Cobalt: A Max Fend Thriller: 1 (Maximum Risk)

A high-stakes battle erupts over a game-changing cobalt deposit in small-town America.

"A cinematic globe-trotting roller coaster of a tale…" —Raymond Benson, New York Times bestselling author

When billionaire Max Fend and his hacker girlfriend Renee LeFrancois are enlisted by the FBI and CIA to search for a cobalt deposit in rural Pennsylvania, they're plunged into a race against time and international forces. Cobalt, the precious metal powering lithium-ion batteries, has the tech world scrambling for control, and the discovery of a new source ignites a frenzy. But as domestic and international stakeholders mobilize, the local community finds itself caught in the crossfire.

As adversaries close in, a deadly contract killer, a former Philly cop, a single mom reclaiming her identity, and a band of vigilante townspeople join the fight. With secrets unraveling and danger mounting, Max and Renee must risk it all to protect a community and their nation from unbridled greed.

In Cobalt, the quest for power and control collides with the will to protect, resulting in a thrilling, explosive showdown.

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Praise for Chris Bauer and Cobalt:

2024 Winning Author of Thrillerfest Best First Sentence Award

"With COBALT, Chris Bauer delivers a masterclass in thriller writing, weaving a complex tapestry of intrigue and action that's both sharp and compelling." —Andrew Watts, USA TODAY bestselling author

"I was hooked from the first page. Take a look inside the world of Max Fend and how the need for precious resources sets up for a gripping thriller." —Mel Taylor, Emmy Award-winning reporter

"Chris Bauer is in full Tom Clancy mode. Bauer has become a master of the classic international thriller." —Don Swaim, former host of CBS Radio’s Book Beat

Chris wouldn't trade his northeast Philly upbringing of street sports played on blacktop and concrete, fistfights, brick and stone row houses, and twelve years of well-intentioned Catholic school discipline for a Philadelphia minute (think New York minute but more fickle and less forgiving). Chris has had some lengthy stops as an adult in Michigan and Connecticut, and he thinks Pittsburgh is a great city even though some of his fictional characters do not. He still does most of his own stunts, and he once passed for Chip Douglas of My Three Sons TV fame on a Wildwood, NJ boardwalk. He's a member of International Thriller Writers, and his work has been recognized by the National Writers Association, the Writers Room of Bucks County (PA), and the Maryland Writers Association. He likes the pie more than the turkey.