Power Down

By Ben Coes

The first in the explosive and bestselling Dewey Andreas series.

The largest oil-platform in the Western Hemisphere and a major hydroelectric dam are destroyed in a coordinated terrorist attack. The West’s energy supplies risk total failure.

But when the terrorists strike a rig off the coast of Colombia, slaughtering the crew and destroying the oil field, there's one factor they don't take into account: former special forces operative Dewey Andreas.

Determined to find the men behind the attack, Dewey must overcome increasingly deadly assaults as he follows the trail of operatives sent to take him down. Can Dewey save the people and the country he loves before it’s too late?

A gripping thriller perfect for fans of Lee Child and J.B. Turner.

Praise for Power Down

‘A gripping story, compelling characters, a relentless pace, and nerve-wracking suspense’ Vince Flynn, New York Times bestselling author of Pursuit of Honor

‘Breathtaking ... I was blown away' David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of Creepers and creator of Rambo

‘Thrillers don't get any better' Stephen Coonts, New York Times bestselling author of The Disciple

• Language: English
• Publisher: Canelo Digital Publishing Ltd
• Release date: Jan 23, 2017
• ISBN: 9781911591054

Ben Coes

Ben Coes is the author of critically acclaimed Power Down. He is a former speechwriter for the George H.W. Bush Whitehouse, worked for Boone Pickens, was a fellow at the JFK School of Government at Harvard, a campaign manager for Mitt Romney’s run for governor in 2002, and is currently a partner in a private equity company out of Boston. He lives in Wellsley, Mass.

Reviews for Power Down

[jarratt_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've bought some inexpensive ($2.99 or less) books for the Kindle, but I don't remember one being so good. "Power Down" by Ben Coes is a really good thriller. While I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the second, I still think it rates a solid four stars."Power Down" tells of how one man tries to destroy America by crippling her infrastructure. Power plants, shipping docs, defense factories are all targets. Little does he know, however, that Dewey Andreas, the crew chief of a targeted oil platform and ex-Army Ranger and Delta, doesn't take too kindly to his actions. Thrown in a traitor at high levels in the American government, and you've got a nice mix of ingredients for a great thriller.There were a few places where I noticed Coes' writing seemed a little to "He did this," then "He did this," and, "Next, he did this." But those instances were few and far between. Overall the writing was pretty tight and the dialogue was believable. But for $2,99? Can't beat it!

[mswallack_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was anchored by a somewhat unusual protagonist, who was, in many ways, almost an anti-hero. And the villain's plot was interesting. I liked that the author felt free to actually let bad things happen; too often, authors allow their protagonists to win all the time, such that 9/11s never happen. I'm certainly looking forward to reading the next Dewey Andreas novel.And now my criticisms: First, a few of the action scenes (especially one early in the book involving Andreas) were hard to follow. I wasn't able to picture the scene very well. Second, far too much of the book was spent away from Andreas. The author could probably have spent far less time describing certain people and places that had relatively brief appearances in the book. I was also a bit confused by some of the financial dealings described in the story. As the novel progressed, much of this became more clear, but a lengthy sequence of passages early in the book were confusing and, in the end, seemed wholly unnecessary. I also had some difficulties with the chronology of the story (maybe it was just me or maybe I'm being overly picky; I don't know). For example, there is a series of action sequences involving Andreas that all occur over a relatively short period within a fairly constrained area. Yet in the other part of the story, it is intimated that far more time (several days or a week) pass during the afternoon that Andreas has his scenes. My last two criticisms are both really, really minor, but for whatever reason annoyed me a lot: I didn't like the name of the villain (it didn't feel "true" to his background) and I'm getting tired of every "helpful" character in stories like this to be a former Ranger, SEAL, or Delta commando. It would seem that in the world Andreas inhabits, those special forces unitls must have included hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Like I said, though, a minor criticism.Overall, an enjoyable read and I'm certainly going to continue with the series.

[taylorsteve_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Really slow start. A lot of action, but the writing doesn't flow well - feels jerky and more like a recitation of stories and events than a novel.

[marilynr_9 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent writer....will look forward to more from him

[henrimoreaux · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I previously read Ben Coes' Coup d'etat which comes after this book, having enjoyed it so much I chased this one down to start at the beginning and now having finished Power Down I can say I am glad I did.Power Down has terrorist action on a scale not often portrayed, on Clancy's Sum Of All Fears level almost, the only real minor quibble I have with it is in one scene a huge dam is said to be on the edge of a sea with a river below it - that doesn't make much sense, this aside though it's an excellent action packed romp.Would highly recommend for fans of Vince Flynn, Dale Brown, et cetera.

[bohemiangirl35 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The beginning of the book had me hooked, but I lost interest towards the end. The characters were pretty flat and stereotypical - white male military heroes fighting Arab terrorists. The military heroes survived everything from bombs to fires even with concussions. I liked Dewey, the main hero, full of angst over being falsely accused of murder and losing his family. But he still loves his country and comes to the rescue. I like that a woman was in a position of power. There was too much talking at the end. Bad guys don't explain themselves.

[corduroy7-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

On the back flap copy of the dust jacket, Power Down is described as a "gripping, compelling debut thriller, featuring an electrifying new hero, from a powerful new writer". I couldn't agree more. I'd like to bundle the definitions of these top seven (7) words, "riveting", "spine-tingling", "rousing", "gripping", "thrilling" (as in a roller coaster ride - not a mere circular spin on a ferris wheel), "alarming", and "perilous" all into one masterful description for this novel. If you enjoy a fresh spin in a thriller that could be ripped from today's headlines - This is the choice as your next read! Hang up the "I'm reading and can't be disturbed" sign and catch up on sleep before you begin reading or else sleep will need to wait. This is a true page-turner. Enjoy!!

[magentaflake · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

just discovered this writer and his character Dewey Andreas. Very enjoyable read.

[mikedraper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

terrorists set coordinated attacks against America's energy supply. A hydroelectric dam is blown up in Canada. However, when the terrorists attack the Captiana oil platform near Columbia, they are pitted against Dewey Andreas. He runs the platform like a military commander and is as rough as needed to get the job done.As terrorists capture Dewey and bring him to the pumping station to complete their sabotge, Dewey promises that whatever happens, he would find and kill those responsible.The attaack was timed to coincide with the merger of KKB and Anson Energy, a company with the goal of making the U.S. not have to depend on foreign governments for their energy needs.As governmental officials scramble to find answers, we learn who masterminded the attacks. This man was born in Lebanon and placed with a family in the U.S. so he could learn American ways and plot a sudden and massive strike against the country.As exciting a thriller as I've read, the action flies off the page and keeps the reader holding their breath as the plot develops. Dewey is a protagonist that the reader wants to accomplish his goals and to the untrained eye, the action seems all too believable. The FBI is portrayed in a stereotypical manner as a bungler and the fact that few men can achieve what the gornerment forces cannot, seems a stretch.Even though some of the story has been done before, I enjoyed the novel and recommend it.

[dougcornelius_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's a well-written, if often time implausible, action thriller. It's great at getting you to turn the pages. The action is unrelenting. Of course that leaves little time to figure out the characters. The exception is Dewey Andreas, the action star of the book.If you are looking for an action thriller, this is worth picking up.

[fernemysteryreader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

On the back flap copy of the dust jacket, Power Down is described as a "gripping, compelling debut thriller, featuring an electrifying new hero, from a powerful new writer". I couldn't agree more. I'd like to bundle the definitions of these top seven (7) words, "riveting", "spine-tingling", "rousing", "gripping", "thrilling" (as in a roller coaster ride - not a mere circular spin on a ferris wheel), "alarming", and "perilous" all into one masterful description for this novel. If you enjoy a fresh spin in a thriller that could be ripped from today's headlines - This is the choice as your next read! Hang up the "I'm reading and can't be disturbed" sign and catch up on sleep before you begin reading or else sleep will need to wait. This is a true page-turner. Enjoy!!