Audiobook Review – The Mad Mick by Franklin Horton @jfranklinhorton

The Mad Mick by Franklin Horton
Narrated by Kevin Pierce
Series: The Mad Mick Series #1
Publisher: Franklin Horton
Publication Date: October 23, 2018
Date Read: November 21, 2018
Length:  6 hours 56 minutes
Source: Audiobook Boom
★★★★☆

Conor Maguire nearly lost his daughter Barb when she was three years old, injured by the drunk driver that killed his wife. When the justice system failed him, Conor – the son and grandson of IRA bombers – retaliated against the driver in dramatic and gruesome fashion. While an ironclad alibi prevented the police from pinning the murder on Conor, it did not prevent a covert agency within the US government from recruiting the talented young bomber and machinist.

For over 25 years, Conor designed and built custom weapons of death and destruction at his compound in the mountains of Virginia. Then a series of devastating terror attacks brought down the United States. Conor and Barb assumed they were safe in their secure compound. They had food and a water source. They were armed and highly-trained. Then Barb was kidnapped.

The kidnappers, needing slave labor for their farm, didn’t know why Conor was known as “The Mad Mick”. They didn’t know the fear and respect his name invoked in the shadowy world of covert operations. They didn’t know that when it came to protecting his family, he was without conscience, without compassion, and without equal.

But they would soon find out.

Amazon | Audible

I thought that this was very well done.  I had heard some good things about Franklin Horton’s writing and was in the mood for a post-apocalyptic story so I was thrilled to get the chance to listen to the first book in the Mad Mick series.  This was a pretty quick read for me but I think that one of the things that made it feel like such a quick read was the fact that I didn’t want to stop listening once I started.  I was completely entertained by this story.

This book is set in a place where everyone is on their own after a terrorist attack takes down the United States.  Conor and his daughter, Barb, are doing okay and can deal with most situations.  That is until Barb is kidnapped by a group that uses women as slave labor among other things.  Barb is outnumbered and must think of the other women in the group that were also taken.  Barb knows that her dad will come for her and just tries to hold out until then.

I thought that the set up of this book was really well done.  It was very clear who the bad guys were in this story but I liked that fact that we are given some background for them so that we can understand their motivation.  Conor is a great character and I love the fact that he is willing to work in some grey areas when that is what is necessary.  Barb was tough and smart and more than able to handle herself.  I also thought that Ragus really stood out to me and I think that his character had the most growth over the course of the story.  He was really the hero of the story in so many ways.

This was the first time that I have had the chance to Kevin Pierce’s narration but I really enjoyed his work.  I think that he did a fantastic job with a wide range of characters and I thought that the dialogue sounded quite natural.  This was an exciting story and I thought that his presentation really added to the tone of the book.  He has a very pleasant voice that was really easy to listen to for hours at a time.

I would recommend this series to others.  I thought that this was an exciting book set in a world where surviving can be a struggle and neighbors can prove to be deadly.  I can’t wait to read more of Franklin Horton’s work!

I received a review copy of this audiobook from the author/narrator via Audiobook Boom.

About the Author

Franklin Horton lives and writes in the mountains of southwestern Virginia. He attended Virginia Intermont College and Virginia Commonwealth University. In his spare time he pursues outdoor adventures with his wife and two children. His interests include camping, kayaking, backpacking, mountain biking, and shooting.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter

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