D V Berkom draws me into the danger and intrigue of Terminal Threat from the opening pages. She is recovering, mentally and physically, after her last SHEN mission, so she retired for a quiet life. All Leine Basso wanted was a fresh start in a small town. She loved Italy and was in the process of opening a bookstore. Santa will be visiting her in a month.
Gabriela is running for her life. She comes upon the closed bookstore. In desperation, a delicate knock, so as not to be heard from her pursuers, a woman draws her in with gun in hand. Leine is always quick to help. She can’t turn her back when confronted by evil. The assassin in her rises to the surface. The townspeople need her help and she has the skills…and connections to do just that.
“Evidently, you could take the girl out of the assassin, but you can’t take the assassin out of the girl.”
She is…or was… The Leopard and she is ready to roar. She knew she had many enemies, and now they had found her.
Threats, gunfire, bombs…an all out war has been mounted.
Santa is her hunkalicious honey, finishing out his time on the police force before retiring in a year. He isn’t privy to what is happening until it’s all over. Will he stick with her considering…
“Yeah, yeah. I know. Your life is a series of Terminal Threats.”
Action packed from the first page to the last, D V Berkom knows how to keep the suspense and pacing racing at a breakneck speed. White knuckled, edge of the seat reading. Terminal Threat is a finely tuned, suspenseful thriller that achieves excellence in writing. I cannot think of one thing that could be improved upon…and that is the wonder of D V Berkom’s ‘pen’.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Terminal Threat by D V Berkom.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
A former assassin makes a new start in a small town on the coast of Italy, but puts herself squarely in the sights of an old enemy when she helps the townspeople fight back against the local crime boss.
Leine Basso is settling into her new life in a quiet village in Italy when a small-time crook threatens the town. Leine steps in to help, drawing the attention of an old adversary who she thought was long gone.
When her enemy learns that Leine is still alive, he orders her assassination. But Leine is not an easy target, and she eliminates the hired guns sent to kill her. Frustrated by his failed attempts, her adversary vows to take vengeance and kill her himself.
As tension builds and the threat escalates, Leine’s past collides with her present, blurring the line between friend and foe. In a breathtaking showdown, Leine unleashes her deadly skills to protect not only herself but the tight-knit community she has grown to love. Will she succeed–or will her enemy destroy everything she holds dear?
With adrenaline-pumping action and a formidable female lead, D.V. Berkom takes readers on a thrilling ride as Leine fights to protect her new home and herself from the ultimate terminal threat.
Genre: Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 12, 2023 by Duct Tape Press
Series: A Leine Basso Thriller
ABOUT D V BERKOM
DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages.
Raised in the Midwest, she received her BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves (and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle, Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned contractor, and writes every chance she gets.
For more information, please visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.
D V Berkom is a must read author for me. Just wanted to let you know, if you would like to get to know her and have Kindle Unlimited, you can grab it HERE, or you can grab Book I, A Killing Truth, HERE.
Leine Basso is a badass. She used to be an assassin and now works for SHEN– Stop Human Enslavement Now – an anti trafficking network, rescuing those who are unable to save themselves. I wondered how D V Berkom would come up with something new for Leine. Trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes. She is a master at rescuing herself, but, this time…I’m not so sure she can do it solo. Not and bring down those who have conspired against her. She has been betrayed…in a very big way.
Leine is missing. Betrayal. A secret organization.
I never imagined the roots of the problem coming for Leine. D V Berkom did come up with a way to keep me enthralled, flipping pages, wondering how in the hell Leine would get out of this mess.
From the opening pages, D V Berkom had me hooked. I felt a kinship to Valentina.
I quit taking notes early on, because I was afraid of spoiling things for you. I wanted to tell you so much, but I will stick to the basics. The danger and suspense is at a high level. Valentina is not aware of those who conspire against her, using her for their own ends. Can Leine Basso save her when the shit hits the fan?
I was bummed at the loss of a man who helped her. Leave it up to D V Berkom to get my emotions riled up. She’s not afraid to kill off a character. Sometimes a character may seem bad and I wonder, can they be redeemed? Others, their greed rules their life. They will stop at nothing to get what they want. Never enough power. Never enough money.
The Leine Basso books can stand alone, but I highly recommend beginning at the beginning, with A Killing Truth, to follow Leine Basso’s life as she morphs into so much more than an assassin, yet those skills will be life saving. I wonder where D V Berkom can go from here. Will Leine always have to fight? Will she ever find a life of love, romance, and safety?
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Fatal Objective by D V Berkom.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
A missing assassin. An unlikely betrayal. A secret cabal, sowing chaos.
Leine Basso’s missing.
She’s not answering her calls. Or texts. Lou and Santa fear she’s been compromised. According to her operational contact, she’s fine, just busy. When she finally responds it doesn’t sound like her.
The two men who know her best aren’t buying it. Something isn’t right.
Leine Basso’s missing.
And Lou and Santa are going to find out why.
ABOUT D V BERKOM
DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages.
Raised in the Midwest, she received her BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves (and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle, Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned contractor, and writes every chance she gets.
For more information, please visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.
A Plague of Traitors by D V Berkom is the 11th book of the Leine Basso series…a series that keeps on giving…and I am taking. This may have been the best one yet, seeing I have read 429 books this year and It has change my reviewing criteria. Some books that would have been fours before can end up as threes now, and it takes more to get a five star rating. I still love reading threes them, so I consider 3 a good number. As a matter of fact, I consider the number 3 and multiples of 3 my lucky numbers.
A vivid and colorful cover, sure to get anyone’s attention on a bookshelf.
Assassins…Leine Basso is my favorite! I have been with her from the very beginning and she has done nothing but fill my life with many hours of reading pleasure!
A bioweapon…is anyone safe? Leine Basso is on the case, and from my knowledge of her past, she will prevail…but, how?
Leine had been a badass assassin for the government, but now works for SHEN – Stop Human Enslavement Now – an anti trafficking network. She was pulled away from training to meet up with Scott Henderson, who wanted to recruit her. It’s off to Libya.
Sasha is Russian and had been offered a lucrative job in Libya, studying a virus that sounded all too familiar, after living with Covid.
There is so much more going on than Leine had thought, so she contacted Tony, who had been grooming her as a CIA operative. I feel for her. I’m not sure how much she can trust Tony, or anyone around her. After all, he is CIA.
Well, I have sooo many notes I am going to toss a bunch of them aside. I think it would be sharing too much and I loved A Plague of Traitors, so I sure don’t want to spoil anything for you.
Needless to say, Leine ends up in the thick of things. I did have some doubts about those around her, but the group she trained were there to the death for her. Yeah, it may not have went smoothly, but does anything worth having. If it was all sunshine and roses…
A book like A Plague of Traitors by D V Berkom is so terrifying to me because I can envision something like this happening in real life. It brings to mind many questions. There are many people fueled by hate and greed. We can never know how far they will go. How do you protect yourself, others, your country?
Betrayals and double crosses abound. The story read so true, I kept asking myself how they could be so ignorant to trust and to believe they are in control of the outcome?
The CIA, Leine Basso, Russians, Syrians, mercenaries…Leine Basso is on her own, but she operates at a high level and accomplishes her missions. I have complete faith in her. To say she is a badass is putting it too mildly. I would love to have her at my side if I were ever in trouble.
I love that D V Berkom mentions animals and the hunters who hunt the poachers in Africa. She also mentions the devastation of the animal population that war causes.
The depth and detail make me worried, sad, angry, frustrated…as I think of all the book contains, I hope it will open readers eyes to all the consequences of carelessness, egoism, war and unrest. The Butterfly Effect rules the Chaos.
I love how D V Berkom combines facts and fiction and she has done an excellent job of blending them together so seamlessly it read like a history lesson. So many plots combine and they flow smoothly, taking the story to the highest level.
A well deserved 5 stars D! I applaud you and look forward to what comes next.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of A Plague of Traitors by D V Berkom.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
A former assassin leads a heroic band of foreign fighters to thwart an enemy like no other.
Former assassin Leine Basso races to prevent Syrian intelligence from obtaining a lethal Russian bioweapon—a savage combination of toxins never before seen in nature.
Leine’s called back to war-torn Tripoli, enlisted by her former employer to train a heroic group of Isis-fighting snipers to crush the horrific threat. But there’s a leak, and the Libyan operation goes terribly wrong—the bioweapon ends up in the hands of a brutal terrorist who will stop at nothing to force the West to its knees.
Are there spies in their midst? Can Leine and her warriors prevent a ruthless enemy from releasing the deadly toxin before it’s too late? Or will humanity be destroyed in a cataclysmic finale orchestrated by A Plague of Traitors?
ABOUT D V BERKOM
DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two
popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of
creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong
addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing
to find the female equivalent within those pages.
Raised in the Midwest, she received her
BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly
moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves
(and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle,
Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned
contractor, and writes every chance she gets.
For more information, please visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.
I am a huge fan of D V Berkom’s Leine Basso and Kate Jones series, starring some strong female protagonists. I have had many hours of reading pleasure and was super excited when I received a copy of her Claire Whitcomb Western Collection. A new genre for her, but I have no doubt it will be a hit.
Retribution: D V Berkom hooked me from the opening pages and I know I am going to love Claire, as she is forced to grown and change, from a family woman who watched her entire family be murdered to a gun totin’ force to be reckoned with. Woo Hoo…Let’s get on with it. “Don’t let them win Claire.” It was Josiah’s voice in her head, as surely as if he”d spoken the words aloud. And she vowed then and there to do just that. I should have known that D V Berkom would pot a twist that I never anticipated. Even though Claire wanted to crawl into the grave with her family, that was not to be. The law enforcement was enough to piss me off, so I can only imagine how she would have felt. Typical treatment of a woman and I love that if they weren’t going to look for the slaughterers of her family, she would do it herself. Riveting, suspenseful.
Gunslinger: She had met some wonderful people in Leadville, who had come to her aid when she was her most desperate. She would use what she had learned to become a Gunslinger. Action from the getgo causes her to draw her rifle and we’re off with a bang. I am sooooo loving this woman. She is headed to Tombstone, boarding her horse Rose at the OK Corral and having dinner with Doc Holiday and Wyatt Earp. OOOOO what fun. She loves wearing men’s clothing, but cleans up real nice when the situation calls for it. The characters and situations D V creates are colorful, delightful, and badass. Her research shines through her words.
Legend: We move to the next phase of Claire’s life as she accumulates more friends and more experiences. I so love this gun totin’, card playing, do the right thing wild west woman. Claire grows, facing new people and new challenges, and does not act on impulse. Will she find a new love? With what she’s been through, I feel she’s deserves a new love, a fresh start, a new adventure.
Overall: WOW. Congratulations D V. You did a fabulous job breaking into the world of the wild west. I love all the historical elements…from going west, to homesteading, Indians, murderers and thieves, gun toting, gold busting adventure. I loved meeting some western legends and traveling to some famous towns. The descriptions of the characters and the details of the 1800s brings Claire’s world to life. Will there be more Claire adventures? I sure hope so.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Claire Whitcomb by D V Berkom.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
‘Retribution’ is DV Berkom’s first western-themed novel, and first in this brief series centered on protagonist Claire Whitcomb. In a literally fiery opening, Claire is left homeless with her entire family killed before her eyes. Set in and around Leadville, Colorado in 1880, the story tells how Claire seeks help, then seeks justice, then seeks retribution.
One of the strongest aspects of this series is that Claire is blended in with a number of historical characters that add authenticity and intrigue to her adventures. Some of the larger-than-life real people you meet here have already had stories, poetry, and opera (really!) written and performed to this date.
In ‘Gunslinger,’ Claire leaves Leadville for Tombstone, Arizona Territory at the end of summer 1880 . She has an introductory letter to Wyatt Earp from her mentor, Leadville’s now-retired marshal, Mart Duggan, as she takes the newly connected railroad spur to Pueblo.
Along the way, Claire foils an attempted robbery of the train before they can safely traverse Royal Gorge. She takes on the role of security for a touring actress and her entourage and expects to ensure her safety on the way to Tombstone. Once arrived in the “town too tough to die,” Claire connects with the Earps and befriends Doc Holliday. She is further embroiled in the mystery of the attempts on the life of her thespian protectee and proves her worth as a true Gunslinger.
‘Legend’ opens in March 1881, and Claire has wintered in Tombstone without getting into too much trouble, but there are some clouds on her horizon, and not only late winter snow. In ‘Legend,’ Claire will have to sort out her ambitions as gunslinger and friend to Holliday and the Earps.
The saga winds back to Leadville, Colorado and finally on to Alaska.
Throughout this saga, Claire is developed as a complex character, Sadly, his may be the end of the short series
ABOUT D V BERKOM
DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two
popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of
creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong
addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing
to find the female equivalent within those pages.
Raised in the Midwest, she received her
BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly
moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves
(and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle,
Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned
contractor, and writes every chance she gets.
For more information, please visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.
I have read other books about the Lost City, so I am eager to see D V Berkom’s spin on it. I do love traipsing through the jungle, with danger lurking, looking for lost treasure.
Martin is concerned about keeping the discovery quiet and the location secret, to protect it from those who would endanger the site and the people who live around it. Nancy, his daughter, is more interested in academic pursuits, wanting to share it with the world, which opens them up to those who want it for themselves.
She drank the Kool-Aid.
Enter Leine Basso…a kickass ex-assassin that takes name and leaves no prisoners. She is pulled from her comfy cozy bed, where she was nestled with Santa, her detective boyfriend, in Los Angeles and on her way to the jungle deep in the heart of the Amazon.
The head bad guy betrays anyone and everyone to get what he wants and I hope and pray he gets a healthy dose of Karma.
I am loving Shadow of the Jaguar and the Indiana Jones vibe I’m picking up. We have action and adventure, loyalty and betrayal, treasure found, and lives lost.
I love books that add the ecological aspects that would accompany a discovery such as this, including theft, clear cutting, eco terrorism and things that would damage the jungle and the people who live there. To me it adds a realistic aspect to the fiction.
The pacing flowed smoothly, making it easy to read on, totally captivated by the characters, trying to figure out who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. I was worried and I wonder…could a good guy do a bad thing and still be a good guy?
I love that D V Berkom has Leine and her daughter on the adventure together. They both work for SHEN, which is an organization that deals with human traffickers and there is never a dull moment. They are well equipped to handle whatever gets thrown at them and it is a pleasure to be along for the ride.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Shadow of the Jaguar by D V Berkom
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Leine Basso is back in Shadow of the Jaguar, an edge-of-your-seat, page-turning action-adventure thriller.
A lost civilization. A woman’s abduction. The promise of unimaginable treasure.
Deep in the heart of the Amazon, an expedition finds evidence of a fabled lost city of gold. It isn’t long before a ruthless drug trafficker learns of the possible find and kidnaps an expedition member, threatening to kill her and the rest of the expedition unless he’s given the coordinates to the city.
Former assassin Leine Basso and her daughter are called in to rescue the kidnapped woman, who also happens to be a good friend’s niece. But in the jungle, danger lurks at every turn, and nothing is as it seems…
ABOUT D V BERKOM
DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two
popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of
creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong
addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing
to find the female equivalent within those pages.
Raised in the Midwest, she received her
BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly
moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves
(and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle,
Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned
contractor, and writes every chance she gets.
For more information, please visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.
Dakota Burn by D V Berkom reads like a true story. Frightening.
From the hot temperatures of Africa to the cold tundra of North Dakota, Derek follows his mission in life, but he can’t do it alone. Sooooo, he calls Leina Basso for help…and here she is.
Few understand their brand of justice, but sometimes rules need to be broken for the better good.
Jinn…saved and mentored by Leine, I so wanted her character to grow and be shared in one of Leine Basso’s stories. It’s like you read my mind, D. She is such a firecracker, I am happy to hear she is doing great.
Even in Hansen, North Dakota, population 1500, scum sucking sex trafficers are alive and well…until…they meet Leine.
I see a character named Sherry and I love it. Whether it was intentional or not, it is rare when I see my name in any book. I am a victim, one of the trafficked girls, and I am so glad that Leine is on the case.
“How do you do it? You can’t save everybody.”
“No, but I can sure as hell try.”
I think that describes that strong, determined character. She does not hesitate to put her life on the line for what she knows is right, regardless of the consequences.
WOW! I love an author that does their research and D V Berkom makes this read like a true crime story with the depth and details bringing to life the terrified tear stricken young girls and the guns blazing, bullets flying battles.
Strong characters are a must in D V Berkom’s novels and I love the Leine Basso series, about a former government assassin that has no problem sharing the limelight with other memorable characters, like Jinn and Chloe…and Derek.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dakota Burn by D V Berkom.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
A kidnapped girl. A ruthless criminal who preys on the innocent. Two killers who will stop at nothing to bring him down.
Former assassin Leine Basso was supposed to be in sunny LA, watching the first class of operatives graduate from the new anti-trafficking academy. Instead, she’s in North Dakota in the middle of a brutal winter, helping ex-poacher Derek van der Haar track down and eliminate a deadly group of criminals hell-bent on providing young girls to the highest bidder.
The closer Leine and Derek get to the organization, the more dangerous the mission becomes. Soon, it’s evident that the traffickers are playing for keeps—and don’t care who they kill.
In a story ripped from the headlines, Dakota Burn reveals the dark underbelly of the Bakken oil fields, where human life is a commodity and outlaws still rule.
If you enjoy books by Mark Dawson, Barry Eisler, and Mark Greaney, you’ll love D.V. Berkom. Download this gritty, action-packed thriller today!
And you thought the Wild West was dead…
ABOUT DV BERKOM
DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two
popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of
creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong
addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing
to find the female equivalent within those pages.
Raised in the Midwest, she received her
BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly
moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves
(and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle,
Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned
contractor, and writes every chance she gets.
For more information, please visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.
I am a super fan of Leine Basso and DV Berkom, since I read the first book, A Killing Truth. The character is a strong female and all I could ask for in a heroine that travels the world to take out the bad guys and save the innocents.
I have read all DV Berkom’s books and am super excited to see we have a new one coming out, Dakota Burn. GIMME! GIMME!
A Killing Truth
Leine Basso Thrillers Book 1
by DV Berkom
Genre: Thriller
Now available: the chilling start to the high-octane, can’t-put-it-down
Leine Basso thriller series.
A deadly assassin. A perpetual target. A double-cross she never saw coming…
They say the truth will set you free, but what if it kills you first?
Leine eliminates terrorists for a living. After a routine assassination
almost gets her killed, she chalks it up to a fluke. Her lover and
fellow assassin, Carlos, has another idea altogether. He thinks their
boss is setting them up for a fall.
When Carlos goes missing and a bombing thwarts another mission, Leine
suspects the stakes are far higher than she could ever imagine, and
wonders if the man in charge might have it in for her after all.
If you like no-nonsense heroines, page-turning plots, and twists you
won’t see coming, then you’ll love D.V. Berkom’s tension-filled
series.
Download A Killing Truth to find out how the story began…
“[Leine Basso] is a sassy, kick-arse, no-nonsense,
I’ll-eat-your-balls-for-breakfast type of woman. She simply rocks.
Berkom’s books are ones when you almost forget to breathe. They’re
fast-paced, taut with tension and sheer joy from start to
finish.” ~Cath’n’Kindle Book Reviews
“[A Killing Truth] introduces one of modern fiction’s deadliest
heroes…”~Reviewer Charles A. Ray
“This is my third Leine Basso, and like the others, the action never lets
up. Leine is the female Jack Reacher only she does it all without
being 6’5″ and weighing 265 pounds, so that makes her more
incredible. If you like page-turners, you’ll love this book.”~
Polly Iyer, bestselling suspense author
“A Killing Truth would make an excellent introduction to D.V. Berkom’s
writing…she’s one of my favorites… love how she just puts you
right in the pages and you just don’t want to end.”~Hornfan2
“The Leine Basso series by DV Berkom is jam-packed with action and
adventure and Leine Basso is one bad*** protagonist…”
Fundinmental Book Reviews
“As someone who has read all of the other current Leine Basso books
first, I can say that A Killing Truth had me in suspense the entire
time.” Maranda, Amazon Reviewer
“Non-stop twists and turns. An excellent thriller that pits Leine
against not only international criminals but her own boss.”
~USMC-Mike
“What the world needs now is more female characters like bad ass Leine
Basso. Bought the trio of books that follow this one because of how
much I enjoyed the plot and twists along the way.” ~shzann
A former assassin is drawn into the twisted game of a serial killer who
may be a grisly remnant from her past.
What happens when a reality show turns deadly?
Determined to leave her old life behind, retired assassin Leine Basso accepts
a job working security at one of television’s most popular reality
shows, Serial Date. When a contestant is found dead in the prop
closet, it appears the killer is one of the ‘bachelors’ on the show-
an ex-con billed as a serial killer- but the detective in charge of
the case isn’t so sure.
When Leine’s estranged daughter is abducted by a man claiming to be the
real killer, she’s forced to rely on old skills to find her. She soon
realizes the murderer may be a grisly remnant from her past and
she’ll need to use all of her cunning to stop him…
…and rescue her daughter.
If you like black humor, no-nonsense heroines, and heart-stopping
action, you’ll love Serial Date. Download it today!
“If you like fast-paced action, great lead characters, and don’t mind a
few F-bombs and the occasional gore, DV Berkom is the author for you.” ~
BloodWrites
“Serial Date has everything a mystery/thriller needs to be successful,
fast-paced and action packed, strong and memorable characters and a
story that will grab you from beginning to end…” ~ Confessions of a Reader
“Why should you read it? In a nutshell it’s a fast-paced, non-linear story
with some creepy elements mashed together with a splash of romance
and dark humour. What’s not to like?” ~Indie eBooks
Dangerous obsessions take center stage when a former assassin and a homicide
detective race against the clock to find a missing girl before she’s
sold to the highest bidder.
Identified as a person of interest in three cold case murders she didn’t commit,
and required to stay in L.A., retired assassin Leine Basso accepts a
temporary position as a security specialist for A-list actor Miles
Fournier. Soon, a woman contacts Miles, claiming to be his long-lost
sister. Her twelve-year-old daughter, Mara, has been abducted and
she’s desperate to get her back.
Leine learns from a contact that Mara escaped, but the traffickers are
determined to track her down and deliver her to their powerful
client. Running out of time, Leine must find Mara before they do, or
she will be lost forever.
“…I was thrilled with this book. I did not want it to end. I was on the
edge of my seat at the end! Seriously a nail-bitter!”
~ April Holgate, Amazon Top 50 Reviewer
“Tight dialogue and nonstop action marks a novel that establishes new
benchmarks for action thrillers. This is a solid five-star novel that
you won’t want to miss.” ~Ray’s Ramblings
“An intelligent thriller worthy of the Big Screen…” ~ BloodWrites
A retired assassin is called in when a celebration south of the border
turns into a nightmare.
Everything’s for sale…
Former assassin Leine Basso is
hired by a wealthy Beverly Hills power couple to find their missing
daughter, Elise, last seen partying with her boyfriend at a club in
Tijuana. At first, police believe the two teenagers are the victims
of a carjacking. But when Leine finds their missing vehicle with a
mutilated body inside, and the local cartel warns her away, she knows
if Elise isn’t already dead, she will be soon, or worse.
In the lethal world of organized crime, there’s always a worse.
As Leine races to uncover the reason behind Elise Bennett’s
disappearance, she must also battle the powerful interests fighting
to keep her from the truth.
Praise for the Leine Basso Thriller series:
“Now this, this is what thrillers are made of: grit, spunk, and
no-nonsense unputdownability…Quite simply: Brilliant ” ~
Cath ‘n Kindle Book Reviews
“…Ms. Berkom gives us a badass heroine that’s fun to root for. Once Leine
discovers what is happening, there is no stopping her…an edge of
your seat thriller that delivers!” ~ Night Owl Reviews
“Without a doubt one of the most engaging, complex and enthralling mysteries
that had me totally in its grip…” ~
Confessions of a Reader
“Taken fans will be overjoyed with this gritty thriller…following Basso as she
works her tradecraft is a pleasure…” ~ BestThrillers.com
“A really exciting heroine for action thriller fans everywhere, but a
long overdue tough and plausible literary role-model for women.”~
Ajoobacats Book Reviews
An adventurous young backpacker, captured and sold. A black market
merchant who will stop at nothing to amass the power he craves. The
one woman who can stop him before he destroys everything…
Haunted by memories of an op gone bad, former assassin Leine Basso
travels to Bangkok in search of a missing backpacker. With help from an old
contact, she discovers the man responsible for the girl’s
disappearance is connected to a violent Hong Kong triad and is the
linchpin of an extensive trafficking network—both animal and human.
Making enemies isn’t new for Leine, but making one in the triad is—she
soon finds herself a prisoner on board a cargo ship headed for
sub-Saharan Africa. To ensure her survival and to continue her hunt for the missing girl,
she must join forces with Derek, an ivory poacher who promises to
help her.
Ready to stay up all night? Everybody’s favorite assassin is back with a
vengeance in this high-octane, can’t-put-it-down espionage thriller.
Espionage.
Deception. A nation on the brink of war…
Just when former assassin Leine Basso thinks she’s free from the
business of death, a desperate call from a friend drags her back into
the dark world of espionage and arms dealers.
“Sucks you in on page one and doesn’t set you free until the end. Another
sure-fire winner in a spectacular series.”
~Tim Tigner, International Bestselling Author of the Kyle Achilles series
“D.V. Berkom has created one kick-ass heroine in Leine Basso–a woman who
can do it all in the dog-kill-dog world of international espionage.”
~ J. Carson Black, New York Times Bestselling Author
“Warning:
once started, The Last Deception is difficult to put down…[T]he
globe-trotting Leine uncovers acts of international espionage that
lead her on a desperate hunt for an elusive spy that could bring down
the world.” Midwest Book Review
A former assassin, battling her demons. A sinister enemy, determined to
destroy her. A wily street kid caught in the middle.
Former assassin Leine Basso is fresh off an assignment rescuing an American
teenager from a terrorist group in Libya when she thwarts the murder
of a street kid in Tripoli. Leine agrees to help the girl, but must
first visit a refugee camp to uncover the reason behind a rash of
mysterious abductions.
Leaving the camp, Leine comes under a surprise attack–but only a handful of
people knew her true mission. The more she discovers about the
abductions, the more of a target she becomes, forcing her to revisit
a dark and violent past she thought she’d left behind. But it’s
easy–too easy to fall back into her old ways.
And that could get her killed.
Will Leine be able to survive a dark return?
If you like gritty, fast-paced, can’t-put-it-down thrillers with an
action-packed story ripped from the headlines, then you’ll love Dark
Return. Download your copy today!
Praise for Dark Return:
“I couldn’t put it down. My entire Saturday has been spent reading
Dark Return.” ~Sharon Simms
“One of the best reads to come out in this genre in quite awhile. You
won’t want to put this book down.” ~Yvonne Reddy
“Excellent.
There is no other way to describe it. I read it in one go it was that
good. Leine is one hell of a badass.” ~Silver Surfer
“Dark Return was a thrill-a-minute, page-turning suspense that never lets
up with action and intrigue. The author, DV Berkom, is a master when
it comes to character development and the story line.” ~ Paula Lopez
“DV Berkom has honed her skills as writer to such a fine art that it is
indeed very difficult to tear yourself away from any of her books.”
~Manie Killian
“Fast paced and full of action, this book will keep you both entertained
and intrigued from start to finish. Highly recommended!!” ~Derek Williams
“This book will captivate you from the first paragraph to the last. It is
full of action and non-stop adventure…” ~txdoc
“Best book in the series, they just keep getting better and better!! Read
them from the first in the series or just jump in here. Brilliant
read.” ~ Sally Sanders
“Berkom has matured as a solid writer with similarities to Mark Greaney, Mark
Dawson (John Milton series), and a whisper of Barry Eisler.”
~Library Champion
Former assassin Leine Basso has severed ties with everyone she loves to keep
them safe while she hunts for the ruthless terrorist, Salome. There
are rumblings that the French-born assassin is planning another
attack and Leine’s determined to stop her before it’s too late.
Can Leine thwart her plans, or will Salome’s own twisted vengeance mean
the end for Leine and everyone she loves?
From London to Edinburgh to the City of Angels, Salome’s making a
comeback—and that comeback includes killing Leine.
A kidnapped girl. A ruthless criminal who preys on the innocent. Two
killers who will stop at nothing to bring him down.
Former assassin Leine Basso was supposed to be in sunny LA, watching the
first class of operatives graduate from the new anti-trafficking
academy. Instead, she’s in North Dakota in the middle of a brutal
winter, helping old friend Derek van der Haar track down and
eliminate a deadly group of criminals hell-bent on providing young
girls to the highest bidder.
The closer Leine and Derek get to the organization, the more dangerous
the mission becomes. Soon, it’s evident that the traffickers are
playing for keeps—and don’t care who they kill.
In a story ripped from the headlines, Dakota Burn reveals the dark
underbelly of the Bakken oil fields, where human life is a commodity
and outlaws still rule.
If you enjoy books by Mark Dawson, Barry Eisler, and Mark Greaney,
you’ll love D.V. Berkom. Download this gritty, action-packed
thriller today!
DV Berkom is the USA Today bestselling author of two action-packed
thriller series featuring strong female leads (Leine Basso and Kate
Jones). Her love of creating resilient, kick-ass women characters
stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and
thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages.
Raised in the Midwest, she earned a BA in political science and promptly
moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Several years and many
adventures later, she wrote her first novel and was hooked. The Kate
Jones adventure thriller, Bad Spirits, was first published in 2010 as
an online serial, and was immediately popular with Kindle and Nook
fans. Dead of Winter, Death Rites, and Touring for Death soon
followed before she began the far grittier Leine Basso thriller
series in early 2012 with Serial Date.
DV currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Mark, and
several imaginary characters who like to tell her what to do.
D V Berkom writes of strong female characters, so when Absolution came in the mail, I was very excited to begin reading. Whether she expects a review or not, doesn’t matter. I want to share one of my favorite authors with you, so a review is always forthcoming.
I got lost in the writing as I am drawn in deeper…and I am not surprised with D V Berkom.
This badass character faces danger in every story and this antagonistic villain has a personal agenda that places Leine Basso in her sights.
Leine Basso will stop at nothing to protect those she loves, so she isolates herself as she hunts Salome, the one that got away in Dark Return.
Danger…intrigue…
Never a dull moment.
Who’s the mole? I figured wrong and D V Berkom is great at surprising me that way. The betrayal is well hidden and the red herrings kept me guessing.
And Jinn. I would love to read more about Jinn, a very special young girl.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Absolution by D V Berkom.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
There’s one sure way to stop a terrorist…
Leine Basso has severed ties with everyone she loves to keep them safe while she hunts for the ruthless terrorist, Salome. There are rumblings that the French-born assassin is planning another attack, and Leine’s determined to stop her before it’s too late.
Leine must follow her instincts despite a cunning and merciless enemy determined to lure her down a deadly path. Can Leine thwart her plans, or will Salome’s own twisted vengeance mean the end for Leine and everyone she loves?
From London to Edinburgh to the City of Angels, Salome’s making a comeback—and that comeback includes killing Leine.
ABOUT DV BERKOM
DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages.
Raised in the Midwest, she received her
BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly
moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves
(and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle,
Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned
contractor, and writes every chance she gets.
For more information, please visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.
The cover for The Last Deception by D V Berkom shows Leine Basso as I see her. I love when a cover fits the characters and the story.
I have been reading D V Berkom’s novels for some time now, and eagerly grab them and begin reading as soon as they arrive. Check out this and some of my other reviews and you will see why.
I love kickass female protagonists and D V Berkom supplies me with one of my favorites in the Leine Basso series and The Last Deception. These books stand alone, so no worries there, but once you start, you won’t want to stop.
We start right off with action, kicking down doors and bullets flying, as she heads off to Libya to rescue 15 year old Munira from terrorists. She had been kidnapped, brutally abused, then when they were finished with her, they sold her to sex traffickers.
Leine thought she left her past behind, until a friend calls her for help.
Maskinovka – Deception. American lives are on the line and the clock is ticking. Danger and political intrigue. Who to trust. How do you find answers without tipping your hand to the wrong person?
Some would call Leine’s actions rash, but she called them expedient. Sometimes split second decisions must be made, to accomplish the mission. Leine will put her life on the line to do what is right. I know, or at least I think I know, that DV Berkom will not kill her off. 🙂
I love a character who knows who they are. I have been with her through many trials and tribulations and love the person she has become. BUT, I loved her before, too.
The cover depicts my image of Leine. I can see her, laden with all the latest military goodies, crawling through the jungle, reconning, taking fire and dishing it out.
The writing and pacing keep the story moving and I travel from place to place, danger to danger, reading and wondering where it will all end. Sometimes your enemy is your friend and I love D V Berkom’s ability to make the story and characters read true. She does her research and it shows through her words. Great job D.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Last Deception by D V Berkom.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Lies. Deception. A nation on the brink of war…
In the Cold War, you knew who your friends and enemies were. In war today, there’s no difference.
Just when former assassin Leine Basso thinks she’s free from the business of murder and deception, a desperate call from a friend drags her back into the dark world of espionage and arms dealers.
Leine uncovers information that implicates a well-known Russian businessman in a horrendous deception that affects national security and could have global repercussions. It’s up to the former assassin to persuade the powers that be to ignore the obvious and trust her, or disregard the information and bring the world to the brink of a devastating war. Can she make it in time to warn them before The Last Deception?
ABOUT DV BERKOM
DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages.
Raised in the Midwest, she received her BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves (and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle, Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned contractor, and writes every chance she gets.
For more information, please visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.
