DNF. Considering how long I had this book from the library, I ended up not finishing because I was just never interested. Eventually I got bored and gave up. ( )

Review of Advance Reading Copy

When a helicopter goes down during a precarious rescue, Coast Guard rescue swimmer Trey DeBolt is critically injured. But he awakens in a seaside cabin in Maine where the nurse caring for him tells him he’s officially dead.
Meanwhile, an unusual chain of events leads civilian Coast Guard investigator Shannon Lund to believe that Trey may still be alive.

Maine is thousands of miles from where the accident occurred but before Trey can get some answers from the nurse, military-trained assassins kill her and then turn to hunting for DeBolt. Trey doesn't understand why he's in the assassin's crosshairs until he discovers he’s become part of a super-secret government experimental project . . . and his new powers may be the one thing that will get him killed.

At its core, this is a story of people thrown into a situation not of their own making, forced into fighting for their lives. Well-drawn characters, a twisty and often unpredictable plot, non-stop action, and an intense cat-and-mouse chase all combine to build suspense and keep the tension building. Readers will find it difficult to set aside before turning the final page. This mesmerizing tale leaves readers with much to consider.

Highly recommended. ( )

Cutting Edge opens with exciting action as Coast Guard rescue swimmer Trey DeBolt finds himself on the operating table following a tragic accident during a rescue attempt off the coast of Alaska. When Trey regains consciousness he finds himself in a remote Maine cottage with a surgical scar on the back of his head. He is in the care of nurse Joan Chandler who is reticent to explain exactly what happened to him and why he is there.

As Trey is nearing full recovery, the quiet Maine life is interrupted by five men who brutally gun down Joan. Trey manages to escape using both his swimming skills as well as some new-found abilities that he discovers are related to his experimental surgery. This kicks off a long chase as Trey attempts to evade his pursuers while also discovering what has been done to him and why.

At the same time, Coast Guard investigator Shannon Lund finds a case she is investigating intersects with Trey DeBolt who she has been told died in the accident. The trail inevitably leads to the two of them connecting and trying to unravel what has happened to Trey and who is behind it.

The book contains plenty of action as Trey escapes from one sticky situation after another moving away from his pursuers and closer to answers. The book is marred by a couple of decisions by Trey which are borderline idiotic and hard to overlook. The technological experimentation at the heart of the story is interesting, but so near to reality as to be almost unremarkable. The story moves to an exciting and satisfying conclusion.

The story is read by P.J. Ochlan who does a fine job voicing the characters and conveying the action and pacing of the story. Some of the text does not lend itself well to an audio version. Car vin numbers and license plate or other documents with long strings of numbers lend some authenticity as written words on the page where they can be skimmed, but slow down the narrative when they must be read aloud.

Interesting action story with a technological twist.

I was provided a copy of the audiobook by the publisher. ( )