Termination Orders

Dan Morgan #1

by Leo J. Maloney

In this explosive novel of world-class suspense, former Black Ops veteran Leo J. Maloney traces a lethal conspiracy from the frontlines of battle to the backrooms of Washington to a single assassin's bullet. . .

Termination Orders

Once a trained killer for the CIA, Dan Morgan has built a new life for himself. But when he receives a desperate plea from his former Black Ops partner--reportedly killed in a foreign battle zone--he flies to help. It should be a routine mission, extracting a human asset from the region. But it's not routine; it's an ambush. Now Morgan is running for his life, holding crucial evidence. With his contacts dead and family in danger, Morgan must take on a full-scale conspiracy in the highest echelons of a vast global network that plays by its own rules--when it suits them.

For Dan Morgan, it's about to come to an end in Washington, D.C., on a national stage, in the crosshairs of a killer. . .While Leo J. Maloney was serving in the army in 1966, he was recruited by a United States government clandestine agency and received highly specialized Black Ops training. Among his assignments in the decades that followed were asset extraction, espionage, and numerous missions still too secret to divulge. Now retired, he lives in the Boston area.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Espionage, Suspense, Audiobook, Mystery, Adventure

403 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decently paced story that maintains interest. 6 of 10 stars

[Scott A. Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice surprise. Maloney shows quite a bit of promise with this debut. Morgan is a solid character. The story had a good mystery and an ending that both felt good and provided intriguing possibilities for the rest of the series. I tend to eat up these books and I’m not sure I need another series like this one but, alas, I seem to have one. Looking forward to the second in the Dan Morgan Thriller library.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story, but there were so many other things that I had a problem with. The story was well paced. There was also a balance of action with dialogue. But even with that said, it felt like there was more telling than showing. I wish that had also been balanced as well.

I eventually liked the characters, but that was a challenge in the beginning. In the first 5 minutes, I was so completely done with all the righteous indignation that oozed in great globs from the pages. I say pages, but I did the audio. I'm not sure if my dislike was a product of the narration or the dialogue, but the combination did NOT work for me. Once I came to some degree of acceptance of this, I was able to enjoy the story. I also didn't like the stupidity of the women. They all suffered from this affliction to some degree.


This would be 4 stars, but combined with everything else, 3 is more accurate.

[Dave · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tedious and boring with flat, unoriginal characters and a banal plot. It's clearly nothing more than a power fantasy for out-of-shape suburban dads more than it is an actual story. Skip it.

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great start

Wow what a twist of a mess. This was actually a first for me with this author and I really enjoyed this story and all the craziness that has been going on. I can't wait to read the next book.

[Charlene Intriago · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dan Morgan (code name Cobra) is an ex-CIA agent drawn back into service when his former Black Ops partner Cougar is killed during a mission gone bad in Afghanistan. Dan is a family man now which adds a bit of a conflict for him, but he'll make an exception this time to go back into the field to find out what happened to Cougar. First few chapters were a little slow as the author is setting the story up - and there are a couple of parts that don't quite mesh - these had been noted by other reviewers so I was on the lookout for them - but they are minor blips in the storyline. The middle part picks up steam as we learn about Dan's training in the CIA and his relationship to the good guys and the bad guys and his background with a very bad girl Natasha (but she wasn't always bad)- and the last part keeps you turning the pages to find out what happens next. All in all, a good read if you like the CIA stories.

[Pete · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel had some potential but ultimately missed the mark on too many occasions. It made no sense for the author to wait 33 chapters to provide the background for the lead character and how he was recruited by the CIA. In the following chapter he outlines the history between Morgan and Natasha which also should have been done much earlier. Overall the characters were not that believable and the daring escapes were straight out of Hollywood. Finally the author was using chess terms to describe the game of checkers and a mistake like that should have been caught.

[Kimba Tichenor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast-paced but heavy on the self-righteous ideology.

[Karen F · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 for plot, action and pace. The story itself was far fetched but fun. If you like military thrillers you’ll probably enjoy this book.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally appeared on my book review blog Feeding My Book Addiction: http://feedingmybookaddiction.blogspo...
Review copy provided by the author

I admit that I was apprehensive about a mystery/suspense thriller that was only 249 pages. Most of the books I read in these genres are upwards of 400 pages or more because the author needs the length to work out the subplots, plot twists, and have a few fake endings before the book comes to a conclusion. It turns out that my apprehension was a bit unwarranted as former Black Ops contractor turned author Leo Maloney did quite a job packing as much action, espionage, and intrigue into the pages of this book.

The reason why Termination Orders Code Name Cobra is able to wrap up in 249 pages is that the storyline is action driven, rather than character driven. Characters are developed enough that we see, believe, and understand their motivations, but they are not developed enough for any of them to become a favorite character or for hero Dan Morgan to lead another book, if the author has any intentions of making this into a series. Typically, I prefer books with more developed characters. I want to see how people live through, survive, and change because of the events in the book, but this lack of development or change in the characters didn't bother me because I was too caught up in the action.

For what this book lacked in character development, it definitely made up for in action. The fast pacing of the story and the constant developments and plot twists kept me up until one o'clock in the morning so I could finish this book. I devoured it in just a few hours. Because the emphasis was more on the action than the characters, it wasn't so easy to figure out how the book would end. I enjoyed not knowing all along who did it and why until the last few pages.

Author Leo Maloney is a former Black Ops contractor and this book is loosely based on his experiences. Knowing that fact before beginning this novel, I took the experiences of Dan Morgan, code name Cobra, and his long time partner, Paul Conley, code name Cougar, without too many questions. Maloney lived this life. He definitely knows a lot more about government espionage and risking his life for his country than I do. If this book was written by someone without the experience, I'd have a lot more questions regarding their research and if the book was realistic.

Overall, I really liked this book. It kept me engaged and entertained from start to finish. The book tackled a heavy topic in a way that didn't weigh me down as a reader so I could take the story for what it was, glean a little bit of insight into secretive government operations, and have strange covert mission like dreams that night. It's always fun to see what you read manifest itself in your dreams, right? If you are looking for a quick mystery/suspense thriller to get your hands on, maybe for a flight or train ride or a lazy summer afternoon, this book might be just what you are looking for.

[Giovanni Gelati · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great week to read this novel. Leo Maloney and his character Cobra, are very patriotic guys: doing the right thing for the right reasons. The story is emotional, raw and intense. I love a novel that wears its heart on its sleeve, makes for a good read. Let’s get right to the action shall we?
“Leo J. Maloney, former Black Ops contractor, penned this action thriller novel as a quasi-memoir about the dark but arguably necessary side of intelligence that the government officially denies. The book spans the late 1960's through 2001 depicting events witnessed first-hand by the author embodied in the hero, Dan Morgan. It is a masterly blend of Black Ops intrigue interwoven with imaginative sequences of fiction. The reader must guess which accounts are real and which are merely storytelling.
TERMINATION ORDERS: Code Name Cobra races the reader through a twisting plotline, populated by memorable characters who make their way through a tangled web of ethical questions, personal priorities, and suspense. The storyline is comprised of counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and target reconnaissance, in a crescendo of events set across three continents from a fireside ambush at a Kandahar village pig roast, to the vast inner halls of the CIA, to a window-ledge view through a sniper scope aimed at Gaddafi in Libya. “
I am going to have the good fortune to interview Mr. Maloney on The G-ZONE , my blogtalk radio show, Friday, May 13th. I think it is going to be one intense and interesting conversation. Do I have questions? You bet! Let’s get back to the novel shall we: Leo Maloney puts his character Cobra into a situation that only he can solve. The action is quick, moving, and intense. The important part of the read for me was not so much the plotline or the conspiracy that he has his character involved in No, no, no, it was the way he presented it, the manner in which he brought it to me: raw, uncensored, and totally unfiltered. I don’t know if a “Traditional“ Publisher would have touched this, given its contents. For me that made it that much more compelling and interesting.
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[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great debut novel, written by someone whose lived the life and knows some of the inner secrets of the clandestine service. Maloney puts the reader in the middle of a plot that surrounds a recently retired agent who is called back into the dark to help find what's happened to a murdered friend/agent. The story splits into three mini-stories, yet flows well and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat and wondering how the characters will eventually bring things to fruiting. No truly unique storyline or plot, and a main character that has some similarities to his literary cousins (see below), but still, for a first kick at the can, this book is well worth the invested time and effort.

Maloney's book does have an early Brad Thor or Vince Flynn feel to it. A retired agent (or super covert one) that is doing things under the radar to help those in need. Our main character, Morgan, does have some similar traits to Thor's Harvath and Flynn's Rapp. Highly pompous and super agile... and even though the character does not show much uniqueness, they push the story forward in a simplistic and entertaining fashion. Could Marc Cameron's Quinn also be used as a model to form the action packed thriller? Alas, you'll have to read to find out for yourself.

Kudos Mr. Maloney. I look forward to reading the second book!

[Princ3ss · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was some predictability with this story, things that the main character did that was just plain stupid. Also, some portions of the story did not seem realistic or happened just in time to avoid disaster. There were a few instances when I would have stopped listening but there was so little left to the story I decided to finish it. The flashbacks were awkward. I found myself wondering when it was in the story. It was nice to have the background but it was clumsily done. I know I’m not going to read anything else in this series.

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Both the storyline and writing were weak. Don’t need to read another.

[Darren Bourn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the past three years and a half years or so, since I found this great little piece of the internet, Military Thriller Book Group, I have been informed about “new” authors and various books that they have put out. Some of these “new” authors include the mainstream authors such as Jack Carr, Tom Clancy (and the authors who have continued on with his series following his demise), and Brad Taylor.

Earlier this week, one of the members had asked if anyone had read Leo J Maloney (I am thinking that the book was one of those that was further along in the series), so I decided to take a flyer and read his first novel (which apparently came out in 2011).

Termination Orders by Leo J. Maloney is a fast-paced action and espionage thriller that has received generally positive reviews for its authenticity and strong character development. It should be noted that as is sometimes true with most novels in this genre, there seems to be frequent use of similar plot devices.

The novel follows Dan Morgan, a former CIA black ops veteran who has built a new life for himself in retirement. He is drawn back into the world of clandestine operations after receiving a desperate plea from a former partner who was reportedly killed in a foreign battle zone. What seems like a routine extraction mission turns into an ambush, leaving Morgan running for his life with crucial evidence of a vast, high-level conspiracy. The plot involves corruption within a military contractor, spies within the CIA ranks, and corrupt government officials, all leading to a final confrontation in Washington, D.C.

Maloney's book does have an early Brad Thor or Vince Flynn feel to it. The familiar trope of aA retired agent (or super covert one) that is doing things under the radar to help those in need. Our main protagonist, Morgan, does share some similar traits to Thor's Harvath and Flynn's Rapp. Highly pompous and super agile... and even though the character does not show much uniqueness, they push the story forward in a simplistic and entertaining fashion.

On my vaunted five-star scale, I would give this introductory effort by Leo Maloney a strong four stars. Overall, Termination Orders is recommended for aficionados of the military and espionage thriller genre who enjoy a blend of black-ops intrigue and fast-paced action. I believe that those readers of the genre who enjoy Lee Child, Brad Thor, and Jack Carr would quickly enjoy this series.

As with all my literary ramblings, this is just my five cents' worth.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

In October 2019, I discovered the books of author LEO J. MALONEY. His first book featuring superspy Dan Morgan is TERMINATION ORDERS. His series is now at nine books and counting. The author himself is a thirty-year veteran of private contractor black operations so he knows his subject quite well.

Dan Morgan, A.K.A Cobra, has retired from the National Clandestine Service, part of the C.I.A. He lives with his wife and sixteen-year-old daughter in Massachusetts where he runs a “classic car” business. Into this idyllic life comes a man from his past life as an agent. This man tells Dan that his former partner and friend of many years, Peter Conley (A.K.A. Cougar), has been killed in Afghanistan. Before he died, Cougar had sent the Agency a coded message that only Dan can decode. Dan tells his wife and daughter that he has to go to Washington, D.C. to decode the message but he will be home in a couple of days at the most. Bad decision on Dan’s part.

He is drawn back into black ops because of the message he decodes. He goes to Afghanistan to see what happened to Cougar and his recruit who had gathered damning information about a military contractor, one or more spies within the ranks of the C.I.A. and corrupt government officials. When Dan returns to the United States, an individual who turns Dan’s life upside down pays him an astonishing visit. There are car chases, assassination attempts, kidnappings and more adventures.

If you are a fan of spy stories and action adventures, this book is for you. If I could give it more than five stars, I would.

GO! BUY! READ!

[Kevin Kazokas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leo Maloney takes readers on a surprisingly intense and rewarding ride along the path of a re-engaged Black Ops agent as he seeks to avenge the loss of his partner agent and tackle powers of corruption, both within and beyond the U.S. intelligence sphere. This book features rip-roaring set pieces as well as intricate conspiratorial refrains that Dan Morgan must uncover before a major national figure pays the price.

Maloney juxtaposes the questions of loyalty versus sacrifice as retired CIA assassin Dan Morgan makes the anguishing choice to uphold a friend's last request over the stable retired life he has carefully built. Despite the tropes, the action builds to a breathless acrobatic climax befitting a novel of such flair.

Maloney's characters are well drawn, although make somewhat questionable choices, such as placing loved ones at needless risk, particularly while on the run. Again, this is somewhat reflective of Morgan's struggle with keeping feet in both the worlds of his past life and the future he hopes to foster. In reality, his future may be closer to his past than he hopes.

This book offers enjoyable high-octane scenarios with hearty doses of consequence and quality writing passages. Don't search for life-changing values in its depths, but at its core Termination Orders centers on timeless questions of patriotism, devotion and personal atonement. For that, it notches a worthy spot atop your thriller shelf even as an entertaining reread.

[Maureen Lamb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an Audible book, that kept me enthralled throughout. It started slowly and at first, I thought it would stay slow but it absolutely did not. The pace picked up and I could not put it down.

Dan Morgan, a former trained killer for the CIA, has built a new life for himself. But when he receives a desperate plea from his former Black Ops partner, reportedly killed in a Kabul, he flies to help. He reads the coded message from his former partner and decides not to reveal all. He plans to go to Afghanistan, alone, for what Should be a routine mission, extracting a human asset from the region.

But it's not routine; it's an ambush. Now Morgan is running for his life, holding crucial evidence. With his contacts dead and family in danger, Morgan must take on a full-scale conspiracy in the highest echelons of a vast global network that plays by its own rules, when it suits them.
For Dan Morgan, it's about to come to an end in Washington, D.C., on a national stage, in the crosshairs of a killer. . .

[Spenser · Rating 3 out of 5]

This appears to be the first book out from Mr Maloney. It's a decent read and I'll dig deeper into the Dan Morgan series as I presume Maloney will hone his writing skills as he gets more experience. Although the book passed as entertaining, some of the dialogue in this book was borderline amateurish.

On Maloney's web site, he purports to have been: "serving his country in the secretive world of Black Ops over 30 years". While the aforementioned may be true, he clearly wasn't a field operative. For example, he routinely used the word "clip" when speaking of a pistol magazine. That's a obvious tell in regards to his 'black ops' experience. A layman might incorrectly say CLIP, but a professional with hands-on experience would know the correct nomenclature is MAGAZINE.

[KK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent pacing and exciting characters. This is an enjoyable read and I am looking forward to the next entry in the series!

Plot summary and cliffhangers: Dan Morgan (code name Cobra) comes out of retirement to try to do one final mission for the sake of his old teammate who died. However, we learn that Peter Conley (code name Cougar) didn’t die! Cobra and Cougar try to find a CIA mole and are successful, but not before Alex (Cobra’s daughter) questions her father’s identify and also kills the CIA DCS (who was the mole). Unfinished ends: We don’t find out what happens to Senator Nickerson’s henchman, Vinson. We also don’t know if Cougar and Cobra go to work for an “unnamed” organization that is deeper than CIA black ops.

[Jeremy Potter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll start by saying something nice. The action was compelling enough to keep reading to the end. Now for the rest: the writing is terrible. The characters are one dimensional, and the dialogue is juvenile, birding on cartoonish. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the ridiculous pseudo-macho one liners. Also, the book is riddled with errors. Anyone who has been through army basic training would scoff at his depictions. I can only imagine that he was similarly sloppy in other areas that I know less about. I’m amazed that it got as many good reviews as it did. My two star rating is more than generous and I will not be reading the other books in the series.

[Bill Hooten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this book on Audible, and I really liked it. Obviously, Dan Morgan was a skilled assassin for the CIA, but gave that life up for the love of his family. This book shows how that he was drawn back into that world, and it ends up drawing his family into, not only the line of fire, but also the hands of those considered to be enemies. I liked the story, loved the characters (and the way they were developed), the villains, and the way the action was almost continuous. If you like this genre of action stories, the Dan Morgan series may be something that you want to check out.

[James Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thrilling - just not enough to make me continue the series.

I use ratings to decide which books I am going to buy, and I recently decided I am partially responsible for inflating the ratings on books. Either they were 5 star or 1 star. I decided to use the star rating more objectively as follows:

★★★★★ Great book! Can’t wait to read it again (and I will).
★★★★☆ Good book. I am glad I read this.
★★★☆☆ OK book. Nothing special but not bad.
★★☆☆☆ Not good. Why did I waste my time?
★☆☆☆☆ Lousy. I didn’t finish.

[Elaine Skinner · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrator sounds like John Wayne whenever he reads for the main character. I spent the entire book trying to remember who the narrator reminded me of. The female characters only came in the common three types: maneater, sweet man supporter, or all business. The plot was good but I’m usually a character driven reader and that was lacking in this book. I 100% prefer the Will Robie series. I’m going to go ahead and read the next book until I can find another CIA/assassin/spy series to replace this one.

[James Yaklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I don't really know what the Goodreads synopsis has to do with this title. It has nothing to do with the story.

Dan Morgan is a former CIA Operative that gets caught up in a government black-ops web of intrigue. With nobody to trust Morgan improvises a plan to expose the plot and save his family.

That's the short and true synopsis of this title.

And in short, this was a very well written story. Another winner from the Audible "free" list.

[James Kerr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has some great points to it. There are some portions that are captivating and well written. However, there are some other points that are, meh. I listened to it free on Audible. Overall, it was good. I will gladly give him another try. He isn't my favorite author but I've worked through many of the espionage series that are most popular so the comparison isn't quite fair.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seemed to me that this book was written to set the scene for the Dan Morgan series. It was filled with background information and finally during the last third got going. I'll read the next book in the series because I think there is potential. Hopefully, now that we know the players, we can have more action-filled books.

[Judy Evenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first cobra book so it is filled with back stories of how cobra got to be where he was. Seems like the CIA and all politician simply can not be trusted. It was a bit past believable when the dog who has been shots travels hundreds of miles and is just lying on the front door step. Really???

[jo anna fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting

Americans have to believe in our government. Though this fiction, there is enough truth to be very frightening. Well written and exciting, sometimes fiction more truth than we like. Excellent .

[Joann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got the audio book at no extra cost with my subscription. It was surprisingly good. I appreciated the small details that showed the writer had probably been to some of the places he writes about. It's a gung ho black ops thriller. I would probably pay to hear another one.