Headed For Trouble

Headed For Trouble
Suzanne Brockmann
Kindle Edition
Published April 2013
370 pages

Summary from Goodreads.
Tough-as-nails Troubleshooters operative Sam Starrett learns the agony of loving someone in danger—and the hell of waiting on the home front—as his wife, Alyssa, hurtles into a foreign hotspot that’s about to boil over.
 
• Navy SEAL Frank O’Leary’s ill-fated holiday reunion with his older brother takes a turn for the better—when a chance encounter on a rainy New Orleans street gives Frank a reason to be thankful after all.
 
• In a maze of tunnels deep beneath a military base in Germany, Jules Cassidy, Alyssa Locke, and their comrades in arms match wits with terrorists on a mission with explosive consequences.
 
Plus more never-before-released adventures featuring Jenk, Izzy, Gillman, Lopez, Kenny, Savannah, and other members of SEAL Team 16—along with Suzanne Brockmann’s exclusive interviews with her beloved characters.

My thoughts.
I both enjoyed this book and was also a little disappointed. 

 I loved meeting the characters from all the Troubleshooter books: Sam, Alyssa, Max, Gina, Jules, Robin, and many of the others.  There were a couple of very good short stories.  I especially enjoyed the story where Sam and Robin are left in a country of doubtful reputation and they are dealing with a stomach bug that is circulating among Gina, the children and eventually Sam.  Sam has not got a stomach for others barfing.  I enjoyed finding out that little detail as I too am a sympathetic dry reacher when it comes to others throwing up!

I actually liked the fun bits where the author interviews or talks to the characters.  I have read elsewhere that others did not like these parts, however I love the characters so much that Suz talking to them was entertaining and enjoyable.

There is an interview with Suzanne Brockmann and I liked reading her thoughts about the Troubleshooter books, and what she has endeavoured to do in her writing.  I found interesting her take on the way we make judgements and put labels on both people and books.  I often wonder what genre this or that book is, and in truth often it does not fit neatly into any one genre.

She says about her writing:

My goal with my books is always to grow tolerance and acceptance.  To encourage people to look beyond the things that they expect to see, to try to see individuals instead of stereotypes.

I do believe she achieves that in her Troubleshooter books, some of the characters certainly change their views of others as the series develops.  I think as a reader too, I am invited to challenge some of my own preconceived notions about groups of people and to see the person beyond.

I was disappointed with the book because I had been hoping for longer stories, or.... one long book.  I enjoy her writing and would prefer to get stuck into a full length novel from this writer, than bits and pieces.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed the Troubleshooter series, to others I would recommend the actual series.