Sam Savage is a sky marshal. You know the guy who flies in the plane incognito to stop the terrorists on the plane and maintain law and order if needed. Sam is an ex-let’s say special forces who works for Homeland Security. At forty-something, he is fit and sexy and has a great sense of humor. The problem is he can’t seem to stay out of trouble.
This box set of three short stories are fun, slightly campy, adventures. In the first, story, Dead Heading (coming in at about an hour), Sam is dead heading (an employee who flies free in an empty seat) from the US to Italy. Fortunately the lovely lady he met in the airport is on the same flight. The sparks fly when the two join the mile-high club mid flight. Emerging from the bathroom, the lady friend is taken hostage by a terrorist with a computer bomb. Mayhem ensues and Sam saves the lady and the day.
In the second story, Empire Runaway (at 1 1/2 hours), Sam has been punished for his airline shenanigans and is sent to marshal on a train where a terrorist attack is expected to take place. Sam and the lady security head spark and join the mile-long club. They quickly discover that the train is a runaway. With the help of a knowledgeable passenger, Sam and the security head frantically work to save the train before disaster strikes. Sam saves the day.
The third story, Tunnel Rats, is the longest at over 2 hours. In this adventure, Sam is sent to South Korea to meet with a CIA operative and to try to get information about an impending terrorist attach from a VC agent. Needless to say, the CIA agent is a masseuse who give great happy endings which Sam thoroughly enjoys! As usual, mayhem and madness ensue as Sam attempts to track down and stop his enemy.
I like that Sam is middle aged man, not some young, dumb stud. He is funny and respectful of the women he meets but does not hesitate to enjoy their company. There is a romance/sexual encounter in each story that was not overwhelming. Plenty of non-stop action and twists and turns. They are light action reading reminiscent of classic men’s action fiction like James Bond and Don Pendelton’s Mack Bolan. A fun way to while away a few hours.
Andrew B. Werhlen was a terrific narrator. He does most of Zandri’s books and his voice is perfect for the manly characters in Zandri’s books. Werhlen performs these books with a light-hearted narration that captures the fun, slightly over the top nature of the books. He does not overly voice the individual characters but the style works for these stories.I totally could see him being Jack Reacher or Harry Bosch.
If you are looking for a fun, action-filled, non-serious way to spend a few hours where you can suspend some disbelief and just enjoy the ride, this collection is a great option.
***I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my own unbiased review.***