This is a fast paced action packed thriller.
The protagonist is very interesting.
A well written book.

Operation Certain Death is the first instalment in the Dom Riley Thriller series by Staff Sergeant Kim Hughes GC, the most highly decorated Bomb Disposal expert in the UK and a knowledgeable individual on the topic of warfare and its effects on the psyche. It's an action-packed, rapid-fire paced thrill ride from start to finish and fits neatly into the action-adventure genre. For those looking for a rollicking good read with never a dull moment, an authentic feel to it and an interesting protagonist and hero, you cannot go wrong with a little bit of Dom and his antics. A recommended read.

Following an incident that has Army bomb disposal expert Staff Sergeant Dom Riley stuck behind a desk shuffling papers awaiting the outcome of psychological evaluation he is only allowed to attend a local incident in a non-operational capacity. When a secondary device takes out the officers tasked with the job things change and he once again finds himself putting on his protective suit. Amongst the debris from the bomb he recognises a unique type of wiring, a type he's only seen once before in another place at another time. Its not long before it becomes apparent somebody has not just him but his family in their sights too.

A well written thriller that has Riley pitting his skills against those of a master bombmaker, the storyline moving seamlessly between the past and present as the two of them play out their game of cat and mouse. Its well paced and an interesting read that isn't too heavy on the jargon or the technical detail.

The authors knowledge in the area is unquestionable, a recipient of the George Cross for bravery he has walked the walk of a bomb disposal expert many times. If you haven't already read it you might also want to look at his autobiography 'Painting the Sand', a fascinating read that is also highly recommended.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the advance copy for review purposes. I was under no obligation and all opinions expressed are my own.

Staff Sergeant Dominic Riley is an ATO – Ammunition Technical Officer – he’s the guy in the heavy suit that has to disarm the bomb when one is found. It’s a dangerous job, to say the least. But now he’s back home, far away from the war in Afghanistan…or so he thinks. Sergeant Dominic Riley is a compulsory therapy session when a bomb is detonated in Nottingham city centre. Even though he isn’t on duty, he rushes to the scene.

MI5 operative Kate Muraski is poking her nose where she shouldn’t. Eager for a promotion, she’s determined to prove herself. When digging up old history she comes across something that could be relevant to the bombing… and Riley’s at the centre of it.

As new details come to light and more bombs are uncovered, it’s clear that this is personal. Riley and Muraski must piece together long-buried secrets to find the perpetrators before the next bomb goes off…

I should probably say that I usually read detective thrillers over spy/army ones, but this was really good. First of all, the descriptions were visceral – it’s clear that the author has first-hand knowledge. Indeed, Staff Sergeant Kim Hughes GC is the most highly decorated bomb disposal officer in the British Army and was awarded the George Cross in 2009. The way that Hughes described the victims of the Nottingham bombing really made the scene come to life in a way I hadn’t expected. It was vivid without being gratuitously graphic. Hughes’ experience can also be seen in Riley the description of Riley’s mindset – when faced with a device purpose-built for mass murder, a single-minded focus riding a wave of adrenaline can be the different between life and death.

At the heart of every great thriller is the uncovering of secrets, investigation of clues and peaks and troughs in tension. Hughes does this really well and as the book goes on, the stakes get higher as the characters rush to prevent a catastrophe. With an ATO at the heart of the story, there was a lot of specialist knowledge which needed to be communicated to the reader. But in Riley’s voice it didn’t sound boring and managed to not detract from the narrative or disrupt the flow of events.

I really liked the therapy session featured at the beginning in the book – in the law enforcement/military narratives that we see in film, tv and books, characters often have PTSD symptoms but reject therapy as a waste of time and refuse to really engage. Eventually, Riley opens up and talks about his experience, and I’d like to think it took a weight off his shoulders. If PTSD stigma is to be challenged, people need to know that it’s not ‘weakness’ to discuss your issues or experiences in therapy.

One thing you often find in law enforcement narratives is the discussion of the binary good vs bad narrative, and I liked how the waters were rather murky here. Reading it, I didn’t feel like the author was pushing a moral perspective either way, all of the characters had their own motivations for their actions. Also, Hughes highlights how military conflict is often political, with the meddling of foreign powers often causing more problems than it solves.

In all, I really enjoyed the book and I look forward to the next instalments in the series!

A special thank you to the team at Simon and Schuster UK for giving me this digital ARC for review through NetGalley

Author and real life Staff Sergeant Kim Hughes, is the most highly decorated bomb disposal operator serving in the British Army. He was awarded the George Cross in 2009 following a gruelling 6 month tour of duty in Afghanistan, during which he diffused 119 improvised explosive devices, and survived numerous Taliban ambushes. Needless to say ‘Operation Certain Death’ has more than a ring of authenticity about it.

When a bomb explodes in a shopping centre in Nottingham, leaving behind a trail of destruction and shattered lives, Staff Sergeant Dom Riley isn’t actually on duty, but that doesn’t stop him racing to the scene. What he doesn’t know is, that this is just the start of a bombing campaign, one that involves both him, and his family - and so begins a game of cat and mouse, that becomes a race against time to prevent many more deaths!

Dom Riley is a stubborn individual, not one for obeying orders if he thinks he has a better plan, but he’s definitely someone you’ll be rooting for. Not unexpectedly, there are some real edge of the seat moments, and the knowledge that the author has actually experienced these terrifying events many times, fills me with admiration. I can’t imagine ever having the nerves of steel needed to carry out these procedures!

A tense and well written action thriller, with credible characters and accurate technicalities, make this a one a winner!

Having read Kim Hughes’s fascinating autobiographical account of his service as an ATO (bomb disposal officer to you and me) in Afghanistan I was intrigued to see how he would turn his hand to writing a thriller based around a fictional ATO. The answer is that his debut novel is surprisingly good. Needless to say, the technical aspects of the plot are dealt with very effectively; the surprise comes in seeing how well he manages, in addition, to set out a fluent narrative and weave together credible characters without resorting excessively to cliches. Some readers will share a minor annoyance that the author leaves the plot somewhat unresolved (no spoilers here), laying the ground, presumably for a follow up book. Despite this minor annoyance this is a very readable book that will keep many readers turning pages well beyond their planned time for turning the light out. Recommended.

Explosive from start to finish!
Won't profess to being the "ultimate" reviewer on here, just enjoy reading and I definitely enjoyed reading this gem from Kim Hughes.
Very much enjoyed Dom Riley's journey through this and look forward to reading the next adventure.
Did not see the ending coming, brilliant!!

HE THOUGHT HE LEFT THE WAR BEHIND. BUT IT'S COME HOME WITH HIM. 

A bomb explodes in a newly designed shopping complex in the centre of Nottingham, ripping through the lives of everyone in its wake. Confirmed as a targeted, terrorist attack, special units are quickly brought in to lock down the area.

For bomb-disposal expert, Staff Sergeant Dominic Riley, Afghanistan never feels far away and that’s especially true on the morning of the bombing. Riley isn’t on active duty, but that doesn’t stop him fighting his way to the destruction – which is only just beginning.

What he doesn’t yet know is that this is just the start – that the bomb-maker and those who hired him have bigger plans in place, ones that are designed for maximum destruction. Plans that are personal. For Riley – and his family.

It’s a race against time to work out the link before more people are killed – because Riley is our only hope. And he just might be our last.
Brilliantly written action thriller that takes you on a journey of full of action and suspense.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Simon and Schuster for the ARC.

With every pun intended - this is an explosive read! This is a tense, thoroughly gripping thriller starring Staff Sergeant Dom Riley, an Ammunitions Technical Officer on the bomb disposal team. It's a fast-paced read with a complex plot which twists in ways you wouldn't believe.

Stood down from active duty following a bullying complaint when he was giving a lecture to trainees, and undergoing psychological assessment, Dom receives an alert which sends him off to blag his way into accompanying Captain Richards to the scene of a bombing in his home town of Nottingham. He notices two things - a drone hovering over the devastation, and a piece of bomb wiring with unusual colours. He'd seen that before, but where? And how, when forensics test some bomb fragments, does Dom's DNA appear?

Meanwhile, Kate Muraski, MI5, is trying to trace the whereabouts of a home-trained terrorist she believes is in the Country. She's ambitious and really wants to get into the Russia Section, needing a spectacular investigative success to help her.

There is also an un-named bomb-maker and his disabled son in a house in London, tasked with supplying a spectacular bomb for a specific target.

Things start to become really personal when Dom's car is found to be rigged with explosives whilst he attends his daughter's school play.
Someone is targeting him - but who?

All through this most absorbing of plots, Dom constantly hears his dead comrade's voice - Mick, who died in Afghanistan, advising on or questioning his decisions, which I quite liked.

This is such an intriguing read - wow - how the webs of deceit and technology are interwoven.
Lots of twists and turns, and surprises.

Thoroughly recommended.

A real insight into the world of bomb disposal from an author who is fully qualified to tell it.
This is a cat and mouse thriller with plenty of pace, thrills and strong plot pints throughout.
Found myself rooting for the main character and knowing that the technicalities are accurate makes him even more of a hero in my eyes.
Bit of a dodgy title in my humble opinion which could make it come across as a bit twee. The reality is far from it.
Will look out for more by this author.