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Matt Standing #3
Still Standing
The SAS are used to deaths during combat - it goes with the turf.
But when one of their own is said to have committed suicide in Thailand, red flags are raised.
Pete Green wasn't the sort of soldier who would ever take his own life - and no one is more sure of that than his twin brother, Davie.
Davie is determined to fly to the Land Of Smiles to find out what really happened to his twin brother. But if he is going to find out the truth he'll need help - the sort of help only SAS Sergeant Matt Standing can provide.
But soon after they arrive they come under attack, leaving Standing to investigate on his own. There are clearly people who want to shut down all enquiries and Standing knows he will have to use all his SAS jungle skills to survive. This will be the toughest of assignments but nothing will come between him and the truth ...
But when one of their own is said to have committed suicide in Thailand, red flags are raised.
Pete Green wasn't the sort of soldier who would ever take his own life - and no one is more sure of that than his twin brother, Davie.
Davie is determined to fly to the Land Of Smiles to find out what really happened to his twin brother. But if he is going to find out the truth he'll need help - the sort of help only SAS Sergeant Matt Standing can provide.
But soon after they arrive they come under attack, leaving Standing to investigate on his own. There are clearly people who want to shut down all enquiries and Standing knows he will have to use all his SAS jungle skills to survive. This will be the toughest of assignments but nothing will come between him and the truth ...
320 pages, Paperback
Published November 7, 2023
136 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Leather
245 books1,528 followersStephen Leather was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times, the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. His bestsellers have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also written for television shows such as London's Burning, The Knock and the BBC's Murder in Mind series. For much of 2011 his self-published eBooks - including The Bestseller, The Basement, Once Bitten and Dreamer's Cat - dominated the UK eBook bestseller lists and sold more than half a million copies. The Basement topped the Kindle charts in the UK and the US, and in total he has sold more than two million eBooks. His bestselling book The Chinaman was filmed as The Foreigner, starring Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan and grossing more than $100 million.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
September 13, 2023
Another great read the 3rd in the Standing series and have to wait til next year for the next one 😒
Was great to see Lex Harper make an appearance, too.
Was great to see Lex Harper make an appearance, too.
May 31, 2023
When a fellow SAS trooper dies in Thailand, his twin brother Davie and Matt Standing make the trip to pick up his body. What they find is that the Police have written the death as a suicide with the man suffocating with a plastic bag over his head and his hands tied behind his back. When both Davie and Matt start digging into the death, they are soon attacked by a powerful criminal who doesn’t allow anyone near his operations. Of course, the criminal has never encountered SAS soldiers.
This is a fast-paced thriller, the third in the Matt Standing series. Action packed with no-hold barred fighting. Grab a tiger by the tail and you get what’s coming. I’ll be watching for more stories in this series.
This is a fast-paced thriller, the third in the Matt Standing series. Action packed with no-hold barred fighting. Grab a tiger by the tail and you get what’s coming. I’ll be watching for more stories in this series.
January 2, 2023
How does Stephen Leather just keep producing such high quality thrillers? He uses a variety of characters in his books and this is a Matt Standing novel. Standing is a serving SAS Sergeant, deadly in combat but prone to frustration when not under the pressure of doing what he does best.
When the twin brother of a fellow trooper commits suicide under mysterious circumstances in Thailand, Standing and his brother take time off to investigate. In Thailand they are assured that it was clearly a suicide, but the longer Standing and Green remain the less things feel right. And finally, when they push too far, there is an explosion of violence and it doesn’t look too good for the unarmed good guys but of course, they are SAS trained….
As always there is lots to like here. Stephen Leather knows Thailand, so he paints a knowledgeable and interesting scenario into which to drop his plot. Most of the action is in the second half, with the first half scene setting to the degree that you can almost feel the warmth of Thailand and the sand between your toes.
Just when you think you couldn’t enjoy it any more, the author drops in some of his other characters which will delight his fans.
Of course it’s good, as soon as you pick up one of the author’s books your high expectations will be met. Top author.
When the twin brother of a fellow trooper commits suicide under mysterious circumstances in Thailand, Standing and his brother take time off to investigate. In Thailand they are assured that it was clearly a suicide, but the longer Standing and Green remain the less things feel right. And finally, when they push too far, there is an explosion of violence and it doesn’t look too good for the unarmed good guys but of course, they are SAS trained….
As always there is lots to like here. Stephen Leather knows Thailand, so he paints a knowledgeable and interesting scenario into which to drop his plot. Most of the action is in the second half, with the first half scene setting to the degree that you can almost feel the warmth of Thailand and the sand between your toes.
Just when you think you couldn’t enjoy it any more, the author drops in some of his other characters which will delight his fans.
Of course it’s good, as soon as you pick up one of the author’s books your high expectations will be met. Top author.
December 29, 2022
Another brilliant and highly entertaining read from the master Stephen Leather!
I'm a huge fan of his books. He is one of those authors that never disappoints. I love the Mat Standing series and alo how he brings in characters from his other books too play cameos. Although Spider Shepherd it is not the main character he still plays a very important part in supplying assistance to Matt. It would be very interesting to see the two of them working together on an equal basis in a book in the future!
If you want bucketloads full of action this is a definite must read.
Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I'm a huge fan of his books. He is one of those authors that never disappoints. I love the Mat Standing series and alo how he brings in characters from his other books too play cameos. Although Spider Shepherd it is not the main character he still plays a very important part in supplying assistance to Matt. It would be very interesting to see the two of them working together on an equal basis in a book in the future!
If you want bucketloads full of action this is a definite must read.
Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
March 26, 2024
Very good written and gripping thriller.
My only mistake was to start reading the series from this book, I didn't realised it was the third one.
My only mistake was to start reading the series from this book, I didn't realised it was the third one.
November 29, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.
This is a great addition to the authors Matt Standing series. I really enjoyed this book, although I did think initially it was a slow burner of a read and took a while to get going. The action and intrigue really started to gain pace though which turns this into a very fast paced, thrilling and absorbing read. Standing goes to Thailand with Billy, a team member to find out what happened to Billy’s brother Pete who has supposedly committed suicide there. Both know this is not the case and investigate further finding out much more than they bargained for and picking up a lot of trouble on the way. Can they trust what they are being told though? I thought this book was well written and entertaining once it began to pick up and soon becomes a fast paced, action packed read full of intrigue and suspense. I loved the return of two characters from other books and felt their inclusion really gave the story much more depth. The last quarter was a riveting read which was very hard to put down and had me wondering if Standing would survive this with the odds very much against him.. I liked the ending though, and thought it was very fitting for the story. This read had everything I like - lots of action, great writing and a good plot line, likeable characters and I thought the pacing was just right. If you are a fan of this author’s books you will definitely like this one. It does not disappoint in any way at all.
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a great addition to the authors Matt Standing series. I really enjoyed this book, although I did think initially it was a slow burner of a read and took a while to get going. The action and intrigue really started to gain pace though which turns this into a very fast paced, thrilling and absorbing read. Standing goes to Thailand with Billy, a team member to find out what happened to Billy’s brother Pete who has supposedly committed suicide there. Both know this is not the case and investigate further finding out much more than they bargained for and picking up a lot of trouble on the way. Can they trust what they are being told though? I thought this book was well written and entertaining once it began to pick up and soon becomes a fast paced, action packed read full of intrigue and suspense. I loved the return of two characters from other books and felt their inclusion really gave the story much more depth. The last quarter was a riveting read which was very hard to put down and had me wondering if Standing would survive this with the odds very much against him.. I liked the ending though, and thought it was very fitting for the story. This read had everything I like - lots of action, great writing and a good plot line, likeable characters and I thought the pacing was just right. If you are a fan of this author’s books you will definitely like this one. It does not disappoint in any way at all.
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 31, 2022
Reading Stuff 'n' Things
Once again, Mr Leather treats us to a story full of action and intrigue from the start. This might be the third in the Matt Standing series but can easily be read as a standalone so don't worry.
When Pete Green apparently commits suicide whilst taking a break in Thailand, his twin brother smells a rat; Matt agrees to accompany him to find out how Pete died and repatriate his body back to the UK. On arrival, it quickly becomes apparent that things are definitely not what they seem and things quickly go downhill and it's going to take all Matt's SAS training and guile, as well as a little intel from a certain "Spider" back in the UK, to get out of the trouble he finds himself in.
Well written, fast paced with great characters and an excellent story, this is a great read that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to others and my thanks go to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Still Standing.
Once again, Mr Leather treats us to a story full of action and intrigue from the start. This might be the third in the Matt Standing series but can easily be read as a standalone so don't worry.
When Pete Green apparently commits suicide whilst taking a break in Thailand, his twin brother smells a rat; Matt agrees to accompany him to find out how Pete died and repatriate his body back to the UK. On arrival, it quickly becomes apparent that things are definitely not what they seem and things quickly go downhill and it's going to take all Matt's SAS training and guile, as well as a little intel from a certain "Spider" back in the UK, to get out of the trouble he finds himself in.
Well written, fast paced with great characters and an excellent story, this is a great read that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to others and my thanks go to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Still Standing.
December 28, 2022
Following the apparent suicide of regiment soldier Pete Green whilst on holiday in Thailand, his twin Billy and Standing both head out to the island of Koh Chang to find out what happened and bring his body back to England.
Soon after their arrival it becomes clear that Pete wasn't on holiday, his suicide doesn't make sense and when they find his body has already been cremated their spidey senses instantly go onto high alert. A couple of phone calls to a useful contact back in London and everything changes.
I read this one cover to cover in 24 hours, it was well researched, fast paced with an interesting plot and plenty of action. Its the third in the Matt Standing series but don't be put off if you haven't read the first two, this one could definitely be read as a standalone novel.
My thanks to the publisher Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the advance copy for review purposes, I was under no obligation and all opinions expressed are my own.
Soon after their arrival it becomes clear that Pete wasn't on holiday, his suicide doesn't make sense and when they find his body has already been cremated their spidey senses instantly go onto high alert. A couple of phone calls to a useful contact back in London and everything changes.
I read this one cover to cover in 24 hours, it was well researched, fast paced with an interesting plot and plenty of action. Its the third in the Matt Standing series but don't be put off if you haven't read the first two, this one could definitely be read as a standalone novel.
My thanks to the publisher Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the advance copy for review purposes, I was under no obligation and all opinions expressed are my own.
January 5, 2023
Matt Standing gets a call to say one of his SAS friends has committed suicide in Thailand.
Straight away he finds this suspicious and flies out there with the twin brother of the victim.
Getting stonewalled by everyone in authority and with no help from the locals, Matt decides to ruffle some feathers with spectacular results as the danger levels are ramped up to a new high.
Standing will have to be the best he can be if he is to survive and find out the truth.
Stephen Leather has the brilliant knack of writing, super intense high octane thrillers, that I find impossible to put down. He truly is top draw.
This book is a perfect example. His main character is a no-nonsense soldier who will fight for what he believes in even if it goes against the grain. I look forward to more of the same. Another outstanding book by this brilliant writer.
Straight away he finds this suspicious and flies out there with the twin brother of the victim.
Getting stonewalled by everyone in authority and with no help from the locals, Matt decides to ruffle some feathers with spectacular results as the danger levels are ramped up to a new high.
Standing will have to be the best he can be if he is to survive and find out the truth.
Stephen Leather has the brilliant knack of writing, super intense high octane thrillers, that I find impossible to put down. He truly is top draw.
This book is a perfect example. His main character is a no-nonsense soldier who will fight for what he believes in even if it goes against the grain. I look forward to more of the same. Another outstanding book by this brilliant writer.
December 25, 2022
This is an action packed book that I really enjoyed.
Matt Standing agrees to help Billy who wants to know how his twin brother, Pete died.
He was found in a hotel room in Thailand and the local Police say he committed suicide.
Billy knows Pete would never kill himself but he’s having trouble proving it.
The more he looks into things the more dangerous it gets. With a showdown outside their hotel, Matt flees into the jungle to take cover.
The action is far from over and soon Matt is face to face with one if the most feared criminals in Thailand.
This is a great action thriller.
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Matt Standing agrees to help Billy who wants to know how his twin brother, Pete died.
He was found in a hotel room in Thailand and the local Police say he committed suicide.
Billy knows Pete would never kill himself but he’s having trouble proving it.
The more he looks into things the more dangerous it gets. With a showdown outside their hotel, Matt flees into the jungle to take cover.
The action is far from over and soon Matt is face to face with one if the most feared criminals in Thailand.
This is a great action thriller.
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
July 27, 2024
This is an action thriller that’s just a jolly good read! SAS Sergeant Matt Standing travels to Thailand with his friend, Davie Green, to find out why Davie’s twin brother Pete has died there. The Thai police say it was suicide but Davie and Matt don’t agree and soon find themselves battling drug dealers, corrupt officials and more. I'd never read anything by Stephen Leather before and this is a real page-turner - a light, easy-to-read thriller that's full of plot twists and action. I'm definitely going to look for more books by Stephen Leather, and some others in Oundle Crime have recommended his Dan ‘Spider’ Shepherd series.
Review by: Norfolk Gal, Oundle Crime
Review by: Norfolk Gal, Oundle Crime
July 8, 2025
Stand ING down
As ever a great read. Stephen Leather, Matt Standing adventure, guarantees a thrilling story. The Green twins are SAS Medics. Despite working in separate squadrons, they have an instinct if either one of them is in danger. However, Pete dies, and his brother is unaware until he receives a call informing him of his brothers death by suicide. Knowing that can not be correct what follows is a tale of Revenge with Matt Standing alongside the remaining twin. Other background Leather heroes are called in to assist. A great read, great story, and as ever, " Who dares wins."
As ever a great read. Stephen Leather, Matt Standing adventure, guarantees a thrilling story. The Green twins are SAS Medics. Despite working in separate squadrons, they have an instinct if either one of them is in danger. However, Pete dies, and his brother is unaware until he receives a call informing him of his brothers death by suicide. Knowing that can not be correct what follows is a tale of Revenge with Matt Standing alongside the remaining twin. Other background Leather heroes are called in to assist. A great read, great story, and as ever, " Who dares wins."
December 5, 2022
Having never read a book by Stephen Leather that could even be described as mediocre, I was really looking forward to this, the third Matt Standing novel. and, as always, it didn't disappoint.
The scene grabs you by the collar from the off with all of the action bursting through about halfway and fans of Mr Leather's work will appreciate the reference to a couple of old favourite characters too.
Just loved it. Mind you, I just knew I would.
The scene grabs you by the collar from the off with all of the action bursting through about halfway and fans of Mr Leather's work will appreciate the reference to a couple of old favourite characters too.
Just loved it. Mind you, I just knew I would.
December 10, 2022
I love a Stephen Leather book especially the Spider Shepherd series. This Matt Standing book is a great read and with Spider popping up in here and Matt being joined by Lex Harper, it’s just the icing on the cake. Matt & Billy travel to Thailand when Pete, Billy’s twin, is found dead, the official reason being suicide. But Billy wouldn’t do that and as they get to the bottom of and avenge his murder not everyone is left smiling in The Land Of The Smiles.
January 23, 2023
More of the same, really. Although this started of really well and grabbed me from the off my interest started waning at the midway point when it went into a one-man (two, actually) against the world battle with a predictable outcome. Some great dialogues in there and well-written, as well as some great location descriptions; Stephen knows his Thailand well, but like the previous Standing novel, it just didn’t kick like the Spider novels seem to.
January 5, 2023
Totally brilliant .. loved this book . Drawn in from the beginning .. I love the humour from Steve with his characters.. he’s brings life to them . Plenty of action and and palm sweating moments . Had a a few tears and a lumpy throat at the end . Hubby laughed and said it’s a book .. nah I said. It was real to me . Such is the power of words from a talented author xx
September 29, 2023
From one of my favourite authors over the last few years, a dud. Wafer-thin plot (is there one?), stereotypical good and bad guys (and the obligatory double agent) and a 'hero' who makes James Bond look very wimpish. Not to mention a third-party acquaintance who could re-arm the British Army. Formulaic, boring and entirely unworthy of this author's talents.
January 27, 2023
another page turner from Mr leather.
the story is well paced and matt standing does what he does well and gets stuck in
when an SAS mate is found dead matt goes looking for answers
Please dont let this be the last Matt standing book MR L "!!!
the story is well paced and matt standing does what he does well and gets stuck in
when an SAS mate is found dead matt goes looking for answers
Please dont let this be the last Matt standing book MR L "!!!
April 19, 2023
Thriller that Stands out
Another fantastic thriller by Mr Leather.
Plenty of tense scenes, and high octane action.
If you like your books with action and a strong leading character, this series is for you :-)
Can’t wait for the next one.
Another fantastic thriller by Mr Leather.
Plenty of tense scenes, and high octane action.
If you like your books with action and a strong leading character, this series is for you :-)
Can’t wait for the next one.
October 27, 2024
I love these protagonists as they charge around the world seeking their own sort of justice. They remind me of a grown up version of the adventure books that I used to avidly consume from the library as a child. The plot is not a huge surprise but the execution is as fast paced and vivid as ever.
January 20, 2023
Matt Standing is outstanding
Enjoyed the book it was a good and fast read. The SAS are one tough group of men. 👋 Good bye
Enjoyed the book it was a good and fast read. The SAS are one tough group of men. 👋 Good bye
January 26, 2023
Slow start......then Spider and Harper...Boom!!
January 29, 2023
Fantastic
Excellent read as always! Stephen Leather never lets you down! Attention to detail and action packed. Look forward to the next one
Excellent read as always! Stephen Leather never lets you down! Attention to detail and action packed. Look forward to the next one
March 11, 2023
"Still Standing" Not bad at all, but I still prefer the "Spider Shepard" series
April 15, 2023
Loved it!
Like the link to characters like Spider S.
Hooked on this series now.
Like the link to characters like Spider S.
Hooked on this series now.
April 17, 2023
slow pace to start
I was disappointed with the start it only started getting moving more than halfway through the book,unlike all other Stephen Leather books
I was disappointed with the start it only started getting moving more than halfway through the book,unlike all other Stephen Leather books
April 19, 2023
Another great action thriller by Stephen Leather. Clumsy dialogue with lots of exposition but still thrill a minute and I couldn't put it down.
June 11, 2023
Great
Excellent as always with Mr Leather can't wait for the next book. Great characters. Well written. Action on every page. Difficult to put down.
Excellent as always with Mr Leather can't wait for the next book. Great characters. Well written. Action on every page. Difficult to put down.
June 21, 2023
Mediocre and boring
Having read all of the Spider and a few Standing books found this one mediocre and boring. First half especially, it was like a book about Thai police. Shame.
Having read all of the Spider and a few Standing books found this one mediocre and boring. First half especially, it was like a book about Thai police. Shame.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews