“HAMMER is a roller coaster of personal conflict, avarice, and retribution across three continents. Joe’s protagonist, Jack Garrett, brings a conflicted, relatable character forced to evolve from the role of victim to that of avenger. Revenge thriller fans…strap in for a bumpy ride.”
- Jack Carr, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The Terminal List, True Believer, Savage Son, The Devil’s Hand, In the Blood, Only The Dead, Red Sky Mourning, Cry Havoc, Beirut, The Fourth Option
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Betar’s political thriller follows retired MMA fighter Jack “Hammer” Garrett, the son of US Congressman Louis Garrett and his wife Dottie. When the staff of the Terlingua River Ranch in Texas find Louis and Dottie shot to death, zip tied, and hung from the ceiling in their room, the FBI suspects a Mexican cartel execution. Jack, however, is not about to take anyone else’s word when it comes to his parents’ murder. His vigilante quest soon leads him into a deep conspiracy involving not just the cartel but also a crooked humanitarian aid organization, Bulgarian arms dealers, South African militants, and his own family’s long-kept secrets. Hammer is a propulsive yarn with tight pacing and word-level economy that keep the story moving. At the center of its conspiracy is Elijah Cargill, whose wife Marguerite is a proud daughter of one of the cartel’s most powerful families. As founder of Helping Hands—a global humanitarian organization—Elijah has friends in high places. And he uses those connections to cover his true work: shipping arms disguised as medical supplies to South Africa and facilitating human trafficking in China. With the aid of his drug-addicted son Abel, Elijah’s covert efforts require managing sensitive relationships with crooked politicians, and the question of how much Congressman Garrett may have known about his work quickly becomes integral to Jack’s investigation. Many of Betar’s tropes are familiar, and Hammer’s moral universe is fairly black and white. The plot links multiple threads and a colorful cast: a hitman who steals a button from the clothing of his kills, an FBI intelligence analyst with an IQ of 180 and a crippling case of Tourette’s syndrome, and a young South African boy who turns out to be one of Jack’s biggest fans. The message of this novel may be a simple one, but Betar has the props necessary to hammer it home.
- booklife by Publishers Weekly
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HAMMER is the debut thriller novel from Joe Betar that is simply impossible to put down. It begins with the murder of US Congressman Louis Garrett and his wife by brutal assassins, which sets a fire ablaze in the heart of their only son, Jack “Hammer” Garrett, a former MMA Champion and successful Texas rancher and outdoorsman, who vows to hunt down their killers and avenge his parent’s deaths. Joe expertly blends the complexities and nuance of international crime syndicates, illegal arms dealers, human trafficking rings, corrupt humanitarian organizations, the outdoors and hunting world, and combines them into a riveting revenge story that makes you demand justice, to see the wickedness of evil and darkness exposed and expunged! I work with many authors in the thriller world and Joe Betar has entered an elite room, where his debut work immediately stands on par with the best of them - Jack Carr, Brad Thor, Don Bentley, Tom Clancy, and many other giants in the genre. It’s amazing to think Joe is just getting started…I can’t wait to see where he, and Jack “Hammer” Garrett, will take us next!
~George Bowe Blitch, Host of the Son of a Blitch Podcast, Book Reviewer & Writer
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“HAMMER is a rollicking thriller that moves from Texas to Bulgaria to South Africa…and shoots right through your nerves as Joe’s dialogue, wit, and artful use of metaphor take readers on an unforgettable journey of greed, despair, vengeance, and love. We haven’t heard the last of Jack Garrett…nor Joe.”
- Chris Dorsey, President/CEO of Dorsey Pictures & Forbes Contributor
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"HAMMER is an electrifying tale of vengeance, resilience, and redemption. This gripping novel transcends the boundaries of the typical revenge thrillers to deliver a heart-pounding and emotionally charged narrative. Joe masterfully combines the world of mixed martial arts with a riveting and complex plot, creating a unique and compelling storyline that keeps readers hooked from the very first page. HAMMMER is not just about revenge; it is a story of resilience, sacrifice, and the enduring power of the human spirit.”
- Rick Franco, former Marine Infantry Officer, CIA protective contractor, Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection contractor; Co-Founder, Four Branches Bourbon
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“I am a huge political thriller fan, and a story like HAMMER is exactly the reason why. A thrilling story, following heroes you are rooting for and engaged with, fighting villains you despise, and an end that leaves you wanting more. I was ready to keep reading and follow Jack Garret through his next adventure.”
- Jim Liberatore, former President, and CEO of Outdoor Sportsman Group
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“As an author of books, I’m pretty picky as to what I invest time in reading. It’s rarer still that I read a book and wish like crazy I had written it myself. That’s the condition I found myself in when I finished Joe’s new thriller, HAMMER. From North America, Africa, Europe, and back again, this gritty suspense novel takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride of sensations and emotions. The observer experiences the lowest-common denominators of the human species. They also encounter some of the kindest souls. And, then there is Jack Garrett. Like a rattlesnake basking on a rock in the Texas Hill Country, he wants only peace, until you step on him. The scum of the earth steps viciously on Jack, and they live to regret it. By the end, of HAMMER, the reader wants a break to catch their breath; they also feel a visceral need for the tale to continue.”
- Mike Arnold, Ph.D., Distinguished Research Professor of Genetics at the University of Georgia, outdoor writer and author of Bringing Back The Lions
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“When I read HAMMER, I thought it would be my book of choice for the next week or two. However, I couldn't stop without knowing what happened to our hero next and got through it in two cross-country flights. This book is as entertaining as any of Jack Carr's books and as thoughtfully researched as Connor Sullivan's Sleeping Bear. Thriller fans, prepare yourself for a new series to love.”
- Brad Lutrell, Co-founder, and CEO of GoWild
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“A great read. Joe pulls it all together and makes the story pay off for the reader. His knowledge of the outdoors and firearms is spot on.”
- Bobby Cole author of The Dummy Line, Old Money, Moon Underfoot, The Rented Mule, and Silent Approach
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