Dear Ryan Steck: from one Mitch Rapp Ambassador to another, one blogging/reviewing thriller genre partner to another, & as someone you know who calls the shots from the hip this was one hell of a fantastic thriller read.
As a newbie author I was expecting a mediocre book and man, I was pleasantly surprised. I know we've always been competing against one another for the greatest in this genre but you my friend, should be applauded. You put your heart and soul on the line and it shows especially in your acknowledgements that required more than one Kleenex.
In fact, if I might be so blunt as to say this was one of the best thrillers I've read this year & I've read many of our favorites that we share in this genre.
I wasn't able to get my hands on a copy for your 1st novel in this Matthew Redd Series because I came on board too late but perhaps somewhere down the line I'll get my hands on a copy for Fields of Fire as I'd love to review that one too. This does stand well on its own without needing to have read the first one and it took me along for the ride quite well.
Matthew Redd is not too overbearing nor obnoxious with the ego filled -shoot everything up- nature that we see in many other works in this genre. For that reason alone is why I couldn't put it down.
At first the introduction I felt like perhaps you'd become too similar in nature to our fav C.J. Box but as it progressed you separated yourself and created your own niche.
Lethal Range was a fun filled, action packed, fireball that couldn't be put back down once you picked it up!
Suffice to say, it all began with Matthew Redd and the FBI team surveiling a villa in Spain to catch a fugitive. However, it may just be a trap!
Redd's wife -Emily- is taken over by the Infidels (biker gang) who surround her vehicle on a sick appointment drive to the doctors.
Redd feels compelled to blame himself for putting everyone in harms way while everything seems to be riding on his shoulders as the man of the house (cabin).
Strength in numbers is the name of the game as war rages on.
I enjoyed the settings, the fullness of the characters, the evolving plot that wasn't forced but felt naturally flowing freely.
As readers are met with one after another of high staked action that came at us from all angles.
The fact that their just might be a mole is equally engaging because it creates a new dynamic to the storyline. A mole in the FBI? Always being two steps ahead of Redd...it must be, Right?
The mission was to hunt down Anton Gage but as we learn pressure is coming up on all sides of the Montana Ranch that Redd owns.
"Stand Down" "Baby Boy" is a phrase I'd thought I'd never hear used simultaneously but it worked! Angry Johnny also was a firecracker and perhaps the buffalo stomping is just what we need.
With that said, there's no lack of luster as we continue to ratchet it up with another situation on the helm. Food supply disruption, drones, and of course, engineering efforts for profit.
The Infidels as they're known are not your average biker gang. They rise above law and order from a weakened society that prevents suppression. They're an outlaw group of criminals and must be stopped.
Redd knows this will take everything he has including life and limb to succeed as honor demands revenge.
I love the Bobbie-Sue character who was a gal with limited knowledge of the true actions behind the gang. A woman in a male dominated world in which brothers should never attack their own.
So, we're left to "focus, fight smart" and carry on carefully through every field and every step at or near their compound.
One wrong step could mean the end especially for the world's food supply.
Death by starvation? Could that be coming? Should we be concerned?
There's 12 members that may or may not be found but the thrill of the chase is what keeps readers glued to every single page.
The fact that the ranch also played a crucial role wasn't lost here. This ranch signified so much more than a mere location for Redd.
I won't spill out too much but will close with a quote, " But you'd do it for me and if a man can't fight for his friends and family, then what kind of man is he?"
My friend, I ask myself this question daily in more ways than one.
Congrats on this second in the series and thank you for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.
Give your 6 kiddos and wife all my love xo till we meet again.
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