Hard Target

Extreme #1

by Chris Ryan

The first book in the Chris Ryan Extreme series.
Former SAS Warrant Officer Joe Gardner has fought the Regiment's deadliest enemies, in some of the most desolate places on earth. And he's always won. Now he's about to face his toughest challenge yet.

After losing his hand whilst on a covert operation in Afghanistan, Gardner is forced to stand down from active duty. Now he lives off the grid. But trouble finds him in the shape of a phone call from an old friend. Ex-Regiment legend John Bald is trapped in a bullet-ridden favela in Rio de Janeiro and a violent gang is out to kill him. Unless Gardner helps, Bald is a dead man.

What begins as a simple rescue mission soon descends into a desperate struggle for survival as Gardner finds himself caught up in a conceit that stretches from the slums of Brazil to the frozen steppes of Siberia. Stalked by elusive MI6 agents and ruthless ex-Blades, Gardner must draw on all his training and instincts to hunt down the hardest target of all - before disaster strikes...


The Chris Ryan Extreme books take you even further into the heart of the mission with more extreme action, more extreme language and more extreme pace. Like Call of Duty or Medal of Honor, you'll feel part of the team.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Action, Adventure, Military Fiction

438 pages, Hardcover

First published December 25, 2010

About the author

Colin Armstrong (b. 1961), usually known by the pen-name Chris Ryan, is a British author, television presenter, security consultant and former Special Air Service sergeant.
After the publication of fellow patrol member Andy McNab's Bravo Two Zero in 1993, Ryan published his own account of his experiences during the Bravo Two Zero mission in 1995, entitled The One That Got Away. Since retiring from the British Army Ryan has published several fiction and non-fiction books, including Strike Back, which was subsequently adapted into a television series for Sky 1, and co-created the ITV action series Ultimate Force. He has also presented or appeared in numerous television documentaries connected to the military or law enforcement.

Reviews

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!! So many twists, great book

[Jim Whitefield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another classic read from Chris Ryan. I never reveal the plot so I will just say, expect the unexpected. More gory, more gritty and more intense than ever. Exciting, as always, but not for the squeamish. There is a slightly annoying 'cliffhanger' at the end (you can easily guess what happens but will be unsure for certain until it is confirmed) - but as the first four chapters of the next book are included, and all is revealed in chapter four, you soon forgive Chris for that little tease. This was the first in a new series - on to the second, Extreme-Night Strike. Five stars all the way.

[Eddie Owens · Rating 2 out of 5]

No surprises. Plenty of action.

Don't read this unless you're already a fan.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*
An exciting read. All Chris Ryan's books are. Probably my least favourite to date but still good. Fast paced and very tense, especially towards the end. Furious action, strong language and very gritty. Not for the faint hearted.

[Jacob Stelling · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was quite nice to read a thriller for a change, and although this might not have been as good as Child or McNab it was a fast-pasted storyline with plot twists and good character development throughout.

[Joe Bourton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not impressed. Normally I like the savage reality of Chris Ryan's writing. This book seems to stretch believability and step in to the realms of science fiction rather than being a gritty account of believable acts.
Guns controlled merely by thought. Cars driven 'over the network' that is never explained. A virus downloaded to a cybernetic limb. A limb which seems to draw unlimited power from an unknown source. It seems to create characters for simple plot manipulation and then discard them when done. Not impressed.
Ryan should stick with his usual style. I won't be reading another 'Extreme' book. Extreme bullshit if you ask me.

Oh. And the ending is complete crap. Supposed to be a cliff hanger but instead of leaving me wanting more it just left me feeling cheated and annoyed.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick chapters, endless villains and twists galore.

My first Chris Ryan novel and I have to say it was pretty good. I liked the main character and a few of the other characters. It was fast paced and I could probably see people reading this in a couple of days.

There’s a lot of violence and deaths, seemingly unnecessary at times but I assume it comes with his novels. Brand names are also used plentiful and if that’s a thing to take you out of immersing yourself into books then just prepare yourself. A lot of detail was used for weaponry, which I have no clue about, and at times it did seem endless.

Another downside is that some characters get a decent amount of background and then others are quickly rushed in near the end. A lot are either forgotten about or quickly killed.

Near the end you’ll have to suspend your disbelief and some of the things that happened were unbelievable. However I am intrigued and so will probably read the next book and after all that I would rate this ***.25 (3.25) stars. I did enjoy the book but the endless amount of people Gardner had to face was a bit too much at times, but I would recommend this to people looking for a fast paced book and if they enjoy military-type books.

[Dimitri · Rating 3 out of 5]

From an impossibly hard to kill ex-SAS agent over a cyborg Mossad assassin to an instant love affair with a fashion model type spy, this is a fast-paced but implausible action thriller on James Bond territory. The outcome & the snippets of Ryan's own SAS experiences insert a hint of realism. So, overall, it's a fun page-turner.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was very gritty tale, much more so than previous books written by the author.
The action takes place in various parts of the world and is constantly changing. I did enjoy reading it although, there was a dizzying array of characters which sometimes was hard to keep up with.
The book ends on a cliffhanger which sets it up nicely for the next book in the series.

[stephen m cashman · Rating 2 out of 5]

First time reader

Picked this up because I am a fan of Strike Back on tv. Wasn't terrible; just wish for less time spent telling me how many metres from point A to point B and more on a proper ending.

[Manfred · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Andre Banyai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I was to generous with my quotation. The book doesn't have the real Ryan flair. No Man, definitively no. At most 2 stars.

[Jeff Underwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

You will need a good imagination for this one. Makes a Roger Moore Bond film look feasible.

[Allan Heathcote · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love Chris Ryan but this was too unbelievable, not reality.

[Mrs Teresa Wooff]

Excellent

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[Rod McColl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea. Will keep trying Chris Ryan. Not sure why I am not enjoying his work.

[Richard Lujan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really substandard in writing and plot. The sole reason to finish this book is the loyalty to Chris Ryan's other books. A lot of clean up if this is to be a good series.

[David Verney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second time I have read this one. Chris Ryan is always a good read.

[Mark Crowther · Rating 3 out of 5]

3*/5* not the best book i have read by him, but it was ok. Hoping the second book is better

[Graeme Gisby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of twists and turns.

[Johari Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5.

[Kelly Hine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that’s more like it! Such violence/ pace 👌🏼

[Neville · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe Gardner sets out to rescue an old regimental mate, John Bald, but it seems that maybe Bald has set a trap or all that he says is not true.

[Mr. B. Moore, · Rating 1 out of 5]

The worst book by this author that I have read.
Page after page of extreme bad language and
descriptions of things.
Couldn't get past half way mark. Total waste of money.

[Joshua Trickett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant hard hitting gripping read from Chris Ryan. I was in search and need of a new author to read and Chris Ryan has met that requirement with this novel. If your looking for something exciting and compelling with lots of twists and turns and unexpected events then this is the book for you.

[Belis H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luisterboek via Storytel
English
Read by Josh Cohen

Verschenen: 19 jan. 2012
Uitgever: Coronet

(P)2010 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

[Alex Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is your standard Chris Ryan action blockbuster, full of gun fights, detailed punch ups, cruel foreign bad guys, shady slimy spy bosses and sexy tough female companions. Fans of Chris Ryan’s other books will know what to expect, while not mind-blowing, I found it entertaining enough. More of a Face/off, Rambo 2 type action film, not that’s a bad thing, but I don’t get how being done under the Extreme title changes it from other recent Ryan books.
The plot follows Joe Gardener an ex-SAS soldier or ‘blade’, discharged after he’d lost his left hand. He gets a call from the man who saved his life, John Bald in Brazil who’s asking for help. What follows are action scenes from the shanty towns of Rio to Gibraltar, Serbia and Holland, where the bad guys are Brazilian SWAT teams and gangs, ex-SAS, Mossad spies, Iranian terrorists, Russian and Italian mafias, looking for diamonds, cocaine, money and nuclear bombs .
The pacing of the story is quick and hard, but can be tiring jumping from one fight to another, along with the assorted mix of villains. The mix of assassins make parts seem like video-game mini-bosses, where Joe defeats one before moving onto the next level…I mean next part of the story, yet all feel a bit similar; a sadistic Mexican hit-man, a sadistic Mossad super spy and a sadistic American ‘cyborg’.
While it can be a slog of locations, villains and motives, people who like this kind of book will find enough to enjoy. The fight scenes are tough and hard hitting and some of the book’s better parts. The characters are likeable enough; just they tend to be a little cliché. The plot was OK, but I think suffered by having one too many twists.
I was kind of disappointed that the main villain of the book didn't survive for the last battle of the book as the plot started with him but it didn't ruin the story, and while the nuclear bomb plot was a surprise, the shock of it didn't seem to resonate strong enough within the story.
Overall a decent action thriller read and did enough for me to probably read the sequel, it’s just nothing feels that new. I’d say it’s more for established fans than for bringing in new ones.

[Robin Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review

Chris Ryans books become more implausible with ever title, BUT: they are still fun, on a previous review i was called a fascist and a boys own idiot for liking this sort of novel, but why? The story is no different to going to the cinema and watching Mission Impossible or similar title.

This as per previous titles is fast, full of action, great fun, the main character is the type you will want to match to your own fav film star from the start (while not my fav film star, soon looked like Ross Kemp in my head), its that type of book (its the type of book written for a film), all that said, there is lots to like about Joe Gardner. and i will certainly take some more of these on holiday with me, perfect poolside fodder.

Product Description

Former SAS Warrant Officer Joe Gardner has fought the Regiment's deadliest enemies, in some of the most desolate places on earth. And he's always won. Now he's about to face his toughest challenge yet.

After losing his hand whilst on a covert operation in Afghanistan, Gardner is forced to stand down from active duty. Now he lives off the grid. But trouble finds him in the shape of a phone call from an old friend. Ex-Regiment legend John Bald is trapped in a bullet-ridden favela in Rio de Janeiro and a violent gang is out to kill him. Unless Gardner helps, Bald is a dead man.

What begins as a simple rescue mission soon descends into a desperate struggle for survival as Gardner finds himself caught up in a conceit that stretches from the slums of Brazil to the frozen steppes of Siberia. Stalked by elusive MI6 agents and ruthless ex-Blades, Gardner must draw on all his training and instincts to hunt down the hardest target of all - before disaster strikes...

[David Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am reviewing the book Extreme Hard Target by Chris Ryan which is a very good SAS thriller which I bought from a local secondhand bookstore. This book is the prequel to Extreme Night Strike which I reviewed recently. Chris is an ex SAS soldier who writes thrillers in a similiar vein. The plot to this book is there is a mission by a team of SAS soldiers in Pakistan where one of them is caught and held hostage. A Warrant Officer who was involved in that mission has to lead a mission in Rio de Janeiro to rescue the captured soldier who has been given to the Flavelas by the Muslim Militants. He noticed someone pick up a load of what were diamonds in the former mission but let it go because at that time they were under fire. He was also shot in the ankle and bitten by a snake. They're his comrade in Rio's only hope of survival but the mission goes badly wrong. It appears there is a plot to flood the world's diamond market with fakes that even experts have difficulty telling apart and the world's diamond producers are far from happy. There is an ex Spetnatz trooper who now works for Mossad involved. In addition they have taken Gardner the key character's partner hostage and are torturing her. Of course he has to try and rescue her but someone plans on planting a nuclear warhead and detonating it at the factory that manufactures these fake diamonds in Athens. Imprtant people are being paid to turn a blind eye to what is going on and will do anything to protect their income. There is a happy ending and the king pin gets his comeuppance. Also the Russian Mafia are involved.

[George · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read many Chris Ryan books and I keep coming back to him because I know I will be entertained with a gripping story, well thought out motivations and good characters.
This time I felt a little cheated. I don't know if Chris was trying to stretch himself or if he simply had a notion to vary his style but I never really believed some of his protagonists in this book.
At the end the demented semi bionic man was annoying as the use of the network capabilities of his arm were never really explained. the use of the car as a weapon for instance, was it a CIA vehicle fitted with remote servos or does the arm emit some form of matter control wave to allow the yank to steer a normal car? and the rifle at the end with a chip fitted seems to indicate a near field or bluetooth type network but as the weapon was mounted on a bi-pod how was it remote aimed via servo and heat seeking tech???

All in all I was most disappointed by the cliff hanger ending and as a standalone book this fails as I was sure at least two chapters had been removed at the end.