Bravo

Jad Bell #2

by Greg Rucka

The thrilling follow-up to Alpha continues the Jad Bell series from New York Times bestselling author Greg Rucka.

Still recovering from traumas both physical and emotional, Jad Bell is tasked with bringing in the Uzbek, principal organizer of the terrorist attack that nearly cost Bell his ex-wife and daughter. But the Uzbek's just the his employer, the Architect, has already set in motion another, even more devastating attack.

At the center of it all are two women under deep cover. One, as beautiful as she is deadly, has just been dispatched on American soil to execute the Architect's deadly plans. The other is an American just emerging from a complex web of lies, whose intel may be the only hope Bell has to stop the assault before it begins. But after years of pretending to be somebody else, can she be trusted?

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Military Fiction, Espionage, Audiobook, Book Club, Mystery

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Greg Rucka, is an American comic book writer and novelist, known for his work on such comics as Action Comics, Batwoman: Detective Comics, and the miniseries Superman: World of New Krypton for DC Comics, and for novels such as his Queen & Country series.

Reviews

[Doug Cummings · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doggone it, I really liked Alpha, the first in the Jad Bell series. Bravo is good but not as good as its predecessor.
I may have commented before that I'm not a fan of romance in thrillers. And, sex scenes slow the action and, I think, are superfluous. If you can't show that two characters care for each other in any way other than tossing them in bed together, you've got some learning to do. Frankly, the heavy romance(s) in Bravo felt like they were there more from an editor's insistence than the author's intention.
Plotwise, this is an okay novel but there's no real oomph as there was in Alpha. In fact the threat of a major terrorist incident takes a back seat to the mystery of the Architect and his followers. I never felt that any significant character was in mortal peril. In Alpha, that was the essence of the book. I liked learning about Jad's wife and spunky daughter. In Bravo, they're more or less relegated to walk-ons and predictable ones at that.
Even most of the action scenes are glossed over. The heart-racing you-are-there excitement that the action scenes in a really awesome thriller provide was missing.
I listened to Bravo on audio so part of my disappointment stems from the lackluster narration. John Glouchevitch sounds like he's reading the book from a comfy couch instead of being a little pissed he's parked on a wobbly stool in a cold studio. Point being, he has no edge to his voice. Rob Shapiro (who reads Alpha) offers a tough, cool, edgy presentation. I liked his narration so much, in fact, I searched for other books he's done and found Tom Woods' wonderful Victor the Assassin series and one of Barry Eisler's standalone as well.
Overall, if you're stuck on a flight with nothing else to read, Bravo is ... interesting. And if you're like me, you'll find a few places where you can pause for a nice nap.

[Jasper · Rating 3 out of 5]

good but not great.
there's something missing from these Jad Bell novels to bring it to the level of Rucka's Atticus Kodiak books. i can't put my finger on it.
the pacing and story are just fine. maybe it's the characters being a little flat? definitely recommended, ALPHA included, but perhaps wait for the paperback.

[Mike Shackle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Shame there won't be more in the series

[Den Shewman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, tense thriller that picks up the threads of ALPHA and does a cat-and-mouse between good and evil and government officials who don't care about either.

The story involves Jad Bell's special ops group as they capture and interrogate (no gore here) the evil mastermind behind the attack on a theme park in the previous book. This has a good amount of action, but spread out over the novel, whereas ALPHA was set-up, set-up, now loose the dogs of war!

The main ingredients here are bullets, love (for better and worse for the characters), and some people whose idea of patriotism isn't quite what the Founding Fathers would agree with.

A good read, but I'd say read ALPHA first. You don't need to for the story, but they are best as a 1-2 punch :)

[Matt Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

After an initial book with an instantly sellable premise (Die Hard At Disneyland!), Bravo proves a sequel cut from the same cloth (Alpha was intended to begin a series of novels by Greg Rucka centering around Delta Force operative Jad Bell) but about an entirely different subject matter. And while Alpha is very specifically Die Hard in many, many respects, this novel proves the long term viability off the Jad Bell series, one that I had dismissed as not for me (given my lack of interest in the ending of the aforementioned novel) despite the fact that all the signs of me actually liking the Jad Bell series were all things I liked about Alpha.

This is, mostly, down to Rucka's excellent characterization. This novel, in particular, was difficult to get into, having to get basically halfway through before I hit the point of "yeah no that's the stuff". I wasn't sure where it was going, what the point of it was. But by the halfway mark and rocketing into the end we have yet another excellent thriller from the mind of Greg Rucka as he weaves together the four perspectives that make up the central relationships of the novel, each one mirrored darkly in the visage of the other.

I mean, the primary selling point of this novel is "two women" and I read that and was like "EUGH" but having finished it, and seeing what it was that Rucka did not just with the women, but also with Bell and his counterpart in the Architect, I must admit he showed me. Again, Rucka is incredibly smart and incredibly empathetic, a dangerous combination that reveals just how much he understands the dangers of what it is that happens over the course of this novel. Look no further than the way he treats Petra in this novel, turning a character I initially dismissed as one thing into a wonderful example of "character I want to see more of" because of her background. Hell, I'd never considered the ramifications of being someone like Petra, what it is she must DO in order to be her, and now I find it shocking that more people don't talk about what it's like to be in her situation.

All in all, I only really read this because I wanted more Greg Rucka and didn't want to dive into yet another Queen & Country book after the Queen & Country binge I went on this month. I needed the break and Rucka gave me what is essentially a more Americanized, mainstream version of Queen & Country. It still has all his hallmarks and all his branding, and while it wasn't as insanely effing good as something "A Gentleman's Game", I must admit the ending of this felt pure Queen & Country and reminded me, again, as he always seems to every single time I read a book that he's written, why he's one of my favorite writers out there. Because he gets it. The best part of great thrillers don't have to be the housing raid with the SWAT team and kicking down doors and throwing flash grenades and shots fired. No. They can be about two men walking the streets of a city waiting for text messages, ordering gingerbread pancakes, and thinking about what the other man is thinking and what is imminently about to happen.

I still won't read Atticus Kodiak though. Probably. Not yet. Maybe. I don't know. It's a lot of books and I have two more Queen & Country books to go before I have to seriously consider it.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greg Rucka is a writer who has a very specific wheelhouse. His characters seem to come cut from a very specific cloth. What he cuts that cloth into is different each and every time, but he's come to master the craftmanship that is required to write the story that these characters populate. Atticus Kodiak, Tara Chase, and now Jad Bell are all high performance war-horses. They act with swift severity of action and are prone to take hits because of their apparent personality flaws. How they deal with those hits is where we see these characters deviate. Kodiak seems to know he's traveling a bad path and grudgingly accepts it, molding his personality to suit his new environment. Chase is a professional. She deals with her problems accordingly. With Jad Bell, we have a true soldier. One who knows procedure and can manage his team of operatives effectively because he is confident in his abilities and trusts his people. He definitely skews closer to Kodiak than Tara Chase does.

In Bravo we see Bell dealing with the fallout from the terrorist incident in Rucka's previous novel, Alpha. This terrorist incident left scars on Bell and his family, but as much as that fallout is affecting Bell and his daughter who witnessed the attack, the novel shows how Bell blocks off his emotions and feelings regarding the events of the previous book to focus on the issues at hand. It is a book about escalation. Bell and his team have a job to do. They do that job and complications arise. To call the book a tangled web would be an understatement.

Rucka introduces us to a new character, a member of an elite female-only team of operatives who has been undercover for so long that, upon extraction, cannot seem to make heads or tails of herself. One of our antagonists is in a similar situation, albeit on the other side and for her there is no coming out of the shell. Rucka seems greatly concerned with the idea of identity as it relates to duty. The characters in the novel that he focuses on with detail (as side characters do tend to come off as rough sketches with only hints of definition with regard to personality) all share the same feelings of fear and self doubt. These ruminations on character traits make for a compelling read, as the plot is something we've all seen before. This is by design on Rucka's part, as he has stated that he intended the Jad Bell series to play with the tropes and schemes of the military thriller hoping to hit every bullet point on his journey to the finish line.

Fans of Rucka's work will be pleased. Fans of military thrillers will be equally taken in, I'm sure. Rucka knows what he's doing and he is doing it well.

[David Rossetti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally come out of a Greg Rucka novel feeling positive about the experience, the way i would from a better than average action movie. His main characters are usually unique and human in interesting ways, the action is well choreographed, and he sprinkles the books with military and political details that feel real, at least to my civilian ears. They're not brilliant works of literature but for modern adventure you could do far worse.

I wasn't a big fan of "Alpha", the first book in the Jad Bell series of books about a double-secret double-special ops unit reminiscent of Clancy's Rainbox Six. Everything about the situations and characters felt a little too storyboarded, a little too Hollywood for my taste, with none of the quirk and wit of his earlier novels like "Smoker", "Critical Space," or "Shooting at Midnight". "Bravo" is very slightly better but there's still the whiff that what it really wanted to be was a movie script, and not a particularly great one. It's worth a read --particularly as a primer on writing the sort of generic action novel as a lure to studios-- but it's not Rucka's best work.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

With Bravo – the sequel to the Die Hard in a Theme Park nail-biter, Alpha – Greg Rucka has written another solid thriller, well-plotted and thoughtful in its portraits of secondary characters. Unfortunately, Jad Bell isn't a terribly compelling protagonist. He's one of those The Best There Is types, with a crumbled marriage and a rocky relationship with his daughter. He should be more interesting, as Rucka draws him as an ethical man who nevertheless faces moral doubts, personal struggles and tentative relationships, but there is just something missing – some spark of personality that brings him to life. Compounding this problem is my natural aversion to military jargon, hardware fetishes, and characters who espouse the holy trinity of Patriotism, Loyalty and Honour. Rucka loves this shit, but I would much rather explore the seedy underbellies of Pacific Northwest cities he evokes so well in books like Stumptown and A Fistful of Rain. Still, this was an entertaining bit of action.

[Joshua Atkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're already a fan of Greg Rucka (and why the heck aren't you if not), then BRAVO is just one more example of why. The stakes are just as high in the second book in the Jad Bell series, but the scale is pulled back a bit. Bell's team saved the day in ALPHA, but the threat isn't over. Who can they trust?

[Ensiform · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sequel starts immediately after the events of Alpha, its predecessor. Special Operative Jad Bell's team, having just neutralized one of the planners of the terrorist plot on WilsonVille, track down and capture the Uzbek, the mastermind behind the plot. But two complications arise: one a female American deep undercover operative working closely with the Uzbek, who now must work with Jad even as she tries to sort out her fragmented identity and loyalty. The other complication is that the Uzbek is just the tip of the iceberg, a mere middleman. The man some call The Architect is the one really pulling the strings, and Bell's team discovers that he's been paid to organize a second terrorist plot on US soil. As they race to uncover his identity, his blindly devoted agent in America uses her wiles to stop them any way possible, including going after their families.

After racing through the first book, I was extremely excited to get to this one. It did not disappoint at first. Rucka's story is one long adrenaline rush, a literally pulse-pounding sequence of shootouts, interrogations, betrayals, threats and deceptions. One scene in particular in which Jad's team runs a false flag operation to make the Architect think the Uzbek is dead and not just captured is brilliantly paced; although Rucka gives the readers hints as to what's really happening, it's still staggering when everything becomes clear. When it's not taut action, it's an unflinching look into the mind of the special operative, especially the physical, mental, and emotional demands the job puts on people like Bell. I was, however, disappointed with the ending. I'm sure Rucka was setting things up for a third book, or maybe making a point about the way the government wrings every drop of utility out of its military personnel and then hangs them out to dry... but it was too hard to swallow that a man like Jad wouldn't find a way to get some rough justice out of the person who came after his team's and his own family.

[Oli Turner]

The second #jadbell novel #bravo by @ruckawriter #gregrucka published in 2014. Some really good elements in this novel. The technical proficiency shown throughout the first half speaks volumes as to the level of research that must have been undertaken. The second half has a faster pace but slightly less realism. It seems a bit more ‘Hollywood’ as a character who has no business being a ‘door kicking shooter’ is suddenly back up for the protagonist just because they fancy each other. The protagonist’s team seems to disappear for an extended period. I can understand the desire to have the romantic interest taking an active role in the action, but given her compromised state and lack of recent training it would make more sense if she was in a secure location offering background and assistance via ear piece. I liked that the novel picked up within just a few days of the end of the first and continues uncovering the conspiracy. I especially liked the two similar female characters using the same tactics on the opposing sides of the conflict. it’s a shame it didn’t develop into a full series. The writing was good as usual from rucka and the thrills, tension and excitement were all done well in terms of pacing and plot. The slight shifts in perspective and time (seeing events from different characters point of view at slightly different times) was an interesting stylistic choice. And it was relatively short and tight and rather minimalist in some respects. Rucka has tremendous respect for the members of the Military which I admire

[Cale · Rating 4 out of 5]

While nominally a Jad Bell book (and he does feature a lot in it), this actually feels more like a tale of two women, both who have been deep undercover. One is exfiltrated at the beginning of the book, and her attempts to reclaim herself are intimately tied into the attempts to get the Uzbek's information out of him. This is more a book of tension, with paranoia and betrayal prominent themes, and more examples of the brutal, quick violent scene that punctuates the book at irregular intervals. But more of the story is focused on the characters, especially Jad and Petra, although we get other perspectives as well, including that of the Architect, the antagonist behind it all. It's a strange balance between learning about these characters and seeing how little they reveal about themselves, even to themselves.
The ending doesn't resolve much, and the presence of Jad's wife Amy and daughter Athena feel a little shoe-horned in (except for one impressive moment), but I'm still intrigued by these characters and their world. Not being limited to an amusement park allows the story to travel a lot, although most of it focuses on the DC area.
All told, it's a strong suspense thriller with military themes. I'm curious to see where it goes next.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

very enjoyable summer read. there are no bad Rucka novels. that said, this wasn't his best effort either. as many have noted, the character development was not really there. Jad Bell isn't terribly fleshed out/exciting, and the others on the team are currently just names with extreme minimal background or nuances, thus minimal care or interest about them.

the story itself and main antagonist are very interesting, and the door was left open for a sequel. i wouldn't mind seeing more of the series with a bit more development on the side characters for sure!

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 star. Audiobook and Hardcover combination
Boozy Books bookclub

I really enjoyed this book. I do not think that this book was as good as the first book which was disappointing to me. However, I have to say I did learn that the plot of this book I somehow completely misunderstood compared to my book club members. I thought that people were the same and then there was inter-relation between two people when there wasn’t because of this. I really recommend trying to keep track of who is who throughout this book otherwise a reader will get confused.

[Jdetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting story with characters that are easy to care about, this was a quick and exciting read. I wish I had reread Alpha before reading this book, since it's such a direct sequel, but I'll no doubt do that the next time I read these books, as I'll definitely read them again. I do find the ending a little abrupt, as was Alpha's ending, and that's fine when there is a sequel coming, but since I believe this was the last book in the series, the ending left me wanting more in a way that won't be fulfilled.

[Deloneva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once again, too many different names for the same people to keep track of without flipping back multiple times. This continuation of Alpha answers some questions but leaves on just as much of a cliffhanger with no apparent third novel. I’m glad I finished it, but I’m not thrilled that I bothered to start the duology.

[Joy Nyaanga · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️. Audiobook.

That was most certainly NOT the ending we deserved!?

- I think I liked this more than book 1 but when the narrator read the last sentence and the credits rolled I felt bamboozled
- The writing style just feels weird to me. It’s so short(?) and idk, all these military-esque phrases were lost on me
- There was a lot more character background here which I appreciated

[Christopher A Viveiros · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sequel that tops the original

Great, quick read and excellent follow up to Alpha. While many loose ends from the first book are tied up, I hope Rucka's got one more Jad Bell book in him.

[Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like all Rucka, it's good, tight writing, compelling action, and a dark-ish backstory for the lead. I just don't dig into these characters the same way I did the folks in the Atticus Kodiak series, which could be more about me than about Rucka's writing of them.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

even though i didn't like the first one in the jad bell series, i went ahead & read this 2nd one.

i did like the jad bell character.

it was a good follow-up to the first one. this one was a little faster paced in the beginning than the Alpha so that was good.

[Jim Wharton · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with most sequels, I expected Bravo be not quite as good, but at least for me, that wasn’t the case. I appreciated that it was different enough to not feel like more of the same, but consistent enough to enjoy what I enjoyed about the first.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

Partway into this book I realised I had read it before and didn't like it. Re-reading didn't change my mind - I still don't like it (sorry Ian McEwan).

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

slow start. 2.5 stars.

[Simon Armitage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated 6/10 Second instalment in a series and to some degree it would have helped to have read the first as they are tied together to a degree. As an espionage type novel this gets along fine and is an easy read if you are looking for something to escape the drudgery of the day.

[Dan Seitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rucka manages to avoid the macho clichés of this type of thriller without compromising the thriller aspect. Undeniably a beach read but a great beach read.

[Alek Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A better book than Alpha, but still to focused on interpersonal narratives rather than maintaining a suspenseful plot. I can see why the Jad Bell series stopped after 2 books.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as first book. Really, not as good.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his 2012 novel “Alpha” Greg Rucka engaged in some amazing and utterly believable world building by transporting readers to a fictional Disney World style amusement park that was under siege by terrorists. He also populated that world with compelling characters like Master Sergeant Jonathan “Jad” Bell an undercover Special Forces operator tasked with ending the siege and his ex-wife and daughter who show up on the park on the fateful day of the take over. You can find my review of it here.

Rucka’s new novel “Bravo” is a follow up to “Alpha” and instead of throwing Jad into a similar situation the writer does something much cooler and more satisfying. He gives readers something new, but equally fascinating that continues the story that began in “Alpha” and takes it in a number of new and exciting directions.

“Bravo” picks up 72 hours after the end of “Alpha” with Jad and his team of operators on a mission to capture one of the men behind the attack on the Wilsonville amusement park. So when we catch up with Jad he’s tired, physically and emotionally battered, and suddenly thrust into a world of double dealings and espionage. As he says multiple times in the book, “he’s just a shooter” and he’s up against a number of powerful and cunning enemies that are experts at manipulation and staying hidden. He doesn’t lie down and give up though. He and his team continue to push themselves and valiantly pursue the leads in the mystery they’re dealing with. That makes Jad both a great hero to follow and a nice tribute to to the real world men and women who sacrifice so much and push themselves so hard to keep their country and the world safe.

Jad isn’t the only returning character in “Bravo” we also get to spend some time with his ex-wife Amy and his deaf daughter, Athena, who is an identifiable, and realistic teen. We also get to know Jad’s commanding officer General Ruiz a bit more and some of his team mates as well.
The book is also full of incredibly interesting new characters as well,my favorite being Chief Warrant Officer Petra Nessuno, an undercover ArmyGreg-Rucka-331x500 Intelligence officer that Jad and his team encounter in the book’s opening mission. She returns to the states with Jad and his team and we get to see what it’s like for her to come back to real life. The scenes with Petra where she comes to terms with the emotional damage she endured while under cover are haunting and poignant. So Petra is hurting, but she’s just like Jad in that she realizes she has a job to do and is unwilling to give up. Watching her struggle with her personal demons and the villainous cabal threatening to launch another terrorist attack on America is a lot of fun. From my perspective she’s as much the hero of the book as Jad is.

My favorite scenes are the ones where Jad and Petra are interacting. They’re such noble and damaged souls that you root for them to triumph over their terrorist enemies and find comfort in each others company. The chemistry between both characters when they’re together is fantastic.

“Bravo”isn’t just about heroes. In the book you also walk with a number of insidious villains like a traitorous general and a network of wealthy and powerful men trying to broker a devastating terrorist attack on American soil. Those men are engaging the services of an enigmatic individual known as “The Architect,” who is the chief villain of “Bravo.” We get to know the Architect first by reputation and then we get to see that reputation is well deserved in a number of chapters told from his point of view. We also get to meet his lover Jordan, a dangerous woman who is as cunning as she is deadly.

These villains and heroes clash in perfectly paced chapters that play with perspective and timing. So “Bravo” is a thriller that’s exiting, poignant, and a hell of a lot of fun. In the book Rucka once again shows that the best way to tell a sequel is to trust the strength of your characters and immerse them in new situations where they bounce off new and equally fascinating characters.

[Ru · Rating 4 out of 5]

An outstanding and long-awaited sequel by Greg Rucka to 2012's "Alpha" that is relentless in its pacing and contains a realism one rarely finds in an action story, thanks to the author's ability to write with aplomb. I would easily place "Alpha" as one of the top pieces of fiction I have read in the last couple of years; I vaguely recall saying it was like "Die Hard in a theme park" - but I never really liked pigeonholing it as such, since it is SO much more than that. SO much more. I won't make the same type of statement about "Bravo" which continues the adventures of Master Sergeant Jad Bell, based on the aftermath of the first book, and does so in the same inimitable style that made me a fan of the first book.

There are a host of characters in "Bravo" that are incredibly well-written, and all contribute to the furthering of the plot throughout the novel. I would go so far as to say that none of the characters are disposable, no matter how small their role. As I mentioned, the realism within this book is also squarely put into each character, and they literally do feel like real people, and not just plot devices. Jad Bell is a hero's hero, but he is a flawed and vulnerable figure, as are all the players in this story. What's more, the characters are very dissimilar, which adds flavor to the plot. As a matter of reference, upon reading this book, examine all of the villains in the story and take note of how vastly different they all are from one another. It is very impressive to me.

While the events of this book take place very soon after the first novel, I loved the fact that this is also a departure in many ways from what made the first book so captivating. This story felt much more procedural in its attempt to prevent the great threat that serves as the main plotline, and it was amazing to see that procedure play out. There were clever plot twists, and even just simple writing flourishes that would result in a chapter ending, making you think it was going in one direction, and the next chapter starting and unfolding in a completely different route. Every turn of the page was so fresh and so very exciting!

I want to complain that this book is not long enough, but that is probably based more on the fact that I do not want to wait another two or more years for the sequel. Aside from that, this is probably just right in its length. Having said all of this, if it does take Greg Rucka two years to come up with another excellent book in the series, I have to respect that and will eagerly await that third book. The thing that worries me now, though, is that a third book hasn't been announced (this book is still a recent release), and there are certain teases that the story ends with this novel. I certainly hope for more, and my fingers are crossed another Jad Bell story is in the works.

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few years ago, when Greg Rucka was part of the clique running DC Comics, he got a lot of accolades, but I never really liked his work. However, some people assured me his prose work was much better.

Therefore, when I got the opportunity to read one of prose works, I took it.

It possessed all the stuff I didn't like about his comic book work.

A "strong female protagonist" who doesn't act like any woman I've ever met, but instead seems like a guy with boobs. Action that doesn't carry the plot forward. A lot of slickness that doesn't serve any purpose.

Then again, it was better than some of his comic book work.