Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

The second in the series

The first in the series is City of Windows and it is not the author’s fault that I hadn’t read them in sequence but this hasn’t affected the star rating given. However, the strong recommendation is to do so as it will add to your enjoyment of this book.

Lucas Page is a man of many talents and few limbs having lost an arm and a leg at some time in the past (another reason to read City of Windows). He is asked by FBI chief, Kehoe, to investigate an explosion at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. He agrees to do so accompanied by FBI agent Whittaker who, it took me some while to work out, is female.

The bomb at the Guggenheim appeared to target a particular company who was hosting a party there and as Page starts his investigations several other bombs are set off, killing individuals who appear to be unrelated. Page believes there must be a connection and presses forward in his search for the perpetrator.

The main characters were difficult to relate to (perhaps another reason to read the first in the series) but the writing was taut and lively. There was plenty of light and shade and certainly a huge amount of violence and gore, so those with a weak stomach should avoid this murder/mystery.
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The plot is intricate but I was able to guess who the killer was at an early stage as the storyline is by no means a new one. In fact, even if I hadn’t guessed correctly, so many of the suspects were blown up that, as the plot progressed it didn’t leave too many options open. Having said that, it was a good read and one that encourages the reader to just read one more chapter before bed. A solid 4 stars.

mr zorg

Elite Reviewing group received a copy of the book to review.

I flew through the start of the book because it was thrilling and interesting but once I had worked out who was who and what was what ( I hadn’t read the previous book with these characters) I felt the story seemed to be both repetitive and too far fetched.

City of Windows was one of my favorite crime thriller last year and with Under Pressure, i could feel the pressure of keeping up with the hype and my enjoyment for the series.
I can only say that there's no pressure at all because i am just in love with Dr Lucas Page and his character. Somehow, the author managed to make him even more appealing and interesting, more like a superman and indestructible , especially in a certain scene that made me think at Robocop actually :))
Same great writing that keeps you entangled in the pages of this fast paced, suspenseful , twisted thriller that many readers will enjoy for sure.
I can't wait to see what Pobi lays up next for Lucas and his eccentric personality.

I think Doctor Lucas Page and his family might be my new favourite thriller family. It has to be said that there is a significant resemblance to the Lucas in the John Sandford series that will confuse you at first, my advice is just go with it. Dr Page's skills are kind of ridiculous but the story carries you through. I read the first book in the series to prepare for this one and will eagerly await the next installment.

A brilliant action-packed read that keeps you guessing till the end!

Dr Lucas Page must have a hell of a time going through airport security with all his prosthetic limbs and like Jason Bourne he is indestructible! He is also a brilliant man with a brilliant mind and I found him a fascinating character.

The story is very well written and I've already purchased the 1st book in this series. An author I will follow from now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Really enjoyed this book. I loved the alternative hero character of Dr Page and the relationship between him and Alice Whitaker the no nonsense FBI Special Agent. Fast paced and exciting.

Exciting book - would make a great movie!
A series of deadly explosions rock the city of New York and with too many victims and no known motive, the F.B.I. turns once again to Dr. Lucas Page.
Thanks to #NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
I understand that there was a a previous book in this series but I had not read it and don't think it spoiled any enjoyment or understanding when reading this one - though I do want to read it now!
The book is fast paced and I felt I was in the middle of an exciting movie such was the depth of descriptions and gripping story line. Very interesting characters lead the storyline and in these crazy times in the world worrying that this story does seem believable. I hope there are more books to follow this and I hope it gets made into a move as I think that would be amazing!!
Thank you to Robert Pobi, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this great book - I'd recommend it for sure

Tense thriller which moves along very quickly. Interesting characters and lots of twists and turns. Complex main character. Enjoyable read.

This is the second in the Lucas Page series, following on from, “City of Windows.” If you enjoy fast paced thrillers, with more – and better – characters than usual, then you will enjoy this. However, I must say that I am concerned about Dr Page; already missing an eye, one leg and one arm, I cringe every time he comes into danger, which, frankly, is often…

The novel begins with a huge explosion at a corporate event and more than seven hundred people killed. Before long, the FBI again come knocking at Page’s door and he is back, with Whittaker, chasing the bad guys. There are more explosions throughout the city and the bombings are claimed by someone dubbed, “The Machine Bomber,” who wishes to reject technology. Pobi has a lot to say about society in this novel and his dry humour is interspersed with commentary which does make you think – unusual in an adrenalin rushed thriller. Unfortunately, I could believe that many people would support the bomber’s efforts, and that a group of protesters would kill a man in an electronic wheelchair.

Still, Page, and his nerdy group of students, are looking beyond the obvious suspect of the bomber. Before long we have bankers, and billionaires, flying drones, shoot outs and explosions. It is Page, though, who makes the novel work. He is rapidly becoming one of my favourite, fictional characters. I am delighted that Robert Pobi has finally had a breakthrough sucess – he has had some excellent books before this, but let’s hope this becomes a long running series.

Wonderfully fast paced, twisty and compelling all combined with a New York City backdrop makes for a great novel. Brilliant read and very addictive

I really enjoyed City of Windows, Pobi’s first book featuring the gifted Doctor Lucas Page. And I mean gifted in a very unusual way: he is able to instantly absorb, recall and compute information. More specifically, he’s a numbers man and uses his gift to unlock mysteries unfathomable to normal beings. In his first outing he first demonstrated this ability by instantly calculating angles, heights and directions of rifle shots. As implausible as this sounds, it was so well executed that I found the whole thing totally compelling.

This time around Pobi is reluctantly persuaded to help an old FBI colleague (a carry-over character from the last book) in an investigation into what turns out to be a series of bombings. As the body count rises Page tries to use his skills to unpick the scant clues available. But this is where this book starts to feel slightly less convincing than the last, because the superpower skills he has just don’t quite fit this scenario. What numbers and data that can be extracted fail to provide anything of value, so instead he’s impelled to rely on insight provided from those around him. Don’t get me wrong, the story rattles along and in its own way is engrossing enough, but it just lacks the surprise and punch of the first book.

On the upside I enjoyed the re-introduction of a number of characters I enjoyed in book one and the story itself is inventive enough and comes with a decent twist. In addition Page – who I forgot to mention lacks an arm and a leg, or at least limbs that bleed – remains an engaging front man. The downside is that it lacks the novelty of our first meeting with this highly unusual crime fighter and I just don’t think it makes best use of his skills. My mind wondered somewhat as I worked my way through this one, something that never happened during book one. It’s a semi-satisfactory follow up but I sense there is better to come from this series. It’s a series I intend to stick with though because the writing is good and I really like Page’s terse, in-your-face attitude.

So I havent read the first in this series so went in somewhat blind. I liked the sound of the spiel.

A private function for a tech company in New Yorks Guggenheim museum is where we start. All is going well until a huge explosion kills all inside, the death toll over 700!
The FBI are called straight in led by Brett Kehoe and with such a huge volume of data to work through he decides to call on ex FBI agent, astrophysicist and University professor Lucas Page(our main protagonist). He has a gift where he can visualize what happened at crime scene like this and immediately process the data.
Page wants nothing to do with it but as his City is under attack he feels obliged to help.

Thats the main gist of it. It was an intriguing start and I was really sucked in by the opening chapters, from the scene set in the Guggenheim, to the helicopter arriving with Kehoe at Pages holiday home where he is with his family, to sifting through the remains at the Guggenheim. It was all going swimmingly. Enthralling, a huge mystery, learning a bit about Page and his disability(a multiple amputee). It was all being set up nicely.

Unfortunately after that, for me at least, it was much more miss than hit. What follows for a large chunk of the book is a series of more explosions and Page going to investigate without anything really happening. Its just rinse and repeat. Another explosion, go to the scene, spend a few pages describing the scene, try to figure out whats going on etc etc. It was all a little tedious. Like a bad action movie that has little story and just fills it with explosions and action scenes.

Page is also some sort of superhero it seems. Managing to escape death on numerous occasions in the most ludicrous of circumstances. You really have to suspend your disbelief to go with this one and it was a step too far for me.

There is a host of characters nearly all based around the financial world and I found it hard to keep track of them all. The story itself I found pretty ridiculous I have to say and I found the book way too long for what it was.

Its been getting nearly universal praise going by other reviews but I just didnt get it at all and despite lots of things happening, I found it a bit of a chore to read and a bit of a bore.

Special mention though to the dog called Lemmy. What a name!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Robert Pobi for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you love your thrillers, then Robert Pobi's Dr Lucas Page series should be on your must read list, it has everything you would expect to see from great thrillers, fast paced, adrenaline fuelled, great characters and breathtakingly action packed. Here, the FBI led by Brett Kehoe, and his team in a race against time to stop a sadistic and intelligent 'machine bomber' with the kind of ability to wreak terror and mass killing that strikes fear in the heart of New York which tests its powers of resilience. This follow up to the City of Windows is just as twisted, if not more so, and it will test the limits of the unforgettable and unique central protagonist, the anti-social Lucas Page, astrophysicist professor and ex-FBI agent, to his limits, despite his remarkable, unmatched gifts when it comes to numbers, pattern recognition, physics, mathematics and chemistry.

It all kicks off in spectacular fashion when over 700 people, including many of the wealthiest and most powerful New Yorkers, are wiped out by a thermobaric explosion at a event hosted by Horizon Dynamics at the iconic Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan, although astonishingly the building is left intact. With the FBI and all law enforcement overwhelmed with the level of work and data crunching that is required, Kehoe brings in Page, and a claim, attributed to the 'machine bomber', is made that this terrible act was carried out to draw attention to the damage done to society by technology in all its forms, including social media. Page, once again partnered with FBI agent, Whitaker, believes in none of it, looking instead for who gains financially and may benefit in other ways. As the bombing spree continues, Page and Whitaker finds themselves in grave danger, risking life and limb to track down a killer who seems to be several steps ahead of them at every turn, whilst every crazy, idiotic conspiracy theorists and digilantes runs rampant in the city.

It is the original character of Lucas Page that holds centre stage in this outstanding series, half man and half machine, with his traumatic history, an extraordinary reputation in his field, an author, marked by his rudeness and inability to tolerate fools, with wide ranging networks, and utilises his most gifted students that can outperform the FBI's best in the investigation. Given this type of profile, it comes as a surprise to see that the man is happily married to the grounded Erin, and that they are fostering 5 kids, with the help of Lemmy, the dog. This is a fantastic thriller, entertaining, totally compulsive and riveting reading, witty and humorous, but leaves me wondering where the heck Robert Pobi is going to take Lucas Page next. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.

New York is my favourite place in the whole world so I was attracted to this book due to it being set in NYC
Having never read a book by Robert Pobi before I was really pleased to discover he writes books that are exactly the type of books I love.
Under Pressure was fast paced, full of twists and turns with likeable characters. Dr Lucas Page helps the FBI, although he is clearly a highly intelligent man that works things out and sees things way before the FBI it’s explained in such a way that anyone can understand without too much jargon to make you not have a clue what’s happening.
I was kept at the edge of my seat and raced through this book, not being able to put it down and I was not disappointed with the ending. I will keep an eye out for the next book in this series.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last because it was a gripping and highly entertaining read.
I loved Luke, he's a well thought and interesting characters. The entire cast of characters is well thought and interesting.
The plot is fast paced and action packed, it kept me guessing till the end and I couldn't put this book down.
I look forward to reading the next instalment, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A series of deadly explosions rock the city of New York and with too many victims and no known motive, the F.B.I. turns once again to Dr. Lucas Page.

This book was like a roller coaster ride filled with tension and explosions, which was super thrilling!

I was hooked on to this right from the start and actually did finish reading this in record time. It was so well written and the main character Dr Lucas Page is simply someone at a different level itself.

Overall an amazing book and eagerly looking forward hopefully to the next book in this series!

Thank You to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC!

*4.5 stars *

Second in the ‘Lucas Page’ series, the story begins with the mother of all explosions at the Guggenheim museum in New York. There are no survivors, over 700 killed, tragically burnt to ashes, but the odd thing is, the building itself had barely any damage.

In charge of the investigation is Special Agent Brett Kehoe. The FBI haven’t seen anything like this bomb before, and Kehoe knows of only one man who has the genius to sort out the immense amount of data and victim files - astrophysicist and university professor, Lucas Page.

Page is a former agent - and wants nothing to do with the FBI, but neither can he stand by and allow more innocent people to be killed. He’s honest to the point of rudeness, but nobody can question his genius, he has a unique ability using computations and other methods that others can barely understand but it means he can read a crime scene like no other, making him indispensable, when cases can’t be solved by the normal methods. He’s going to need all of his skills though, to solve this one, because the bomb at the Guggenheim was just the beginning!

This is a page turning, breathtaking roller coaster ride, where many - and yet none, seem to fit the true profile of the bomber.

In Lucas Page, author Robert Pobi has created a central character that fascinates and frustrates in equal measure. A gifted misanthrope who is at the same time, a committed family man, yes I know, a contradiction in terms.

After reading the first in the series, ‘City of Windows ‘ I believe this is a series that has all the ingredients to run and run, with much praise to author Robert Pobi for his ability to hold the reader’s attention, with his grasp of the psychology of a ruthless and twisted killer’s mind. Highly recommended.

I never repeat the blurb. This was superb. I loved City of Windows and this was just as good if not better. Love the characters and main protagonist and the complex if not disturbing storyline suited them perfectly. Bravo!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novel

lucas page a man who can see everything as maths equations all angles, he manages to switch normal vision to this special technique that enables him to find answers and his help is needed

it took the fbi 4 hours to figure out what sort of bomb was set off that killed over 700 people at a social gathering killing the social elite...but for lucas page it was only a matter of minutes

hes a man that doesnt suffer fools gladly and has a way about him that people cant stand but he can see things that others cant and his help is needed as more bombs explode

lucas though has to decide if he wants to leave his family to help the fbi after the last time ended him in hospital... him and his wife have adopted 5 children who were nearly killed last time...does he really want to put them in danger again...but this is what he craves, his gift he can use to find answers...but can he find those answers before his family are put in danger...

brilliantly written and keeps you on the edge of your seat...cant recommend this book enough