Breakout

David Hawkins #2

by Chris Ryan

Eight months after helping to prevent a devastating attack on Britain's nuclear deterrent, ex-SAS hero David Hawkins is down on his luck. But when an act of reckless violence costs him his job, Hawkins is recruited by MI6 for a highly sensitive mission.

The infiltrate a gang of cut-throat mercenaries led by a notorious former Regiment officer. Six believes this team is planning a once-in-a-century heist. Now they want Hawkins to find out who else is involved - and why.

But as he gets closer to the target, Hawkins uncovers an even more deadly plot. One that threatens to upend the world order and trigger a terrifying new conflict between East and West . . .

Genres: Thriller

Audible Audio

Published June 4, 2026

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

[Mr Rompus 🥸]

Mr Rompus was very pleased with this exhilarating read. It had me more hooked than an ex Disney star on heroin. It had me biting my nails faster than SpongeBob hearing tales of the hash slinging slasher!

I will be eagerly anticipating the next book in the series, until we meet again, David Hawkins…

[Graham]

Another bone-headed read from this once enjoyable author. Ryan's heyday was in the wake of BRAVO TWO ZERO; his non-fiction account of his Iraq experience was exhilarating and the first decade of his SAS thrillers dotted with real highs including my personal favourite, THE WATCHMAN. However, since then, his standards have slipped and it feels like he's been writing on autopilot for a long time now. BREAKOUT is formulaic in the extreme: another washed-up former SAS guy battling alcoholism is sent on a tough mission with devastating consequences if he loses. The jump from alcoholism to super-warrior is always hilariously unrealistic in these stories, our hero managing to give up the booze and return to his glory days in the space of a couple of days with no ill after-effects. This book is certainly timely, with its made-up American president battling Iran and a secret mission to receive some uranium, but there the fun ends. Villains are set up well in the text but subsequently wasted, and there's not even a huge amount of action until the ending. The dialogue is crude and repetitive, the new necessity of including a scene of torture in each of his books an unpleasant addition to his formula, and the whole thing just feels rather bland.

[Simon Scholfield]

Another fabulous, fast paced read

I read Breakout as rapidly as the events unfolding in the very well constructed and hugely exciting plot .Excellent !

[Own Timis]

Another classic Chris Ryan novel. He's on great form with Breakout.