Before the Storm

Silence Jones Action Thrillers Series, Book 4

By: Erik Carter

Narrated by: Gary Bennett

Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

NOWHERE TO RUN.

NOWHERE TO HIDE.

Vigilante assassin Silence Jones lives in the dark recesses of the world, but when he’s confronted with a world-famous nemesis, he’s forced to pull himself out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

Seven people die at an eccentric media mogul’s lavish party, and Silence suspects the man has used his celebrity connections to get away with murder. The more Silence investigates, the more deadly secrets he unearths.

As Silence grapples with powerful forces concealing the truth, he finds himself locked in a deadly battle of wits with a brilliant adversary who has deceived his way to the very heights of stardom—and whose ultimate goal is much more sinister than it initially seemed.

The next stand-alone action thriller in the pulse-pounding new series. Enter the world of Silence Jones. Hold on tight....

If you like action heroes with the steely resolve of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, the calculating will of Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X, and the raw power of Mark Greaney’s Gray Man, then you’ll love Silence Jones.

Unlock Before the Storm and start your Silence Jones mission today!

©2022 Erik Carter (P)2023 Erik Carter

Great storyline

This is another great book in the Silence Jones series, I really enjoyed the storyline of this one. As with the other books there is a lot of action. The narrator does a great job with each of the characters.

Excellent Adventure, Thriller with lots of action

Silence Jones, aka The Suppressor, finds himself facing not only a masterful and experienced murderer with celebrity status but finds his vulnerability exposed. Rooted deep in his mission and his grief for his deceased wife, Silence moves forward in all aspects of his life protecting those he can and ridding the world of those that must go.

The author, Erik Carter once again delivers a deep and exciting book. With each book, we are given small insights into Silence’s life and reason for being. It is refreshing to know that this larger-than-life character is actually human with emotions and fears. Each character is well-developed and fits into the story well. The plot twists and story development are rich and well done.

The narrator, Gary Bennett delivers once again a strong performance. Bennett’s performance style is rich with emotion and strength. Bennett assumes the essence of each character and projects it clearly. I cannot imagine another narrator giving Silence Jones the life that Bennett gives him with each passing book. I enjoy narrators who can do this as it is a unique talent.
Overall, this book is already excellent, but the narrator pushes it well beyond the typical five-star rating. If you enjoy thrillers, don’t miss this series. Although they can be heard as individual stand-alone books, to capture and understand Silence Jones in full, start at the beginning.

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.

This Series Is So Good!

Going into Before the Storm, the fourth book in the Silence Jones series. I have a pretty good knowledge and understanding of who Silence is and how he will act. But without completely throwing the formula on its head, Carter could subtly change some things to keep me on my toes, without overall changing Silence or the things that make him tick.

I think the scenes where he’s internally talking about how the establishment he works for is messing with him really re-humanized him to me again. He’s sort of the nameless assassin in the Hitman games, where it doesn’t matter who he is at times. But, Carter did a good job making sure that I remembered his backstory and his causes for doing and acting the way he does.

The story itself was great. I think Carter is really hitting his stride now. The Silence scenes are short and to the point, much like the character. And the interactions with the different people, especially the one(s) he’s out to protect, are priceless and well thought out.

Overall, I thought Before the Storm was the best entry in this series. Now that I know Silence, the reminders of his humanity and the character flaws he still has really made me love this story even more. Tied in with the “whodunit” aspect of the story made me really enjoy this one.

Action-packed, Before the Storm was Carter’s best

Silence Jones’ name is whispered with fear in the criminal world. He is a ruthless assassin backed by a secret government group. We get to see all sides of Jones, from his painful injuries to the way he mourns the loss of his true love.

Sabrina Day, Elowen’s sister, is convinced that Elowen was murdered at the party of a celebrity and that it was orchestrated by said celebrity. The tragic accident left seven dead. Her research at a Kansas City library has caught the attention of two groups. The Watchers are one of them, and they send Silence Jones, who introduces himself as Jake. He and Sabrina attend another of Chase Andrade’s extravagant events. Things are about to get deadly.

The tale that unfolds will have your heart racing as we are given several perspectives, including those of Chase Andrade. While each of these thrillers can be read in any order, after book one, The Suppressor, it was exciting to see Silence in action, meet his therapist and see him make mistakes. Before the Storm grabbed me from the onset and held me to the last.

Twists, turns, vulnerability and more await you in this latest case. Sabrina ends up being an asset, and I actually liked her a lot.

While the stories can be found in Kindle Unlimited, I highly recommend you listen to the audiobooks narrated by Gary Bennett. He has become the voice of Silence Jones, drawing out the tension, reminding us of his difficulty in speaking and showcasing his inner turmoil.

Much Better!

This edition in the series has been much better. The character and narrator are still top shelf. The author has created a much better story line. There’s still room for improvement, but I think the trajectory is in the right direction. I look forward to book #5.

I can’t say enough good things about this series!

Oooo this is a good one! It has a intricate plot and a slew of charming characters. This one involves the Hollywood Elite and a face from Silence’s past. There is a lot of action and movement of the different levels of characters. This drew me in and held my interest from the beginning to the end. This is the fourth book in the series and could be listened to as a stand alone. Gary Bennett does an amazing job at portraying these characters especially Silence.

Each book continues getting better and better

“Before the Storm” is the fourth book in the Silence Jones Action Thrillers series of audiobooks available on Audible, and I can say that each audiobook in this series keeps getting better and better. If you are looking for a series that is filled with action and thrills, this is the one you will want to give a listen to. I can say that I have enjoyed seeing how our protagonist handles the many different and unique situations he is placed in, yet his in not invincible. I enjoy the fact that every release in the series can be treated as a stand-alone listen but having previous knowledge of the events of this man’s life truly brings depth to the story. I would recommend you start with the first audiobook and work your way through them in order, it is well worth your time and credits. Erik Carter continues to surprise me with new and exciting events that keep the story line’s twists and turns coming and aways new. And by the fourth book, I could not imagine anyone else doing the audiobook’s narration than Gary Bennett. If you like your action and thrills a bit gritty and raw, this is a series for you.

As with the previous audiobooks, this one opens with a bang and the listener is dropped right into a catastrophic event. From the very beginning the story starts to unwrap and we know that Silence Jones, and the mysterious Watchers, will be getting involved to right a wrong. This covert organization can deal out justice where the traditional justice system has its hands tied. As with many in the series, the story proceeds with Silence knocking on a person’s door and handing them his business card. It is also a time we are given a listen into his past throat injury. So many characters are enthralled when he first speaks and mesmerized by his deep and raspy sound. Here the listener is given a glance into the character’s past actions and activities with some welcomed flashbacks. I find these breadcrumbs of details enlightening and a means of people jumping into the series to get a glimpse of who Silence really is.

As much as Silence Jones is perceived as a hardline killer, the author continues to reveal just how much this man depends on his feelings and emotions. He continues to miss his long-lost love and his interactions with his blind neighbor friend. I enjoy a character that has a strong personality but also an emotional side that makes him somewhat vulnerable. For me, Silence is that James Bond like character along with the backing of the Watchers and their wonderful technology and what appears to be unlimited funds. Another aspect that stood out for me in this series was its placement in the 90s and how the author wove in what we would consider to be vintage items such as VCRs into the story. Thrown in the fear mongering of violent video games during this time, and you can begin to see where this story might be going. From a writing perspective, I like that Silence continues to grow and mature over each audiobook, but his demeanor remains consistent. His actions, no matter how harsh, are what one would expect him to do once you get to know him. This in no way makes him predictable, yet when acting on an event, his actions match his nature.

The audiobook’s narration was performed wonderfully. Gary Bennett is one of my all-time favorites when it comes to audiobook series and narration. His character voicing and pacing is exceptional. His audio quality is professional and consistent throughout the series. His ability to voice many different people and add the right amount of inflection to the story keeps the listener always engaged. He has a good understanding of the material he is narrating, and it shows in all his audiobooks I have had the pleasure listening to.

For parents and younger readers, I would advise that only more mature listeners give this series a try. There is quite a bit of graphic violence, some sexual content and profanity. It is well written, but if the above items offend you in any way, I advise you listen to a different series from this one.

In summary, even though this is the fourth audiobook in the series, it continues to be fresh and exciting. The author always surprises me with new predicaments and thrills along the way. The audiobook’s narration is top-notch and aligns well with the story and characters. If you are looking for action and excitement, I can say that is series will fill that desire. Looking forward to the next audiobook in the series to be released!

Disclaimer: This audiobook was provided at no cost by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for my posting a non-bias review.