Storm Rising by Chris Hauty

Storm Rising is the third book by Chris Hauty with Hayley Chill as the protagonist. At Men Reading books, we’ve raved about the first two novels, Deep State and Savage Road. See our reviews in this blog of both books. In this third novel, Chill takes on a US based group that wants to secede from the union, and the means of achieving this are carefully hidden through a very clever plot. But, Hayley, a part of an unnamed group that is hell bent on protecting the Constitution, seems to be every where at once, leaving dead bodies in her wake. It’s a disturbing series of events to her own “deeper state” bosses, but even more so to the forces that want to see her dead.

At the outset of this book, I thought there was something cheesy about it, and Hayley reminds me of Dirk Pitt from the Clive Cussler series. I loved Dirk Pitt, but Hayley is more than that. Pitt was always a rather two-dimensional character, and Hayley is portrayed as much more than. She struggles with her dedication to her job and country, and what that commitment means to having any real emotional balance in her life. 

 

I can’t say I didn’t put this book down, but I did read it over the course of a couple days – very eager to see what the author had in store for his characters. I hope Hauty has plans for more Chill stories.

 

Thanks to Emily Bestler Books for the advance reader copy.