The Freedom Broker: a heart-stopping, action-packed thriller (A Thea Paris Novel, 1)

Move over Jason Bourne, action has a new name as international kidnapping expert Thea Paris pulls out all the stops to rescue her own father in this clever and gritty debut (Lisa Gardner)

With an alpha female heroine and a plot that's smart, detailed, and highly engaging. . . A fantastic debut, top notch entertainment, a pulse-pounding treat for anyone who loves action and adventure (Steve Berry)

A plot loaded with surprises and intrigue. Her characters are memorable and realistic. She has a great talent for action, and an unerring detail for stealth from the beginning to the climatic end (Clive Cussler)

K. J. Howe tells a spellbinding tale, her descriptions so vivid you can smell every heart pounding second of her action (Peter James)

THE FREEDOM BROKER combines terrific thriller writing and fascinating research about hostage rescues. This is fact and fiction at its best (James Patterson)

THE FREEDOM BROKER has great 'BONES': engaging characters, nimble pacing, and crackling action (Kathy Reichs)

A high-octane debut thriller from K. J. Howe. Kidnap negotiator Thea Paris is a heroine with brains, martial skills, and true character, whose own dark and deep family history drives her on as she travels the world bringing kidnapped victims home to their loved ones. Here's hoping Paris returns soon for another outing! (Mark Greaney)

Unrelentingly entertaining and impossible to put down, THE FREEDOM BROKER boasts the ferociously savvy, serious as hell, Thea Paris, who brilliantly plots and fearlessly fights to rescue her kidnapped father from the clutches of expert, deadly players (Karin Slaughter)

Breathless action, great characters and convincing details make Howe's debut a surefire rocket to the top of the lists (Linwood Barclay)

THE FREEDOM BROKER is an adrenaline-fueled, non-stop thrill ride. From the pulse pounding first pages, through the shocking conclusion, Howe never lets up on the suspense, the twists, and the action. Hostage negotiator Thea Paris is my favorite kind of heroine -- fierce, whip-smart, and very human. We'll all be waiting anxiously for the next riveting chapter in her story (Lisa Unger)

The pulse-pounding excitement never ends in this remarkable debut novel, THE FREEDOM BROKER, by K. J. Howe. From Africa's violent backcountry to cosmopolitan Athens and the corridors of power in Washington D.C., Howe takes the reader on the thriller ride of a lifetime. All of kidnap negotiator Thea Paris's skills are tested when she has to save a billionaire who is also someone she loves. Memorable characters, muscular prose, and a world atlas of fascinating insider details make this a can't-put-down read. I loved it (Gayle Lynds)

K. J. Howe's debut novel is a high stakes geo-political thriller that is truly a page turner. THE FREEDOM BROKER explores and illuminates the exotic world of elite Delta Force-type professionals who make a dangerous and deadly living rescuing kidnap victims all over the world. And we are along for the ride of our lives. Incredibly well-researched and expertly written, this is a behind-the-scenes story of how some hostage victims come home safely and why some do not (Nelson DeMille)

K. J. Howe is a master at weaving together action and suspense. Her debut THE FREEDOM BROKER is an engaging, fast-moving, spellbinding international intrigue that will leave you breathless. In Thea Paris, Howe has created a smart, complex yet kick-ass character that you'll want to follow and root for (Simon Gervais)

THE FREEDOM BROKER is a blisteringly original, superbly crafted thriller that promises to be one of the major debuts of 2017. K. J. Howe's gut-wrenching foray into the world of hostage negotiation turned upside down propels her straight into the league of Linda Fairstein, Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Scottoline, and Karin Slaughter, thanks to a tale framed by an emotional complexity and structural elegance both rare for the genre. As riveting as it is bracing, this is reading entertainment at its absolute best (Jon Land Providence Journal)

Razor sharp and full of you-are-there authenticity - a superb thriller (Lee Child)

I absolutely loved this read and its super-smart and able protagonist, Thea Paris! K. J. Howe's clever and action-packed storytelling is an exciting and groundbreaking addition to the genre (Sara Blaedel)

THE FREEDOM BROKER opens hot and stays that way... A wickedly fast read (Neely Tucker, Washington Post staff writer and author)

An impressive debut that delivers a dazzling thrill ride, leaving the reader breathless and smarter. Rich with exotic locales and insights into the high-stakes world of international kidnapping, THE FREEDOM BROKER soars with high adventure as Thea Paris does it all in this outstanding series starter (Lissa Price)

A startling debut that is as intriguing as it is propulsive (Shots magazine)

Gripping action and thrills make this an amazing page-turner. It's hard to believe this is her first novel (Asian Times)

Thea, a trained kidnap-buster, heiress and - an original touch - diabetic, rolls with the punches of a plot involving a made-up African country, drug cartels, arms dealers, oil reserves, Chinese business interests and, of course, a kidnapping. A second prodigious female agent, from the US government, further energises the action (Sunday Times Crime Club)

A breathtakingly fast story (Daily Mail)