Thanks to author J.D. Barker and Netgalley I got this excellent opportunity to read this pulse pounding delicious thriller which is impossible to put down once you start! The characters and situations all make for a blockbuster scenario with enough twists and turns to keep even the most skeptical reader hooked!! Can't wait for his next!

Short summary: Jordan Briggs, the shock talk radio host of Overdrive with Jordan Briggs, is a woman who’s built her show at the expense of others’ dignity and doesn’t have a problem with that. When a tragic stunt she pulled in the past on her show comes back to haunt her in the form of a mysterious male caller, “Bernie”, who wants to play an increasingly dangerous game on the air with her, she finds out just how much her actions could cost her. What follows is complete chaos, as she, her show producer Billy, NY detective Cole Hundley and a whole slew of other characters race against time to stop the deadly game.

J.D. Barker in his author’s note says that he’s often accused of writing literary popcorn and that he’s OK with that. His intention is to entertain, not to be profound or represent some moral or political cause. I appreciate that honesty. He knows the audience he wants and he writes for it.

That being said: I’m not his audience. At least not for this kind of book.

Don’t get me wrong - I actually do enjoy the occasional action thriller movie, and Die Hard ranks up there with some of my favorite movies, so I appreciate some of the similarities to this book. It’s hard-core, all-in, over-the-top, make-your-senses-bleed action. The problem is it’s exhausting. At about 70 percent in, I was looking for someone to stop the ride and let me off, knowing that things were only going to get even more intense to the finish line. I could have dealt with that, but in order to stay invested, you have to actually LIKE the characters. With the exception of Cole, there wasn’t any character I felt particularly sympathetic towards.

Jordan is next level unlikeable. She’s selfish, narcissistic, greedily ambitious, aloof, sarcastic and just generally unpleasant. Her mini-me daughter, Charlotte, who’s 11, is the most obnoxious, precocious, snarky, thinks-she’s-smarter-than-every-adult child I’ve ever encountered in a book, and I HATE feeling that way or talking that way about a child, especially if I’m required by the story to feel sympathy towards her predicament. Bernie is apparently omniscient, because despite the author’s explanation for how he sees, hears and knows everything everyone everywhere is doing, it’s so beyond human possibility that I’d have to bury my brain in the basement under 10 layers of concrete to believe it.

I know authors often use unlikeable characters to illustrate a redemptive “bad to good” arc. That didn’t work for me in this book. I didn’t end the book feeling warm and fuzzy toward Jordan, and maybe Barker wasn’t even going for that. Because there was no one to root for, except for maybe Cole, the ending felt empty and unsatisfying. I didn’t hate the book … it kept me invested in the way a fluff action movie would - it just didn’t win my heart. I would absolutely read other books by J. D. Barker - just not the action ones.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

★★★ ½ (rounded down to 3)

Typically, I don’t love thrillers but when the page-turning matches the pace of the plot, from literally start to finish, then the book competes with the handful of all-time favorites in the genre for me.

Intense entertainment with vivid characters that yank you into the story and keep you there for the duration. Reading on a Kindle, I turned off the progress indicator after the halfway point because I didn’t want to know when the book would actually end. Great movie concept - I’d buy a ticket on release day.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hampton Creek Press for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review and thank you to JD Barker for another great read!

Absolutely Brilliant!! Another 5 STAR book from Barker. Barker really knows how to tell a story full of mystery, well developed characters and so so much more. This book exceeds 5 STARS! HIGHLY Recommend

J.D. Barker is a Master Storyteller born to write suspense thrillers. In ‘The Callers Game’, Barker grabs you, raises the tension, then never lets go. No one is exactly who they appear to be and time is continually running out before the next bomb goes off. The plot is relentless, as it continually twists its way to the cliffhanger ending.
Whew!
‘The Callers Game’ was the sixth novel written by J.D. Barker that I’ve read and I can’t wait for what this creative genius writes next.

3.5 ⭐️

Excerpt:

“Jordan glances over at the second monitor, the one listing the callers on hold:

Line 1 Stan-wants to apologize
Line 2-Crystal (on air)
Line 3-Stan (this one says he dated you in high school)
Line 4-Bernie (wants to play a game)
Line 5 Stan (female-says the best “Stans” are women) “

Jordan Briggs is a controversial radio talk show host, with about 5 million listeners.
That’s a decent amount but she isn’t yet #1 in the NY market, though she will do just about anything to change that. She doesn’t mince words or spare feelings, and her RAPID FIRE questions usually get people to admit their deepest, darkest secrets.

“I’M GOING TO OFFER YOU A CHOICE”

This book also opens with a RAPID FIRE pace, as Jordan chooses to speak with Bernie on line 4, and his game becomes deadly.

ALL SHE HAS TO DO IS FOLLOW THE RULES.

Described as Talk Radio meets Die Hard, the book synopsis is accurate for once!

Though I also thought the first half ALSO had vibes of John Marrs “The Passengers”.
In that book, a jury had to decide the fate of the drivers, with limited facts.

In this book, Jordan is asked to make choices between two evils, without all of the information.

I loved the first half, as I was enjoying the TALK RADIO, and the suspense.

BUT, the second half of this tale is all DIE HARD, and I would never buy a ticket to watch that.
Explosions, gun shots and chases, for over 200 pages, was just too long for me!

“She Has A Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be” was EPIC!! (5 shiny ⭐️)
It made my favorites list for 2020 and I have read and reviewed 180 books this year, with 2 weeks to go! I was hoping for another story with THAT kind of vibe. (Chiller)

“The Coast to Coast Murders”-a collaboration with James Patterson only earned 2 ⭐️ from me!
Sorry, JD! (Thriller)

This one fell in between the two-first half chiller and second half thriller.

If you enjoyed Coast to Coast....this will work for you!
But, if you were hoping for another She Has a Broken Thing...maybe, next time....🤞🏻
I know I will continue to watch for this talented author’s work!

Than You to the author and Publisher for a gifted copy through NetGalley!

As soon as I saw this, it went straight to the top of my 📚!

It was my pleasure to provide a candid review!
Available Feb. 22, 2021!

833 kb

5 stars

What a thrill ride!!

Hold on to your hats everyone for this book will take you places you never imagined. This self- labeled “literary popcorn” writer JD Barker outdoes himself with this latest book.

Controversial SiriusXM radio host Jordan Briggs is about to step into something even in her make believe world she cannot Imagine. She gets a call from a listener who calls himself Bernie who wants her to play a game. She gets to make a choice...

There are many characters in this book and all play an integral part in the drama. There is non-stop action, a high level of tension and surprises aplenty for the reader.

This is a book from which you cannot turn away. It is imperative to find out what happens. You must keep reading. It has cops, an ex-husband, a senator, a program director and a producer...and an unforgettable and precocious little girl.

The writing is flawless, aside from a couple of minor typos which I assume will be caught before final publication. The transitions and plotting are remarkably clear and smooth. Mr. Barker is a timeless writer. His writing will endure the test of time.

I want to very much thank NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press/IBPA for forwarding to me a copy of this absolutely outstanding book for me to read, enjoy and review.

Jordan is a shock jock, hosting a call-in show on SiriusXM when someone calls up and asks her to play a game. When she answers honestly and bombs start going off, she realises that her past is catching up with her and that - as with the caller himself - everything could be on the line. A detective who's been sent to traffic duty gets caught up in the story, as he tries to stop more people dying because of a choice that not even they are making.

The book is gripping but flips halfway through the story to be more of a heist plot than anything. I'm not sure Jordan is the most rootable protagonist either - for a story like this to be believable, you need to feel like she isn't a monster, and she crosses the line at times.

This is a very well written story with excellent characters, but unfortunately, the plot doesn't seem very original. And despite some things that are highly unbelievable, it's very entertaining.

Earlier this year I came across and read J.D. Barkers She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be and fell in love with that story. Then I read the Coast to Coast Murders in which he partnered with James Patterson and the truth is I didn't love it. It was a little too high-octane for my particular liking. A Caller's Game is definitely more along the lines of the Coast to Coast Murders and was not at all what I was expecting. I thought I was going to get a creepy and sinister story but this isn't that at all. It's bombs exploding, car chases, shoot outs, one-liners and totally not my thing. For the first 50% I was entertained but once the action really started to ramp up I'd start losing focus and I skimmed most of the way to the end. However, Barkers writing is top notch and so many people are going to love this. This is a case of it's me not the book. 3 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press for the digital ARC.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. Easy read and full of interest throughout the story. I will definitely look up other books by this author. It makes me smile.

If you only read one thriller this year, A Caller's Game is the book you want. Don't think twice about it. This book blew me away in a million different ways. HOLY SHIT!!

Jordan is the host of her show, Overdrive with Jordan Briggs on SirusXM. It's just another normal day until she gets a call from Bernie. Bernie is about to rock her world....literally.

Decisions from Jordans past are catching up to her and she has to choice but to play Bernie games. Bernie wants revenge and has no problem with killing anything in his path to get it. He is twisted with nothing to lose.

Let me tell you, the suspense in this book was absolutely bone chilling! It was so deep in my bones, I was afraid to read the next paragraph, let alone the next chapter. Expect to take hit after hit without ever seeing the punches coming your way. My breath was nonexistent throughout most of this book.

The action is nonstop from the second you start reading. Clear your schedules because I promise you, you will not put this book down.

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of this author ever since reading The Fourth Monkey. I have and will continue to read anything and everything J.D. Barker writes....no blurb required. If you are new to this author, buckle up and welcome to the club. If your a fan already, I know you are going to love this book. It's absolutely phenomenal!!!

J.D. Barker....I hope you and your family stay happy and healthy! Thank you for taking us away from reality for a little while, even if it's to another twisted reality, I'll choose yours any day. ;o)

Many thanks to J.D. Barker, the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy. You all made my year!

Have you ever watched a movie that hooked you right away, one that surprised you with the fast-paced and exciting action, but then just seemed to go on...and on? That scenario works for this book as well.

Jordan Briggs is a controversial SiriusXM radio talk show host. She’s very popular, brings in ratings, and people love her...or, love to hate her. When a man named Bernie calls into the show and asks Jordan if she wants to play a game, it sets off a horrific turn of violent and deadly events.

The less said, the better.

It’s early days, but I may be the outlier here. I didn’t love this book, but there is a lot I enjoyed. It goes in directions I didn’t expect, and it’s a high octane action-thriller that never loses speed. The characters, especially Jordan, are very well written....even though I didn’t really care for / like any of them. I couldn’t get enough as I delved further into the explosive story.

That is, until I felt myself slowly losing interest. I would’ve liked if the second half was a bit tighter, but my engrossment starting wavering on and off as the situations started to feel repetitive and improbable.

J.D. Barker is a phenomenal author. His epic book, SHE HAS A BROKEN THING WHERE HER HEART SHOULD BE, is one of my favorites of 2020. Although I didn’t love this one the way I had hoped, I mostly enjoyed it...and I eagerly look forward to reading more from him.

If you enjoy mainstream thrillers with tons of action, but not necessarily a whole lot of logic, than I think you will devour this. Hopefully, you’ll even love it and find that extra bit of pleasure I missed.

3.5 stars.

Thank you to Hampton Creek Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

This was a mind-numbing, edge of your seat thriller that I couldn't put down! My eyes were glued to the pages - no, no one could interrupt me on this one because I was so wrapped up in what was happening I couldn't think of anything else from beginning to end.

It is very character driven, and the characters are so vivid you can touch them. Jordan, the main character, is a radio talk show host and is totally unfiltered. She says what she thinks and to heck with the consequences. Good luck reining her in. The dialogue dripping from Jordan's mouth was just perfect for a very popular radio host. Then there's Cole, who is a homicide detective, but he's being punished so he's pushed down to being a traffic cop when he runs across Jordan.

Let's talk about tension a little - well, not a little because there's a lot. Just know it's there and it never lets up! I found myself holding my breath a few times and white-knuckling whatever was next to me to hold on to. The author says he writes literary popcorn and if this is it, it's my new favorite snack!

Kudos J. D. Barker for another awesome book! I can hardly wait for your next one.

Thanks to J.D. Barker and Hampton Creek Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

A caller's game by J.D Barker.
Omg absolutely brilliant. Full of action from the first page. I loved Jordan Cole and Charlotte. Didnt like Bernice or Varney. I was hooked. Would love to see this as a film. The special effects would be amazing. Would definitely Highly recommend. 5*. Would give more if I could.

I have loved all of J.D. Barker's books so when I was offered this ARC, I moved it to the top of my TBR list with a shiver of excitement! And wow, it made my heart race the whole way through! Jordan is a popular host of Overdrive with Jordan Biggs; she has a huge following and ratings to match. Is she opinionated and brash? Why yes, she is, which is why when she gets a call from a man named Bernie asking if she wants to play a "game," she agrees, not realizing the consequences of her past mistakes are about to catch up with her. Each time Bernie gives her a choice between two places or objects and then vows to destroy the one she doesn't choose. It's horrifying and relevant at the same time as Barker knows how to ratchet up the tension even as we're dealing with flawed but very human characters. This is a must-read and one of Barker's best!

J.D. Barker is truly a master of suspense and horror! Makes my black little heart all fluttery whenever I see his name on a book. This one is really scary because I can see this happening at any time.

Jordan Briggs is the female Howard Stern. Brash, in your face, controversial. A total bad-ass. She has no filter and doesn’t care in the least what she has to do to stay at the top of the rating board. But this single-minded dedication to success has cost her. Her husband is now her ex. She hasn’t spoken to her mother in years. If not for Charlotte, her eleven-year-old daughter, she would be alone and she doesn’t seem too bothered about that.

If you get the impression she’s a pretty shallow and unpopular human being then you are correct.

Until… one day a caller asks if she would like to play a game. Angry because her boss has scheduled an interview with a rather shady senator, she decides to play along. And that sets into motion a series of events that lead to her past and the present colliding in awful ways.

Jordan has made some bad decisions in this business. Not very moral or ethical. And now she is about to pay for all of those. Consequences are always there waiting.

Is it odd to say I felt worse for the killer than Jordan? I understood his motivation although I didn’t agree with his deeds. You never know how your words and actions ripple out into the world until they find that one unstable person who is going to show you how much they matter.

Dare I say that I’ve replaced James Patterson with Barker? Well, I have.

NetGalley/ February 22nd, 2021 by Hampton Creek Press

This is a die hard, phone booth (radio style) all in one.

I normally don’t like action pack books but this book was very good.

I like the perspective of cop and DJ views. I love the shocking twists.

I recommend this to people who like thrillers and action

This was a very fast moving and very good book. Jordan Briggs, a controversial talk show host, is not having the best start to her day, she's late getting to work, where she has to be on air in a matter of minutes, a traffic jam makes her decide to abandon her car in the middle of the road and run the rest of the way. A policeman who happened to be behind her tries to get her to stop, to no avail. That policeman, Cole, is on traffic duty after being busted down from homicide for an infraction that isn't revealed until much later. Cole follows Jordan into the building and up to her floor in an effort to get her to move her car. Jordan's day then goes downhill very quickly, sometime in her past she had organized a publicity stunt that went horribly wrong and resulted in death of a number of people. A caller to the show wants to play a game with her, a dangerous and deadly game. There are themes of Die Hard, a policeman in a tall building trying to save the people from a madman. Non stop action and a very quick pace makes this book highly recommended. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Calling all adrenaline thriller junkies! Here's your next fix.

"Literary popcorn" author J.D. Barker is new to me, but the premise of his latest novel was so compelling I shoved my To Read pile aside and binged this as quickly as possible. A mysterious caller dials in to a controversial SiriusXM shock jock's morning radio show and says he wants to play a game. He offers her a this-or-that choice, and her seemingly benign answer sets in motion a spiral of terror within her studio's skyscraper and the surrounding NYC area.

"A Caller's Game" is a BIG thriller. Not in pages (425), but in action. If this were a movie, its audio track would be filled with the sounds of whirring helicopters, explosions, and gun shots. Readers more accustomed to domestic suspense books will be rattled to the edge of their seats as the game unfolds, and if they're like me, also left wondering why they've been stuck in quagmire of Gone Girl on a Train in the Window knockoffs for so long.

The synopsis describes this as DIE HARD meets TALK RADIO, and it ain't lyin. Is the book 100% perfect? No. I questioned some of the characters' motivations, worried if plot holes would be filled, and found Barker's depiction of the radio host's 11yo daughter irksome and age-inappropriate. But after awhile, I chucked those concerns and just embraced the rush.

4.5 stars rounded up, because I want more!

(The Author's Note at the end is almost worth the price of admission alone. Written 3/25/20, it's a time capsule of the early days of COVID in the U.S. "The What If gene keeps whispering about all the ways it could go. Well, time will tell. In your world, time already has.")

"A Caller's Game" is slated for publication on February 22, 2021. Huge thanks to the author and Hampton Creek Press for the advanced review copy via NetGalley.