Light It Up

By: Nick Petrie

Narrated by: Stephen Mendel

“Lots of characters get compared to my own Jack Reacher, but Petrie’s Peter Ash is the real deal.”—Lee Child

In this action-packed thriller starring war veteran Peter Ash, a well-planned and flawlessly executed hijacking reveals the hidden dangers of Colorado's mellowest business, but Ash may find there’s more to this crime than meets the eye.

Combat veteran Peter Ash leaves a simple life rebuilding hiking trails in Oregon to help his good friend Henry Nygaard, whose daughter runs a Denver security company that protects cash-rich cannabis entrepreneurs from modern-day highwaymen. Henry’s son-in-law and the company’s operations manager were carrying a large sum of client money when their vehicle vanished without a trace, leaving Henry’s daughter and her company vulnerable.

When Peter is riding shotgun on another cash run, the cargo he’s guarding comes under attack and he narrowly escapes with his life. As the assaults escalate, Peter has to wonder: for criminals this sophisticated, is it really just about the cash?

After finding himself on the defensive for too long, Peter marshals his resources and begins to dig for the truth in a scheme that is bigger—and far more lucrative—than he’d ever anticipated. With so much on the line, his enemy will not give up quietly...and now he has Peter directly in his sights.

Critic reviews

Praise for Light It Up

“Gun battles, harrowing high-speed escapes and lethal hand-to-hand fights...Petrie colors in more of the portrait of his troubled hero, including his darkest moment in the Middle East. Ash's posse is coalescing, too, including June, the savvy reporter he fell for in Burning Bright, and Lewis, the smooth but equally lethal compadre whose friendship with Ash has a Spenser-Hawk vibe....Light It Up extends a quality action series with plenty of room ahead both for new adventures and character development.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Like Robert Parker’s Spenser, Ash is a self-contained, unstoppable force with very useful friends. Vividly troubled yet likable, he intrigues the reader even while managing to save a little part of his world—again. The action in this third outing is nonstop; the drug scene is timely; the characters, including the villains, are deftly drawn, and the tension keeps rising.”—Library Journal

“Propulsive...Petrie is a master of orchestrating convincing mayhem.”—Publishers Weekly

More Praise for the Peter Ash novels

“Peter Ash is one of the most complex characters I've come across in a long time....There is grit in this tale that will stay with you for a long time. Perhaps forever.”—New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci

“With The Drifter, Nick Petrie has written just about the perfect thriller.”—New York Times bestselling author John Lescroart

“[The] lean prose, gritty descriptions, and raw psychological depth give the novel a feel that reminded me of early Dennis Lehane.”—Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

“A gripping, beautifully written novel.”—Huffington Post

“A hell of a series.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A suspenseful high-tech ride, complete with a steadily mounting body count and a compelling protagonist.”—Booklist (starred review)

“A top-notch series of thrillers marked by a considerable sympathy for veterans...Aficionados of Lee Child's Jack Reacher will enjoy getting to know this new action hero.”—Library Journal

Perhaps the personalities are too developed?

I recall how tremendous 5 reviews have been when I make them, and I'm only giving this 4's for everything. This doesn't mean that I won't read another. Nick Petrie is a favorite of mine. I actually heard this twice, perhaps because I was mostly asleep last time, and perhaps I ran into a true 5 book and dropped this without thinking back on it at all. I liked all the personality development, and mostly understood the events, but it was just not quite as good as I needed it to be. Still, the weaknesses are all in the personality development area -- for once there is actually, possibly, too much of that! This is not what I would normally think, as I always want to understand all the characters. So if you have loads of patience and a need for personality to be explained and understood, I recommend this. I never summarize books. That's for the more articulate ones to do.

not up to the 1st two, but a good listen

Not up to the 1st two in the series, but a good listen.too easy conveniences in the plot structure were disheartening. Some fun female characters, including a barracuda attorney. Still a Jack Reacher sort of thriller, but with a truck and luggage and tools.

more of the same quality Peter Ash!

I thoughtbthst the book overall was another good story about the saga of Peter Ash and his struggles after war. I think the ending was too drawn out however. it took two hours to get to what everyone knew was going to happen. Hopefully the next novel shortens up the climax ending a bit. Still a good story. I like how Nick has bounced around the country. Can't wait to read about the next town!

Mile High Action

Love this series, and this one’s as good as either of the previous two... Intriguing spin on MJ industry and potential flaws none of us have likely thought of... Being a Denver metro resident found it particularly engaging... Great pace w/ some wonderful insight into the evolution of recovery... Especially taken by the emotional imagery... Main characters are wonderfully sympathetic, although the secondary characters are a bit thin, but the headliners are where the story is at... My only serious quibble is some geographic inconsistencies, but I’m a resident and most others won’t even notice... Expected a smidge more from the ending, but see the progression to the next adventure, and am looking forward to more from Peter, June, and even more so Louis... The teases about the latter excite me for what we’re gonna find out about him next... Personally he’s my fave... Great read/listen...

I don’t do headlines so you can take it like it is or forget it!

Great !! Petrie knows how to get it done. I read or listen to all his work