Fire Point

Ryan Lock #6

by Sean Black

The sixth novel in the Ryan Lock series. Ryan Lock and Ty Johnson are in Los Angeles and on the trail of an unlikely cult who are planning on taking their message to the world and settling some old scores at the same time.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Action

424 pages, Paperback

First published December 18, 2014

About the author

I write the Ryan Lock series of thrillers, which feature ex-military bodyguard Ryan Lock and his partner, former Marine, Ty Johnson. The first two books in the series, Lockdown and Deadlock, hit the Official UK Top 50 Bestseller Chart, and the third, Gridlock, has just been released in hardback. They have have also been translated into Dutch, German, and Russian.

I'm a firm believer in hands-on research, also known as 'any excuse to get out of the house', so before I wrote Lockdown, I trained for a month with former members of the Royal Military Police's specialist close protection unit. That turned out to be great preparation for Deadlock, which I researched by spending time inside Pelican Bay Supermax in California (see the TV interview on my author page). I recently completed a desert survival course in Arizona and ventured into the tunnels under Las Vegas, all as preparation for a new standalone thriller I will begin work on once I have completed the fourth Ryan Lock book.

Before I became a full-time novelist, I taught college and wrote television drama. I'm an Oxbridge and Ivy League graduate – try not to hold that against me.

Reviews

[Book Addict Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas definitely came early when this book landed in my inbox. Sean Black is one of my favourite authors, and two releases from him in one year is a real treat. I can't actually believe this is the sixth Ryan Lock novel, a series which is easily my favourite thriller series, and one which I still think is totally underrated as so many people I ask have never read one of Sean's books. Sean contacted me a few years ago to thank me for writing a review of The Devil's Bounty, and that small act is one of the reasons I started a book blog in the first place. An author reading your review is a great feeling.

The book opens introducing us to a gang attempting to kidnap a woman off the street, 'Krank' is the leader and we learn that kidnapping the girl is some sort of initiation process to the gang. The reasoning and origin is unknown in the beginning but we later learn it's a cult, made up of some strange individuals. 'MG', the latest recruit is showing some apprehension at carrying out what he has been asked to do. Ryan Lock is recruited by Tarian Griffiths as she is worried that her son Marcus might be in danger, Lock isn't sure about the case at first until a search of Marcus's apartment results in them being shot at. The situation then becomes a lot more complicated and Lock and his partner, Ty are soon stuck right in the middle of it.

Sean is a writer that constantly tricks me whilst I read, the twists come at just the right times, throwing me off course more than once. That old cliche of a book being jaw dropping is very true here as mine did literally drop a couple of times. The book therefore isn't predictable in the slightest, you might think you know what's going to happen but just be prepared to be totally wrong! Story wise this is probably one of Sean's strongest yet, and it was one that kept me completely hooked throughout. His ability to create nasty and evil characters seemingly knows no bounds as the ones here were hateful, yet believable at the same time.

Lock and Ty are such a brilliant and believable duo. Both similar characters but also very different, with personality traits that balance each other out. When they aren't together it feels weird and when they are, they're unstoppable. I would definitely want these two on my side if I ever needed help. The character development over the course of the series has been brilliant, these are two characters you really root for, and who after six books you find yourself caring about despite them being fictional. Some heart stopping moments both in this and previous books involving Lock and Ty have had me almost shouting at my Kindle.

Short sharp chapters make this an extremely exciting and fast paced read, the action very rarely lets up and I was loath to put this book down at times, even when my eyes just wouldn't stay open. Sean's books are just perfect for the big screen with plenty of vivid, cinematic scenes. Sean has now left me with the trouble of choosing between this and The Innocent for a place in my Top Ten Books of the Year which I am revealing on Christmas Eve. For fans of Lee Child and Matt Hilton yet to pick up a Sean Black book, what are you waiting for? Christmas is the best time to treat yourself and you will not regret it if you do. Sean, how long until the next one?!

Thanks to Sean Black for the review copy.

[itchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

brief synopsis:
ryan and ty decline a prospective client but jump into the fray when they learn that the prospective principal is involved with serious criminal activities.

setting:
san diego
los angeles
marina del rey
brentwood
sepulveda
la puente
santa monica

named personalities:
charles 'krank' kim - a short but muscular asian that leads a group of self-styled pick-up artists
gretchen 'kimberley' 'cherry' yorda - a young woman with short blonde hair
kristina valeris - an abductee
drew 'loser' - a member of krank's gang
shaggy - of the scooby doo cartoons
marcus 'mg' griffiths - a precocious twenty-year-old
nietzsche - a philosopher
ryan lock - a private security contractor
tarian griffiths - marcus' mother; a prospective client
peter blake - a wealthy tech entrepreneur; tarian's ex-husband and marcus' father
teddy griffiths - a multi-millionaire
tyrone 'ty' johnson - ryan's business partner
malik - ty's friend in long beach
gwyneth paltrow - a celebrity
fletcher griffiths - tarian and teddy's seven-year-old son
carrie griffiths - tarian and teddy's nine-year-old daughter
rosa - the griffithses' hispanic housekeeper
levi - marcus' old therapist
stentz - marcus' current therapist
devon malcolm - a previous member of krank's clique
lauren - an la lakers cheerleader; devon's girlfriend
li zhang - a tall, weedy chinese; a grey-hat hacker
stacy baker - a girl that has been stalked by marcus
brad - stacy's boyfriend
ramón - a middle-aged hispanic guard for an apartment complex in marina del rey
charles miller kim - a twenty-seven-year-old with an address in la puente
ayn rand - author of the fountainhead
sylvia - teddy's cousin
beyoncé - a celebrity
oj simpson - a celebrity connected to brentwood
carrie - a woman whom ryan lost
woodward - a real reporter
bernstein - another real reporter
marco jacks - an unmaned paparazzo's source
janet christopher - a petite blonde college professor in her early fifties
bob dersh - a former sheriff's deputy currently deputy security for barnes college
alfonso fry - a trucker
ben miles - a hiker in his late sixties with a shock of white hair and glasses
bill - another trucker
jackie onassis - a first lady who popularized a style of sunglasses

label:
p40: ty was already out in front of both of them, his sig sauer 226 drawn, his broad chest providing tarian with body cover.

narrative:
p206: he plucked a red marker pen from an empty coffee mug and began to circle the locations he'd spent months selecting.

typo:
looking through she could smoke rising from the hills overlooking the campus.

tarian is such a dumb name when you've already established your stars as ryan and ty.

[Best Crime Books & More · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite character crush is back! Ryan Lock and his partner in crime Ty Johnson are back for the sixth book in the series. This time around the pair of them are involved in what seems to be a simple request. A wealthy mum asks them to ‘keep an eye’ on her son Marcus following an ‘incident’ at college. Lock’s reluctance to take the case is cast aside when he starts to try to track down Marcus.

Marcus and his ‘friends’ are slightly disturbing and before long it’s pretty clear that this case involves more than Lock and Ty ‘babysitting’. Ryan Lock is a character that I love, but in this latest instalment he feels a little bit more detached than usual. I think he needs a good woman in his life! Ty is just about the coolest damn character you can read. He and Ryan work well together and this series just wouldn’t work unless they both feature in it. The tension and drama as always takes a step up as ‘Krank’ and his friends start carrying out their work.

There are plenty of high tension and action scenes packed into this book so fear not, you certainly won’t be bored. There was a disturbing element of truth with the storyline, which won’t go unnoticed by many, but is sadly a result of the world we live in today. Having read every book in this series from the beginning, I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite but it’s once again a solid and intriguing read that will keep you hooked from the beginning to the end.

As always I will eagerly await the next instalment, and hopefully I will get to read about Sean Blacks other amazing character Byron Tibor in the meantime. Certainly one the fans will love and a series I would highly recommend not just this book but all the ones prior to it. Sean is an author that is not well known enough for my liking and deserves to be up there with every other bestseller out there. I only have one criticism though, I truly think that Ryan Lock needs to hook up with an amazing woman and I think her name will be Kat!!!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ryan Lock and his partner Ty Jackson run a two man private security firm in California. Wealthy Tarian Griffiths, former soap opera star, contacts Ryan due to concerns for her twenty year old son Marcus. Marcus has fallen in with some bad company, including a man called Krank. Krank and his equally bad friend Gretchen believe feminism and women's rights have destroyed this country so they kidnap and murder young women as a prelude to things to come. After searching Krank's apartment, Ryan finds body armor piercing bullets and books on Columbine, Sandy Hook, and other mass killings. The group has an evil plan about to unfold.

I haven't read the first five books in this series and the author didn't refer back to much that happened in earlier ones. But for the last third of the book, Ryan Lock reminded me of Jack Reacher. And I could always read a lot more about guys like that.

[Valérie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Encore une fois, aucune déception avec cette nouvelle aventure de Ryan Lock.

Ce dernier et Ty sont embauchés pour un simple contrat de baby-sitting qui aurait dû être plutôt ennuyeux. Mais il va s’avérer que celui qu’il devait surveiller n’est pas le si gentil fils à maman qu’il paraissait. S’ensuit une chasse à l’homme sanglante qui met nos deux coéquipiers sur des charbons ardents.

Comme d’habitude avec Sean Black, c’est un récit très rythmé avec peu de temps morts. La froide cruauté ainsi que leurs motivations ont un goût bien trop réaliste pour nous laisser de marbre. C’est un sujet qui colle malheureusement bien à la réalité actuelle.

[Eric Esterline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Systemic racism narrative ratchets up.

I've read the previous books in the series and have mostly enjoyed them. I didn't really enjoy the story in this one, but more than that the sub-narrative of "systemic racism" continues to ratchet up as the series progresses. Hearing it constantly in the real world is bad enough, but having it brought up continuously through a fiction novel is too much. I'm done with this series and this author.

[Gail Mchugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

These people are definitely insane. You could not even label them with a psychosis of some kind. I was not that fond of the relationship between Tarian and Lock. Nope. Nope. Nope. I think that young man Marcus needed his ass kicked reeeal gud. Still loving Ty.

[Linda Lpp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced

Ryan and Ty have managed to get into and out of another hot mess. Ramped up violence and bloodshed in this series book. Their methods to obtain background info. is not doing much to create unique story lines. But all told, the books are good reads.

[Diane Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love all things Ryan Lock, I've read every one and look forward to reading the next one. Sean Black keeps me entertained throughout the whole book

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read. But could have done without the "romantic" stuff, stick to the story it didn't add anything so why put it in. But other than that jolly good read.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoying this series but this book was a tough one. I get angry teenagers and sometimes wonder what the f**k they're thinking.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finito.....took a while but did finish. Looking forward to the next SB.

[Netreal · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING AS ALWAYS

Awesome work, I so hate it when the books 📚 are coming to an end!!! I want them to go on forever!!!

[Gustambro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice series, a good read from the best of private security

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice easy read .

[Roughseasinthemed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I nearly put this book down after not very many pages when I realised the misogynistic subject matter of it. It's focused on a few MRAs and an anti-feminist woman, so not quite the best mix for me.

Luckily our brave and heroic duo (both men) finally save the day, although not until we've had lots of bodies scattered all over the place.

Predictable to a large extent (and I'm not fast on the uptake) but well written with good pacing and dialogue. Decently edited too.

It's not horribly graphic but I do find the subject matter of MRAs and their abuse of women disturbing. So, a warning there for other like-minded readers. Whether Black is trying to point out the nastiness involved in MRA groups is one thing; whether others see this as an excuse to emulate is another.

But, that aside, it's a decent fast read.

[David Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a small bunch of psychopaths aiming to earn their place in infamy by killing a host of people, especially women. I found it an easy read. The characters were real and to me the plot was believable. The book describes itself as a thriller but I never felt the chill I expected. It rolled out as sort of an everyday occurrence. Maybe I have been jaded by the killings in America?

[Robbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fast-paced, action-filled thriller from Sean Black. I've enjoyed every book I've read by this author. The protagonists are exactly what you would expect from heroes. Highly recommend! 4.8 stars.

[Frank Roberto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book,

The subject that this book dealt with could have been taken from any news story around the world. However in the plot he gives the reader more of a background to the events and thinking of the people involved that led them to their actions.

[Mica · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

Deals with current headlines in a fast paced exciting read. Shows how such events really make no sense to most.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but a bit too predictable.

[Uwe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actualy don't know. For me the action was way over the top for private security and the story itself ..........hmmm, as I said I don't know. Not really excited anyway !

[LDean · Rating 3 out of 5]

iPad

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, this was a great read. I love the Ryan Lock books. So realistic and interesting.

[Stacey Wright Aumock · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's like reading an action movie

[Suzette · Rating 2 out of 5]

typical action, not my favorite, didn't leave me wishing for the next novel in the series.