Unwanted, Latest Paladine Political Thriller by Kenneth G. Eade is out!

“Home is a notion that only nations of the homeless fully appreciate

 and only the uprooted comprehend.” 

― Wallace Stegner

No one really belongs; at least not in this world.  If there were a heaven, maybe there, but, even if there were, in it would be the souls who would bear witness to the undeniable cruelty of life, the poverty of the unwanted. Whether or not you belonged was defined by others; the same others who would make such judgments about how you would live and how you would die. ​Robert Garcia didn’t belong anywhere, except maybe when he was in the military, and he knew it.  He’d tried to make it in the world of man, but dropping out seemed the better option.  He was a loner, but not lonely, a drifter who defined his own purpose of existence, which now consisted of floating.
This type of life really suited Robert.  Born John Richards, to a black military father and white Lebanese mother, Robert and his family moved around from army base to army base and he never really found a place to fit in or anyone to fit in with until he joined the army himself.  By the time he did, having moved so many times as a child, he had already become an accomplished fighter, who had beat his way through every conflict growing up until his schools wised up, and placed him on their wrestling and football teams, in order to create a socially acceptable “steam valve” for his aggression.  Drifting around in his little boat in the sea with only the horizon in the background.  That was Robert’s world now, a contrast from the horrors of the life he had left behind.  Robert himself had been one of those horrors, but now he was just a fisherman, living off the sea, a threat to nobody...
The Aegean was calm today, the surface smooth as glass, leaving no trace of the ugly storm that had pitched the small sailboat and almost capsized her the night before.  Such was the hidden power of nature, capable of producing extreme beauty and cruelty at the same time.  A few remnants of the storm still remained – garbage – evidence of human waste probably from a ferry or cruise boat – visibly bobbing on the surface from time to time.  Other than that, it was a perfect day – the proverbial calm after the storm. 
​The net dipped with the weight of the fish and Joelle strained to contain it.  Robert set the rod down, and together they hoisted the enormous sea bass onto the deck, where it flopped around, inciting more yelping.  
Joelle’s smile faded as she peered over the railing. ​“What’s that?” ​“What?”
 ​“Over there!  Floating.” ​Robert strained his eyes.  He picked up his field glasses and focused on the object bobbing on the surface. ​“Looks like a body...”

~~~

Unwanted:

Paladine Political Thriller Series

By Kenneth G. Eade

I loved the latest Paladine Novel...it is a softer, more gentle tale in which we first find Paladine on his boat, with Joelle, who he had rescued during his last mission. Readers may wonder what kind of personal relationship he might have, but, for me, it was good that he at least had somebody to talk and share with during his isolation. The isolation that he had been forced into by those who want him dead... and by those who want him to use his amazing expertise to continue working, fighting terrorism...

This time, however, Robert gets pulled in while fishing on his boat...they sighted a body, went to check and found him dead. Later they could see that an entire wreckage was there and found only one young woman who was still alive. They pulled her onto their boat, helped with her wounds and discovered that she had been part of a boat full of refugees, having paid large sums of money to escape Syria. Often the boats never made it beyond the initial castoff...

Alina had been with her husband and baby and had paid everything they had to escape. Asked who they had paid, Alina identified the Daesh...

ISIS, known by those who were their victims as Daesh, had overrun their village near Dabiq, and actually charged them for passage to Turkey.  Pay or die.  Once they made it to the coastal town of Izmir, Syrian smugglers loyal to ISIS once again charged them thousands of dollars to board a rubber boat to Greece.  The last thing she remembered was a swell that capsized the boat.  She had held on to her baby and didn’t remember losing consciousness.  Suddenly, she realized what had to have happened. ​“I let go!” ​“What?” ​“I let go of her.  It’s my fault!  Put me back in the sea, I want to die!”

Alina was devastated when she realized that she had apparently fallen asleep while holding her child, and she'd slipped away into the sea. What a tragedy... Robert was able to help her with provisions and a little money and dropped her off where she would be safe, though still grieving...

It was not to be that Robert and Joelle would have quiet time together because soon Robert was notified that a former co-worker had been taken captive. But at least readers get to see that they had taken a night to enjoy dinner on shore for a short time... Then Robert got word that a ransom had been placed on the head of Ayisha... Ayisha worked for the same organization for which Robert had worked... And that man knew only Robert could save Ayisha if she was to be saved...

I’ve been kidnapped.  The kidnappers will be in touch through this channel with the ransom instructions.  If you don’t pay within the next 72 hours, they will kill me.

Ayisha had lost her sister to terrorists and had been working ever since as an assassin. She was good, but she really didn't have the heart, or perhaps better said, she did have a heart that couldn't just kill all the time. Still, after Robert had found a way to save her, she refused to not continue to work with those refugees who were losing all of their money to ISIS or some Syrians, often to then lose their lives... Robert was not happy, especially when she had originally agreed that he would lead any actions that took place... But he didn't desert her... And that's just why readers and those who personally learned of Robert had first called him Paladine... At least one time in this particular book, he could have killed, but he didn't when there was no need... This man who was trained to kill for his own country, the United States, and then was put back on the streets with no other training to begin a new life...still had a code of honor that his victims would only be terrorists if he could at all help it...

This time, though, the CIA had heard he was still alive (he had earlier been presumed dead) and sent another assassin out after Garcia. In fact, the man they sent had once been trained by Garcia and knew everything about his usual method of operation... Both knew this would probably be a fight to the death...

Readers do get to meet up with our favorite Russian soldiers, who saved Ayisha while she was separated from Robert...and there is a quick meeting of the eyes between Ayisha and her medic that put an interesting twist to the life of the assassin... Can love from another come to mean more to Ayisha than the revenge for her sister that had once driven her. I'm hoping that Ayisha continues into the next book... She's an excellent gutsy female that certainly adds tension and a different perspective to this already exciting, awesome series... Of course, yes, it's highly recommended as are all the preceding novels!


GABixlerReviews

Described by critics as "one of our strongest thriller writers on the scene," author Kenneth Eade, best known for his legal and political thrillers, practiced law for 30 years before publishing his first novel, "An Involuntary Spy." Eade, an award-winning, best-selling Top 100 thriller author, has been described by his peers as "one of the up-and-coming legal thriller writers of this generation." He is the 2015 winner of Best Legal Thriller from Beverly Hills Book Awards and the 2016 winner of a bronze medal in the category of Fiction, Mystery and Murder from the Reader's Favorite International Book Awards. His latest novel, "Paladine" is currently a quarter-finalist in Publisher's Weekly's BookLife Prize for Fiction. Eade has authored three fiction series: The "Brent Marks Legal Thriller Series", the "Involuntary Spy Espionage Series" and the "Paladine Anti-Terrorism Series." He has written sixteen novels which have been translated into French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. 

"I've been writing all my life, but began publishing my work out of a passion for the environment. My wife, Valentina, is a professional photographer, who worked for two years on an environmental exhibition called, "Bee Cause I Care" which was exhibited by the Prince Albert II Foundation and is now touring cities in France to bring awareness to the importance of pollinators and the dangers facing them. I penned a few articles on the subject for the Los Angeles Daily Journal and turned my research into my first book, "Bless the Bees." That passion continued with the publication of my novel, "An Involuntary Spy," which is an action thriller that also points to the dangers of genetically engineered food. Then I began publishing the "Brent Marks Legal Thriller Series," which, in part, is based on actual experiences during my long career in law.

"Now I divide most of my time between France, where I have resided for the better part of 10 years, and Russia. I try to put as much realism in my novels as possible, and they all revolve around important social issues. I treasure all of my readers and love to hear from them, whether it's good or bad. Sometimes I make changes based on their suggestions and one reader has inspired a character that has appeared in my latest three novels. Everyone who signs up on my mailing list at www.kennetheade.com gets a free ebook and I give away a Kindle Fire every month to a lucky winner on the list. I love this new adventure and hope you enjoy taking it with me."

Email: info@kennetheade.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KennethGEadeBestsellingauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KennethEade1

Latest Paladine Novel Reveals Realities of Human Trafficking in Traffick Stop by Kenneth Eade

 “You may choose to look the other way 

but you can never say again that you did not know.” 

―  William Wilberforce

Porto Heli

From his little sailboat in the port he could see the horseshoe-shaped harbor of Porto Heli, a summer resort area packed with revelers and partiers, and more easily accessible to him than the party island of Mykonos.  It was about a 30-minute cruise.  His island was dark, quiet – like Robert was.  The sidewalks rolled up at 10 p.m.  Night life was practically non-existent.  

As he sat on the deck and looked out across the sea, he was drawn to the twinkling lights of Porto Heli like a fly to a porch light.  The lapping of the water against the little boats as they bobbed up and down, the sound that used to soothe him to sleep so many nights in the cabin of the bow of his boat, the Lana, now grated on his nerves like fingernails dragging against a chalkboard.  

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore.  He started the motor of the Lana, cast off the mooring lines, and, just like that fly, headed straight for the light. It was a short ride that divided the two worlds; the one of the people by day and the other of the people by night.  The day people worked, played, laughed and ate, and then they slept, resting to start the cycle all over again.  
The night people, on the other hand, lived only for thrills, and their object was to have as much fun and pleasure as they could before the sun rose.  As he neared the harbor, he could hear the sounds of partying in the bars and began to ache with impatience – like a dog salivating for a bone.  He threw the fenders over the side, cut the motor and pulled alongside a concrete pier and a man came out, tossed him the mooring ropes and he quickly looped them over the cleats.  He locked up the boat, hopped off and handed the man a fifty euro bill. “I’ll probably be a few hours.” The man slipped the bill into his pocket and smiled a checkerboard smile of half a mouthful of stained teeth.  Robert had made his own price because it was late and the money would probably not be accounted for. “No problem.”
“Make sure nothing happens to my boat and there’ll be another fifty in it for you.” The man smiled again and nodded. Robert followed the sounds of the action like the pack of rats followed the Pied Piper of Hamelin.  His will was no longer his own; he had given it up to the beast, and it was the beast who would be calling the shots tonight.  It didn’t take long to find the best party.  He followed the pulsating beat of electronic music to Nikki Beach Resort.  As he came nearer, he could see what was a seaside patio for sun bathers by day had turned into a dance floor at night, illuminated by sparkling fountains of fire, casting flickering shadows against the dancers, most of them female. 
As Robert approached, he saw the bouncer, a big man with no neck, rustling a man out of the club.  The guy he was handling was well dressed, but he was obviously drunk, so the bouncer had the right to evict him.  But he didn’t stop after he had “bounced” the man.  He went a step further – a step too far.  He pushed him out onto the sidewalk, and the man fell.  The man struggled to get up, and, when he did, the bouncer kicked him down.  
This wasn’t Robert’s battle, so he decided to play it cool.  Unfortunately, however, the bouncer wasn’t content to end the drama with one kick.  Robert observed, quietly, while the bouncer continued to rough up the drunken man, pushing him around and slapping him down.  
Some people, of certain strength, take pleasure in pushing around others with none. The bouncer was probably a bully when he was a kid.  Now, he was a grown-up bully, and one with authority. “Hey, man, you kicked him out.  Why don’t you just let him go?” 
The bouncer looked up at Robert as if he had thrown down a gauntlet.  He had tasted blood and here was another fight.  
“You want a piece of this?”
 “No, man.  I’m just saying this guy’s had enough.” 
The big-necked man grabbed Robert by the collar and came nose to nose with him. Robert could feel his hot, bad breath against his face. “You will take your hands off me and do it now.” 
“Or what, big man?  You gonna beat me up?” The beef-neck began to laugh, tightening his grip.  Like a snake, Robert struck, pushing him back, then slamming him in the nose with a loud crack.  “Nobody touches me.” 
The man’s hand instinctively went to his nose, and then he looked at his bloody palms with anger.  He sized Robert up, hurt now only in his pride.  By that time, another bouncer had joined him.  They looked like two lion statues, the kind rich people put to mark the entrance of their driveways.  
The beast had been awakened in Robert, who stared them down with cold, shark-like eyes.  “Now let’s try this again.  I don’t want any trouble.  I’d like to have a drink, maybe meet some girls and try to get laid tonight.  
Or I can beat the living shit out of both of you.  I’ll get an equal amount of a different kind of satisfaction out of either activity.  It’s your move.”

~~~

Traffick Stop:
Paladine Political Thriller Series

By Kenneth Eade

I have great empathy for Robert Garcia, the main character of the Paladine Series... He, like others, who have been affected by PTSD have discovered that their mental stability have been permanently damaged and that, at times, the beast appears... 

Garcia called that part of him that could no longer be satisfied in retirement, fishing, the beast... Eade begins the book with what happens when this occurs... 

Sacrifice, charity, and concern for others has always been a characteristic of the human spirit.  But there is a wild, hungry, thirsty, selfish creature that lurks deep within the libido of each of us.  That id some of us ignore, others deny, and still others put a mask on it or lock it away so even they cannot release it.  But when the balance is tipped to its side, it can break any bonds that have tied it down, and we are powerless to stop it.  The result can be exhilarating, intoxicating, mind-blowing, or it can be deadly. 

Garcia had been restless for quite a while so that, one night, when the music reached him from a resort bar within close range, Robert took the bait and went looking...mainly for some company, noise, and hopefully meeting a willing woman... But...when he saw the club's bouncer's taking his fun from beating up a drunk being kicked out of the club, Garcia spoke up for the man receiving unnecessary violence... That's one of the things that has brought me to love this character... Yes, he's been mentally and emotionally damaged, but when the thirst comes he must quench, he always still has his moral code that aims it toward a deserving bad guy, of course!

Am I really seeing what this vid represents...?

By the way, he does go into the club and meets Joelle, who returns to the boat to spend the night with him... That's when Robert first met a woman who was under control as a sex slave and was guarded at all times except when she was "hired"  out for a short time period... Robert learns that night that she was soon to be sent to Syria to continue in another place, with the same restrictions... that they had control of her passport and that they threatened her with the lives of her family if she didn't follow their rules.

Robert tried to tell himself that it was not his business, that he couldn't do anything to save her, even though he pictured in his mind a plan to do just that...

And so when his old employer tracked him down through a friend who knew where he was, and Robert learned the story of why he was being asked to take another job... An American citizen was now in the hands of ISIS, serving as a sex slave...

“Then he told me an interesting story.  One of Williamson’s employees was a software engineer by the name of Rahbi Moghadam.  Rahbi had a daughter – Rasha.  When she was 19, she took a trip to Turkey to celebrate her graduation from junior college and her old man paid for it.  “What he didn’t know was that Rasha had been convinced by an ISIS recruiter to come to Syria to give humanitarian aid to civil war victims.” Robert nodded.  “My guess is that she disappeared?” 
“That’s right, malaka.  Her father spent a lot of time and money tracking her down, and the trail ended in Syria.  Rasha had been forced into a jihadi marriage to six ISIS fighters.  Her only purpose in life for an entire year was to be raped repeatedly by those jihadist assholes.”

~~~

Garcia realized he was ready... But first he checked out the new leader of that group and only then was he willing to meet to discuss what was needed...

This is another part of this series that Eade does exceptionally well... The planning, execution, and extraction plans for Garcia are brilliant in their creation... unless, of course, the author has decided to create a situation where Robert must use ingenuity and, this time, luck, to get him out of danger!

Which brings up another character that I also love. Those reading the series will remember the Russian warrior who Garcia met and vacationed with in the last book! In this book he shows up to save Garcia! Yes, we get to enjoy Garcia and Lyosha as they meet once again in Syria. When Garcia tells Lyosha why he is there...to deal with human traffickers, and hopefully free the women, which includes Russian women, before they were sold in auction... Lyosha immediately volunteers his Russian Warriors...

http://ahtribune.com/world/north-africa-south-west-asia/1221-yazidi-sex-slaves.html

Eade points out two issues that I was thankful to see (1) that the organization for whom he was working also financially supported trying to ensure help for the secondary victims of terrorism, the peace-loving and innocent Muslims living in the States who were blamed for the acts of extremists... and (2) that today's warriors, no matter what country they are from, will work together to rid our lives of extremists and criminals everywhere... if only for a short time when political ploys do not stop them!

Wow, I loved this book! Let's us hope that the discussions and appeals to congress that are now happening in America, actually "take care of business" like Paladine does! Thank you, Kenneth Eade, for providing us with hope that Paladine's work will be accomplished as effectively as if Paladine were leading the fight!

This is not just another thriller...it is more...Eade's political thrillers are taking us directly into the underbelly of the world and, even in fiction, showing us what is happening, and, in my mind, scaring you enough to become involved in whatever way you can...starting with ensuring you and your children take necessary measures to protect your family members. This is reality fiction, which happens to be an excellent, look at a major money-making activity that is increasing at unimaginable rates. Read this book to enjoy the hero, Paladine...but also to become even more aware of what human trafficking is doing to this world! Kudos to Kenneth Eade for tackling this major problem! I consider this a must-read, for anybody who cares about the victims... primarily women and children... who need help!


GABixlerReviews

Described by critics as "one of our strongest thriller writers on the scene," author Kenneth Eade, best known for his legal and political thrillers, practiced law for 30 years before publishing his first novel, "An Involuntary Spy." Eade, an award-winning, best-selling Top 100 thriller author, has been described by his peers as "one of the up-and-coming legal thriller writers of this generation." He is the 2015 winner of Best Legal Thriller from Beverly Hills Book Awards and the 2016 winner of a bronze medal in the category of Fiction, Mystery and Murder from the Reader's Favorite International Book Awards. His latest novel, "Paladine" is currently a quarter-finalist in Publisher's Weekly's BookLife Prize for Fiction. Eade has authored three fiction series: The "Brent Marks Legal Thriller Series", the "Involuntary Spy Espionage Series" and the "Paladine Anti-Terrorism Series." He has written sixteen novels which have been translated into French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. 

"I've been writing all my life, but began publishing my work out of a passion for the environment. My wife, Valentina, is a professional photographer, who worked for two years on an environmental exhibition called, "Bee Cause I Care" which was exhibited by the Prince Albert II Foundation and is now touring cities in France to bring awareness to the importance of pollinators and the dangers facing them. I penned a few articles on the subject for the Los Angeles Daily Journal and turned my research into my first book, "Bless the Bees." That passion continued with the publication of my novel, "An Involuntary Spy," which is an action thriller that also points to the dangers of genetically engineered food. Then I began publishing the "Brent Marks Legal Thriller Series," which, in part, is based on actual experiences during my long career in law.