Showing results by author "John O'Brien" in All Categories

Teaming up with New York Times best-selling author Jeffery Deaver, Suspense Magazine offers up a nail-biting anthology titled Nothing Good Happens After Midnight. This thrilling collection consists of 13 original short stories representing the genres of suspense/thriller, mystery, sci-fi/fantasy, and more.

Coming of age, the impact of class, and familial and romantic love are the prevalent motifs, along with the instinct toward escape and subsequent nostalgia for home. Some of the stories are linked, and some carry O'Brien's distinct sense of the comical. In "A Rose in the Heart of New York", the single-mindedness of love dramatically derails the relationship between a girl and her mother while in "Sister Imelda" and "The Creature", the strong ties between teacher and student and mother and son are ultimately broken.

The United States had launched a massive missile launch against China’s two invasion fleets sailing for Taiwan. B-2 bombers had flown across the Pacific and submarines had risked giving away their positions to add to the onslaught of anti-ship weapons fired by task force destroyers and B-2s flying out from Guam. China had sustained extensive casualties among its escorting warships and landing ships, but they had endured the crossing of the Taiwan Strait.

Red Team continues their search for the two kidnapped DEA agents, systematically attempting to dismantle the cartel responsible. The agent’s location remains elusive, but Red Team continues the fight to force their release. The cartel digs in, but will they be able to halt Red Team's incursions?

The Unites States and China vie for supremacy in the international marketplace as China seeks to become the global leader. A pandemic sweeping across the world send the markets spiraling into chaos, increasing the tension between the two superpowers. Armed conflict needs only a spark. Will China’s attempt to expand their territories into the South China Sea be the trigger that plunges the two mighty nations past the rhetoric and into a shooting war?

Greg rescues several survivors from the clutches of a fanatical group only to find a mysterious force behind him. With only a small team accompanying him, he flees into the night with the force following. A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues.

Jack, a sometimes humorous, sometimes philosophical ex-special operations pilot and soldier is one of the few left to struggle through the desolation left in the aftermath; seeking to survive as a new ferocious species emerges from the rubble, hungry and unrelenting. Will his special forces training be enough? Will he be able to keep his children safe and guide the few survivors through perils that now roam the world they once knew? Or will the hordes that now own the night prevail, forever removing the last of mankind from existence?

Follow Jack, Trip, and Mike in this next installment to find out what the universe will throw at them next.

A cosmic noose tightens around our heroes’ necks as, once again, they are tasked to fight a war not their own. Their every move is watched, their every action thwarted, yet failure here will seal the fate of countless billions to something worse than death. Can Jack, Mike, BT, Trip, and Kalandar find a way to overcome the odds that have been stacked against them, or will it all come crashing down upon their heads?

Our heroes have gone their separate ways in an effort to save Trip and unify their fight against the Overseers, who have an evil plot to take over not only this world, but all worlds. Mike asks for and receives help, but not in any way he could have prepared for, as Jack finds himself in the uncomfortable position of filling Otter’s shoes. Can Jack and Mike find a way to destroy the evil that has been unwittingly unleashed or will they succumb like every other civilization the enemy has encountered?

What would happen if a viral agent was released on American soil? How would local agencies react? How would the military respond? What if it was one of their own? Would they own it or attempt to cover it up? If a major operation was jeopardized because of the release, would that alter any of the decisions? A potent viral agent, created to destabilize a region for forces to move in and clean up, is accidentally spilled in a metropolis. Those infected serve only to afflict others through any means.

In an engagement that many had said was inevitable, the United States and China had exchanged opening shots. While conducting a Freedom of Operations mission, a US destroyer had been sunk by Chinese forces placed on a disputed man-made island. Twelve American sailors rescued from the waters were held captive by China, claiming them to be prisoners of war. In response, the United States mounted a rescue effort while also striking at the Chinese military installation. Fearing retaliation and to be in a position of strength, both countries sortied their fast-attack submarine fleets.

Danger lurks in the shadows... A place where the brave tread warily... Jack Walker has returned from the rescue of his girlfriend with a small band of survivors. Their harrowing journey from the Middle East included a stop at the CDC where they learned vital information about the ferocious new species that hunt at night. The night runners dominate the landscape and a world turned upside down by the sudden death of billions.

The sanctuary walls were breached and through them poured screaming hordes of night runners. About to be overrun, the survivors formed a last stand against the thousands that threatened to end their existence. Inexplicably, the night runners, who were on the verge of taking one of the last vestiges of humanity, departed, carrying the limp body of Lynn with them.

With war threatening large on the Korean Peninsula, two massive convoys have departed Chinese ports. Dubbed the Northern and Southern invasion fleets, this collection of warships, landing vessels, and merchant ships are aimed straight at the island nation of Taiwan. First though, they must cross the Taiwanese Strait. Past the twelve-mile limit of China’s territorial boundaries, American submarines and bombers are waiting to pounce.

The Organization, as it’s called, is tasked with keeping the nightmares of myth and legend from invading the public eye. The group must be kept a secret along with the fact that the creatures exist. As civilization expands its boundaries, that undertaking becomes more difficult. A very few are selected to stand on the lines between humankind and the horrors lurking in the dark recesses of the world. Follow Jack Walker and Red Team as they’re pulled into the shadows to combat creatures that once kept them awake at night.

In this explosive fourth installment of the popular A Shrouded World Series, Jack is seemingly back from the dead. Mike and Trip are in a desperate bid to help their friend before he falls victim to whatever is plaguing the inhabitants of Valhalla. New enemies are exposed along with new found friends, but will it be enough to stop the tides of time? Follow along, as our heroes embark on their most dangerous quest yet.

Dark clouds gather... A storm is breaking... With the sanctuary built, there is a respite from the nightly night runner assaults. Jack Walker and the group of survivors have bought themselves a little breathing room. Or have they? A peaceful daytime outing turns into yet another nightmare sweeping Robert and Bri up with it. The world has changed. Another danger has emerged. Ferocious packs of night runners still prowl at night and Jack must now locate and rescue his kids.

Leaving Las Vegas, the first novel by John O'Brien, is a disturbing and emotionally wrenching story of a woman who embraces life and a man who rejects it, a powerful tale of hard luck and hard drinking and a relationship of tenderness and destruction. An avowed alcoholic, Ben drinks away his family, friends, and, finally, his job. With deliberate resolve, he burns the remnants of his life and heads for Las Vegas to end it all in the last great binge of his hopeless life.

Jack Walker and the other survivors continue their search for others. Unbeknownst to them, the night runners have initiated their own gathering and, with Michael's leadership, they are adapting. The survivors learn about some of these adaptations and strive to stay one step ahead. Their continued existence depends on it.