Cold Red: The bullet-fast Russia-Ukraine war thriller from the no.1 bestselling SAS hero

Jamie Carter #2

by Chris Ryan

After six months in Regiment purgatory, SAS loner Jamie 'Geordie' Carter has been assigned to a new squadron. Tasked with flushing out the troop's bad apples, he's never been more exposed. And when someone tries to silence him, Carter is unexpectedly pulled from the team and given an even deadlier assignment.

Viktor Koltrov is a charismatic Ukrainian general, and the second-most popular man in the country after the president. His stunning victories against the Russian military machine have made him the public face of a resurgent Ukraine - and a top target for the Kremlin's assassins.

Now Carter must protect Koltrov as he embarks on a sensitive operation to flush out high-ranking traitors in the Ukrainian government.

But keeping the general alive in a war zone won't be easy, even for a hardened Regiment man. And as Koltrov hunts down his prey, Carter begins to realise that the infiltration of the establishment runs far deeper than he had ever imagined.

Genres: Thriller, Action

Audible Audio

Published May 25, 2023

About the author

Colin Armstrong (b. 1961), usually known by the pen-name Chris Ryan, is a British author, television presenter, security consultant and former Special Air Service sergeant.
After the publication of fellow patrol member Andy McNab's Bravo Two Zero in 1993, Ryan published his own account of his experiences during the Bravo Two Zero mission in 1995, entitled The One That Got Away. Since retiring from the British Army Ryan has published several fiction and non-fiction books, including Strike Back, which was subsequently adapted into a television series for Sky 1, and co-created the ITV action series Ultimate Force. He has also presented or appeared in numerous television documentaries connected to the military or law enforcement.

Reviews

[Jacob Stelling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read with a strong final act which really saves this book from feeling a little lost. There is a huge effort to set up a storyline in the first half of the book which ends inconclusively and has no real impact on the rest of the story.

By the time we follow Carter to Ukraine, the pace does pick up and you get a sense of the conflict unfolding right now, although the twist was one that I thought was fairly obvious. The ending was especially good, but felt this wasn’t as good as previous Chris Ryan thrillers.

[Scott Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given this 5 stars but would loved to have known the outcome to the first part of the storyline. It starts taking you down this avenue of another story and then all of a sudden the story just ends and you move onto another section, but then I suppose that would happen so should I be disappointed that happened. I shouldn’t be, but I was…I really wanted to know who it was and how many were involved. Apart from that a good story and towards the end despite me already sorting guessing which road this was going down I didn’t want to put it down and the last 100 pages went in a breeze. A good read if you are into these sorts of books.

[Robbie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written but, too obvious a plot and too much happening for one story.

[Becki Beswick · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this book today, 5*/5. Brilliant read, read it within two days, easy to read. Great storyline.... would highty recommend it, read most of his other books and this has to be up there with the best of his books.

Wrote from the hand of expereince, takes world events and converts them to a gripping, thriller.

Looking forward to his next new book Chris Ryan releases.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book contains 2 stories that are completely unrelated, other than for Geordie. The first could have been good, but I think it was just added as a filler, ended abruptly and seems pretty pointless. The second is fine, but suffers from having such an unlikeable main character. It's OK, but not a book I'd particularly recommend.

[XOX · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luke Carter is on protective duty for the Ukrainian president. He has an older brother, Jamie Geordie Carter, who is a good soldier but not easy to work with.

SAS loner Jaime Geordie Carter has been assigned to a new squadron. After being put into a secret assignment, he found that members of his new squadron are involved in criminal activities. He reported it, and the result is not good.

He was then assigned to replace another officer to protect a Ukrainian general. The general is arrogant and is very popular. He is making a public arrest of a corrupt official. Things got more interesting from that point on.

There are some details on the politics around the invasion of Ukraine. And there are good actions and a good story about soldiers who put their lives on the line. Jamie is professional and on point.

Jamie has shown a very human side of being in the war. For the survival of his team and other people, killing is part of the job. But then there is a big distinction between armed combatants and unarmed civilians. The future of trained fighters after they quit the military is also mentioned.

The writer did a good job telling a good story. 

5 stars read.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle
A tense military thriller that follows an SAS operative as he becomes involved in a dangerous mission where loyalties are tested and hidden threats emerge from unexpected places. As the operation unfolds, the operative finds himself navigating a complex web of intelligence, deception, and high-stakes action in the Ukraine-Russian war where one wrong move could prove fatal.

This one took me a while to get into, which is unusual as I’m normally a big fan of Chris Ryan’s books. Whether it was because I was reading something else alongside it or simply the slower pace at the start, I struggled to fully engage with the story in the early chapters. It’s also quite a complicated plot, and you need to stay focused to keep track of everything that’s going on. That said, the book really picked up as it progressed, and the twist near the end was excellent, adding a layer of surprise that made up for the slow start. Overall, I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t one of my favourites from Chris Ryan and left me a little disappointed compared to the high standard I’ve come to expect from his novels.

[Sudhagar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vaguely entertaining mainly because of his expertise and long experience in the SF community. He blends his real-world experiences, events and characters into the story which is a mish-mash and messy story. Too many implausible incidents like the SAS carrying out a snatch in Poland despite the Poles being NATO allies.

That SAS provides body guard services to the Ukrainian presidents and leaders are rather unbelievable too.

However the author does provide some interesting insights into the world of SF, some of it might shock the regular readers, but not in a favourable way.

[Own Timis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably one of the worst Chris Ryan books I've read. I guessed who the bad guy was within about 10 pages and at one point we have the classic "antagonist tells the hero all his plans before he goes to kill him" trope. The "hero" is also really dislikable.

Nonetheless it wasn't too bad and I devoured it in 24 hours. If you want an easy read action novel for the plane or beach, this is the book for you.

[Nicholas Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very topical and plausible read about the Russia-Ukraine war. Various SAS units offer covert support to protect leading Ukrainian figures who are top targets for the Russians.

Meanwhile, there are suggestions of potential corruption within another SAS squad. The Carter brothers - with their very different approaches - are at the heart of both matters.

The author's experience as a soldier lends authenticity to the storyline and action.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A faced paced thrilling adventure. I fell straight into the action and very quickly found myself behind the main character, navigating the twists and turns and holding my breath at every jeopardy. Familial ties and misplaced loyalties added to the tension. The setting in Ukraine gave the story a very real feel. A heart thumping page turner.

[jim murdoch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cold red is probably the best novel I have read from an ex special forces operative. I don’t know whether it’s because it’s a current topic but I only put it down when I was too tired to read anymore. Brilliantly written by Chris Ryan and bounded along at a fast pace , the story and characters kept me fully engrossed. Sorry it had to end.

[Geordie Cowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally a pretty good read, but the last act was a bit poor. Lots of exposition and a bit telegraphed.
I also felt the switch between and reasons given for the change of location was a bit unfulfilled.

[Tom Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have long been a fan of Chris Ryan’s writing, and this was up with there with his best. Fast paced, topical, and brilliantly written. Looking forward to book number 3 in the Carter series.

[David Slater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent topical book. One of Chris Ryan's best.

[Brian Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cracking book, action packed from start to finish. With a very topical plot. Looking forward to the next one

[MB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Non stop action right up to the last page!

[Steven Trewin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of his better books. Bit cliche and stereotyped at times.

[Nico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read.

Difficult to get into the plot at first but then becomes very engaging. A very good read in the end.

[Colin Pirie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good holiday read. Heavy on history and strategy with the usual weaponry details and limited action. A reasonable storyline on a complicated and serious issue.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was OK but nothing exciting or memorable .

[Hans · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s always a joy to read Chris Ryan, but it seems he did not have enough story for a full book, so he wrote two parts that are totally unconnected. Pity.

[Palmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a book to be recommended a weak story line using old fashioned military terms. Also the good guy wins while everybody else amateurs on comparison.

[Barrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Started in one way and finished in a totally unexpected way. So far, not had a Chris Ryan book let me down

[Warwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another series of Ops for Jamie Carter, written by Chris Ryan. Easy and fast to read, the story more or less running to a familiar pattern.

[TOM COWAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read as normal

Great book from start to finish as a ex military vet he always get the balance right between the story line and military action.

[Mr P.A.Wareing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Excellent story from one of the best action writers around
As always full on excitement from start to finish.
Looking forward to next great read

[Kirsty Maule · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but all the action was at the end

It took me a while to get through and it was predictable. I enjoyed the last 20% as it got more pacey and had more action

[MR RJ WOOD · Rating 5 out of 5]

A topical account what may well be happening currently in Ukraine.