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On the heels of the most devastating terrorist threat ever conceived, Space Force Intelligence is forced to turn to one of their least stable operatives. An operative named Jon Ryder who has been living in that place between overwhelming grief, and diabolical revenge. A state he had lived in ever since the murders of his wife and daughters. His utter disregard for personal safety, and a total disrespect for law breakers has made him one of the most feared bounty hunters in the Galaxy.
Now forced to work with a woman who apparently despises him, and a violent criminal he was tasked with imprisoning, Jon will have to set aside his personal demons and make this improbable group of temperamental idealists into the fighting Shadow Force.
Now forced to work with a woman who apparently despises him, and a violent criminal he was tasked with imprisoning, Jon will have to set aside his personal demons and make this improbable group of temperamental idealists into the fighting Shadow Force.
94 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2013
About the author
J.R. O'Neill
3 books4 followersJ.R. O'Neill was born in Malden MA in 1959, the only son of a self-employed oil man and a stay at home mom. Early in life he found a love of reading, and exploring. Moving to Peabody MA at the age of seven, he attended Veterans Memorial High, majoring in English literature, and drafting. His architectural accomplishments include many custom luxury homes in New Hampshire's White Mountains as well as in Cape Cod. Called to South Carolina after hurricane Hugo, J.R. designed and built the Divine Redeemer Catholic Church in Hannahan SC. Now living on the west coast of Florida he resides with his loving wife Vikki, and a temperamental cat named "Squishy" His first novel a series called "Shadow Force" is now available on amazon.com
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 25, 2014
Max Decker (Maxi) had been on the run for over five years, and Jon Ryder was duty-bound to track him down by orders of Space Force and other intelligent agencies authorized under the Federation of Planets. Of course, the five million credit bounty for Max’s capture would make for a hefty reward, so Jon went on the mission. After all, Jon was a widower and fatherless, his wife, Rebecca, and daughters having been murdered. This gave Jon something to do: bounty hunting. The reason for Max Decker’s capture was widely known. The Arula conflict had put Max on the run, for he hadn’t received a hero’s welcome upon his return to the New Earth, though “he had served with distinction,” like many other returning veterans from previous wars. Therefore, Max went rogue—became a Robin Hood character of sorts. He had stolen a high speed destroyer ship and became a terror of those he believed were engaging in interplanetary injustices. Max would steal the bounty and treasure of space pirates and strand them in disabled ships, then notify Space Force. He would then distribute his ill-gotten gains to the impoverished and poor citizens of the Federation. He was now an embarrassment and a nuisance to the Federation, (because they couldn’t catch him, nor control piracy) but Max was herald a hero by many of those he had helped.
Jon was in a warrior ship called Shadow, having chased Max to over a dozen planets within six months. Finally, he had Max backed into a corner on the largest Space Base of the Federation; on the planet Altra Six. Just as Jon was to move onto the spaceport Hyatt on Altra Six for the capture, Commander Ed Rozen sent out a direct order to abort the mission. Jon did. Though he was no longer a direct officer of the Federation, having retired as a Captain in the Space Force, he obeyed the order and headed to the space agency, Macdill. Jon was led to Admiral Rozen’s office by a feisty, belligerent, pretty blond named Sara Osgood of S.F.I. A special agent. She had been working undercover for five years, having been with the New Earth terrorist task force previously, Rozen had informed him of her credentials. She was to be his new partner on a special mission, along with Max Decker.
Max Decker? Jon couldn’t believe it! Well, there was a hitch. Jon would have to convince Max to agree to come aboard for the newest mission.
Jon is told that Earth had received a terrorist threat, just after all the people had restored their homelands with the guidance of the Archeological Association of the Federation. However, there appears to be a conflict between the Jewish and Arabs in the Middle Eastern sectors of the galaxy. A peaceful agreement had been reached between the two sides, but soon a ransom demand from the Arab League of Worlds claimed to have developed a device capable of destroying the Sol System, including Earth. The destruction of the star could create a black hole, which would swallow the entire solar system and the galaxy.
The Mission: To find the device.
Could this destructive device be deactivated? If so, how?
Would Max agree to join the mission?
What is the purpose of the five numerical keys?
The warrior ship, Shadow had many unique features, abilities and interior defenses, which will come in handy for this galactic undertaking.
Why are Max, Jon and Sara on their way to New Libya, to the resort city Tripoli? And why did Jon and Sara take on the undercover persona of wealthy socialites, Vanderhoff Children, while Max used a holographic disguise and the name, Max Randall?
What was Sara’s sad story about being sold into slavery to work the mining camps?
What was Jon’s sad story about his life, and the death of his family?
Who is Rashid?
Who was Isabella?
Who was Izzy, friend, foe, spy, or double-agent? And what was her relationship to Max?
Why was it important to highjack two canisters of Carliteume from Barlow’s world?
Would the mission become a slave rescue mission?
There are other characters in this Sci-fi drama: Jamal, Mohammed, Dhu al-Fiqar, Harrod, Anwar, Mondor, Chrystal and Roxanne.
Although this story is an action-packed Sci-fi work, it does touch somewhat heavily on violent sexual scenes and slave-trading, which could make the young reader a tad bit uncomfortable. However, the premise is based on establishing intergalactic order, and the main characters eventually finding personal peace and love in their lives.
Jon was in a warrior ship called Shadow, having chased Max to over a dozen planets within six months. Finally, he had Max backed into a corner on the largest Space Base of the Federation; on the planet Altra Six. Just as Jon was to move onto the spaceport Hyatt on Altra Six for the capture, Commander Ed Rozen sent out a direct order to abort the mission. Jon did. Though he was no longer a direct officer of the Federation, having retired as a Captain in the Space Force, he obeyed the order and headed to the space agency, Macdill. Jon was led to Admiral Rozen’s office by a feisty, belligerent, pretty blond named Sara Osgood of S.F.I. A special agent. She had been working undercover for five years, having been with the New Earth terrorist task force previously, Rozen had informed him of her credentials. She was to be his new partner on a special mission, along with Max Decker.
Max Decker? Jon couldn’t believe it! Well, there was a hitch. Jon would have to convince Max to agree to come aboard for the newest mission.
Jon is told that Earth had received a terrorist threat, just after all the people had restored their homelands with the guidance of the Archeological Association of the Federation. However, there appears to be a conflict between the Jewish and Arabs in the Middle Eastern sectors of the galaxy. A peaceful agreement had been reached between the two sides, but soon a ransom demand from the Arab League of Worlds claimed to have developed a device capable of destroying the Sol System, including Earth. The destruction of the star could create a black hole, which would swallow the entire solar system and the galaxy.
The Mission: To find the device.
Could this destructive device be deactivated? If so, how?
Would Max agree to join the mission?
What is the purpose of the five numerical keys?
The warrior ship, Shadow had many unique features, abilities and interior defenses, which will come in handy for this galactic undertaking.
Why are Max, Jon and Sara on their way to New Libya, to the resort city Tripoli? And why did Jon and Sara take on the undercover persona of wealthy socialites, Vanderhoff Children, while Max used a holographic disguise and the name, Max Randall?
What was Sara’s sad story about being sold into slavery to work the mining camps?
What was Jon’s sad story about his life, and the death of his family?
Who is Rashid?
Who was Isabella?
Who was Izzy, friend, foe, spy, or double-agent? And what was her relationship to Max?
Why was it important to highjack two canisters of Carliteume from Barlow’s world?
Would the mission become a slave rescue mission?
There are other characters in this Sci-fi drama: Jamal, Mohammed, Dhu al-Fiqar, Harrod, Anwar, Mondor, Chrystal and Roxanne.
Although this story is an action-packed Sci-fi work, it does touch somewhat heavily on violent sexual scenes and slave-trading, which could make the young reader a tad bit uncomfortable. However, the premise is based on establishing intergalactic order, and the main characters eventually finding personal peace and love in their lives.
May 7, 2014
Jon Ryder is a cop. All right, he’s not exactly a cop, more of a glorified bounty hunter, but he works for Shadow Force Intelligence. He uses a particular set of skills to bring in their worst of the worst, and he always succeeds. Well, maybe not always. He has yet to bring in Max Decker, a case he has been working on for over five months. But every time he gets close, Decker has already moved on.
But this time he is very close, and then the game changes. He was finally within hours of placing Decker into custody, when Admiral Rosen calls him off the case. It seems there is an extinction event on the horizon, and the Admiral has decided to put together a force to solve the problem. Part of the force includes Max Decker, the person Jon Ryder almost captured.
Four people make up the newly named Shadow Force: Jon Ryder, Max Decker, Sara Osgood, and later in the story, Max’s wife. All of these people are exceptionally skilled in their abilities, if somewhat overboard on their efforts to take care of the situation. How can four dedicated people cause an inter-planetary incident just by righting a wrong? Have they actually made the galactic situation worse, pushing them even farther away from their primary goal? The answers will not be addressed in this book. Instead, they make you want to keep reading the rest of the Shadow Force series.
This story is fun, action-packed, and a delight to read. The women are model beautiful with the skills of Ninja warriors. If the characterization is too shallow and often stereotypical, the non-stop action makes up for it.
I would have loved to give this book five stars, but it also needs a bit more editing before I would give it that rating. Regardless, I loved this book, and cheerfully give it a full four stars. Readers, beware! You may fall in love with O’Neill’s book as I did.
But this time he is very close, and then the game changes. He was finally within hours of placing Decker into custody, when Admiral Rosen calls him off the case. It seems there is an extinction event on the horizon, and the Admiral has decided to put together a force to solve the problem. Part of the force includes Max Decker, the person Jon Ryder almost captured.
Four people make up the newly named Shadow Force: Jon Ryder, Max Decker, Sara Osgood, and later in the story, Max’s wife. All of these people are exceptionally skilled in their abilities, if somewhat overboard on their efforts to take care of the situation. How can four dedicated people cause an inter-planetary incident just by righting a wrong? Have they actually made the galactic situation worse, pushing them even farther away from their primary goal? The answers will not be addressed in this book. Instead, they make you want to keep reading the rest of the Shadow Force series.
This story is fun, action-packed, and a delight to read. The women are model beautiful with the skills of Ninja warriors. If the characterization is too shallow and often stereotypical, the non-stop action makes up for it.
I would have loved to give this book five stars, but it also needs a bit more editing before I would give it that rating. Regardless, I loved this book, and cheerfully give it a full four stars. Readers, beware! You may fall in love with O’Neill’s book as I did.
June 4, 2014
3.5 Stars
Disclaimer: I received my copy of this book from the author in return for a review.
I didn’t know anything about this book when I received it, and I was quite please with the pace and action. Jon Rider is a former soldier turned bounty hunter for Space Force, and he is the best in the business. He was tracking down the slippery Max Decker when he gets called off the case to help save Earth and possibly the entire solar system.
Rider and two others are sent out to infiltrate a terrorist organization and try to get their hands on a weapon of mass destruction. All of them are the best at their trades and each one brings a past that they must come to terms with to accomplish the mission. They head out with the best ship and unlimited resources to promptly start a few international (galactic?) incidents, do some spying, save some slaves, and maybe complete their intended mission.
Overall, I enjoyed to story and I look forward to the next installment. My only concerns are with character development and editing. The characters do come across a little under developed, the story does make up for this but I found myself thinking that they were a predictable. The book is in need of an editor. I found myself getting tripped up over a lack of punctuation a few times. I would have rated it higher if the editing had been better.
I recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a good, fast-paced, action story.
Disclaimer: I received my copy of this book from the author in return for a review.
I didn’t know anything about this book when I received it, and I was quite please with the pace and action. Jon Rider is a former soldier turned bounty hunter for Space Force, and he is the best in the business. He was tracking down the slippery Max Decker when he gets called off the case to help save Earth and possibly the entire solar system.
Rider and two others are sent out to infiltrate a terrorist organization and try to get their hands on a weapon of mass destruction. All of them are the best at their trades and each one brings a past that they must come to terms with to accomplish the mission. They head out with the best ship and unlimited resources to promptly start a few international (galactic?) incidents, do some spying, save some slaves, and maybe complete their intended mission.
Overall, I enjoyed to story and I look forward to the next installment. My only concerns are with character development and editing. The characters do come across a little under developed, the story does make up for this but I found myself thinking that they were a predictable. The book is in need of an editor. I found myself getting tripped up over a lack of punctuation a few times. I would have rated it higher if the editing had been better.
I recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a good, fast-paced, action story.
December 22, 2014
I have to say that Shadow was by far my favorite part of this sci-fi adventure. I loved the idea of a ship that could communicate telepathically with the pilot--not to mention the personality. The story starts out with a literal kick in the nuts--the female main character, Sara, seems determined to start out on the wrong foot with the main character, Jon Ryder. The action starts and continues on to the end--as this is just one epside in a series. There are some good twists and turns. I didn't particularly like Sara very much or Jon's knack for sticking his foot in his mouth wherever and whenever she was concerned, but they were interesting characters caught up in a twisted world. O'Neill(author) created an interesting world with this story and he even touches on the difficult topic of the sex-slave industry still present all these years into a predicted future. Adult scenes and topics in this book follow along, so be warned if you were not expecting that. If you enjoy that and Sci-fi and quick action, you may find this story to be just what you're looking for!
November 29, 2014
An intense story, this short novella's main character is Joe Ryder the undercover bounty hunter from Shadow Force Intelligence. Someone has to handle tough cases such as the fight against galaxy terrorism, and brave Joe is the man to get it done. The future of the entire galaxy depends on him to "dismantle that tentacle of this octopus." Joe must help reestablish the relationship between Mohammed and the Sheik. He is set on a risky mission in outer space where parties at night clubs, nudity at the bar, and human trafficking exist. A subplot develops when Joe sees the need to develop a center for victims to help them better adjust to society; victims of kidnapping, terrorism, slavery, and piracy. Joe continues his fight against evil people in order to save the galaxy. The Shadow Ship is by far, more advanced than Siri. Joe Ryder is the new and improved Hans Solo, who fights with a crafty plan.
December 13, 2014
A RIP-ROARING SCI-FI ADVENTURE - BUT ADULTS ONLY
JR O'Neill's vision of the future serves up a nightmare with the possibility of redemption. Hero Jon Ryder is forced to work with a team he neither likes nor trusts - at least at first - to banish sex trafficking and terrorism from the galaxy. This is a rip-roaring sci-fi adventure, and rather cleverly, only 20% of the team's work is done - so look forward to plenty of sequels. There are several cute touches; not least that, 700 years into the future, the mighty GE corporation is making the galaxy's hardware, and the age-old conflict in the Middle East is still going strong. To cap it all, Jon's ship, Shadow, can not only outclass every other fighter in the galaxy, but make gorgeous dresses and whip up a mean breakfast!
WARNING: ADULTS ONLY; MUCH OF THE PLOT REVOLVES AROUND INTERGALACTIC SEX TRAFFICKING
JR O'Neill's vision of the future serves up a nightmare with the possibility of redemption. Hero Jon Ryder is forced to work with a team he neither likes nor trusts - at least at first - to banish sex trafficking and terrorism from the galaxy. This is a rip-roaring sci-fi adventure, and rather cleverly, only 20% of the team's work is done - so look forward to plenty of sequels. There are several cute touches; not least that, 700 years into the future, the mighty GE corporation is making the galaxy's hardware, and the age-old conflict in the Middle East is still going strong. To cap it all, Jon's ship, Shadow, can not only outclass every other fighter in the galaxy, but make gorgeous dresses and whip up a mean breakfast!
WARNING: ADULTS ONLY; MUCH OF THE PLOT REVOLVES AROUND INTERGALACTIC SEX TRAFFICKING
November 3, 2014
Sadly Shadow Force fell between two stools for me. It was a rollicking science fiction adventure with a wonderful creation in the form of the Shadow space craft that would be exciting entertainment for kids in their early teens. Then adult themes were introduced that fell flat for me. I would keep the slave trade idea but cut the sex angle. Also I have to admit that taking stereotypical profiles of the 'baddies' of today into the far future seemed a bit of a cop-out. Having made those two negative points I would seriously consider reworking at warp speed the essence of the concept for a younger audience and wait for blast off.
September 22, 2014
I was swept up in this episodic book over the weekend, and I have to say, I’m kind of crushing on Ryder. But even more – I’m crushing on Ryder’s ship, the Shadow! (I really really want one!) This book transforms real world issues into Intergalactic Warfare, where every man is out for himself, and all the characters have their own motivations. If you like Science Fiction, crossed with Matthew Reilly books, crossed with Clive Cussler – then I would definitely recommend this to read. Lots of action, lots of twists and turns – and facing the unexpected, I’m really looking forward to the next episode.
September 20, 2013
The galaxy is in danger of being destoyed. To save the galaxy, Space Force turns to two highly effective operatives, both somewhat unstable and seeking revenge for past wrongs. They are joined by two others. All four carry personal baggage. Their actions expand beyong the mission.
The characters with their demons, their sometimes abrasive interactions, and their need for personal justice are the fodder for this action story, but there is also a love interest. This is the first of several episodes.
The characters with their demons, their sometimes abrasive interactions, and their need for personal justice are the fodder for this action story, but there is also a love interest. This is the first of several episodes.
October 11, 2014
I enjoy science fiction and this book does not disappoint. For one thing it has a very cool spacecraft that communicates with its pilot telepathically, giving the good guys a real edge over the bad guys. In this action packed adventure the reluctant hero, despite dangers on every side always does the right thing—even when no one else thinks it’s the thing to do. My only disappointment was that the story ended too soon! I guess I missed the word episode in the title—but that means there are more episodes just waiting to be read.
November 23, 2014
Shadow Force sits between a short, action-packed science fiction novella and an adult-theme sex-slave fantasy. The author takes modern geopolitical themes and extends them 700 years into the future with a plot hatched by today’s most likely villains to create a black hole that would devour the galaxy. By fixating on the sex trade aspects of this future world, however, O’Neill takes this book in a different direction and does himself a grave disservice.
November 12, 2014
Ryder and Sara drew me in and had me at first sneer. The ship "shadow" I found to be an extremely creative part of the story and many of the plot twists and turns kept me reading. I had some issues with a scene or two that I think should be reworked based on the age of the audience you are shooting for, but overall, it was a great story and I enjoyed it.
December 4, 2014
As a writer of an interplanetary cop myself, I enjoy sci-fi and this kind of character. At first I thought the book may cater to the popular young adult audience, but it gets a little too risqué for younger teens. Too bad too, because the ship and action would be great for that audience. Adults and older teens will likely enjoy the action and tech!
December 10, 2014
Bounty hunter Jon Ryder chases Max Dexter in his ultra-cool ship Shadow, but we find Max is not who we think. There were many entertaining portions, but other areas reminded me of a ‘B movie’.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews