“As Beaudet adds layer on layer to the story, it’s like a punch in the gut. I kept thinking, this could really happen.…’By a Thread’ has the ring of authenticity—It’s obvious that Beaudet has done his homework when it comes to Mormon customs and culture, to the finer points of our Constitution, in the descriptions of exotic locales such as Vienna and Munich. Most importantly, he understands that love is transcendent.” [This is an excerpt. To read the full review, click here.]
—Neil Badders, Minneapolis, MN*
7 November 2010
“Book was fabulous. Very clever method of weaving several interesting storylines into one suspenseful drama. It continued to keep my interest and never had a slow moment. Very enjoyable reading.”
—Garth Gordon Hokanson, Sebastopol, CA
17 September 2010
“By a Thread…is is an exceedingly well-crafted novel with the proverbial ‘ordinary men doing extra-ordinary things.’ That’s one of its great strengths. …Beaudet has carefully woven a well-integrated, believable tale of deception, loyalties betrayed, and young love. … By a Thread has a cinematic quality which makes it an easy read, and I hope it’s read by someone who is in a position to make it into a movie.”
—John Adrian, New York*
14 October 2010
“I just finished this book—goosebumps all the way to the end! I never read during this time of year because I am sooo busy with the beginning of the school year, but I grabbed it up any time I had some extra minutes. I loved this book. It begins by building the characters, locations, and sets the mood. Before you know it, it grabs ahold of you and you can’t put it down. It’s surprisingly on point with current affairs and grips you with the possibilities of things swinging out of control politically. With a refreshing point of view and story line, it brings a new twist to fiction that I haven’t encountered before. It’s a must read! It has great flow, great imagery, and I love the romance! I can’t wait to recommend it to my friends. My only question is—when’s the next one coming out?!!!”
—Katie Cawood, Eugene, OR
25 September 2010
“In a nutshell, I enjoyed By A Thread! It has an attention-grabbing plot that seems even more plausible given today’s political atmosphere and extreme agendas. The complex plot reminded me of some of John Grisham’s earlier books, although this book does not have as much information regarding the details of the conspiracy to over-take the United States government that I would have enjoyed. …I would have also enjoyed more descriptive detail about the characters and the setting. I like to be able to form a picture of the characters and locations in a book as well as the intricacies of the plot. That being said, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. It is entertaining and well written.” [This is an excerpt. To read the full review, click here.]
—Chris Allen, Martinez, CA *
25 September 2010
“Great book, fun to read. ‘By a Thread’ is a terrorist/political thriller which is well written and hard to put down once you begin reading it. Marty Beaudet displays a remarkable knowledge of his subjects, adding significantly to the depth of the story line. The reader comes away from the book better informed about the United States political system, Vienna and nature of the Mormon missionary system. My concern about a missionary as the main character was quickly put aside as the story developed and I identified with Elder Davis. I am highly recommending this book to my friends.”
—Alan Blodgett, Portland, OR
26 September 2010
“What I was expecting was something along the lines of a Dan Brown or Tom Clancy political thriller. What I got was a story about a man struggling with his beliefs and sense of self. This might have seemed like a rather rude change-up, but I was pleasantly surprised that Kevin’s story took over and held my interest throughout. The suspected terrorist, Jassim, is portrayed in a way not often seen in…popular literature or media…. This is a refreshing [change] from the usual stereotypes. I could empathize with both characters, and their trials make the resolution quite satisfying. The political crisis was very real and one could imagine this happening in today’s national climate. …I look forward to seeing what Mr. Beaudet will give us next.” [This is an excerpt. To read the full review, click here.]
—Doug Blakeslee, Portland, OR *
29 September 2010
“At a time when many Americans are voicing displeasure about elected officials,…Beaudet’s story of security agency conspiracies and government takeovers is especially timely and compelling. It also adds to the mix the occasional blurred line between politics and organized religions…. Well-written and suspenseful,…it’s definitely an engaging, page-turner of a read… four stars out of five.”
—Bob Lind, Echo Magazine (Phoenix, AZ)
October 2010
“…an exceptional book, a labyrinth of situations and outcomes. It is like a Picasso painting, something entirely visible, but hidden by directions of view. …
“It is shocking. It is logical. It is terrifying. Our government is in jeopardy the moment we open the book; we are victims of a cunning sabotage. There are government-shaking plots afoot, myriad conspirators, numbing moral conundrums.
“…a very strong tale. Its strength is its intelligence, its boldness, its honesty…. ‘By A Thread’ is about a young man, a Mormon, and whether he should believe what he has been told, or should believe the opposing feelings within his own heart.” [This is an excerpt. To read the full review, click here.]
—Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick, Durango, CO
7 December 2010
“Excellent read! As a rule I don’t choose political thrillers and admit that I probably wouldn’t have read this one if the author had not been a twitter friend. However, I’m glad I did read it even though it scares me to think that something like this story could happen. The book is very fast paced and holds your interest from the very first page, I highly recommend.”
—Kaye Starley, via Goodreads.com
1 April 2011
“What a wonderfully fun book! Great (and complex) plot full of fun twists and turns, good character development, well researched. Well done! A thoroughly enjoyable read. (Although a bit scary how possible it all… seems….) Is a sequel in the works…?”
—David Wertheimer, (Guemes Island, WA)
13 December 2010
“A fun read and a great page-turner…perfect for the stormy season when you want a good book to lift you out of your winter doldrums. I fell in love with the characters. When do we get to see the movie?”
—Paul Beaudet (Guemes Island, WA)
1 November 2010
“When I was a missionary in Rome, our mission president told us to be on the lookout for an orange van. Men had threatened to kidnap two missionaries and force them to confess to being CIA agents. I loved reading this novel, ‘By A Thread,’ where it turns out the myth is true. The book is well-researched. I felt as if I were really in Vienna and the surrounding areas. The plot is outrageous and yet still believable.…I loved the book and actually think it would make a pretty good movie, too. I expect good things from Marty Beaudet’s future novels.” [This is an excerpt. To read the full review, click here. ***SPOILER ALERT***]
—J. Townsend, Seattle, WA
11 November 2010
* These reviews were solicited by the author, based on the reviewers’ background, experience, and reading habits. Other than being provided with a free review copy of By A Thread, these readers were not compensated for their opinions, nor directed in any way. The full reviews have been published elsewhere on this blog and have only been edited for grammatical clarity. All other reviews on this page are the spontaneous response of readers.
Reader Responses to By A Thread
“As Beaudet adds layer on layer to the story, it’s like a punch in the gut. I kept thinking, this could really happen.…’By a Thread’ has the ring of authenticity—It’s obvious that Beaudet has done his homework when it comes to Mormon customs and culture, to the finer points of our Constitution, in the descriptions of exotic locales such as Vienna and Munich. Most importantly, he understands that love is transcendent.” [This is an excerpt. To read the full review, click here.]
—Neil Badders, Minneapolis, MN*
7 November 2010
“Book was fabulous. Very clever method of weaving several interesting storylines into one suspenseful drama. It continued to keep my interest and never had a slow moment. Very enjoyable reading.”
—Garth Gordon Hokanson, Sebastopol, CA
17 September 2010
“By a Thread…is is an exceedingly well-crafted novel with the proverbial ‘ordinary men doing extra-ordinary things.’ That’s one of its great strengths. …Beaudet has carefully woven a well-integrated, believable tale of deception, loyalties betrayed, and young love. … By a Thread has a cinematic quality which makes it an easy read, and I hope it’s read by someone who is in a position to make it into a movie.”
—John Adrian, New York*
14 October 2010
“I just finished this book—goosebumps all the way to the end! I never read during this time of year because I am sooo busy with the beginning of the school year, but I grabbed it up any time I had some extra minutes. I loved this book. It begins by building the characters, locations, and sets the mood. Before you know it, it grabs ahold of you and you can’t put it down. It’s surprisingly on point with current affairs and grips you with the possibilities of things swinging out of control politically. With a refreshing point of view and story line, it brings a new twist to fiction that I haven’t encountered before. It’s a must read! It has great flow, great imagery, and I love the romance! I can’t wait to recommend it to my friends. My only question is—when’s the next one coming out?!!!”
—Katie Cawood, Eugene, OR
25 September 2010
“In a nutshell, I enjoyed By A Thread! It has an attention-grabbing plot that seems even more plausible given today’s political atmosphere and extreme agendas. The complex plot reminded me of some of John Grisham’s earlier books, although this book does not have as much information regarding the details of the conspiracy to over-take the United States government that I would have enjoyed. …I would have also enjoyed more descriptive detail about the characters and the setting. I like to be able to form a picture of the characters and locations in a book as well as the intricacies of the plot. That being said, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. It is entertaining and well written.” [This is an excerpt. To read the full review, click here.]
—Chris Allen, Martinez, CA *
25 September 2010
“Great book, fun to read. ‘By a Thread’ is a terrorist/political thriller which is well written and hard to put down once you begin reading it. Marty Beaudet displays a remarkable knowledge of his subjects, adding significantly to the depth of the story line. The reader comes away from the book better informed about the United States political system, Vienna and nature of the Mormon missionary system. My concern about a missionary as the main character was quickly put aside as the story developed and I identified with Elder Davis. I am highly recommending this book to my friends.”
—Alan Blodgett, Portland, OR
26 September 2010
“What I was expecting was something along the lines of a Dan Brown or Tom Clancy political thriller. What I got was a story about a man struggling with his beliefs and sense of self. This might have seemed like a rather rude change-up, but I was pleasantly surprised that Kevin’s story took over and held my interest throughout. The suspected terrorist, Jassim, is portrayed in a way not often seen in…popular literature or media…. This is a refreshing [change] from the usual stereotypes. I could empathize with both characters, and their trials make the resolution quite satisfying. The political crisis was very real and one could imagine this happening in today’s national climate. …I look forward to seeing what Mr. Beaudet will give us next.” [This is an excerpt. To read the full review, click here.]
—Doug Blakeslee, Portland, OR *
29 September 2010
“At a time when many Americans are voicing displeasure about elected officials,…Beaudet’s story of security agency conspiracies and government takeovers is especially timely and compelling. It also adds to the mix the occasional blurred line between politics and organized religions…. Well-written and suspenseful,…it’s definitely an engaging, page-turner of a read… four stars out of five.”
—Bob Lind, Echo Magazine (Phoenix, AZ)
October 2010
“…an exceptional book, a labyrinth of situations and outcomes. It is like a Picasso painting, something entirely visible, but hidden by directions of view. …
“It is shocking. It is logical. It is terrifying. Our government is in jeopardy the moment we open the book; we are victims of a cunning sabotage. There are government-shaking plots afoot, myriad conspirators, numbing moral conundrums.
“…a very strong tale. Its strength is its intelligence, its boldness, its honesty…. ‘By A Thread’ is about a young man, a Mormon, and whether he should believe what he has been told, or should believe the opposing feelings within his own heart.” [This is an excerpt. To read the full review, click here.]
—Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick, Durango, CO
7 December 2010
“Excellent read! As a rule I don’t choose political thrillers and admit that I probably wouldn’t have read this one if the author had not been a twitter friend. However, I’m glad I did read it even though it scares me to think that something like this story could happen. The book is very fast paced and holds your interest from the very first page, I highly recommend.”
—Kaye Starley, via Goodreads.com
1 April 2011
“What a wonderfully fun book! Great (and complex) plot full of fun twists and turns, good character development, well researched. Well done! A thoroughly enjoyable read. (Although a bit scary how possible it all… seems….) Is a sequel in the works…?”
—David Wertheimer, (Guemes Island, WA)
13 December 2010
“A fun read and a great page-turner…perfect for the stormy season when you want a good book to lift you out of your winter doldrums. I fell in love with the characters. When do we get to see the movie?”
—Paul Beaudet (Guemes Island, WA)
1 November 2010
“When I was a missionary in Rome, our mission president told us to be on the lookout for an orange van. Men had threatened to kidnap two missionaries and force them to confess to being CIA agents. I loved reading this novel, ‘By A Thread,’ where it turns out the myth is true. The book is well-researched. I felt as if I were really in Vienna and the surrounding areas. The plot is outrageous and yet still believable.…I loved the book and actually think it would make a pretty good movie, too. I expect good things from Marty Beaudet’s future novels.” [This is an excerpt. To read the full review, click here. ***SPOILER ALERT***]
—J. Townsend, Seattle, WA
11 November 2010
* These reviews were solicited by the author, based on the reviewers’ background, experience, and reading habits. Other than being provided with a free review copy of By A Thread, these readers were not compensated for their opinions, nor directed in any way. The full reviews have been published elsewhere on this blog and have only been edited for grammatical clarity. All other reviews on this page are the spontaneous response of readers.
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Posted in Mormon spy novel, Political thriller, Reviews
Tagged bestseller, book, book reviews, CIA, conspiracy, espionage, fiction, gay, LDS, Mormon spy novel, political thriller, reader comments, reader favorites, spies, terrorism, thriller, Vienna