New Review for The Interrogator

Thought I'd share a new review for my first book The Interrogator - http://www.ourbrisbane.com/shopping/the-interrogator-reviewed

The Interrogator builds a terrifying realism, displaying all the elements of the classic military thriller - a lot of blood and gore, mysterious and reprehensible undertakings, action aplenty, a touch of romance, intrigue, conspiracy, sexual tension, trickery and betrayal, which ultimately leads to a battle royal between good and evil.

Essential and fundamental elements, from the very beginning to the very end, underpin this military thriller. The ability of the central character to absorb limitless physical pummelling and just get up and get on with it is an unspoken given in the military thriller genre. An assortment of conspiracies make the stakes constantly high proving that the biggest enemy is often a lot closer than you may realise. The one man against the entire conspiracy concept gives you your lone wolf, as with all thrillers.

The main character, Jay, has a dark past and a tortured soul; he is also the keeper of secrets which are kept very well throughout the novel.

Debut author JJ Cooper is a former member of the Australian Army Intelligence Corps, which creates a very authentic feel to the characters and situations in his novel.

Cooper keeps the stakes high by creating many twists and turns and the reader must be able to keep up with each of them to keep track of what is going on. Cooper really does know his subject matter, from body language through to specific phrases and how his characters react under interrogation and this really helps to build a credible plot.

Cheers,

JJ

Sydney Newspaper Reviews for The Interrogator

The Interrogator has been reviewed in a couple of Sydney Newspapers last week.

At last Australia has an action hero we can proudly call our own – Jay Ryan.

Ryan is the protagonist of JJ Cooper’s The Interrogator, an accomplished debut thriller about an Australian soldier whose life is turned upside down by a betrayal from within.

A solid page-turner, it’s a Godsend for commuters looking for the ideal travelling companion. In fact it’s so ideal I almost missed my train stop a couple of times while I was reading it.

Cooper draws heavily on his 17 years’ worth of Australian Army experience as a real-life interrogator to flesh out Ryan’s character.

When we meet Jay, he’s having a bad day. Sadly for him, it’s about to get much, much worse. He’s kidnapped, beaten up, blackmailed, threatened, and tortured – and that’s just in the first few pages.

It’s occasionally hard to separate the good guys from the bad in this racy read that’s full of surprises – to say more is to give too much away – and Cooper does an excellent job of keeping the reader riveted to the page.

The Interrogator sets the scene for an inspired series that would translate well to the small screen, if not the big one.

I’m looking forward to more Jay Ryan adventures.

Sydney Central 30/09/09

This book begins with a bang, literally, heads straight to a nasty interrogation, then never lets the reader go. Jay Ryan is a specialist interrogator who must fulfil a mission for a shady organisation. Cooper's debut novel contains some amazing action sequences and some interesting detail drawn from his own experience as an interrogator in Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite a not entirely satisfactory denouement, readers are in for a ride as they hurtle toward a thrilling climax.

The Daily Telegraph 03/10/09

Queensland Writers Centre Blog Tour

I'm very fortunate to have been asked to be part of the Queensland Writers Centre (QWC) Blog Tour Oct – Dec 09.

The wonderful team at QWC would like to know the following of me:

Where do your words come from?

Experience and imagination. I suppose being an ex-interrogator adds a level of 'authenticity' to my thrillers. Imagination comes into it when I turn my previous life into fiction. Almost all of the interrogators I know are great storytellers - comes in handy for the job. So, although I don't have any advance creative writing courses under my belt, my previous career has certainly helped. Generally, I have a concept for the story and just write. Seems to be working OK so far.

Where did you grow up and where do you live now?

Started out on the north side of Brisbane and that's where I've come to settle now. I've spent plenty of time in other locations during my military career, but there's really no place like home.

What’s the first sentence/line of your latest work?

This is from book two which is about to hit the editing stage with my publisher (so may change). For clarity, I'm gonna cheat and give you the second line as well.

Sixty-four thousand years ago last Monday the final dinosaur succumbed to the ‘extinction’ vogue. Jay Ryan theorised that his legacy continued though through the idiosyncrasies of the habitually annoying employees of Byron Bay’s Road Transport Authority.

What piece of writing do you wish you had written?

I'm always dreaming along these lines so here's a few - Thomas Harris 'Hannibal', Michael Connelly 'Harry Bosch series', Lee Child 'Jack Reacher series', Robert Ludlum 'Bourne series', and I would love to have had my name on the cover of The Da Vinci Code (and the royalty statements).

What are you currently working towards?

Book two is completed and handed into the publisher. Now I'll work on book three to continue the Jay Ryan series.

Complete this sentence… the future of the book is… in the hands of our very talented Aussie authors.

This post is part of the Queensland Writers Centre blog tour of 09. Queensland Writers Centre connects writers with advice, training and professional opportunities. They promote Queensland books and authors throughout Australia.

Book Signing

Recently, I did my first book signing at Angus and Robertson, Brookside, Queensland. I wondered beforehand if I would be able to shift one or two copies. Somehow, I managed to sign 24 copies in a couple of hours and met some fabulous fellow authors who dropped in for support. One, Lynn Priestly, blogged about it - http://lynnpriestley.wordpress.com/

Thanks to Lynn for dropping by and sharing the experience on her blog. Also, thank you to the wonderful satff at Angus and Robertson of Brookside.

Cheers,

JJ

Media Reviews for The Interrogator

Some media reviews for The Interrogator are starting to appear. Here's some:

The Townsville Bulletin

ABC North QLD

Boomerang Books

Cheers,

JJ

Interview at International Thriller Writers

Here's a link to an interview at International Thriller Writers.
http://www.thrillerwriters.org/2009/07/the-interrogator-by-jj-cooper.html

Only two days to go for release.

Cheers,

JJ

Interview at AuthorScoop

I'm very fortunate to have been interviewed at one of the most informative writing sites on the web - AuthorScoop.

Feel free to drop on over and view the '5 Minutes Alone with JJ Cooper' interview.

Thanks,

JJ

More Great Blurbs: Lee Child and Jeff Abbott

I've been very fortunate to have another two brilliant writers read and comment on THE INTERROGATOR.

'Raw, tough, and uncompromising - exactly what a great thriller needs to be.'

Lee Child, International Bestselling Author

'Packed with intrigue and authentic detail, full of twists, THE INTERROGATOR is a memorable debut.'

Jeff Abbott, International Bestselling Author

Thank you, gents. It is an absolute thrill that you both (like Lisa and Jeremy) took the time to read my novel. And, the brilliant comments you have provided have far exceeded any expectations. Cheers,

JJ

A Couple of Very Cool Blurbs

'With a rip-roaring plot that bursts from the gate and never lets up, a tough-as-nails hero in Jay Ryan, and an insider's knowledge of military intrigue. JJ Cooper is going to have some of the big guns looking over their shoulders with this fire cracker debut. THE INTERROGATOR has everything a fan of military thrillers could want - heart-pounding action, chillingly real detail, and a stunning conclusion that will leave them wanting more from JJ Cooper.

Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of DIE FOR YOU.

'JJ Cooper's The Interrogator is an absolute cracker of an action thriller, a pulse-pounding journey into the darkest corners of international espionage and politics in the company of the utterly compelling Jay Ryan. Prepare to stay awake all night reading it, and all the next wondering how much might be true.'

Jeremy Duns, author of FREE AGENT.

JJ

Advance Review for The Interrogator

The first advance review is in. And, I'm over the moon.

Please check it out here - http://www.austcrimefiction.org/node/5069. Maybe leave a comment to give your support.

Thank you in advance.

Kind regards,

JJ

Interview for The Interrogator

Oops, I forgot to post the link to an interview of me. Here it is. Enjoy.

http://bookaddiction.blogspot.com/2009/02/author-of-interrogator-interrogated.html

JJ

Cover: The Interrogator

It's here.