The Manuscript
Authors: Russell Blake
The Delphi Chronicle
Russell Blake
© 2011
Rave reviews for Russell Blake books:
"The best thriller I've ever read. How often do you hear a review say that? Well. that's what I'm saying. Other reviews describing it as near perfection and incredibly well written aren't lying. Russell Blake is on par with the biggest names in the business. And I mean Grisham, Turrow, Ludlum, Forsyth, Brown. The plot is intricate and completely unexpected at every turn. Al Ross is a hateful, extremely well-written character with believable complexity and nuance, plunged into a global conspiracy nightmare he's ill-equipped to survive. Don't want to spoil the end, but it's a barn-burner. Overall, the best read ever."
jennifer989
"The artistry in this work as the brush strokes build layers, brings you to wonder if something like this could be true! That's the work of a true artist. Many works of fiction have a main character that is so scrubbed up that he no longer resembles a human male. No problems with this one. You start out despising him, then start to feel sorry for him, until finally you almost like him and wish him well - although that outcome seems unlikely, the way the story develops. This is almost a 'How to..' for budding writers. How to write without one word or one sentence that could be edited out! Tight narrative, great story, scary scenario. I almost never give five stars, but this has earned it!"
K. McDicken
"Russell Blake is fast becoming my favorite new author. Take an unlikely main character, a scarily probable conspiracy, a government run amok, cocaine dealers, commandos, whores, a burro, and a tightly meshed action/intrigue plot, and you have what to me is the most original thriller of the year. I don't want to spoil the ending but it completely blew me away, and how the suspense was sustained to the last few pages as a surprise was great. I loved Fatal Exchange and had tears of laughter running down my face for How to Sell A Gazillion Ebooks, and now spent a big chunk of my night reading till 4AM to get to the end of Geronimo Breach. Highest recommendation for a highly original and entertaining novel."
Semi-Used
"Okay, I'm from the other side of the pond (you can find most of my reviews and on the UK site) and I'm not a patient/forgiving reader if the writer confuses me or dawdles in their narrative. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself going along with the easy style and broad strokes of the narrative. The plot is very skillfully contrived but the real art I found was in the affinity I found myself unable to resist with the down-on-his-life main character, Al. I also love burros after following Al's steady transition as he encounters hurdle after hurdle. I laughed aloud in some scenes (I won't spoil it) when Al is, let's say...compromised. I loved the ending but also wished the story hadn't ended - so for that reason I'm taking the trouble to recommend it."
Write Into Print
For the "
Zero Sum trilogy
"
"Blake's latest is absolutely amazing. I literally could not put down my Kindle until I finished all three books in the trilogy! Russell Blake has a very unique talent at painting a beautiful story with words, and the Zero Sum trilogy practically reads like poetry. 5 stars aren't enough to rate this wonderful trilogy: 10 stars would be more accurate!"
Amber Norrgard
"Russell Blake's Zero Sum Trilogy is truly amazing. I initially downloaded Book 1 because it was free and before I was done I had purchased the Book 2 & 3 bundle. This is my first time reading a book from Russell Blake and I felt privileged to have found a book written so intelligently with such a powerful impact.
Nicolas Griffen is a character that you will grow to despise. A Wall Street financier associated with organized crime and government agencies using the stock market to make huge amounts of money to the detriment of others. Dr. Steven Archer is determined to stop this activity by publishing a website to expose Griffen and his associates for what they really are. When he is discovered to be the owner of the website life is forever changed as he is now the target to be destroyed.
This trilogy will take you on a extremely fast paced and unexpected roller coaster ride of the fight between good and evil. Zero Sum is an addicting complex thriller that you will not be able to put down. I highly recommend this book, it is writing at it's best.
I look forward to reading more from Russell Blake."
Marilou George (The Kindle Book Review)
"I read a review of the Zero Sum trilogy on Steven Konkoly's blog, and then several reviews here, so I took the plunge. I mean, I don't know a put from a call (though I did get a short lesson from Mr. Blake when I mentioned that) but that didn't stop me from enjoying this thrill ride. I was recuperating from a medical procedure, so I read all three books over the weekend. I even kept a map of one of the locations open on the computer and that made the story all the more vivid. The hero was smart, made good use of his resources, yet still kept a bit of naïveté that had some almost disastrous results. There was a bit of irony at the end, but it worked. I'd like to see more of Steven Archer..."
Ms. Nancy L. Barth
For "
Fatal Exchange
"
"Fatal Exchange is a page-turning roller coaster ride of action, adventure and thrills. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this presumably debut offering from Russell Blake. It's an awesome read. I couldn't put it down, and stayed up all night to finish it, no exaggeration. Six Stars, if they had that high a review!"
Katherina J.
"This is a book that took me completely by surprise. I thought I'd give it a shot based on the Amazon description and 5 star reviews, and it quickly became a page turner I couldn't put down. The plot is complex, sort of like a Forsyth or Ludlum, and the characters are gripping. It's a real novel. Can't wait to see what Blake does next."
Anthony M.
"A woman on the airplane sitting next to me was entranced with the book and recommended it to me, and I have to say it's a great read by a complete unknown. Kind of like caramel pop-corn in the guilty pleasure department. It tastes so good you don't want to stop munching. A must read for action or intrigue junkies."
David A.
"Fatal Exchange is a gritty," edge of your seat" thriller by first time author Russell Blake. The author cleverly combines a well paced, CSI styled crime thriller, with a "no holds barred", plausible international conspiracy. […] I can honestly say, that if I could find more books like Fatal Exchange, I would be left with absolutely no reason to read some of the "Brand" name authors on the market today."
Steven K.
"This book is in a class by itself. The main plot of the book is exciting and scary (and maybe a little graphic). The pacing is fast, the descriptions are visceral and the twists are unexpected."
Stacy K.
For
"
King of Swords
"
“I've read Blake's other books so when I saw he'd just released a new one I snapped it up. Nothing could have prepared me for what King of Swords was like. In fact, I can't think of any other book that I've read that's like it.
It takes place in Mexico and follows the hunt for a super assassin who's out to kill the Mexican and American Presidents. But it's so much more than that. It's depictions of the cartel violence are uncomfortable and graphic and put you on the ground in the thick of the danger. It's an epic story in every sense, with more twists and surprises than the Da Vinci Code. It moves so fast it leaves you exhausted. About a third of the way through I realized that this isn't only a book or only a thriller. This is something more. I don't know how else to describe it but OMG.”
Andfur
“If there's one Blake book you should read (and that's just crazy talk... buy and read all of them, they're wonderful!), make it the King of Swords. It grips your mind and pulls you into the story immediately, and doesn't let go until the very end. The twist and turns continue until the very last page.
If there was any way for Russell Blake to trump his previous excellent novels, this is it
.
.”
Amber Norrgard
“Russell Blake's latest, King of Swords, is described in the product description as "epic" "gritty" and "a rule-breaking rush." What I can say after reading it is that the description radically underplayed it. This is simply one of the best books I've read. I could write pages to describe all the twists and unexpected shocks but it would be a waste of time. Anyone considering reading it should prepare for an amazing ride that will jar, sicken, fascinate and delight. Unbelievable achievement.”
Jennifer989
Excerpts from Russell Blake’s books
King of Swords
By Russell Blake
King of Swords
is an epic assassination thriller set in present-day Mexico. Captain Romero Cruz of the Federal Police must find and stop "El Rey" - the King of Swords, a faceless super-assassin targeting the U.S. and Mexican presidents - before he can turn the upcoming G-20 financial summit into a slaughterhouse. A gritty, unflinching, roller-coaster.
Go to
the King of Swords excerpt
The Geronimo Breach
By Russell Blake
The Geronimo Breach
is a breakneck-paced thrill ride that pits a despicable protagonist against the world's deadliest adversaries. When a pilfered object goes missing, he unwittingly becomes the object of a murderous jungle manhunt to retrieve a stolen secret so shocking it would alter the world's balance of power.
Go to
The Geronimo Breach
excerpt
About the Author
Russell Blake lives full time on the Pacific coast of Mexico. He is the acclaimed author of the thrillers:
Fatal Exchange
,
The Geronimo Breach
, the
Zero Sum
trilogy (
Kotov Syndrome
,
Focal Point
and
Checkmate
),
The Delphi Chronicle
trilogy,
King of Swords
and
Night of the Assassin
.
Non-fiction novels include the international bestseller
An Angel With Fur
(animal biography) and
How To Sell A Gazillion eBooks (while drunk, high or incarcerated)
– a joyfully vicious parody of all things writing and self-publishing related.
“Capt.” Russell, 52, enjoys writing, fishing, playing with his dogs, collecting and sampling tequila, and waging an ongoing battle against world domination by clowns.
The Delphi Chronicle serial trilogy is a work of fiction. Any similarity to persons living or dead is completely coincidental. Historical events and public figures have been used liberally throughout, however it is not the author’s intention to claim that any of the events portrayed herein are factual.
Copyright © 2011 by Russell Blake
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law, or in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, contact
[email protected].