Trina Spillman
Trina Spillman/Selene Greenleaf
Praise
A NEW DAWN opens with a bang and never lets up, launching readers into a high-stakes race as its heroes work to unravel the dangerous mystery of Operation Boomerang. From the outset, the novel delivers suspense, intrigue, and a fast-paced plot that keeps the pages turning.
The cast of characters forms a rich tapestry woven into a web of intrigue. While the narrative touches many lives, the main hero, Ian, stands out immediately as someone the reader can trust. He’s the kind of character you instinctively root for—and one who truly deserves a win. As he gathers other ethically minded individuals around him, even brief glimpses into their pasts are enough to make the reader care deeply about their fates.
Mrs. Spillman clearly has a strong grasp of government operations and the complex systems that keep them running, lending realism and credibility to the story. Her settings are vivid and immersive, filled with evocative five-sense details that ground the action.
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its exploration of found family. The core group is made up of people who have each endured significant loss, yet they come together to support one another, drawing strength, purpose, and love from those connections. Themes of love, acceptance, and healing run throughout the story, adding emotional depth to the action.
There was one storyline near the end that I wished had been more fully resolved, though it’s possible the author intends to revisit this character in future installments.
A New Dawn is a roller coaster of twists, turns, and plunges, with enormous stakes and a constant sense that failure is not an option. Overall, this is an ambitious and engaging novel with compelling ideas, memorable characters, and a strong emotional core. I look forward to reading more of Mrs. Spillman’s work.
I was given an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Jess Russell ~ RITA Finalist, bestselling, multi-award winning romance writer http://jessrussellromance.com
A NEW DAWN is a political thriller that is taut and filled with tension as the main characters race to save the nation. You will be on the edge of your seat reading how Ian and James, and their friends, navigate a difficult path to save each other's lives and to prevent disaster in the USA. Ms. Spillman has created sympathetic characters whom we will quickly start rooting for. If you like tension and high stakes, you will enjoy this suspenseful novel!
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Roni Denholtz, Award-winning Author
A New Dawn by Trina Spillman is a thriller that resists containment. Unpredictable, unruly, and propelled by a relentless momentum, it unfolds at breakneck speed while remaining anchored in emotional truth. From the outset, the novel makes no apologies for its ambition or its intensity; it knows precisely what it is and commits fully to that vision.
At the center is Ian, a protagonist defined not by exceptional skill or heroic bravado, but by his ordinariness. He is neither an action figure nor a prodigy, but a regular man thrust into extraordinary circumstances. This choice proves to be the novel’s greatest strength. Ian moves through the narrative guided by love rather than ego, lending the story a moral gravity that elevates it beyond genre convention.
The relationship between Ian and James is rendered with striking maturity and restraint. Their bond feels lived-in, grounded, and rare within the thriller landscape, providing emotional ballast amid the chaos. That the novel places LGBTQ+ characters at its core is not treated as a statement but as a given—an approach that feels both refreshing and necessary, signaling a meaningful shift in the genre’s possibilities.
The pacing is relentless, almost breathless. Spillman’s ambition is evident from the opening pages, and the narrative rarely pauses for the reader to catch up. At times, this velocity can be disorienting, even challenging, yet the novel never loses sight of its emotional center. Its heart remains intact, beating beneath the confusion and urgency.
The conclusion is both stunning and unexpected, subverting the expectations of the genre while remaining emotionally resonant. A New Dawn lingers after its final page—not simply as a thriller well executed, but as one that dares to be human.
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Jaclyn Page ~ https://www.instagram.com/revisiongoddess?igsh=MTg3eGNud3kyc3B6cw==
