Gary Grossman’s first novel “Executive Actions” propelled him into the world of geopolitical thrillers. “Executive Treason,” “Executive Command,” and “Executive Force” further tapped Grossman’s experience as a journalist, newspaper columnist, documentary television producer, reporter, and media historian. In addition to the bestselling Executive series, Grossman wrote the international award-winning “Old Earth,” a geological thriller that spans all of time. With “Red Hotel” and “Red Deception,” his collaborations with Ed Fuller, Grossman entered a new realm of globe-hopping thriller writing. Ed Fuller is a hospitality industry leader, educator, and bestselling author. He is also director of the FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA). The plots for “Red Hotel” and “Red Deception” draw heavily on his experience and exploits. “Red Deception” is the second book in The Red Hotel series and the newest novel by Gary Grossman and Ed Fuller – when terrorists bomb bridges across the country and threaten the Hoover Dam, the vulnerability of America’s infrastructure becomes a matter of national security.

“Red Deception” begins with real world news headlines such as North Korean spies, Russia looking to get its former nations back, and other news-worthy world events. The Prologue consists of three separate foreign insurgents slipping into the country, one through the US/Canadian border in Maine (an eyewitness eventually calls in to a radio show (page 125), one in the Los Angeles International Airport, and the other fifteen nautical miles East of Fort Lauderdale, Florida with more to come. The rest of the novel is divided into three parts, Part One: The Long Fuse, Part Two: Trip Wire, and Part Three: Shock Waves.

Dan Reilly is a former Army intelligence officer who is on a taxi on his way to a meeting when an explosion rocks the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. He survives only because his taxi was behind an armored car and he immediately goes into crisis mode and tries to help as many people as he can. Years earlier, he predicted similar attacks in a top secret State Department report. It is practically a virtual blueprint for disaster and now that the report has been leaked and in the hands of foreign operatives, the events taking place eerily mirror this report. With Washington and the nation distracted by domestic crises, (bridges and tunnels being bombed) Russian President Nicolai Gorshkov sends troops to the borders of Ukraine and Latvia, ready to reclaim what he feels is Russia’s rightful territory. Tensions in Europe threaten to boil over as the American president balances multiple crises that threaten to upend the geopolitical order. With the US at the mercy of an egomaniacal leader, who takes over after the president ends up in the hospital after an assassination attempt, and reporters and covert agents on his tail, Reilly may be the one man who can connect the dots before an even bigger catastrophe unfolds.

If current world events are not enough drama, “Red Deception” makes for an excellent read for fans of espionage thrillers. It is the second book in the Red Hotel series but stands well on its own. Ed Fuller has a background in the hospitality industry and that gives the writing an authentic voice when Reilly, who owns hotels around the world, has to deal with hotel business. This is especially true during the heart-pounding action that begins in Chapter 63 as guests in his Kiev hotel have to be evacuated as war is breaking out. The long list of principal characters in the beginning seems irrelevant at first but it serves its purpose when trying to keep up with the different plotlines. The action is mostly dialogue driven and flows effortlessly from page to page and it is hard not to finish reading it in one sitting. Some of the best books are those that teach readers something along the way and this time it is interesting to learn about North Korean spies, who have to obey every command or they will bring shame to their families or worse, their families will be killed. They are always under suicide orders if caught by the ‘enemy.’ The highlight has to be when a quick thinking housekeeper in a Virginia motel, who actually read the employee manual about what to watch out for, calls the FBI to report that she found a significant amount of battery packaging in the trash in one of the rooms. While it is true that there are multiple storylines, it serves to prove that everything that happens is interconnected, even if it is halfway around the world. Hopefully there will be more books in this exciting series. With relatable characters and intriguing, fast paced action, “Red Deception” is a must-read thriller. It is recommended for fans of spy thrillers similar to the Robert Ludlum novels and Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series.

“Now, as President of Kensington Royal Hotels’ international division and the force behind the creation of the company’s global threat assessment program known as Red Hotel, Reilly relied on instinct. He was, after all, Army-trained and State Department-tempered. Experience drove the dark-haired, six foot, 180-pound corporate executive in this new moment of crisis.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.