Tear It Down

A Peter Ash Novel, Book 4

By: Nick Petrie

Narrated by: Stephen Mendel

Length: 11 hrs

Publisher's Summary

In the new edge-of-your-seat adventure from national best-selling author Nick Petrie, Peter Ash pursues one case - and stumbles into another - in the City of the Blues.

Iraq war veteran Peter Ash is restless in the home he shares with June Cassidy in Washington State. June knows Peter needs to be on the move, so she sends him to Memphis to help her friend Wanda Wyatt, a photographer and war correspondent who's been receiving peculiar threats. When Peter arrives in Memphis, however, he finds the situation has gone downhill fast - someone has just driven a dump truck into Wanda's living room. But neither Wanda nor Peter can figure out why.

At the same time, a young, homeless street musician finds himself roped into a plan to rob a jewelry store. The heist doesn't go as planned, and the young man finds himself holding a sack full of Rolexes and running for his life. When his getaway car breaks down, he steals a new one at gunpoint - Peter's 1968 green Chevrolet pickup truck.  

Peter likes the skinny kid's smarts and attitude, but he soon discovers the desperate musician is in far worse trouble than he knows. And Wanda's troubles are only beginning. 

Peter finds himself stuck between Memphis gangsters - looking for Rolexes and revenge - and a Mississippi ex-con and his hog-butcher brother looking for a valuable piece of family history that goes all the way back to the Civil War.

©2019 Nick Petrie (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

“Petrie is hell on wheels at mounting lethal action face-offs. A close cousin to Lee Childs’s more analytical Jack Reacher, Peter Ash is one of today’s more exciting action heroes.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Petrie's prose, vivid and almost tactile, is at its loving best in these jazz interludes, writing of a sound 'spontaneous, like water welling up from a spring'.... This thriller is all about the thrills, and there are plenty of them.” (Booklist)

“Nick Petrie is pitching a perfect game.... [The] story is always moving full steam ahead.... Peter Ash is fast becoming one of the best characters in the thriller genre, and Tear It Down is another must-read, can’t-miss thriller.” (The Real Book Spy)

“A great series, with colorful storytelling and characters who pop right off the page.” (Raleigh News and Observer)

going downhill fast

The one about the pot growers was pretty good, so I bought this newest entry in the series. It's an interesting sign when the author feels the need to write a disclaimer at the end of the book: he knows it's a mess, and tries to justify it with 'it's fiction, folks.'
The annoying girlfriend quickly became a harridan, so why does Our Hero seem to enjoy it so much? The backstory starts out strongly enough, but the coincidences start right up, gf sends Hero away, he lands in the middle of two different plots, the plots get unified when the crook steals Hero's truck. Second plot much sillier than first, but offers lots of mayhem. Hero brings in old friend to provide the arsenal, then things get really silly. as in ridiculous. Maybe just plain dumb.
Maybe Petrie had to rush out a book to fulfill a contract, and stole something his teenage daughter was working on, added lots of guns, and ran with it. He has the decency to apologize at the end . . . but if no one calls him on it he'll think this is good enough and the rubes will keep paying money for this pap.

Disappointed, Lost All Sense of Reality

I understand that fiction isn't reality and that authors take license in having heroes accomplishing the impossible but there are some basic tenants that make regular fiction 'just' fiction and not fantasy or comic book heroes. Mr. Petrie crossed the line in this novel from 'regular' fiction into comic book heroes and I think he knows he did or why else would he have to write some fiction disclaimer after the story? I will try not to give any of the plot away in the event someone downloads this book. Let me say that I can often overlook one outrageous foray into fantasy or comic book realm but this book is filled with them. The time frame for this work is contemporary or around 2018. If we have learned anything since 9-11 it is that terrorists type activities garner a quick and relentless law enforcement response. And all over the news these days starting with the Boston bombing the realization of all the cell phone videos and CCTV cameras there are all around us will be used to identify anyone involved. So how can you have a gun fight, car chase, IED event over multiple states and around a metropolitan city happen with no police response? No helicopters, no police cars in the chase, none joining the chase via on-ramps - there is no police presence. And then only 2 cops know who was involved (not because of their sleuthing and technology) and they walk away - yea like the FBI wouldn't be all over this and Homeland Security? So there are 2 major examples where the reader is asked to suspend reality. A third is the detective who can't go investigate but shares info and encourages our hero to go? Never happen; a third ask of the reader to suspend reality. And there are more. Then there is the strange 2 plots that don't tie together ... This story is a mess. It makes little to now sense. And to top it all off the hero of our story Peter, has to do the stereo typical mano a mano event near the end. This book was a Dukes of Hazard with Bruce Willis cross. Not the thoughtful artful well crafted story line of "The Drifter" that started this series. I do not recommend this book. I do recommend "The Drifter" and "Burning Bright".

A Big Disappointment

This series started off well. The idea of a retired marine with extreme war related stress issues trying to cope with civilian life after a long time overseas intrigued me. Somehow in this book he has turned into a maniacal blood thirsty, foul mouthed, wanna be super hero glorifying the gangsters in the hood and at the same time wreaking havoc and death on the highway bringing “justice” to a couple of radical racists that are just too much for the local police to handle.
That did it for me, not wasting any more time or money with this author

Another great story in the Peter Ash saga

The Ash family is growing. Peter, Lewis, and now June. Solid characters, and strong plotting makes this a very satisfying listen with an excellent performance from Stephen Mendel. I’m hoping for a follow up sooner rather than later. *****

no damn good

with all the people trying to divide our nation based on race we didn't enjoy this violent and questionable fiction. the USA has worked so hard over the last 30 40 years to come together. every time a political person loses he calls out race in the last two years. this book made me sick and I don't feel it represents Memphis or the South.

Ugh, done with this series

First two books were okay, cut the author some slack b/c it was a new series. Third book was a series of eye rolls with scenes that were unrealistic and stupid (gurney ride down the mountain, kidnapping at the airport, etc.). Gave book 4 another chance but again the story has too many examples where reality gets suspended. The girl with supernatural ESP powers makes no sense and the car chase at the end was something you expect to see in Fast and the Furious.

I get it that these are works of fiction but it doesn't mean the events have to be stupid.

greatly enjoyed, super new talent

petrie lit up my dashboard a couple novels back. this new author reveals the talent and art of a new Barry Eisler with finely nuanced character development, strong writing skills and heart!! I recommend following petrie's emergence from the unknown into the bright light and encourage him to keep his head down and hard at work. satisfaction of personal achievement is the greatest reward.

Great.

Third story and they better and better. You can read them separately or in order. Either way works.

started off boring then got stupid

The clichés were one after another. It reached peak awful, when the Gypsy girl was psychic and wise beyond her years. Awful.

Tear It Down Highs & Lows

Basically an excellent storyline. Car chase scene through Memphis area towards end of the book was totally unrealistic. No way that type of mayhem is going to happen and no police authorities anywhere in sight or on the scene. Also, the constant and totally unneeded dropping of the F Bomb added actually zero to the story or storyline.