Dead Lines: An EMP Prepper Thriller

911, Volume 1

By: Grace Hamilton, Jack Colrain

Narrated by: Andrew Tell

Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

911 operator Jim Parker wants - more than anything - to be useful again. When a catastrophic EMP strikes, and he’s the last person a kidnapped girl speaks to before the lines go dead, he knows he can’t let her down. Especially when the circumstances are so similar to his own daughter’s disappearance. With the world falling apart around him, he wants to do nothing more than retreat to his prepper cabin. But with a fresh lead on his daughter, and another innocent girl’s life on the line, the disgraced cop will do everything in his power to track them down.

Finn Meyers has lost Ava, her best, and only, friend in the world, but she knows where the missing young woman might be - and perhaps Parker’s long-lost daughter. Now, Parker must form an uneasy alliance and tackle his own internal demons as the two begin a perilous journey that will take them to the headquarters of a mysterious cult in Indiana. But what they find along the way will shatter all their preconceptions - and threaten the world as they know it. Can a has-been and a has-not save the innocent, and stop a disaster from happening?

©2018 Relay Publishing (P)2018 Relay Publishing

okay

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

amAfter listening to this audiobook I believe I much prefer when Grace Hamilton writes by herself instead of with a partner. Even though this is a book based after an EMP I felt that fact was pretty lost in this story. It was more of a mystery thriller. While I enjoyed the characters I do wish the story has been more about survival in the EMP.

Okay, But Not For Me

Ex-cop, Jim Parker, is now a 911 operator. He gets a call from a girl to say she's been kidnapped and is just about to say where when the phone goes dead. Something has happened and Jim soon realizes that an EMP has hit. Communication is down! The only thing he knows about the girl is her name. He realizes that he is the only one who can help her and so he sets out to do just that.

I went into this with high hopes, but unfortunately, it fell flat. My main problem with this was overly descriptive writing. I love when a scene is well described and easy to visualize, but you can also be too descriptive. I felt like it was too wordy at times and my mind wandered frequently.

I also found it a little hard to believe that Parker would be so focused on saving this girl, with such determination. I know he is the last person to hear from her, and I know he has issues, but that is all he thinks about. If something like that happened, would it not take some time before it sinks in? Would he not at least try to contact the police, or get some help? I feel like he jumped straight into the rescue without thought or reason.

I just couldn't connect to the plot and didn't really connect with the characters, other than Finn, now she was a great character and is the only reason I finished the book. Parker and Ava weren't as well developed nor as likable as I hoped. Parker is an ex-cop and a prepper who preps for every scenario. He is supposedly prepared for everything, yet he doesn't have a bunker. He stores his food in his house, in whatever space he can find. I know not every prepper has a bunker, but I felt like making him a prepper was a bit much. It didn't ring true to all the other post apoc books about preppers I've read. I think I would have liked him better if he was just an ex-cop trying to survive in a world gone crazy.

In all, this was ok. I don't think I'll continue on with the series though, it's just not for me.

Andrew Tell read this really well. He was clear and easy to follow and he had plenty of tones and voices for the characters.

Dead Lines

Original thriller with a very good storyline. One reviewer thinks the writers are communist subversives. I don't see that, it's part of what makes a good story and this one is good.

The narrater does a wonderful job narrating.

I recieved this audible free at my request and am more than happy to leave my review

Another engaging story

This is the third book I’ve read/listened to by this author.
I’ve previously listened to Dark Redemption and Dark Revival and look forward to finishing that series. Problem is, now I want to read this series too!
I won’t give a synopsis, audible did that well enough. The book does not have a lot of prepper stuff, it focuses more on Jim and the other girl he crosses paths with. There is drama, mystery, some intrigue and a bit of “one guy against them all”.

This is the third book I’ve listened to by this narrator and I would gladly listen to another. He does great with all the character voices and context. His reading is clear enough I could easily increase the playback speed. I felt it necessary to increase it a bit more than I usually do, since the narration was too slow for me.

There are no explicit sex scenes, or excessive violence. There is swearing.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.

The premise is a stretch, but not bad.

Here we have a novel of survival and persistence. Survival after an EMP strikes the U.S., persistence of a 911 operator who receives a call for help from a girl right before the EMP. The determination of Jim Parker, the 911 operator, is a bit implausible to my thinking as who would doggedly continue on such a course with everything else going on at the time. Finn was quite the character and brought much fun and excitement to the story. Ava was a bit more conservative. This is a pretty good survival/suspense thriller if a bit wordy. I enjoyed the story as a whole and may look into the next volume. This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

Great start to a new series

I really enjoy post apoc fiction and was happy to see a new series starting. I enjoyed everything about the audiobook except for one thing... too heavy on the cursing. I’m not a prude and listen to a lot of books with cursing and let quite a bit slip myself, but I found myself cringing with the amount of GD being said... probably just me, but that’s the only thing I didn’t enjoy while listening... everything else was great!!

Another good post-apocalyptic thriller!

I'm a sucker for these types of books. I really enjoyed listening to this one. Jim, the 911 operator, sets off on an adventure that lands him into some deep water on numerous occasions as he tries to redeem himself and save a strange girl. He feels guilty because he wasn't able to protect his own daughter. That sets up this book for a very strong-willed and stubborn man who's actions are rather brash and sometimes inexplicable.

I didn't think twice about the narration, which in my head means it was really good. The only time I think about the narration is when something is off about it.

Overall, another great book about what could possibly happen at some point in the future.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A great example of this genre

A great read with more depth than at first expected. Parker is a damaged hero but is determined to come good. Fast paced with lot's of action.
Narration is excellent and Andrew Tell has a voice that is easy to listen to.
I received a free copy of this audiobook at my request, and voluntarily leave this unbiased review.

A great example of this genre,

A great new series by Grace Hamilton

This is a great start to a new series by Grace Hamilton. If you like her other series that just concluded this is different but still have some similarities in the ability of the author to make intriguing and interesting characterization.

The basis of the story is about individuals forming; into a group of people as they are forced to interact with each other in trying circumstances to get along and a level of cooperation in a world that is obsessed with the basic needs such as food shelter and security

Grace has a unique ability to make the female characters not just tagalong's. They are well developed people with needs opinions and abilities that make them complementary to the male characters. not barbie dolls

If you like dystopian or apocalyptic fiction this series is a good one as well as her prior series which is one of my favorites

New Series-New Approach to the Apocalypse

Story

Dead Lines: EMP Prepper Thriller (911) by Grace Hamilton and Jack Colrain is the first in a new series from this collaborative effort of the authors. The narrator is provided by Andrew Tell. The story straddles the line between thriller and EMP post-apocalyptic fiction. Fan’s of the EMP genre may be disappointed or bored by the mystery thriller aspect of the world building that goes into this first novel as this strays from the standard EMP formula that harm become well recognized.

The main character is a 911 operator that is on the line with a young woman who is kidnapped and in serious trouble when the event happens. Jim Parker is a former LEO and a broken man with a tragic past. He is also a prepper, his goals should be his own safety but he wants redemption and to save the girl. Jim meets the victim’s roommate and they continue to hunt for her as the city crumbles.

Attention Holding

The story holds the listener's attention but this collaborative effort is going to be noticeable for fans of Ms. Hamilton’s previous series. There is more mention of identity politics and progressive ideology in the story and as part of the storyline. For some fans for the EMP genre, this may be off-putting and not what they want to hear in an EMP based fiction. There is plenty of action, mystery, and standard post-apocalyptic material.

Narration and Production Value

The narration for this audiobook is provided by Andrew Tell. Mr. Tell narrated Ms. Hamilton’s previous series and does an equally amazing job on this audiobook. He does a fantastic job of express the emotions of Jim as he is stressed and needing to medicate for his PTSD but does not so he can carry on clear-headed. The tone of his voice, the delivery of the lines, makes a stunningly realistic portrayal of a man in deep psychological pain. The audiobook is produced by Relay Publishing the book has a clean, crisp sound, no flaws, or defects throughout the entire audiobook.