Lockdown

Ryan Lock #1

by Sean Black

A DEADLY MISSION
It may be Christmas Eve in New York, but for ex-military bodyguard Ryan Lock it's business as usual. His task: to protect one of America's most ruthless businessmen.

A BLOODY SHOOTOUT
Suddenly gunshots ring out. People run for cover. Innocent bystanders are mown down. Amid the chaos, Lock's hunt for the killers turns into an explosive game of cat and mouse.

ONLY ONE MAN CAN SAVE NEW YORK
Lock's search for the truth leads him through the corporate corridors of power and dark alleys of Manhattan towards a deadly confrontation with one of the world's most dangerous women. As the clock ticks towards midnight on New Year's Eve, Lock realizes that not only is his own life in terrible danger but so are the lives of millions of others...

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Ebooks, Action, Suspense

360 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 30, 2009

About the author

I write the Ryan Lock series of thrillers, which feature ex-military bodyguard Ryan Lock and his partner, former Marine, Ty Johnson. The first two books in the series, Lockdown and Deadlock, hit the Official UK Top 50 Bestseller Chart, and the third, Gridlock, has just been released in hardback. They have have also been translated into Dutch, German, and Russian.

I'm a firm believer in hands-on research, also known as 'any excuse to get out of the house', so before I wrote Lockdown, I trained for a month with former members of the Royal Military Police's specialist close protection unit. That turned out to be great preparation for Deadlock, which I researched by spending time inside Pelican Bay Supermax in California (see the TV interview on my author page). I recently completed a desert survival course in Arizona and ventured into the tunnels under Las Vegas, all as preparation for a new standalone thriller I will begin work on once I have completed the fourth Ryan Lock book.

Before I became a full-time novelist, I taught college and wrote television drama. I'm an Oxbridge and Ivy League graduate – try not to hold that against me.

Reviews

[Zain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Thrilling Ride!

Ryan Locke is ex-military. He’s now works in security for an unpopular pharmaceutical company. Barely has the story started before his life is in danger.

And the explosive violence continues from there! With danger around the corner, or staring them in the face, he and his partner Ty, are tough guys and they can handle it.

But treacherous secrets and danger sneaking up on the wrong end, might cause their ability to complete their assignment, has placed them in jeopardy.

Watch out Ryan and Ty, though your skills are necessary, for your success, jealousy is creeping up on you!

[Giacomo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started off fantastic!
I love to get lost in a book, whether it is a mystery, a thriller, SciFi, Fantasy, History, Biography…it doesn’t matter, as long as the writing is good, the mistakes kept to a minimum, and the characters engaging with a good and believable plot. Lockdown started off with all of these. I had no trouble getting into Ryan Lock, the main character, and the plot seemed to be moving along at a nice pace, with no big holes; in fact, I was so involved I read half the book the first night.

I wish I had stopped there. In the second half of the book the plot, for me, lost believability and I soon found myself skimming to see when it would get better. Many of the characters’ actions in the second half seemed to be “plot convenient” as opposed to how they would really act based on who they were.

I don’t like to describe plots or give spoilers, so I won’t go into details, but in the end, the plot didn’t work for me. I felt Sean Black has the makings of an excellent main character in Ryan Lock, and he is a very good writer with a lot of talent. I just don’t think he put it all together in this novel. I was impressed enough with his writing though, to pick up his second book and see what that one is like.

I was also surprised to find not only several errors in grammar and typos, but also a few miscues that a good copy editor should have caught. Considering Sean Black’s publisher is the same as Lee Child’s I expected better.

I have a rating system for my books based on dialogue, character development, plot, storytelling, and quality. I would have rated this more than a 3.5, so I rounded it up to 4 stars. Emotionally, I wanted to give this a 3-star rating, because I had such high expectations after the first half, but when I looked at my numbers it deserved a 4. Also I realize that not everyone is as critical of plot as I might be.

[Scott A. Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good start for Black. I have to say it was closer to 4 Stars for me but the typos, misspelled words and otherwise non-existent editing made me crazy. I’m all for these self published ebooks as they give new authors a chance but come on.

Lock and Ty are good enough characters for a second look. The story was too.

[Book Addict Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading so many books of this genre I was becoming quite bored with it. Nothing shocks or surprises you anymore when you've read so many similar books. That said I loved this book (and read it in 24 hours). I liked the main character immediately and the story was good too and kept you guessing for most of the book, and even after certain characters are revealed for what they are the twists still keep coming resulting in one of my favourite endings of a book (in this genre anyway, similar setting to the ending of Kill Me If You Can). I found the book similar to something that Simon Kernick might write, only better. I just hope the next books in the series are as good. The best thing about discovering an author late on is not having to wait ages for the next book because they've already been published!

Also I think Sean Black's book covers are some of the best I've ever seen, I love them and they really make you want to read the books.

[Best Crime Books & More · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I am a fan of this type of book anyway and wondered whether this would be up to scratch. There is so much competition out there that it is hard to grab the readers attention but can honestly say that Sean Black certainly grabbed mine. This is the first novel with the lead character of Ryan Lock. Lock is an ex-soldier who now works for a Pharmaceuticals company. He runs the operations team there as an elite bodyguard. Things turn sour when an animal protest march goes wrong and Lock is working against the clock to find the people responsible. With his good friend and partner Ty, they hunt down one of the worlds most feared and dangerous women. The story runs smoothly from start to finish and is a real page turner. I loved the style of writing and the book kept me gripped from start to finish. We also meet Locks love interest in this book as well as his partner Ty and I can only hope that they all appear in his next book. I thought only Jack Reacher and Alex Cross were my favourite characters but I can now add Ryan Lock to that list!

[Linda Lpp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced story by a new author for me. Life and death situations. Some lived, many died some brutal deaths (knives, guns, strangulations, face to face combat, kidnapping etc.) Dealt with oppositional rallies to animal test in research settings, ethics around human subject testing often snatching from foreign countries.
Action packed. A bit of romance to humanize the protagonist perhaps. Not for the faint of heart but if you're craving a thriller this might fill the bill!

[David Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the ending.

Liked the story, but expected a little more character development from both Lock and especially from Ty, Lock's partner. In most books of these types the author tries to show why the hero and his "sidekick/buddy" get along...old war times, or whatever. We never really get to see Ty.

Plenty of action and suspense. Looking forward to the next Lock thriller.

[itchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

may take a little more to become acclimated.
seems a bit disjointed coming towards the end there.

could be me, or maybe i'm just not used to the narration yet, but i actually missed some plot elements, maybe even key ones.
will do better on the next book.

p131: "the fbi are fully aware of our involvement," lock assured her.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lockdownby Sean Black
Ryan Lock series Book 1
3.73★'s

It may be Christmas Eve in New York, but for ex-military bodyguard Ryan Lock it's business as usual. His task: to protect the CEO of the world's largest bio-technology company from a group of radical, and highly determined, activists. When a failed assassination attempt leaves the streets of midtown littered with bodies, and hours later the son of the company's chief research scientist is abducted from his Upper West Side prep school, Lock's hunt for the boy turns into an explosive game of cat and mouse. Through the corporate corridors of power and dark alleys of Manhattan, Lock's search leads him towards a deadly confrontation with one of the world's most dangerous women, a deadly Chechen black widow seeking revenge against America. As the clock ticks towards midnight on New Year's Eve, and the crowds gather in Times Square, Lock realizes that not only is his own life in terrible danger but so are the lives of millions of others.

My Thoughts:
After giving it a great deal of thought I realized that there is no way that I can cover the ratings for this book in a single number of stars. This book was written in 2009 so there are already 7 books in the series but since they were only just released in the United States I’m treating this as a new series.

The characters: The chief characters of Ryan Lock and his friend and co-worker, Tyrone (Ty) I would have to give them a 5. Both are competent and likable characters with a lot of promise for future novels. I hope that Angel, the rescued dog, stays in the series also. She gets a 5 all by herself.

The series overall: This is the start of a new series...at least in the U.S. that fans of David Baldacci, Vince Flynn, Lee Child and other great thriller writers will more than likely enjoy and find that the characters of John Puller, Mitch Rapp, and Jack Reacher have a lot in common with Ryan Lock without being carbon copies. Since this is only the first book I will cautiously give the series a 4 but have expectations of it being one that I will add to the mountain of series I already read.

The story line: Here is where I had the most problem with the book and I’m sure that it is going to present a problem for other readers. I wish that Sean Black had kept this subject in reserve and used it in book 3 or 4 instead of the first that many will judge the entire series by and be afraid to take a chance on another one. The story is about a bio-technology company that does research on animals and has graduated to living human beings. I found that the animal part was so much harder to take than the human…since they were hardened criminals and the animals had done nothing to find themselves in this situation. Having said that…I would have to give the story line a big red 1 with maybe even minus signs. Animal lovers and people with a heart will hate the subject.

Since I do have hope for this series I will await Book 2 in the series Deadlock.

[James Roby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book, just not a good one.
Sean Black’s first novel has all the elements one would expect from a modern thriller. Unfortunately, there’s not much else. Ryan Lock is your ex-military specialist finding his way in the rough unkind world. He has all the appropriate baggage – ex-girlfriend, haunting memories of adventures gone by; along with the equally expected skill set and best buddy.
Lock is now the head of security for a large pharmaceutical. During a protest by animal rights supporters, on Christmas’ Eve no less, there’s a shoot-down and several murders. As if this isn’t enough, a former high ranking employee has his son kidnapped. Instead of this being the beginning of the company’s stock going into a death spiral, it’s actually the opening salvo of a greater and far more sinister plot. From here on out, the novel becomes a step by step of what thriller have become of late. Black tries to convince us that the bad guys are right in front of us, but most readers will no doubt sniff out the real villain moments after his introduction.
This is only the first problem with the book. Ryan Lock as a hero is hard to relate to. Sure he’s ex-military…or is he an ex-cop…or…both? Lock’s background is hard to …lock down as it seems like he’s both at the same time. And not a military cop a’la Jack Reacher but a beat cop that happens to do some soldiering. Black explains some of this by making Lock a member of an elite British unit, but this only brings up more questions as Lock is an American (albeit of Scottish decent – his father, or his grandfather, I don’t remember, was a member of this British unit. Why not just make him a Scot too?). Lock’s girlfriend is also a head scratcher. Whenever she’s around I don’t know if they are still in love or just putting up with each other. Then there’s Ty. Lock’s ‘all the way down’ Black partner. When I read characters like this I just want to host a seminar, “How to Write Believable Black Characters”. I mean, Ty is a former Marine, bald headed, all ‘tatted’ up who, of course, had a pitbull, his favorite dog, and he had to shoot it. Because, you know, that’s how we ALL roll. I’d be ok with that but he is also Lock’s second in command at a major pharmaceutical company. Yeah, there’s a corporate image I can believe.
The end of the book is the greatest sin as it seems tacked on. Without giving it away, the mystery is solved only to reveal an even greater threat.
This is Lock's first book and given the number in the series, he surely got better at his craft. That said, this book left me wanting. There were moments of fun, excitement and thrill but they were far and few between. 2 ½ stars.

[ElaineY · Rating 2 out of 5]

REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; DECEMBER 30, 2017
Narrator: Jeff Harding

I was expecting this to be thrilling based on the positive ratings but I found it rather boring and did not bother to listen to the end. Perhaps it was the animal rights protestors which I lump in the same category as tree huggers, perhaps it was just a plain boring plot that had potential. Unfortunately it failed to deliver for me.

This was my first Ryan Lock book and unlike other series, I have not gotten a firm impression of him as the MC of a series. I'll try the next book and hope the plotting in better.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOCKDOWN is the first book in Sean Black's Ryan Lock series and I'm very excited that I don't have to wait a year for the next book - one of the benefits of discovering a series late. This is a fun action-adventure novel with a little bit of everything in it. You can't argue that Lock's a real character when he's knocked out in the first 20 pages. And the shaved head with stitches isn't going to win him People's Sexist Man contest. But he's smart and funny and determined; I think I'm smitten. Lock is never about show; he's about doing the job and doing it right.

Sean Black is equally generous to his female characters. Lock's journalist on again-off again girl friend is an independent, no-nonsense gal. But the female I enjoyed the most in this particular book was the terrorist. There are simply no stereotypes to her character. I wouldn't recommend messing with Sean Black's women.

Black also does a superb job of including the relationship between Lock and Carrie Delaney so that it enhances the novel instead of taking the plot off in unrelated directions. But it's Lock's relationship with Ty Johnson that has the greatest impact on the book for me. Their sharp banter is priceless and the unspoken between them adds just as much to each's character.

The plot is fast-paced. This is a text-book thriller in that sense, but Sean Black puts a unique stamp on the genre in many other ways.

[Star Shining Forever · Rating 4 out of 5]

A British veteran-turned bodyguard for a pharmaceutical company tries to figure out the mysteries surrounding the recent attacks on the company and the murder of the leaders of the opposing animal-rights activist group. Asking questions and digging deeper brings him to places that very powerful people don't want anyone going.

This book handled both sides pretty well--the corporations and activists. When there are questions leaders don't want you asking, there's probably a reason that looks a lot like dollar bills behind that. And sometimes someone coming clean means they're just planning to turn and go into a different kind of badness. Also, if you're an activist wanting to do good, you probably shouldn't hang out with lowlifes and lawbreakers.

As the situation unfolds, terrorists are unleashed on New York City and a volatile woman is walking around with a bomb in Times Square...on New Year's Eve! It's a law enforcement nightmare. Time is ticking..

Of note: Language present. It was unclear why the bad guys waited in certain situations, which led to strains in plot. But there's a lot of cool info about what bodyguards do and how they think.

[Leather · Rating 1 out of 5]

The beginning of this first installment of Ryan Lock's adventures appealed to me: it is rather well written, quite rhythmic, in some ways it can be reminiscent of Lee Child's Jack Reacher. With as a bonus a relatively ordinary hero, which is not worse.
Unfortunately, as often in thrillers, the amount of improbable twists and heartbreaking clichés that follow in the second half of the book come to negate its credibility, and eventually make its reading painful. Some ideas are grotesque, others at the limit of debility.
If some dialogues are rather well seen, the characters have no thickness. And as usual the heroes of the book, who would have to languish for decades in prison given their actions, will not be at all challenged by justice. (The author needed them for the second episode of the series.)
Not recommended.

[E.A. Briginshaw · Rating 1 out of 5]

I abandoned this book before I was half-way through. The story got off to a pretty good start but it couldn't hold my interest. There are also numerous formatting issues with the book which made it harder to read.

[Dlmrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Blood Rose Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

In his debut novel, Sean Black looks to what extend a man will go to discover the truth, even it cost him everything.

Christmas eve in New York and still the city is not sleeping and that includes the protesters outside one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the United States and it is Ryan Lock's job to keep the CEO of the company safe. When an assassination goes wrong, and there are innocent bodies littering the street Lock believes this was something more than an assassination attempt. With conflict from both sides, the protesters and the company, Lock forges his own path to find out what is really going on and seek justice for those who were killed that day, he discovers that there are going to be many more dead once the clock strikes midnight on New Years Eve.

I actually thought there was going to be more action in this book based upon the way it started out, which did have me hooked from the start. I like that Black did not overdue the action scenes and he did not make them too unrealistic like many authors in this genre do. I like that this allowed Black to focus more on the plot and not concern himself with making sure that there was nonstop action. There was action where there needed to be and investigative work where there needed to be in order to make the plot and story flow better. I really enjoyed the plot, it had some interesting twist and turns, but there were times that it was predictable and you feel like you are waiting for the main character to get to the conclusion that you have made.

I think the experimental drug angle was very interesting and having the big corporation vs. the animal activist was very true to real life. I like that Black showed that there is more than one type of activist groups out there, one that believes in peaceful protest and the other that likes to take more direct action. Additionally, i liked how Black showed that there was some similarities between the activist groups and the corporation, manly there are people that will do anything to get what they want. I also liked Black's use and manipulation of the press and the realization that the press have sources every where and I think that it was smart of Black to utilize this resource.

Ryan Lock is body guard but not one of those steroid junkies who are just there to get their picture in the paper or walk to red carpet (his words), he is the real deal. Lock is a good mixture of the boy scout who likes to break the rules, but there were times where I found Lock a little too perfect, he did not have enough grit for me. He was too smooth and seemed to have an answer for everything and was never really challenged by his any of his own moral decisions that he makes. That said I wouldn't mind having Lock be my body guard. I also wish that Black would have expanded more on Lock's past and what he did for the military police, and I hope that this will be discussed in future books.

I really enjoyed Black's writing style and I think that the plot he created was entertaining and smart even though, there were aspect that were a bit predictable. This did detract a little bit from my overall enjoyment of the book, however, I am looking forward to reading the next novel in the Ryan Lock series as i feel like Black has a lot more to tell and explore.

Enjoy!!

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a fairly standard thriller. It was a fast read. Overall it is subpar. The protagonist was likable and I enjoyed the relationships between he and his partner (Ty) and he and his ex-girlfriend (Carrie). There are some cute/clever moments, but those quickly get spoiled by really clunky moments. Or maybe more accurately spoiled by not knowing how to get out of the cute/clever moments.

The reason not to read this book.... The book felt dated. I read it in 2015 it was released in 2009, but felt like a 1990's style. The only reason you would know it was after 2000 is because it is set in New York after 2001. I think this is mostly due to the simplistic straw men set up of the topic in this book. Just tons of one dimensional stereotypes (super-liberal radicals, evil money grabbing corporations, government/law enforcement is bad, our hero has unlimited resources and health). Aside form the dated feel of the writing, the science is terrible, I mean if you are going to have science be a big part of your story, you might want to be better informed about how the scientific process works. Or don't get into details about science. The next biggest problem is the size of the conspiracy. It is massive and early in the story the author wants you to feel that it this massive thing, but as the book winds down to the end, the conspiracy gets dwindled down so they can wrap the story up. I don't think the writer understands how massive the conspiracy would have to been to accomplish almost any of the events that take place. There are just too many moment in this book that pull a reader out of the story.

[Scott Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This debut novel by Sean Black shows promise. Ryan Lock and his buddy Ty, both ex-military, provide security to the head of a pharmaceutical company who is under attack from an animal rights' organization for testing their products on animals. The CEO agrees t0 meet with the head of the group after which they hold a press conference during which the CEO announces his company will suspend animal testing. As he rises to speak, the animal rights' organizer is taken out by a sniper's bullet. Was it aimed for him or the CEO? A security lockdown follows while Lock rushes across the street to the building from which the shot came. He nearly gets blown away in the process.

Nothing is what it appears to be on the surface. The pharma company is up to no good. Lock, Ty and a female reporter pursue the minimal leads. The kidnapping of the son of a former pharma executive complicates matters. There is a ransom demand but that obscures the true purpose of the kidnapping. The plot thickens at this point but to say more would reveal spoilers.

This is an engaging thriller, well written, and I look forward to seeing more of Ryan Lock.

[Stuart · Rating 2 out of 5]

I must preface this book by saying that I am not a thriller fan. This book did little to convince me that I should read more from this genre. It was so plot driven I felt that someone had grabbed my arm and dragged me onto some literary roller-coaster. It zipped along and would have passed the time on a long haul flight and kept my mind off the journey, but I felt my more philosophical self was totally cheated. It felt like the outline of an action thriller that would do well at the box office but would be damned by the critics.

I read this book for my off line book club and after making the statement it was quite exciting, I will be lost for words. It packed every cliché known to thriller fiction, tough guy who has a soft spot for dogs, will stick his neck out to do the right thing even if a huge corporation uses its muscle and fire power to try to take him out and finally a dénouement in the New York Subway.

I can truly say I learned nothing from this book except perhaps some alleged security tactics and the names of some weapons.

[Jenifer Mohammed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it!

This as a great story. It starts off with Ryan Lock providing close protection services for a corporation when an animal rights protestor is murdered, then a young boy is kidnapped and the story explodes. There are layers of complexity and it's hard at first to figure out who the bad guys really are. When you finally realize what is going on, it will stun you. Great first entry in the series!

[Jim A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing really special here. First book of a series that unfortunately I have read out of order.

On the plus side it is a fast paced thriller covering kidnapping, assassination, terrorists and corporate misdeeds.

On the negative side, it's very predictable.

But, as it was a Free For Kindle offering, it was very inexpensive entertainment.

[Elizabeth Maddrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this quite a bit - nearly 5 stars, honestly. Definitely in the realm of Brad Thor (not quite up to Vince Flynn), a solid, page-turning ride.

[Justin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book read like a bad '80s action movie and was so full of cliches and stereotypes I stopped counting.

Give it a miss.

[Gustambro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The alternative to Jack Reacher, but without all the action and the kick-ass attitude. Ryan Lock is as smart but still human!

[Connie Becerra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good series to read.

[Mags Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Standard stuff here - but that's not a criticism, it's good of its kind. Well drawn characters, fast paced, a quick and easy read. Good enough that I'll probably look out the next in the series.

[Sal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this read. The first 50% of the book read well and offered a fast paced and intriguing storyline, with the exception of one plot hole. However, things started to unravel a bit past the 65% mark and by 75% of the way through the story introduced factors that took away from the overall story. Then somehow in the last 25% those factors took over the story and all the other components fell flat! There were times that certain villains and main characters disappeared/died/or were otherwise removed and it left me feeling confused and even like I had missed multiple chapters to the book..?! Add that to the fact that main characters and villains met ends that were so brief that they barely registered to me that the villain was actually gone from the story. The last 25% was also filled with grammatical and spelling errors that made no sense and gave me the belief that that portion was either not proofread or that someone else had written it to finish the book... I gave it two stars because it did have a strong start, but could not give it more due to a climax that fell flat and the lack of diligence in grammar and spelling to be carried out through the remainder of the read...
Was hoping this was a new series for me to explore, but not so sure I will be continuing with this series...

[Don Bailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the plot and enjoyed the first third of the book, but at the half-way point, I found that I could not continue reading it. The protagonist grew less likeable with every page. The interactions between the characters seemed less and less believable with every page. The plot deteriorated and I gave up. I think Mr. Black shows great promise as an author, and if he understood his own characters with greater depth, I believe he would come up with flawed protagonists with whom his readers could sympathize or even empathize, and antagonists whose motivations are complex enough to be interesting. As one reviewer noted, there were too many stereotypes employed in the development of this book for it to remain interesting. I sincerely wish Mr. Black the very best as he progresses in his craft. It isn't easy to take an interesting plot and create characters who enhance it rather than detract from it.

[Jennifer Bolton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ryan Lock works security for a large bio-tech firm targeted by animal rights activists. When the leader of the activists is gunned down it sets in motion a chain of events that has Ryan not just fighting to keep his job, but to solve the kidnapping of a child and a far more nefarious plot by his employers that could see New York City wiped out by a deadly virus.
The beginning of this book read a little bit like a pilot to a bad TV show, but by the middle the plot picked up steam and began to roll ahead at full speed.
Ryan Lock is a bit of cliche--the tough guy who runs into danger rather than away from it. As this is a plot-driven thriller, the reader doesn't get a lot of back story or insight into Lock's character. Perhaps that will come out in future books.
But if a fast-paced, plot driven story gets your engines racing, then you're likely to find this a very satisfying read.