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Lance Charnes
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South: A Near-Future Thriller Kindle Edition

by Lance Charnes (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 9 ratings
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Luis Ojeda owes his life to the Pacifico Norte cartel. Literally. Now it’s time to pay.

Luis helped American Muslims escape the U.S. during the ten years following a major terrorist attack on Chicago. He retired after a border guard left him near death. Now in 2032, the Nortes give Luis a choice: pay back the fortune they spent saving his life, or take on a special client: Nora Khaled.

Nora – FBI agent, mother, and Muslim – knows her husband will be exiled to one of the nation’s remote prison camps to rot with over 400,000 other Muslim Americans. Faced with her family’s destruction, she’s forced to turn to Luis, the kind of man she’s spent her career bringing to justice.

But when the FBI publicly accuses Nora of terrorism, Luis learns Nora has proof that the nation’s recent history is based on a lie – a lie that reaches to the government’s highest levels.

Torn between self-preservation and the last shreds of his idealism, Luis guides Nora and her family toward refuge in civil war-wracked Mexico. The FBI, a dogged ICE agent, killer drones, bandits, and the fearsome Zeta cartel all plan to stop him. Success might free Luis from the Nortes… but failure means disappearing into a black-site prison, or a gruesome death for them all.

In a day-after-tomorrow America where government has been downsized and outsourced into irrelevance, and none but the very wealthy few can afford hopes or dreams, Luis and Nora must learn to trust each other to ensure the survival of the truth – and of the people they love.
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  1. Print length
    417 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    October 27, 2013
  4. File size
    2.7 MB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
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  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"South is a riveting work of action/adventure suspense that is a real page-turner of a novel. Author Lance Charnes demonstrates a truly impressive knack for deftly creating a complex and thoroughly engaging story that grabs and holds the reader's rapt attention from beginning to end..." -- Midwest Book Review

"South is a compelling futuristic thriller, as convincing a cautionary novel as Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale was in its day (and arguably still is)...these were real people forced to live in terrible times, and I was only too happy to cheer them on--or cry over their tragedies--as the novel raced to its conclusion." -- CriminalElement.com

"You will find no better dystopian thriller than South by Lance Charnes for a host of reasons. If you're a reader, you'll love the literary thrill ride. If you're a sci-fi fan, you'll find the near-future unique and realistic... If you love flesh-and-blood characters, this story packs them in. If you love plot twists, try to figure out the alliances in this one." -- Seeley James, author of The Geneva Decision

From the Author

South takes place in a world that isn't the product of an epidemic, war or zombie apocalypse. Rather, it comes about through our own choices, and the things we allow to happen. It may not seem very exotic to you...but I hope you'll find it all too plausible, and that much more disturbing.

Other books you may like:

Standalone thrillers
Doha 12 (international espionage)

DeWitt Agency Adventures (action/adventure)
Zrada
Engaño

The DeWitt Agency Files (crime/caper)
The Collection
Stealing Ghosts
Chasing Clay

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00G8VW8PK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wombat Group Media; 2nd edition (October 27, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 27, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.7 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 417 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

About the author

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Lance Charnes

Lance Charnes

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I've been an Air Force intelligence officer, information technology manager, computer-game artist, set designer, Jeopardy! contestant, and now an emergency management specialist. I've had training in architectural rendering, terrorist incident response, and maritime archaeology, although not all at the same time. My Facebook author page features spies, archaeology, and art crime.

There are lots of ways to keep tabs on me and my novels. The easiest is to click on the big "Follow" button at the top of this bio. If you want to find additional material, reading group guides, deleted scenes, and book and TV reviews I've written, try these places:

Official Website: https://www.wombatgroup.com

- Want a free e-book? Come to my website to tell me where to send it.

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Lance.Charnes.Author

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/lcharnes

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
9 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book suspenseful and action-packed. They describe the story as engrossing with great characters and a believable twist on an ugly future.

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SuspensefulCharacter development
7 customers mention "Suspenseful"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the suspenseful and action-packed story of South. They find the characters relatable and the believable twist on an ugly future engaging. The book is described as an exciting adventure with plenty of action and gore without being gratuitous.

"...These well-crafted elements combine to wrap you up in the story until the very end...." Read more

"...It's about survival, though. While there is plenty of action & some gore, none of it is gratuitous...." Read more

"...frighteningly possible near-future scenario in the form of an action-packed thriller...." Read more

"...The story is so engrossing it is impossible to put down. Some of my favorite writes are James Rollins, Brad Thor and the late Vince Flynn...." Read more

4 customers mention "Character development"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the character development.

"...The writing, story, & characters are just wonderful, though. The characters tell the story through their actions & hard decisions...." Read more

"...Don't let the pace of it fool you, however... Charnes also creates characters that are sympathetic and well-rounded...." Read more

"...Lots of suspense and the characters will really get to you, make you care about them big time." Read more

"...A near futuristic thriller with great characters and a believable twist on an ugly future. It will be a hard search to find a better value novel...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • James S. MacLachlan
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great adventure in the near future
    Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Not really SF, just near future US, 20 years from now. Charnes projects a lot of what's going wrong now into a really bad America. Health care is almost nonexistent for anyone except the rich. Privatization of public works & utilities has resulted in monopolies that make most services too expensive. A lot has gone bad & it's all too possible. That's why this took me so long to read. The world is just too real, horrible, & plausible. It's plain depressing. I often couldn't work up the courage to read it before going to bed, so read it only by the light of day with all its distractions.

    The writing, story, & characters are just wonderful, though. The characters tell the story through their actions & hard decisions. People aren't good or bad, they're just people trying to get by. Some do really bad things for what they consider good reasons & good things when they know they shouldn't. It's about survival, though.

    While there is plenty of action & some gore, none of it is gratuitous. There is a bit of sex, but it's off screen between a married couple. There are the results of rape, drug addiction, & torture, but only a little is center action.

    As depressing as the world was, once I got half way through, I had trouble putting the book down. My lunch hour (I usually only take 30 minutes.) went over an hour today. I got home & HAD to finish. Glad I did. There is some hope, but all is not rosy. The ending is as well done as the rest.

    This is a standalone, so you can read it before or after Charnes' other book. I highly suggest you read both if you like spy thrillers. You can't do better. I rarely give this genre 5 stars, but this one deserves it. I'll keep an eye out for another book by Charnes. We're not friends here on GR, but we do belong to a group or two together, so I'm sure I'll see an announcement. Can't wait!
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  • William G. Davis
    5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding! Exciting, Well-Crafted Thriller
    Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Author Lance Charnes has considered current trends, read the tea leaves, and created one possible future that will chill you to the bone It is twenty years in the future. The American economy has collapsed. The gap between rich and poor is a chasm as vast as the Grand Canyon. Local governments have gone bankrupt. The federal government and its agencies are corrupt from the top down. Two vast drug cartels are economic and political powers on both sides of the Mexican border. The greatest accomplishment for an average American is to simply survive.

    A false flag incident--whose facts have been distorted by elements of the federal government--has made targets of Arabs and Muslims. All considered suspected terrorists, they are persecuted like German Jews in World War II. The fortunate flee the country. The rest are rounded up and sent to `camps', never to be heard from again.

    Nora Khaled is an FBI agent, her husband a diplomat. They are patriotic, America-born Muslims. But Nora carries a secret that could bring down the current administration and its entire `counter-terrorism' infrastructure. Consequently, she's been declared a terrorist and must get her family South, across the border. A counter-terrorism specialist herself, Nora is forced to go against all her instincts and negotiate with one of the drug cartels to smuggle herself and her family to safety in Mexico. The cartel taps retired border smuggler Luis Ojedo to get Nora and her family across the lethal,heavily guarded border. Luis nearly died in his last crossing effort and swore to his wife to never do it again. But the cartel threatens Luis and his family, forcing him to take the mission.

    Luis and Nora, two characters from opposite sides of the law, must learn to trust each other with their lives. Their adventure, dodging fugitive death squads and intrusive electronic surveillance, facing treachery at every turn, form the plot of South.

    As in his first thriller, Doha 12, Charnes creates characters you can understand and care for. The action scenes in South make you feel as though you are a participant. These well-crafted elements combine to wrap you up in the story until the very end. This is a book you will remember for a long, long time, and a cautionary tale about where America might be heading.

    South is a brilliantly conceived and executed thriller. As good--or maybe better-- than anything coming out of main stream publishing, South is truly worthy of a 5 Star rating. I can't wait to see where Mr. Charnes takes us with his next novel.
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  • Kristen Elise
    4.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing tale in the not-so-distant realm of possibility
    Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    In "South," Lance Charnes gives us a frighteningly possible near-future scenario in the form of an action-packed thriller. Realistic quotations from the media of the future set the scene at the beginning of each chapter in a non-intrusive way that puts the reader in the right place without detracting from the action with long exposition. Don't let the pace of it fool you, however... Charnes also creates characters that are sympathetic and well-rounded. There are moments of true heartbreak when you least expect them. A great work by an author to watch.
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  • RAYA ROBINSON
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lance Charnes has done it again!!!!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    First of all I would like everyone to know I have never written a review before. This is a writer and book everyone should read.

    I don't want to tell any part of the story in the review. No sneak previews. Enjoy the story on your own.

    In South Mr. Charnes weaves the reader skillfully through a totally believable not too distant future. A world where today’s average family’s struggle for survival is measured by the food they can put on their table, the health care they can’t afford, the housing they can’t pay for and the jobs they are stuck with. That’s until Luis’ former life comes back to haunt him and he is torn between the family he loves what he must do.

    In this story a lie purported by the United States Government has changed the nation into a virtual third world country. The descriptions of places so skillfully worded leaving the reader aghast this happened, and the reader believing it has happened; driving through neighborhoods described by Mr. Charnes so vividly the reader knows the street. The story is so engrossing it is impossible to put down.

    Some of my favorite writes are James Rollins, Brad Thor and the late Vince Flynn. Mr. Charnes’ writing is on the same par and I look forward eagerly to his next book.
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