I am delighted to be one of the reviewers that are opening the Blog Tour today for Outcast by Chris Ryan. This is a brilliant action/ adventure crime and mystery novel and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

My huge thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my e-copy of this book from Zaffre Books via NetGalley.

After single-handedly intervening in a deadly terrorist attack in Mali, SAS Warrant Officer Jamie ‘Geordie’ Carter is denounced as a lone wolf by jealous superiors.

Now a Regiment outcast, Carter is given a second chance with a deniable mission: locate SAS hero-gone-rogue, David Vann.

Vann had been sent into Afghanistan to train local rebels to fight the Taliban. But he’s since gone silent and expected attacks on key targets have not happened.

Tracking Vann through Afghanistan and Tajikistan, Carter not only discovers the rogue soldier’s involvement in a conspiracy that stretches far beyond the Middle East – but an imminent attack that will have deadly consequences the world over . . .

Purchase Links AMAZON UK – US – Brown’s Books

MY REVIEW

This is the first time I have read a book by this author, and it was a very addictive read. This is a book that is full of action from the first page right through to the last. I have seen there are several books by this author and after reading this latest one I really need to go and read more.

The story focuses on SAS Warrant Officer Jamie Carter, (Geordie) he has not got many friends in the ranks or in power. He is considered a bit of a liability after his last mission. His current mission is cut short at a very timely moment and he asked to go and discover the whereabouts of his old trainer Vann. He is out of contact, no one knows where or why but they do have the last location.

I really liked Geordie, while he is a maverick as such he also seems quite principled. In some respects, his principles are part of his training. His training is what keeps him alive and as Vann was the one that trained him they are very similar and this is something that Geordie can use to his advantage, as they do share a similar mindset and this will prove inevitable in trying to work out what has happened.

This is an action-packed story from start to finish. The author obviously knows his stuff and this is very apparent from the details he includes. I liked the balance of the details, enough to make a point but not over the top.

When Government organisations are involved then there is often some sort of double cross or political power play involved. This mission though is being run via two government agencies and both are adamant that he is covered, that things are good and that he has everything he needs. I do like it when agencies get involved!

Geordie is a great character, he has a dogged determination and also there is a certain amount to him that makes him trustworthy. Little things that he does along his journey make you realise that he is not all muscle and firepower.

The action is fast throughout the story, there are skirmishes, fights, and chases, but underneath all this, the author keeps the story about Geordie and his mission but with a more personal touch and I was able to learn more about this character. This is a relatively quick read at just a little over 300 pages and there are a lot of details.

This is one for those who like to read more of an action-adventure story as well as a crime thriller and mystery. It is one I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Ryan was born in Newcastle.
In 1984 he joined 22 SAS. After completing the year-long Alpine Guides Course, he was the troop guide for B Squadron Mountain Troop. He completed three tours with the anti-terrorist team, serving as an assaulter, sniper and finally Sniper Team Commander.

Chris was part of the SAS eight-man team chosen for the famous Bravo Two Zero mission during the 1991 Gulf War. He was the only member of the unit to escape from Iraq, where three of his colleagues were killed and four captured, for which he was awarded the Military Medal. Chris wrote about his experiences in his book The One That Got Away, which became an immediate bestseller. Since then he has written over fifty books and presented a number of very successful TV programmes.

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