I found this book not to my reading tastes. I’m sure plenty would enjoy it but I wasn’t interested in the political element of it. Well written though.

Many thanks to netgalley and David Klass for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Okay, this book has a political leaning and I suspect that will play a big part in how you feel about it.

So, let's start with The Green Man - not a pub in Britain, a terrorist in the USA. We join him on his sixth attack, which is why he already has a catchy media-friendly title to show his actions have been motivated by efforts to combat global warming. It's not green propaganda and doesn't deify The Green Man - he remains the bad guy, just one with a sympathetic cause. It creates a clever duality throughout the book whereby characters find that awkward space of supporting his motive whilst disagreeing with his actions. It should work even if you're not an environmentalist, although if you throw things at your TV when Greta Thunberg appears it may be a book you should pass over. If you are an environmentalist you get to squirm in the same awkward space as many of the characters. Although since you're reading a fictional book rather than news reports you won't have quite the same angst over the extremes of his actions. Which may also result in you feeling it tiptoed around important issues, but I'd argue that the book is entertainment and is therefore all the better for carefully avoiding this being a simple green manifesto.

Being a politically environmental book set in the USA the far bigger obstacle for many readers will be the President. Look, he's not named, and I don't believe it's a 100% match for the real 44th President, but it's hard not to see a lot of inspiration. I think you can enjoy it no matter who you support, but let's be blunt and say that if you have very strong opinions on the man you'll quite possibly take issue with the caricature presented here - either too kind or too mean, depending on your take. Given the general politic tone of the book I thought it a reasonably measured poking fun. Flattering? No. Harsh? No. Klass won't be appearing on the White House's Christmas card list, but he's also not going to find himself on a watchlist for anything he says. As with the green issues - maybe steer clear if any discussion of Trump gets veins popping on your forehead.

Are you still here? Congratulations on not being scared off! Yes, Klass touches on some sensitive topics, and there's no real doubt about his feelings on them, but he does avoid zealotry and, I think, finds a good tone throughout. It won't work for everyone, but I think most people can enjoy the book because there are a lot of clever aspects.

As touched upon earlier, the moralistic split about the terrorist attacks and the collateral damage. On some level, it's no more than the age-old ethical dilemma about switching a runaway train to a different set of tracks, but the context of environmental terrorism does give it an interesting perspective. You don't have to be a hardcore devotee to care about some aspect of the world around you and this essentially asks us where our tipping point is in that regard. And that's why Tom Smith is the character we can connect with. He may agree with the Green Man, but he can't accept the extremes of his actions. It's a tug of war throughout the book and delivered well. Not too angsty.

That said, not even Tom really gets much in the way of character depth. He's not completely two-dimensional, there's some interesting family backstory, but just be realistic. This is a fairly action leaning book, complete with a pretty random subplot that I guess should be called romantic since it's not like we dive into details, but it feels like a testosterone leaning distraction. Albeit a brief one. The story is tempered slightly by the action tropes. That's a personal preference really, and although I generally prefer a bit more mystery to my thrills it's not a full-on guns blazing action romp and I found it a nice enjoyable read. I did find it a little weird to keep using Green Man even after we learnt his real name though. Especially when we followed him in his more normal life. That felt like a little too much effort to pretend there was more mystery going on than there really was. But it didn't hamper my reading so not a big deal.

Overall it's a well-written book. The plot is very good and it delivers the important things well. Given the subject matter, this could've easily been a slow and stodgy read, but Klass finds the exact tone needed - a little levity and characters that give just enough to be engaging make this an enjoyable read. It may even get you thinking about your place in the world. What really makes this stand out, however, is the subtle way it bridges two seemingly remote audiences. The story and the style are an uncommon mix, but they work well and should appeal to both audiences. It may make it a hard sell to some readers, but it shouldn't. I suspect anyone curious enough to even vaguely consider this book would enjoy it. Make a chance, start with this book.

The FBI are looking for Green Man - an eco terrorist who has blown up several large targets and killed many people to draw attention to the treat of climate change and loss of species. Tom is a data analyst for the FBI~ who gets a handle on how Green Man thinks and begins to work out how to track him Its a well written thriller with a plot that weaves in credible forensic techniques that would be new and interesting to many readers. The flaw is that for Green Man to be as good as he is he has to be somebody who wouldn't be a terrorist. Fans of Extinction Rebellion will love this and if you're not a fan, it reads well.

As a school librarian in the UK I was aware of his YA fiction and screenwriting, so was thrilled to read 'Out of Time', his first adult novel. His writing style in some ways things me of Gregg Hurwitz (another ex-Ivy League graduate with screenwriting experience) as it is extremely well-written, complex and at times funny. It was exciting, informative and really enjoyable (I read it in 4 days) and I really hope that he's hoping to write more adult fiction in the future!

I found this story to be quite stirring. Taking out the violence of the activist movement, the book actually gives a real idea of just what damage is being done to Earth’s ecosystems and to life on Earth for the long term.
I found it certainly made me think about where our planet will be in another century and what may have disappeared forever. Outside of that it’s a very well written story. Very pacy and kept me wondering what was coming next. I didn’t expect the ending when it came but thinking on it, it was as it should be. Definitely one to read.

This is a story about Green Man an eco terrorist and on the FBI's most wanted list and Tom Smith a new FBI agent who is a computer genius who thinks he can identify who the Green Man is .This is such a gripping story fast paced and very well written an excellent read .Many thanks to the Publisher the Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest reviw .

A slightly different thriller with an eco terrorist at the heart of the story.
The story is told from two perspectives, the Green Man, an eco terrorist whose most recent act was to blow up a controversial dam, accidentally killing several people including five children.
He does struggle with the guilt that follows but he remains convinced that the cause is worthy enough to continue.
The second narrator is Tom, an FBI analyst whose unconventional thinking means he can get inside the mind of the elusive activist and think outside the box.
His personal sympathy with the overall cause is noted but he is opposed to the unnecessary murders of innocent people.
This is a gripping cat and mouse game that you can’t guess the outcome of.
Thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

David Klass has a background in Young Adult (YA) fiction. As far as I’m concerned, this is good thing. YA fiction grabs your attention. Plots are usually fast moving. Characterisation is far from two-dimensional, but the reader is usually spared angst-ridden internal monologues. There is often a subplot involving a contemporary social issue, but the protagonists are pretty much left alone to get the job done – whether it’s rescuing the Princess from the tower (or, because YA novels tend to political correctness, rescuing the Prince from the tower) or stopping the terrorists with the atomic bomb.

Klass has brought all these skills to Out of Time and the result is a fast, furious, and, for me, satisfying read. Although it should definitely appeal to adults, I did often feel that I was reading a YA book. Our hero, Tom Smith, is an FBI agent with father issues (YA novels often feature young protagonists with father issues) who has joined the FBI as a computer analyst but, as seems the way with these things, rapidly graduates to a field agent hunting down bad guys with gun and badge.

The bad guy is an eco-terrorist who has been blowing up environmentally damaging projects (with a bit of political assassination on the side). But is he really a bad guy? After all, he may kill the innocent men, women and children who are in the wrong place when one of his bombs goes off, but he’s doing it for a good cause, right?

It’s a superficially appealing argument, but it is wrong. In fairness Klass understands this and has one of his characters put the case against political killing very directly.

“Every terrorist thinks his cause justifies his actions. No one has the right to take the law into his own hands, and especially to spill innocent blood. Anyone who does that must be stopped.” He paused and then asked softly, “But, Lise, what if in this single very unique case, Green Man happens to be 100% right?”
There was a deep seriousness in her face when she answered. “I served two years mandatory military service in Israel. I’ve been to bomb sites, from attacks on opposite sides of the same issue. I’ve used tweezers to pick up blown apart little pieces of women and children. Nothing justifies fanatical extremism. Nothing. Never.”

This is a problem for the book because part of the dramatic tension is that we are ambivalent about the Green Man getting caught. Part of us wants him to get away with murder and return safely to his loving wife and two adorable children. We feel this even more strongly as occasionally the book works in details about the environmental disasters that we are unleashing on the world. Some of this is genuinely informative. For example, I had never realised that the process of fracking releases methane on a large scale and this is simply discharged into the atmosphere where it is a particularly potent greenhouse gas. If you started out knowing nothing about the environmental movement, you will end up much better informed – but would you really want to read a book which celebrates an eco-terrorist if you are not already pretty committed to his cause?

If you want a work of fiction that seeks to educate on environmental issues, you would be better off going to something like Michael Crichton’s State of Fear, which also deals with eco-terrorism. The arguments there are widely regarded now as wrong (Crichton was sceptical about global warming, for example) but he does provide footnotes and references and if you are proselytising quite as much as Klass is, then footnotes, or at least a long appendix, might be a good idea.

In the end, though, it’s unfair to judge this book as a substantial work dealing with either ethics or environmentalism. It’s fast moving, and largely convincing, with an environmentalist background and a bit of ethical discussion thrown in. I loved it and powered through it very quickly. (Klass has an easy writing style.) But I do really enjoy YA novels. Judged as a YA book, this is a definite winner and many adults will appreciate it as an exciting read. As an adult discussion of serious issues, though, it’s not really careful or considered enough.

There are some interesting characters in this book. I couldn't quite square the Green Man as an avid environmentalist and devoted family man with the ruthless person who will do almost anything to further his cause, even at the risk of losing all that was dear to him. But it was certainly a gripping narrative that kept me on the edge of my seat. Tom appeared to be quite a weak character, demoralised by his father's expectations of his son conforming to his way of operating. However, Tom came into his own when faced with life threatening scenarios.

I enjoyed this book very much, but found it difficult to believe that someone who wanted to save the planet would be able to cope, mentally or emotionally, with the collateral damage caused by his actions. It was a great story but because of this, it loses a star for me

Out of Time, a thriller which sought to justify the actions of the Green Man by virtue of his green agenda. Constantly trying to assuage his conscience for the collateral damage he caused didn't stop him from doing it over again. Whether you consider you can justify the ends from the means is largely determined by your circumstances and whether your life is worth being sacrificed for his goals. Some of the technicalities were fanciful, trying to destroy a dam with a high explosive payload aboard a drone was as amusing as it was ridiculous. If it could attach a sufficiently large, shaped charge to the dam wall then possibly but still highly doubtful. Additionally, the use of elctromagnets to attach a timed explosive to a vent, really? A permanent magnet approach would be lighter and more reliable. It was fun to read though but relied too much on an almost psychic Tom to stitch the man hunt together.

I really enjoyed this. A story about environmental pressures, the lengths that someone might go to get their message across, the different uses for brilliant minds on both sides of the argument and a great side bar poking fun at the US president.
A great read. It is a really modern story, the characters use technology and new ideas to progress the themes while making the reader really think about the threats caused by today's lifestyles.
thoroughly recommended.

I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this book but I really did. The dilemma of trying to catch and stop a murdering eco-warrier versus his battle to save the planet were very interesting and I did have some sympathy for Green Man, as did his main adversary, Tom. I raced through the book and would wholly recommend it.

This is not really my sort of book , but I found it well-written and interesting enough to read until the end. Green Man goes around blowing things up in the name of saving the planet, in the process killing innocent people. (He very much regrets this). He has a wife who is complicit in his doings, and children. He also has a daughter by an old university girlfriend who is very much an eco warrior herself but along with her mother, prefers non-violent protests. Tom, a computer geek, gets seconded to help the FBI profile the Green Man in order to hunt him down, although he does not want to emulate his late father who was a tough FBI agent who showed no mercy. Green Man starts to make mistakes and his hunters close in as he goes for one last mission.

Eco warrior versus capitalism and the state for the good of the planet. A topical subject. However when this eco warrior is prepared to take innocent lives in pursuit of the goal then it becomes a cat and mouse story between the two main protagonists, Green Man and a self confessed lower order FBI “nerdy” Tom Smith. Tracking the tale through the narrative of both characters adds so much more to the overall story and makes for compelling reading. A moral dilemma for both parties and perhaps even for the reader! Whose side are you on?
My thanks to Net Galley and publisher for the chance to not just read the book but also for an introduction to this author.

I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this at the beginning but I am so glad I carried on as it was hard to put down!

This is a book tackling an important contemporary debate inside the context of a fascinating story. Green Man is causing havoc by blowing up sites which are damaging the environment and contributing to global destruction. He has done six so far. Can the FBI catch him before the next which is planned at an oil depot in Texas? The debate on which the book is based is whether it is acceptable to have innocent casualties to make the bigger point. Green Man wants “a future world run by responsible human caretakers”. The debate is pursued within a gripping storyline. An important character who comes over very well is Tom Smith, a computer nerd with an uncanny knack of solving problems overlooked by his superiors. He wants to track down Green Man. His personal sympathy with the overall cause is moderated by his opposition to unnecessary murders of innocent people. This book is based on impressive research. It is well written and makes an important point in an easy to read style.

Out of Time by David Klass is a fast paced thriller with an ecological focus that I found both interesting and timely given the importance of causes like climate change and the rise to celebrity of figures like Greta Thunberg. The reader is given two perspectives, the first of whom is the Green Man, the self styled eco terrorist whose most recent act was to blow up a controversial dam , accidentally killing several people including five children. While he struggles with the guilt that follows his actions, he remains convinced that the cause is worthy and important enough to continue. Our second narrator is an FBI analyst whose unconventional thinking and attention to detail means he can get inside the mind of the elusive activist and what follows is a gripping cat and mouse game that had me riveted . What made it even more interesting to me as a reader was the way the author framed it so that it was not entirely black and white when it came to the Green Man, his motivation and his activities. There are times where it feels like the reader is being given a mini lecture on the environment, but it was not enough to derail the plot or slow it down significantly.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Out of Time by David Klass is something a bit different. America's most wanted criminal , The Green Man, has mounted a bombing campaign against targets that are threatening the environment and while there have been innocent bystanders killed,including children, he enjoys massive support amongst much of the public. To paraphrase a well-known phrase ,one person's eco-terrorist is another persons environmentalist activist.
Rookie FBI agent Tom Smith, a self-confessed computer nerd .feeling compelled to follow in his Father's footsteps rather than take up a lucrative career in Silicon Valley, finds himself at the head of the hunt for the Green Man.
Smith and his target are 2 of a kind , both highly intelligent but flawed individuals. and they engage in a cat and mouse game of chess with the Green Man laying false trails as he tries to keep ahead of the FBI for long enough to pull off one more bombing.
Both main characters are very well drawn, Smith's relationship with his father affects his whole character and he grows as a person as the chase ensues. The Green Man wants to save the world but doesn't let the possibly of those in the vicinity of one of his attacks or who tries to stop him being killed stop him from carrying them out,then is haunted by the realisation of what he's done.
David Klass uses the book to set out various environmental issues and his politics are obvious, but thankfully it never becomes preachy or diverts from the story as a couple of books I've read recently have.
This a fairly quick and easy read,I finished it in a few hours from start to finish. Aside from the great story it will also make you think about the environmental issues raised and such moral conundrums as ,"is it OK to kill a few to save the many?" and any book that makes people think is a very good thing.

Thanks to David Klass, Penguin UK-Michael Joseph and Netgalley for the review copy.

I have read a number of so-called ‘political thrillers’ recently, which weren’t very thrilling (despite the gushing praise from a host of celebrity authors trying to top up their pension pots) and were generally poorly written. It’s therefore particular pleasing to finally find one which bucks the trend.

David Klass’s first novel for adults is fast-paced, extremely well written and genuinely exciting with a plot that is just about believable. This eco-thriller revolves around the central question as to whether terrorism, particularly when it involves violence and loss of innocent lives, can ever be justified if the cause is as powerful and urgent as the one presented here.

The plot is fairly straightforward and simply involves the hunt by the FBI for an eco-terrorist known as The Green Man who has been destroying targets across the USA. Brennan, the street-weary leader of the FBI team recruits a young computer nerd, Tom Smith who subsequently plays a key role and in essence, the plot develops from his perspective and that of The Green Man.

The central characters are very well-developed and I think there are two other reasons why this novel works so well. First, there are very few irritating sub-plots which enables the reader to focus solely on the exciting cat and mouse chase. Secondly, the author makes no attempt to preach, a fault which lets down many novels in this genre. Whilst the arguments for and against the use of violence are laid out in detail, they never seemed to get in the way of a great story. I felt that I was being allowed to make up my own mind rather than have a particular viewpoint rammed down my throat.

If I had one minor criticism, I felt that Tom Smith seemed to be a little bit too good to be true. The range of subjects in which he appeared to be a leading expert, got longer and longer as the novel progressed. However, that’s a minor blemish. I very rarely give a book 5 stars but I really enjoyed this exciting and original book, so I think it just about deserves it.

As always, my thanks go to Netgalley and the publishers, Penguin UK – Michael Joseph, for and ARC in return for an honest and objective review