Photo courtesy of Lincoln County News

RICK SIMONDS, in addition to writing the thrilling new novel OPERATION: MIDNIGHT, is the author of the highly acclaimed murder mysteries BLOOD CODE and BLOOD SPORT. He has been a columnist for both the Maine Sunday Telegram and the Rockland Courier Gazette and written both columns and feature articles for national trade magazines. He continues to live and write in Maine.

“Twists, turns, and conspiracy collide in the Big Easy. And distinguishing friend from foe is never easy in this fast-paced thriller.” — Bruce Robert Coffin, award-winning author of the Detective Byron Mysteries

Just when you think you have figured it out – you learn you are wrong… and the danger intensifies.

Imagine leading an idyllic life as a waiter in New Orleans only to be told by a stranger that your life is in danger and your parents are not truly yours. Lonnie Clifford, a highly gifted young man, soon learns that nothing in his life is as it seems and he is confronted with the challenges of finding who his real parents are and avoiding capture by government agents trying to bring him into the evil experimentation called “OPERATION MIDNIGHT”.

As those around him are killed, he discovers letters comprised of seemingly random words and numbers and only by solving the mystifying clues can he hope to get the answers he desperately needs. Every bit of Lonnie’s genius is challenged In this thrilling tale of betrayal and intrigue as he attempts to outwit the head of the rogue scientific operation and determine who in his life is genuinely who they say they are.

SIMONDS RUNNER-UP IN SHORT STORY WRITING COMPETITION

Rick Simonds, who has had three novels published, including the recent thriller, OPERATION: MIDNIGHT, finished as runner-up out of dozens of entries in the Crime Flash short story competition sponsored by the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance. The winning entrant was Muhammad Drammeh of Bangor.

TO PURCHASE OPERATION: MIDNIGHT by RICK SIMONDS:

Click on the image above to see the “The best thrillers revealing government conspiracies”  selected by Rick Simonds

Be prepared for edge-of-your-seat chills in BLOOD CODE

Death is usually such a private passage, he thought. Silent and somber. It is such a pleasure to be able to share in the planning, the preparation… the ceremony.
 
The “painter” pulled his chair up closer to his “canvas” which was actually the white-painted wall in the living room of a small studio apartment. He painted with patience and precision, his eye for detail clearly demonstrated. He wanted this to be just right.
 
The broad strokes of his brush danced across the latex surface bringing a smile to his face. The crimson streaks, a series of steady-handed lines and figures, turned blackish as they met the air and were oxygenated. His brush was a small, plastic-bristled model that he had brought with him for the occasion.
Below him on the hard wood floor lie sprawled a dark-complexioned young lady who most would have considered attractive, had it not been for the gaping wound on her neck stretching from ear to ear and leaking the dark liquid the killer was using for “paint.”

“Simonds has an exciting and entertaining hit mystery here.”
– Kennebec Journal

“I read your book in one day.
It was incredible.”
– S. Sheehan

“A terrifying tale loaded with suspense.
– Waterville Morning Sentinel

TO PURCHASE BLOOD CODE, A TERRIFYING MYSTERY by RICK SIMONDS:

The suspense in BLOOD SPORT is non-stop.

Vince Fiorillo looked out of the bay window of his great room at the choppy waters of Casco Bay. Scattered patches of snow and ice clung confidently to the shoreline as winter begrudgingly held Maine in its clutches. He took a puff on his Montecristo A and, without turning around, began to address the two men who reclined in the Luke leather chairs behind him sipping on Courvoisier.
“Gentlemen,” he began, “I have been doing a lot of thinking and believe that we have come to a point in our lives where an in-depth examination is needed; an examination of where we are, where we’re headed, and what we can do to make the journey more enjoyable.”
He turned toward the pair sitting before him and addressed them as he had done jury boxes many times before, with clear eyes and a stentorian voice that demanded respect. “We have more money than we’ll ever spend, have no one to spend it on, and don’t know what to do with our free time.”
Francis “Frank” Flynn and Caleb Morgan stared at the imposing figure but had no inclination to reply. At six foot four and well over two hundred pounds, Fiorillo towered above the others and with his wavy black hair combed directly back, his appearance belied his age. They knew that Vince had not finished speaking and knew better than to interrupt his train of thought. What they didn’t know was what was coming next.
Fiorillo put his foot on the ottoman that sat equidistant between the two men and leaned in to finish making his point. He blew a series of concentric smoke circles into the air and spoke in a throaty whisper. “I think we need to commit a murder,”
“Simonds has another sure winner in Blood Sport.”

“I loved the twist that I didn’t see coming. It was fast-paced and very well written.”

“Clever and creative, I couldn’t stop reading.”

TO PURCHASE BLOOD SPORT, A GRIPPING MURDER-MYSTERY by RICK SIMONDS:

To customize an order or to have Rick autograph a book, please contact him via email:

rdsimonds7@gmail.com

To send Rick a payment via Venmo:

Chase Publishing@ricksimonds

(paying by Venmo is $20 per book, includes shipping/taxes)

 

The success of any author is often determined by the reviews of his/her readers. If you enjoyed OPERATION MIDNIGHT, BLOOD CODE and BLOOD SPORT, I would greatly appreciate your sending a review to Amazon.com.

Thank you. Rick Simonds

Events

News & Notes

The following review was written by Hannah Ward and posted on her blog Echoes in an Empty Room.

My Thoughts:

This was such a great thriller, that keeps the reader engaged till the end. I read it in two days as I couldn’t and didn’t want to put it down. The story follows Lonnie who is a very gifted young chap, but he learns that not everything in life is as simple as it could be. He goes on the hunt to find out who his real parents are and has to avoid capture by the government. I found it was fast paced and each chapter ends with something that makes you want to read on. It is captivating, engaging, lots of twists and turns and full of suspense. I would recommend this book for a great thriller and be keen to read more of Rick’s books in the future. 

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Reedsy Review of Operation: Midnight by Jaimin Shripal

Rick Simonds does not fail to deliver a thrilling conspiracy thriller. This book was dark, fast-paced, crazy, and entertaining. This is for sure one of the most compelling books I have read this year. I love a good conspiracy thriller with a shadowy government organization, an antagonist who thinks his evil and insane plans are for the better good of humanity, and it’s just all entertaining to read. The writing is fresh and dynamic, with all research well done. I loved the fast-paced plot, which kept me on the edge of the seat. I was very much invested in knowing what would happen with Lonnie. I loved Lonnie’s character. He has a photographic memory, but he doesn’t know what to do with his life; he feels so relatable. The character development of Lonnie is excellent to watch, and we see him change a lot throughout the book, from being reserved and not knowing what to do with his life to being a man who knows what sort of life he wants. The plot and Lonnie’s characters were the real winner for me.

If you’re a fan of police procedurals and conspiracy theories you’ll want to read this one!

OPERATION: MIDNIGHT REVIEW by Bill Bushnell
Kennebec Journal and Morning Central 3/25/22

“Being a waiter at a high-end New Orleans restaurant is a sweet deal for Lonnie Clifford- good money, big tips, a generous boss and a waiter’s act that makes him a popular novelty with customers. Then a creepy stalker tells Lonnie his life is in danger.

Operation: Midnight is Brunswick author Rick Simonds’ third suspense novel after Blood Code and Blood Sport. The first two novels involved cops and crime; this one is more cerebral and complex, and includes illegal government experiments, an insidious cover-up and people willing to kill to find Lonnie.

Simonds spins a good yarn, but readers beware: This is a much more complicated plot than the first two books, and will require careful, deliberate reading to keep up.”