Code of Arms

Gideon Ryker #1

by Jack Slater

He can’t run. He can’t hide. He can’t remember…

Six weeks ago, Gideon Ryker awoke from a coma in the French chateau where veterans of the Foreign Legion live out their final days in peace. His body is a torturer’s canvas, his mind an empty slate—except for haunting dreams of a young girl’s face. He doesn’t even remember his name.

But he knows that a legionnaire’s life is a brutal struggle. The only a new identity and passport. A fresh start. You’d only take that deal if you needed to forget your past life.

Or escape it...

Clearly Gideon didn’t run fast enough. Someone caught up with him once. And when a CIA hit squad arrives at the chateau, he discovers that hunting season isn’t over.

But where did he come from? Who is the girl that stalks his dreams?

And why does everybody want him dead?

Genres: Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense

472 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 21, 2024

Reviews

[Melody]

code of arms

I liked the premise of the book but dislike the “F” work being used as much as it was. The story would have been just as good without it.

[Erth]

Great book. Lots of action and suspense. Audio narration was a huge plus.

[Kevin Israel]

This was not a good book. Mediocre at best. I’ve read a lot of the usual suspects in this genre - Reacher, Rapp, Andreas, Grey Man, Orphan X. Code of Arms did not stand up to those. A generic story and VERY bland characters. It had potential but a sloppy plot and terrible dialogue ruined it.

[Tomasz]

"The Bourne Identity" rewritten and slightly updated: there's this Secret Cult (holding the biggest ranch in Texas and somehow attracting ever more members) which breeds tough fighters and docile mothers... until, one day, heir apparent to the cult's leader decides to get out. So, he escapes, but leaving the big happy family is not that easy - they track him down and lure him in and torture him to the point of turning him amnesiac... and then he escapes again, so all bets are off.
I might be inclined to rate it a star higher, this is a fairly competent, if generic thriller, but the author couldn't be bothered to check for continuity errors, so we get a knocked-out guy suddenly termed a corpse and then revived again, and a laptop that can be closed down twice in a row. Also, very obviously a first volume in a series.

[Randy]

Entertaining book with two interesting characters who join up to thwart the machinations of a big time Senator and a weird, but large, Spartan-like cult. Our hero finds himself in France at the rehab center for the French foreign legion. He has no memory but when armed men arrive to kill him discovers that he does remember his military training. He is, like so many action adventure characters, a killing machine. There is a significant body count in book one of this series and it doesn’t take a seer to predict that this trail of mayhem will continue as our heroes, still being hunted at the end of this book, decide on their next mission which may be to rescue a sister from the cult. Perhaps they will figure out a way to destroy the cult in its entirety. The story and the action pulls you along. It’s a bit of a page turner. The writing is okay, not great. It’s sort of like a fleshed out screenplay. Not sure if I will continue to book two. But it was a nice change of pace from the heavier reading I’ve been doing lately.

[Jessica Ramirez]

Great new series from Jack Slater

I have been reading Jack Slater’s Jason Trapp series for years, and it’s always been worth a read, but this book, and its characters, are markedly better than anything I have read from this author before.

The book starts out much like Jason Bourne, with a man name Gabriel Ryker waking up in France with no recollection of who he is. While living with that and trying to rediscover himself, a team comes to kill him.

The attempt to kill him gives Ryker the first clues as to who he really is, and sets him on a journey to discover the rest, and why some very powerful people want him dead.

The book is well written, with a ton of action, and a plot, that keeps it moving. I recommend this book to any reader of action thrillers. You won’t regret reading it, and you will look forward to the next book in the series

[Jenny Jackson]

Gideon and Zara

This book was exciting from beginning to end. I felt like it was a good mix of Jason Borne and Jack Reacher. It was heavy on the action and mystery. It was well written and descriptive so I could really feel like I could visualize the scene easily.

I thought this was a great start to this series. Gideon was mysterious and indestructible. He was everything I would want in a fictional special forces character. I really enjoyed that this adventure took a tour through southern France. It was interesting to have a glimpse into the Foreign Legion and how it operates.

Zara and Gideon’s quest to take down Senator McKinney was filled with action and mystery. I loved uncovering Gideon’s memories right along with Zara. They made a great team. They definitely are only at the beginning on their story and I can’t wait to see where this adventure goes next.

[Delonna Oskouee]

Too bad Jack Slater thinks everyone in the world has a potty mouth.

I would've really liked this book and even said it came close to some of my fave Jack Reacher books. But I hate the "F" word with a vengeance. It cheapens and degrades everyone & everything it touches. There are millions of people in the world that feel the same way I do. It's a poor excuse for descriptive vocabulary and research. Gideon and Zara are really good characters that made me keep reading. Too bad Jack Slater thinks he needs ratings to pad his writing.

[Jaume Ayala]

Well, here it is a new character from Jack Slater.
I liked Jason Trapp and liked very much Blake Larsen and this Gideon Ryker is not like Jason or Blake for me after first book.
Character is well set but I guess the Waco-like plot is not the best fo my expectations although I found interesting the operations background coming form French Legion instead usual CIA, Delta, SAS, Ranger.... trainings.
Currently there is one more book published in this series, I will go for it to check, once character is set, how story evolves

[Faith E Dower]

Action packed

Jack Slater's novel reads like a screenplay for an action/adventure movie. As it rapidly moves along, the reader is easily able to envision the scene. Like most stories of this ilk, there's lots of blood, gunshots and chase scenes. No profanity and only implied physical intimacy. Gideon Ryker's persona develops over the course of the novel as we get to know the reluctant warrior/hero as his amnesia dissipates.

[Jeff Benham]

Senator McKinney wants Gideon dead. Why is the question, but he should be an easy target. He is in a compound where French Foreign Legend soldiers go to mend. Gideon is not an easy target and we get to watch the story of his life unfold as he goes on the defensive and then starts to fight back. Excellent story!

[Holly]

riveting

This was just an amazing read. Totally captures your attention from page one until the last sentence. A brilliant story with many mamy twists and turns and a hero that you wish existed. It’s a wild ride of a novel and I couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait for more! This is my fav genre and this one goes to the top of my list. It’s that brilliant

[Kim Hammork]

Excellent start for new series

OMG. I could not put this book down. I almost canceled my CPR class just to keep reading it. I'm already a fan of this author, the Trapp series is one of my favorites. He really hit it out of the ball park with this one. Good story line, awesome characters. I can't wait for the next one.

[R Ricalde]

Exciting new character from Mr. Slater. Long time fan of Trapp and Gideon Ryker is a great follow up.
This was a terrific thrill ride with lots of twists and turns. My only complaint was the ending which was not quite as "clean" as I would have preferred. Leads one to look for the next chapter to get a clean end to Code of Arms.

[Rosemary Dreyer]

If you don’t know the Bourne franchise, then you might enjoy this book. However, if you are a fan of Bourne, then this is a knock-off story. Things that are like Bourne: the hero has amnesia, his killer fighting instincts come back through muscle memory, and there is a woman who joins with him on the wild ride. Overall, it was just okay.

[Dayton G. Sauerman]

Excellent 1st Book

I don’t usually review a series until the 3rd book, to give the characters a chance to develop. However, Code of Arms is an exception. It’s a good read right out of the gate. Don’t know how many books will be in the series, but if book one is an example, we’ve got ourselves a winner!

[Danny]

No spoilers needed. Book was good enough. Gideon had a good enough introduction. Zara was okay. I didn't hook on with Gideon's past. I was intrigued by it and was hoping for a big reveal, but nothing came. The setting was okay. Same with the climax. Overall, for me it was just an okay read. For the time being Gideon is no Jason Trapp, maybe in future reads the character will grow on me.

[Frank Dupree]

A Day in the Life

One week… one day at a time. But each day was so filled with danger! Secrets, hidden cameras, kompromot and more. Gideon and Zara met and bonded into a power packed duo that just would not let a day go by without fighting for their lives. An action packed book that delivers excitement and mystery on every page.

[Randy Pope]

A roller-coaster upside-down and backwards

A great start to a series. Don't expect normal. It's quite a wild ride. Read straight through. If action is your addiction then Geidon is your pill. Enjoy!

[Greer Andjanetta]

Yet another American superhero who fights off hordes of bad guys to win the day. An easy-to-read book with nothing to differentiate it from hundreds of others with the same theme - corrupt politicians and compliant females.

[Mary Rowe]

action all the way through

A brutally beaten man, physically better but missing his identity, recuperates in a sanctuary for French Foreign Legion veterans.

Hampered by his missing memories, he races to uncover why he’s a target and who wants him dead.

[Greg Hill]

Code of Arms (Gideon Ryker Book 1)

Great story and mystery about an organization most know little about. Strong male and female characters. Family drama. Loyalty and courage. I look forward to Book 2.

[Linda Look]

Gideon woke from a coma in France with no memory of his past or who he is. When the CIA attacked the conclave to capture him, he ran. He seemed to have great warrior skills and was successful in evading his enemies but they just kept coming. Good read, strong characters. I rate this a 4.5.

[William M. Stone III]

Jason Bourne revisited??????????

Not quite. Good story, a,little too much violence for me but too many things left in the air. I hate books that beg you to read the next book to find answers.

[Bryan Keele]

Action Packed

An action packed thrill ride from beginning to end. One of the rare books I have read that hardly ever takes its foot off the gas. Will definitely read the next book in this series.

[Martha White]

Entertaining thriller but like other have said, it could have used better editing to clean up the inconsistencies. Characters are somewhat two dimensional, but at the end of the day, it's a thriller.

[Edna Glover]

The characters were interesting and engaging. I found it way to wordy, too many descriptions of every last movement without making it clear what was happening.
Might be enjoyed by someone that was a war veteran. or gun aficionado, but not to a woman just likes a great story.

[Ruby]

Great Read

This is a great beginning to a new series I’m going to be devouring! Love Jack Slater’s work. Characters are well developed and the plots are believable and page turning. On to book 2

[Karen Hasbrouck]

A page turner

Good characterization. Plot well developed. Good description of action scenes. Liked the developing relationship between Sara and Gideon. Looking forward to next book.

[cindie schooner-ball]

Incredible page turner

It started out slow with me wondering just how Mr. Slater would connect all of the characters. Boy did he!
Now, all I want to do is immediately start reading the next one.
Great writing!