about this profession with the character George Polty.

EC: How did the setting of Alaska play into the plot?

MC: The Alaska setting is an antagonist because it is so brutal. The Alaskan wilderness is uncaring and scary. The wind, the snow, and the river. Whether a billionaire or pauper the river can drown someone. People must learn to go on the wilderness’s terms. If someone fights it head on, they will lose. There is no fair. If someone is not smart the setting can kill them.

EC: There was also the Alaskan train. Did you do any research?

MC: My wife and I rode it just last year. I flew over it, took some boats, and then four wheelers to make sure I was familiar with the area. It is wild, off the grid. The train goes through once a day during the season, but the rest of the time it is locked in snow and ice. When the snowpack melts there are chunks of ice, scouring the riverbank. The river rises and turns turbulent.

EC: What is the role of Captain Tom Walker, a former Army Ranger sniper?

MC: He represents those people who is a loner, odd duck. He hides out, sick of civilian civilized life. Arliss Cutter is envious of his simple life.

EC: Why the Russian mob angle?

MC: I said in the beginning of the book, Russia is just like Alaska except they have tigers. It is the same setting. The wilderness is the same. Russia is just across the water from some of the Alaskan islands.

EC: Where are you going with the relationship between Mim and Arliss?

MC: She married his brother, Ethan, who died a few years ago. She is a little scared of her own feelings. The next book will show where they will be headed. Some readers will think that there is an attraction between Mim and her brother-in-law, Arliss. Hopefully I laid the groundwork that he is not a stalker, but their feelings have been a long slow burn. But I think most people will think that if they get together it will be organic and natural. He is damaged, having lost his last wife to cancer; she is widowed; and they do have a past when they were sixteen and dated.

EC: Can you explain the meaning of Grandfather Grumpy’s credo, “never go anywhere for the first time”?

MC: It means talk to people who have been there already, don’t go anywhere blind. Read up about it. Get all the information you can. All these sayings I have learned along the way. I started in law enforcement in the eighties. I worked with cowboys, Viet Nam vets, my own grandparents. I used their rules and put them in Grumpy’s words when they fit the narrative.

EC: Next book?

MC: The overall arc about Ethan’s death will continue. It is titled Bad River. There will be a murder investigation in the far Alaskan north, around Utqiagvik. It will be out a year from now.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Burner by Mark Greaney

Book Description

Court Gentry is caught between the Russian mafia and the CIA in this latest electrifying thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling Gray Man series.

When you kick over a rock, you never know what’s going to crawl out.

Alex Velesky is about to discover that the hard way. He’s stolen records from the Swiss bank that employs him, thinking that he’ll uncover a criminal conspiracy. But he soon finds that he’s tapped into the mother lode of corruption. Before he knows it, he’s being hunted by everyone from the Russian mafia to the CIA.

Court Gentry and his erstwhile lover, Zoya Zakharova, find themselves on opposites poles when it comes to Velesky. They both want him but for different reasons.

That’s a problem for tomorrow. Today they need to keep him and themselves alive. Right now, it’s not looking good.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Burner by Mark Greaney torches the thriller competition. Not since Vince Flynn and Nelson DeMille has there been a string of outstanding stories, twelve to be exact. He writes his characters with wit, sarcasm, and allows readers to get into the characters’ heads. This novel focuses on honor, duty, love, forgiveness, and addiction.

The first half of the story sets up the second half and focuses more on Court’s former partner and love interest Zoya Zakharova, code-named “Anthem. The plot goes from geo-political to a cat and mouse chase. Both Court Gentry, the Gray Man, and Zoya, are former rogue CIA operatives who worked in the shadows when plausible deniability was necessary.

Gentry and Zoya are hired independently of each other to retrieve a certain phone. They are after Alex Velesky, who has stolen information, on his burner phone, from the Swiss bank he works for with the goal to uncover a conspiracy where Western traitors are working hand in hand with the Russians. Zoya gets to him first and promises to take him to New York where Alex will expose the traitors. But she is not at her best, feeling adrift, missing her lover Court, and has as her only companion’s vodka and cocaine. Whether Court or Zoya, Greaney has allowed readers to get to know these characters better realizing they have emotional and psychological trauma.

The Court and Zoya plots run parallel until their missions intersect and the two lovers are reunited, facing almost impossible odds. She and Court are on a collision course as they try to combat Russians, powerful politicians, and those administrators in the CIA.

Per usual in each of his books Greaney has the most awesome action scenes. As the story opens readers find Court hired to blow up Russian Oligarchs’ yachts but getting interference as he fights off Russian divers. As good as this scene is it does not compare to the captivating train scene later in the book.

The cast of characters will have readers loving some and hating others. The plot is relentless with an abundance of action. It is also very timely since the events involve the Russian-Ukrainian War.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Mark Greaney: Even before the Russian invasion I wanted to write how Russian foreign intelligence buys influences of people in the West. I already started the book when the invasion of Ukraine began. One of my characters is Alex Veleskey, an American of Ukrainian descent, now working in a Swiss bank. He seeks revenge after the Russians killed his family in the war, the springboard for the plot. I tried to figure out where this war will be, knowing how a small portion of Ukrainians are supporting Russia, which I have in the book as well. An important part of the story is how relationships of convenience are created for the greater good even though many of the characters have been each other’s nemesis for years.

EC: The structure of the book changes about mid-way?

MG: I structured the story where the first part is geo-political, making sure readers understand what is happening, and the last part is a cat and mouse chase. Regarding Zoya and Court, the story has them about 50-50. My earlier book, Mission Critical, was more about Zoya. But, I do agree, the first half of the book feels like it has a lot more Zoya.

EC: Zoya changed in this book?

MG: Yes. She was really in a dark place. I have done this to Court in earlier books. Zoya is depressed and down. She is drinking with a cocaine habit. Because of where she is in her life, she appears fragile with a lot of vulnerabilities, isolated, and withdrawn. The more of these books I write, the more I want to delve into the characters.

EC: You describe the symptoms of someone taking cocaine?

MG: Yes, people have flushed cheeks, eyes bloodshot, twitchy, sweating, fast heart rate, more erratic, and eventually drained with anxiety. I have never done coke, so I did research by talking with two people who did and looked it up as well.

EC: How would you describe the Gray Man, Court Gentry’s resume?

MG: Professional saboteur, a private assassin, and an international fugitive.

EC: Is it true how Russia was buying influential people in the West?

MG: Yes. They have been involved with spying for the Russians or doing counter-terrorism measures on the Russians behalf. I wrote about this true to life issue. Just about two weeks ago, the chief of counterintelligence in the FBI New York Office, Charles McGonigal, was arrested for taking money from a Russian Oligarch, one of Putin’s cronies, Oleg Deripaska. McGonigal was charged with money laundering and violating US Treasury sanctions.

EC: The relationship between Court and Zoya?

MG: I wanted to mess with people’s expectations. They will either have their heart strings pulled, make them scared, or make them happy. Zoya really misses Court. Both did not know how to connect with one another. There is a physical distance between them but also an emotional distance between them including trust issues since Court ran out on her. They are two headstrong characters that are very similar. They both are lonely, missed each other, and saw the other person as the only one who understands them.

EC: How would you describe the new character, Angela Lacy?

MG: Her personality is different from Brewer and Zoya, yet she is strong and confident. In a sense she is Brewer’s foil. Because she is looking to improve her position in the CIA, Court is wary of her while Zoya does not trust her at all. Lacy is more good than bad. Right now, she can be trustful, direct, honorable, and honest. She will be one of Court’s CIA contacts in future books.

EC: You always have the best action scenes.

MG: The beginning of the book where Court is trying to blow up a Russian Oligarch’s yacht was based on my experience with diving. I did some diving in Saint Lucia. Later in the story, the train scene when I originally wrote it was 80 pages long, about 15% of the book. As I was finishing that scene, I was not happy with it. So I went to Europe, traveling on the train from Milan to Geneva, taking pictures and videos, getting the angles figured. I am trying to sell what happens to the characters to the readers.

EC: Can you talk about your feelings regarding the “Gray Man” TV movie on Netflix?

MG: They will be making another one, but they have not started filming yet. It will be based on one of my books. I really liked it but since I read the screenplay before the movie came out, I knew it was not going to be as gritty and edgy as the book. They did make changes with the book plot. I went in with the right attitude since I had no control. I felt it was 60% of the book and 40% different with new stuff. There were places in the movie that I really liked the changes and wished I had written it yet there were places where I thought my little twist was more effective.

EC: What about the actors who portrayed some of the characters?

MG: Ryan Gosling nailed down the character as I wrote him. There are villains in the Gray Man book that were not in the movie so hopefully someone who did not read the book will pick it up to learn more. Ana De Armas, the female lead, was cool, but she rescued Court too much. In the books I do have people pulling the Gray Man out of the fire, but she was a little bit of a ‘too good to be true’ character. I like the women, to be more like Zoya, a little rougher, harder edge, more morally ambiguous, and less of coming in to save the day.

EC: Next book?

MG: I have not started writing it. It will take place in Cuba and Singapore. The plot will have Zach, Hanley, Zoya, and obviously Court. The villain is a private individual. There will be a connection to the CIA but not involved with a mission.

THANK YOU!!

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