The Instructor is a hard-boiled action thriller that holds back no punches in its endeavor to entertain readers with sincere storytelling that emphasizes the plight of humans today in the face of lost identities and philosophical conundrums. I still can’t believe it’s a debut because it reads like one penned by a veteran author.
Derek Harrington spends his days teaching wilderness survival skills to Wall Street guys and gals looking for an adventure, having learned from the best as a retired Marine Force Recon and SERE instructor. When an enigmatic student offers him $20,000 to instruct a private group for 30 days in upstate New York, he feels a strong tug in his heart to make quick money for his family. However, there’s more to the group than meets the eye and soon Derek finds himself embroiled in an undercover operation to infiltrate the group led by a seemingly harmless but ultimately ruthless leader with no regard for anything but his own people. It quickly becomes a race against time as Derek tries to ward off suspicions during his undercover operation, lest they realize they’ve got an infiltrator among their ranks.
T.R. Hendricks yields no compromises on the unrelenting action to the bass of the thumping narrative buzzing at light-speed. There’s no wasted moment as the story quickly gets Derek in the crosshairs of a megalomaniac and it’s during the most dangerous of times for Derek that we get to know him so closely, not just by his words, but by his actions and his predicaments. On the surface, Derek seems prone to anger owing to his PTSD, but as the narrative progresses, we begin to explore his psyche with a newfound respect for his battles against the demons in his head. T.R. Hendricks humanizes his protagonist with all the vulnerabilities that elevate a protagonist to a hero.
This character development works in harmony with the aggressive action sequences that attest to Derek’s brilliant tactician mind as he must battle the very foes he helped train. T.R. Hendricks proves himself capable of writing tactical shootouts that capture the kinetic essence of precise movements grounded in the chaotic energy of battlegrounds.
The Instructor is one heck of an enjoyable debut that will have you preordering the sequel without hesitation. After finishing the book, you’ll find it impossible to think ‘badass’ without picturing Derek Harrington’s rugged charisma.
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Purchase The Instructor
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Barrington Books
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