THE NEW BAD THING Book 1 by Michael Ebner
This is a fast paced crime thriller that has lots of suspense, intensity, twists, turns and the mafia. Teagan is a strong, complex, resilient woman that is caught up in a few things that sort of go from one to another. I am looking forward to the next book. This is 4 stars.
I listened to the audio book and Braden Wright did a very good job with the narration.

The New Bad Thing is a fast-paced thriller featuring Teagan Penn, a Seattle journalist who gets entangled in a dangerous web involving terrorists, the mafia, and covert operations. As she navigates this treacherous landscape, Teagan's determination and resourcefulness are put to the test. Ebner crafts an engaging narrative with rich character backstories and complex motivations, making it a compelling read for fans of action-packed espionage stories.

This was very good. I listened to it on audiobook and really enjoyed it. The story is very intense following a crime organization and a woman who unfortunately gets involved. There are a lot of twists and turns that happen throughout the book. This book is full of action and intense situations. This book definitely kept me interested through the entire thing. I finished it in one sitting. I definitely recommend it!

I listened to the audiobook and recieved it from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

In terms of audio, the narrator was clear and well spoken. I had trouble with the fact that the main character is a woman, from the point of view of a woman yet the audio narrator is a man. Takes me out of the story a little but that is my personal preference.

Story wise, this was a short action packed original story with the feel of the movie Peppermint and Taken. If you like those and John wick, you may like this story. However, I did feel like the second half of the story lost my interest in an odd way that I can't explain. Perhaps I feel like I've been there before or it was predictable enough that while it was very entertaining, it was something expected.

The writing is well done and flows along at a good pace. Decent story for a fun time!

This was my first experience reading a book by Michael Ebner, and the intriguing premise immediately drew me in. The story did not disappoint, delivering a fast-paced and engaging plot that kept me hooked from start to finish.

While the book was well-executed—featuring a solid plot, well-developed characters, and excellent pacing—I struggled with the audiobook format. Although the narrator, Braden Wright, has a pleasant voice and a strong delivery, the mismatch between the female protagonist’s perspective and the male narrator didn’t quite work for me. It created a disconnect that made it harder to immerse myself in the story fully.

That said, the book has a lot of strengths:
Plot: Intriguing and well-constructed.
Characters: Believable and compelling.
Pacing: Keeps the momentum going, maintaining reader engagement.
As someone who loves audiobooks as my go-to format for reading, this one didn’t quite hit the mark, but I’d recommend it for readers who might prefer print or are less sensitive to narration style.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen and Picture Publishing for providing me with an audio-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have to say that I unfortunately did not finish this audiobook, I found it difficult to get past the 60% mark. I found the narrator to be great but I was so confused by a man narrating for a woman character. As a thriller fan this just didn't keep me engaged in the story line and I couldn't connect to the characters. I would try something different from the author in book form possibly.

Special thanks to #NetGalley and #PenandPicture for this #ARC audiobook.

This is the first book I’ve “read” by Michael Ebner and I was hooked from the very beginning! I listened to the audiobook version and really enjoyed the narrator in addition to the story itself.

It really seemed like I was listening to a movie playing out. Great character development and action packed throughout the book.

Thank you to netgalley and Pen and Paper for a copy of this audiobook in lieu of my honest review.

I received this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion. I want to be fair but I'm also just going to be honest about this audiobook... I didn't like it. I don't understand why a book that was about a female main character had a male audiobook narrator whose tone was flat and performance was boring. As a woman who is struggling with fertility issues, I didn't like this being the driving force for this celebrity reporter to turn their life into what came off as a spy thriller. The pacing was all over the place and the plot bounced from idea to idea. In audiobook format, it's hard to know what was the past, present, or future as there wasn't a firm clear boundary line between them. Some people may like that, but I am not one of them. There was also a lot of info-dumping instead of working the details of the characters into the storyline, which led me to not feel as deep as a connection with the characters. Also, the MC being a conventionally attractive white woman who's only physical flaw is her facial scar is boring, but not as boring as the constant reminder that she's having fertility issues and treatment. Even listening at a faster speed, the narration was slow and ill-fitting.

Wow! What a tight, fast paced, on the edge of your seat thriller Michael Ebner has created and Braden Wright has breathed life into.

The New Bad Thing follows a journalist who is seeing her younger self’s goals and aspirations torn and tattered at her feet. Instead of processing this devastating realization she decides she needs a pet project. She and her husband try to start a family but need a little assistance. Thank goodness for medical advancements, Teagan becomes pregnant. But she’s still not feeling fulfilled. She hears a humanitarian story on the news and decides that THIS is that project. After she arrives in Paris, her hotel is attacked by terrorists. Instead of being considered a witness or better yet a victim of the terrorist attacker, she is questioned incessantly. From there it’s a race against time to find the person of interest behind the attack in order to protect her family.

This is the first book I have listen to where the narrator is Braden Wright. Wow! He is a narrator to keep your eye on. He made sure the intensity of his voice matched the scene in the book. Mr. Wright took what was already an excellent book and elevated it to a new level. So if you have the chance to listen to the audiobook, do it. You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you to #netgalley and Pen and Paper who I received a copy of The New Bad Thing audiobook in lieu of my honest review.

Cinematic!
This book could definitely be made into a movie. Anyone who likes action thrillers will love this story. It is an edge of your seat page turner. I read it in one sitting it is unputdownable. The narrator was a perfect match to the text. Really gave life to the events. I can't wait for the next one.

This was like listening to an episode of FBI International and I LOVED THAT!!
This read like an action movie, the characters were fierce and proactive, the bad guys were so wicked, and the man hunt was exciting.
The narrator was great, occasionally his voice for characters was the same so it was a little confusing. The time line in the story was a bit all over the place and I was lost a few times when the agent was on his story line and time line. I didn't care for him much and then he was all over the place so I missed part of what he was on about.
The ending was intense, and then just dropped off. I will totally be listening to the next one,

Action packed thriller, just as the cover states. There are so many twists and turns, all while rooting for the main characters. I also very much appreciated some of the real life situations that Teagan had to deal with, and in doing so develops an amazing character arc. I’m excited for the second installment!

I received an ELC of this book and it sounded like a really great read. Having been a huge fan of shows like 24 & Homeland, I thought I’d be getting something similar but it’s book form. I’m not sure if it’s that over the years I’ve maybe consumed too many, but it wasn’t as thrilling as I was expecting it to be. This could have been more to do with the fact the narrators voice for Teagan was quite off putting and every time I heard her speak it snapped me back out of the story itself, and it was somewhat difficult to follow when flashbacks vs real time was occurring in parts. For me it felt an odd choice to have a male narration to what is largely a story from Teagans POV.

There were a few twists and turns I didn’t expect and the latter part of the book gave me a big “why the hell did that happen”.

This is by no means a bad book, still an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The new bad thing is the first of a series featuring Teagan Penn, a journalist who is desperate to become a mother but as fertility treatments aren’t working she throws herself into setting up a fund me page to rescue some kidnapped/ trafficked girls, but soon the life she has and craves is snatched away from when she is attacked by terrorists in her hotel in France, What follows is a great roller coaster of a ride where you just have to suspend belief and go with the flow, and a big shout out to Braden Wright who did an excellent performance with the narration.

I listened to this book rather than read it. I like listening to books when I'm running, going on errands, or doing chores. This is my first book from this author and it was interesting enough I'd like to read (or listen to) the rest of this series!

The description of this book intrigued and it absolutely delivered! I found myself wanting to read it in every spare moment of my days/evenings until I finished it. I was surprised by the character development in a good way- sometimes thrillers focus more on the action than the characters and their backstories. This book balanced action and backstory well. Teagan's backstory is fascinating and there situations she finds herself in through the duration of this novel are not for the faint of heart. The book wrestles with complex situations from fertility to crime to career to what one will do to save the ones they love. I will not share more in order to keep it spoiler free. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series!

I give the audiobook narration 4/5 because i would have enjoyed if there had been a female narrator instead of a male narrator since the book centers around Teagan. The book itself I give 4/5 because I feel like there are a lot of questions that I have unanswered, but maybe that's unfair because it is a series.

A complimentary audiobook copy was provided by via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book 17 of 2024

The New Bad Thjng by Michael Ebner
⭐️⭐️

Action is clearly not my thing.
It was so fast paced and intense that it was the sort of book you needed to listen to and finish in a day or two, so not to forget any info.
Teagan goes from one of the best journalist, to a biography writer for a wanted villain, to stone called killer.
In between all this having a child, so actually thinking about it - very strong female lead who although has a husband seems to handle it all. And when hubby does have the baby he seemed to struggle alone.
Tegan the unexpected heroine.

Thank you NetGalley, Pens and pictures for this pre release opportunity to review x @netgalley

This was a very quick read, full of action and twists, this book had a lot going on. I had the audio version of this book and the narrator was excellent, a great choice. Teagan was the unlikely brave heroine of the book, going head to head with some really scary, bad dudes. You do have to put aside reality a bit to fully immerse yourself in this book, at times I kept thinking Teagan wants a family and a baby so badly but yet she’s in these life threatening situations all over the world I wish she would just stay at home with hubby and interview her celebrities and be safe lol. I commend the author on bringing attention to human trafficking- enslaved girls and women, which is a huge humanitarian crisis. This would definitely make a great action film or series. Thank you to NetGalley, Pen and Picture and the author for the advance audio copy!

This was a quick actioned packed thriller. It felt more like a movie. I listened to the audio version and felt the narration was spot on with the action scenes and emotions. This was about a terrorist/crime organization and how this journalist gets mixed up in them trying to help share someone’s story.

I’ve never read an action/thriller before and it was really interesting to picture the story unfolding.
I loved all the detail, as well as the main character and her journey to motherhood + protecting her family!!

Hit the ground running and never really stopped for breath!
If you love those old school thriller movies that are action filled, never a dull scene…this is for you!
I was gifted the audio via NetGalley and listened to it in one day. The narrator was perfect for this I felt, and I loved Tegan’s character, I thought she was very realistically written (within the world of the book)

Honestly if your wanting a fun ride, a good fast time definitely pick this one up!

3.5stars

I enjoyed listening to this, (when my NG Shelf was working!). So after technical difficulties I did like this book. It is well narrated. The narrator uses perfect voices and tone and I really appreciated the pace.

I wasn't too keen on the espionage element - whilst I knew this was part of the story going in - it's in the blurb - I felt it was a bit too dry for me. It felt a bit like Codename Villanelle, but less kill-y. Hard to describe.

Happy to have read it, but probably won't continue the series.