Another exciting book by renown author Chris Ryan.

Josh Bowman is set to join the SAS and step into a new future hiding in his new role.
As the mob from Russia closes in, Josh has to make decisions to stop them from advancing and to defend his people.

A gripping read.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I have seen this author around a lot hut have not read any of his book, besides fhis being my first of his go pick up so thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me this book.

I really enjoyed this and it was very faces past action which I enjoyed therefore if you like books like that this one will be for you!

Another great read from Chris Ryan.
A good escapism novel in the style and delivery that we have come to expect from him.
Many thanks.

Another all action thriller from Chris Ryan. If like me you've enjoyed his previous novels then this is one for you. Well worth a read.

Another Great story from Chris Ryan.
Definitely as good as previous books from this author.
Looking forward to more.

Fans of the author know exactly what they're getting when they open the latest Chris Ryan thriller, plenty of action and a fast moving storyline and this one has both.

In the first of a new series, we meet 22 SAS’s Josh Bowman working as one of the team assigned to protect a foreign president attending a Royal wedding in London. When one of the guests at the wedding, the known head of a criminal gang is poisoned with a chemical agent that has all the trademarks of a Russian hit, he’s in the right place at the right time and comes to the attention of John Mallett, the team leader of 'The Cell' a small unit of elite operators who carry out deniable operations to protect British interests both home and abroad.

This was an easy read that moved along at a good pace, what it lacked in depth it made up for with action and firepower, the tension building as it reached a dramatic conclusion with enough twists to keep it interesting. My main problem with this novel was the character of Josh who far from being the 'best of the best' was weak and unreliable, making mistakes that put the lives of his fellow team mates and those he was protecting at risk. Hardly a hero and if he’s the best the regiment has to offer it doesn’t say much for the rest of them.

Personally I’d have liked a bit more depth but I’m not knocking him, the author knows his subject, he knows his target audience and he delivers.

A new one from Chris Ryan that introduces a new SAS character to us.
Bowman is an experienced SAS Staff Sergeant but he has a problem, an opioid addiction that he is just about keeping secret.
On protection duty at the wedding of a minor Royal there is an assassination attempt using a bio weapon. Bowman is then drafted into a top secret SAS/MI6 team to track down the perpetrators, this eventually leads to a rush to Africa where his small team is forced to hold an isolated complex against overwhelming odds.
It’s a very fast paced story and full of the sort of action scenes that Ryan fans will enjoy. But there are some elements that just don’t click. Bowman’s opioid addiction felt odd, one minute he can’t function without them, the next “the adrenaline” kicks in and it’s like he doesn’t have a problem at all. There are some signposts to various hidden agendas and they ended up being generally unsatisfying or not really addressed.
So this was okay but not up to the standard of Ryan’s best.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I’ve read quite a few of this authors books although none in recent years. The premise of the book looked just like my kind of read and I wasn’t disappointed. I really liked the main character here. He is flawed, believable, has a good background history with a tragic past. He is recruited into ‘The Cell’, and on protection detail at a royal wedding where events take an unexpected turn. I did think this was a bit of a slow burner initially although it soon picked up pace, and thought this was a very well written book with an engaging and believable plot line, lots of twists and full of so many intricate details. The last quarter of the book literally had me on the edge of my seat and was full of suspense. The author certainly knows how to ramp up the tension here! And the reveals at the end as to who was behind all the events and why - I didn’t expect that. Fingers crossed there is follow up book to this, I would definitely read it.

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not read anything by this author before, even though I have some of his books on my kindle on my "to read" list, but I have read books by similar authors and thought I'd see if this lived up to some of them.
In all honesty, the answer is yes! There is the level of detail that you would associate with someone who has been there and done that, and this shows in the book.
The story starts off as a protection detail, then the job spirals out of control and I won't spoil the story by telling you where it ends up!
The characters are interesting, with some backstory provided for the main character Josh Bowman, and explains why he does what he does. Some of the side characters are given some detail, but not too much - this could be due to possible sequel plots.
Overall a great book, and if you like your thrillers full of action and good pacing, then i would highly recommend this to you.
I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in return for a honest review.