Sekret Machines Book 1: Chasing Shadows

Loved the book. Well written.

Amazing book. A captivating mystery interwoven with possibilities and uncertainties. Could truth be stranger than fiction? Includes a historical perspective that offers possible new insights to a modern day dilemma.

Just finished reading, Sekret Machines... I don't read much novelized fiction these days, in fact hardly any at all. I do read a lot of 'non-fiction', on a number of diverse subjects, which include: history, comparative mythology, religions, science, and all things esoteric. I'm familiar with the subject matter presented in this book, as well as the various documented incidents of which this book uses as the' historical background' in which to wrap the fictional narrative with a layer of believability or credibility. I might call this style of writing, "Fictional Historicity", or perhaps "Historical Plausibility" (your choice)? So why did I pre-order this book, sight unseen, almost as if on a whim? Short answer, pure curiosity. The long answer is; I was intrigued by an interview that I listened to on C2C (Coast to Coast) Mar. 27, 2016. It featured the guest-host George Knapp, who was interviewing an ex-rocker named Tom Delong (co-founder of Blink 182), as well as A. J. Hartley, a novelist and co-author of Seckret Machines. What was so intriguing about this interview was a couple of things; the whole four hour format of the show was dedicated to these two individuals alone (versus 1~2 hrs. for a typical guest) with the obligatory audience 'call-ins' in the final hour. There was also the so called "Pitch", as told by Mr. DeLonge; a fascinating tale (that I really can't do it justice here, and would recommend that you find it on youtube or stream it from the C2C archives if you can, especially if you are considering purchasing this book). In a nutshell DeLonge somehow gets an audience with some "Top Brass" military types (perhaps some civilian?), in any case there were a lot of influential guys with Ph.D's connected to 'above' Top Secret programs and technologies. Mr. DeLonge then gives his "Pitch" which includes his personal thesis on the subject and convinces these guys that there is a credibility gap between the general public at large, but more specifically the "twenty-somethings" (Millennials, Gen X and Y?), who still possess the ability to form a rational thought or finish a complete sentence without being distracted to "look the other way", by the constant cacophony of celebrity 'non-issues', media hyperbole, and the continuous onslaught of "Fear-Porn", which permeates the very fabric of our society. It's a compelling story and one 'heck-of-a' pitch, if it is to be believed? So I receive my copy and dive in; 680 pages later (including the foreword by Delonge and afterword by Peter Levenda), I'm here giving a review; It was a fast read, at least for me, as I'm use to much more tedious material. It is a fast-paced, alternating format, which revolves primarily around four main characters and requisite supporting cast. The narrative starts in Central Afghanistan 2014, with Major Alan Young, a USMC combat pilot (Harrier). Next we meet Jennifer Quinn (present day); the adult daughter of a very rich and influential English investment banker. The third main character is named "Timika" (present day); a no-nonsense, New York based investigative reporter who runs a website called "Debunktion" or "Debunk-Nation"? Finally, we are introduced to "Jerzy" (Krakow, Poland, Sept. 1939); a resourceful Polish Jew in his teens; who along with his older brother are swept up by the maelstrom of WWII, the Nazi war machine with its secret weapons programs, and internment as slave laborers in the infamous Wenceslas mines. It will prove to be the boys misfortune to have witnessed too much. This is a storyline which is built entirely upon the co-authors ability to 'connect-the-dots' of the "known", while moving the narrative along with the "unknown" (or at least their collective best guesses). They do this cleverly, in some cases even brilliantly; however there is not total perfection; but then again, we are dealing with fiction, right? So I think one can allow for a bit of speculation, okay maybe a lot; but again, it is a fiction; kind of? Without giving too much away - The historical, and/or "known" subjects of which this creative narrative is woven around, include: The "Die Glocke" (aka. the Nazi Bell [no connection with 'Kecksburg' is hinted at or attempted]), "Operation High-Jump" (including a Nazi redoubt in Antarctica c. 1947), The 'Roswell incident' (or at least a connection to it), Area 51 (to include: 'Dreamland', 'Groom Lake'; aka. the place everyone goes to in the middle of the desert in the film "Independence Day"), Rachel NV. (and the "Little Ale' Inn"), the Barney & Betty Hill case of 1961 (added for context?), along with a spate of other seemingly 'connected' but otherwise unrelated anecdotes; again added for context and good measure. There also appears to be a biblical "Old Testament" connection, which is not fully fleshed-out. As a former aviator (USAF & JAL, Ret.), I have a somewhat unique perspective on much of the material in this book (I have yet to see what I would call a UFO). I have seen "Secret" aircraft and have signed non-disclosure statements to conduct aerial refueling of the "Stealth" fighter from a KC-10A (prior to F-117's public debut), this during the late 1980's. I have participated in 2 "Red Flag" Exercises (C-130E, mid 80's) staged at Nellis AFB, NV. The exercise airspace is located near or adjacent to the notorious 'Area 51', where our daily pre-flight briefs included a much emphasized reminder that any pilot or aircrew who inadvertently or deliberately violated this "Restricted" airspace, would as a matter of course, lose their wings! Trust me when I tell you that it was (and likely still is) taken very seriously. However I've always concluded that this had more to do with keeping secrets from hostile 'nation-states', especially concerning advanced ('very-advanced') weapon systems; in other words, it was/is a matter of national security; always has been. Is it possible that the 'rabbit-hole' might go a lot deeper? Absolutely; in fact I'm now fairly certain that it must. However, back in the day; let's just say, I wasn't asking too many questions. I did stop once, with a friend (returning from Vegas), to get a beer and a bite to eat at the "Little Ale-Inn" in Rachel Nevada, right off Hwy. 375 (aka. The "ET" Highway); which was pretty much what one might expect. Yet for some reason I find it difficult to imagine pilots or personnel attached to the Groom Lake base, would be hanging out there to have a few beers and swap war stories, much less "talk shop." Personnel, (military or civilian), just can't unwind in a place where someone might overhear something that might be classified, especially in a joint that small. As for Major Young's transition from his USMC flight duties to those in a "black" program; all I can say is that it all seemed rather "laissez-faire", while lacking depth and detail. It was a bit unrealistic from my perspective, yet perhaps a matter of convenience for the story teller? Additionally, if you are buying and reading this material to gain some further insight into the "nuts and Bolts" details of what makes these craft tick, you might be a bit disappointed? Perhaps future 'non-fiction' publications from co-authors DeLonge and Hartley will address these issues in more detail? Bottom line; this is a darn good read, I tore through all 680 pages, and enjoyed it as a fictional exercise into the arcane hinterlands of secret-black projects and their funding, international and governmental intrigues, rumors of the 'fantastic'; miraculous machines such as flying craft using technologies that defy known physics, and of course the possibility that, as President Harry S. Truman was once quoted saying: "The only thing new in the world, is the history we don't know." Which brings me to Peter Levenda's 'Afterword', where he hints at ancient technologies lost (and found); while the books last page(s) hints [Spoiler Alert!] at the gods (little 'g') of antiquity, of whom may have never left, or are still around? This is a thread I find most compelling, and I wonder where the authors will take it?

Interesting approach and very entertaining. Great mix of characters and fast facing make this an enjoyable book despite the aspect of fiction…dont let the truth get in the way of a good story…highly recommended

This really was a ‘tour de force’ novel based on all the UFO/UAP conspiracy theories. Well written, loved the plot, sooo many conspiracies and political and economic coverups but the Men In Black. It either requires a suspension of belief, or a solid knowledge of what’s going on in the woo-woo community. I won’t give away the ending, but it’s a banger. Well researched and needless to say, I’ll be getting the second volume.

Jennifer’s dad is a money man whose work has stoked her ire. Her adult life has been an attempt to counterbalance his impact on the world. She plane-hops from one humanitarian crusade to the next, mending mankind. Until his uncharacteristic demise. Tamica ran Debunked.com, proving conspiracy theories weren’t real, until some fake cops tore the place apart. Jersey’s journal from World War II and his secrets about the Nazis might be something Tamica can’t disprove. Alan is a military pilot, until he sees something strange on a covert mission. Tom DeLong, from Blink 182, really intrigued me on the Joe Rogan Experience when I was researching UFOs for my paranormal video blog on Science Fantasy Hub. He claims that “the glue is fiction, the building blocks are not,” in reference to this story about government secret UFOs, the TR3Bs, and also the extraterrestrials whose vehicles Uncle Sam reverse engineered. What it is? Fascinating! What it is not? The golden ticket onto a UFO for a ride to the alien home-world. I’m pumped about this project because I also write fiction based on conspiracy theories, cryptid encounters, and paranormal phenomenon. What’s different between my stuff and DeLong’s (aside from his well-deserved reputation as a rock star and the platform that comes with it) is that I don’t have a bunch of ex-government guys telling me all their secrets. I do incorporate a bunch of awesome stuff that I’ve turned that can change your paradigm and elevate someone to another level of reality, but sadly, no aliens… Yet. Either DeLong has the best marketing idea since War of the Worlds inadvertently fooled its radio audience in great-grandpa’s era, or he’s going to introduce us to the truth about UFOs. Either way, I’m in for the ride, but hopefully it’s aliens.

If you are well versed in the unidentified aerial phenomena genre you will see lots of familiar threads being woven into one small square of the tapestry that will no doubt be fully revealed in subsequent volumes of Sekret Machines. As a work of fact based fiction this will jostle the hearts of Sci-Fi readers because it develops its focus and direction very slowly, much as real life is actually lived. Through flash backs to the early years of the Nazi Wehrmacht and its Krystal Night birthings that allowed for both self deportations to the West of skilled and talented, and the non-voluntary transport to the East, and extermination. It is from the this later event that the plot traces a teen age Polish escapee of the forced labor camps of this killing machine, as he makes his way through the harrowing maze of underground railways and some narrow scrapes, to end up involved at the end, which was the beginning of the Cold War in 1945, as a recruit in the OSS and subsequently the CIA. A not unfamiliar narrative lived by many and amalgamated in the character of Jerzy Aaron Stern and several other cast members. A pilot (an "accidental traitor"), a wealthy young heiress, a few escaped mad scientists and assorted bad guys from Hitlers defunct blitzkrieg progeny, whom we get follow through the 1947 Roswell inspired events and efforts to understand,investigate,obscure and deflect any truth about it and the veiled Sekret Machines, which use propulsion, command and control devices, that only Buck Rogers saw as having arrived. As Tom Delonge the inspiration and co-author of this series notes, those who happened to stumble across this incredible mystery and occupy the bulk of this first book lived lives that can only be described as Myth, and can only presently be describe by fictional voices... "The glue for this Myth is fiction. The building blocks are not." . My own reaction to veracity of this story is similar to my feelings after a visit to the Magic Castle, How can anyone not believe in magic? How can anyone explain the best of it? And even if I cannot explain it I enjoyed it immensely. I look forward to the next books in this series to see how the magic gets explained and where fiction and fact merge.

I heard Tom Delonge on Coast to Coast and, after initial skepticism about a rock star pursuing UFO information, became intrigued in his story to the point where I listened to his interview several times and bought Chasing Shadows. Even if you haven't heard Tom lay out his plans for a multimedia UFO project, this book will stand alone as a fast paced thriller with UFO and paranormal overtones that incorporates four different characters and different timelines from Nazi Germany to the present to culminate in a mind boggling revelation, that will be picked up in the second book of the series. The characters, from the Afghanistan fighter jet pilot to the influential rich man's daughter looking for answers to his death, to the owner and publisher of a debunking site to the WWII witness of secret Nazi research all work convincingly to provide different facets to a mystery wrapped up in humanity's history since very early times. I found the story so engrossing that I finished it in one weekend, and now am waiting impatiently for the second part, my only gripe. For the most part, it was fast paced and any slower sections are due mostly to the essential task of building characters and interest. Well done effort by Tom Delonge and A.J. Hartley.

There are some gaps that I hope will be filled out in the next book. The politics and business behind the story is quite scary because of the possibility of them having a hand in the cover-up of humanity should have known about our past, present and future. Looking forward to this project as a whole. I am ready, and I hope the rest of humanity is, too.

This could have almost been a Tom Clancy novel, deliciously technical but with stronger character development. A story so utterly plausible it's frightening. This is volume one of a (to date) two-novel story, they definitely need to be read in order. If you buy Chasing Shadows, you may as well buy volume two: A Fire Within at the same time so that you can move from book one to book two straight away, and believe me, you will want to do that. A riveting read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've always been a big Blink 182 fan and I've heard a lot about Tom Delonge (the figurehead of this franchise) being a little nutty but if this is even half of what he has started to build then he is a very intelligent man. This book has and will sell, sell, sell and the general concept of a big multimedia franchise based around this including film, books, art, documentaries etc. Is a great ideas. Although Delonge is a big part of this novel all credit needs to go to A. J. Hartley for creating such likeable and enjoyable characters with genuine motives for what they're doing, unlike some books of this genre and a well paced and gripping plot. The novel is shown from the point of view of 3 main protagonists and another from the information released in a journal, in parts, throughout the novel (an idea I have played with myself). The story follows each of these each from their individual point of view all leading for an action packed finale that I struggled to stop reading. I obliterated the last quarter of the book in about the same time it took me to read the other 75%. I have always had an interest in the source content but I've never seen it presented in such a grounded manner. I believe the author tried to mix fact with fiction as much as possible to make both indistinguishable from the each other. This worked phenomenally. There really isn't much I can say without giving too much away but I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in UFOs, conspiracys, modern history and thriller novels. I had this book recommended to me and would to the same to anyone with similar interests to myself.

Großartig. Spannend. Teil 2 ist bestellt.

Lo compré para un regalo para mi esposo y quedó encantado.