Power Down

Dewey Andreas, Book 1

By: Ben Coes

Narrated by: Peter Hermann

Length: 16 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Introducing a major new thriller writer—in the vein of Vince Flynn and Brad Thor—and an electrifying character, Dewey Andreas.

A major North American hydroelectric dam is blown up and the largest off-shore oil field in this hemisphere is destroyed in a brutal, coordinated terrorist attack. But there was one factor that the terrorists didn't take into account when they struck the Capitana platform off the coast of Colombia—slaughtering much of the crew and blowing up the platform—and that was the Capitana crew chief Dewey Andreas. Dewey, former Army Ranger and Delta, survives the attack, rescuing as many of his men as possible. But the battle has just begun.

While the intelligence and law enforcement agencies scramble to untangle these events and find the people responsible, the mysterious figure of Alexander Fortuna—an agent embedded into the highest levels of American society and business—sets into play the second stage of these long-planned attacks. The only fly in the ointment is Dewey Andreas—who is using all his long-dormant skills to fight his way off the platform, then out of Colombia and back to the U.S., following the trail of terrorists and operatives sent to stop him. Power Down is a gripping, compelling debut thriller from Ben Coes, a powerful new author, an amazing talent certain to join the ranks of the genre's finest writers.

©2010 Ben Coes (P)2010 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Power Down is terrific! With a gripping story, compelling characters, a relentless pace and nerve-wracking suspense, Power Down is one of the must-read thrillers of the year. Don't miss this debut of novelist Ben Coes and the introduction of Dewey Andreas--you'll devour this one and wait anxiously for their return.” —Vince Flynn, New York Times bestselling author of Pursuit of Honor

“A ripping thriller from an exciting new novelist. Power Down kept me glued, turning the pages. Lots of action, a terrific hero, and a slimy villain--thrillers don't get any better.” —Stephen Coonts, New York Times bestselling author of The Disciple

heart-stopping excitement almost constantly

I love the Lee Childs Jack Reacher ex-MP character and Alex Berenson's ex-CIA John Wells, but Ben Coes' Dewey Andreas is that and so much more. He is a hard-fighting, almost-impossible-to-kill ex-Ranger and Delta, but with depth, and humanity.
You never fear that Andreas will lose in the end, of course, but Coes writes with superlative action-thriller skills that keep your heart racing. Terrifically topical story of spies, moles, Arab terrorists, oil, bombs, and great unsung heroes. And Coes knows his energy background well, since it's his own background.
And simply the best narrator of any action novel I've heard on Audible in the decade I've been listening. Huge recommendation for fans of the genre.

It's a great thrill ride!

Where does Power Down rank among all the audiobooks you???ve listened to so far?

Right up there with my favorite books by Vince Flynn, Tom Clancy or Daniel Silva.

The reader starts like he's slipping into a coma. It's a little weird and disconcerting, but stick with him because he gets very much better as the book progresses.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The heroes and heroines are in danger. The country is in danger. And the world is in danger. What's better than that?

The bad guys are ruthless and very powerful but the good guys are determined.

The explosive moments are frightening and compelling.

What does Peter Hermann bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

He brings life to the characters. It's a view of them that you just don't always hear in your head as you simply read the book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Very much so.

Any additional comments?

If you like thrillers, you will like this book. Period.

But you have to OK with 'F' words and human injury that is a little graphic at times.

Exciting

Very exciting. I had not read Ben Coes before, but he tells a good tale

Both good and bad

What did you like best about Power Down? What did you like least?

Exciting story that moved along at a fast pace but there were times when the main character's melodramatic utterances seemed almost too heroic.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Predictable.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The performance was competent.

Do you think Power Down needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

There already is a follow up book.

Any additional comments?

I love the Ray Donovan TV series but there is one scene in the show when the family is watching a crime drama on TV which stars one of Donovan's clients. In the scene, a priest holding a machine gun says in a grim tone, "Amen mutherfukker!" before firing away at the criminals. It is a very tongue in cheek moment in an otherwise serious dramatic series. That's kind of how I felt about Power Down. Although the book was compelling and held my attention, there were some moments when the main character, Dewey Andreas, seems almost super human and his breathy, "Dirty Harry" comments towards his adversaries, seems almost too melodramatic and rather tongue in cheek. "Amen mutherfukker!"

we want the movie

this is the second time that I read this series and I definitely think they should do the movie it will be a hit like does movies from Jason Bourne

Great ride!

Upon finishing this book, I was struck by the realization that it's a twisting, slowly unwinding story, and not once was I bored or impatient with it. That's quite an accomplishment for an author. The protagonist is a believable, likable character, and that's the strength of the book. He's not superhuman; he doesn't have weapons on the cutting edge of technology; he gets there with his training and his ability to reason. I'm a reader who is often critical of predictable, formulaic stories, and I find nothing to criticize here. The background of the characters is woven into the story skillfully, and the context of the energy industry and the politics involved are presented intelligently without getting tedious. This is an impressive book that has left me anxious to listen to the rest of the series.

The narration is good to, and I didn't find anything annoying or distracting about it - which is much appreciated!

reveting

could hardly stop listening so current to our times😱😨definitely a writer to follow 👍👌thanks great 📖

Great listen

The characters were great, the reader did a great job and I could not stop listening to this excellent story.

Outstanding

This is one of the best books in the anti-terrorism genre (one of my favorite categories) that I've read in many years. Non-stop action and intrigue. Plus, the characters were strong and unapologetic, but not overdone. Great, great book.

A compelling Story

"Power Down" is a compelling story and is narrated well. The main characters, however, (Dewey Andreas and Alexander Foruna) are caricatures and lack credibility.