Cut Out: A Dave Riley Novel by Bob Mayer

The Green Berets #4

by Bob Mayer

From Publishers WeeklyMayer's Green Beret hero, Chief Warrant Officer Dave Riley, returns to take on the mob and corrupt government officials in a well-paced but didactic tale about the compromising of the Federal Witness Protection Program. When Philip Cobb, former mob money launderer and current government informer, is murdered just as he is about the enter the Program, his wife, after calling an emergency Program number only to be nearly gunned down herself, turns for help to her brother, who contacts his old girlfriend, Donna Giannini, now a Chicago cop. Giannini in turn asks her old pal Riley to keep Lisa alive while she finds out what went wrong. The rest of the narrative pits the warrior skills and state-of-the-art special-ops technology of Riley and his men against two groups of professional killers and the heinous federal officials behind one of them. While Riley's high-tech gadgets are interesting, neither he, the rest of the characters nor the story line rises much above pulp level. Moreover, too often Mayer uses his characters to voice political opinions (of Vietnam, one says, "I spent three years fighting a war that no one even talks about anymore. A war that some assholes in Washington started and then pissed away.") Still, with its maximum quotient of action and violence, this entry should appeal to fans of the series.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Genres: Military Fiction, Adventure, Action

Hardcover

First published June 1, 1995

About the author

Besides my own interests, I read whatever my wife tells me to read-- she's a voracious reader and has wide-ranging tastes as my reviews show (she also always has the TV remote and she's always right about what to watch). I read a lot of nonfiction, mostly for research. Some of my favorite books are Lonesome Dove, Mystic River, LOTR, and an array of science fiction classics including the Foundation series. Our house is covered with books, although I finally broke down and started reading eBooks, strangely enough on my iPhone. Since I carry it pretty much everywhere, it means I always have an entire library of books with me.

I'm a West Point graduate, former Green Beret and a New York Times Bestselling Author. I've sold over five million books. My newest series begins with New York Minute, a thriller set in New York City in 1977.

I love using history and science in my books. My Area 51 series pretty much had me rewriting our entire history of civilization.

Reviews

[James Pritchert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read and excellent Dave Riley book. THe author worked for me in Special Forces and he used my character in this book. My character is portrayed as a bad guy early on. What an honor to be included and particularly as a bad guy. You should readt the entire series of books in the Dave Riley series.

[Jim A · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only connection this book has to the Green Berets is the main character, Dave Riley. Some of the action takes place in and near Fort Bragg and there are a few instances where Riley uses friendship with other Green Berets, but that is about it.

Readers looking for a military thriller should take a pass on this. It's more of novel of a government agency gone bad.

[Richard E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cut-Out: CW2 Dave Riley in another Fine Pickle.

SF Warrant Officer Dave Riley, one of the lead protagonists in earlier Books by this same author (SYNBAT and Dragon Sim-13), agrees to do a favor for a Chicago Police lieutenant that saved his life on a past clandestine mission in Chicago. The Mob, a rogue element of the WitSec program and some shadowy contractor kill team members mix it up hand to hand, and at CQB distances while trying to recover a couple million of the mob's money stolen by a realtor, who is inserted into the WITSEC program. Dave needs his wits, his operational savvy, and just a little luck, to escape the multiple waves of shooters chasing him.

[Lyndon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid special forces / mobster / government conspiracy thriller first published in 1995 which holds up really well (despite what we know as a taser today being referred to as a stun gun, which may have to do with copyright and branding, as TASERs have been around since the 70s). Anyway, good story with a double climax - the thrill ride and the unraveling of the secret conspiracy behind it. Well done, 4.5 stars. I've ready almost all of Mayer's Dave Riley Green Beret novels and have enjoyed them a lot.

[Thomas Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good quick read.

[William Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Technology and the Green Beret

Maybe not the best book in the series but it does detail the skills needed to be a merc. Dave Riley seems to be an American warrior.

[Robert Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riley old girlfriend calls him to help an friend who is suppose to be in the witness protection program. But things get confusing when people start getting killed by the mob and or another group. it all come togethet

[slippy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an excellent book written by a very good author. Bob kept me interested throughout the entire book which has twists and turns galore. This book was so good, that it made me want to read more of his books. This is a mystery thriller you will not want to put down. The story covers a couple who are forced into the witness protection program. In a hand-off, the protection breaks down and a cop named Giannini is forced to find another way to protect Lisa. She gets the help of a friend at Fort Bragg to protect Lisa. Things get hairy when the mob is out to find the money that Lisa's husband took from them. The strange thing is there may be a mole in the witness protection program and Lisa cannot get the protection she needs. No reason to tell you anymore, but give this a read. You will not want to put it down. Excellent writing, great characters, and a story with non-stop action. Enjoy!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free through Goodreads First Read program in exchange for an honest review. I'm not a good reviewer, but here is my take:

This story had a slow start and I was worried that I would not be interested enough to make the time finish reading it. It took between 60 and 80 pages to get hooked, but once I did, I could not put this book down. I cared about the characters and was captivated by the storyline. To me, this means a lot!

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dave Riley series was the second Bob Mayer series I've read, Atlantis being the first.
Mayer delivers here again. I am interested in trying the Area 51 series as soon as I can get my library to replace the worn out (read withdrawn) volumes missing in their collection.

[Rex Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reliable Mayer.