Mike Grennan is still a target on a cartel kill list—but this time, everyone around him is deemed collateral. And when the threat closes in on his daughter, it’s no longer about justice; it’s about family.
As compromised agencies collide with covert operations designed to erase evidence and people alike, Grennan, his new partner Annie Diamond, and Tony McCollister find themselves trapped on opposite sides of a system that no longer negotiates.
Loyalty becomes liability. Protection becomes exposure. And every decision tightens the spiral toward a reckoning no one fully controls.
When devotion comes due, everyone pays.
This is the third book in The Helix Project series, and after reading the first two books, which were five-star reads for me with very high-quality writing, I was very much looking forward to this one. And I have to say, these are some of the most intricate, action-packed, and unpredictable thrillers I’ve ever read—and also unlike anything I’ve read before!
The series follows a complex MMC, Mike Green, who’s now Mike Grennan because of an identity change that happened after Book 1. You have to read the books in order, or you’ll be very confused. Each new installment picks up close to where the previous book left off while introducing both new and overlapping challenges, threats, and conspiracies for Mike and the recurring characters. The series is hard to categorize, as it’s a mix of conspiracy, spy, and crime thriller with FBI and police procedural elements and also corrupt government figures. As someone who loves ’90s and early 2000s nostalgia, I loved that the series began in the mid-1990s and has now moved into the early 2000s. The main events of this book take place in 2002 and 2003, and the technology and way the characters interact are very authentic to that era—and there are even some really captivating 9/11 flashbacks from a character that I found emotional and that triggered my own memories and feelings from that time.
Like the first two books, the story is told in a third-person, multi-POV format that mostly follows protagonist Mike Grennan, Angelina “Annie” Diamond, Mike’s police partner who’s new in this book and quickly became one of my favorite characters, and Anthony “Tony” McCollister, the morally grey White House operative who has a direct connection to U.S. President Stockton and a hostile relationship and complex past with Mike. There are also POV shifts to other characters, but they are short sequences and are mostly used as plot devices, so I wasn’t ever confused—and I’m usually someone who does get confused with more than five POVs!
The story begins after some time has passed since Book 2, with a major event having happened off-page, and Mike’s now raising his two adopted children, Janie and Peter. Both kids have complicated histories, with Janie coming from an orphanage and Peter being the son of his sister, who was killed by Russian gangsters. Mike continues to be a messy, complex character. He’s now dealing with grief and single fatherhood but also still struggles with addiction. He’s a character that I’ve really wanted to be invested in over the course of the series and am still rooting for, but he’s made it difficult as he keeps screwing up and making poor decisions at key moments. His focus in this book is very much on keeping his children safe, especially with threats to their safety that are introduced early on.
His relationship with Annie is a major highlight. After working together for almost a year, they’ve developed mutual respect, sarcastic banter, and a strong police partnership. And Annie’s a feisty, independent woman who doesn’t back down from a challenge—and she’s just as complex as Mike and Tony. I found her backstory really compelling—she abruptly left her family and fiancé back in New York City, and it’s slowly revealed why. As I learned more about her past trauma and regrets, especially in her heartbreaking 9/11 flashbacks, I became increasingly more invested in her!
The story is relentlessly paced and action-packed from the start and remains that way the whole time. Mike and Annie get involved in drug busts, undercover police operations, thwarting kidnapping attempts, chase scenes with dangerous criminals, and more! The storyline surrounding drug lord Aguilar from Book 2 continues, and I reallyenjoyed seeing that thread develop and get intertwined with new storylines, including multiple FBI agents getting involved, while Tony tries to manage everything with his ties to the White House. When I said this is one of the most intricate thriller books (and series) I’ve ever read, I wasn’t kidding! There are also a lot of suspicious officers and agents, many of whom I found questionable and wondered who they were really working for. It’s a great idea to jot down character names as they appear to keep all the connections straight and also to help solve the mystery on your own.
I also really enjoyed the relationship development between Mike and Tony. They’ve had a hostile relationship throughout the series, and they have some heated conversations in this book, but their relationship starts to shift when they’re forced into circumstances where they have to rely on each other—very compelling stuff!
And if all that’s not enough, there’s also a thread involving another attack on America roughly a year after 9/11 that brings all the characters together. President Stockton, who’s been a recurring character in all three books, addresses the nation, and I found these scenes very reminiscent of speeches and the political landscape that I remember from the early 2000s.
The chapters are extremely short, but there’s a lot of detail in each one. You really have to pay attention to not miss small details, clues, or important plot points that all happen within just a few pages. If listening on audio, I highly recommend listening at a slower speed to absorb everything and fully appreciate how intricate the storytelling is. And listening on audio is very immersive, as narrator Nicholas Kennedy does a fantastic job bringing this large cast of characters to life—and for me, the series has felt like listening to a high-stakes police procedural conspiracy thriller TV series!
The climax of this book is a high-stakes race-against-time rescue mission that you’ll be emotionally invested in, and although I did find some of the twists predictable, the compelling character interactions and open-ended conclusion are well written. I have absolutely no idea where this series is headed from here, but I know it’s going to be another action-packed wild ride! This series deserves much more attention, as I think a lot of seasoned thriller readers would be seriously impressed! If anything about this sounds intriguing, don’t hesitate to pick up this series, as you won’t be disappointed—but be sure to read the books in order!
Narrator Performance
Terminal Spiral is narrated by Nicholas Kennedy, who also narrated the first two books in The Helix Project series.
Early on, Kennedy gives protagonist Mike Grennan a strong, determined voice layered with grief and exhaustion, capturing everything he’s gone through. He’s now a single father raising Janie and Peter while grieving the loss of his wife, Josie, and he’s trying to keep his kids safe with new threats to their safety. His scenes with his children are some of my favorites because you can really hear how much affection and love he has for them. Janie is such an interesting character, as she’s come so far from the nonverbal child at the orphanage, and Kennedy gives her an outspoken, energetic voice that makes her endearing.
I loved the interactions between Mike and Annie Diamond, especially when they’re working on police missions together or having conversations about their lives. As Annie becomes more involved in Mike’s life and forms a bond with his children, Kennedy subtly shifts his performance to make her sound warmer and more empathetic when around the kids.
In most other scenes, Kennedy gives Annie a feisty, confident voice that makes her sound badass, independent, and very likeable. Kennedy also brings out her loyalty to Mike and her fellow officers and shows a more vulnerable side to her as we learn about her past and the trauma she’s experienced. Her flashbacks of the 9/11 attacks are especially well narrated, and you can hear how much those memories still affect her.
The complicated relationship between Mike and Tony McCollister and its development is very apparent in Kennedy’s delivery. They’ve had so much hostility between them, but their dynamic starts changing when they’re forced to join forces in this book. Kennedy subtly shows changes in their exchanges, and by the end, you can hear that something has shifted between them.
Kennedy also does a great job bringing the large cast of characters to life. Because this is a multi-POV story, you’re not only hearing Mike, Annie, and Tony, but also FBI agents, LAPD officers, and government officials. President Stockton has a recognizable and animated voice, consistent with how he sounds in the other books. Characters like officers Clooney and Steve, along with various FBI operatives, all have their own personalities and voices—and I found some of them questionable. Listening to all the voices and the high-stakes drama sometimes makes it feel like listening to a conspiracy thriller TV series!
Kennedy’s performance shines toward the end when Mike and Tony are forced to work together to take down a criminal and save someone who’s important to both of them. Those scenes are filled with suspense and so much intensity that I was unable to put the audiobook down. You can hear the urgency in Mike’s and Tony’s voices as they put their final plans in motion, and Annie’s reactions at the end make her even more compelling. There are many unanswered questions at the end, and Kennedy’s execution makes you want to pick up the next book right away. If you’re considering reading this series or if it sounds intriguing to you, I highly recommend listening to the audiobooks back to back!
Narrator Performance
Terminal Spiral is narrated by Nicholas Kennedy, who also narrated the first two books in The Helix Project series.
Early on, Kennedy gives protagonist Mike Grennan a strong, determined voice layered with grief and exhaustion, capturing everything he’s gone through. He’s now a single father raising Janie and Peter while grieving the loss of his wife, Josie, and he’s trying to keep his kids safe with new threats to their safety. His scenes with his children are some of my favorites because you can really hear how much affection and love he has for them. Janie is such an interesting character, as she’s come so far from the nonverbal child at the orphanage, and Kennedy gives her an outspoken, energetic voice that makes her endearing.
I loved the interactions between Mike and Annie Diamond, especially when they’re working on police missions together or having conversations about their lives. As Annie becomes more involved in Mike’s life and forms a bond with his children, Kennedy subtly shifts his performance to make her sound warmer and more empathetic when around the kids.
In most other scenes, Kennedy gives Annie a feisty, confident voice that makes her sound badass, independent, and very likeable. Kennedy also brings out her loyalty to Mike and her fellow officers and shows a more vulnerable side to her as we learn about her past and the trauma she’s experienced. Her flashbacks of the 9/11 attacks are especially well narrated, and you can hear how much those memories still affect her.
The complicated relationship between Mike and Tony McCollister and its development is very apparent in Kennedy’s delivery. They’ve had so much hostility between them, but their dynamic starts changing when they’re forced to join forces in this book. Kennedy subtly shows changes in their exchanges, and by the end, you can hear that something has shifted between them.
Kennedy also does a great job bringing the large cast of characters to life. Because this is a multi-POV story, you’re not only hearing Mike, Annie, and Tony, but also FBI agents, LAPD officers, and government officials. President Stockton has a recognizable and animated voice, consistent with how he sounds in the other books. Characters like officers Clooney and Steve, along with various FBI operatives, all have their own personalities and voices—and I found some of them questionable. Listening to all the voices and the high-stakes drama sometimes makes it feel like listening to a conspiracy thriller TV series!
Kennedy’s performance shines toward the end when Mike and Tony are forced to work together to take down a criminal and save someone who’s important to both of them. Those scenes are filled with suspense and so much intensity that I was unable to put the audiobook down. You can hear the urgency in Mike’s and Tony’s voices as they put their final plans in motion, and Annie’s reactions at the end make her even more compelling. There are many unanswered questions at the end, and Kennedy’s execution makes you want to pick up the next book right away. If you’re considering reading this series or if it sounds intriguing to you, I highly recommend listening to the audiobooks back to back!
Terminal Spiral is narrated by Nicholas Kennedy, who also narrated the first two books in The Helix Project series.
Early on, Kennedy gives protagonist Mike Grennan a strong, determined voice layered with grief and exhaustion, capturing everything he’s gone through. He’s now a single father raising Janie and Peter while grieving the loss of his wife, Josie, and he’s trying to keep his kids safe with new threats to their safety. His scenes with his children are some of my favorites because you can really hear how much affection and love he has for them. Janie is such an interesting character, as she’s come so far from the nonverbal child at the orphanage, and Kennedy gives her an outspoken, energetic voice that makes her endearing.
I loved the interactions between Mike and Annie Diamond, especially when they’re working on police missions together or having conversations about their lives. As Annie becomes more involved in Mike’s life and forms a bond with his children, Kennedy subtly shifts his performance to make her sound warmer and more empathetic when around the kids.
In most other scenes, Kennedy gives Annie a feisty, confident voice that makes her sound badass, independent, and very likeable. Kennedy also brings out her loyalty to Mike and her fellow officers and shows a more vulnerable side to her as we learn about her past and the trauma she’s experienced. Her flashbacks of the 9/11 attacks are especially well narrated, and you can hear how much those memories still affect her.
The complicated relationship between Mike and Tony McCollister and its development is very apparent in Kennedy’s delivery. They’ve had so much hostility between them, but their dynamic starts changing when they’re forced to join forces in this book. Kennedy subtly shows changes in their exchanges, and by the end, you can hear that something has shifted between them.
Kennedy also does a great job bringing the large cast of characters to life. Because this is a multi-POV story, you’re not only hearing Mike, Annie, and Tony, but also FBI agents, LAPD officers, and government officials. President Stockton has a recognizable and animated voice, consistent with how he sounds in the other books. Characters like officers Clooney and Steve, along with various FBI operatives, all have their own personalities and voices—and I found some of them questionable. Listening to all the voices and the high-stakes drama sometimes makes it feel like listening to a conspiracy thriller TV series!
Kennedy’s performance shines toward the end when Mike and Tony are forced to work together to take down a criminal and save someone who’s important to both of them. Those scenes are filled with suspense and so much intensity that I was unable to put the audiobook down. You can hear the urgency in Mike’s and Tony’s voices as they put their final plans in motion, and Annie’s reactions at the end make her even more compelling. There are many unanswered questions at the end, and Kennedy’s execution makes you want to pick up the next book right away. If you’re considering reading this series or if it sounds intriguing to you, I highly recommend listening to the audiobooks back to back!
