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Paul Richter #1
Overkill
The Cold War is over, but Russia's arsenal of nuclear weapons is still in place. And when an emissary from an international terrorist group makes a disaffected Russian minister an offer he can't refuse, the survival of the West hangs in the balance...
America and Europe have been seeded with nuclear weapons—strategically located in major city centers—by a group of renegade Russians and their secretive Arab allies. Maverick trouble-shooter Paul Richter finds himself up against a mastermind determined to bomb America back into the Stone Age. Caught up in a tense battle of wits and bullets, he only realizes the full horror of what is about to be unleashed on the world as the attack on the West begins. Richter is the only man with the knowledge and ability to stop it. And time is running out.
America and Europe have been seeded with nuclear weapons—strategically located in major city centers—by a group of renegade Russians and their secretive Arab allies. Maverick trouble-shooter Paul Richter finds himself up against a mastermind determined to bomb America back into the Stone Age. Caught up in a tense battle of wits and bullets, he only realizes the full horror of what is about to be unleashed on the world as the attack on the West begins. Richter is the only man with the knowledge and ability to stop it. And time is running out.
560 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2004
262 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
James Barrington
45 books75 followersI also write as Max Adams, James Becker, Tom Kasey, Thomas Payne and Jack Steel.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 24, 2013
A great spy novel. Tight action and many twists and turns. I just loved Paul Richter, a thinking man's James Bond. Looking forward to read the rest of the series.
June 26, 2017
Spoilers ahead
True to its title, Overkill is a book full of action, blood and guts, spies crawling all over, and of course, political intrigue. What I wasn't prepared for was the frightening reality that has been presented in the book.
A nuclear war could obliterate our species—everyone knows that. But that hasn't stopped nations from stockpiling nuclear weapons, testing nuclear bombs underground, and funneling money into research to produce better nuclear bombs. Since most governments have many checks and balances in place, nobody has actually detonated a nuclear weapon so far.
But what if a radical outfit decided to take it upon themselves to cleanse the world of people they consider unfit to exist? What if they had functional nuclear weapons that they did not hesitate to use?
The author's note was most concerning. From nuclear weapons stockpiling in the U.S. and Europe to development of a neutron bomb to the discovery of a substance called red mercury, the note detailed topics that became direr with each sentence.
The neutron bomb is a super lethal bomb that releases neutrons that kill humans but leave buildings standing. Its working is dealt with in so much detail in the book that at one point, I just gave up trying to understand it. I was never great at physics, anyway. Nevertheless, my limited understanding did not stop me from the arriving at the horrible conclusion that if this weapon is real, the world is in grave danger indeed.
John Barrington (a pseudonym!) claims that all the details about the bomb are accurate. His bio says he's an ex-military pilot, so I guess he knows what he's saying. I still find it hard to swallow.
What interested me the most was the bit about red mercury. According to Wikipedia, red mercury is a fictitious substance that is sold by cheats to terrorist outfits or armed groups with the promise of being a viable alternative to weapons-grade plutonium (required as fuel for nuclear weapons). But Barrington asserts that red mercury is real. I don't know what to believe!
The premise of the book is that Russia is secretly developing its nuclear arsenal despite the policy of glasnost and is taking U.S. dollars in exchange for what the Americans believe to be weapons-grade plutonium that has been extracted from Russia's nuclear weapons. Since independent surveys show that the plutonium that Russia's been sending to the United States is a waste by-product, the question is what Russia is doing with the real deal.
Barrington's tale outlines how one disaffected Russian minister succeeds in detonating a nuclear weapon in the United States, funded by Arab money. The sinister plan that the Arabs have themselves hatched is revealed much later. The adrenaline-fueled race to locate the last nuclear weapon to be positioned in Europe amidst the grudging assistance offered by one nation's secret agency to another is a breathless, albeit dismaying read.
What I liked most about the novel is that the plot isn't like the run-of-the-mill action movies (although it would make a good action movie!) where there's one guy who saves the day and no one gets seriously hurt. There IS a nuclear explosion in America and the hero—Paul Richter—isn't perfect or superhuman and doesn't have all the answers. He gets beaten within an inch of his life. He gets nearly blown up by a nuclear device. He is stonewalled by the French. He fails to break into the supercomputer that's linked to the firing switch located on the satellite in outer space.
In short, he's real.
True to its title, Overkill is a book full of action, blood and guts, spies crawling all over, and of course, political intrigue. What I wasn't prepared for was the frightening reality that has been presented in the book.
A nuclear war could obliterate our species—everyone knows that. But that hasn't stopped nations from stockpiling nuclear weapons, testing nuclear bombs underground, and funneling money into research to produce better nuclear bombs. Since most governments have many checks and balances in place, nobody has actually detonated a nuclear weapon so far.
But what if a radical outfit decided to take it upon themselves to cleanse the world of people they consider unfit to exist? What if they had functional nuclear weapons that they did not hesitate to use?
The author's note was most concerning. From nuclear weapons stockpiling in the U.S. and Europe to development of a neutron bomb to the discovery of a substance called red mercury, the note detailed topics that became direr with each sentence.
The neutron bomb is a super lethal bomb that releases neutrons that kill humans but leave buildings standing. Its working is dealt with in so much detail in the book that at one point, I just gave up trying to understand it. I was never great at physics, anyway. Nevertheless, my limited understanding did not stop me from the arriving at the horrible conclusion that if this weapon is real, the world is in grave danger indeed.
John Barrington (a pseudonym!) claims that all the details about the bomb are accurate. His bio says he's an ex-military pilot, so I guess he knows what he's saying. I still find it hard to swallow.
What interested me the most was the bit about red mercury. According to Wikipedia, red mercury is a fictitious substance that is sold by cheats to terrorist outfits or armed groups with the promise of being a viable alternative to weapons-grade plutonium (required as fuel for nuclear weapons). But Barrington asserts that red mercury is real. I don't know what to believe!
The premise of the book is that Russia is secretly developing its nuclear arsenal despite the policy of glasnost and is taking U.S. dollars in exchange for what the Americans believe to be weapons-grade plutonium that has been extracted from Russia's nuclear weapons. Since independent surveys show that the plutonium that Russia's been sending to the United States is a waste by-product, the question is what Russia is doing with the real deal.
Barrington's tale outlines how one disaffected Russian minister succeeds in detonating a nuclear weapon in the United States, funded by Arab money. The sinister plan that the Arabs have themselves hatched is revealed much later. The adrenaline-fueled race to locate the last nuclear weapon to be positioned in Europe amidst the grudging assistance offered by one nation's secret agency to another is a breathless, albeit dismaying read.
What I liked most about the novel is that the plot isn't like the run-of-the-mill action movies (although it would make a good action movie!) where there's one guy who saves the day and no one gets seriously hurt. There IS a nuclear explosion in America and the hero—Paul Richter—isn't perfect or superhuman and doesn't have all the answers. He gets beaten within an inch of his life. He gets nearly blown up by a nuclear device. He is stonewalled by the French. He fails to break into the supercomputer that's linked to the firing switch located on the satellite in outer space.
In short, he's real.
December 9, 2021
This was another exciting novel by James Barrington who is becoming one of my favourite authors. This is a complex story that takes place in several countries. There are lots of twists and turns to the plot and the action keeps the reader guessing all the while trying to figure out what the next twist in the story is going to be and how the main character is going to get through yet another fix. The bad characters are deliciously evil and come to a satisfyingly bad end. This is a long book but I enjoyed every page. I'm definitely going to read more from this author.
October 30, 2017
Overkill
Excellent story with a good line of possibilities based on facts and only a little fiction - that of the people named. Research and details were outstanding and about the only difficulty I had was trying to believe that some of the bureaucracy would react as positively as claimed. Very believable and I look forward to more.
Excellent story with a good line of possibilities based on facts and only a little fiction - that of the people named. Research and details were outstanding and about the only difficulty I had was trying to believe that some of the bureaucracy would react as positively as claimed. Very believable and I look forward to more.
November 25, 2018
Another awesome twisting turning task for Paul Richter
A great second outing for Paul Richter and the relentless pace and action of the first instalment are carried on here. Gritty and violent, this is a great action thriller set in the wilderness of mirrors that is the world of espionage. A great read.
A great second outing for Paul Richter and the relentless pace and action of the first instalment are carried on here. Gritty and violent, this is a great action thriller set in the wilderness of mirrors that is the world of espionage. A great read.
January 9, 2019
I gave this four stars however this was due to being in bed at 1 AM and the character on my reader being too small. This is a five star book with adventure and excitement and a true to life story of what can be and what probably, will be. The characters are well defined and one seems to be part of the team as they read. Great author. This is the second book of his that I have read.
October 31, 2017
Just a good book
Okay book at times a little slow with too much wasted time with background information. Will read other books by by Mr barrington. Hope a better plot and less wasted material in explanations
Okay book at times a little slow with too much wasted time with background information. Will read other books by by Mr barrington. Hope a better plot and less wasted material in explanations
December 22, 2017
Too Much Background
Too much background for me. Very repetitive and just seems like a lot of filler. If you enjoy flying and have an interest in computers, you’ll probably enjoy this book. The first book was ten times better than this one. I still like the series, though.
Too much background for me. Very repetitive and just seems like a lot of filler. If you enjoy flying and have an interest in computers, you’ll probably enjoy this book. The first book was ten times better than this one. I still like the series, though.
January 10, 2018
Pure spy thriller!
None of the second guessing or guilty consciousness of many top assassins and spys in other novels. Just pure brutal dedication to the job. Paul Richter in a nutshell.
None of the second guessing or guilty consciousness of many top assassins and spys in other novels. Just pure brutal dedication to the job. Paul Richter in a nutshell.
January 31, 2018
Interesting twists
Much like the first installment, I enjoyed this one from start to finish. I did find myself sometimes wondering about the time period of the settings. That never interfered with the storyline. Looking forward to the next installment.
Much like the first installment, I enjoyed this one from start to finish. I did find myself sometimes wondering about the time period of the settings. That never interfered with the storyline. Looking forward to the next installment.
February 20, 2018
Great read
A well written and developed adventure story, with a good mix of fiction and fact. Good character development, scene descriptions, and plot sequences. Holds the readers attention throughout.
A well written and developed adventure story, with a good mix of fiction and fact. Good character development, scene descriptions, and plot sequences. Holds the readers attention throughout.
October 22, 2017
Another Richter thriller
Rather long but liked the idea that he "Took care" of the secondary villains. Looking forward to more of Richter adventures.
Rather long but liked the idea that he "Took care" of the secondary villains. Looking forward to more of Richter adventures.
December 10, 2017
Wow!
This book was way better than the first book in the series. Gripping action and a plot that continues to excite throughout the book.
This book was way better than the first book in the series. Gripping action and a plot that continues to excite throughout the book.
January 21, 2018
Starts off gently, Builds up at an easy pace. Finishes off in an exciting fashion.
Interesting plot.
Interesting plot.
February 8, 2018
A non stop thriller
This is my second of these books and I'm very impressed. A fascinating story line with good character development. Hard to put down.
This is my second of these books and I'm very impressed. A fascinating story line with good character development. Hard to put down.
March 27, 2018
Good long read
Generally good. Personally I would have liked our hero to show up earlier than 19% into the book but the author made up for it. Yes, I'll continue with book #3.
Generally good. Personally I would have liked our hero to show up earlier than 19% into the book but the author made up for it. Yes, I'll continue with book #3.
May 27, 2018
Overkill
I liked the story line started way to slow but it was worth reading to the end. And I will be following Names Barrington as a new fan of Agent Paul Richter.
I liked the story line started way to slow but it was worth reading to the end. And I will be following Names Barrington as a new fan of Agent Paul Richter.
September 21, 2018
A bit too barbaric for my taste
I liked the story but the details drove me a little bit crazy. I will save my real feelings after the next book.
I liked the story but the details drove me a little bit crazy. I will save my real feelings after the next book.
December 25, 2024
Bra spionthriller.
June 27, 2021
I read the first Paul Richter thriller ages ago and really enjoyed it. I then went on to read all the other books I wanted to read, some with similar themes to these books, and the Paul Richter book 2 kept moving to the bottom of my list; for no other reason than there are so many great (and not so great) books out there.
Anyway, I decided to read this second Richter book and I'd forgotten how good James Barrington is ... as good as Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp for example.
Thoroughly enjoyed the book and shan't wait so long before reading book 3.
Anyway, I decided to read this second Richter book and I'd forgotten how good James Barrington is ... as good as Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp for example.
Thoroughly enjoyed the book and shan't wait so long before reading book 3.
October 20, 2019
"Looks like you're going to start a small war - Well it's only a small van" Army humour at its best. Top class action adventure light hearted escapism
April 11, 2008
James Bond's antithesis...
When the hero of this book, Paul Richter, a British MI6 agent, was introduced, my first reaction was that he must be the antithesis of the James Bond character made famous by Ian Fleming. Where Bond is a well-dressed, flamboyant womanizer, Richter seems to be shoddily dressed and somewhat of a shabby person. He is also constantly in conflict with his boss. However, this does not mean that he is incapable of doing his job. On the contrary, he is very proficient and excellent at sniffing out the baddies and dealing with them in appropriate ways - to be expected of a fictional MI6 hero.
Richter has to thwart a devious plan of some dissident Russians, teaming up with Arab terrorists to explode nuclear bombs in major European and US cities to cause a shift of global power. Richter also has a personal stake in the whole affair, which is explained only towards the end of the story.
This is a fast paced thriller, full of action, plot twists, suspense, technology, espionage and many well-described international locations. The nuclear technology is also well-researched and explained. It could be compared with Tom Clancy's Sum of All Fears and new author Ian Kruger's Strike of the Black Mamba. I would like to see more from James Barrington!
When the hero of this book, Paul Richter, a British MI6 agent, was introduced, my first reaction was that he must be the antithesis of the James Bond character made famous by Ian Fleming. Where Bond is a well-dressed, flamboyant womanizer, Richter seems to be shoddily dressed and somewhat of a shabby person. He is also constantly in conflict with his boss. However, this does not mean that he is incapable of doing his job. On the contrary, he is very proficient and excellent at sniffing out the baddies and dealing with them in appropriate ways - to be expected of a fictional MI6 hero.
Richter has to thwart a devious plan of some dissident Russians, teaming up with Arab terrorists to explode nuclear bombs in major European and US cities to cause a shift of global power. Richter also has a personal stake in the whole affair, which is explained only towards the end of the story.
This is a fast paced thriller, full of action, plot twists, suspense, technology, espionage and many well-described international locations. The nuclear technology is also well-researched and explained. It could be compared with Tom Clancy's Sum of All Fears and new author Ian Kruger's Strike of the Black Mamba. I would like to see more from James Barrington!
November 10, 2015
Overkill is a hugely impressive debut from a very classy author who clearly knows his stuff. I am a prolific reader of thrillers and I think Mr Barrington is right up there with the very best in the genre. It's always a joy to find a new author you rate highly, and a new character you love, and this book seriously delivered for me on both fronts.
Richter is totally kick-ass while being wonderfully understated. He is supremely confident without being arrogant and has a delightfully dry sense of humour. I really enjoyed his relationship with his superior, Simpson, as well as his interactions with other agents in the US and Europe. He has a healthy disregard for bureaucrats but huge respect for the intelligence and skills of other operatives. He is immensely likeable, as well as believable, and I am very much looking forward to reading many more Richter novels.
In summary I would highly recommend this book for anyone who loves a slick international thriller with a protagonist you can believe in and root for. Don't tell Jack Reacher, or my boyfriend, but I think Richter is most definitely my new crush!
Richter is totally kick-ass while being wonderfully understated. He is supremely confident without being arrogant and has a delightfully dry sense of humour. I really enjoyed his relationship with his superior, Simpson, as well as his interactions with other agents in the US and Europe. He has a healthy disregard for bureaucrats but huge respect for the intelligence and skills of other operatives. He is immensely likeable, as well as believable, and I am very much looking forward to reading many more Richter novels.
In summary I would highly recommend this book for anyone who loves a slick international thriller with a protagonist you can believe in and root for. Don't tell Jack Reacher, or my boyfriend, but I think Richter is most definitely my new crush!
December 4, 2011
A group of Russian leaders who disagree with the way Russia is being led
decide that the time has come to deploy their secret nuclear arsenal and they
team up with al-Qaeda to neutralize America and take control of western
Europe. One man can stop them and he is Paul Reichter working for British
Intelligence.He discovers that Europe has been seeded with neutron bombs
while more lethal devices have been planted in strategic American cities. Any
of them can be detonated bt satellite at anytime.Now they re handed an ultimatum
Abandon western Europe to the Russians or millions of people will be killed.
But what the Russians don't know is that their allies al-Queda have an even deadlier
agenda. This is a good book with a good story and you get your monies worth
it is 757 pages long.
decide that the time has come to deploy their secret nuclear arsenal and they
team up with al-Qaeda to neutralize America and take control of western
Europe. One man can stop them and he is Paul Reichter working for British
Intelligence.He discovers that Europe has been seeded with neutron bombs
while more lethal devices have been planted in strategic American cities. Any
of them can be detonated bt satellite at anytime.Now they re handed an ultimatum
Abandon western Europe to the Russians or millions of people will be killed.
But what the Russians don't know is that their allies al-Queda have an even deadlier
agenda. This is a good book with a good story and you get your monies worth
it is 757 pages long.
November 30, 2016
I read it after Manhunt, which has been written as a prequel to this. It felt like this had been edited to fit into the timeline, and didn't work. Very old cars and very limited understanding of computers, yet the use of euros and other anomalies made it all feel wrong. Especially with the protagonist knowing very high people in the intelligent services even though he was only a pilot previously.
April 27, 2015
This was pretty good, despite some hard to swallow events and twists. Richter is a little inconsistent at times: you are either a top tier agent or you aren't and the idea that a plot so massive could get so far along undetected is on the cusp of impossible. Regardless, good pace and writing overall.
January 4, 2015
Complex thriller/spy/adventure story. Quite a few people die but I found it hard to put down. Suspenseful!
September 13, 2016
Great Book
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews