Power Down

Dewey Andreas, Book 1

By: Ben Coes

Narrated by: Peter Hermann

Length: 16 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Introducing a major new thriller writer—in the vein of Vince Flynn and Brad Thor—and an electrifying character, Dewey Andreas.

A major North American hydroelectric dam is blown up and the largest off-shore oil field in this hemisphere is destroyed in a brutal, coordinated terrorist attack. But there was one factor that the terrorists didn't take into account when they struck the Capitana platform off the coast of Colombia—slaughtering much of the crew and blowing up the platform—and that was the Capitana crew chief Dewey Andreas. Dewey, former Army Ranger and Delta, survives the attack, rescuing as many of his men as possible. But the battle has just begun.

While the intelligence and law enforcement agencies scramble to untangle these events and find the people responsible, the mysterious figure of Alexander Fortuna—an agent embedded into the highest levels of American society and business—sets into play the second stage of these long-planned attacks. The only fly in the ointment is Dewey Andreas—who is using all his long-dormant skills to fight his way off the platform, then out of Colombia and back to the U.S., following the trail of terrorists and operatives sent to stop him. Power Down is a gripping, compelling debut thriller from Ben Coes, a powerful new author, an amazing talent certain to join the ranks of the genre's finest writers.

©2010 Ben Coes (P)2010 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Power Down is terrific! With a gripping story, compelling characters, a relentless pace and nerve-wracking suspense, Power Down is one of the must-read thrillers of the year. Don't miss this debut of novelist Ben Coes and the introduction of Dewey Andreas--you'll devour this one and wait anxiously for their return.” —Vince Flynn, New York Times bestselling author of Pursuit of Honor

“A ripping thriller from an exciting new novelist. Power Down kept me glued, turning the pages. Lots of action, a terrific hero, and a slimy villain--thrillers don't get any better.” —Stephen Coonts, New York Times bestselling author of The Disciple

slow start but amazing, disturbing, awesome story

I was ready to stop because the beginning was lousy - lots of description that was very boring as read by the narrator. I kept losing the thread of the story. Maybe a better narrator would have made it more interesting.

I'm so glad I kept listening. The story is non stop heart pounding after you get past the beginning. It's disturbing & it takes unexpected turns & you keep wanting things to turn out differently. On a deeper level it's frightening to think that we might be vulnerable in some or all of these areas in real life.

It seems like the author set up for a follow up book at the end of the epilogue. Hopefully there will be a better narrator next time, but I definitely recommend this book. Be aware - there are graphic descriptions of wounds & torture.

Ben Coes Dewey Andreas from Book 1 to Book 6 A+++

Doesn't get much better from story to narration by Peter Herman.

Recommend all 6 Books as well worth the price and time to listen too

Great read with phenomenal narration!

Mitch Rapp and Court Gentry are hard to measure up to, but Dewey Andreas came pretty darn close. With an authentic storyline and truly exceptional writing, Ben Coes has put himself on par with some of my favorite authors in this genre (i.e. Vince Flynn, Mark Greaney, Tom Clancy, etc.) I will be honest and say things started off a bit slow for me, but I'm SO glad I stuck with it because Power Down turned out to be one of the most exciting and well-developed novels I've read in a long time. The level of detail in this book is impressive, making every scene vivid and believable. I was also impressed with the depth behind each character. The narration by Peter Hermann was phenomenal and he totally nails all these different characters. It will be hard to listen to another narrator after this. Totally worth one credit, especially if political thrillers are your thing. I had high expectations and Ben Coes did not disappoint.

A new favorite!

Mitch, Scot and now Dewey! I am hooked! For once I hoped my commute would be a little longer so I could keep listening.

best book I've listened to in a long time

this book is an intense, gripping, thriller. Dewey is a character that you know will be the hero of heroes. amazing read.

Science Fiction Fantasy at best

Where does Power Down rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The author tells a very good story. It just entails numerous "suspension of belief" components. The superhero that can dig a bullet out of himself and then stitch himself up, using one hand; Protagonist that have laid low for decades before coming to action, waiting for the right time. While the story was very interesting the implausible setups were so numerous, it made it hard to read. His heroes were so much bigger than life, it was challenging to relate to.

I also felt like there was a very clear political agenda going on that I have difficulty with. The premise that whatever we, as Americans do, is our right to do so. The underdog's complaints and concerns were totally dismissed...which made for a rather simplistic framework.

I wish the author could have included some recognition of the need for energy independence by conservation, but he makes excellent points on how we support groups with our dollars by buying oil outside the USA.

Overall, a good action story. Just think the moral imperative is pretty self-centered.

Great story line on a over used subject

What did you love best about Power Down?

The story went deeper then most. There were side stories and knowable characters that were easy to like

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

yes

Which character – as performed by Peter Hermann – was your favorite?

Dewey, ofcourse

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

What a thriller!

This is the first Ben Coe book I have read and he has me hooked. I can't wait to read more.

Great beginnings

As an avid reader I always grab first in series books with trepidation. I can happily say I truly enjoyed this one. The main character, Dewey, is a very flawed ex spec ops who now runs the biggest oil rig for a large US company. Suddenly his rig and a dam on the other side of the world are destroyed. This is when the story gets good. The characters in the book as well thought out and add to the story. The storyline is quite believable, scarily so. Some parts of the book dreamed a little but not enough to make me stop listening. The actor who read the book did ok. Sometimes I felt he gave characters accents just because. A FBI agent with a strong Irish accent was off putting to me. Even so, I would recommend this book. I already have book two ready to go.

What an Awesome book

This is one of those books that once you start it you can't put it down. This is the first book that we have listened to by Ben Coes. It has a riveting story line that keeps you interested and on the edge of your seat. The Narrator did a good job too. I would recommend this book to any one that enjoys a thriller.