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Summary
Summary
Despite the best efforts of his trainer and mentor, 28-year-old heavyweight mixed martial artist Aaron "Woodshed"Wallace just can't move beyond the low-level MMA fight rungs. His criminal past and self-destructive tendencies have proven to be the biggest hurdle he can't seem to overcome. So when Woodshed is offered a match against the rising heavyweight star of the largest MMA organization in the Western hemisphere, he's all over it. The night before the fight,Woodshed runs into Lance, a small-time criminal from his past, and Lance's bookie Kendall. Ever the opportunist, Kendall plans to bet big on Woodshed to win; and to increase his motivation, Kendall kidnaps Lance. Blaming himself for the kidnapping, Woodshed resolves to attempt a rescue. But in order to have any chance of tracking Kendall down, Woodshed has to reconnect with a gunrunner and a drug dealer from his crime-ridden past and risk losing his big MMA opportunity.
Author Notes
Jeremy Brown is the author of the Crime Files: Four-Minute Forensic Mysteries books. He is trained in Jeet Kune Do, MMA, and close-quarters combat. He lives in Michigan.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Brown (Crime Files and other YA Four-Minute Forensic mysteries) launches a new thriller series with this impressive first set in the violent world of professional mixed martial arts. When Banzai Eddie Takanori, president of Warrior Incorporated, offers Aaron "Woodshed" Wallace a televised bout, with just two days' notice, against Junior Burbank, whose only loss came at Wallace's hands, Wallace seizes this chance as his ticket to the big time. Despite Eddie's warning to keep a low profile until the fight, Wallace agrees to do a favor for an old acquaintance, Lance, who once saved his life-accompany Lance to a meeting with a Las Vegas loan shark. The meeting rapidly spirals out of control, placing Wallace's career, and life, in jeopardy. The gore inherent in no-holds-barred fighting may be excessive for some, but seasoned noir fans will find plenty to savor. The engaging Wallace is more than capable of carrying a series. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Aaron Wallace, a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter who goes by the name of Woodshed in allusion to the damage he did an opponent in an early fight, is offered what appears to be the chance of a lifetime. Stuck fighting no-name cards against mediocre opponents, he's approached by a promoter to headline a big-ticket match against Junior Burbank, a popular fighter whose only loss came, not coincidentally, at the hands of Woodshed Wallace. It's a rematch made in fight-promoter heaven, and by the time Woodshed discovers that it's about more than just he and Burbank squaring off, there are lives, including his own, hanging in the balance. Brown has extensive training in various martial-arts disciplines and takes readers deep inside the world of MMA to provide a vivid and frequently painful portrait of Woodshed and his environment. He also gives readers a smartly constructed, well-told crime novel.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
This tightly paced, action-packed debut thriller revolves around Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and, in particular, cage fighting, probably the most brutal, least forgiving of all the martial arts. Heavyweight Aaron "Woody" Wallace is a big man, and his life is all about the training. He is an admirable mixture of determination, subtle humor, and loyalty. His adversaries, a full deck of gamblers and other lowlifes, are out to profit from everything Woody has, including his life. In spite of his brutal profession, Woody's essentially noble and romantic character enables him to pursue extraordinary danger as he seeks to survive his opponents. MMA aficionados will recognize the expertise in the author's detailed descriptions of training and the techniques and terrors of the cage. VERDICT This superb thriller stands a bloody head above other titles in this genre. Fans of MMA and readers who enjoy sports fiction will want a ringside seat for this one.-Jonathan Pearce, California State Univ. at Stanislaus, Stockton (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.