What do you think?
Rate this book
OUTCAST Ops #1
Game of Drones
When a highly sophisticated terror cell steals a contingent of deadly Reaper drones from a U.S. military base, no one has to wonder for long what they'll be used for. As America's own top military technology is turned against its homeland, it looks as though, for the first time in history, the president will have no choice but to give in to terrorist demands.
Enter O.U.T.C.A.S.T. (Operational Undertaking To Counteract Active Stateside Threats)--six ex-operatives from six of America’s most powerful organizations. Each has been unceremoniously released by their respective former employer for alleged misdoings that leave their pride wounded but their essential skill-sets untouched. After uniting over their shared bond of dismissal from the nation’s most elite outfits, the disgruntled spooks realize that they can work together like never before to take down threats to their beloved country, a country that branded them as outcasts but needs them now more than ever.
As a nauseating wave of drone strikes brings the eastern seaboard to its knees, O.U.T.C.A.S.T. is hell-bent on showing America that their way isn't the best way--it's the only way.
Enter O.U.T.C.A.S.T. (Operational Undertaking To Counteract Active Stateside Threats)--six ex-operatives from six of America’s most powerful organizations. Each has been unceremoniously released by their respective former employer for alleged misdoings that leave their pride wounded but their essential skill-sets untouched. After uniting over their shared bond of dismissal from the nation’s most elite outfits, the disgruntled spooks realize that they can work together like never before to take down threats to their beloved country, a country that branded them as outcasts but needs them now more than ever.
As a nauseating wave of drone strikes brings the eastern seaboard to its knees, O.U.T.C.A.S.T. is hell-bent on showing America that their way isn't the best way--it's the only way.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 20, 2014
55 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
About the author
Rick Jones
109 books194 followersRick Jones was born and raised in the Boston area and moved to Las Vegas in the early eighties where he graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a degree in English. Currently, he is employed with the state of Nevada in law enforcement, and enjoys traveling, especially to Rome and Vatican City where many of the settings for his novels take place.
Rick Jones is also an avid writer and the creator of the Vatican Knight series (VATICAN KNIGHTS, SHEPHERD ONE and The ISCARIOT AGENDA), and the psychological thriller, THE MAN WHO CAST TWO SHADOWS.
He lives in Las Vegas with his two mini schnauzers, Wrangler and Hobo.
Rick Jones is also an avid writer and the creator of the Vatican Knight series (VATICAN KNIGHTS, SHEPHERD ONE and The ISCARIOT AGENDA), and the psychological thriller, THE MAN WHO CAST TWO SHADOWS.
He lives in Las Vegas with his two mini schnauzers, Wrangler and Hobo.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 6, 2015
This is not a very well written book. Tough to call it an action thriller, when the 1st Outcast operator does not shoot a terrorist until 74% into the story. H'mm, can't see Matt Reilly doing that with any of his Scarecrow thrillers.
Cannot even say this is a good summer read. It is written in a very simple way. This would be a direct to DVD type of thriller, like those movies with giant Sharks and such.
The Outcasts are supposed to be this tough as nails secret outfit made up of military type misfits and such. Like we haven't seen that before. By the time they became involved, the story is almost over.
I was not impressed with any of the characters. One of them did a very noble deed at the end, but much too late to save this clunker. Thank goodness I picked this up for free, I just lost a few hours of my time and not any money.
My gripes: not enough action, a simple storyline, black and white villains and heroes. The characters were not well written, the overall writing style was basic and lacked any punch.
I truly do not see anyone giving this book more than a 3-star review and that is being VERY generous. Check out my reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. I'm a Action-Zombie-Special Op junkie and this SHOULD have been right up my alley. I love action books, but I mean WELL WRITTEN action books.
How come no one else was able to figure out where the villains were launching the drones? One of the female characters was a bomb expert. Author went into detail on this. First time she comes across some bombs to defuse, she says there are too complicated and she can't do anything. Later she gets another chance and this time can only defuse half the bombs and runs out when she figures she cannot get the job done...Remind me why this character was in the book in the first place? Can you see this happening with Joe Ledger and his crew (Patient Zero and so on).
Since we already have an "A" Team, this guys might qualify as a "D" team.
Cannot even say this is a good summer read. It is written in a very simple way. This would be a direct to DVD type of thriller, like those movies with giant Sharks and such.
The Outcasts are supposed to be this tough as nails secret outfit made up of military type misfits and such. Like we haven't seen that before. By the time they became involved, the story is almost over.
I was not impressed with any of the characters. One of them did a very noble deed at the end, but much too late to save this clunker. Thank goodness I picked this up for free, I just lost a few hours of my time and not any money.
My gripes: not enough action, a simple storyline, black and white villains and heroes. The characters were not well written, the overall writing style was basic and lacked any punch.
I truly do not see anyone giving this book more than a 3-star review and that is being VERY generous. Check out my reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. I'm a Action-Zombie-Special Op junkie and this SHOULD have been right up my alley. I love action books, but I mean WELL WRITTEN action books.
How come no one else was able to figure out where the villains were launching the drones? One of the female characters was a bomb expert. Author went into detail on this. First time she comes across some bombs to defuse, she says there are too complicated and she can't do anything. Later she gets another chance and this time can only defuse half the bombs and runs out when she figures she cannot get the job done...Remind me why this character was in the book in the first place? Can you see this happening with Joe Ledger and his crew (Patient Zero and so on).
Since we already have an "A" Team, this guys might qualify as a "D" team.
October 28, 2014
Game of Drones by Rick Jones and Rick Chesler is a military action introducing the O.U.T.C.A.S.T. Team.
A base on US soil is attacked and the attackers get away with 4 drones and numerous attachable weapons. These aren’t just any drones, these are stealth drones. Their first target is an airplane full of passengers, one of which is a senator. The president authorizes all measures to acquire the stolen drones and the terrorists. In comes O.U.T.C.A.S.T.
This story is very plausible. Our president and military leaders could learn from reading it. At least I hope they would learn something from it. The team is smart, efficient, and autonomous. It’s a pleasure to see smart people getting the job done. I enjoyed it and recommend it for those who enjoy military thrillers.
A base on US soil is attacked and the attackers get away with 4 drones and numerous attachable weapons. These aren’t just any drones, these are stealth drones. Their first target is an airplane full of passengers, one of which is a senator. The president authorizes all measures to acquire the stolen drones and the terrorists. In comes O.U.T.C.A.S.T.
This story is very plausible. Our president and military leaders could learn from reading it. At least I hope they would learn something from it. The team is smart, efficient, and autonomous. It’s a pleasure to see smart people getting the job done. I enjoyed it and recommend it for those who enjoy military thrillers.
May 9, 2015
A good read with an interesting plot-line of homegrown terrorists trying to bring America down from the inside with their own weaponry. I enjoyed the story but I was never fully captivated by it, as a concept it would work better on screen. The Characters were decent but all the good guys conformed to a stereotype of troubled past and a lack of respect for authority. The character that died was expected as the character had the most to lose. Overall a good read but nothing more than good, it didn't draw me in and force me to read on, i could pick it up and put it down on a whim
September 2, 2015
Lots of action from new hero, Tanner Wilson and his team of outcasts. A good storyline but I thought the outlining of the characters' histories was a little repetitive which is why I only gave four stars. I enjoyed the book and will be reading more from Rick Jones and Rick Chesler.
February 13, 2017
Loved it
Kept me up because I couldn't put it down. I thoroughly enjoy this genre it has so much action and suspense.
Kept me up because I couldn't put it down. I thoroughly enjoy this genre it has so much action and suspense.
July 28, 2018
very good read believable action scenes and ethical dilemmas
highly reccomended
highly reccomended
June 13, 2015
Technically and militarily inaccurate
The F4 Phantom is no longer a current Air Force fighter jet. It was replaced beginning in 1974 by the F15 Eagle and the F16 Falcon. I believe that the last squadron of F4's left soon after the first gulf war, and those were only in guard and reserve units.
The reaper drone used to be called the predator b. The name has been charged to the MQ-9 Reaper. The reaper can carry up to 4 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and a total of 2 other bombs. 500 pound JDAM's or Paveway (laser guided bombs).
While light enough, the wingspan of 66 feet would keep it from being able to out maneuver an Airbus, let alone a F15, F16, FA-18, F-22 or the F-35.
The AGM-114 Hellfire missile is exclusively a ground attack missile. Using it to shoot down an air target is ridiculous. The MQ-9 Reaper is not currently fitted with air to air capabilities, nor is it or could it be configured for stealth. The Navy is developing a UCAV that might be able to do the things you've written, but I believe it's still in development.
The President would have military advisors with him, not just political hacks.
Stealth drones would still be able to be seen on radar, but at a much reduced range. It is my belief that there would be several AWAC's flying to guard the approaches to high value targets, with fighters in attendance.
There are so many mistakes, it's hard to list them all, but on the bright side, the story was good. If you intend to write in the military field, you should try to find an editor with military experience. It's best to confine your writing to things you know about. The way this is written makes it hard to suspend disbelief.
The F4 Phantom is no longer a current Air Force fighter jet. It was replaced beginning in 1974 by the F15 Eagle and the F16 Falcon. I believe that the last squadron of F4's left soon after the first gulf war, and those were only in guard and reserve units.
The reaper drone used to be called the predator b. The name has been charged to the MQ-9 Reaper. The reaper can carry up to 4 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and a total of 2 other bombs. 500 pound JDAM's or Paveway (laser guided bombs).
While light enough, the wingspan of 66 feet would keep it from being able to out maneuver an Airbus, let alone a F15, F16, FA-18, F-22 or the F-35.
The AGM-114 Hellfire missile is exclusively a ground attack missile. Using it to shoot down an air target is ridiculous. The MQ-9 Reaper is not currently fitted with air to air capabilities, nor is it or could it be configured for stealth. The Navy is developing a UCAV that might be able to do the things you've written, but I believe it's still in development.
The President would have military advisors with him, not just political hacks.
Stealth drones would still be able to be seen on radar, but at a much reduced range. It is my belief that there would be several AWAC's flying to guard the approaches to high value targets, with fighters in attendance.
There are so many mistakes, it's hard to list them all, but on the bright side, the story was good. If you intend to write in the military field, you should try to find an editor with military experience. It's best to confine your writing to things you know about. The way this is written makes it hard to suspend disbelief.
May 6, 2022
I really tried to like this story, but there were so many screwed up details it was distracting from the overall plot. Let's start with the drone's speed capabilities-135MPH and yet it is going fast enough to circle a commercial airliner and focus its camera into the cockpit to look at the pilot while a commercial airliner is cruising at more than 300MPH. Doesn't compute! Then there's the US AirForce using antiquated F-4 Phantoms. That's a 70's era plane. Plus it might even stall at the low speed of a drone. At the least, it would lose almost all maneuverability at such low speeds. Moving on-there are 3 drones left and our hero figures they'll strike DC one more time, and then he changes course without apprising the readers as if he forgot all about his earlier thoughts. Or the blinking red LEDs on hidden explosives? Really? And when the group broke into teams, Nay is with Shah at one point and Alveraz at another. If the authors can't keep their characters straight, how do they expect the readers to follow them? On another note, the characters seemed lifeless, single dimensional, and without any emotional connection to the reader. And who finances this elaborate headquarters that OUTCAST has with all its expensive toys? I could go on, but what's the point?
June 11, 2014
This was such a good story, it will make you laugh, cry, gasp, rejoice and have you on the edge of your seat. It is well written with fantastic characters that you will love. Rick Jones & Rick Chesler do a wonderful job co-authoring, they really complement each other. If you haven't already, I'd suggest checking out their individual work too.
Read
May 10, 2015Five stars
A good story, well written and with just the right length! I enjoyed the tale of these outcasts - even though I didn't believe it. It was a nice fantasy. Easy reading, I read it in one reading, may should have been two or three. Can't wait for the ne t book by this author.
A good story, well written and with just the right length! I enjoyed the tale of these outcasts - even though I didn't believe it. It was a nice fantasy. Easy reading, I read it in one reading, may should have been two or three. Can't wait for the ne t book by this author.
July 28, 2016
Horrible book which had unbelievable promise. It's wordy, not an action book, and this read got lost in all the verbiage. Twelve chapters to "tell" about the situation, describe people down to a gnat's eyebrow and boring...oh yeah. I got to Chapter 13 and then just skipped to the end. I don't recommend this book. War and Peace had more "show" to it than this book and that is saying something!
May 28, 2014
Wow. Made my hair curl. If you think drones are a bit much you will still be freaked out. Nonstop action and suspense with very likeable good guys. Perhaps reading this while on a plane to NY wasn't such good timing on my part, but who knew??? :)
July 13, 2015
24 meets Mission Impossible
Excellent adventure! Was waiting for Jack Bauer or Jim Phelps to appear. Mostly clean dialogue and realistic that even bad things happen to the good guys. Would definitely read more OUTCAST books given any opportunities.
Excellent adventure! Was waiting for Jack Bauer or Jim Phelps to appear. Mostly clean dialogue and realistic that even bad things happen to the good guys. Would definitely read more OUTCAST books given any opportunities.
December 30, 2015
Easy, fun, and fast-paced book. Never a dull moment and full of non-stop action. Quick read and not a lot of depth to it. But, if you are looking to be entertained with a light read and lots of suspense... I recommend this book. Looking forward to reading the next book in the OUTCAST series.
February 3, 2016
Five Reaper drones are stolen from a U.S. military base. It's up to a team of six ex-operative released from duty from six of America's most elite organizations for alleged misdoings to stop the terrorist and remove the threat. Very fast action read.
August 22, 2016
Not really worth the time
Too much repetition. Once being told someone has piercing blue eyes, do I need it repeated every time the characters shows up again?
The characters weren't engaging and all the dialogue was stilted.
Too much repetition. Once being told someone has piercing blue eyes, do I need it repeated every time the characters shows up again?
The characters weren't engaging and all the dialogue was stilted.
May 7, 2015
Suspense!
I found myself reading and turning pages as quickly as possible towards the end of this book as the countdown kept going. Suspense at its best.
I found myself reading and turning pages as quickly as possible towards the end of this book as the countdown kept going. Suspense at its best.
June 27, 2015
Enjoyable - I'm surprised someone isn't making it into a movie
May 26, 2015
very American's worst nightmare. very right wing. action packed. sad ending. self sacrifice
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews