CELTICLADY'S REVIEWS: Waterborne by J. Luke Bennecke Book Tour! Guest Review and Excerpt!

Waterborne by J. Luke Bennecke

Publisher

Jaytech Publishing, May 2024

Category

Medical Thriller

Tour Dates

September 16-October 7 2024

ISBN

978-0965771597

Available

Print and ebook

320 pages

Description Waterborne by J. Luke Bennecke

Civil engineer Jake Bendel is in danger—in danger of running afoul of the Governor of California. Jake, the project director of a multi-billion-dollar plan to solve California’s drought crisis, is spearheading a controversial, polarizing, but revolutionary desalination project. But the project is only 3/5 complete, and time is running out on what’s hailed as a last resort in California’s battle against a brutal, decades-long drought.

Running afoul of the Governor is about to be the least of Jake’s concerns when he and his longtime friend and fellow engineer Paige Terner find themselves terrorized by a maniacal, stop-at-nothing terrorist intent on revenge—revenge and catastrophe. Jake learns that a mysterious waterborne virus is poisoning people throughout the state—and the source of the virus is his desalination plants. But how has this mystery virus wiggled its way into the water supply? In a pulse quickening race against time, Jake must uncover the truth. And that means dodging bullets, confronting the ghosts of his past, weathering a mounting body count, and withstanding threats that come way too close to home.

What Jake uncovers is a secret network of vengeful terrorists with an unspeakably sinister plan. But before Jake can find a way to cure the masses, he is injected with the virus. Against the backdrop of a ticking clock, Jake is forced to track down the leader of the terrorist group. The stakes couldn’t be higher as he navigates through layers of betrayal and manipulation. Millions of lives hang in the balance—including Jake’s—in this standout thriller about bioterror unleashed, the brilliance of scientific pursuit, and the enduring spirit of a man who refuses to give in.

CHAPTER 1

August 1st – Stockton, California

11:15 p.m.

Mass murder can be complicated. But profitable.

From a vacant corner of the Chili’s parking lot, behind a four-foot-high wall of cropped manzanita shrubs, Gunther Pertile scanned the area for civilians. Not a soul in sight. He whipped out his Glock 9mm—with suppressor—aimed at each of the two main overhead lights and squeezed off two muffled rounds. Glass shattered, falling to the ground as the entire scene went dark.

He dismounted his jet-black Harley, then slid off his helmet to reveal the short, curly hair he’d recently bleached to no longer be the dark-haired, dark-eyed killer on the FBI’s most wanted list.

Running his fingertips along each of the four loaded mags inside the pocket of his leather jacket, he calculated the time to empty all sixty rounds. At three rounds per second and another three seconds to swap each mag, he could finish in just over half a minute.

One dead every half second.

Not bad.

But he tossed aside his mass shooting fantasy, forced himself back to reality, drew a deep breath and relished the security of his weapon. After two decades as a sniper, he knew tonight’s assignment—his actual job—would succeed.

Piece of cake.

His weapon holstered, he glided through the front door of the restaurant and took a window seat.

A flash of blue pulled into the parking lot. The target—a civil engineer named Jake Bendel—wore a gray fedora hat, jeans, a light blue dress shirt and plaid charcoal sport coat as he exited a Tesla and strolled toward Chili’s carrying a laptop, several rolls of paper, and a three-ring binder. Inside, the hostess escorted him to a booth on the room’s opposite side. Physically, the target’s height and weight matched the profile the boss had provided. At a height of just above six-one, maybe two hundred pounds, Gunther evaluated the level of effort to accomplish the abduction.

Within tolerance.

After Bendel sat, he ordered dinner and worked, checking his Apple Watch every few minutes.

Gunther took a slow sip of ice water, studying the mostly vacant dining room of the restaurant.

Eventually, the target’s food came and he ate—still checking his watch. Gunther smiled.

The other members of the assault team had already taken care of Jake’s friend, Dave, who most definitely would not be dining at Chili’s tonight.

Or anywhere ever again, for that matter.

Gunther finished his water and set the glass on the table.

His Android read 11:55 p.m.

Perfect.

He dug a hand into his pants pocket and wrapped his fingers around a syringe filled with enough Trihypnol to subdue a professional wrestler. With the quarter-inch-long needle capped at the tip, he’d avoid accidentally injecting himself with the hypnotic drug.

Trihypnol was the perfect concoction for tonight’s events. Once administered, the victim would remain fully awake, but in a highly suggestible and altered state of consciousness—alert and fully mobile for up to four hours. The famous Dr. Jake Bendel would later crash like a pelted pigeon and sleep for half a day, with zero memory of the evening’s activities.

Bendel stuffed the last piece of halibut into his mouth, chewed, and washed it down with a final swig of beer.

Game time.

© J. Luke Bennecke

A high octane, high tech, high stakes thriller that brims with action, tantalizing twists, and a pulse-racing plot, Waterborne grabs readers from the first page—and doesn’t let go. Arresting, imaginative, disquieting, and teeming with tension, Waterborne is unrelenting, unquestionably realistic, and unputdownable. J. Luke Bennecke’s Waterborne is a masterfully-rendered, gripping tale that will leave readers breathless.

Praise for Waterborne by J. Luke Bennecke

“With intriguing concepts and well-rounded protagonists, J. Luke Bennecke’s WATERBORNE is a high-octane page-turning thriller, elevated by fascinating scientific detail and an empathetic hero.”- Indie Reader

“An entertaining, action-packed tale involving viruses and terrorism.”- Kirkus Reviews

“Waterborne is recommended to those who love thrillers with a technological and engineering basis rather than a militaristic or espionage one. And anyone who enjoys thrillers where regular (though brilliant) people find themselves in incredibly high-stakes situations will find plenty to dig into as well.” Independent Book Review

“This is an action-packed, fast-paced thriller set in the immediate future that is equal parts thought-provoking, edge-of-your-seat thrilling. Easy to read and fast-paced with plenty of thrills.”- Avonna Loves Genres

“Bennecke was able to create a suspenseful story that was driven by an action-packed plot. The book pulled me in and left me eager for the next installment.”-OnlineBookClub.org

Guest Review

Waterborne

Guest Review by Laura

“She'd brought Jake on board to solve California's drought by finishing all five plants in record time. At her request, Jake had engineered the concept of pumping and treating seawater with energy created by a new form of cheap, safe nuclear power. The clean water would provide a basic human resource to most of California's booming population for decades.”

This might be the most thrilling book that I have read all year! 'Waterborne,' by J. Luke Bennecke is a sometimes frightening, sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartwarming sucker punch of a novel that will make even the most stoic reader squirm.

This book is a thriller, not a horror novel, but the idea of a terrorist threatening our water supply is scary enough that it had me shivering, and I don't even live in California! But, let me break down the main plot for you so you can get what I mean.

Jake Bendel is a civil engineer who is working on a plan to end all drought in California for good. Great, right? Well, not for everyone. See, there is a group of terrorists that want to use Jake's water treatment plants to poison the population of the state—and they intend to use Jake to do it. Unfortunately, Jake has no awareness of their plans and no memory of being kidnapped by them as they gave him a drug to make him forget their interactions.

When the clock is ticking and his life, as well as the lives of millions of innocent people, are on the line, will Jake have what it takes to stop the terrorists in their tracks?

I found the ending to this one really satisfying and I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it! Bennecke is a very talented author! I'll definitely be watching for more from him in the future!

About J. Luke Bennecke

Multi award winning and best selling author, J. Luke Bennecke is a veteran civil engineer with a well-spent career helping people by improving Southern California roadways. He is the author of three bestselling, award-winning thrillers: Civil Terror: Gridlock, Waterborne, and his 2023 release Echo from a Bayou

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Giveaway Waterborne by J. Luke Bennecke

This giveaway is for 1 print or 1 ebook copy and is open worldwide. This giveaway ends on October 18, 2024 midnight, pacific time. Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only. a Rafflecopter giveaway