When Revenge Sparks Danger — Karma is Hell!When her fiancé is injured in Afghanistan, Harper Drake immerses herself in the military. Now, as NCIS Director, she heads a secret faction, fighting corruption and terrorism—until she’s abducted by a trafficking cartel.Wyatt Rose can’t overcome his loss—especially after his sister’s murder. When the New Patriots recruit him, he finds a traumatized girl … traumatized girl that spirals him into a rabbit hole of conspiracy, drug smugglers, and slavery.
Obsessed with revenge, can a ghost save Wyatt and Harper before her rage explodes, or will she spin them all through the gates of Hell?
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***** Bravo!
What a powerful sequel! From the very first paragraph, I was hooked. Why wouldn’t I be? I was instantly plunged into the horrific world of child trafficking, with heart breaking details of what it’s really like for those kidnapped children––in particular, two sisters––who have to deal with fear, hunger, loss of family, drugs inserted into their systems––only to end up as sex slaves to strange, wealthy men.
When one of the sisters, Hanna, manages to escape, she sets in motion an intricate plot to try and save not only her sister, Sarah, but also the other children in dire need of help.
But what also grabbed me besides the authentic lingo, fine, descriptive prose, and action packed scenes was the great cast of characters, with all their intricate layers. There’s Wyatt and Emily Rose, who are the siblings of Alyssa, murdered in the first book. Wyatt is a wounded warrior, permanently scarred both physically and psychologically from an IED explosion in Afghanistan.
Harper Drake is the director of NCIS, assigned to this case, along with Emily Rose and other team members. But she’s more than that. Apparently, after Wyatt mysteriously broke off his relationship with Harper years ago in Afghanistan, it has left her wanting.
Yet all of this is just the tip of the iceberg. Turns out that although Emily and Wyatt’s sister, Alyssa Rose, is dead, her ghost is most definitely alive and well. As the crack team plots out a way to get inside this vicious ring of pedophiles, I was curious to see how Ms McLean would work the paranormal into an otherwise gritty story. She did it beautifully, and as the squad zeroes in on the nasty culprits, Alyssa makes her own discoveries––and goes for big time revenge.
Bravo! Highly recommended.
I love this book! I love Casi’s writing style, I love the characters…I love the very premise of the story! It is SO unique! Plenty of action and interesting characters. Glad I read it!
What a great story! A little of everything, even paranormal, but it will went together beautifully. I love a strong woman and Harper is that. My criteria for a good book is: Do I care what happens to the characters? This was a definite yes! And secondly, Do I think about it during the day and look forward to getting back to it? Unreserved yes on both counts. You’re in for a treat with this one!
The List: Alyssa’s Revenge is the sequel to Reign of Fire, and is the second in the Deep State mystery/thriller series. There are five main characters: Emily Rose, an investigate reporter; Ashton Frasier, a detective and Emily’s love interest; Wyatt Rose, Emily’s brother, a severely injured veteran of Afghanistan; Harper Drake, the director of a shadowy group known as the New Patriots, who is also Wyatt’s boss and former lover, and Alyssa, Wyatt and Emily’s murdered sister, who is now a ghost.
Early in the book, Hanna, a young girl who was kidnapped by a child sex trafficking ring, manages to escape, with Alyssa’s help. Allyssa guides Hannah to a canoe, where she glides down a river and into the New Patriot’s secret den. From there, the good guys are on the case.
I liked this book a lot. The protagonists are well-rounded, with plenty of problems and obstacles to overcome. The bad guys are really bad, perhaps stereotypically so. There is romance, action and a conspiracy to influence the government of the United States at the highest level. It all moved briskly along to a very satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended.
His legs blown by a bomb, Wyatt has broken his engagement with the love of his life, Harper, so as not to burden her with having to care for him. But equally as painful for him is his failure to connect to his dead sister’s spirit.
Alyssa appears to Harper, and helps rescue an enslaved child, Hanna, from her abductors and guide her to safety. Wyatt hates being blind to Alyssa’s veiled presence. “Why would she communicate to Em and Hanna but not him?”
Harper “had seen terrors beyond what anyone should have to endure in Iran and Afganistan, but the thought of what that child had suffered made her stomach heave.” As director of NCIS, her mind revolves around facts and visible proof, so the thought about paranormal visions is foreign to her — until encountering Alyssa, who may not live in the same world as Harper, but never stops looking out for her.
In a web of conspiracy, drug smugglers, and child slavery, Wyatt and Harper must figure out the murky finances of the Association. They need to figure out who backs the Deep State. Can a ghost save them before succumbing to her own rage?
Wow, this second book in the Deep State Mystery series is not only timely but feels like it could be a front page of current events. Ms. McClean has touched a nerve in today’s world where there is so much deception and abhorrent criminal activity. While members of the deep state are involved in sex and child trafficking, it is up to Harper and a selected group of patriots to stop these horrific crimes that has touched her team. Wyatt, her former lover who has left her life abruptly due to a war injury-a bad war injury-has joined her team with his own set of unique skills needed to round out her squad. Wyatt is dealing with pain, loss and a sense of failure from all sides but his deep patriotic connection to Harper’s team and to Harper, makes him an asset. Love story, war story, sex/child trafficking story, this fast-paced novel will keep you up at night until you turn the last page.
This is the second book I’ve read in the Deep State Mystery series and I can’t wait to read the rest!
Wyatt Rose thought the worst thing he had to deal with was his sister, Alyssa, being murdered by a Deep State operative. While working for the New Patriots with his ex-fiancé Harper, he discovers a drug and human trafficking cartel right in his own backyard. Suddenly, he and Harper are working closer than they did when fighting in Afghanistan. When Harper is kidnapped, feelings long buried unfurl from deep inside. Can his sister help bring down the cartel from the great beyond or will Alyssa’s rage put them all in mortal danger?
The List: Alyssa’s Revenge takes on two very important criminal activities threatening our society: drug trafficking and human slavery. Casi McLean takes us on an incredible journey through the underbelly of society. Showing us what happens when a fifteen-year-old gets kidnapped and caught in the web of human trafficking with no filters makes this a must-read. The characterizations are spot-on and the evil oozes from the pages. Characters so real and accurately portrayed, you’d think you were experiencing it for yourself. The plot moves at a quick pace with plenty of action to appease any thriller fan. The supernatural sub-plot really spoke to me and I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait for the next book in the series. Highly recommend!
Favorite Character/Quote:
Wyatt. My heart goes out to him with all he has to deal with. His honesty when talking about what a soldier who comes back injured has to go through is raw, edgy and spot-on. His fierce love for his sisters as well as Harper is heart-wrenching. A hero every woman will swoon over.
My Rating: 5+ stars
What a sequel!
This story is number two in the deep state mystery series and it’s more hard hitting than the first one.
Human trafficking and pharmaceuticals are a big part of this story. The characters are well defined.
Its riveting and nail biting from start to finish and couldnt put it down until the end
Loved reading The List, Casi McLean’s second book in the Deep State Mysteries. I am familar with this author and her work and I am never disappointed. The ghost-driver thrillers features an entering plot and believable characters with vivid description. Ig you love paranormal thrillers, this one is for you!
The Deep State Conspiracy Deepens
“The List: Alyssa’s Revenge” by Casi McLean is the second book in the Deep State Mystery series. This compelling sequel is a ghost-driven high stakes thriller that dwells deeper into the secret society that caused Alyssa’s death.
Hanna, a sixteen-year-old, escapes from a human trafficking ring, vowing to get help for the others held captive and continuously abused. Outside her prison, Alyssa’s ghost aids Hanna and directs her down the river to where the New Patriots, an NCIS faction dealing with terrorism and corruption, are stationed. Wyatt, Alyssa’s brother, is a member of the New Patriots. He finds the traumatized teenager.
Harper, Wyatt’s prior girlfriend, is the Director of the New Patriots. Even though Wyatt ended their relationship after he was injured in the Afghanistan war, she still loves him. Sparks fly inside Wyatt when he’s around Harper. He refuses to act on his feelings toward her in order not to burden her with his physical injuries and mental damage he suffered in the war and the loss of his sister that continues to haunt him.
With the assistance of Alyssa’s strong-willed ghost, Wyatt and Harper along with his sister and her detective boyfriend work to track down the trafficking ring and tackle Alyssa’s list. In the process of their investigation, Harper is abducted. Can they find her before it’s too late? Can Wyatt overcome the demons that torment his existence?
“The List: Alyssa’s Revenge” captivates the reader immediately and is an exhilarating read to the very end. The author, Casi McLean, has created a winning thriller with well-defined characters that readers will care about along with a gallery of villains that readers will hate. This engaging story will appeal to fans of political intrigue, crime, ghost, and romance novels alike. Highly recommended.
The List is an all round great read. It manages to hit all the best themes and genres – political thriller, ghost story, romance, wounded warrior, human trafficking, – and it does it so well that it doesn’t feel crowded or gratuitous.
This story has great characters, a tight and carefully plotted story line that rarely gives you a chance to catch your breath, all the suspense you can handle and a feel good ending that begs a movie presentation just so the audience can cheer in the aisles.
I started the book without realizing it was volume 2 of a series (yes, I know. I should have read the blurb) but fortunately it didn’t matter. The plot and characters are mostly self-contained, although you can bet I’ll be picking up the first book so I can get the back stories, just as soon as my heart rate gets back to normal from the thrill ride this one offered.
If you’re looking for a book that’s a little bit of everything and a great story to boot, this should be your next read.
This book is so gripping and totally impossible to put down, I read deep into the night and was captivated throughout. I really like Casi McLean’s writing style because it is easy to read no matter how dark and dangerous the storyline gets. I love how she doesn’t shy away from difficult topics and ideas and this book is no exception.
The plot is intriguing, engaging and never predictable, just when you think you know what will happen next something twists and everything changes again. I love the concept and how well the different and yet connected strands are woven seamlessly together. I also love that plot line is complex without becoming impossible to keep track of.
I really engaged with the characters in this book. I love Harper’s strength and empathy. I like her courage in the face of danger and also in those everyday moments too. Wyatt is a fantastic character and his journey is really moving. It also shows how much self-belief matters.
This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster throughout but it was an amazing read. I thoroughly recommend it as a must read.
Love this book. Love this series. I couldn’t put it down at all.
Five star book. Highly recommend. Kept me pulled into it.
The story opens on the horrific scene of a child abduction. Hannah was lured by a man she should never have trusted and eventually finds herself captured and used in a sex trade ring the spreads across the country.
After months of torture, she manages to escape-leaving her sister behind- and meets a kind stranger (Alyssa) who directs her to safety.
When war veteran Wyatt’s dog leads him to a distraught child hidden in the bushes along the bank of the Potomac, he carries her to his organization’s secret hideaway in order to get her the help she needs and soon learns of the girl’s connection to his deceased sister, Alyssa.
NCIS Director Harper Drake leads a secret faction known as the New Patriots whose goal it is to fight terrorism and corruption. When her ex-fiancé, Wyatt’s, ghost appears and guides her toward the child traffickers, the risks amp up to a new and dangerous level.
The author tackles several tough subjects; war injuries, physcological issues (PTSD), child trafficking, abuse, national safety, but what appealed the most for me was Harper and Wyatt’s journey. They’ve both been through a lot and it’s left scars that take love and trust to overcome.
A page-turning read!
A fantastic supernatural story!
As the title implies, there is some payback coming in this well written thriller. For anyone who is sensitive to human/child trafficking, this story is about that. As someone who has personal experience in this matter, it took a huge amount of strength to keep holding on and reading. If this is you, though, please do read the entire book. Moving forward for survivors is hard, and it’s easy to be triggered, but please don’t let that best you. The end is empowering and so worth the angst. It’s actually helped me to remove my hesitation with anything that brings it all back. In fact, I’m going to read it again! I highly recommend this book!
This is the second audiobook I listened to by this author and I was memorized by the story and understand how Wyatt was having a hard time after his horrible injury in Afghanistan and the tragic death of his sister he loses his self worth. With the help of his previous love, Harper who was also in the military and is now the the NCIS Director and the ghost of his sister, Alyssa they work on saving children and Wyatt. I do believe in guardian angels.
The List: Alyssa’s Revenge
(Deep State Mysteries Book 2)
Casi McLean
The List is the second in the Deep State Mystery series, with a flair of the supernatural mixed with a bit of suspense; will have the readers coming back for more. An engaging story with hard-hitting suspense and astonishing evens; grabs the readers from page one. The readers will be moved by the storyline; which is filled with political intrigue, crime, ghost, and romance; hits this one out of the park.
Be prepared to go on an emotional ride, that totally sucks the reader in and has the pages turning in this amazing book where; intrigue and suspense, romance and strong friendships are pulled together in a well written story by an amazing author. Ms. Casi McLean has a great writing talent for spinning a tale and creating awesome characters with undeniable chemistry, that work well together. It is suggested to read Reign of Fire, book 1 of the Deep State Mysteries series, first; but it is not necessary.
I really loved and enjoyed this book; I was not able to put the book down all day, the best page-turner. I appreciate it, when the good guys cause chaos and misery for the bad guys! I cannot wait for the next one. I now have, another new author to be proud of reading. Thank you, Ms. McLean for sharing this excellent work with us; deserving of a 5-star rating. Well Done!!
Paranormal Suspense
Omg! Human trafficking, pharmaceuticals, … this book has everything. I could not put it down. Harper and Wyatt’s chemistry is undeniable. I can’t wait to see how Alyssa’s power advances.
This is the first book of the author’s I have read and looking forward to reading her other stories. This one kept me on the edge of my seat.
a story that involves child sex trafficking, drugs, international espionage, murder and mayhem. A story that involves an NCIS team that knows how to get the job done and doesn’t take no for an answer. Add in some romance and strong friendships, paranormal, lots of action and drama – be prepared to go on an emotional ride – this one brought tears to my eyes. Highly suggest you read book 1 of this series. Casi McLean certainly knows how to spin a tale and has created some awesome characters.