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Solomon Church #5
The Widow
A promise has been made. And it's written in blood.When Church receives the phone call he's been dreading, one of his bad decisions comes calling. The daughter of a Russian mob boss is being held by a rival in order to force his hand in a business deal that will reshape the European criminal underworld. Church, a debt of blood owed to these men, is dragged into the middle of it, his goal a deadly and explosive extraction mission, delivering the kidnapped girl safely back to her father. Complete the job and his debt is forgiven. Fail, and he'll pay for her life with his own.
As Church begins to understand the scope of the war he's been thrust into the middle of, he relives the last brush with the Russian mafia he experienced while on mission in Georgia. Tracking jihadist cells working with the Russians to traffic both arms and drugs through Georgia and into Turkey, Armenia, and Iran, Church's troop faced resistance with every step. What is supposed to be a covert surveillance op quickly turns bloody, transforming the remote villages of the high Georgian peaks of the Caucasus Mountains into a fierce battleground.
As he runs through fire in both his past and present, the only thing he's sure of is that the Russians deal in a type of violence unmatched by anyone else. And if Church hopes to get out alive, he's going to have to sacrifice everything he's tried so hard to hold onto.
***
The Widow is a globe-trotting rescue and military thriller sure to take readers on the ride of a lifetime. From opulent palaces overlooking the Mediterranean, to the desolute mountain passes of the Georgian Caucasus, Church's military prowess is on full display like never before. If you're ready for Church's most thrilling outing yet, buckle up. It's a wild ride.
Perfect for fans of Lee Child, Jack Slater, James Swallow, and Vince Flynn, The Widow is your next action adventure read!
As Church begins to understand the scope of the war he's been thrust into the middle of, he relives the last brush with the Russian mafia he experienced while on mission in Georgia. Tracking jihadist cells working with the Russians to traffic both arms and drugs through Georgia and into Turkey, Armenia, and Iran, Church's troop faced resistance with every step. What is supposed to be a covert surveillance op quickly turns bloody, transforming the remote villages of the high Georgian peaks of the Caucasus Mountains into a fierce battleground.
As he runs through fire in both his past and present, the only thing he's sure of is that the Russians deal in a type of violence unmatched by anyone else. And if Church hopes to get out alive, he's going to have to sacrifice everything he's tried so hard to hold onto.
***
The Widow is a globe-trotting rescue and military thriller sure to take readers on the ride of a lifetime. From opulent palaces overlooking the Mediterranean, to the desolute mountain passes of the Georgian Caucasus, Church's military prowess is on full display like never before. If you're ready for Church's most thrilling outing yet, buckle up. It's a wild ride.
Perfect for fans of Lee Child, Jack Slater, James Swallow, and Vince Flynn, The Widow is your next action adventure read!
354 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 30, 2025
About the author
Morgan Greene
36 books379 followersMorgan Greene grew up in Wales, and works a copywriter, editor, and author. Morgan studied Creative Writing and English Literature at Swansea University with a focus on narrative structure and theory, and published the first crime novel in the Jamie Johansson series in 2020. Since its release, the series has gone on to reach bestseller status, with Detective Jamie Johansson quickly becoming a reader favourite.
The series blends classic Scandi-noir elements with modern and cinematic thriller writing to create a unique style that adds to the emerging Brit-noir genre. Jamie has many novels ahead of her, but Morgan is also working on a variety of other projects across crime, thriller, and mystery and plans to publish plenty more in 2022 and beyond.
The series blends classic Scandi-noir elements with modern and cinematic thriller writing to create a unique style that adds to the emerging Brit-noir genre. Jamie has many novels ahead of her, but Morgan is also working on a variety of other projects across crime, thriller, and mystery and plans to publish plenty more in 2022 and beyond.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 30, 2025
A long-time fan of Morgan Greene, I have been enjoying this newer series. Solomon Church is nothing like Greene's Jamie Johansson, which permits me to see some of the other perspectives the author has to offer. This gritty collection has been just what I need to keep my focus. When Church receives a call that the daughter of a powerful Russian mobster has been kidnapped, he knows that he must act. Taken by a rival gang to assert control of Europe’s criminal underworld, recovering the mobster's daughter will surely be an important clash and Church owes debts to both sides. Knowing how difficult the task of rescue can be, Church will have to enter it all with eyes wide open. The tension and power that the mission will require reminds Church of a past encounter with the Russians, in Georgia. The criminal element back then was rough, though Church had the military covering for him at a time when 'shoot first and ask questions later' seemed to be how things were run. Working both timelines, Church is aware that no mission is completely safe and that something can change swiftly, given the opportunity. Morgan Greene delivers a gripping fifth novel in the series and has me eager to see where things are headed.
Morgan Greene effectively connects with the reader, providing them something well worth their while. The Solomon Church collection differs from the fast-paced crime procedural that Jamie Johansson brings to the table. The quick pace of this narrative is on point and keeps the reader in the middle of the action. Told in chapters that alternate between past and present, the reader learns much from both timelines as the narrative keeps pushing. The intensity of both storylines enhances the other and provides a wonderful dual pathway towards a single goal. Green is able to create a well-rounded character in Church, as well as a strong set of ideas that provides something the reader can use to push things forward.
Solomon Church differs tremendously from Greene's other popular protagonist, Jamie Johansson, as the reader will discover once again. Church shows a penchant to develop in the series and provides a decent backstory to entertain and flavour the story well. He remains rough, but compassionate, exemplified to series fans once more. There are those who appear throughout the series, as well as one-off characters, all adding their own spin to things and keeping the stories edgy. The Solomon Church-Julia Hallberg connection returns, though there is not as much progress as in past novels, leaving me to wonder if Greene chose not to continue an idea he had previously pondered.
Plot points highlight Church’s multifaceted nature, pointing to numerous adventures he’s tackled over the years. Church clings to his time with the British SAS, which provides the flashback chapters that work well in this collection. Church surprises the reader as Greene shapes him to provide tense moments, while tossing in a twist or two. I learn so much and Morgan Greene never holds back, though he leaves teasers and dangling threads. While I know this collection has taken much from Greene, as he mentions in the author’s note, I remain curious to see how much further this series seeks to go and where things might be headed.
Kudos, Mr. Greene, for keeping Solomon Church front and centre this past year!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Morgan Greene effectively connects with the reader, providing them something well worth their while. The Solomon Church collection differs from the fast-paced crime procedural that Jamie Johansson brings to the table. The quick pace of this narrative is on point and keeps the reader in the middle of the action. Told in chapters that alternate between past and present, the reader learns much from both timelines as the narrative keeps pushing. The intensity of both storylines enhances the other and provides a wonderful dual pathway towards a single goal. Green is able to create a well-rounded character in Church, as well as a strong set of ideas that provides something the reader can use to push things forward.
Solomon Church differs tremendously from Greene's other popular protagonist, Jamie Johansson, as the reader will discover once again. Church shows a penchant to develop in the series and provides a decent backstory to entertain and flavour the story well. He remains rough, but compassionate, exemplified to series fans once more. There are those who appear throughout the series, as well as one-off characters, all adding their own spin to things and keeping the stories edgy. The Solomon Church-Julia Hallberg connection returns, though there is not as much progress as in past novels, leaving me to wonder if Greene chose not to continue an idea he had previously pondered.
Plot points highlight Church’s multifaceted nature, pointing to numerous adventures he’s tackled over the years. Church clings to his time with the British SAS, which provides the flashback chapters that work well in this collection. Church surprises the reader as Greene shapes him to provide tense moments, while tossing in a twist or two. I learn so much and Morgan Greene never holds back, though he leaves teasers and dangling threads. While I know this collection has taken much from Greene, as he mentions in the author’s note, I remain curious to see how much further this series seeks to go and where things might be headed.
Kudos, Mr. Greene, for keeping Solomon Church front and centre this past year!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
November 21, 2025
Solomon finds himself having to rescue the daughter of a Russian man as a means of repaying a debt. Of course, the truth is not so simple and both him and Mitch find themselves in the middle of things where the situation is not as initially envisaged.
I loved the chapters set years before in Georgia as they show how things have come to be at the moment. I also really enjoyed the brief part that Fletcher plays here, providing much needed information. The action and pace is relentless throughout and the ending brings things back to link to the author's other series where we were first introduced to Solomon. The excerpt at the end from the next book has me waiting impatiently to read it.
I loved the chapters set years before in Georgia as they show how things have come to be at the moment. I also really enjoyed the brief part that Fletcher plays here, providing much needed information. The action and pace is relentless throughout and the ending brings things back to link to the author's other series where we were first introduced to Solomon. The excerpt at the end from the next book has me waiting impatiently to read it.
December 21, 2025
Is Solomon Church the good bad guy that I secretly love? Yes! Is this my favourite thriller series of the year? Yes!
Having read the previous four books in the space of a few weeks, I couldn't wait to delve into the series again and follow Church on another nail-biting mission!
This story follows Church as he's called in to settle a debt from Rezkinov, a Russian mob boss from a previous book. Will Church be able to rescue the 11 year old daughter of Rezkinov's business associate? As always in this fantastic series, all is not as it seems and once again Church risks his life to seek the truth.
Although the action scenes are incredible and leave you on the edge of your seat, I'm really enjoying the character development of Church. As the author Morgan Greene mentioned in his author's note at the end of the book, a series can quickly stagnate and become boring and this book definetly keeps the flame burning bright in a fantastic thriller series. In The Widow we see a different side to Church, a side that is angry and vengeful and it was so interesting to see another layer to his complex character.
Solomon Church is such a profound character, a man who seeks to always help the innocent but along the way undoubtedly ends up with blood on his hands. He is a man who is haunted by events from his past and I love how each book the chapters alternate from the past to the present. This sequencing really helps to unpack more layers of Church's character and it really adds to the character development. The ending of the book shows that the shadows of his past will eventually always catch up with him. Will he ever be able to find the peace his soul craves?
I'm thoroughly enjoying this series and credit to Morgan Greene for writing one brilliant book after another. This is testament to his fantastic writing skills and I look forward to the next book in the series!
Having read the previous four books in the space of a few weeks, I couldn't wait to delve into the series again and follow Church on another nail-biting mission!
This story follows Church as he's called in to settle a debt from Rezkinov, a Russian mob boss from a previous book. Will Church be able to rescue the 11 year old daughter of Rezkinov's business associate? As always in this fantastic series, all is not as it seems and once again Church risks his life to seek the truth.
Although the action scenes are incredible and leave you on the edge of your seat, I'm really enjoying the character development of Church. As the author Morgan Greene mentioned in his author's note at the end of the book, a series can quickly stagnate and become boring and this book definetly keeps the flame burning bright in a fantastic thriller series. In The Widow we see a different side to Church, a side that is angry and vengeful and it was so interesting to see another layer to his complex character.
Solomon Church is such a profound character, a man who seeks to always help the innocent but along the way undoubtedly ends up with blood on his hands. He is a man who is haunted by events from his past and I love how each book the chapters alternate from the past to the present. This sequencing really helps to unpack more layers of Church's character and it really adds to the character development. The ending of the book shows that the shadows of his past will eventually always catch up with him. Will he ever be able to find the peace his soul craves?
I'm thoroughly enjoying this series and credit to Morgan Greene for writing one brilliant book after another. This is testament to his fantastic writing skills and I look forward to the next book in the series!
November 30, 2025
Book 5 in the A Solomon Church Thriller Series told in dual timelines and locations. In the present Church has been contacted to undertake a rescue mission and he has no choice as he has to repay a debt. The task brings back dark memories of an assignment in Georgia during his army service. You could potentially read this as a standalone, but I really would recommend reading the books in order.
Briefly, in the present Church enlists the help of Mitch in the rescue of the 11 year old daughter of a Russian Bratva (mafia) boss, being held by the widow of a crime boss, in Portugal. In the past, it’s 2007 and Church, alongside three other soldiers are in the Georgian Caucasus tasked with finding the facility where raw poppies are being turned into heroin before being trafficked into Turkey, Armenia, and Iran. But a hazardous mission becomes fraught with even more danger when they realise it’s not the Jihadists running this but the Russian mafia.
Church is a hard man, damaged by everything he’s done and seen over the years, and I felt a bit heartbroken that his early stage romantic relationship seems to have fallen apart. He needs some normality in his life! As you will expect if you have read this author before, this is a fast paced, violent and emotional thriller. Action packed from the start I found this unputdownable and read it in a day. Great book.
Briefly, in the present Church enlists the help of Mitch in the rescue of the 11 year old daughter of a Russian Bratva (mafia) boss, being held by the widow of a crime boss, in Portugal. In the past, it’s 2007 and Church, alongside three other soldiers are in the Georgian Caucasus tasked with finding the facility where raw poppies are being turned into heroin before being trafficked into Turkey, Armenia, and Iran. But a hazardous mission becomes fraught with even more danger when they realise it’s not the Jihadists running this but the Russian mafia.
Church is a hard man, damaged by everything he’s done and seen over the years, and I felt a bit heartbroken that his early stage romantic relationship seems to have fallen apart. He needs some normality in his life! As you will expect if you have read this author before, this is a fast paced, violent and emotional thriller. Action packed from the start I found this unputdownable and read it in a day. Great book.
November 26, 2025
Many thanks as ever to Morgan Greene for the advanced reader copy of this book.
The Widow is action packed from the get go and the pace is relentless throughout as Church is summoned to repay a debt by a Russian mob boss whose daughter has been kidnapped.
The story is told from dual time lines and locations and Morgan switches between the two seamlessly. What I really love about these books is Church's character development. He has so many layers to him and in this book we see yet another one of them stripped back.
I particularly enjoyed the ending of this book and am impatiently waiting the next installment after reading it.
Has to be 5 stars from me!
The Widow is action packed from the get go and the pace is relentless throughout as Church is summoned to repay a debt by a Russian mob boss whose daughter has been kidnapped.
The story is told from dual time lines and locations and Morgan switches between the two seamlessly. What I really love about these books is Church's character development. He has so many layers to him and in this book we see yet another one of them stripped back.
I particularly enjoyed the ending of this book and am impatiently waiting the next installment after reading it.
Has to be 5 stars from me!
November 29, 2025
A thoughtful thriller
This is the fifth book in Solomon Church, which continues immediately after the previous book and is set just before he appears in the Jamie Johansson books.
Another related twin storyline takes Church to Portugal while revisiting a previous mission in the country of Georgia.
Having followed the storyline and read this immediately after the previous book, this story started slowly before the action properly commences. About half way through the book and is racked up especially in the Georgian leg. The book shows a development in the character in Solomon Church as we see him face the emotional consequences of his actions and lifestyle.
Whilst not may favourite book in the series this is a very good addition to the series.
This is the fifth book in Solomon Church, which continues immediately after the previous book and is set just before he appears in the Jamie Johansson books.
Another related twin storyline takes Church to Portugal while revisiting a previous mission in the country of Georgia.
Having followed the storyline and read this immediately after the previous book, this story started slowly before the action properly commences. About half way through the book and is racked up especially in the Georgian leg. The book shows a development in the character in Solomon Church as we see him face the emotional consequences of his actions and lifestyle.
Whilst not may favourite book in the series this is a very good addition to the series.
December 12, 2025
This latest in the Church series lifts the veil on his past and reveals what formed his character by his past actions, it also dovetails into setting up his appearance in the Jamie Johansson series.
Its another dual time novel this time to a mission that went wrong and had far reaching consequences in Georgia, Russia not America.
His best yet but i fully expect him to change that with his next book.
Its another dual time novel this time to a mission that went wrong and had far reaching consequences in Georgia, Russia not America.
His best yet but i fully expect him to change that with his next book.
December 16, 2025
Wow
What a read it had me on the edge of my seat most of the time, every book better than the last, and now I can't wait for the next book being launched, an excellent author , I've never been a reader till I started reading you're books, and you never disappoint, I highly recommend any of you're books, and I look forward to the next whether it be church of Johansson I just know I'll enjoy it, thank you for you're books
What a read it had me on the edge of my seat most of the time, every book better than the last, and now I can't wait for the next book being launched, an excellent author , I've never been a reader till I started reading you're books, and you never disappoint, I highly recommend any of you're books, and I look forward to the next whether it be church of Johansson I just know I'll enjoy it, thank you for you're books
April 30, 2026
Heart stopping
Morgan has done it again, a character you love. Feel sorry for and think why is he getting involved again when he can have a peaceful life. But, I'm so glad he is still writing about Solomon church, I can't get enough. The past in the widow had me holding my breath all the time, feeling sorry for all the innocent people, and desperately sorry for Jacub and his wife but, it's all part of what Morgan does keeping you holding your breath until the end
Morgan has done it again, a character you love. Feel sorry for and think why is he getting involved again when he can have a peaceful life. But, I'm so glad he is still writing about Solomon church, I can't get enough. The past in the widow had me holding my breath all the time, feeling sorry for all the innocent people, and desperately sorry for Jacub and his wife but, it's all part of what Morgan does keeping you holding your breath until the end
January 8, 2026
Incredible read
I am addicted to these books. The characters in this story take such shape and have great life to them. I'm excited to know who the "friend" is who needs help. Eagerly awaiting what comes next.
I am addicted to these books. The characters in this story take such shape and have great life to them. I'm excited to know who the "friend" is who needs help. Eagerly awaiting what comes next.
March 16, 2026
Another page turner!
What can I say,another book you can't put down,just have to read one more chapter! The story line just goes from strength to strength raising the tension even more. You won't be disappointed!
What can I say,another book you can't put down,just have to read one more chapter! The story line just goes from strength to strength raising the tension even more. You won't be disappointed!
December 9, 2025
fantastic read
Another Solomon Church book, another belter of a story from Morgan Greene,I await the next with bated breath and very little patience.
Another Solomon Church book, another belter of a story from Morgan Greene,I await the next with bated breath and very little patience.
December 12, 2025
Another thrilling read in the Solomon Church series. Morgan Greene doesn’t fall short and this book provides a punchy, thrill packed ride across the globe! I’m hooked.
December 15, 2025
Another book and another success! Nice glimpse in the past. Fast read, can't wait for the next one!
December 26, 2025
I enjoyed the 5th Solomon outing. You can slowly see him coming apart a little more with each mission.
June 12, 2026
As I always say these are not my usual genre yet I have just read #5. They are easy to follow, however I think I missed the connection with the past and the present on this one. Have to pay more attention!!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews