Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
A Russian sleeper cell. A deadly conspiracy. Bob is on the warpath.

Ex-CIA assassin Bob Singleton agrees to help out an old friend, a police officer whose career is on the line when a body goes missing from an accident scene.

Sounds simple enough. But Bob has no idea what he’s getting into. Because the missing body is linked to a legendary Russian spy, codename Uncle.

Together with the granddaughter of the missing man, Bob starts to investigate. They immediately find themselves in the crosshairs of an elite team of Russian killers determined to protect Uncle’s identity at all costs.

Then Bob’s nemesis, CIA boss Eddie Stone, appears and offers a deal – bring Uncle in and the agency will stop trying to kill you. You can have your life back.

It’s something Bob badly wants. Can he escape the assassins and uncover Uncle’s true identity? He knows the odds are stacked against him.

But the clock is already ticking. And the body count is rising…

Body Count - the seventh in the thrilling Rogue Warrior action thriller series. Perfect for fans of Jason Kasper, Jack Carr, and Lee Child.

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 19, 2025

414 people are currently reading
44 people want to read

About the author

Ian Loome

36 books147 followers
Have you reviewed one of my books?


I formerly wrote under the pennames "Sam Powers" and "LH Thomson". I was offline for most of the last five years! Send me an email at ian@ianloome.com if you're interested in a review copy of my latest.


Would you like to try my writing?


Grab a couple of free novels at https://ianloome.com/readergroup/


Ian Loome originally published novels as 'LH Thomson' and 'Sam Powers' before consolidating them under his own name in 2021.

He grew up in Africa, England and Canada. A former journalist, he was born in Libya and spent much of his youth in Africa in a communist dictatorship. A weekend tennis match was often against a member of the KGB or East German Stasi. He has lived around the world and covered stories ranging violent crime to features and celebrity interviews.

He served several stints as a legislature reporter, assignment editor and newsroom manager.

He writes the Liam Quinn Mysteries, the Joe Brennan spy novels and numerous stand-alone titles. In his spare time, he plays blues guitar and has toured with a radio charting blues band.

On the autism and ADHD spectrums, he lives with his partner Lori in Canada.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
586 (56%)
4 stars
334 (32%)
3 stars
86 (8%)
2 stars
21 (2%)
1 star
3 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
Profile Image for Abibliofob.
1,593 reviews102 followers
January 9, 2025
For those of you that loved the americans. Body Count by Ian Loome could be something to enjoy. Bob Singleton aka Rogue Warrior is still hunted by the CIA amongst others, and his friend is only asking for a little help with a missing body at the scene of a road accident. Easy right? Well Bob soon suspects that the missing man is a russian sleeper and no one believes him until more russians appear in the small community. Even his old boss at the CIA believes him and are willing to stop the hunt for him. I really like this series and the struggles Loome puts Bob through. I must thank Inkubator Books and Netgalley for letting me read this advance copy, out in stores this January.
1,476 reviews25 followers
January 12, 2025
This is another great read in this great series but this time, things are slightly different. Yes, there's lots of action and yes, Bob is once again put through the wringer both mentally and physically. However, we have the added element of some Russian sleeper agents in the mix. If you are familiar with the series The Americans, this is in a similar vein with some seemingly regular Americans being deeply embedded agents for generations. I found this an even more enjoyable element added to the mix especially as it was unexpected initially with Bob helping his policeman friend find out what happened to a lost body at a road accident site which has resulted in the friend being suspended.

Along with the fast-paced story, I really enjoyed the interaction in the latter part between Bob and Stone. I enjoyed how the story twisted to make me think things were resolved but of course, things are never that simple in Bob's world. Can't wait for the next one.
563 reviews10 followers
January 4, 2025
I received an ARC from the Author and the publisher, Inkubator Books. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Ian Loome continues to produce entertaining thrillers. Body Count is the latest in the Rogue Warrior series about Bob Singleton. While this is the seventh book in the series, I have only read three of them to date.

As our protagonist, Bob Singleton, makes his way across the United States (traveling under a pseudonym), he comes across an old friend, Mike Schultz, in Portland, ME who has an issue that he requires some assistance with.

In the course of doing a good deed (driving some of his fellow officers home after they had indulged in a few too many "wobbly-pops"), he answers a radio call that eventually put him into dire straits. Schultz goes to the scene of an accident where one of the victim's bodies has seemingly disappeared. As a result of this 'disappearance", Schultz's career is placed under scrutiny.

Our protagonist, Bob Singleton, who happens to be working in town, decides to help his friend sort out some of his troubles. Sounds simple enough. But Bob has no idea what he’s getting into.

As Bob starts to dig into things a little deeper in an attempt to get to the bottom of this mystery, he stumbles across a relic of the "Cold War" era - a Soviet "sleeper cell".

A sleeper cell is a group of operatives, spies, or terrorists who are hidden in a target community and wait for orders or an opportunity to act. The members of a sleeper cell are known as sleeper agents. Sleeper agents are placed in a target country or organization to act as a potential asset if activated in the future. They can play an active role in sabotage, sedition, espionage, or treason, even if they are not activated.

As Singleton's investigation continues, he discovers that the missing body is linked to a spy ring led by a legendary Russian spy, codename "Uncle".

Together with the granddaughter of the missing man, Bob starts to investigate. They immediately find themselves in the crosshairs of an elite team of Russian killers determined to protect the identity of "Uncle" at all costs. Singleton's pursuit of answers leads him to uncover a deadly conspiracy involving a Russian sleeper cell, forcing him to navigate a treacherous path filled with twists and betrayals

This is a story of where the past can come back to haunt you as the main character, Bob Singleton - a former CIA sniper for Team Seven (apparently 15 years in the past), is brought back into a situation where his nemesis from the CIA, Eddie Stone appears and offers a deal – bring Uncle in and the agency will stop trying to kill you. You can have your life back.

It’s something Bob badly wants.

Loome masterfully balances high-stakes action with character-driven moments, making Singleton not just a relentless operative but also a deeply relatable hero. Body Count is an exciting read and is destined to be a favourite for aficionados of action and adventure novels. Perfect for fans of Jason Kasper, Jack Carr, and Lee Child. On a five-star rating, I would give this book a solid four-star rating.

As with all my literary ramblings, these are just my five cents worth.
Profile Image for Meg Pearson.
391 reviews9 followers
January 1, 2025
Ian Loome delivers another electrifying installment with Body Count, a gripping thriller packed with suspense, action, and intrigue. Former CIA assassin Bob Singleton returns to the fray, and this time, he’s helping an old friend whose career is on the line after a body mysteriously vanishes from an accident scene.

From the opening pages, the story propels readers into a whirlwind of tension and danger. Singleton's pursuit of answers leads him to uncover a deadly conspiracy involving a Russian sleeper cell, forcing him to navigate a treacherous path filled with twists and betrayals. Loome masterfully balances high-stakes action with character-driven moments, making Singleton not just a relentless operative but also a deeply relatable hero.

The pacing is tight, with scenes that immerse you so deeply you can almost hear the crack of gunfire or feel the crunch of leaves underfoot during tense chases. The twists keep you guessing until the very end, and the stakes feel incredibly real as Singleton battles not only external enemies but also his own demons.

Highlights:

The suspenseful and well-designed plot, which keeps the story moving at a breakneck pace.
Loome’s vivid descriptions that make you feel like you’re right in the middle of the action.
The way the story ties up all its threads, offering a satisfying conclusion without loose ends.
Final Thoughts:
Body Count can be read as a standalone, but fans of the series will appreciate how it builds on Bob Singleton’s journey. With its action-packed narrative, sharp dialogue, and engaging characters, this is a must-read for thriller enthusiasts.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I couldn’t put this book down and highly recommend it to anyone who loves fast-paced, heart-pounding thrillers!
Profile Image for Emerald Maple.
128 reviews20 followers
January 17, 2025
For an ex-CIA assassin, Bob Singleton ends up killing a lot of people. He also makes some stupid mistakes for someone who has survived CIA hit squads coming for him as they clean house over issues from the past.

These days, Bob is working as a roofer and determined to stay sober. His sponsor, Mike, calls him drunk and the book unravels from there. Mike is on leave from the police after losing a body from a crash site and as Bob starts investigating to help him get his job back, he gets caught up in a Russian spy ring.

The book has a lot of themes of family and patriotism. Does your upbringing make you a killer? For Bob and Nikolai, it did but they are also very different people. One enjoys killing, one sees it as righting the world of bad people. The spies also were also brought up in that world, with few of them having a choice in staying in it.

As for Uncle, I worked that out earlier than Bob did. Although by the time you get that far into the book, there are not a lot of people left who could be Uncle. I did find I enjoyed the book more once we got around halfway and Bob's old boss shows up with an offer of a truce and potentially removing the hit on Bob. It was action packed the whole way though but I enjoyed the back and forth with Eddie even if it was mostly them threatening to kill each other constantly.

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the copy for review. Body Count is available on January 19th.
Profile Image for BookishDramas.
851 reviews30 followers
February 1, 2025
3.5 stars.
Read this as an ARC and this review is my honest feedback of the book.

My first by the author, seventh book in this series is one serious, fast-paced, action-packed thriller. The story follows Bob, a former CIA assassin who's trying to stay sober and live a quieter life. But when his friend Mike, a local cop, gets into a tough spot after losing a body from a crash, Bob ends up tangled in a dangerous situation with Russian sleeper agents and espionage.

What makes the book stand out is Bob himself. He’s a complex guy—tough, skilled, but also one dealing with the consequences of his past while trying to make things right. It's clear he’s trying to be better, but he's constantly dragged back and you can’t help but root for him. His relationships in the book, especially with Mike and the people he cares about, really add emotional weight to the action. There’s a lot of tension, twists, and shady characters—both American and Russian—that keep you guessing.

The book is pretty relentless in its action, but it’s also got a good balance of character moments and reflections on Bob’s journey. For people like me who are into thrillers with a morally gray lead, high stakes, and a mix of personal and global drama, this story will definitely keep you hooked. And now I’m even more curious about what Bob’s going to get into next and am now searching for the earlier adventures.
Recommended.
1,739 reviews13 followers
January 15, 2025
I received an ARC through "Booksprout" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The story begins with Robert going to find his friend Mike who is his AA mentor. When he arrives, he discovers his friend is outside in the back where a fight is about to begin. Robert steps in and convinces the two who want to teach Mike a lesson that it is in their interest to back down. Robert takes Mike to his apartment so that Mike can sober up. Robert learns from Mike that he has been suspended and Robert agrees to look into it. As Robert begins his investigation, he meets Rachel whose grandfather has gone missing. Robert believes Rachel's grandfather was the individual whose body went missing.

During his investigation, Robert learns that there is a lot more to the story than what he was aware of. As a result, both Robert and Rachel are attacked and eventually captured. Robert eventually learns about a character known as "Uncle" that is an important piece in what is going on.

To discover who else came to help Robert, what role Rachel's family played and how it all ended, then you need to read this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Nikki Brooks.
3,556 reviews54 followers
January 19, 2025
Bob continues on his vagabond journey, hiding in plain sight from the CIA that is hunting him. When he fell off the wagon a local cop, Mike Schultz, in Portland, Maine, helped get back into group and he continues to take strides to hold onto his sobriety. But now it seems that it's Mike who is in a bit of a pickle. It would appear a body from a crash site has disappeared!

Bob soon finds himself up to his neck in espionage, sleeper cells, and he has "acquired" an assistant of sorts. One with a very personal stake in solving the riddle of the missing body.

I really enjoy my outings with Bob and Co. He's a man fully aware of his failings and is finally happy to use his skills in the name of good. He'd rather not get back onto the radar of the CIA doing it, however. Dawn and Marcus continue to be his cornerstone, the people who keep him grounded and remind him of what a long way he has come.

There were plenty of twists and turns and I really did feel for poor Mike. Even one of the sleeper agents managed to elicit some sympathy from me. The lies, fibs and half-truths are flowing freely and Bob is left wondering if he'll ever sort out the mess.
127 reviews
January 5, 2025
Every time Bob thinks he's getting away from trouble, it always seems to find him no matter where he goes. As he tries to help a suspended cop friend out after a body mysteriously disappears from an accident scene, he uncovers something very strange at work in rustic Maine. In a plot including Russian sleeper agents disguised as red-blooded patriotic Americans, just about anything goes in this latest edition of the Rogue Warrior series.

The various reveals throughout the book kept things interesting, and the protagonist the spies are trying to protect is kept a surprise until the very end. As usual, like a Timex, Bob takes a licking and keeps on ticking throughout. While the plot was well-written and developed, what wasn't clear to me is why the sparsely populated state would ever be a hotbed of spy activity.

With that said, this was one of the more enjoyable books in the series, and I'm looking forward to see where the next stop on Bob's Tour de Force will be.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
567 reviews5 followers
January 17, 2025
CIA, Sleeper Cells, Russian Spy’s - this one has it all!

This is the 7th book in The Rogue Warrior series. I have not read books 1-6 and while I could follow the storyline, there is a lot going on. I really believe that reading the books in order would really be beneficial. There are some references to places like Tucson and New York that I had no idea what it meant. I’m not sure how much the backstory would have added to this book but it would have been nice to know regardless.

This book is 39 chapters long and I’ll make an assumption the other books are of similar length. I do feel that there were some parts of the book that could have been shortened a little bit. I’m a very avid reader and at times I had to out the book down and take a break. There is a lot of action which I really liked. I do think I’d like to go back and start the series at the beginning to see if I can get more into it. I'd really like to know about Tehran and Team Seven (I think they were called).

I’d give this book 3.5 stars but I’m rounding up to 4 since I am interested in the series.
Profile Image for Ganesh Subramanian.
218 reviews9 followers
January 23, 2025
The seventh book in the Rogue Warrior series, the book starts with Bob Singleton rescuing Mike from two men out to settle a score. Mike is a police Officer who has been asked to find a dead body that disappeared in his apparent custody. He stands to lose his job if he does not find it and Bob decides to help him find it and also investigate the reasons for its mysterious disappearance. The plot thickens as the author builds up the story very imaginatively with a Russian sleeper cell deep in hibernation in a remote city in the USA. The story is no doubt interesting with the final unexpected twist that makes all the efforts worthwhile. An enjoyable weekend read.
Thank you ‎for providing this book for review via Booksprout. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for patrick Lorelli.
3,768 reviews37 followers
February 27, 2025
Bob, who is always trying to lay low, is once again caught in the cross hairs of a plot. Here you have a police officer who needs his help because a body is missing after a car accident. Once you get into the story, you find out that the body and some other people were a group of Russian spies, actually sleepers from many years ago. Now the Russians have decided to eliminate them, seeing Bob brings them back to a case from a few books ago when another Russian went after Bob and failed. Now he has two groups to deal with, plus the C.I.A. who says they are willing to let him go if he can handle this situation. He does not believe this either. This is one of the better stories with many twists and turns, with different characters that will surprise you. An excellent book.
Profile Image for Claudete Takahashi.
2,626 reviews37 followers
January 16, 2025
Bob Singleton is hunted by the FBI and many other agencies/bad people in the world. Although living undercover in a small town he is asked to help to find a corpse that disappeared from an accident scene. Soon a much bigger conspiracy is cut open as he believes the man who disappeared is a Russian spy and that something big is happening in the area involving the Russian ring. Full of action, mystery, lots of fighting, and a relentless man in pursuit of justice.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
47 reviews
January 18, 2025
Every book in the Bob Singleton Series just seems to get better. These books by Ian Loome are always busy, full of action and just fun to read. Love Bob. After reading this, and if not already done so, you will definitely want to read the other 6 in the series. Can be read as a standalone book. This is a" Who Is It" read. See how good you are at figuring it out. No Cheating. Am now already waiting for the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Shannon Binegar-Foster.
2,802 reviews19 followers
January 23, 2025
I had a really hard time getting into this one. The vernacular really threw me off. The storyline didn’t grab me and begin to be interesting until nearly halfway through. From then on it was a great intriguing thriller. I loved the twists and turns than came in the second half. I even figured out who “uncle” was before it was revealed. This is my first book by this author. I plan on going back to see what I missed in the previous books. Hopefully they will be better thrillers.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
434 reviews3 followers
February 5, 2025
Hiding out in a small town, Bob Singleton, the Rogue Warrior, is still dodging several law enforcement agencies and villains when a friend comes to him for help in finding a missing accident body. What appears as a simple task suddenly turns into a complex hunt for a Russian spy. Throw in a Russian kill squad and a possible pardon from the CIA, and you've got an action-packed thriller with plenty of twists and turns jammed into the story to keep the reader engaged till the end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
818 reviews9 followers
January 22, 2025
This is the 6th book in the Rogue Warrior series from Ian Loome and it doesn't disappoint. A Russian sleeper cell and a deadly conspiracy puts Bob on the edge. Bob is an ex-CIA assassin and he has told his friend who is a police officer that he will help him. A body has gone missing from an accident scene and his buddy's job is on the line but when the body turns up linked to a Russian spy things go south quickly.
107 reviews2 followers
March 8, 2025
Good, not great

Maybe I'm getting a little burned out on the series after reading three books in a row, but I'm tired of the hero getting captured, somehow escaping, rinse and repeat over and over. He's either the unluckiest or luckiest guy on the planet. The plot is decent with a couple surprises, but the same thing happens over and over in a different city than the previous book.
1,774 reviews9 followers
January 10, 2025
Good read. Bob seems to be a magnet attracting trouble and dead bodies wherever he travels. In trying to help his friend, a small town policeman, he manages to stumble upon a cell of Russian spies together with their hit men. Fast paced, action packed and well written this is an entertaining read.
446 reviews
January 20, 2025
Adventures of Bob Singleton. Undercover and out in the open. Saving some, rescuing others trying to work out the mystery. Never a dull day. Always nice to have plenty of bullets but not really needed… or are they. Never quite knowing who to trust. Willing to take more risks than he should. You only die once or twice or trice.
1,265 reviews29 followers
January 3, 2025
This book is well written, easy to read, and has very good characters. Unfortunately, the entertainment value drops with strange actions and incredibly stupid tactics from the main character and his sidekick.
1,544 reviews12 followers
January 19, 2025
Definite page turner w/ plenty of excitement rather it's Bob being shot at or Bob discovering well kept secret identities course it could be hidden agendas that will put the general public in harms way it's hard to tell where the next twist in the plot will take you, but it's sure to surprise you.
Profile Image for Rhonda.
2,947 reviews48 followers
February 9, 2025
There is suspense and Intrigue around every corner. So many twists and turns that it keeps you guessing until the end. Like the strong male character. Good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
19 reviews
March 1, 2025
Review for the 7 book series

I have left a 5 star review for the entire 7 book series which i have read in order. The stories, I have found to be good, entertaining reads. The characters have all contributed to stories that have provided enjoyable reading.
2 reviews
April 3, 2025
Another awesome adventure for Bob

Nonstop action and thrills with a Russian sleeper cell in Maine when Bob tries to help a policeman friend find a missing body and gets much more than he bargained for. These books keep getting better and better.
3 reviews
January 29, 2025
Great read

Great read. I love Bob Singleton always trying to do the right thing. Don't miss #7 book in the series.





46 reviews
May 26, 2025
Okay

Couldn't get into to this one. Too many times Bob was beaten only to be saved. by someone else's involvement.
Profile Image for ShanDizzy .
1,342 reviews
September 8, 2025
That wouldn’t stop Stone from sending men after him, trying to keep his agreement with his boss, Andrew Kennedy, to take the last survivor of Tehran off the board. He had to keep on moving.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.