Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read for Free
OR
Kindle Price: $2.99

Save $10.96 (79%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Chuck Driskell
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Diaries - A Gage Hartline Thriller (#1) Kindle Edition

by Chuck Driskell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,793 ratings
See all formats and editions
He thought it was a routine surveillance job.

They thought he was an ordinary citizen.

Neither could have been more wrong.

Propelled by the discovery of a set of mind-bending diaries penned by Adolf Hitler's unwilling lover, a deadly pursuit ensues across Europe. Chased is Gage Hartline, a former special operations soldier. Stalking him are the French mob, a rogue DGSE agent, and his former employer, the United States Army. But when the one he loves is ripped from him, Gage turns the tables and becomes the hunter.

The first book in the Gage Hartline series, The Diaries is a modern example of the classic European espionage thriller.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 6
    Gage Hartline
  2. Print length
    302 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    November 18, 2013
  6. File size
    3948 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Hard Rock apparel
Outerwear, tees, and accessories. Discover the rock shop.
Next 5 for you in this series See full series
Total Price: $23.95
By clicking on the above button, you agree to Amazon's Kindle Store Terms of Use
More like The Diaries - A Gage Hartline Thriller (#1)
Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1
Previous page
  7. Gage Hartline    6 book series
Next page
Loading...

Editorial Reviews

Review

***The Diaries is a 2016 IRDA Fiction Winner!***Praise for Chuck Driskell "Driskell's narrative is crisp with innovation." - Kirkus Reviews "Driskell always brings everything together in a successful climax." - IndieReader "He makes you feel like you're right in the middle of the scene." - LitScene Praise for THE DIARIES "The book's execution is highly competent...Even more impressive is the novel's pacing, which rarely lingers...An engaging, enjoyable thriller." - Kirkus Reviews "It's hard to believe this is Mr. Driskell's first book. From the opening scene on an airplane, where Gage has to subdue an unruly passenger...the author creates life-like characters, constant tension and unpredictability...Driskell does an excellent job bringing everything together in a satisfying climax." - IndieReader "The Diaries is a riveting, superbly written debut novel by a promising young author. Having spent much of my professional career studying and writing about Adolf Hitler, I found myself absorbed by Driskell's creepy portrayal of the evil dictator. The author keeps the novel moving at breakneck speed by weaving the Hitler-involved diary entries into the present-day fabric of Gage Hartline's fast-paced escapade. The Diaries kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning." - Professor Donald M. McKale, Author of Nazis after Hitler and Hitler's Shadow War "Driskell's deliciously volatile mix of crime, history, and old-fashioned spy games is a winner. He advances the spy novel into new,exciting territory, making The Diaries a genre-changer." - Laura Benedict, award-winning author of Isabella Moon and The Devil's Oven

From the Author

The Diaries is the second "true" novel I penned. It's a nod to classic spy thrillers and introduced my readers' favorite protagonist, Gage Hartline. The book is a mix of crime, suspense, history and espionage. With provocative diary entries, French mafia, rogue DGSE agents, alluring women, special ops soldiers and plenty of memorable European settings, I hope this book satisfies your craving for a good read. - Best, Chuck Driskell

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B007BTR7PY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Autobahn Books (November 18, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 18, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3948 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 302 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,793 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Chuck Driskell

Chuck Driskell

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Husband. Daddy. Friend. Laughs and enjoys when others laugh with him. Can’t sleep without first reading. Can become “mildly” cross when dealing with bad drivers. Loves steak. Loves post-punk bands, mainly British. Huge Sopranos fan. Served the US Army proudly as a soldier and paratrooper. Travels to Europe as often as possible. Can’t resist a great pilsner. Ex-skydiver with scars. SCUBA diver. Motorcyclist. Likes to be scared. Speaks Spanish and German…at toddler level (depending on bier/cerveza intake.) Has strong beliefs and respects the beliefs of others.

Want to know more? Ask him!

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
1,793 global ratings
He's gone done it again
5 Stars
He's gone done it again
Chuck, Chuck, Ole Chuckles. We've talked about this, you keep on writing this way I am going to have to read and read and.... You write in a very tight and crisp way. Gage Hartline could have easily been another Executioner or a cheap shallow hero. Gage Hartline has the warts blemishes and occasionally bad hair day like the rest of us. I followed this first one of the sries, closely but I still in wonder where your taking me. This satisfies my action and adventure addiction; my police procedural addiction; my historical fiction addiction...hey, you write those too! Because I read and read and mostly your books, well, cats go hungry and the plants are all dead. Oh, well, read I must. Write on Driskell, dude.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Tom Morrison
5.0 out of 5 stars GAGE HARTLINE IS A HERO FOR ALL TIME
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2014
Verified Purchase
The Diaries is a superb thriller. It races along at the speed of light. The characters are well developed and fully credible. Gage Hartline, the central figure, is three dimensional; his defects help us identify with him and root for his final and unexpected triumph. There is romance as well as non-stop action to please almost everyone. Another aspect of this unusual novel is the method of narration which gives added dimension to the plot. The European background , both in Eastern France and in Hesse, Germany, is well researched.
The text, by the way, is perfect. I found no spelling errors or grammatical bloopers, showing an author who truly cares for his product, not always the case in Kindle eBooks. Do read this book. It merits 5 stars. And an international audience.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
David Island
4.0 out of 5 stars Not One Scintilla of Espionage Here, But It's a Very Good Story
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2012
Verified Purchase
"The Diaries: An Espionage Thriller" by Chuck Driskell is an excellent story, more like a police detective story populated almost entirely by civilians, but with ominous more-or-less international overtones. But definitely this story is not anything remotely related to espionage. Historical secrets, maybe, but no espionage. A strange choice of title, the "espionage thriller" part.

In comparison to Driskell's novel "Doppelganger," here the gruesomeness is toned down quite a bit, although there are 3 or 4 quite shocking scenes of murder, maiming and inhumanity. Seems kind of like a Driskell trademark - gruesome episodes involving great cruelty. In "Diaries" you'll find plenty of horrific murders, ghastly maiming, and utter disregard for human life, on the part of the bad guys as well as the "good guy," whose name is Gage. But the gore and awful treatment of people are not the main features of the story and do not dominate the book - as was the case in "Doppelganger".

I think Driskell's real skill is in creating an involving, reasonably believable, fictional story line, which employs a lot of action, almost non-stop throughout the book, right up to the very last page section of the book. The basic premise (the long lost and now found diaries from pre-WWII, involving Hitler) is in fact somewhat of a stretch, but once you buy into the story, you don't really have to suspend disbelief very often. And, it's all tied up very nicely in the last 10 pages.

The main guy (not really a hero in my view) is one of those former army, then super-secret-ops guys, who is kind of lost psychologically, but maintains his killing skills enough to wreak havoc on even the most formidable of modern foes. On one of his shady operations, he finds the "diaries." He's a survivor rather than super-hero, a fundamentally tragic figure who seems to need to start his life over and over again to grasp hold of his own identity. His psychology is not particularly attractive or compelling. And his angst is a mite bit overdone.

The secondary characters are really excellently drawn, even the bad guys. Not sure about the conversion of one of the bad guys to the good guys' side, however. Seemed like an easy out of a bad and sticky situation that Gage got himself involved in. I always think that authors who so creatively get their heroes into untenable situations should usually use that same creativity to get them out.

While it's a really good read which I recommend to people who like this kind of adventure story, I give it a 4.49, not good enough for 5 stars, but almost. Thus, it gets 4 stars from me.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Prophet
5.0 out of 5 stars A "Keeper"
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2012
Verified Purchase
A "keeper?" Who on earth would want to preserve just another "paper-back" type of novel? While I did indeed read this extremely well crafted story on my Kindle, I really want a hard copy on hand should I have an opporunity to share it with some friend who is unenlightened enough as to still be without an e-reader. (If there is a hard copy available of course.)

This is not a big, sprawling extravaganza that ranges all over the globe, but it is of a piece, and rivals most any really well written thrilling adventure. And at any opportunity I am ready to recommend it.

For a "newbie" Mr. Driskell writes like an old hand. I could try to parse this effort, in a hopeless attempt to mimic someone who writes reviews for a living, but I won't try. Suffice to say that every so often, among all the many more obscure titles one who reads as voraciously as I do, must endlessly sort through, this book is a pleasant surprise. As most of us know, there is a price-point "pecking order" when it come to books. The big dogs command much higher prices than all the rest of the far less well known. It seems to be all about becoming an "author" rather than merely a writer. So I will venture that whether or not this guy is an author just yet, he already writes like one.

So it's my jaundiced judgement that this book is a safe bet. Generally speaking one would have to spend well more than twice as much to get this kind of quality. There are the "stars" of the literary firmament, and there is a large group of really competent writers in the middle, and finally there is an even larger group strugging at the bottom of the barrel. I discovered this book somewhere in that bottom group. It decidedly deserves a better position. Obviously, my guarantee of satisfaction means little, but I am quite comfortable recommending this to anyone who enjoys a thriling adventure...with a nicely ginned up historically derived twist to it.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
RWWEB
5.0 out of 5 stars Diaries
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2020
Verified Purchase
First Chuck Driskell novel and it is a very good one. Gage is an ex special ops Army that had a very bad mission in Crete. He is internally fighting demons in his head after that mission. Set in Germany he is dealing with French mobsters, and a corrupt French SDGC agent, all after some diaries he found while on a job for the agent. German police and an Army CID Capt. And mobsters are all after him. Using his spec ops training he has to deal with those after him.A lot of believable action and it moves a a swift pace. If you like spec ops thrillers I think you will like the Hart line series.
Helpful
 Report
anguillabear
4.0 out of 5 stars Sizzling debut!
Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2012
Verified Purchase
I couldn't put the book down. Gage Hartline is a flawed yet enormously sympathetic character. While running from his own personal ghosts, he finds himself thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse that could have grave implications for him personally and change the way history views perhaps the darkest period of the past century. Driskell's a very talented writer with a tremendous feel for the breathless pacing common to many the great thriller writers (Lee Child, Daniel Silva, Vince Flynn, etc...). He has an especially great understanding and feel for the military. Great stuff. I can't wait to read his next book!
8 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Bob
5.0 out of 5 stars My slant on this book
Reviewed in Canada on September 19, 2021
Verified Purchase
This was a interesting story and I will buy the next book when I can. I do not mind writing a review on a book, but not when I am forced to like I am now.
Report
Ryan J.
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in France on January 8, 2021
Verified Purchase
An excellent adventure, thriller, action book. Good storyline and good characters. As I was reading the book I could envisage it being turned into a high velocity action film which, if as good as the book, I would pay money to see. Definately downloading the next book.
Report
Rod
5.0 out of 5 stars A very enjoyable read, Even more so being a debut novel.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 13, 2020
Verified Purchase
The Diaries has an intriguing plot line and the lead character, Gage Hartline, an ex USA special operative and, despite suffering PTSD, manages to get his act together to take on a major criminal gang. Plenty of action and intrigue with a touch of romance but Gage is no slouch when it comes to exacting revenge.
Report
Kindle Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars The Deadly Diaries!
Reviewed in India on August 26, 2020
Verified Purchase
Gage Hartline is an ex-covert agent. He accepts a petty job from his known contact at DGSE. While completing the work, Gage stumbles upon diaries. He takes them into possession and from thereon it's a deadly road for him to survive. Gage loses his only love, directly or indirectly due to the diaries.
What are these diaries and why is Gage so possessive about them that he's fighting a hard battle to not forego them?
Read this thriller to know the answers.
Report
Thrawn95
5.0 out of 5 stars Spannender Thriller mit tollen Charakteren!
Reviewed in Germany on January 5, 2015
Verified Purchase
Chuck Driskell liefert mit "The Diaries" ein spannendes Erstlingswerk, mit einem faszinierenden Protagonisten, tollen Nebencharakteren und einer bis zur letzten Seite fesselnden Geschichte, ab! Klare Kaufempfehlung an Fans spannender und actionreicher Spionage-Thriller!
Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report