The Big Burn

Terry Watkins delivers. Vivid descriptions take you into the heat of the action and you'll feel as though you're right there in the thick of things. Terry creates characters you care about; he's a true storyteller, a star on the rise.

Smokejumper Anna Quick has braved some of the worst fires with aplomb and courage. However, nothing prepares her for the shock that her dad Jason, whom she thought died eight years ago in Asia, is apparently alive in Kuala Lumpur. Though the State Department insists they are working on his release, Anna cannot sit idly by as her dad is a prisoner of terrorists on a remote island. Anna accompanies Delta Force operator John Brock as they head to Malaysia to mount a rescue. However, she soon learns that more then just terrorists hold her father prisoner; the island he has called "home" for the past eight years is turning into an out of control inferno. Finally feeling useful, Anna plans to do what she does best smoke jump to save her dad. THE BIG BURN grabs reader attention from the opening scene in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and never misses a beat until the final spin. Anna is a terrific courageous character who needs to be part of the rescue of her dad; the fire allows her to do so. John has doubts about her tagging along on the search and rescue mission, but soon changes his mind when he realizes how helpful Anna is. This action thriller starring likable heroes is a one sitting fun read. Harriet Klausner

Terry Watkins has produced a high-energy novel that is jam packed with action! Despite being a Silhouette book, this is not a romance novel but rather it is an adventure. And what an adventure! Anna Quick is a smoke jumper whose father has been presumed dead for eight years, or so she thinks. Instead, her father, Jason Quick, has been a deep cover CIA agent infiltrating the sister organization of Al-Quaeda. Jason has obtained a laptop that others are willing to kill for and he will only turn the laptop and its contents over to Anna or Special Ops agent John Brock. Brock trains Anna to prepare her for their rescue attempt to the island jungle where Jason is hiding from terrorists, guerrillas, pirates, a raging fire, and various other unsavory elements. Unfortunately, Brock is yanked from the mission at the last minute and Tom Roca replaces him. Anna doesn't trust Roca and he quickly demonstrates to her that he doesn't have the field skills of Brock when he nearly drowns both of them. Meanwhile, high level government officials are closely tracking the rescue mission as Jason has incriminating information on these officials. Anna and Roca locate Jason with the assistance of Azalina, Anna's half-sister. The expected betrayal finally occurs and Anna and Azalina are left to rescue Jason without assistance from Roca. This novel was action-filled from start to finish. Watkins maintained a high level of action without any letdowns and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this adventure!

Terry Watkins has written a top-rate, non-stop action thriller -from the first page to the last. It is in the James Bond genre with the male female / roles reversed. The story certainly could make a great film, a box office smash, resonating in today's headlines. The crystal clear images describing the action, the places, and the interchanges among the characters would adapt easily to the screen; the narrator's references to historic action films, such as those of Kurosawa, points the way. The story is a fictional account of the struggle of good and evil in a context of vital American values. The protagonist, a woman smoke jumper from Colorado, is hijacked by US Military Intelligence / CIA operatives to help retrieve her father, a CIA agent who had been working undercover in Kula Lumpur. He is wounded and trapped on a burning, jungle infested island in the perilous Straights of Malacca, a year after the 2004 tsunami. Why her father demanded that his daughter be included on the rescue team is one of the mysteries tied to his possession of a computer that holds a key to a major jihadist threat to Washington, D.C. Fantasy action merges with known international threats of freighting proportions.

I couldn't put it down. Fire fighting, Special forces fighting and CIA tangles with just the right amount of romance. Can't wait for his next book, hope he keeps them coming.