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Secret Justice  By  cover art

Secret Justice

By: James W. Huston
Narrated by: Christopher Lane
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Publisher's summary

In the dead of night, Lieutenant Kent "Rat" Ratham and his secret Special Forces counterterrorism team parachute into the Sudanese desert, where an arms merchant is delivering weapons to Wahamad Duar, the world's most wanted terrorist. Eventually Duar is captured. But an enemy within Rat's own government sells him out - a cold-blooded act of betrayal that could lead to horrifying destruction for the United States, for Duar's organization is planning a major strike. Before he can save his country, Rat must defend himself against political forces determined to shut him down.

James W. Huston takes the hottest issue of our time, terrorism, and explores it with a compelling, stay-up-late thriller filled with high-stakes courtroom drama, white-knuckle flying, and the shadowy world of American Special Forces operations.

©2003 James W. Huston (P)2003 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Lane's high-energy performance further captures the listener's imagination as he gives each character a distinct voice that reflects the individual's demeanor, from arrogant doctor to sullen terrorist." (Kliatt)
"Action adventure listeners who like a little John Grisham tossed into the mix will lock and load on this one." (Publishers Weekly)
"Reader Christopher Lane energetically gives life to this action-packed plot. A variety of accents comfortably identifies the foreign characters, while changes in pace, diction, and style create unique vocal identities for key U.S. players. The effort is topped off with excellent engineering and production." (AudioFile)

What listeners say about Secret Justice

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

GREAT READ ! RAT IS A SUPERDUDE !

The first chapter of the book grabs you and hauls you along for the roller coaster ride. LT Rat's situation goes from bad to worse. Only he can save the US from a terrorist attack. Good action and tecnically correct. The reader does an excellent job with the voices. Just hearing him; you can visualize the characters and know them.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Unrelenting on your blood pressure

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely... this book has just the right combination of politics and heros to keep your blood pressure topped out.

What other book might you compare Secret Justice to and why?

Marine One and Falcon 7 both also by Huston have the same tenor, tempo and feel... I love it. Comparing to another author, I would say Full Black by Brad Thor or I, Sniper by Stephen Hunter are the same level of

Any additional comments?

This truly is an author and a book that can raise your blood pressure to dangerous levels no matter which side of the political bent you fall. In fact, I truly cannot figure out if the author is a liberal or conservative thinker, which I love. Often, knowing the authors personal political view point turns me off to a book because I then see an agenda in every turn of the plot. Here, Huston does a masterful job arguing both sides of the coin... but to tell you who wins, if there is a winner, would ruin the fun.
The setup is simple: Navy SEAL trying to find the #1 terrorist in the world, tortures one of his minions to get information. Minion dies, but people are saved... is this good or bad? Meanwhile, bad guys plot the death of more Americans and all the while our SEAL hero is on trial, the #1 terrorist is being tried in a special court just for that purpose.
While the plot seems simple, there are many moments to make you at least ponder the correctness of your belief while at the same time, not being able to turn the pages fast enough.
Pile on top of the real world dilemma a big heaping of

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

a great ride!

Great book, that's very creative. Takes you on a twisting and turning thrill. Very well read by the narrator. Can't wait to read or listen to the next Huston book!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding and frightening!

A great listen that explores some very real issues facing our armed forces today. You see both sides of an uncomfortable issue and question where you personally stand. This entwined with a thrilling terrorist plot makes for an engaging story that gets better and better as you listen more. Loved it!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Torture and the Law

Get out the popcorn! This is a real action book from the start to the end. I like Rat’s lawyer he reminds me of Perry Mason. Rat is a real American hero. The plot becomes obvious as you listen to the book. You do not lose interest in it because you want to find how the crises will be solved. Yet the book probes an interesting question about torture. That makes you approve or question Rats actions and motives. So I think the writer James W Huston does a good job of this. I think it is worth its credit.

The narrator does a fairly good job and is the right person for the book. After listening to audiobook’s for some time, I have come to appreciate that narrators are book specific, meaning that narrator must match the book. I think Christopher Lane captures the essence of the book and the characters. Enjoy the silent Popcorn!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book

Truly enjoyed this reading. Kept my attention. Look forward to reading more of his books.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Page turning this book is, courtroom to combat.

From the scenes played out in one of the courtrooms, to the live action scenes taking place both home and abroad, I never put this hook down. The narrator was one of the best ever, one that I'll seek out just to hear again regardless of genre. The story and its characters are lively and robust. Please enjoy.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting Perspective

As usual James Huston pokes holes in the belief that things are black and white, good and bad ... there are always nuances and shades of grey. The story line is interesting but the delivery is choppy interrupting the flow or story telling. The novel is good, it just isn't great nor Huston's best work.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

More Rambo than Rat

I really wanted to like this book; the question of whether torture is justified in certain circumstances is intriguing. However, Rat seems to be more like a "Rambo" cartoon than an relatable character. The writing was good, the action and suspense were engrossing; however I learned more about the thoughts and lives of the terrorists than the good guys. Hint, I don't really care all that much what makes a person want to blow up innocent people.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Mitch Rapp wanna be

The main character is a navy seal named Rat. The author gave it a valiant effort, however it fell short. Once the story got into part two, it kept my interest. I found part one a little dry and found myself rewinding because my mind wandered and my interest wasn't being held by the story. It may be do to the narration. I commend the author for his imagination. I liked the premise, but I am not sure that I will give him another chance.

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