First in a new series introducing us to Scott Pearce, action man extraordinaire who is taken to the brink but bounced back. This thriller is in a modern setting sending shivers down the spine and giving worrying frowns as to how modern technology can aid and abet espionage and ruthlessness across the world. Pearce has to rethink his working methods in the light of these methods and geophysical machinations used by the perpetrators of crimes.
I did not get into the story straight away and did find that it had peaks and troughs for me . The ending B left it bristly set up for the next episode. Pearce is certainly an all action, extremely tough man hero and I hope he has not used up too many of his nine lives

My thanks to Pan Macmillan for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Black 13’ by Adam Hamdy in exchange for an honest review. As it was available when I began reading, I chose to purchase its audiobook edition, narrated by Jot Davies, to combine listening alongside reading the eARC.

“An exiled agent. A growing threat. A clandestine war.”

This is the first in a series featuring Scott Pearce, an ex-MI6 agent living in exile in Thailand. At the opening of this fast paced thriller, Pearce is approached by London-based lawyer Melody Gold, who brings with her news of the murder of one of Scott’s former colleagues and the offer of employment from her mysterious client to continue the investigation that led to that death. Before Scott can respond people begin shooting at them. Scott and Melody are forced to flee and are soon on their way back to the U.K.. Scott accepts the job determined to seek justice for his friend.

The premise of this novel involves the rise of radical extremists including home grown Far Right groups and it’s clear Hamdy has done extensive research giving the novel a sense of being ripped from the headlines.

‘Black 13’ moves at a breakneck pace and provided plenty of nail-biting moments. On one level it is pure escapism but contains chilling warnings about the sinister forces operating in our modern world.

I found this an excellent action/adventure thriller and I can hardly wait for the next in the series to read more of Pearce and his team’s adventures.

Melody, a London solicitor has been sent by her boss to the Far East to find , ex MI16 agent Scott Pearce. Pearce is working on a case that he has been following for a couple of years. Melody convinces Scott to return to the UK to help with a group of radical extremists. How high up the political ladder do the members of this group go? Fast moving, I really enjoyed this first book from Adam Handy.

A really good fast paced read which was hard to put down. I hope there are more to come in this series.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

A well written, fast paced and action packed story, gripping and entertaining.
I think it's a great start for a new series, I have been hooked since the first pages.
It's one those book that you read as fast as you can and never bores.
It's the first work I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Can't wait for the next instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

What a cracking read this is! The prologue sets the scene and pace and the intensity never goes away throughout the book. The death of Nathan Foster by two thugs that I cannot imagine were ever human was quite sickening but then you realise that he had been a man that had been trained as an MI6 agent and who had served in some of the worst fighting campaigns, then you shudder.
When Scott Perce’s 2-year uncover alias as a climbing guide is broken by Melody Gold, a lawyer, things do go south rather quickly. After making a spectacular escape with Melody he has little choice other than listening to what she has to say. He knew he already wanted to take out the people that had killed his former MI6 agent buddy.
This is just one action-packed chapter after another, each quite very distinctive, each high octane reading. Brilliant vivid descriptions of places and situations bring it all to life like a cinema epic movie. The plot has a real modern feel and the characters solid. A stop you in your tracks could this happen sort of read and yes scarily one day it could.
This is going to be a solid series to keep up with if this book is anything to go by. Just superb!
I wish to thank the publisher and NetGalley for an e-copy of this book which I reviewed honestly.

Fast paced action thriller, a little hard to follow in places. Would make a great film. This seems to be the first one in a series and I would definitely read the next one.

This is indeed the brilliant first book of the Scott Pearce series! I cannot wait for the next instalment. There are no prisoners by Scott Pearce. Indeed the author, Adam Hamdy, does not hold back on the characters either and quite rightly so to make it all the more interesting and gripping. Good to see that authors can spare a main character so early on in a soon to be recognisable series and well deserved to be.

Because of reading this book, I shall borrow Adam's books from another of his series, John Wallace in the Pendulum books. I see that Adam will co-write with James Patterson "Private Moscow" so I'll give that a go too.

Roll on Scott Pearce book 2...

*4.5 stars *

Scott Pearce is reminiscent of your all action, comic book super hero, and oh boy, it makes for a truly gripping, action packed start to this new series!

Ex MI6 agent Pearce, took the blame for an operation that went wrong in Islamabad, an operation that led to his dismissal. We meet him working on his own undercover, trying to discover what went wrong and why. His cover is blown when lawyer Melody Gold travels half way round the world at the request of a client, inviting Pearce to help infiltrate the private bank Bayard Madison. The previous investigator Nathan Foster, (a former colleague of Pearce’s) was murdered for his efforts.

Gold seems to know way too much about Pearce, but more worryingly she’s led the bad guys right to his door. It ends up with the pair being pursued by some very vicious individuals, and quite honestly, the action is non stop from there on in!

Wow! What an intense start to a new series. It was well written, the characters are great, and it was totally addictive! Should you choose to read Black 13, hold on to your hats, because you’re in for a very bumpy ride!

Black 13 is the first book in a new series by Adam Hamdy and the first book I have read by this author.

If you like action packed thrillers then this is the book for you with it being non stop

Definitely recommended and I look forward to book 2

Move over Jack Reacher and Jason Bourne,there is a new tough guy on the block- Scott Pearce.
Scott Pearce ex Special Services and Security Services man who has been dismissed finds himself looking for arms smugglers in the Far East. He is approached by a Melody Gold who is contracted by her legal firm to investigate a Merchant Bank where outside, Scott's friend Nathan Foster lay dead on the pavement outside, working for Melody's law firm.

A non stop breathless chase to find who killed his friend and investigate corruption and murder on a grand scale which points to shadow figures from high up in the establishment.
Danger at every turn where Scott ,his friends are fighting for their very lives to to survive a sinister group ,The Black 13.

Wonderful, exiting reading a real page turner.Great stuff.

A new superhero is born in the indestructible Scott Pearce the hero of this fast paced and action packed thriller.

Reading almost like a film script and this book is surely odds on to be made into a film, the action is breathless and the plot convoluted.

A thriller for the new decade and sure to be a massive success.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping book

oh my word where to start..so much action and adventure...

a man is pushed out through a window by two men and its classed as a suicide.....

away in a far off country a man is undercover and has been for two years., but his cover is about to blown, he and the lawyer are chased out of the country... and what follows next is high octane action time and again....

who is black 13
who is behind the threat that is starting to be uncovered....

i couldnt put this book down...so much happened in those pages, think whitehouse down and those movies and this is on par with them... with bodies starting to stack up the stakes are high...and as our heroes get closer to the truth so more mercenaries are sent after them

wow i am so keeping an eye out for more of this authors work....and this is just the start of the series...bring it on i say

Violent entertaining conspiracy thriller that starts at 100 mph and never stops. An extreme far right plot to take control of the country is gradually revealed with lots of shadowy villains with their only opposition a former intelligence officer,a Syrian refugee and a couple of other ex military plus a woman lawyer who starts the whole wild ride off. Hopefully gloriously improbable the dead bodies pile up throughout all leading to a long final climax starting in a Derbyshire school and culminating in a Home Counties mansion. The epilogue leaves the door open for more adventures... so hopefully there will be more!

Scott Pearce is ex forces and finds himself unwittingly drawn into a global plot that is worth men killing for. He took the blame for an operation in Islamabad that went wrong, got dismissed from MI6 and, is working undercover, on his own, to find out why it went wrong. His cover is blown by Melody Gold, a lawyer from London, who has information about him she shouldn’t know, and an unknown client who wants him found. Things go from bad to worse, and he finds himself back in the UK, being chased by killers out to find out what Melody knows about her mysterious client.

This was a fascinating, well written and slightly frightening book, as the premise is so plausible and possible. This has obviously researched in depth and at length. One of those books that you don’t want to put down, but need to, to get your heart rate down, ready for the next chapters.
Definitely an author to look out for.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan for an ARC in return for an honest review.

A fast-paced adventure thriller which looks like being the start to a brilliant series. Scott Pearce is ex-special forces, he is leading a quiet life in an idyllic setting but his help is sought out when an ex-colleague is found dead in suspicious circumstances. His involvement takes him to places and things he wanted to leave behind but once in he accepts there is no going back.

Ex special forces soldier Nathan Foster has been hired to look into a bank in the City of London. Unfortunately he’s been found out and is found dead on the street outside. The woman who hired him, Melody Gold, finds an ex colleague of Nathan’s and former MI6 operative, Scott Parker, in Thailand and persuades him to help her continue with the investigation and avenge his friend’s death. What Scott discovers is a group of people linked to the establishment trying to orchestrate incidents for their own means and everything he ever learnt at MI6 and espionage goes out of the window.

Cracking read from start to finish. Thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait for the next book.

Thanks to Netgalley, Pan Macmillan and Adam Hamdy for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Adam Hamdy is an author to take note of. This book has good, strong characters with well developed back stories that lead the reader into thinking that this is book 3 or 4 in a series.

There is a good plot and pacey action that will delight readers of the action/adventure genre.

Well worth reading and an author to look out for.

A new hero of the modern era. A fast paced thriller full of action and some interesting characters.Looking forward to see how it progresses.

Black 13, what a page turner! From climbing cliffs in exotic locations to battling it out in some forgotten MOD site, the action just kept on coming. The characters were somewhat larger than life to put it mildly and managed to heal in hours and not weeks like the rest of us but it made for a breathtaking pace. Sadly much use was made of off-the-peg perceived stereotypes which really didn’t edify the last third of the book. On the technical front I think Defender body panels are aluminium so aren’t prone to rust. OLED’s are emissive devices and not sensors. Being strapped to a car battery would only be hazardous if it was leaking acid, gassing heavily or tied to your left leg if you were being thrown overboard. Tracking devices worn internally would require so much RF energy to escape the human body and signal a satellite it would burn flesh and we haven’t even discussed the power it would consume. The detonator used at the school would be the reverse of a fail safe device, it would activate if released. I liked the quantum communicator, the first experimental model I believe was tested from a Malvern pub.
The ending of the book suggested a sequel if not a series, I shall look forward to it.