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Fade #1
Noodgang
Salam al Fayed, een Amerikaan van Arabische afkomst, was ooit de beste undercoveragent van de VS in het Midden-Oosten. Nog steeds gaan er tal van verhalen over zijn legendarische heldenmoed, maar inmiddels leidt Al Fayes, alias 'Fade' vanwege zijn vermogen bliksemsnel en geruisloos te verdwijnen, een teruggetrokken leven nadat hij bij zijn laatste missie in Noord-Afrika levensgevaarlijk gewond is geraakt. Na deze mislukte missie heeft de Amerikaanse overheid hem keihard laten vallen'
Maar dat Fade zijn scherpte beslist nog niet verloren heeft, wordt pijnlijk duidelijk als hij op een nacht bijna een compleet aanhoudingsteam van de politie naar de andere wereld helpt.
De meeste leden van dit team, dat eropuit was om hem te arresteren voor illegale activiteiten in het drugsmilieu, komen op gruwelijke wijze om het leven en alleen de teamleidster, Karen Manning, valt levend in Fades handen.
Fade slaat met zijn gijzelaar op de vlucht en al direct komt het tot een heftige confrontatie tussen deze twee zo verschillende persoonlijkheden, tussen wie ondanks alles een vreemd soort aantrekkingskracht bestaat'
Maar dat Fade zijn scherpte beslist nog niet verloren heeft, wordt pijnlijk duidelijk als hij op een nacht bijna een compleet aanhoudingsteam van de politie naar de andere wereld helpt.
De meeste leden van dit team, dat eropuit was om hem te arresteren voor illegale activiteiten in het drugsmilieu, komen op gruwelijke wijze om het leven en alleen de teamleidster, Karen Manning, valt levend in Fades handen.
Fade slaat met zijn gijzelaar op de vlucht en al direct komt het tot een heftige confrontatie tussen deze twee zo verschillende persoonlijkheden, tussen wie ondanks alles een vreemd soort aantrekkingskracht bestaat'
346 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2005
484 people are currently reading
1302 people want to read
About the author
Kyle Mills
33 books2,517 followersI grew up in Oregon but have lived all over—D.C., Virginia, Maryland, London,
Wyoming. My father was an FBI agent and I was a bureau kid, which is similar to being an army brat. You tend to spend your time with other bureau kids and get transferred around a lot, though, I fared better on that front than many others.
One positive aspect of this lifestyle is that you can’t help but absorb an enormous amount about the FBI, CIA, Special Forces, etc. Like most young boys, I was endlessly fascinated with talk of chasing criminals and, of course, pictured it in the most romantic terms possible. Who would have thought that all this esoteric knowledge would end up being so useful?
I came into writing from kind of a strange angle. When I graduated from college in the late eighties, I had the same dream as everyone else at the time—a corporate job, a nice car, and a house with lots of square footage.
It turns out that none of that really suited me. While I did go for the corporate job, I
drove a beat-up Jeep and lived in a tiny house in a so-so Baltimore neighborhood. Most of the money I made just kind of accumulated in my checking account and I found myself increasingly drawn to the unconventional, artistic people who lived around me. I was completely enamored with anyone who could create something from nothing because I felt like it was beyond me.
Enter rock climbing. I’d read an article on climbing when I was in college and thought it looked like an incredible thing to do. Someday, I told myself, I would give it a try. So one weekend in the early ’90s, I packed up my car, drove to West Virginia, and spent a
weekend taking lessons. Unknown to me at the time, this would be the start of an
obsession that still hangs with me today. I began dating a girl who liked to climb and we decided we wanted to live somewhere with taller rocks and more open space.
Moving to Wyoming was the best decision we ever made. The place is full of the most amazing people. You might meet someone on a bike ride and find out they were in the Olympics, or climbed Everest, or just got back from two months trekking in Nepal. In a roundabout way, it was these people who made it possible for me to write a novel. They seemed to have no limitations. Everything was possible for them and I wanted to be that type of person, too.
I was working for a little bank in Jackson Hole, spending my days making business loans and my afternoons and weekends climbing. For some reason, it finally occurred to me that I’d never actually tried to be creative. Maybe I could make something from nothing. Why not give it a shot?
My first bright idea was to learn to build furniture. That plan had some drawbacks, the most obvious of which being that I’m not very handy. It was my wife who suggested I write a novel. It seemed like a dumb idea, though, since I majored in finance and had spent my entire college career avoiding English courses like the plague. Having said that, I couldn’t completely shake the idea. Eventually, it nagged at me long enough that I felt compelled to put pen to paper. Eight months later, I finished Rising Phoenix and about a year after that I managed to get it published.
The success of Rising Phoenix and my subsequent books has allowed me to make my living as a writer, which isn’t bad work if you can get it. Other than that, my life hasn’t changed all that much. Aging elbows have forced me to replace climbing with backcountry skiing and mountain bike racing. I got the not-so-smart idea of restoring an old pickup to replace the dying Jeep. And, I still live in Wyoming...
Wyoming. My father was an FBI agent and I was a bureau kid, which is similar to being an army brat. You tend to spend your time with other bureau kids and get transferred around a lot, though, I fared better on that front than many others.
One positive aspect of this lifestyle is that you can’t help but absorb an enormous amount about the FBI, CIA, Special Forces, etc. Like most young boys, I was endlessly fascinated with talk of chasing criminals and, of course, pictured it in the most romantic terms possible. Who would have thought that all this esoteric knowledge would end up being so useful?
I came into writing from kind of a strange angle. When I graduated from college in the late eighties, I had the same dream as everyone else at the time—a corporate job, a nice car, and a house with lots of square footage.
It turns out that none of that really suited me. While I did go for the corporate job, I
drove a beat-up Jeep and lived in a tiny house in a so-so Baltimore neighborhood. Most of the money I made just kind of accumulated in my checking account and I found myself increasingly drawn to the unconventional, artistic people who lived around me. I was completely enamored with anyone who could create something from nothing because I felt like it was beyond me.
Enter rock climbing. I’d read an article on climbing when I was in college and thought it looked like an incredible thing to do. Someday, I told myself, I would give it a try. So one weekend in the early ’90s, I packed up my car, drove to West Virginia, and spent a
weekend taking lessons. Unknown to me at the time, this would be the start of an
obsession that still hangs with me today. I began dating a girl who liked to climb and we decided we wanted to live somewhere with taller rocks and more open space.
Moving to Wyoming was the best decision we ever made. The place is full of the most amazing people. You might meet someone on a bike ride and find out they were in the Olympics, or climbed Everest, or just got back from two months trekking in Nepal. In a roundabout way, it was these people who made it possible for me to write a novel. They seemed to have no limitations. Everything was possible for them and I wanted to be that type of person, too.
I was working for a little bank in Jackson Hole, spending my days making business loans and my afternoons and weekends climbing. For some reason, it finally occurred to me that I’d never actually tried to be creative. Maybe I could make something from nothing. Why not give it a shot?
My first bright idea was to learn to build furniture. That plan had some drawbacks, the most obvious of which being that I’m not very handy. It was my wife who suggested I write a novel. It seemed like a dumb idea, though, since I majored in finance and had spent my entire college career avoiding English courses like the plague. Having said that, I couldn’t completely shake the idea. Eventually, it nagged at me long enough that I felt compelled to put pen to paper. Eight months later, I finished Rising Phoenix and about a year after that I managed to get it published.
The success of Rising Phoenix and my subsequent books has allowed me to make my living as a writer, which isn’t bad work if you can get it. Other than that, my life hasn’t changed all that much. Aging elbows have forced me to replace climbing with backcountry skiing and mountain bike racing. I got the not-so-smart idea of restoring an old pickup to replace the dying Jeep. And, I still live in Wyoming...
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
October 16, 2020
Outstanding! 10 of 10 stars if you like good intelligence thrillers! 2007. I re-read this and 8 years later stands the test of time. I read Survivor, Mills story for the late Vince Flynn. Not near as good. I'm currently reading, "Robert Ludlum's The Patriot Attack," by Kyle Mills hoping its better than Survivor.
October 15, 2020
Should I laugh or should I cry? What is this?? OMG what a ride. This was a relatively short book, but pack a punch. I couldn't believe I am finished and I feel I need to grab another Kyle Mills. Thank you Tim for the recommendation!
August 29, 2025
This was awesome!!
I loved Kyle Mills’ writing on the Mitch Rapp series, I can’t believe I did not know about this book until now. This was true to form just awesome writing.
I couldn’t help but love Fade. He is one of those morally grey men that you can’t help but love. His whole story from beginning to end was awesome and also tragic.
There was a little bit of romance in this, which I enjoyed. Some shady politics. A lot of action and drama. I honestly could’ve read this in one sitting if it wasn’t for other stuff I had going on in life, because I loved this.
Can’t wait to read more by this author!
I loved Kyle Mills’ writing on the Mitch Rapp series, I can’t believe I did not know about this book until now. This was true to form just awesome writing.
I couldn’t help but love Fade. He is one of those morally grey men that you can’t help but love. His whole story from beginning to end was awesome and also tragic.
There was a little bit of romance in this, which I enjoyed. Some shady politics. A lot of action and drama. I honestly could’ve read this in one sitting if it wasn’t for other stuff I had going on in life, because I loved this.
Can’t wait to read more by this author!
January 27, 2016
This book left me anxious and at the edge of my seat. I loved the action, suspense, plot, characters development and everything in-between.
Salam al Fayed (Fade) is a former Navy SEAL, a spook and one of America's best weapons against its enemies until a mission goes wrong and he gets a bullet in the back. Fade needs complicated risky surgery and his government refuses to pay for it, making him him feel disillusioned, betrayed and abandoned by his country and friends so he turns his back on his former life, instead choosing to live whatever time he has left in seclusion. When homeland security request his assistance and they are not taking 'no' for an answer, Fade refuses to cooperate but the men in charge make a huge mistake by using deception, intimidation tactics and blackmail against Fade, turning a simple mission of assistance into a blood bath and chaos akin to wildfire.
Feeling cornered and with no future to look forward to, Fade decides to go out with a bang and exact revenge on the men responsible, starting with his estranged friend Matt Egan not knowing that Matt is just as much of a victim of his superiors escapades as Fade. But every action has consequences and soon everyone involved realises they'll not be able to walk away from this unscathed or without the unwanted attention of the media and the higher-ups in government
I loved Fade, it was dark, brutal edge of your seat thriller and the mutli-POV added to the thrill and enjoyment of the ride. The ending was fantastic and showed Kyle Mills is not afraid to go all out and that just makes me want to read more of his work.
This book was a lucky find and an unexpected gem I can't wait to reread in the future.
Salam al Fayed (Fade) is a former Navy SEAL, a spook and one of America's best weapons against its enemies until a mission goes wrong and he gets a bullet in the back. Fade needs complicated risky surgery and his government refuses to pay for it, making him him feel disillusioned, betrayed and abandoned by his country and friends so he turns his back on his former life, instead choosing to live whatever time he has left in seclusion. When homeland security request his assistance and they are not taking 'no' for an answer, Fade refuses to cooperate but the men in charge make a huge mistake by using deception, intimidation tactics and blackmail against Fade, turning a simple mission of assistance into a blood bath and chaos akin to wildfire.
Feeling cornered and with no future to look forward to, Fade decides to go out with a bang and exact revenge on the men responsible, starting with his estranged friend Matt Egan not knowing that Matt is just as much of a victim of his superiors escapades as Fade. But every action has consequences and soon everyone involved realises they'll not be able to walk away from this unscathed or without the unwanted attention of the media and the higher-ups in government
I loved Fade, it was dark, brutal edge of your seat thriller and the mutli-POV added to the thrill and enjoyment of the ride. The ending was fantastic and showed Kyle Mills is not afraid to go all out and that just makes me want to read more of his work.
This book was a lucky find and an unexpected gem I can't wait to reread in the future.
December 28, 2024
I'm sad to admit that it took me so long to read something that is not Mitch Rapp by Kyle Mills. Fade is the first book about ex navy SEAL Salam Al Fayed aka Fade. I think there are many readers out there who only associates Mills with Rapp. Don't do this misstake. I had this on my tbr mountain for some time and recently found out that he has written book 2 in this series. Fade In will be out next year, so there is time to read the first thrilling book with this protagonist. The book is very well written and it has a pace that is incredible. It is also filled with great characters and after reading this I understand why Kyle got the honor of continuing the Rapp series when Vince Flynn sadly passed. I had a wonderful time reading this book and I strongly recommend fans of good thrillers read it. I can't wait to get started on Fade In. But I will. (I already secured an advance copy)
November 6, 2021
Audio book narrated by Holter Graham (which was an excellent choice for this piece)
This was just a delightful amalgam of genres: thriller, law enforcement, bad/good government, violence, compassion, and humour. Maybe Mills developed this while taking some tangential trip. Maybe he pondered if Stephen King got forced to spend a weekend with Ben Coes at the invite of Kyle Mills suggesting they laugh at their work while giving homage to the late Vince Flynn.
Not recommended for serious viewers of MSNBC; you won't get the parody having "swallow without first tasting) behavior.
I've already started the next in the series; jumping ahead in a lengthy queue.
This quote set the tone: "99% of humanity was a complete waste of skin, and he gets a woman with principles".
This was just a delightful amalgam of genres: thriller, law enforcement, bad/good government, violence, compassion, and humour. Maybe Mills developed this while taking some tangential trip. Maybe he pondered if Stephen King got forced to spend a weekend with Ben Coes at the invite of Kyle Mills suggesting they laugh at their work while giving homage to the late Vince Flynn.
Not recommended for serious viewers of MSNBC; you won't get the parody having "swallow without first tasting) behavior.
I've already started the next in the series; jumping ahead in a lengthy queue.
This quote set the tone: "99% of humanity was a complete waste of skin, and he gets a woman with principles".
August 1, 2025
4.5 Stars ⭐️
This was my winner for the week. I cannot stress how this was such an unexpected surprise for me.
I have become a fan of Mr. Mills fairly recently, at least during the last few years. I found him when he took over from Vince Flynn for one of my all time favorite series, Mitch Rapp.
When I saw that he had a new and different book out this week (Fade In - July 2025) it said it was the second book in the series. So, of course I went looking for book 1. Those of you who know me know that I have this weird thing that I can not read a series out of order, or if I see that there is a book well into the series, I have to go and find the first book and start from the beginning before I can come back and read the new book - in this case, Book 2.
So, I went and found this first book - Fade.
Boy am I glad I did. I was so unbelievably impressed.
This book must have been one of the first books published by Mr. Mills as it was published in 2005 so we are looking at a 20 year span between books 1 and 2. Things have definitely changed in the Tier One game, but this book STILL was fantastic. There is a great storyline, fantastic characters and so much action that it kept me on the edge of my seat with butterflies in my stomach.
On thing I have to mention is that I did my normal thing of alternating between listening to the audio format and reading the ebook version. It took me WAY too long to realize that there was something off and BOY OH BOY was I surprised to realize that the audio version that I was listening to was an abridged version. That was the only option available from Audible and I was NOT happy when I learned that I was missing so much of the story. And you really do miss so much when a book is abridged.
Holter Graham did a fine job with the narration, but I did honestly have issues at times trying to figure out who was talking at certain parts. His portrayal of certain men's voices was really confusing as it sounded that these certain characters talking were women. It wasn't until I started reading the ebook that I realized that these certain characters were actually men. That is not something that usually happens.
Hopefully, if this new book is as successful as it should be, they can go back and re-record an unabridged version of this first book so fans can get the entire book. It is THAT good and definitely worth it.
And lastly....I REALLY liked Fade as a character, and ended up rooting for him and worrying about him. That was probably the thing that surprised me the most :)
This was my winner for the week. I cannot stress how this was such an unexpected surprise for me.
I have become a fan of Mr. Mills fairly recently, at least during the last few years. I found him when he took over from Vince Flynn for one of my all time favorite series, Mitch Rapp.
When I saw that he had a new and different book out this week (Fade In - July 2025) it said it was the second book in the series. So, of course I went looking for book 1. Those of you who know me know that I have this weird thing that I can not read a series out of order, or if I see that there is a book well into the series, I have to go and find the first book and start from the beginning before I can come back and read the new book - in this case, Book 2.
So, I went and found this first book - Fade.
Boy am I glad I did. I was so unbelievably impressed.
This book must have been one of the first books published by Mr. Mills as it was published in 2005 so we are looking at a 20 year span between books 1 and 2. Things have definitely changed in the Tier One game, but this book STILL was fantastic. There is a great storyline, fantastic characters and so much action that it kept me on the edge of my seat with butterflies in my stomach.
On thing I have to mention is that I did my normal thing of alternating between listening to the audio format and reading the ebook version. It took me WAY too long to realize that there was something off and BOY OH BOY was I surprised to realize that the audio version that I was listening to was an abridged version. That was the only option available from Audible and I was NOT happy when I learned that I was missing so much of the story. And you really do miss so much when a book is abridged.
Holter Graham did a fine job with the narration, but I did honestly have issues at times trying to figure out who was talking at certain parts. His portrayal of certain men's voices was really confusing as it sounded that these certain characters talking were women. It wasn't until I started reading the ebook that I realized that these certain characters were actually men. That is not something that usually happens.
Hopefully, if this new book is as successful as it should be, they can go back and re-record an unabridged version of this first book so fans can get the entire book. It is THAT good and definitely worth it.
And lastly....I REALLY liked Fade as a character, and ended up rooting for him and worrying about him. That was probably the thing that surprised me the most :)
June 4, 2012
This is a terrific book, even if a bit wrenching. Mills has a knack for complicated issues. Can't recommend it more.
May 28, 2019
10 of 10 stars. Fast read and I enjoyed this story. Twists and turns exceptional. WOW!!! Great book! This story could actually be true with the names changed.
May 30, 2025
I liked this novel quite a bit. The story, action, and character development were great. My issue is the ending. On July 25th 2025 a sequel to this book called Fade In is to b released. This book had a pretty definitive ending
April 16, 2015
Salam al-Fayed (Fade),an Arab-American former CIA spook who has a bullet lodged very near his spine and is now retired, was approached by his old friend Matt Eagan and a Homeland Security Chief in an attempt to recruit him for a special team. Fade declines, but the Homeland guy, Hillel Strand, refuses to accept it. He decides to dig up some dirt to blackmail Fade in to joining them. Fade begins to set a trap for the Homeland guys that are sure to come after him. Instead, Strand sets up a phony story for the cops to arrest him. Inadvertently, Fade winds up killing an entire SWAT team, except it's leader, Karen Manning. Strand tilts the blame to everyone else. Karen is black-balled and suspended. She and Matt go separate ways in trying to locate Fade. Fade contacts Karen and befriends her. They attempt to get Fade's story out in the public, while Matt tries to bring him in.
August 10, 2019
Spoiler alert, for sure.
The whole premise was so off-putting for me. OF COURSE he would have managed to have the surgery, somehow or other. No one would allow his body to decline when help is available. And
to have become so bitter and angry and anxious was silly, making the ending and the events leading up to it pretty moot. The language was atrocious. I enjoyed the characters, the wit, and the high-tech stuff, but this just needed to be better thought out.
The whole premise was so off-putting for me. OF COURSE he would have managed to have the surgery, somehow or other. No one would allow his body to decline when help is available. And
to have become so bitter and angry and anxious was silly, making the ending and the events leading up to it pretty moot. The language was atrocious. I enjoyed the characters, the wit, and the high-tech stuff, but this just needed to be better thought out.
November 6, 2022
This is a well written book regarding Salam Al Fayad, or “Fade, who was a highly trained military assan. He became a recluse after a bullet hit him in the spin, too close for surgery. Homeland Security wanted to draw him out of retirement and faked a story about his involvement with a columbian drug cartel. The twists and turns of the book makes it a good read.
March 11, 2009
very compelling character...this has become a favorite of mine from Mills...always a thrill ride to the end
March 18, 2025
This was a re-read for me. Kyle Mills is bringing out a new Fade book after a long time between. Looking forward to that so I wanted to read this original first to refresh my memory. Great story line, highlighting how corrupt some aspects of our government are without oversight. Fade is a likable hero, even though he’s a “rough cut” diamond. The rest of the cast is solid also and I hope I see them continued in the new book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2025
It's been a long time since I've read a book this fast. I was so into the story that it might crack the top 10 favorite books. Fade was an amazing protagonist, if you can even call him that. I'm curious where this story is going especially with a now sequel. The ending was perfect as is.
Read
October 28, 2018I enjoyed the audiobook, the narrator Holter Graham was excellent.
September 21, 2018
Fade by Kyle Mills is about an ex-Navy SEAL (USA) named Salam Al Fayed. He was named Fade because he could fade into the background, and because nobody in the rest of the team wanted their back to be had by someone named Al Fayed. Somewhere early in the book we get to know that Al Fayed is a second-generation American of Christian Arab parents. That made me wonder if a Muslim Arab in the same situation would not have become a SEAL, or whether some marketing person said the novel wouldn't fly in the market.
Okay, okay, you want to know what happened to Fade. Fade did all kinds of assassination missions for the CIA, until he was finally shot in the back. The bullet lodged near his spine. His best friend, Matt Egan, tried to get him some experimental surgery, which the bureaucracy couldn't process. Bitter, Fade worked for some Columbian drug barons as an enforcer, to get the money to pay for the operation, but by the time the bullet was inoperable.
In terror of falling down dead any day, he starts making furniture (of all things) for a living. Until Matt's new boss in Homeland Security (CIA not happy with Matt, so he has to move) decides to form a new crack team, and decides Fade can be induced to join up by getting threatened with jail time for the drug stuff. Voila: an anonymous tip to the police.
Enter Karen Manning, a SWAT team leader whose boss is convinced that a woman in that position is a big mistake and seems to dedicate his life to running her out or running her down, whichever works when he gets up in the morning.
Karen's team hits Fade's house to arrest him, and he thinks Homeland Security is there to kill him. Uh oh.
Now Fade is on the run, hunted by all, Karen is thrown to the media wolves, well muzzled herself, and Matt and Hillel Strand (the boss) are on Fade's shortlist of people whose lives he must shorten immediately. Karen is trying to protect her reputation, Matt his family, and Hillel his career. Fade is just trying to kill Matt and Strand and then himself.
So they now all try to do the right thing by their own lights, and very different lights these are.
The bad guys get their comeuppance, is all I'm going to say, since you expect that. As to the good guys, they get different kinds of resolution each.
Read and enjoy!
[Reviewed in 2012; uploaded here now]
Okay, okay, you want to know what happened to Fade. Fade did all kinds of assassination missions for the CIA, until he was finally shot in the back. The bullet lodged near his spine. His best friend, Matt Egan, tried to get him some experimental surgery, which the bureaucracy couldn't process. Bitter, Fade worked for some Columbian drug barons as an enforcer, to get the money to pay for the operation, but by the time the bullet was inoperable.
In terror of falling down dead any day, he starts making furniture (of all things) for a living. Until Matt's new boss in Homeland Security (CIA not happy with Matt, so he has to move) decides to form a new crack team, and decides Fade can be induced to join up by getting threatened with jail time for the drug stuff. Voila: an anonymous tip to the police.
Enter Karen Manning, a SWAT team leader whose boss is convinced that a woman in that position is a big mistake and seems to dedicate his life to running her out or running her down, whichever works when he gets up in the morning.
Karen's team hits Fade's house to arrest him, and he thinks Homeland Security is there to kill him. Uh oh.
Now Fade is on the run, hunted by all, Karen is thrown to the media wolves, well muzzled herself, and Matt and Hillel Strand (the boss) are on Fade's shortlist of people whose lives he must shorten immediately. Karen is trying to protect her reputation, Matt his family, and Hillel his career. Fade is just trying to kill Matt and Strand and then himself.
So they now all try to do the right thing by their own lights, and very different lights these are.
The bad guys get their comeuppance, is all I'm going to say, since you expect that. As to the good guys, they get different kinds of resolution each.
Read and enjoy!
[Reviewed in 2012; uploaded here now]
May 28, 2015
Seriously???... all these rave reviews?
This by the author who will take over writing for Vince Flynn's series on Mitch Rapp, Counter-terrorism Operative. We, in this household, love the series and Flynn's death was a shock and a loss to many of us. I wanted to see what Mills writing was like and picked this at random. I saw no correlation or similarities to Flynn's writing style by this example. What was expected from the reviews was a very serious thriller but turned out to be more of a spoof, or maybe perhaps a B-rated action movie screenplay. Cavalier humor intermingled in unlikely scenarios, just didn't cut it for me.
Example: Main character, former Navy Seal American-Arab bad-ass "Fade's" recorded message on his answering machine: "You've reached the phone of Salam al Fayed. I'm on a tristate killing spree right now, but if you leave a message after the beep, I'll get back to you." Say what?!... and his website is swatkiller.com?? Does this even sound credible? It sounds stupid to me.
Too much unrealistic dialogue, a lot of it was quite silly, and the ending unsatisfactory. I was disappointed, expected more, but intend to give Mills another try in hopes that he got more skilled at true thrillers since he wrote this one, and is effectively capable to pick up where Flynn left off.
This by the author who will take over writing for Vince Flynn's series on Mitch Rapp, Counter-terrorism Operative. We, in this household, love the series and Flynn's death was a shock and a loss to many of us. I wanted to see what Mills writing was like and picked this at random. I saw no correlation or similarities to Flynn's writing style by this example. What was expected from the reviews was a very serious thriller but turned out to be more of a spoof, or maybe perhaps a B-rated action movie screenplay. Cavalier humor intermingled in unlikely scenarios, just didn't cut it for me.
Example: Main character, former Navy Seal American-Arab bad-ass "Fade's" recorded message on his answering machine: "You've reached the phone of Salam al Fayed. I'm on a tristate killing spree right now, but if you leave a message after the beep, I'll get back to you." Say what?!... and his website is swatkiller.com?? Does this even sound credible? It sounds stupid to me.
Too much unrealistic dialogue, a lot of it was quite silly, and the ending unsatisfactory. I was disappointed, expected more, but intend to give Mills another try in hopes that he got more skilled at true thrillers since he wrote this one, and is effectively capable to pick up where Flynn left off.
March 9, 2016
I can not give eanough positive credit to this book. It was well written with good, well defined characters. The author had a extremely good story line and the book flowed very nicely.
The book was both funny and serious. Such as fade (the main character) thought that he was under attach from home land sicurity so he proceeded to ( not knowing that it was just a local swat team who meant him no real harm) wipe out an entire swat team and blow up a sizable chunk of his house in a pair of Bugs Bunny boxers.
This book includes some of my favorite things- Guns, explosions, humor, horrible paybacks I.E. Explosive diarrhea and projectile vomiting from your own birthday cake, a amazing and truly likable main character, and a 70's Cadillac.
This is my all time favorite book and I recommend it to everyone.
The book was both funny and serious. Such as fade (the main character) thought that he was under attach from home land sicurity so he proceeded to ( not knowing that it was just a local swat team who meant him no real harm) wipe out an entire swat team and blow up a sizable chunk of his house in a pair of Bugs Bunny boxers.
This book includes some of my favorite things- Guns, explosions, humor, horrible paybacks I.E. Explosive diarrhea and projectile vomiting from your own birthday cake, a amazing and truly likable main character, and a 70's Cadillac.
This is my all time favorite book and I recommend it to everyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2015
I read this book to become a little bit familiar with Kyle Mills before the new Mitch Rapp release. Then I checked some of the two star reviews to see if it was possible they read the same book. This was a very exciting book! It start fast out of the gate and never stopped for a breath. There is never any doubt as to who the main bad guy is and who the good and bad good guys are. There is a secondary bad guy who plays into it in the end. Some of the lesser reviews seem to be due to the fact that Kyle Mills is not Vince Flynn and has a different writing style. Well no kidding! It would be a bit of a surprise if it was. Read it and decide for yourself.
June 14, 2019
Fayed (a.k.a. "Fade") had been one of the deadliest weapons in America's arsenal—until a mission gone wrong put a bullet in his back, requiring risky surgery the government refused to pay for.
Embittered by a wound that could one day immobilize him, Fade isn't exactly cooperative when Homeland Security insists on putting him back on the payroll. But they're not taking "no" for an answer—and what is meant to be a foolproof deception turns into an explosive bloodbath.
It falls to an estranged friend of Fade's named Matt Egan to clean up the mess made by his superiors. But it isn't going to be easy—because Fade is gunning for the men who set him up. And Matt is at the top of the list.
Embittered by a wound that could one day immobilize him, Fade isn't exactly cooperative when Homeland Security insists on putting him back on the payroll. But they're not taking "no" for an answer—and what is meant to be a foolproof deception turns into an explosive bloodbath.
It falls to an estranged friend of Fade's named Matt Egan to clean up the mess made by his superiors. But it isn't going to be easy—because Fade is gunning for the men who set him up. And Matt is at the top of the list.
April 23, 2015
Best thriller I've read in months. Vince Flynn's style, great character set. Special opps retiree felt abandoned by our government because they wouldn't authorize the surgery he needed to remove a bullet lodged near his spine. Matt had tried to get him the help he needed but failed. Now Matt was working for a new homeland security division who was recruiting and Fade said no but Matts boss wouldn't take no for an answer and tried to black mail him into coming to work for them. It all when down hill from there. An absolute must read.
March 15, 2019
Salam al Fayed has worked for Homeland Security but wants ot be left alone now. His old boss, Strand does not see it that way. Strand contacts the police that Fade has killed two brothers who do not exist so they will pick him up and then when he has time to think about it Strand will rescue Fade. Things don't go the way Strand has planned. One lie leads to another and things become very complicated. Karen who was the head of the swat team gets involved. His friend Egan is not sure if they will kill each other or what will happen. Lots of soul searching.
December 7, 2010
My second book on CD. I had started it while on vacation and was so interested that I have continued with it each time I get in the car, driving around town. Talk radio is history!
I really liked this story. I was very caucht up with the charaters and it had you on the edge of your seat throughout.
Very well done. I would love to see it as a movie! (you know EVERYTHING I read has a movie conotation!!)
I really liked this story. I was very caucht up with the charaters and it had you on the edge of your seat throughout.
Very well done. I would love to see it as a movie! (you know EVERYTHING I read has a movie conotation!!)
May 13, 2010
This is one heck of a read. I got caught up in the book and had to keep reading until the end. Unfortunately for me, the end was not what I wanted it to be, but such is the way with books and authors. I cried at the end because it did not go the weay I had hoped.
A good read.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
A good read.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
January 10, 2014
really enjoyed this one. Tragically flawed main character, impossible situation, well written and a real page turner. al Fayed gripped my attention and I had a good time tearing through this one at a blistering pace. I have two back novels left of Kyle Mills to read then I will just have to wait ads new ones are written
October 5, 2015
Great Book!!!!!
As always Kyle Mills did a great job with this story. Can't wait to read Fade 2. Read all the Mark Banner series also. Just a really great story teller. Wil try to find the time to also read the Covert One series. Can't wait to see what he also did with Vince Flynn series. Big fan !!!!. Thanks, Carl Clause
As always Kyle Mills did a great job with this story. Can't wait to read Fade 2. Read all the Mark Banner series also. Just a really great story teller. Wil try to find the time to also read the Covert One series. Can't wait to see what he also did with Vince Flynn series. Big fan !!!!. Thanks, Carl Clause
June 14, 2018
If you have not discovered Kyle Mills and like suspense/thriller/mystery books, do yourself a favor and pick up his books. They are enthralling.
I'm writing this years after I read it, so I can't give a good review, but I remember writing to him after finishing one of his books and telling him how much I enjoyed the book, and he responded. Totally cool.
I'm writing this years after I read it, so I can't give a good review, but I remember writing to him after finishing one of his books and telling him how much I enjoyed the book, and he responded. Totally cool.
March 31, 2010
this book still troubles my dreams, perplexes my thoughts. the characters, story line, implications. it is complex and probably not for all - but if you like thrillers of a highly complex and tortured nature, this is for you.
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