Time to Kill

Kyle Swanson Sniper #6

by Jack Coughlin, Donald A. Davis

A disastrous chain of events causes havoc in the Middle East. The Sphinx, a symbol of Egypt’s ancient history and power, is blown up by terrorists. A visit to Cairo by Iran’s national soccer team ends in a bloodbath. Egyptian missiles sink an Iranian vessel in the Red Sea. Political forces are working behind the scenes to provoke a war between Egypt and its powerful neighbour, Iran – a war that would certainly result in an Iranian victory. At stake is nothing less than total control of the Suez Canal, through which most of the world’s oil flows. Behind the plot is a sinister double agent known only as the Pharaoh, whose goal is to establish a fanatic Islamic regime on Israel’s borders. To avoid a direct military confrontation with Iran, the US turns to master American sniper Kyle Swanson and his team, Trident. Using ruthlessly accurate targeted kills, they go undercover to teach the Iranian leadership a lesson, prevent a war that could strangle the world’s oil supply and cause the death of thousands . . .

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Military Fiction, Action, Audiobook

339 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 7, 2013

About the author

Gunnery Sgt. Jack Coughlin’s autobiography, Shooter, describes his experiences as the top-ranked marine sniper in the Iraq War.

Coughlin is also the author, with Donald A. Davis, of the Kyle Swanson Sniper Novels: Kill Zone, Dead Shot, Clean Kill, and An Act of Treason.

Coughlin grew up in Waltham, Massachusetts, and joined the Marines when he was 19. He served with the Marines during the drive to Baghdad and has operated on a wide range of assignments in hot spots around the world.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/jackco...

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kyle Swanson is moping around between missions, when he's called in.

It seems that Iran is invading Egypt under the guise of a peacekeeping type mission. Kyle, there for another mission, holds off the entire force by himself with a few explosions and such.

Not bad. I got the feeling that the author, or one of the co-authors, at least, thought he was being clever here.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read any books by either of these authors. This is my first introduction to what this duo can do together. I have to say that I was very impressed. So much so that I can't wait to read the next book and the prior novels by these authors. I pretty much read this book in one day. I felt like I was there every step of the way with Kyle. I was a little surprised that he did not pick up on the enemy sooner but not enough to know I would not want to tangle with him anytime soon.

A sign of a great working duo is never knowing where one author ended and the other one began. Plus, there was plenty of action to keep the pace of this story moving along with no interruptions. I would recommend this book to anyone that is a fan of military thrillers.

[Michael Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kyle Swanson is a one-man wrecking crew in this fast paced novel pitting one man against a secret Iranian plot to take over key areas in Egypt, while under the guise of being saviours to the Egyptian people themselves.
While unbelievable to some extent that “one man” could inflict so much damage while staying completely covert…it would still make for an exciting movie if any one wanted to take it on as a project. It certainly hits on all the key points that an action film needs to have. Definitely made for a fun read at least!!

[SteVen Hendricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review - Time to Kill - Jack Coughlin
In this Jack Coughlin and Donald A. Davis military thriller "Time to Kill" featuring American sniper Kyle Swanson, the Sphinx, a symbol of Egypt's ancient history and power, is blown up by terrorists. A visit to Cairo by Iran's national soccer team ends in a bloodbath. Egyptian missiles sink an Iranian vessel in the Red Sea. And the Muslim Brotherhood is on the march, working behind the scenes to provoke a war between Egypt and its powerful neighbor, Iran. A war between the two would certainly result in an Iranian victory. What is at stake is nothing less than total control of the Suez Canal through which most of the world's oil flows. USMC sniper Kyle Swanson and his covert team, 'Trident', go undercover to teach the Iranian leadership a lesson and prevent a war that could strangle the world's oil supply and cause the death of thousands. Awesome story full of non-stop action, intriguing twist and turns and well written dialogue that keeps you turning the pages. Time to Kill is one of the best books in the series.

[Pierre Tassé (Enjoying Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was a lot of "stuff" going on but this was not one of the better books by Coughlin. A little beyond reality but then again, I don't buy books screwed into reality. It passed time.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the sixth book written by Jack Coughlin with Kyle Swanson as the lead character. In this story the Iranians were working under cover with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood to overthrow the Egyptian Government. Iran arranges attacks on their own resources to spread the idea that Egypt was starting a war. In so doing Iran with the support of the Muslim Brotherhood invaded a southern Egyptian port. Things get interesting because Swanson had just teamed up with the British M16 and were in this port at the time of the invasion. Swanson was directed by General Middleton, the head of the super secret Trident organization to remain undercover and do as much damage as he could. Swanson was good at this. The story has several twists and turns towards the end. It is a book that is entertaining and well worth reading.

[Steven Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good book in the Kyle Swanson Sniper series. I like how old characters are updated and new characters are woven through the story. It will be interesting to see what Swanson does in the next book. Lots of good action but very little humor. One thing that these books could use is a little more humor. Humor is a delicate thing to add to a military fiction book without throwing off the pace of the story.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another outstanding military thriller which unfortunately, completes the series for me. "Time to Kill" follows Marine sniper Kyle Swanson caught in the middle of an Iranian military coup in Egypt. Swanson uses all his military skills to disrupt to Iranian forces trying to destabilize the Egyptian government and control shipping in the Suez Canal.

[AliciaJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. The characters were a bit undeveloped and stilted, but the action sequences were good. I didn't fall into this one like I do with the Jack Reacher stories, and I probably won't go out of my way to find more by this author.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Time to Kill” is a fast-paced, adrenaline pumping thriller that begins when an American in Maryland cleared to audit military contractors reports an International financial scam, only to be killed by assassins. As American sniper Kyle Swanson and his team look into an Iranian link to the murder chaos boils over in Egypt when Egyptian soldiers are blamed for the massacre of the visiting Iranian soccer team and the sinking of one of their vessels in the Red Sea.

When his adoptive father asks Kyle to go with him to the coastal resort town of Sharm-El-Sheik to garner more information from a business contact, he decides to go with an M16 agent Dr, Tianha Bialy a renowned Egyptologist whose assignment is to connect with an Iranian double agent called the Pharaoh. What Gunnery Sergeant Swanson and Dr. Bialy quickly uncover is an Iranian plot to unite with the Muslim Brotherhood and seize power by destabilizing the government in Egypt and taking control of shipping through the Suez Canal.

Intensity and suspense quickly escalate with Iranian subterfuge and the death of hundreds when the seaside port of Sharm is attacked. In town when an Iranian force takes control, supposedly to quell a deadly assault, Kyle is ordered by General Middleton, head of Task Force Trident to stay undercover and inflict as much damage as he can on the Iranians which he does with expert skill until joined by angry citizens when the Iranian leadership calls for executions in retaliation. Well-developed and intensely riveting, the plot twists and turns building excitement as the port town becomes a battle zone.

The author creates characters that are complex, realistic and intriguing like thirty-six-year -old Gunnery Sergeant Kyle Swanson who’s tough, observant, smart and lethal. Partnering with shrewd, and overly confident M16 agent Dr. Tianha Bialy they constantly clash when her mission conflicts with his. Abdel El-Din the charismatic younger brother of the mayor joins the fight with Kyle taking a lead role and showing immense bravery even when wounded. Yet its concise, organized and devious Major Mansoor Shakuri as well as sly and hot-tempered Colonel Yahya Nagdi the Iranian double agent who add a sinister chill to the story.

As with all Kyle Swanson novels I thoroughly enjoyed “Time to Kill” and highly recommend it.

[Anshu Chappidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean... It wasn't terrible.

Reading this book reminded me of those cheesy bollywood films that occasionally come out, with the field agent who'll stop at nothing to keep his country safe, and has to go on a covert mission in Pakistan, etc.
Yeah. Remember those movies?

This felt like an Americanized version of it, with some decent writing thrown in. Nothing impressive, definitely a comfort read more than anything. The type of book I would pick up to pass time, but nothing more.

The startling detailedness of the firearms in the story was to be expected, I suppose, but this is the first I've read of this genre. I guess it's to be expected of, since the main character is a sniper?

All in all, I liked it. It wasn't boring, it wasn't too much, and it kept me entertained.

[Greg Oaster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as exciting as previous books and the real action doesn't come into the very end. One disappointing thing is that, there is no sniping in this book. A big disappointment since the series is called "Sniper"

[MARY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kyle was, in this book a one man destroyer. He did call for help but something happen and never did find out what went wrong. It was a very good book. I have been very pleased reading these books by this author.

[Jacob · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book to branch out and read books I normally wouldn’t. I don’t regret reading it, because I fulfilled my goal. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. The story itself was interesting, but I was pretty bored the whole time I was reading it.

[Cyvil B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this one for the action was non-stop and gunny comes out on top.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best book in the series. Well written in almost every way, just, the story was lacking; particularly in very much sniper craft (considering that's the theme of the series).

[mr clive m cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time to Kill

Great book plenty of Action I had Difficulty putting it down. I only hope the other books in the series continue to be as good.i am hooked.

[Ronald Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great USMC novel... Semper Fi!

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended. A good series of above-average sniper/special ops fiction with a dash or three of geopolitical intrigue.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kyle Swanson becomes a one-man wrecking crew against an invading army.

[Akshat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad.

[Nicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok but not great. At the beginning I had a hard time following, but that got much better as I got into the book. I wanted to be excited about it, but it was just fine

[Mosfet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads like some other people wrote this one. Did not read like the first five.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gunnery Sergeant Kyle Swanson gets called away from his luxurious vacation when the big boss calls him in on urgent business. Only, the subject they were to meet up with is assassinated. With Swanson on the scene, it is quickly discovered that whatever this man discovered, it was way bigger than first anticipated.
Kyle Swanson gets thrown into the mission of his life when a valuable source by the name of Pharaoh gets thrown into the equation. Unknown at the time, this Pharaoh is a very busy man; a double leader and leak for the Egyptian and Iranian intelligence.
Upon destination--Sharm el-Sheikh--a massive war starts brewing. Egyptian missiles fire on Iranian vessels, and then a rebel force attempts to attack a hotel but Iranian troops come in and save the day; or so it seems. As Kyle and his team members Tianha and Omar travel through Sharm el-Sheihk, they discover sinister plots, deception, and serious world issues. With little contact to separate agencies and minimum 24 hour action if anything goes awry, Kyle, Tianha and Omar take it into their own hands to stop a massive deceiving dictator.
I really liked this book a lot because it's my kind of action and excitement.
Even though I liked it, I'm still stuck trying to understand it. It is a little confusing what with Egyptians attacking Egyptians and rebel Egyptains attacking Egyptians but Iranians save the day but were actually the ones who had all the choas planned and want to take control of Egypt but Egyptians are the ones actually attacking but are controlled by the Iranians and the Egyptians aren't the ones really attacking even though they are and Egyptians actually attacked Iranians who retaliated and stuff....I don't really get it. Major-league confusion.:/
Good book otherwise. You may just have to reread it.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kyle Swanson is a U. S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant. Winner of the Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, and two Silver Stars, Swanson is the sniper on Task Force Trident, a team tasked with the most covert of black ops. His interrupted vacation in California comes with a phone call to immediately come to Maryland to meet with an unnamed contact. But the contact is killed before Swanson arrives—and so begins a story that sends Swanson to the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el Sheikh to contact the Pharoah, an agent of Britain’s MI6.

Major Shakuri is the field commander of the Iranian army units assigned to take control of Sharm el Sheikh, which is strategically located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula at the narrows through which mid-east oil flows from the Suez Canal. The pretext is a faked Egyptian request for help in subduing an Egyptian revolution by the Muslim Brotherhood. The goal is control of mid-eastern oil and an Iranian club over the head of the Western nations.

Swanson is the only boots on the ground when the Iranian invasion begins. So he must find the Pharoah, who has important information, at the same time he disrupts the Iranian army. Shots are fired! People Die! Intrigue abounds! Thank God all this happened when Swanson was on site; otherwise we would be speaking Farsi.

If you want a series (yes, this is sixth in the Kyle Swanson Series) about a highly decorated Marine sniper, my recommendation is Richard Hunter’s Bobby Lee Swagger series—-faster paced, better written, and with a more intriguing lead character. Kyle Swanson is sort of dull.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished sometime in March -- catching up on reviews.
This series keeps ratcheting up both the action and the plausibility of the situations as it goes along. Sniper Kyle Swanson is a super-soldier (not chemically enhanced or any of that) and that is part of the belief that you must suspend to enjoy this series. Much like Jack Reacher, in a smaller package, Kyle can see things others cannot and can accomplish things whole armies cannot. Unlike Reacher, Swanson has a tight-knit groups of supporting characters, and that's part of the pleasure of these books, watching this group work together behind the scenes to accomplish the mission at hand. This time, Swanson is sent to Egypt to find a ruthless double agent (who turns out to be more stupid and greedy than pathological, one of the few disappointments of the story) who has engineered the massacre of the Iranian soccer team on Egyptian soil so as to bring about regime change for the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran. The ripped-from-the-headlines aspect of this novel makes it totally believable and frankly, a little bit scary. But of course, Swanson saves the day in a creative and interesting way, bringing mayhem with him and educating resistance members as well. A quick and enjoyable read, for sure. It's surprising this series has not yet made it to the movie screen; the books would make excellent films.

[Tom Tischler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chain of events begins in the Middle East. The Sphinx a
symbol of Egypt's history is blown up. A visit to Cairo by
Iran's soccer team turns into a bloodbath. Egyptian missiles
sink an Iranian vessel in the Red Sea. Forces are at work
behind the scenes trying o provoke a war between Egypt and
Iran. A war that would certainly result in an Iranian victory
with them in control of the Suez Canal. Behind this plot is a
double agent known as The Pharaoh and he wants to establish
an Islamic regime on Israel's borders. The U.S. cannot get
directly involved so they turn to master American sniper
Kyle Swanson and his team Trident. They go under cover using
ruthlessly accurate kills to teach the Iranian leadership
a lesson and try to prevent a war that could strangle the
worlds oil supply. Another winner from Jack Coughlin who
after years in the Marines knows his way around a battlefield.

[Nick Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you enjoyed the previous books in the series, you will enjoy this one.

Kyle Swanson, Marine sniper and James Bond rolled into one is called into action in Egypt. In a slightly daft plot dodgy Iranians are trying to provoke war with Egypt or at least provoke events so they can send in troops. Luckily Super Kyle is in situ and is able to wage (a pretty entertaining) one man war against Iranian troops who have manipulated a force into Egypt. Yep some over the top characters and some loose ends (a Special Forces helicopter thread that just fizzles out, a British female agent that also serves no purpose) but the actions bits are well done and you know on picking this up pretty well what you are going to get.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kyle Swanson is a one man insurgency in this story about an Iranian power grab for Egypt that could be right out of today's headlines. This is like Tom Clancy but without all the bombast and verbosity, aka Tom Clancy Lite. These are concise and action packed tales that come close to incredulity but resound with reality. I like too how they recall him off annual leave for a mission on his last day. It couldn't wait until the next morning when he was scheduled to fly back. But there's a mistake there too. He flies into Andrews but when they are on the tarmac getting into the car to leave they are pulling out of Dulles.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay story, but trite characters. The story is not complex and the women characters are one dimensional. There's an underlying hint of misogyny. The one woman character who could be seen as strong and is also on the main character's elite Trident squad is quickly diminished as just another "lay" when Kyle's first thoughts and comments to her are about how they slept together once. Ack! Skip it.