Headed for Trouble

Troubleshooters, Book 17

By: Suzanne Brockmann

Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor, Melanie Ewbank

New York Times best-selling author Suzanne Brockmann, whom USA Today calls “the reigning queen of military suspense”, breaks out a rapid-fire collection of pulse-pounding, heart-tugging stories and novellas featuring the intrepid men and women of Troubleshooters Inc., fiction’s hottest ultimate counterterrorism squad.

• 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 hot spot 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. Looking for the best kind of trouble? You’ve found it!

©2013 Suzanne Brockmann (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Nice group of short stories now in audio

What made the experience of listening to Headed for Trouble the most enjoyable?

The short stories with Sam, Alyssa, Jules. I also appreciated the book being bookmarked so that I could skip to the short stories I care about the most.

Would you be willing to try another book from Suzanne Brockmann? Why or why not?

Yes. I have really enjoyed the characters of this series and will read more if they come out. Her juggling multiple POVs in her books could be a bit much for some people. Having a female and male reader to narrator the famale/male character POVs help to keep track of the story in audio.

Have you listened to any of Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have enjoyed their performances in past Troubleshooter books and their performance in this collection is no exception.

Any additional comments?

Book Introduction - Melanie Ewbank - (04:33)

Troubleshooters 00 - When Frank Met Rosie - Patrick Lawlor - (39:25)
- I didn't listen to this story.

Troubleshooters 00 - Thoughts on When Frank Met Rosie - Melanie Ewbank - (07:15)
- This is Ms. Brockmann's thoughts on writing this short story about a character was dropped from the series during book 3.

Troubleshooters 06.5 - When Alyssa and Sam Met the Dentist - Melanie Ewbank - (14:45) 3*
- Nice little preview of the villain from Hot Pursuit (book 15)

Troubleshooters 07.5 - Waiting - Patrick Lawlor - (35:05) 4*
- I love Sam and Alyssa so while Alyssa is mostly off-screen I enjoyed this story. Sam gets bad news about a mission Alyssa is on while he's at home with his daughter. The other wives of SEAL Team 16 show up to provide support.

Troubleshooters 09.5 - Sam Takes an Assignment in Italy Patrick Lawlor - (31:58) 4*
- Again, Sam is the main character with Jules coming in to have his back. It's a fun little short story.

Troubleshooters 09.6 - When Jenk, Izzy, Gilman, and Lopez Met Tony Vlachic - Patrick Lawlor - (25:53) 3*
- Fun little story about when the guys get to know Tony.

Troubleshooters 09.7 - Suz's Interview with Tom and Kelly - Melanie Ewbank - (07:41) 2*
- Not a big fan of the interview style bits in this anthology. This was just OK for me.

Troubleshooters 10.1 - Trapped - Patrick Lawlor - (1:02:44) 3.5*
- First short I listened to with some real action taking place. Was nice to see other members of the group in on this op. I love Sam, Alyssa and Jules. It was also the first story with some length to it.

Troubleshooters 10.2 - Conversation with Navy SEALs Mark "Jenk" Jenkins, Dan Gillman, Jay Lopez, and Irving "Izzy" Zanella - Patrick Lawlor, Melanie Ewbank - (06:26) 2*
- I didn't think this worked that well in audio

Troubleshooters 10.3 - Suz's Interview with Kenny and Savannah - Melanie Ewbank (07:53) 2*

Troubleshooters 12.6 - Home Is Where the Heart Is (Part I & II) - Patrick Lawlor, Melanie Ewbank - (2:52:20) 3*
- Main characters for this short were secondary (non-Troubleshooter) characters introduced in All Through The Night (book 12). I thought the premise of the plot was a bit thin but it was OK.

Troubleshooters 15.5 - A SEAL and Three Babies - Patrick Lawlor - (1:30:18) 4*
- This was my favorite short story in this collection. I loved seeing Sam and Robin working together in this short story.

FAQ Interview with Suz - Patrick Lawlor, Melanie Ewbank - (18:15) 2*
- I wish there had been more/longer real short stories instead of some of these entries. We can find this on the author's website.

Valentine's Day - Melanie Ewbank - (03:35) 1*
- I appreciate the sentiments in this commentary but, again, would have preferred more/longer short stories.

Fighting Destiny 00 - Bonus Story: Shane's Last Stand Patrick Lawlor (1:01:55) 3.5*
- This is a prequel to her Fighting Destiny series. I did read book 1 (Born to Darkness) and found it interesting so I liked this story. I can understand its inclusion in this collection since this takes place when Shane is a Navy SEAL (in the dystopian future) and it's one of the few short stories with some action going on.

Troubleshooters 00 - Glossary of Troubleshooters Terms - Patrick Lawlor, Melanie Ewbank - (18:43) 1*
- A mostly straight forward glossary of terms.

Troubleshooters 00 - Troubleshooters Series Timeline - Patrick Lawlor, Melanie Ewbank - (13:45) 1*
- A brief summary of the books and short stories that are part of the Troubleshooters series. Appreciate the inclusion in an e-book but these last 2 entries of the audio take over 30 minutes and while the narrators can make it interesting, not something I'd re-visit.

While there was a lot of extra stuff in this collection that I could have done without, the short stories I enjoyed were worth the price of admission for me.

Lots of memories from Troubleshooters.

Lots of short stories ranging from 15 mins to 3 hrs, I will round them out time wise for each story. This has some good stories in it, but you don't need to read it. Don't read if you haven't read the Troubleshooter series. Here's a list of what is in the book. I skipped interviews and Intro, because I never like to listen to that stuff.

• Intro from Author. 5 mins. Skipped.
• When Frank met Rosie. 40 mins. Cute story but sad because we know that Frank dies.
• Author's note on When Frank met Rosie. 7 mins. Gives statistics and explains previous story.
• When Alyssa and Sam Met the Dentist. This story should have been a flashback in Hot Pursuit. 15 mins
• Waiting. 35 mins. Sam angst about Alyssa in the field.
• Sam Takes an Assignment in Italy. 32 mins. Funny story.
• When Jenk, Izzy, Gilman, and Lopez Met Tony Vlachic. 26 mins. Boys at the poker table.
• Suz's Interview with Tom and Kelly. 8 mins. Skipped.
• Trapped. 1 hr. 2 mins. More action, good story.
• Conversation w/ Navy SEALs Mark "Jenk" Jenkins, Dan Gillman, Jay Lopez, & Irving "Izzy" Zanella. 6.5 mins. Skipped.
• Suz's Interview with Kenny and Savannah. 8 mins. Skipped.
• Home Is Where the Heart Is (Part I & II). 2 hrs. 53 mins. Okay story. It was about Will sister and best friend.
• A SEAL and Three Babies. 1 hr. 30 mins. Funny especially since I had been there done that. I feel for Sam on this one. Best story.
• FAQ Interview with Suz. 18 mins. Skipped.
• Valentine's Day. 4 mins. Skipped
• Shane's Last Stand. 1 hr. 2 mins. New series, prequel to Born of Darkness, which I haven't started yet, because I was waiting until she wrote more first. Not sure about how I will like the series or not.
• Glossary of Troubleshooters Terms. 19 mins. Skipped.
• Troubleshooters Series Timeline. 14 mins. A nice flashback to all the books.

TROUBLESHOOTERS fans will love this! (I did!)

I've read or listened to audio performances of all of the Troubleshooters series by Suzanne Brockmann. They all rank in the top 100 of my favorite books...and I've enjoyed several of them more than once. This anthology of Troubleshooters stories (shorts, interviews, novella-length too) is like icing on the cake....catches readers up to where the characters are years later, tells the backstories of characters who played key (but secondary) roles in the Troubleshooters series, etc.

I couldn't help but give the Performance five stars too; Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank consistently do a phenomenal job performing Brockmann's books. I've come to associate their talent with Brockmann's.....and her books read by others never measure up (IMHO).

This book was on my personal wish list for MONTHS, waiting for it to become available in print or from Audible. I'm glad I opted for the Audible version--a great listen, and one I'll enjoy again.

I'm such a Suzanne Brockmann fan that her books are auto-buys for me. I was so NOT disappointed with the quality and depth of this book. I'd been concerned that too much of he content would be shorts I'd already read (or heard)...and much to my delight, there was very little repeat. It's fresh, new, true-to-characterization of the heroes and heroines that I've adored throughout the Troubleshooters series. It's great seeing Brockmann try something new (this anthology as #17 in the series). It's a true FIVE STARS.

Congratulations, Suzanne!

A hard read

Would you try another book from Suzanne Brockmann and/or Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank ?

Yes, I have always enjoyed Suzanne Brockmann Trouble Shooters series.

Would you ever listen to anything by Suzanne Brockmann again?

Yes

What about Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank ’s performance did you like?

They are very good readers.

Was Headed for Trouble worth the listening time?

No, it was not. I was not even a few short stories. I was like a group of paragraphs. I listen for a few hours and just turned it off.

Good to revisit beloved characters

2023 Reread
This time I listened to the story and it was an even better experience. My original comments still stand with minor updates, specifically the comments about the narration.

a bit of background…
If you haven't read Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters series, you're missing out on THE most exciting romantic suspense stories out there involving Navy SEALS and security operatives. Troubleshooters, Inc. is the name of the security firm launched by the former commander of SEAL Team Sixteen. Many of their assignments are a collaboration with Navy SEALs and the FBI and there are 16 amazing full length books in the series.

the set up…
The last full length book in the series was released in 2011 and fans were dying for at least one more to end it properly. This book seriously whets the appetite with some short stories that were previously released with promotional books or earlier released novels. This is a compilation of those stories with two new ones added.

the heart of the story…
I never read any of the stories that were included in promotional books so they were all new for me. When Frank Met Rosie just about brought me to tears; Trapped is classic Troubleshooters with its combination of angst, romance and scary ops; Home is Where the Heart Is was a bit of a departure but I enjoyed learning more about Will’s sister Arlene’s choice to serve her country with multiple deployments, leaving her young daughter behind; and A Seal and Three Babies had me literally howling in laughter for most of it but then holding my breath at the end.

what worked…
I really miss this series and these characters and these stories brought it alive for me again. I'd forgotten how Brockmann really is in a class by herself in crafting the characters, the dialogue, the chilling missions and the unconventional romances. The new stories were meaty, fresh and appealing and those I'd missed from the past were insightful and interesting. These characters feel so real I forget they're fictional (I'm cringing as I write that). You just lose all sense of yourself and get wrapped up in the story. They may be short but Brockmann didn't cut corners.

what didn't work as well…
I wanted more, not more of the short stories but more books like these where I get so engrossed I become part of it. It also reminded me that the series is in limbo, with some characters stories still left undone. I thought there would be more that might have moved those situations along.

the narration…
Listening to the stories takes the experience to a different level. Even though this was a reread, they felt new the second time around. Lawlor’s storytelling makes such a difference.

the bottom line…
I enjoyed the stories a LOT. If it was intentional to leave me hungering for more, mission accomplished in a BIG way. However, it was a great opportunity to reconnect with beloved characters from the series.

Fine. But, I'm ready for another full length ...

But, I'm ready for another full length classic Troubleshooters inc. story. It seems like its been a very long time. Start at the beginning. These books will entertain and make you a better person for the way Suzanne brings you into her world.

Great bonus material for fans of the series

10/2021 - Audio (updated the review below)

11/2016 - This is a good “bonus” for fans of the series. Several little short stories and a few novellas. Some giving more insight into secondary or lesser explored characters which is fun. Some of these were included as bonuses in other books or part of other smaller “collections” like The Troubleshooters Reader’s guide. So it’s not all new content. (For audio-only fans this will almost entirely be new content. I think the only one previously recorded was “Sam Takes an Assignment in Italy” which was at the end of Into the Storm. However there it was read by Brockmann herself. Here it’s performed by Lawlor. While Brockmann isn’t bad - she’s no Lawlor. 😉)

The ebook starts out with a timeline of all the books, novellas, & shorts so that you can read things in chronological order - which is handy to have. (In the audiobook it’s at the end.)

I don’t think they’d be enjoyable for folks who aren’t at least mostly familiar with the series and several of the series arcs. Some contain spoilers for books that precede them.

4 chapters (about an hour of the audio) is Shane’s Last Stand which is a novella prequel to Brockmann’s Born to Darkness.

Overall an enjoyable read/listen.

Patrick Lawlor & Melanie Ewbank are wonderful as always. I continue to love the way they bring Troubleshooters characters to life.

It's the color commentary!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely. To any fan of the Suz and the Troubleshooters series, this is a great addition.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Headed for Trouble?

Headed for Trouble is the color commentary there is never enough time for in the books. Its the flavor of everyday life and friendships. I especially enjoy the 'interviews'- the easy bantering camaraderie of the troubleshooters, seal team members, and their family members with Suz feels exactly like hanging out with my best friends. I love how much SHE loves her characters and how fully imagined they are.

I have read or heard some of this material before, but I really like having it gathered in one place so I can find it when I want it rather than trying to remember which book has which short story, etc.

What about Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank ’s performance did you like?

I love the continuity of these two readers for the Troubleshooters books. I have listened to the whole series, and Patrick and Melanie are the voices I now hear in my head when I read any of Suz' books. I know from other series that it can be very jarring and disappointing when the voices change. Patrick and Melanie are able to inhabit a wide cast of characters and give each their own unique voice and personality. They are great.

Any additional comments?

If you are one of those people who like reading liner notes on albums, and check out author's websites and blogs for bits of gossip and news, and go to book signings- you will enjoy having these little extras to flesh out your Troubleshooters collection. Lots of tidbits and favorite characters old and new.

Hardta keep track but enjoyed every word of it!:)

I didn't realize that it was a book of several stories....but that wasn't going ta stop my enjoyment....my favorite short story was the most bad luck story of allll…..stuck in a bad country with 3 babies that are contagious traveling....wow!!!! It coulda happened....Loved every bit of these stories....Thank you for an escape from a very domesticated bird in her self made gilded cage.... :)

Headed For Trouble

Love the short stories of the trouble shooter gang. I did not like the futuristic story at all. I could not connect to the characters and is in fact one of the VERY few books that I bought but did NOT finish reading. It even went into the goodwill pile.