Night Strike

Extreme #2

by Chris Ryan

Former SAS hero John Bald is a man at war with himself and losing the fight. But then he is reluctantly thrust back into a world he thought he left behind... Faster, deadlier, grittier, Chris Ryan's EXTREME books are a sharp shock of a read.

In the race to develop ever more powerful weapons, technology has become the new frontline in global terrorism. And when one of America's most cutting-edge defence contractors suspects a sleeper cell operating in its midst, the Firm reaches out to its most cold-blooded son. Bald's mission: kill the sleeper before they can smuggle top-secret weaponry into the hands of the West's deadliest enemies.

But the mission goes sideways, and Bald is the fall guy. Now he must pursue the sleeper from the ghettos of Florida to the war-torn streets of Tripoli, in a relentless hunt for the technology and the truth. Shadowed every step of the way by a ruthless CIA hitman, Bald soon finds that the lines between friend and enemy are blurred, and he'll have to call on all his warrior instincts to stay alive...

Genres: Military Fiction, Thriller, Fiction

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

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

[Tommy · Rating 1 out of 5]

No. No. No. Extreme bollocks

[Ben Knorr]

This was my first read from this author. Don’t think I’ll be reading another. I’m certain the author was just taking the piss with his main character, an utterly despicable fellow. I kept waiting for the cocaine, alcohol and suicidal trade craft to catch up with him and put us both out of our misery. But the enemies kept missing and lady luck would come to the rescue every time.
Actually, the book reminded me of a short piece of spy fiction I wrote in Gr.6. I knew after I wrote it I couldn’t write and that was that. Judging by how many books this author has gotten printed I’m thinking I shouldn’t have given up so easily!

[Annerle Barnard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really my cup of tea. Lots of action but the main character is not someone I like, or would ever have wanted to meet. No character development.
There are too many expletives which make them lose all impact. I picked up a discrepancy somewhere in the plot. On the good side, I learnt a bit about weapons.

[Andrew Jardine · Rating 1 out of 5]

A vile ,tedious journey with a lecherous alcoholic thug.

Regretted starting this one .

[Neil · Rating 2 out of 5]

To much hell of a lot of violence too much swearing and no man old drink like that and come through

[Lou Canning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why oh why do I love a (good) bad guy?! John Bald…. I love this Extreme series. In fact I love all Chris Ryan’s books. Full of action and who could write facts into fiction better than the man himself.
Chris Ryan is so much better at writing than (clears throat!) someone else !! 😉😁

[Bill Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

The rather graphic sexual nature of Chris Ryan’s characters wears on me...

[Dev Gurupatham · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very brutal, negative image of the honourable Blades, prejudicial towards Asian and Hispanic communities

[Belis H · Rating 2 out of 5]

P)2012 Hodder & Stoughton
Read by Josh Cohen
Listened through Storytel

Luisterboek
Verschenen: 31 jan. 2013
Uitgever: Coronet

[Jim Whitefield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read from Ryan - and as the cover claims, it is indeed "faster, grittier, darker, deadlier" - from cover to cover. The operatives are not just ex SAS 'blades'; they are getting older and are somewhat washed up - and usually drunk. Yet they still out perform their younger and fitter foes, which takes some believing. The current hero had already gone rogue as well which is not endearing to the character who was rogue in the previous book. In this series, you have to allow for the previous hero getting bested by a rouge operator who becomes the next hero and that is hard to swallow. You never know what is going to happen next and you have no idea who is dead and who will come back from the dead. Ryan has played that card more than once before and by the end of this book I think he has played it once too often. There is a cliffhanger at the end of this book, just as there was in the first book in the 'Extreme' series. Unfortunately, Ryan doesn't include the early chapters of the next book as a teaser like he did in the last one, so we don't know what happens until we buy the next volume. The paperback version is not available at the time of this review, the hardback is only just out. I have always rated Ryan's work five stars, but as with 'Masters of War', I was disappointed that there were some glaring typos. I can forgive that of course but once again there were annoying continuity issues. In one instance, in the middle of a phone conversation, we read 'Cave hung up.' He clearly did not as the conversation continues to the next page where this line should have appeared - followed by the recipient hearing the dial tone. In another instance a gym bag is described as being "surprisingly heavy" yet shortly afterwards the same bag "weighed mostly nothing". Such lack of continuity results in drawing you away from the plot and out of the story, rereading the last few pages wondering if you missed something (I hadn't), and it can be most annoying. This lack of good proof reading and editing (plus one too many 'back from the dead' plot lines) has finally resulted in a four star rating from me for an otherwise five star book. We also know from the cover of the next book, the third in this series, 'Extreme - Most Wanted', that the hero in that book is 'John Bald'. Something I noticed when I was reading the first one (Extreme - Hard Target). Unfortunately, in the first book John Bald is supposedly well and truly dead. In this, the second book, he is miraculously not dead after all, but at the end he is practically left for dead again. To put such a spoiler on the front cover of a book is not exactly entertaining. Despite the negatives, I still highly recommend this book. It is a five star read with two star editing.

[Alex Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the second in Chris Ryan’s Extreme series, which differs from his normal books in that they tend to be a bit more overblown.
The plot changes from the first as for most of book, ditches previous main character Joe Gardner in favour of John Bald. He is more of an anti-hero than Gardner; selfish, mean and heartless.
While I’m not against having the main character as an anti-hero, Bald is totally unlikable so it's hard to support him in anything he does.
The story follows as Bald, a former SAS member, who has been involved in drug deals in the first book, accepts a mission from MI6 to kill a weapon designer in exchange for £10 million. The book jumps across a ton of locations, Mexico, USA, Libya and China. The Mexico location seems pointless, just to throw in Mexican drug cartels which has no relevance to the main plot. Plot twists are thrown in as standard as are betrayals and double-crosses. There a ton of gun battles, but these have a problem of turning into cheesy action movies or videogame fights with just one or two men against whole armies with tanks. But this doesn't mean they aren't well written or exciting because they are. The whole ‘person comes back from the dead’ twist was totally expected, I was just waiting for it to happen. The conclusion and reason behind everything seemed a bit stupid and not much thought out, and for me put a damper on it. The book ends on a cliffhanger ready for the next one.
I’ve read many of Chris Ryan’s and I’d say this is one of the average ones he’s written, with not much to sell it on that stands out from others or even hi own books, but as an action-packed story there’s worse, just not as good as the first in the series.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually my first Chris Ryan novel, I know he's done loads more but from reading this it appeared to be quite amateurish and not very believable. The story is about a drunk, washed up former SAS soldier enlisted on a special mission (not very original). The mission takes him across several countries but it doesn't flow very well and he escapes certain death more times than James Bond. The lead character, John Bald, was not at all likeable. I couldn't care less of he'd died or not, he wasn't heroic at all. I don't mind offensive language, I actually quite enjoy it but only when it's used in the appropriate way, Ryan seems to use it for no apparent reason which seems a bit childish. The book wasn't bad enough for me to not finish it, but based on this I'm not in a hurry to read his other efforts!!

[Chrisinessex · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst books I have ever read. It is full of unnecessary expletives and several points in the book one page contradicts what happened the page before with characters and objects not being where they had just been placed.
The plot is confusing and unbelievable even as a fiction it becomes tedious to keep reading that the main character has more and more injuries to the point where anyone human would be dead yet he continues running fighting and drinking.
It is not often that I throw a book away but this one is on its way to recycling and hopefully will become something more useful. Maybe toilet paper.

[Ward · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had enjoyed reading previous work by Chris Ryan but this piece seems like a different author: ludicrous and consecutive plot-twists coupled with appalling and pointless foul language. Whose idea was this "Extreme" series? The publisher? Who would want a book like this? The main character only succeeded in disgusting me. I finished the book in hopes that it might get better by the end, that some of the characters might show some redeeming qualities, but was ultimately disappointed. It will be a very long time before I consider reading another Chris Ryan novel.

[Nathan · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is not much more I can say about this book that hasn't already been said in previous reviews.
This book is written as though some idiot down the pub is telling the story. More foul language than the biography I have recently read about a porn star.

The story was rubbish, this bloke could stay awake for over 48 hours, drinking constantly, yet still be the hardest man in the world. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone and will not read another from this author.

[Tessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

What did I just read? The MC isn't likeable or relatable. He could also stay awake forever, drink too much and yet could live to fight another day.
A lot of unnecessary cussing. I think there were also a few weird figures of speech.

[Allison Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

First Chris Ryan Ive read....got it in the airport and it held my attention on a long flight home.

[Luiz Toledo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Chris Ryan's lost the plot.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found it very hard to engage with the main character, which unfortunately distracted from what good have been an excellent story

[Rodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. If your into an action-packed storyline and like the special forces theme, this book is for you! My first book from Chris Ryan and I'm definitely coming back for more!

[Mark Surfi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gritty and mostly fast but too much violence and cras used to make up for poor plot line.