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John Gilstrap

    This author explores the tension between professionalism and personal life, where a passion for writing intersects with a deep interest in safety and technical fields. His works often delve into themes of navigating dangerous situations and heroism, reflecting his own frontline experiences as a volunteer firefighter and explosives safety expert. With a narrative style that blends thrilling plots with a deeper examination of human nature, he offers readers immersive experiences. His storytelling frequently features protagonists who operate at the edge of possibility to deliver justice and protection.

    Stealth Attack
    Hellfire
    Total Mayhem
    Final Target
    Friendly Fire
    Scorpion Strike
    • 2024

      Zero Sum

      • 368 pages
      • 13 hours of reading

      The story follows Jonathan Grave, a black-ops veteran, who is driven to take decisive action after a boy under his protection succumbs to a drug overdose. Fueled by grief and anger, he embarks on a mission to wage a real war on drugs, challenging the ineffective methods of the past. This gripping narrative explores themes of vengeance, justice, and the harsh realities of drug-related violence, as Grave confronts the dark underbelly of the drug trade.

      Zero Sum
    • 2023

      The exhilarating new thriller from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author takes readers on an action-packed thrill ride across rural Venezuela. The kidnappers are ruthless. The stakes are high. The odds are impossible. There’s no way Jonathan Grave can say no… “[Gilstrap’s] greatest strength is the ability to blend breathtaking action with deep emotion regarding the characters.” —Jeffery Deaver Henchmen of a vicious drug syndicate have snatched ten missionaries in a remote area of Venezuela and are holding them for ransom. The high-priority rescue op comes as a personal plea from FBI Director Irene Rivers, who has a very special interest in one of the hostages. The mission is strictly off the books, and there can be no international incident. Just get in and get out—and keep the precious cargo safe. With his key operatives Gunslinger and Boxers, Grave infiltrates the enemy camp. Right away, the rescue mission morphs into something far more dangerous—not just to Jonathan and his team, but to the whole world. “I read HARM’S WAY in one sitting, including through dinner. Loved the book! John Gilstrap fast became one of my favorite authors. I look forward to many more good reads like this one.” –Fern Michaels

      Harm's Way
    • 2023

      White Smoke

      • 272 pages
      • 10 hours of reading

      Natural born leader Victoria Emerson, at the request of the deposed president of the U.S., arrives at the Hilltop Manor bunker where the remnants of the U.S. government have been imprisoned, and must call on her deepest personal resources and her unwavering convictions to restore justice to this broken world

      White Smoke
    • 2022

      The exhilarating new thriller from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author takes readers on an action-packed thrill ride from the wilds of Montana to the streets of Mexico, as a sniper attack turns wilderness hunters into the hunted and Grave's enemies stalk him with a vengeance... Hostage rescue expert Jonathan Grave and his fellow special-ops veteran, Boxers, are hunting in Montana when shots ring out, and they realize they've become the prey for assassins. In the crosshairs of unseen shooters, cut off from all communication, with the wind at a blood-freezing chill, the nightmare is just beginning. Because Jonathan and Boxers aren't the only ones under fire. Back in Fisherman's Cove, Virginia, Jonathan's Security Solutions team is fighting for their lives too. A vicious onslaught is clearing the way for a much bigger game by eliminating anyone in the way. If Jonathan and Boxers can make it out of the wilderness alive, the real war will begin

      Lethal Game
    • 2022

      Stephen King’s THE STAND meets ONE SECOND AFTER by William R. Forstchen in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author John Gilstrap’s second pulse-pounding thriller set in the wake of a global conflict that has devastated America. Those who survived live in a world without technology or governance and ruled by the whims of nature. They look to one woman—single mother and former West Virginia Congressperson Victoria Emerson—to lead and protect those determined to rebuild all they have lost… “Engrossing…Fans of doomsday military thrillers will delight in the resilience of Gilstrap’s family of preppers and their quest for survival on their terms.” –Publishers Weekly One-time congressional representative Victoria Emerson has become the leader of a small town in West Virginia, where it’s a struggle just to provide food and shelter. Progress is encouraging—until one morning her son sounds the alarm “Blue Fire!”—the code phrase for imminent danger. A renegade band of National Guardsmen wants to take over the town and steal its resources. They’ve got the firepower to eliminate anyone who puts up a fight. But Victoria swore an oath to defend her people. It’s time to tap into the traditional American values of courage, ingenuity, and patriotism—and fight fire with fire.

      Blue Fire
    • 2021

      Stealth Attack

      • 432 pages
      • 16 hours of reading
      4.2(610)Add rating

      An electrifying new novel from the bestselling author of Crimson Phoenix, perfect for fans of Vince Flynn and Brad Thor! Black Ops veteran Jonathan Grave is back and pursuing two missing American teens kidnapped and hidden in Mexico’s dark underworld…where he finds himself caught in the center of a vendetta he never expected. A BookBub Top Thriller of Summer El Paso, Texas, is a battleground. It’s an open market for Mexican drug cartels to sell their wares. It’s also a destination for teens looking for fun. Venice Alexander’s fourteen-year-old son Roman was there on a school trip. Now, he and a fellow student have vanished without a trace. Assuming the kidnapping is retaliation for his past incursions against Mexico’s crime syndicates, Jonathan Grave leads his covert operatives to rescue their teammate’s son. But the trail Jonathan follows leads him down unexpected paths where he ends up in the crossfire of a deadly vendetta… “[Gilstrap’s] greatest strength is the ability to blend breathtaking action with deep emotion regarding the characters.” —Jeffery Deaver “Gilstrap pushes every thriller button.” —San Francisco Chronicle "A great hero, a really exciting series." —Joseph Finder

      Stealth Attack
    • 2021

      Crimson Phoenix

      • 314 pages
      • 11 hours of reading
      3.9(711)Add rating

      "Victoria Emerson is a congressional member of the U.S. House of Representatives for the state of West Virginia. Her aspirations have always been to help her community and to avoid the ambitious power plays of her peers in Washington D.C. Then Major Joseph McCrea appears on her doorstep and uses the code phrase Crimson Phoenix, meaning this is not a drill. The United States is on the verge of nuclear war. Victoria must accompany McCrea to a secure bunker. She cannot bring her family. A single mother, Victoria refuses to abandon her three teenage sons. Denied entry to the bunker, they nonetheless survive the nuclear onslaught that devastates the country. The land is nearly uninhabitable. Electronics have been rendered useless. Food is scarce. Millions of scared and ailing people await aid from a government that is unable to regroup, much less organize a rescue from the chaos. Victoria devotes herself to reestablishing order - only to encounter the harsh realities required of a leader dealing with desperate people . . ."--Publisher

      Crimson Phoenix
    • 2020

      Hellfire

      • 512 pages
      • 18 hours of reading
      4.2(36)Add rating

      “A great hero, a really exciting series.” —Joseph Finder For hostage rescue specialist Jonathan Grave, every mission is a matter of life or death. But he faces his most personal challenge yet when two boys are abducted while being driven to Resurrection House, the school Jonathan founded as a sanctuary for children of incarcerated parents. The boys were entrusted to Jonathan’s care. Now they’re missing. It’s time to fight fire with fire . . . The boys’ mom, Connie Kendall, is awaiting trial on drug smuggling charges. Prosecutors want her to testify against the brutal Cortez Cartel to help bring down their ruthless operations. If she cooperates, she’ll get an easier sentence. But with her kids in the grip of the cartel, her lips are sealed. As Jonathan and his team of skilled operatives close in on the kidnappers, they realize that their enemies aren’t just hell-bent on selling drugs. Rival factions have even deadlier agendas. The clock is ticking on an attack that could kill thousands in a single breath. And it’s almost zero hour . . . “If you like Vince Flynn and Brad Thor, you’ll love John Gilstrap.” —Gayle Lynds “When you pick up a Gilstrap novel, one thing is always true—you are going to be entertained at a high rate of speed.” —Suspense Magazine

      Hellfire
    • 2019

      Total Mayhem

      • 512 pages
      • 18 hours of reading
      4.2(63)Add rating

      In bestselling author John Gilstrap’s ticking time bomb of a thriller, freelance operative Jonathan Grave penetrates a terrorist cell to stop the detonation of total mayhem on home ground . . . America is under fire. One by one, simultaneous terror attacks have left the country reeling. The perpetrators are former Special Forces operatives working for ISIS. Jonathan Grave and his team are called to go undercover and eliminate the traitors. No need to collect intel. No need for arrest. Wipe them out—and get out. The assaults are rehearsals for extreme disaster. A plot codenamed Retribution. One terrorist is willing to talk—for a price. Grave’s only resort is to slip into a dark web where everything can be exposed. Where the rules of engagement do not hold. The bombs have been set and Grave is the one being hunted. Unless he can save himself first, a terrorist plot of unimaginable scope will become history’s deadliest disaster . . .

      Total Mayhem
    • 2018

      Scorpion Strike

      • 362 pages
      • 13 hours of reading
      4.4(20)Add rating

      An island paradise held hostage. A band of dangerous killers unleashed. A sinister plot that could push the superpowers to the brink of war. The perfect formula for explosive suspense in John Gilstrap's electrifying new Jonathan Grave thriller . . . For Jonathan Grave and Gail Bonneville, the Crystal Sands Resort is the perfect getaway--until gunshots shatter the night. Wealthy guests are yanked out of their sleep, herded like animals, forced to submit to their captors' demands. But Jonathan and Gail are no ordinary vacationers. The assassins who invade their bungalow receive a deadly surprise. And two determined, skilled operatives escape into the jungle. Jonathan and Gail are not the only free agents on the island. Cut off from his usual tactical team, with a pair of unlikely allies he can't fully trust, Grave's only hope of reliable back-up is his partner Boxers, who's hundreds of miles--and hours--away. It won't be long before the invaders turn this tropical paradise into the powderkeg that will set off global chaos. Grave may be without weapons, but he's never without resources. Bold action is the only solution. Like the scorpion, Grave must strike fast and hard . . .

      Scorpion Strike