24: Deadline: A 24 Novel

24: Live Another Day #1

by James Swallow

The time is 5:00 PM. One hour ago, federal agent Jack Bauer was declared a fugitive. If he wants to survive, he must get out of the country, and he doesn't have much time. With his former colleagues in the Counter Terrorist Unit now dead, under arrest, or shut down, Jack has no resources to call upon, no back-up, and nowhere to go―only his determination can drive him on. One thing remains clear to the promise he made to his daughter Kim. Jack vows that he will see Kim one last time to tell her he loves her…before he drops off the radar forever. Meanwhile, a hastily-assembled FBI task force set out to track down and capture Jack, even as a covert operations unit of Russia's SVR set out to do the same―only the remit of the Russians is to kill on sight. As the clock runs down, Jack must face old friends and past enemies in a desperate race to stay one step ahead of the hunters, leaving them with a grim warning― Stay out of my way, and I'll be gone within 24 hours. You'll never see me again. Come after me...and you'll regret it.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Crime

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

James Swallow is a New York Times, Sunday Times and Amazon #1 bestselling author and scriptwriter, a BAFTA nominee, a former journalist and the award-winning writer of over sixty-five books, along with scripts for video games, comics, radio and television.

DARK HORIZON, his latest stand-alone thriller, is out now from Mountain Leopard Press, and OUTLAW, the 6th action-packed Marc Dane novel, is published by Bonnier.

Along with the Marc Dane thrillers, his writing includes, the Sundowners steampunk Westerns and fiction from the worlds of Star Trek, Tom Clancy, 24, Warhammer 40000, Doctor Who, Deus Ex, Stargate, 2000AD and many more.

For information on new releases & more, sign up to the Readers’ Club here: www.bit.ly/JamesSwallow

Visit James's website at http://www.jswallow.com/ for more, including ROUGH AIR, a free eBook novella in the Marc Dane series.

You can also follow James on Bluesky at @jmswallow.bsky.social, Twitter at @jmswallow, Mastodon at @jmswallow@mstdn.social and jmswallow.tumblr.com at Tumblr.

Reviews

[Loraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the first few hours listening to this audiobook I thought I was going to love it. The narration is excellent, and there is real excitement in the telling. But that first thrill was all just recaps from prior seasons, all familiar names and events. Once the actual plot developed I was kind of disappointed.

The story is OK but not what I would have expected for Jack Bauer. It could actually be a story for any action hero, except that it is written in a way that remains true to the spirit of 24, with all the action, but never quite making it to the level of cliffhanger.

A particular disappointment is Jack's dialogue. As a 24 junkie, one of the things I love about the series is Jack's no-nonsense way of expressing himself. In this book, Jack doesn't say much, doesn't need to, but when he does speak, there is no edginess to it. His dialogue is actually quite bland.

All in all, just ok, not ready for prime time, and it was the superb narration that kept me going.

[Nick Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picking up at the end of Season Eight, we find Bauer on the run with no support network. The Good Guys are after him and so are the Bad ones. All Jack wants to do is see his daughter as he has promised. It did feel very “24” with pace that never lets up. Author James Swallow does a very good job of making this “feel” like a 24 novel and not just a casual tie-in.
So, can Jack hold off the good guys and take out the bad guys and make it to his daughter?

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been awhile since I read any 24 books. I read most of the 24:Declassified books. Except the last book. 24:Declassified-Death Angel. As I couldn't find it in any bookstores later on. This book had a lot of action in it and mentioned some characters from Jack's past that we don't know what happened to them. I thought it was a very good book and kept me reading it and on the edge!

[Joshua Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was almost a five-star read. Apart from a few higher-order issues (Chloe's husband is misnamed Miles, for example), it drops the "Events Occur in Real Time" concept entirely, with the time that passes from chapter to chapter being left ambiguous, or inferred through the text. From my point of view, this choice dispenses with a vital element, one that defined the 24 series. On some level, the clock missing from periodic appearances in the novel diminished the experience overall.

Other than this one quibble, it was a solid read. We get a look inside the mind of Jack Bauer, something the show couldn't really do, and see just how troubled he has become inside. We see a man who has no one left he can turn to, a man who is desperate and wants only to see his daughter and granddaughter one last time, but cannot resist his moral obligation to fight injustice when it's presented to him. There are numerous fight and chase sequences that are handled very well, and surprise twists that I didn't see coming. Without getting too far into spoiler territory, my favorites were the way in which the character of Charlie Williams became involved in the story, and the reveal of the contractor's secondary objective. Because of the prologue—and Live Another Day to a lesser extent, which takes place four years later but whose airing on Fox preceded this novel's publication by one month—you mostly know how this is going to end, and so the whole experience is about the events that lead to that ending.

I don't expect people who aren't already fans of 24 to pick up and read this book. But if they did, they would find a satisfying and well-written thriller, and wouldn't feel the hang-up I did over an omnipresent clock that suddenly just stopped ticking.

[Adri266 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toto bol pre nas so sestrou pravidelny televizny maraton. Jacka Bauera sme obe zrali a tato kniha, napisana ako zaver po poslednej televiznej serii, vysvetluje, co sa s nim a vsetkymi stalo.
Bolo to super, uzila som si to. Aj ked mi bolo luto vsetkych tych ludi, ktori kvoli Jackovi ci skor kvoli tym, co ho prenasleduju, prisli o zivot.

[Cathy Moak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I am a 24 junkie and this book was just the fix I needed.

[A.J. Blanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the next story in this series, 24: Rogue by David Mack a couple years ago and really liked it. I didn't know that one was a part two until after I bought it, but I enjoyed it enough to rush out and buy this one before I even finished it. When I finished Rogue however, I wanted to switch it out to other genres for a while, as I often do. Well, I finally came back to Deadline and immediately regretted putting it off for so long!

Right from the start, Deadline grabs you and doesn't let go. I've read a couple of James Swallow's Star Trek books, along side David Mack's, but I think they both nailed the 24 feel and characterizations. This one picks up right where season 8 left off. As I write this, season 8 of 24 is nearly ten years old! Needless to say, I don't recall a lot of details from there... assuming I even watched the whole thing. That didn't detract from my enjoyment of this story in the least however. While there wasn't a nefarious plot for Jack to foil this time, there was still plenty of suspense and action. This story was more of a cat-and-mouse game, with multiple parties trying to get to Bauer first.

Having said all that, there were a few nitpicky points that stood out to me. The sense of time seems to be all off here. The show was 24 episodes long for a reason. This book was 24 chapters but I have no idea if each chapter is meant to represent an hour. If it does flow the same way, then there are some serious traveling errors to think about. Secondly, having experienced both military and federal law enforcement worlds, I could tell that James didn't do his homework on some of the weapons and tactics used. Lastly, one of the main antagonists in the story is a run of the mill Midwest biker gang. When they came on the scene I figured they’d simply be a short-lived side plot, but nope. This isn’t a big deal, like everything else I’ve mentioned as nitpicks, they're just not very thrilling considering all the foes Jack has faced.

Regardless, if you’re a fan of the series and would like to know what happens after season 8, then I’d highly recommend giving this, and it's sequel, a shot.

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

I'm finally going through my tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.

I'm only adding one book per author and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)


First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: Yes

Would you recommend?: Yes


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking place within hours of the last season of 24 starring Kiefer Sutherland, it's really interesting to see how Jack Bauer is work through another 24 hours without any real rest as the crisis continues and turning into a fugitive of two different governments. It's interesting, but I will say this, even though portraying 24 hours, it really doesn't feel like it. The pacing for the storytelling just felt off. It felt like far more could be done with better pacing and a bit more content.

[Hans K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the additional insight it gave on Jack Bauer that you didn't get from the TV show. I liked the character they brought back, but I was disappointed in his story in the end. For most of the book, I thought it was kind of lame just to bring Jack back to stop some biker dudes, but the end ties into the overall mythology of the series pretty well. I plan to read the other two books in the series (if I can find them in the bargain bin, because that's where I found this one.)

[Sabastian Burlison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This novel is great!!

It's begins one hour after the events of Season 8 in New York. CTU Agent Jack Bauer is now hunted by the FBI and a Russian Kill Team from the SVR.

Severely fatigued and his friends in jail. It's up to him to see his family one last time before dropping off the face of the earth.

It was great seeing returning characters from the past and mentions of previous experiences.

10/10. If you like 24, this novel is for you.

[Jordyn Chandler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t dislike the book. There were just a lot of open questions leftover after finishing that I wish would’ve been included in the storyline. I wish they would’ve included the “true” story about the assassination of Hassan. I feel like much more could’ve been added to spice the storyline up a bit. I still would recommend it, as it is a decent read and has quite a bit of action throughout.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this audiobook! It is a fitting addition to the 24 story. I loved all the callbacks to various seasons of the TV series, but that's because I'm a geek. I'll have to buy "Rogue" in the future.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Bauer fans will not be disappointed.If you like excitement,you'll like this book.

[Shelby Beavers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast paced just like the show

[Justin Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice follow up to Season 8

[Melvin Lance]

Lots of action, however to get across country by train takes more that 24 hours. Still enjoyed the book

[Boredom Books (Dave Gilleand) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its no secret that I'm a fan of 24. I've seen the entire series at least twice – some seasons I've seen more of. I've played the video game and board game, read the 24: Declassified series, even the unauthorized guide to the first season. I've written recaps upon recaps, featured on one of the biggest 24 Fan Sites that existed. I've written my own fan fiction, and acted in a parody of the show with my brothers. Finally, as 24: Live Another Day aired, my brothers and I broadcasted a podcast covering the episodes and questions that prodded us as we watched. This is clearly one of our favorite shows that has ever aired, so of course I had to read the new book, 24: Deadline.

It's 5:00 P.M., and the United States and Russia are after Jack Bauer after the events of Day Eight. He plans on disappearing, but he can't do that until he fulfills his promise to his daughter, Kim. He can't just fake his own death like before, leaving her in the dark. He has to give her one final goodbye, which proves to be difficult when he runs into an old ally by the name of Chase Edmunds. The two of them run into a human-trafficking and drug ring in a town called Deadline.

If you are familiar with the show at all, then you know it had eight seasons before coming back for Live Another Day. For a long time, seasons 1-8 were considered The Complete Series, and Deadline actually takes place one hour after the “series” finale. Also, if you're familiar with the show, you understand how the whole thing works. The format of the show is – 24 episodes, each contains one hour in a full 24-hour day. The idea is that – a lot can happen in a day. Well, the idea of “real time” is hard to do in a book, but the 24: Declassified books did just that – but the Deadline book does not. It does take place, give or take, in the time span of 24 hours, but it does not contain real time. It starts at 5:00 P.M., and that's the last mention of time it really has. Instead, it focuses instead on just telling a story without the distraction of what time it is.

Real time isn't a distraction, though. It's the most unique and compelling part of the series, and I was glad the Declassified books had them as well. It was always done a little differently, but it still felt like 24, and I still felt Bauer's presence as if Kiefer himself was in the character...I didn't feel that so much here. I'm not sure if it's the changed format or something about how his character was written, but I didn't feel his “essence”...I couldn't hear his voice in my head when the character spoke, and for a novel about a movie or a TV show – I find incredibly important.

The plot itself, when you really look at it, is pretty well-written. It follows the same structure of the show, even if the format is off. What I mean by that is that it has story arcs, 2-3 obvious ones in this book, which matches some of the best seasons of 24. It's also pretty unique, as none of the seasons of the show centered on human-trafficking – which is really cool. I also like that they answered some questions left in the open at the end of the series – regarding important characters that disappeared and obviously other things I can't mention because of spoilers. It also had Jack eating and sleeping...but still no bathroom breaks.

Harumph...

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

"24: Live Another Day--Deadline," by James Swallow, is the continuation of the Jack Bauer saga from the "24" TV show. "Deadline" takes place between the end of season 8 and the "24: Live Another Day" miniseries several years later.

I suspect the pitch for this book probably went something like this...24 plus Sons of Anarchy.

After the end of season 8 of 24, Jack Bauer is on the run again. He wants to make it to LA to see his family one last time before going off the grid. The problem? Zealous agents from the FBI and the Russian SVR want Jack captured--and most of them want him dead as well.

A couple of familiar faces from the 24 universe show up in this book. The main one is Chase Edmunds, Jack's partner from season 3 of 24. Chase was thought to be dead--blown up in the nuclear blast at the beginning of season 6--but Jack knew better.

To catch a cargo train to LA that is unlikely to be surveilled, Jack and Chase head to a town called Deadline, which is run by a brutal biker gang known as the Night Rangers. They could have just as easily been called the Sons of Anarchy. Things get bloody and combative very quickly for the two former CTU agents, who suddenly find themselves as unlikely rescuers for the mean and women held in Deadline as slave labor in a strip club, a bordello, and a meth factory.

Meanwhile, both the FBI and the SVR are breaking protocol and causing collateral damage just to get to Jack Bauer and bring him down.

You can tell that the author is British. A few "Queen's English" turns of phrase slipped through. For example, when an American writer would say, "set on fire," James Swallow says, "set alight." There are a few instances like that in the book, but nothing too, too jarring.

As is often the case with me and thrillers, the author doesn't always describe fight scenes in a way that I can easily picture in my head.

Overall, this is a decent thriller/adventure novel. If you're a Jack Bauer fan, this is a book you'll enjoy. Bringing some closure to the story of Chase Edmunds--one of the many loose ends from the 24 series--will also be interesting for long-time 24 fans.

[Samantha Trillium (Just Reading in the Rain)☂ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just a straight up guilty pleasure read, as I have been in a bit of a reading funk lately... and it really did the trick!

Anyone familiar with the show 24 knows that you are not going to be bored; no lack of action and violence here! The book is no different.

The book leads off when season 8 finished, how Jack made it out of the states with the entire country wanting him arrested, (or dead, depending on who you talk to)

At first I was a bit disappointed that this book was only covering how he got out; there is a four year gap between the end of season 8 and the most recent revival of the show, Live Another Day (which I LOVED!!!) So I was hoping for more of those years, rather than just immediately what happened after season 8. I mean, come on, its Jack Bauer. Of course he escapes.

But the journey was pretty intense, and we got to meet a couple characters that we haven't seen in a while too. Jack meets up with an old friend (this one caught me by total surprise, let me tell you!) who has a contact that can get Jack back to LA, so he can see his daughter Kim one last time before he completely disappears. On the way Jack gets himself mixed up with an MC gang that has the entire town of Deadline at their mercy. Not to mention, at the same time Jack is trying to out think the Russians who have been given a kill order on him, and even some rogue FBI agents who will stop at nothing to bring Jack down.

There were cringe worthy moments throughout the novel. Not just at the graphic violent details of what happens when someone gets in Jack's way; more so what made me cringe the most was the dialogue. The author didn't quite capture (at least in my humble opinion) what Jack and co would really say. Somethings came out a bit corny, or a bit too off for me to believe it is the same characters we are talking about. And seriously? Only one DAMN IT!!!! in this entire novel??? Has this author not even watched the show???

All in all, this novel was a great, fun read. I hope there are going to be more to bridge that four year gap.

[Dennis Elten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Al sinds het begin ben ik een enorme fan van de serie 24. Acht seizoenen lang genoot ik van de avonturen van Jack Bauer. De actie, thriller en drama zo goed gecombineerd. De snelheid van het verhaal en de spanning zorgde er voor dat ik iedere week weer terugkeerde naar deze serie. Toen ik hoorde dat er ook boeken geschreven werden die als een soort Tie in’s voor de TV serie diende was ik helemaal enthousiast. John Withman en Marc Cerasini schreven een groot deel van deze verhalen en wisten hiermee dezelfde spanning te pakken als in de TV serie. De laatste boeken in de 24 Declassified Serie werden geschreven door David Jacobs, deze schrijver had helaas niet hetzelfde niveau als Marc Cerasini en John Withman en daarom dreef ik van de boeken serie af. Toen stopte de klok na 8 seizoenen 24, het laatste Jack Bauer verhaal was verteld.

Een paar jaar later kwam het heugelijke nieuws dat er een 9de seizoen van 24 kwam. 24 Live another Day was een feit. Maar ook weer een nieuwe boek in de 24 Serie dit keer onder de naam 24 Live Another Day Deadline.

Deadline verteld het verhaal van Jack Bauer na de gebeurtenissen van seizoen 8. Het verhaal pakt gelijk de draad ook weer op. Jack moet het land uitvluchten aangezien hij nu een voortvluchtig is. Maar voor hij vlucht wil hij zijn dochter Kim nog een keer zien. Met behulp van een oude bekende vlucht hij naar het plaatsje Deadline waar hij ongezien kan vluchten, maar voordat hij dit kan doen blijkt het dat Deadline zijn eigen geheimen heeft, en Jack zou Jack niet zijn als hij achter deze geheimen zou willen komen. Ondertussen zitten er twee regeringen achter hem aan.

Deadline is een razend spannend verhaal dat net als de verhalen van John Withman en Marc Cerasini de sfeer van de show ademt. James Swallow heeft een spannende achtbaan van actie en drama op papier gezet en een heel leeg stuk van het leven van Jack Bauer ingevuld.

Voor de fans van 24 is dit een zekere Must Read, voor Thriller fans ook een zekere must read. Het boek is ook makkelijk te lezen voor mensen die nooit een aflevering van 24 gezien hebben.

[Randall Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great filler to help with the absence of Jack Bauer. It definitely felt like a 24 book, though the danger was more centralized to Jack instead of the global scale 24 fans are used to seeing. I did like how it took over right after the events of Season 8 and pulled in some characters from the show. Reading about some of 24's favorite characters made me reminisce and brought on that same nostalgic feeling I get when reading the 24 novels. It actually made me want to re-watch Season 8 to remember more clearly how it ended. In this book, Jack is on his way to saying goodbye to Kim and he has both the FBI and the Russians searching for him. He calls up and old friend to help him out and the action doesn't seem to cease. You definitely can feel the angst Bauer is feeling, and it definitely picks up flawlessly where Season 8 ended. The progression of the story definitely seems logical, and fits with the rest of the storyline. I am not sure I would have liked it as much if I had not been familiar enough with the characters beforehand, however. I feel that it would have been too confusing if that were the case. However, since I am familiar, it really was an enjoyable read, and definitely gets me interested in reading more in the series.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent prose novel tie in to the TV show. James Swallow does a decent job of detailing the immediate aftermath of Jack Bauer's life following the end of the TV show's 8th season (before they did the Live Another Day miniseries a few years later).

We readers (and presumably fans of the show) learn about the manhunt chasing Jack and his own plan to see his daughter one last time before disappearing forever.

There are some nice callbacks to earlier characters in the series and the action sequences are well done.

[Patrick Scattergood · Rating 4 out of 5]

With such a gap between the last season and the most recent addition of 'Live Another Day', I was wondering just how they would write a novel that would please not only the long term fans but the new ones too.

Well this one definitely does that with style.

James Swallow more than hooks the reader in with the fast pacing and twists and turns galore.

For the full review by all means visit my blog.

http://curiosityofasocialmisfit.blogs...

[Robert Sparrenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows jack Bauer after his last full season of 24. If you are a 24 fan, this is probably right up your alley. The writing is good and fits right in with the TV show. I had a bit of an issue trying to remember some of the characters referenced in the book because it had been several years since watching the show.

[Billy Roro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. I love how it immediately picks up right where season 8 left off and its a nonstop roller coaster from start to finish. Its also very interesting to get an actual in depth feel for what Jack Bauer is actually thinking about while going through these chaotic days! Overall, I enjoyed it. Def a must read for die hard 24 fans.

[Evan Kirby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Competently written, but really nothing great. Had a lot of potential, but then just devolved into Jack fighting a bunch of meth cooking bikers. A government b-plot alongside the Bauer stuff could've added a spark. The return of Chase could've been fun, but he was even more boring here than in the show and they really didn't do anything great by him.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all of you "24" fans and Jack Bauer lovers here is another story about Jack and his will to survive. A good read in the genre of the TV series 24. I don't know if there are any other books he has written about Jack Bauer or not, but I will find out.

[Daniel Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the book because I was a fan of the series. Now, I was afraid the printed page was not going to capture Jack's essence. It did! And if filled the gap between the last season of 24 into Live Another Day. Like I said, a fan of the series. Great work on this book by James Swallow.

[Eddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If you think I 'm going let someone get murder twenty feet from me, you do know me at all."
Yeah that explains all you need from Jack.
And bad stuff happens to Jack. I got exhausted reading and liked it.