Review: Light It Up by Nick Petrie

Title: Light It Up by Nick Petrie
Peter Ash Series Book Three
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense, Thriller
Length: 399 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

In this action-packed thriller starring war veteran Peter Ash, a well-planned and flawlessly executed hijacking reveals the hidden dangers of Colorado’s mellowest business, but Ash may find there’s more to this crime than meets the eye.

Combat veteran Peter Ash leaves a simple life rebuilding hiking trails in Oregon to help his good friend Henry Nygaard, whose daughter runs a Denver security company that protects cash-rich cannabis entrepreneurs from modern-day highwaymen. Henry’s son-in-law and the company’s operations manager were carrying a large sum of client money when their vehicle vanished without a trace, leaving Henry’s daughter and her company vulnerable.

When Peter is riding shotgun on another cash run, the cargo he’s guarding comes under attack and he narrowly escapes with his life. As the assaults escalate, Peter has to wonder: for criminals this sophisticated, is it really just about the cash?

After finding himself on the defensive for too long, Peter marshals his resources and begins to dig for the truth in a scheme that is bigger—and far more lucrative—than he’d ever anticipated. With so much on the line, his enemy will not give up quietly…and now he has Peter directly in his sights.

Review:

Light It Up by Nick Petrie is an action-packed, edge of the seat thrill ride from start to finish. This third installment in the Peter Ash series easily stands on its own but I HIGHLY recommend the entire series.

Combat veteran and former Marine Peter Ash is still working to overcome his post-traumatic stress disorder which causes severe claustrophobia and anxiety attacks when he is indoors.  After meeting June Cassidy several months ago, he has been getting help for his PTSD in hopes of turning their long distance relationship into a lasting romance. On his way to see June, Peter is sidetracked when his friend, Vietnam veteran Henry Nygaard, asks for his assistance when his son-in-law Randy goes missing during a cash run for legalized marijuana businesses in Denver. Peter teams up with Henry and two other vets to make the same cash run in hopes of locating Randy, but he barely escapes with his life after the security detail is hijacked.  Under suspicion by the local authorities, he, June and his close friend Lewis are hot on the trail of the hijackers but the case becomes personal when someone close to Peter becomes a target of the ruthless criminals.

Peter is intensely loyal to the people he cares about and he will do anything to help them when they are in trouble. So of course he is more than willing to help Henry try to figure out what happened to Randy but they don’t have any idea how dangerous this endeavor will become.  In the aftermath, Peter wants answers and he quickly deduces there is much more to the hijacking than just robbery since the payout to the robbers is rather insignificant. Digging deeper into the company whose money was stolen, Peter stumbles across some very troubling information. Little does he know, his path is about to cross with someone from his distant past, a sociopath and a diabolical businessman who are determined to ensure Peter does not catch them. Their final showdown turns deadly and Peter must outsmart a vicious and extremely dangerous killer in order to prevent further murder and mayhem.

With an adrenaline-fueled storyline, a brilliant lead protagonist and an outstanding cast of supporting characters, Light It Up is a fast-paced, suspense-laden thriller. The novel is well-written with a cleverly-executed plot and a puzzling mystery to solve. Peter Ash is a formidable hero with a sharp mind whose combat skills make him a force to be reckoned with as he tries to uncover the truth about the hijacking.  With exciting plot twists, plenty of action and a few unexpected turns, Nick Petrie brings the novel to a breathtaking, spectacular finale. Another exhilarating addition to the Peter Ash series that fans of the genre are going to LOVE.