A gripping continuation of Maximum Mayhem, Maximum Trouble brings a new Zach Brady and Maxi Mallone adventure to life.
Her relationship with Zack Brady is in
undefined territory. The trial of Gert Fountain fades in her rearview mirror. Needing a break,Maxi Malone tags along with her parents for a well-deserved break on the island of Aruba.
An unmarked war ship sits just off the coast of this tropical paradise. Both tourists and natives are plunged into the deep web of a psychopath’s
revenge.
With hostile encounters taking place in U.S. waters, Zack Brady is recruited back into the United States military. As the situation in
Aruba becomes more personal, he is dispatched to the island with the sole purpose of saving Maxi and her family.
The only question now is can he get there in time?
Professional Reviews
Good Reading
4.0 out of 5 stars
March 26, 2019
Format: Paperback
Fast paced and different, Maximum Trouble was certainly a page-turner.
I have to admit, the blurb sounded a little more romantic suspense than suspense, but this really doesn’t include much romance. Our two “lovers”, Maxi and Zack, are apart for much of the book, so just a heads up–this is a better book for suspense lovers than romance ones.
I really liked Zack. I also really liked Pete (does he get his own story?). I enjoyed their portion of the story much more than the parts with Maxi and her friends and family. It felt more natural and the characters were more true to form. I assume there is a book prior to this one, since Maxi and Zack have a history that’s discussed now and then. I didn’t feel like I was missing anything, exactly, just a little like the story would have been richer and stronger had I read it. Don’t get me wrong, Maximum Trouble stands alone fine.
Maxi got on my nerves now and then. She has a son, one who’s a bit older (my impressions of his age based on behavior was in the high single digits (6 – 8 years). So I expected Maxi to act like a grown up more than she did. She responded oddly to things (like saying “puke” when something was not to her liking, or talking about her manicure) and I didn’t like her much at the start. She felt like a spoiled Kardashian-like girl and so it took me a while to warm up to her. I did, eventually. When the pressure was really on, she came through.
The story was interesting, and I “saw” more of Aruba than I would have imagined possible. I can’t picture a cruise ship being sunk, though, without the full force of the US and Britain coming to bear… not just the small force that went in. The bad guys were really, really bad and the good guys were awesome. There were a few people I couldn’t decide what side they were on, and that made the story even more exciting. Some of the bad guys were TSTL, like Zack’s old boss and assistant. In a movie, I swear they’d have been the comedy relief. I just couldn’t take them seriously.
Those two aside, the plot was tense and exciting. People died I didn’t expect and things happened that I wasn’t ready for. While perhaps not pulse pounding, the story and writing was strong enough to keep me turning pages. There were a few editing errors, mainly wrong words (like “your” instead of “you’re”, for example) but not so many I was thrown out of the story and probably not significant enough that the reader who isn’t a grammar nerd would even notice.
All-in-all, Maximum Trouble was a solid suspense novel. More military thriller (ala Jack Ryan) than suspense, and I enjoyed getting to read it. And I’m still hoping for a book featuring Pete more. He’s a good dude and deserves one.
originally posted at long and short reviews
Another good book by L M Pampuro
4.0 out of 5 stars
January 7, 2019
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Another entertaining read by L M Pampuro!
Lovers of Aruba will enjoy this riveting action packed book.
Action, Adventure, Suspense, & a Sprinkle of Romance!
4.0 out of 5 stars
April 2, 2019
Format: Paperback
This book was filled with action, adventure, suspense, and a sprinkle of romance!
I did find myself thoroughly invested in the storyline and totally caught up with the character’s outcomes.
I liked the main characters, Maxi and Zach. I definitely found myself more partial to Zach as he was the strong, sexy, alpha protector. Maxi played more of the needy, immature, indecisive, annoying girlfriend role at the beginning, but thankfully she did grow in the book and become more of a strong, fierce lady towards the end. She still has a way to go, but she is on the right track.
Also, apparently Maxi and Zach had previous baggage from book one that carried over into this book. I had not read the first book, so I felt really out of the loop of why there was so much drama right off the bat.
I loved that this book took place in Aruba! The only experience I have with Aruba is the books, movies, and articles from when Natalee Holloway was murdered there. That all went down my year of high school graduation also, so I remember keeping up on the case over the years. Regardless, that this book is fiction, it was still nice to have a different take on Aruba since I haven’t thought of Aruba without thinking of Natalee. This book shined a new light on this island, and I enjoyed the beautiful vivid descriptions of the terrain. At times it felt like I was transported there and could even feel the sand between my toes!
This book has a great storyline that flows, terrific writing style with detailed scenes, well-developed characters, is fast paced, and keeps you completely entertained through the last page.
The author’s writing is strong and eloquently detailed. She really provided so much detail in her writing that is was easy to picture! There were a few times I found myself totally captivated in the story!
There are some predictable scenes. However, there are still a few unexpected twists and turns that you won’t see coming!
This book is the continuation of Maximum Mayhem. However, it can be read as a standalone. However, I will point out that there are many references to the previous book and several of the characters seem to overlap. I had not read the first book before reading this book, however, as much as I’ve enjoyed reading this book, I definitely wish I had. So, I would definitely encourage readers to check out both books and start with Maximum Mayhem first.
All in all, I enjoyed reading this book and would absolutely recommend it! I think all suspense readers will like this book too! So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading - you won't be disappointed!
Those are some thorough, great reviews. Giving me much more insight into the book than your description. All I know about Aruba is that it is a desert island still under the flag of the Netherlands. And, of course, the Holloway tragedy. My twin brother and a good friend are very familiar with Aruba. But from the reviews, I guess you describe the island very well. And, the sinking of a cruise ship is certainly a major event… "Remember the Maine!"
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