#NetGalley Book Review: Deep State by Chris Hauty

This is a gripping thriller!
Deep State
by Chris Hauty

File Size: 1723 KB
Print Length: 287 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1982126582
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books (January 7, 2020)
ASIN: B07RPP4NN9
Genre: Assassination Thriller, Political Thriller, Thriller
My Rating: 5.0 of 5.0

Recently elected President Richard Monroe—populist, controversial, and divisive—is at the center of an increasingly polarized Washington, DC. Never has the partisan drama been so tense or the paranoia so rampant. In the midst of contentious political turf wars, the White House chief of staff is found dead in his house. A tenacious intern discovers a single, ominous clue that suggests he died from something other than natural causes, and that a wide-ranging conspiracy is running beneath the surface of everyday events: powerful government figures are scheming to undermine the rule of law—and democracy itself. Allies are exposed as enemies, once-dependable authorities fall under suspicion, and no one seems to be who they say they are. The unthinkable is happening. The Deep State is real. Who will die to keep its secrets and who will kill to uncover the truth?

Review:
Haley Chill is a former Army boxer who is now serving her country as a government intern. She is pleased to be assigned to the White House chief of staff even if it means she is relegated to a cramped desk in the basement. The other interns access this mousey newcomer and don’t see much threat. They are more than willing to let her work the late hours and finish their work. Then they are surprised when she is called in to stand with the chief of staff for face to face work and meetings.

Haley likes the chief of staff and is only a little surprised when he warns her that if either he or the president (disruptive to the status quo) end up dead, it wouldn’t be natural or suicide. She is told, “Trust no one.” Shortly thereafter Haley finds the chief of staff dead. She discovers a single clue that indicates the death wasn’t natural. But who can she trust with this information? She doesn’t want to trust the FBI and she doesn’t plan on telling the Secret Service short term boyfriend whom she is about to break up with.

When Haley is attacked and barely escapes, she ends up sharing her secrets with a new friend, another White House staff worker. Then another man ends up dead. Haley knows the Deep State is at work and the president is in danger. She is on a race to get to the president to warn him before the killers act again.

I loved this gripping thriller. The characters are well developed and the plot has some zingers. I had to get accustomed to the writing style which presents future events in the lives of the characters. I would compare these to facts sometimes disclosed at the final credits of a movie. Although that was a bit unusual, it worked and even helped create a little extra intrigue. The story moves with action and the tension builds to exciting twists. There is some foul language and use of the Lord’s name which I didn’t like. Still, I was able to slide over those pretty quickly. I highly recommend this to readers who enjoy a good thriller with twists.

Source: 2019 NetGalley. This qualifies for 2020TBR, 2020NetGalley and 2020Alphabet goals.

Sunday Post January 26, 2020/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday January 27, 2020

I am linking with Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading now at The Book Date (at Wordpress)?

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Hubby is improving. He has stopped the pain pill for the most part. He was out to church today and has a follow-up with the specialist tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers and well wishes.
Meanwhile my eyes are burning - seems to be something in the air. I am considering ordering daily wear contacts to see if that will help.

Here is a photo of our lovely grandchildren from holiday.

It isn't easy getting all three to smile at one time.

Our temperatures fluctuated by 20 degrees this week. Some mornings at 29 and others at 49. Today in 40s and 50s was cold because it is damp.

I enjoyed all of my reading and listening this week. I finished one audiobooks, one ebook and am working on one more of each. I posted three reviews and my usual memes.

I visited 17 blogs last week - I still need to branch out and pick up the pace!
Shout Out this week to Beverley A Baird. Beverley retired after 36 years in education and now is enjoying the slow journey to rediscovering the writer within.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post January 19, 2020/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday January 20, 2020.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: Mission Pack 1: Black Ocean Mission Pack, Missions 1-4 by J.S. Morin; Genre: Action & Adventure, Sci Fi, Space; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.5; Narration 4.25.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: Southlands, Lee Harden, Book 2 by D.J. Molles; Genre: Action & Adventure, Military Sci Fi, Post-Apocalyptic; My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.75; Narration 5.0.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway January 24, 2019. Open Worldwide. Ending 1/30/2020.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: A Mind of Her Own by Paula McLain; Genre: Biography, Fiction, Historical; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 4.0.

• Sharing Beyond Books #387 Comment Giveaway January 25, 2020. Open Worldwide. Ending 2/8/2020.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement January 26, 2020.

Finished Reading:
1. eBook/Kindle (NG2019)

Deep State
by Chris Hauty
This is gripping thriller!
Source: 2019 NetGalley.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audio/Smartphone (A2019)

Wish
By Barbara O'Connor
Narrated By: Suzy Jackson
Publisher: Recorded Books
Date: August 2016
Duration: 4 hours 41 minutes
This is a sweet MG story about family issues.
Source: July 2019 Audiobooks.com two for one credit pick.
Click on book title for full description.

Currently Reading:
1. eBook/Kindle (NG2019)

Enforcing the Paw
by Diane Kelly
This is a nice canine cozy. I am 65% complete.
Source: NetGalley 2019 (This is the last of my NetGalley picks before December that has already released.)
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audio/Smartphone (A2019)

Commune
Commune, Book 1
By: Joshua Gayou
Narrated by: R.C. Bray
Series: Commune, Book 1
Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
I liked these characters and the story. 
I'll likely pick up more in the series.
Source: 9/1/18 Audible Sale $5.95
Click on book title for full description.

3. eBook/Kindle (NG2019-20)

A Tangle of Brungles
by Shobha Viswanath and Culpeo Fox (Illustrator)
Source: NetGalley 2019-20 (Selected in December but received 2020.)
To conjure up the charming Mr. Brungles, a coven of witches stir up the Great Brungle Brew. For this they toss in a parliament of owls, a cloud of bats, and a quiver of cobras, among many others. Do they succeed? The book is a hilarious twist on collective nouns.

4. Audio/Smartphone (2020Author)

Starfire
The Starfire Wars, Book 1
By: Jenetta Penner
Narrated by: Rebecca Johnson
Series: Starfire Wars, Book 1
Length: 5 hrs and 25 mins
This looks like a good sci-fi thriller.
Source: January 2020 Audible Code from the Author.
Publisher's Summary
A lush, new world. A reluctant passenger. A stranger with swirling cyan eyes.
Cassiopeia loathes the idea of leaving her withering home to settle the lush new planet, Arcadia - Earth’s salvation.
Two years ago, her mother died in a horrible accident, and leaving Earth means leaving her memory behind.
But Cassi’s father is the architect of this new, grand civilization, and she has no choice but to go.
So when a terrorist attack strikes and her father is killed, her world falls into complete chaos.
Cassi is plunged into a reality of dark secrets and lies. Everything about Arcadia proves to be a sham, and a war spanning the stars is looming.
Enter a gorgeous, mysterious, and undeniably dangerous boy...
Who either wants to help Cassi...
Or destroy her.
Dreamers and lovers will crave this star-crossed romance and adventure set in a new world.
Listen to Starfire today!
©2018 Jenetta Penner (P)2019 Jenetta Penner

5. eBook/Kindle (NG2019)

Winter Takes All
by ML Erdahl
This sounds like a fun read for the new year and it will be my "winter" title.
Source: NetGalley 2019.
Crystal Rainey is aghast when she realizes her new year's resolutions haven't changed one whit from the previous year. Wanting to escape a future as dreary as a Pacific Northwest winter, she walks out on her dead-end office job, despite her tenuous savings account.
Stumbling across a job opening posted by a wilderness guide outfit, an intrigued Crystal bluffs her way into the position. With handsome fellow guide, the stalwart Conner Oakes, she leads a corporate retreat on a snowshoe hike to a majestic alpine chalet.
But when the company's detestable owner turns up dead in the snow, she fears her new life and budding romance slipping away. She finally has something worth fighting for and is determined to solve the murder and grab her chance at happiness before it's too late.

I'm going to keep track of my Alphabet here. The cross-outs aren't easy to see, so I made the completed letters unbold and blue.
NETGALLEY: A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W X  Y  Z
AUDIO: A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W X  Y  Z

January 26, 2020 - I am again enjoying the devotions and readings with the One Year Bible plan through You Version App. I considered changing but this is the reading group that is closest to my husband's reading so we can sometimes discuss the same passages.
I am on day 8 of a 10-day plan Words. They Become You! to start the New Year! This is very good.

I completed two books and posted three reviews so I am up to date.
My NetGalley shelf is now at 18, plus the four titles from 2012-13 which are now planned for 2020.
(I have 22 NetGalley titles toward Alphabet letters.)
I have two author titles carried into January 2020.
Still many titles through InstaFreebie and many new author requests I haven't replied to.

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) and after a tour of hosts has returned to its permanent home at Mailbox Monday. Thanks to the ladies sharing hosting duties: Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit and (yours truly). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
I received one Audio review title.
I chose my second free Audible Original; made my January VIP Free pick at Audiobooks.com and purchased a $.99 deal at Chirp. I also found another free Audible.
I added only 3 free kindle titles again this week. (Note these are in my Amazon library, NOT on my Kindle until I download and transfer them.) Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

1/22/2020 Review code received from the Author.
Starfire
The Starfire Wars, Book 1
By: Jenetta Penner
Narrated by: Rebecca Johnson
Length: 5 hrs and 25 mins
Release date: 01-03-20
See more information above under Currently Reading.

Won

NONE

Purchased

1/20/2020 Chirp Purchase $.99.
A Nancy Drew Christmas
Written by Carolyn Keene
Narrated by Jorjeana Marie
Run time: 6 hours and 24 minutes
I read Nancy Drew books as a young girl and thought I would try this for the price of $.99.

Free

1/21/2020 Free at Audible.
Pile of Bones - FREE
By: Michael J. Sullivan
Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
Length: 1 hr and 45 mins
Release date: 01-07-20


1/24/2020 Second January Free Audible Original
Interview with the Robot
By: Lee Bacon
Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins, Ellen Archer, Josh Hurley, Eileen Stevens, Erin Mallon, Jonathan Davis, Stephen Bel Davies
Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
Release date: 01-02-20

1/24/2020 January Audiobooks.com Free VIP selection.
Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War
Written By: P.W. Singer, August Cole
Narrated By: Rich Orlow
Duration: 14 hours 28 minutes

I added only 3 free Kindle titles to my Kindle library. Titles found linked through Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Ignite Your Book, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement January 26, 2020

I am thankful Hubby is getting better. We enjoyed Sunday School and church together this morning. Our Pastor completed his four-week series on The Bod (the Body of Christ). The conclusion was strong. Next week he starts a series on marriage which should be interesting.

Our Sunday School teacher continued his series on the fallen nature of man with a message this morning under the subtitle Temptation of the World. He noted that Jesus’ prayer to the father was to keep the disciples “safe”. John 17:15-17. He didn’t mean physical safety but safety from the evil one who seeks to separate men from faith and relationship with Jesus and God. Luke 22:31-32.

Thoughts are Satan’s tools. He attacks us through our thought life. We survive only with God's protection by staying close in faith and taking captive every thought.

We are in constant battle with the enemy. Satan is not equal to God but he does have power in this world. There are levels of power among angels and demons. Satan is not omniscient. He uses imps, demonic beings. Satan uses our thoughts to tempt us. The reality is that what we think about is rooted in our fallen nature. We are tempted by our own desires. James 1:14. The heart is deceitful. Jeremiah 17:9. Out of the abundance of heart, the mouth speaks. Luke 6:45. God told Cain to “just do the right thing” but Cain was controlled by his anger.

A fish is caught by a “lure”. Satan uses allure. Temptation is always an enticement to act contrary to God's will. We must hold fast against the Devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:11-12.

I chose this song "One Step Away", which tells us to come home to God - we're only one step away.

Verses for Today:
Ephesians 6:11-12 (NIV)
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.


Lord, please help me each day to keep my eyes on You and to take captive every evil thought.

Sharing Beyond Books #387 Comment Giveaway January 25, 2020

Hello again and Welcome to Sharing Beyond Books, SBB, in 2020.

Thanks to everyone who commented last week.

Four commenters are not on either app, six are on Bloglovin, and nine do not know of the On the Fence App.

The Winner from SBB #386 comments is: #1 NATALIJA who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the Updated (**Finally!) ARC/Review titles or (recently updated) Love and Christmas titles - all linked near the end of the post. -- [11/16/19 I plan to add some review books this week and maybe some new Christmas and Love titles as soon as I locate the box I put them in.  10/5/19 I have pulled some new books and will be adding them to the list in the next week or so.

**NOTE: I did post an Updated ARC and Other books for Giveaways. I have to go back and list the titles -- someday.
Please let me know your choice by completing the WINNER FORM.

WEEK #387

(One Question.)

Alina asks: Do you set yourself a reading challenge (on Goodreads or otherwise)??

Yes I set a reading challenge on Goodreads. I also set personal reading goals for TBRs, Audiobooks and Alphabet.

Here is the site to check if you want to find a challenge to fit your interests.
Image found at As Told by Tina.

Thanks to those who are sending in Questions. DON'T BE SHY! Surely everyone has a Q or two you'd like to ask. Input suggestions in this Suggested Question Form. At the end of each month, I draw from the suggestions I used during the month and that person will get a 1/2 book choice or $2.50 towards GC. I thank everyone for submitting questions. Thanks for sending in questions! The supply of questions is dwindling so share some if you think of any -- even if they are duplicates I'll weed through or try to modify
January Questions were provided by Marjorie and Alina who have each earned $2,50.

Your turn to share. Alina asks: Do you set yourself a reading challenge (on Goodreads or otherwise)??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the Updated ARC and Other books, including the "Love" and Christmas titles all in one post.

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on the question above.
Open internationally and an international winner may get a smaller book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.
I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made through Saturday, February 8, 2020, at 5 PM central.

Audible Book Review: A Mind of Her Own by Paula McLain

This was a quick, nice listen.

A Mind of Her Own
By: Paula McLain
Narrated by: Hillary Huber

Length: 1 hr and 15 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 02-28-19
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Original
Genre: Fiction, Historical
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 4.0.

About This Audible Original
From Paula McLain, the best-selling author of The Paris Wife and Love and Ruin, comes a breathtakingly intimate story of the brilliant, willful Marie Curie—a young woman in Paris on the verge of her greatest discovery yet: herself.
Marie Sklodowska, 25, is studying science at the Sorbonne—one of the only universities in the world that has begun to admit women. A thousand miles from her native Poland, with no money and the odds stacked against any woman daring to pursue a career in such a rigorous field, Marie throws herself into her studies. She’s certain that to succeed in a man’s world, she will have to go it alone.
Her meticulous plans get thrown slightly off-course when Marie attracts the attention of an accomplished physicist, himself on the precipice of greatness. Pierre Curie, famous for his work on symmetry, believes he has found in Marie an equal who shares his devotion to scientific discovery. He offers to help with her work, and soon begins to court her. But to Marie, men have always been an obstacle, love a distraction from her goals. She hasn’t come this far to let either stand in the way of her dreams—dreams Pierre insists they can share.
In A Mind of Her Own, McLain taps into the luminous mind and complex heart of a singular woman caught between order and chaos, science and love in the period just before the world would learn her name.
©2019 Paula McLain (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.

Review:
Marie Sklodowska had to struggle to get to study at university and had to struggle against male bias to prove her abilities. She is helped by another female student who helps her get a grant and then Marie gets a lab job with her primary professor. When Marie is introduced to the accomplished scientist, Pierre Curie, she is not inclined to relinquish her hard-fought gains for the sake of romance. She doesn’t want to be relegated to the home but wants to continue her scientific career. What will it take for gentle, unassuming Pierre to convince Marie to share a life with him?

At first glance, this appeared to be a short biographical sketch of Marie Curie… but it is presented as historical fiction. The story shares a short slice of Marie’s life. Ms. McLain presents Marie’s experience at University and her meeting with and courtship by her future husband. The picture of the times is well done, clearly showing a man’s world before women were readily welcome in higher learning and in careers thought to be only for men. Marie’s internal reluctance to romance made sense considering her background and mindset. I do recommend this to readers with the warning that it is a light romance in a slice of fictional biography.

Audio Notes: Hillary Huber does a good job with the narration. Her accent fit the period and the location for a solid performance. I enjoyed the quick listen.

Source: March 2019 Audible Original Free pick. This qualifies for 2020TBR, 2020Audiobook and 2020Alphabet goals.