The Survivor - Gregg Hurwitz

[Luanne Ollivier]

  The Survivor is Gregg Hurwitz'slatest book - following on the heels of his previous bestseller - You're Next.

The Survivor is one of the thriller books I love to devour - everyday, little guy put into an untenable situation with everything on the line. Fun escapist reading, akin to watching movies such as Die Hard.

In this case, Nate Overbay is our everyday guy. He had it all - a wife and daughter he loved dearly. Deployed to Afghanistan, he returned a changed man. Five years on, he suffers from PTSD, and is unable to be the husband and father he once was. He has separated from his wife Janie and daughter Cielle (who I did find more than a little annoying). And, just to add insult to injury, he's been diagnosed with ALS - Lou Gehrig's Disease - a fatal pronouncement.

The opening chapters find Nate on the ledge of a downtown bank, ready to end it all. He's got one foot over the edge, ready to leap when six masked men invade the bank. They're after something in the vault but don't care who they shoot to get to it. Nate's military training and conscience kick in - he can't watch this massacre and do nothing. Back into the bank he goes - and he manages to take down five of the six. But the sixth man promises he will regret his actions as he escapes.

When his family is threatened, Nate vows to protect them at all costs. And there's nothing more dangerous than a man who is already carrying a death sentence.

Hurwitz has crafted a page turning thriller that you'll end up devouring in no time flat. (I did!) The action is non-stop and the tension ratchets up as the stakes grow higher and higher. Over the top? Yes, in parts it is, but go with it, it's a heck of a good escapist piece of fiction. You'll find yourself on the edge of your seat, urging Nate on. Hurwitz does blend in enough emotional scenes to grab at our heartstrings on the way as well.

Read an excerpt of The Survivor. You can find Hurwitz on Facebook and on Twitter.