I have read all the Reznick books by J B Turner but this one lacked a minute spark. OK to have false leads etc but the continuing travel seemed to fill up a lot of pages rather than the action we are used too. More please on American soil - all this airport action is a bit staid.

In Hard Duty, J.B. Turner delivers yet another page-turner, propelling readers into a high-stakes world of espionage and betrayal. This time, Jon Reznick, an ex-Delta, FBI black ops specialist with a history of taking on impossible missions, is dragged out of retirement by the CIA. His mission: to take down a former CIA head who has gone rogue and is now working for the Russians. Other, more conventional operations had previously failed to neutralize the renegade spymaster, leaving the CIA with no choice but to resort to Reznick's unorthodox methods.

While the premise may be familiar, Turner spices up the lone-wolf operation by introducing an unexpected partnership. Reznick is aided by a former British operative and a tech-savvy IT expert, a team far smaller than the mission seems to require. The plot crisscrosses countries in the Middle East, drawing on international intrigue and political decay in America. The sweeping geographical scope should demand a larger cast, yet Reznick’s small team is tasked with pulling off feats that should take at least twenty operatives.

Turner's strength lies in pacing. The action is fast, relentless, and peppered with stunts that keep readers hooked. However, the plot could have benefited from deeper engagement with real-time Middle Eastern politics. Such connections might have added a layer of complexity and intrigue, twisting the narrative in more unexpected ways.

Despite its occasional lack of geopolitical depth, Hard Duty succeeds as an adrenaline-filled ride. The unconventional approach and intense action will satisfy fans of espionage thrillers, even if the broader political context feels a bit underexplored. It’s another solid entry in the Jon Reznick series, proving that the lone wolf still has some bite left.

In Hard Duty, J.B. Turner delivers yet another page-turner, propelling readers into a high-stakes world of espionage and betrayal. This time, Jon Reznick, an ex-Delta, FBI black ops specialist with a history of taking on impossible missions, is dragged out of retirement by the CIA. His mission: to take down a former CIA head who has gone rogue and is now working for the Russians. Other, more conventional operations had previously failed to neutralize the renegade spymaster, leaving the CIA with no choice but to resort to Reznick's unorthodox methods.

While the premise may be familiar, Turner spices up the lone-wolf operation by introducing an unexpected partnership. Reznick is aided by a former British operative and a tech-savvy IT expert, a team far smaller than the mission seems to require. The plot crisscrosses countries in the Middle East, drawing on international intrigue and political decay in America. The sweeping geographical scope should demand a larger cast, yet Reznick’s small team is tasked with pulling off feats that should take at least twenty operatives.

Turner's strength lies in pacing. The action is fast, relentless, and peppered with stunts that keep readers hooked. However, the plot could have benefited from deeper engagement with real-time Middle Eastern politics. Such connections might have added a layer of complexity and intrigue, twisting the narrative in more unexpected ways.

Despite its occasional lack of geopolitical depth, Hard Duty succeeds as an adrenaline-filled ride. The unconventional approach and intense action will satisfy fans of espionage thrillers, even if the broader political context feels a bit underexplored. It’s another solid entry in the Jon Reznick series, proving that the lone wolf still has some bite left.

I've enjoyed the other Reznick thrillers but didn't find this one so gripping. There was a lot of waiting around and so much reliance on Trevelle and the technology that it felt less exciting than usual

Hard Duty by J.B. Turner is another thrilling installment in the Jon Reznick series. This fast-paced political thriller takes Reznick on a high-stakes mission to stop a former US counterintelligence officer from selling secrets to the Russians.
Alongside his trusted allies, Mac and Trevelle, Reznick races against time through the Middle East, facing dangerous Russian mercenaries at every turn.
The action is non-stop, with plenty of unexpected twists and challenges that kept me hooked. I loved how Reznick’s resourcefulness and toughness came through as he adapted to every situation. The pacing is excellent, and the plot is full of tension and excitement.
This is a thought-provoking yet action-packed read. If you enjoy nonstop fast paced thrillers, this one won’t disappoint.
Looking forward to the next book in the series!

A high octane spy thriller that keeps you hooked till the end. Plenty of action and intrigue. Good characters I especially liked Mac. Jon & Mac travel around the middle east after a traitor before he disappears for good. This is my first Jon Resnick book I'll have to read the other 12 books. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for this review ARC.

Another great read in the Jon Reznick series. Great action/story/pacing, along with great characters. Can't wait for the next book in the series. #HardDuty13AJonReznickThriller #NetGalley

Hard duty is the 13th book in the action packed, high-tech and intelligent Jon Reznick thriller series.

Reznick has been called in when a former fellow agent has gone rouge, and he must now navigate a complex web of lies and misinformation to track the down the rogue before highly sensitive information is sold to the highest bidder.

Reznick is a volatile and unpredictable as in the previous books, but with the support of his hand picked team - tough Scot Mac McCafferty and Trevelle Williams, the cyber security expert who lost his girlfriend in a previous book - the odds for success are as high as they can be.

It is a gripping, fast paced and clever story, where (as hoped for) the good wins in the end.

A little too unbelievable

A man is sent to kill a CIA agent who is reportedly working for the Russians. For some reason, he can only have a team of three, so it is him, a tech guy, and a Scottish muscle guy.

There were a lot of killings in this, many not very believable. But there were some exciting parts and I did enjoy most of the book. There wad a political section, two actually, where one of the characters described some very conservative values. I wish that part had been left out as I have strong opinions myself and don't see how this was useful or necessary to the plot.

Hard Duty is the 13th instalment in the Jon Reznick series, about a former Delta operative turned CIA assassin. The books are all stand-alone adventures so don’t need to be read in order, although I have read them all, and this one sees Jon moving in a new direction after severing his ties to the FBI after the events of the last book. It’s another fast paced action thriller that sees Jon travel to the Middle East on the hunt for an elderly spy turned traitor, who has to be eliminated in the name of “National Security.” I enjoyed it although found the plot was rather predictable and repetitive, and I was hoping for more of a twist. I had mixed feelings about our hero being sent to murder an old man in cold blood - no matter what his crimes. I also missed Martha. It won’t put me off continuing the series but I’m hoping Jon returns to the FBI soon.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC. Hard Duty is published on October 3rd.

Good guys, bad guys and a completely utterly unrealistic scenario that violates, among other things US law, I should not have requested this although I suspect that there's an audience that will just think it's the cat's meow.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This story begins with Reznick having a package delivered. Upon open the package, he discovers a device and logs in. It connects him to the CIA. He is asked to attend a meeting with the CIA the next morning. Once he learns what it is about, a wild week is ahead.

He is to take care of a former intelligence officer who has retired and is now providing information to countries impacting the security of America. He can only have a team of two others and must complete the mission in one week. His two members are Mac, a Brit. and Trevelle to handle logistics. He is also to avoid collateral damage. The big issue for Reznick is to locate where he is at the present time since he doesn't stay in one place to long.

Reznick and Mac catch up with their target, but before they can do anything, he disappears once more. Somehow the Russians have found out about Reznick's mission and warned their target. The Russian then began pushing the former officer for the intelligence he promised/ Reznick and Mac were again able to locate, but once more unable to finish their mission. Finally, Trevelle found a way to track the target a a plan was put in place. Thir plan did not work out as they wanted, so they improvised.

To discover all of the locations Reznick and Mac had to visit to complete their mission, what they did in the end, what information was to be turned over and what eventually happened, then you need to read this book.

J. B. Turner’s latest book in the Jon Reznick series is an action-packed political thriller. Hard Duty takes readers from the United States to North Africa and the Middle East. While hoping for some rest and relaxation, Jon is contacted. The Central Intelligence Agency wants him to take on an ultra-high-risk mission where the United States has plausible deniability. A retired counterintelligence officer is about to sell state secrets to the Russians. Jon needs to stop him before the handover with only two people helping him. Additionally, they only have one week for their mission.

Reznick is a former military and a former covert operative who still does occasional work for the American alphabet agencies. He’s an excellent shot, highly intelligent, fearless, and tough. He’s a straight-talker, capable, resourceful, doesn’t easily share feelings, and can be a deadly killer.
This story has great pacing, a twisty and absorbing plot, and plenty of exciting scenes. It is well-plotted with unpredictable moments and challenges. Reznick and his team’s creativity to overcome the obstacles put in front of them was enjoyable to see. Themes include greed, power, morality, ethics, espionage, national security, accountability, and patriotism.

Overall, this high-octane thriller was entertaining, thought-provoking, and a powerful page-turner from start to finish. This is the thirteenth book in the Jon Reznick thriller series and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Thomas and Mercer and JB Turner provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for October 03, 2024.

This book is fluid, has a good pace and an OK plot, and the characters are very good. I don't really see the point of all the chapters from the "office", as they can be skipped.

A long running series I have enjoyed. This book is full of action as Reznick tries to get something done that Seal Team 6 could not accomplish. The book is action packed I enjoyed the creative ways Jon and his very small crew work to solve their problem. I don't really understand how they were given so few resources to solve a problem with national security implications. Seems they were always one step behind. I just didn't think Reznick would take this type of job. I really would have liked to see them include more character development with his daughter and life outside of work. Not my favorite of the series but still a good read.

This is a book that I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC copy from the author (J.B. Turner), his author (Thomas & Mercer), and the fine folks at NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is the thirteenth book of the series and Fran Petersen wants to know if Black ops specialist Jon Reznick is available for an off-the-books job. Black ops specialist Jon Reznick was hoping for some well-earned downtime under the Florida sun when he got a surprise call from the CIA. An embittered US counterintelligence expert is about to sell a career’s worth of state secrets to the Russians, and the Agency wants Reznick to track him down. Reznick is eager to track down the former intelligence chief, who has already made millions and millions through treachery by selling the names of intelligence agents and the dead drops that are being used to pass along information to the Americans throughout Europe

With the traitorous former spook holed up somewhere in the diplomatic cauldron of the Middle East, protected by highly trained Russian mercenaries (the infamous Wagner Group), Reznick knows it’s almost certainly a suicide mission. After previous failed attempts by larger Delta groups and Predator drones, the plan is put forth to try yet again with a smaller force of only three people.

Resnick decides he needs one other operator with him as well as the help of the cybersecurity genius Trevelle. He speaks to his ex-SAS friend Mac who is just as crazy as Jon. Both Jon and Mac leave for their mission to be completed in one week. However, if they get caught, the same government agency will deny all knowledge of any such operation. But with tough Scot Mac McCafferty and cybersecurity genius Trevelle Williams to back him up, patriot Reznick is soon racing across the region in pursuit of the target.

Time is ticking and death is a strong possibility, but with stakes this high, for Jon Reznick, there are no rules that can’t be broken…and failure is never an option.

This book is marketed towards fans of Vince Flynn, Lee Child, and Brad Thor while other reviews of the book claim that it is similar to Mark Greaney and David Baldacci. The book contains everything you expect from the genre. It has a lone-wolf main character with a shady background, a credible and interesting terrorist plot, and a lot of fighting, shooting, and explosions.

This is what Reznick does best and this book is high octane, lots of excitement and an absolute page turner. I would easily give this book a rating of a solid four stars out of five. This was a fabulous read by JB Turner.

As with all my literary ramblings, this is just my five cents worth.

Jon Resnick is back with a bang in book 13 of this series which I absolutely love! Fran Petersen wants to know if Jon is available for an off the books job. Of course Jon is interested and ends up actually agreeing to this crazy plan. A US intelligence officer has turned and is selling secrets, Jon has to find him and kill him. However, if he gets caught it's nothing to do with the Government (of course it isn't) and they will deny all knowledge of any such operation.

Resnick decides he needs one other operator with him as well as the help of the hacker Trevelle. He also speaks to his Ex-SAS friend Mac who is just as crazy as Jon. Both Jon and Mac leave for their mission to be completed in one week. The book and storyline takes them to a variety of places in the middle east and as they expected the job is not an easy one.

This book was a real belter in my opinion. This is what Reznick does best and this book is high octane, lots of excitement and an absolute page turner. Another fabulous read by JB Turner

Hard Duty by J.B. Turner

Have you ever found yourself late at night scrolling to find something to watch on TV? Something mildly entertaining and you are too lazy to scroll further? Hard Duty follows Jon Reznick and his partner as they chase through Africa and the Middle East as they try to track down and stop a CIA agent selling classified information. Oops. - their secret mission isn't quite secret. Oops - the bad guys slip away.. Oops - poor intelligence. Uh oh, bad guys are shooting. What will happen? Will our hero overcome all odds to stop him?

Perhaps because this is a long-running series but there seemed to be very little character development. The plot points could fit into one of any hundred thrillers. If I was invested in the series it is possible that I would have enjoyed Hard Duty more but this novel didn't inspire me to go back to read Jon Reznick back story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of Hard Duty in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

I enjoyed this fast pace of Jon joining the CIA. I also found iit interesting of why.
Highly recommend this latest book by this author.
I received this book by Net Galley and Thomas Mercer for my honest opinion

Fans of the series will be delighted to know that the beloved adrenaline-fueled excitement is as present as ever. Although this new book may not have as many heart-stopping moments as some of its predecessors, it's still a compelling read. Jon teams up with Treville and an old comrade, Mac, to bring down a treacherous former CIA agent now in league with the Russians. The plot is a complex web of close calls and intricate maneuvers. Despite a few near misses, the essence of a gripping thriller pulses at its core. Some might argue that a more concise narrative could have heightened the tension, but the book delivers a satisfying punch that will leave readers eager for the next chapter in Jon Renwick's saga.