Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Jack Noble #17

The Devil's Bargain

Rate this book
Everyone has a price. Jack's about to learn his.Six months ago, Jack Noble's face appeared on every news channel in the world.

Now he's a ghost with nowhere left to hide. Three foreign intelligence services want him dead. Two criminal organizations have a bounty on his head. The families of men he killed years ago are closing in. For the first time in twenty years, Jack has run out of options.

Then the CIA makes an offer he can't refuse.

Complete immunity. A new identity. A future for the people he loves. All he has to do is one final mission—assassinate the newly elected president of a NATO ally. A man the Agency claims is a Russian asset positioned to destroy the Western alliance.

No trial. No evidence. Just Jack's bullet and his word against theirs.

But something doesn't add up. The target doesn't act like a traitor. The security around him seems designed to fail. And the deeper Jack digs, the more he realizes he's not just the hunter.

He might be the hunted.

With the clock ticking down and a woman from his past racing to uncover secrets buried in the darkest corners of Langley, Jack faces an impossible choice. Trust the people who've given him everything to lose—or trust the instincts that have kept him alive for twenty years.

Some deals with the devil come due.

And Jack Noble is about to learn the real price of survival.

The Devil's Bargain is a pulse-pounding thriller about impossible choices, institutional betrayal, and the price of survival. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, Vince Flynn, and Brad Thor.

358 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 24, 2026

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

L.T. Ryan

174 books1,523 followers
L.T. RYAN is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author. The new age of publishing offered L.T. the opportunity to blend his passions for creating, marketing, and technology to reach audiences with his popular Jack Noble series.

Living in central Virginia with his wife, the youngest of his three daughters, and their three dogs, L.T. enjoys staring out his window at the trees and mountains while he should be writing, as well as reading, hiking, running, and playing with gadgets. See what he's up to at ltryan.com.

BOOKS IN THE JACK NOBLE SERIES
The Recruit (prequel short story)
The First Deception (prequel)
Noble Beginnings
A Deadly Distance
Thin Line
Noble Intentions
When Dead in Greece
Noble Retribution
Noble Betrayal
Never Go Home
Noble Judgment
Never Cry Mercy
Deadline
End Game

BOOKS IN THE BEAR LOGAN SERIES
Ripple Effect
Blowback
Takedown
Deep State (coming January, 2020)

BOOKS IN THE CLARISSA ABBOT SERIES
Beyond Betrayal

BOOKS IN THE MITCH TANNER SERIES
The Depths of Darkness
Into the Darkness
Deliver Us From Darkness (coming soon)

Social Media Links

Facebook (L.T. Ryan): facebook.com/LTRyanAuthor
Facebook (Jack Noble Page): facebook.com/JackNobleBooks/
Twitter: twitter.com/LTRyanWrites
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/6151659.L_T...

Contact L.T. Ryan at contact@ltryan.com
About the Author
L.T. RYAN is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author. The new age of publishing offered L.T. the opportunity to blend his passions for creating, marketing, and technology to reach audiences with his popular Jack Noble series.

Living in central Virginia with his wife, the youngest of his three daughters, and their three dogs, L.T. enjoys staring out his window at the trees and mountains while he should be writing, as well as reading, hiking, running, and playing with gadgets. See what he's up to at ltryan.com.

Social Media Links

Facebook (L.T. Ryan): facebook.com/LTRyanAuthor
Facebook (Jack Noble Page): facebook.com/JackNobleBooks/
Twitter: twitter.com/LTRyanWrites
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/6151659.L_T...

Contact L.T. Ryan at contact@ltryan.com

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
872 (53%)
4 stars
439 (26%)
3 stars
189 (11%)
2 stars
84 (5%)
1 star
44 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
Profile Image for Ashley McCabe.
298 reviews6 followers
March 3, 2026
Very disappointing

I thought I liked this series until this book. Same words, same paragraphs, same story told over and over and over that I began to speed read through most of it. Not enjoyable reading. Very slow moving, not interesting, didn't hold my attention well. Avid reader here, several books a week. Will not be continuing this series. Very choppy writing and storyline. Felt like I kept reading the same paragraphs just on different numbered pages. I'm being generous with three stars. Lost a faithful reader here.
1 review
February 28, 2026
storyline

Love Jack Noble but this story is absurdly repetitive. Also there are mistakes. For instance it was made clear Jack did not know his friend was coming but before she got there and he was reviewing everything he said he was expecting her Thursday. There are others. This book simply was not as cleanly written as the others.
2 reviews
March 3, 2026
I don't understand the good ratings on this unless those folks never read the rest of the series. This one is marginally better in writing stye than then #16 but not much. Still repetitive, still illogical, the timeframe of events jump around but seems unintentional, still very poor editing (if any). And for sure still enough for me to question who wrote this. What I question the most is not who wrote it but why they clearly did not read books 1-15. Too many inconsistencies with the rest of the series. The main one that really threw me was regarding Mia. We all know Mia is Jack's daughter, being raised by Jack's brother and family, and who is the sole heir to billions from great-aunt, Dottie. But this story is stating Mia is Brett's daughter, being raised by Brandon (of all people?!) and that the "money is running out". Ryan should really read what is being published under his name as these last 2 books in the series are just terrible and don't make a lick of sense.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Casey Holencik.
55 reviews3 followers
March 4, 2026
A fan of the series but not this book. It was poorly written, severely repetitive, contradicted itself in numerous places and the previous books in numerous places.

Honestly, it feels like it was written by some who read the outlines or summaries of a few of the previous books, but not the series itself…
Profile Image for Gena Webb.
Author 9 books57 followers
March 9, 2026
Seriously confusing!

Absolutely the worst of the series. Not what I expect from Ryan. Confusing storyline. How can Jack know what others are doing when they’re a continent away? A character walks down the stairs at the end of one chapter and at the beginning of the next, he’s still in the apartment. Mia is Jack’s daughter and also Brett’s daughter. Too many inconsistencies to mention and so much repetitive information I skipped pages. Such a letdown.
8 reviews
March 21, 2026
I have read nearly all of LT Ryan’s books loved them all, up until this one. This book was by far, one of the worst I have ever read. The book was at least 50% repetition of the same passages that added nothing to the story. It was truly just wasted space and filler. To make it worse, the characters were not true to past relationships. Mia is Jack’s daughter but was portrayed as his dead friend, Brett’s daughter. Mia has been living with Jack’s brother Sean and his family in a safe location, but in this book his IT specialist Brandon is watching over her. None of this book lined up or made sense. This was a huge disappointment. I hope of Mr Ryan is using a partner to co author future books, he chooses someone familiar with past story lines and someone who can craft an original story.
539 reviews
March 7, 2026
This book was very different from previous, same but different. No mention of characters in previous books, i.e. Bear, Brandon (was mentioned once), Sean, etc. And, suddenly Mia became Brett’s daughter. What? We know she was Jack’s daughter living with Jack’s brother’s family, nothing to do with Brandon. She was the hook that was used to recruit Jack at the start. And, suddenly she is running out of money? She had become a billionaire, inheriting from her aunt. Jack was also not hurting for money, that he had plenty to live well for the rest of his life. I’m still wondering if I missed something, even that I read those parts several times. Anycase, strange book. Also repetitious. The names of the 5 assassinated investigators were repeated so many times, along with their manner of death. It’s as if someone else took over the writing of this book at about one-third of the way through…the Mia discrepancy, the repetitiousness. Reese, working on the investigation so closely with Jack then became insignificant once the excitement was over, that Jack didn’t see her for 4 days. An afterthought, regardless of the ton of work she did, the danger she exposed herself to, repercussions that could destroy her life. Book ends with Jack living in a small, sparsely furnished apartment in Prague thanks to Czech Marek, counterintelligence. This is Jack, superhero, winner in all circumstances who comes off as an ordinary guy, struggling to deal with the situation, grateful for a place to live. Reading other reviews, someone wondered if it had been written using AI. That would certainly explain a lot of the issues.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
1 review
March 30, 2026
The Devil’s Bargain

I usually love the Jack Noble books, but this one had a different style. There were blocks of text that repeated a couple of times and seemed like ‘padding’. I found myself skimming parts as they didn’t add anything new to the story. All in all not the same quality writing I’ve come to look forward to.
133 reviews1 follower
March 18, 2026
Far too much needless redundancy

I have enjoyed this series for the most part, but this was a weak and forced effort. There was so much redundancy that it appeared to be an attempt to stretch out a very thin plotline. Character development was practically non-existent as well. Instead, everyone was portrayed as essentially cold, lifeless automatons. (I lost count as to how many times people 'almost smiled, but not quite" or gave a "smile that didn't reach their eyes.') Also, the ongoing use of the literary tricks of single word sentences and multiiple consecutive sentences that begin with the same word grew to be a distracting annoyance. Perhaps the times and energy being exerted in slapping this author's name on a host of other works where be is clearly not the primary writer as a way to build his publishing empire has taken a toll on his ability to produce a decent one by himself.
21 reviews
April 4, 2026
Should not put "thriller" on the cover, when 60% was a dull setup for the ending.
Profile Image for Karla Thompson.
385 reviews3 followers
March 9, 2026
The story was good.

The storyline was good. The writing was not. The same descriptions over and over again made me flip pages until I finally found something new to make the story move along. That happened a lot. Finally, there was some brief action, some confrontation, some reward and then goodbyes. It's well set up for another book, but I will have to think about whether I will purchase it or not. Very disappointing. I was so looking forward to a new Jack Noble after a long absence.
Author 1 book
May 13, 2026
The story behind The Devil's Bargain was interesting in regards to the criminal efforts over years and some of the actions over those years. Beyond that, I was very disappointed in this book. I have read previous books in this series and felt this one was written by someone who knows nothing about writing. The repetition of exact words and phrases felt worse than the situation the move Groundhog Day. Then there were inconsistencies which were compounded by scenes that shifted or seemed to be out of order. One very strange thing I noticed near the beginning, the book kept stating "seven words" and I had to re-read this over and over again; when I read that phrase, it was six words...very strange but that was the theme I gathered from reading this book.
1 review
March 28, 2026
I have read all of Jack Noble and Rachel Hatch. Enjoyed everyone of them until Devil’s Bargain. I gave it one star only because there was not a half star. Why?
1. I don’t believe Mr. Ryan wrote this book. Too many mistakes and lack of continuity.
2. The same old words and paragraphs over and over and over again. I was beginning to think my Kindle was taking me back to previous pages. They listed the dead people a dozen times.
3. This was not the same Jack Noble I know. This guy was boring.
4. I seriously doubt I will continue with this series. I am retired but my time is more valuable to spend it on poorly written, poorly edited, and just plain boring literature.
Profile Image for Kathy Knopoff.
25 reviews
April 4, 2026
story was good. writing continues to degrade

This is the second time the writing in a Jack Noble book has detracted from the story - I have read them all. Somewhere, maybe halfway, the sentences became short and choppy. The flow of the narrative ceased to exist.
The flow. The narrative. Ceased to exist. Annoying right?
Not sure what is going on with the Noble series.
Book 16 had felt like a different author; many loyal readers noticed the same thing.
Not sure what to think; I am finding it annoying however. I continue to read all the different series, but that may change if this continues.
Sigh.
1 review
April 5, 2026
Terrible book

This book could/should have been 50-60 pages. There is so much redundancy that it was beyond annoying. Sometimes, we were told something twice in the same paragraph! The book also needs editing for continuity. There were a lot of places with things out of order. I have read all of Jack Noble, and most of them have had some of the same issues. There were too many times that Jack knew s something that he had no way of knowing. The author finally managed to squeeze all of the problems into one volume. I don't expect these mass produced books to be perfect but it should have been better. I hope the next one is better!
Profile Image for Evaleen M. Pennington.
23 reviews2 followers
Currently Reading
March 14, 2026
Spellbinding from start to finish

This book absolutely was attention grabbing . I have been reading other authors and would set books down and not pick up till end of day. This one? I could not put down. I picked it up during commercials on TV wondering what bit of excitement was coming next. Your writing is so inspiring and clear. The characters are easily identifiable and so exciting. Jack Noble has a always been my favorite character of yours. I will hate to see him retire someday. I love your work
6 reviews
March 26, 2026
Not the best

I have loved Jack Noble from the first book. The last two books… L. T. Ryan I’m disappointed in you. The storyline was not the problem. You were drifting away while writing these two books. You were repetitive in some parts and did not keep your facts consistent in others. It was better than the last book about Jack but you seem to have let AI write the last two then you added parts that made the consistency go out the window. Do you not have a proofreader anymore? I would love to see where Jack is going from here but I’m not sure I can suffer thru another Jack Noble book written by you. I also just finished the latest Bear and Mandy book and it was great. I’d rather you leave Jack alone instead of butchering him.
1 review1 follower
March 8, 2026
not as goid as I'm used to

I've read all of the series plus most of LT Ryans book as this was so disappointing. not the kind of writing I'm used to. Horribly repetitious and drug out. If I read about six month old scar tissue 100 times I wouldn't be surprised. Their was an oddly placed chapter that was just a slightly different repeat. Maybe it was the editors fault. Just overall very disappointing.
Profile Image for Emily Ritchey.
17 reviews
March 15, 2026
repetitive and poorly written

I have read many of LT Ryan’s books, all of the Jack Noble series - this was not up to par and a drudgery to read. If they would remove the 6 to 15 times the same words were repeated the book would be nothing but a pamphlet.

Incredibly disappointing and hope that someone tells Ryan to get back to writing. I was waiting for the book to end from half way through.
Profile Image for Lowell Davis.
18 reviews19 followers
March 30, 2026
To summarize in three words: What the fuck. Two in a row in this series that are terrible. Repetitive. Timeline is off for events in the book, almost as if chapters are out of order. Can we at least decide whose kid Mia is?
If you’re a fan of this series, stop before you get to books 16 and 17.
I really hope the terrible writing and non-existent editing doesn’t take over additional series and characters that I’ve grown fond of from L.T. Ryan.
Profile Image for Kim Martin.
4 reviews
May 1, 2026
Apparently Ryan is tired of writing. This wasn’t worthy of a junior high school writing assignment. Repetition of information was used to the point of ludicrousness. Was he trying to hit a word count? Plotting didn’t exist. Characters became aware of facts that they shouldn’t have. Sloppy. Some have suggested AI was used. I think AI could have done a better job.

I gave up trying to read it. Don’t bother starting it if you haven’t. There’s better ways to use your time.
78 reviews
May 4, 2026
Disappointing. Why was Mia no longer Jack's daughter?? Plenty about that in previous books and all of a sudden she is someone else's. Didn't like this and don't understand it. Book 16 was also disappointing so thought when book 17 was released, it would make up for it. Wrong. And now it appears book 18 is going to be some kind of science fiction about his past. May decide to skip that. Series has changed from very good to crap!
207 reviews
May 10, 2026
The Devil’s Bargain by LT Ryan

This is the 15th or 16th in Jack Nobel series that I have read. I have ever given a rating less than 4 or 5 in all the previous reviews. Unfortunately, this was very bad... too much repetition (almost paragraph to paragraph) in many locations, mistakes/miscommunication (e.g., Mia is mentioned as Brett’s daughter... she is supposed to be Jack’s daughter), and so on. The book certainly needs good editorial cleanup.
Profile Image for Julie .
733 reviews15 followers
February 26, 2026
Thrilling Read

Another riveting JN story by Ryan.
Hired for a hit, Jack finds himself in Prague, working against the clock, to stave off a presidential assassination that is his assignment. With a Prague official and his government people, Jack works to stop the hit and to unravel the involvement of his own country's CIA.
Superb suspense, action and intrigue.
Next.
89 reviews1 follower
March 1, 2026
Amazing

Another great book by a great author.
Some will try to say what this book is about in their review but I couldn't put in words what you should know.
I recommend you read this book for yourself and try to write a review that covers what you read.
This book is great.
I highly recommend this book and author.
7 reviews
March 3, 2026
Such a disappointment. I don’t know if LT wrote this or if someone fed the previous books to an AI and hoped for the best. Whatever it was, it’s not up to his usual standards. I doubt any editing was done as the entire book is filled with errors. One major error is that the story says that Mia is Brett’s daughter instead of Jack’s.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
1 review
March 14, 2026
Hard left turn

I have enjoyed everything LT has written to this point. This one though was difficult to get through. The story is a good one. The characters are familiar but somehow distant in this book. The same thoughts, themes, plot points are repeated over and over like you are reading a Netflix movie. This one is a miss for me.
14 reviews
March 16, 2026
Jack At His Best

I enjoyed this book almost as much as the previous books. There was a lot of repeating the same dialogue which caused parts of the book to drag. Also, I got confused on who Mia belonged to. At one point it said she was Jack's daughter but then she was Brett's. In previous book before 17 she was always Jack's daughter. Other than that I liked the storyline.

65 reviews1 follower
March 18, 2026
Another great story

I really enjoy the way these thrillers are presented. They are very though proviking and real. The cast if characters assembled are real, the situations are very real and the story always is linked to a new thread. It keeps me wanting for the next installment. Please keep the books coming.
2 reviews
March 28, 2026
I have read and enjoyed every book in this series until this one. I’m so disappointed. It was so confusing! All of a sudden Jack knows information and is never explained how he got it!! Then there’s his daughter who is not his daughter and then is his daughter……. I doubt I’ll read any more in this series. Makes me wonder if the same author wrote this one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews