Showing results by author "John O'Brien" in All Categories

The Chinese invasion fleets have firmly established a beachhead on Taiwan’s eastern shores and are striving to force their way inland. With Taipei laying only a few miles away, the United States Marine Expeditionary Units on the island stand in the way of China’s advancement. China’s air supremacy seeks to displace the Marines and drive for the capital. As the future of Taiwan hangs in the balance, the war on the Korean peninsula rages on. American and South Korean forces are waging a defensive battle to hold back North Korean’s mechanized brigades.

Teaming up with New York Times best-selling author Jeffery Deaver, Suspense Magazine offers up a nail-biting anthology titled Nothing Good Happens After Midnight. This thrilling collection consists of 13 original short stories representing the genres of suspense/thriller, mystery, sci-fi/fantasy, and more.

The ARES Virus ran rampant throughout the world, leaving very few remaining. There are no sanctuaries in the midst of the infected, where the very air is contaminated. For the few surviving, the slightest misstep can introduce the viral agent into their midst, bringing an end to the last vestige of humankind. However, there's too much at stake to merely hover in the shadows. Remnants of the navy survive the catastrophe, but humankind has never been able to live for long periods upon the world's oceans.

Waneta Hoyt’s first baby died. Then her second. Then her third. Nobody, including her husband, suspected Waneta Hoyt - or stopped her from having more babies. Then her fourth baby died. Then her fifth. And the famed medical expert declared they had died of sudden infant death syndrome and use them to support his theory that SIDS ran in families. One man, however, did not except the diagnosis. District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick set out to expose the truth about a crime hard to imagine. To do so meant convicting a woman who had won the hearts of all.

One threat has been destroyed - another grows stronger. Even though Jack and the teams have won a major confrontation, their lives still hang by a thread. There are decisions to be made, and ones that have never been more critical.

Greg rescues several survivors from the clutches of a fanatical group only to find a mysterious force behind him. With only a small team accompanying him, he flees into the night with the force following. A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues.

The Organization, as it’s called, is tasked with keeping the nightmares of myth and legend from invading the public eye. The group must be kept a secret along with the fact that the creatures exist. As civilization expands its boundaries, that undertaking becomes more difficult. A very few are selected to stand on the lines between humankind and the horrors lurking in the dark recesses of the world. Follow Jack Walker and Red Team as they’re pulled into the shadows to combat creatures that once kept them awake at night.

Sam and his teenage daughter Erin return to the surface to find a very different world from the one they left. Stranded, they must adapt quickly or become one of the creatures that now roam the earth. In the Middle East, a small team of soldiers may be the only ones left in a harsh environment overrun by creatures. With very few options and far from any refuge, they set out on a quest for help. Will the reapers hunt them down before they make it to the coast?

Coming of age, the impact of class, and familial and romantic love are the prevalent motifs, along with the instinct toward escape and subsequent nostalgia for home. Some of the stories are linked, and some carry O'Brien's distinct sense of the comical. In "A Rose in the Heart of New York", the single-mindedness of love dramatically derails the relationship between a girl and her mother while in "Sister Imelda" and "The Creature", the strong ties between teacher and student and mother and son are ultimately broken.

The sanctuary walls were breached and through them poured screaming hordes of night runners. About to be overrun, the survivors formed a last stand against the thousands that threatened to end their existence. Inexplicably, the night runners, who were on the verge of taking one of the last vestiges of humanity, departed, carrying the limp body of Lynn with them.

In the final chapter of the A Shrouded World saga, Jack, Trip, and Mike have brought the fight to the Whistlers’ terrifying homeworld. With the help of some unexpected allies, the crew must finally find a way to stop the enemy before they can tear through the planes of existence and destroy all life. What they don’t know, what they can’t know, is that there is so much more to the enemy than they previously thought, and defeating them may be an impossible task.

The United States had launched a massive missile launch against China’s two invasion fleets sailing for Taiwan. B-2 bombers had flown across the Pacific and submarines had risked giving away their positions to add to the onslaught of anti-ship weapons fired by task force destroyers and B-2s flying out from Guam. China had sustained extensive casualties among its escorting warships and landing ships, but they had endured the crossing of the Taiwan Strait.

Follow Jack, Trip, and Mike in this next installment to find out what the universe will throw at them next.

A cosmic noose tightens around our heroes’ necks as, once again, they are tasked to fight a war not their own. Their every move is watched, their every action thwarted, yet failure here will seal the fate of countless billions to something worse than death. Can Jack, Mike, BT, Trip, and Kalandar find a way to overcome the odds that have been stacked against them, or will it all come crashing down upon their heads?

Dark clouds gather... A storm is breaking... With the sanctuary built, there is a respite from the nightly night runner assaults. Jack Walker and the group of survivors have bought themselves a little breathing room. Or have they? A peaceful daytime outing turns into yet another nightmare sweeping Robert and Bri up with it. The world has changed. Another danger has emerged. Ferocious packs of night runners still prowl at night and Jack must now locate and rescue his kids.

Our heroes have gone their separate ways in an effort to save Trip and unify their fight against the Overseers, who have an evil plot to take over not only this world, but all worlds. Mike asks for and receives help, but not in any way he could have prepared for, as Jack finds himself in the uncomfortable position of filling Otter’s shoes. Can Jack and Mike find a way to destroy the evil that has been unwittingly unleashed or will they succumb like every other civilization the enemy has encountered?

In this explosive fourth installment of the popular A Shrouded World Series, Jack is seemingly back from the dead. Mike and Trip are in a desperate bid to help their friend before he falls victim to whatever is plaguing the inhabitants of Valhalla. New enemies are exposed along with new found friends, but will it be enough to stop the tides of time? Follow along, as our heroes embark on their most dangerous quest yet.

What would happen if a viral agent was released on American soil? How would local agencies react? How would the military respond? What if it was one of their own? Would they own it or attempt to cover it up? If a major operation was jeopardized because of the release, would that alter any of the decisions? A potent viral agent, created to destabilize a region for forces to move in and clean up, is accidentally spilled in a metropolis. Those infected serve only to afflict others through any means.

Danger lurks in the shadows... A place where the brave tread warily... Jack Walker has returned from the rescue of his girlfriend with a small band of survivors. Their harrowing journey from the Middle East included a stop at the CDC where they learned vital information about the ferocious new species that hunt at night. The night runners dominate the landscape and a world turned upside down by the sudden death of billions.

North Korea had planned on waiting until China invaded Taiwan. However, with the American preemptive strikes, as outlined in Operations Plan 5015, provided the impetus for the massed Korean People’s Army to begin moving. Armored columns started out of their laagers, arrows aimed for the DMZ and beyond. The United States and South Korea sought to slow the tide threatening the peninsula.