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USAF Pararescue #3
The Devil's Horn
Inside South Africa’s Kruger National Park, ranger Promise discovers the remains of a crashed military drone—and a live missile. Immediately, Promise calls her uncle, Juma, a rhino-poaching kingpin and an illegal arms dealer. With Promise’s help, Juma has kept her and her grandparents out of crushing poverty with illicit money.
Alerted US authorities send pararescuemen LB and Wally into the Kruger to secure the crash site. But Juma gets there first and takes the unexploded missile.
This ignites a race to find Juma’s camp and then eliminate the evidence before the missile triggers an international incident. LB and Wally must join forces with disgraced Promise and her jaded, dangerous boss, Neels, who wants both Juma and Promise dead. This tense alliance sets out in pursuit of the stolen missile. But how much will Wally and LB be asked to risk so that others may live?
362 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 2015
137 people are currently reading
391 people want to read
About the author
David L. Robbins
40 books141 followersDavid L. Robbins was born in Richmond, Virginia, on March 10, 1954. He grew up in Sandston, a small town east of Richmond out by the airport; his father was among the first to sit behind the new radar scope in the air traffic control tower. Both his parents, Sam and Carol, were veterans of WWII. Sam saw action in the Pacific, especially at Pearl Harbor.
In 1976, David graduated with a B.A. in Theater and Speech from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Having little actual theatrical talent, he didn't know what to do for a living. David decided to attend what he calls the “great catch-basin of unfocused over-achievers”: law school. He received his Juris Doctorate at William and Mary in 1980, then practiced environmental law in Columbia, S.C. for precisely a year (his father demanded back the money for law school if David practiced for less than one year – he quit two weeks before the anniversary but got Sam to agree that the two weeks' vacation David had accumulated could be included). David decided to attend Psychology school, having an affinity for people's stories and a fascination with woe. However, while waiting for admisison in 1981, he began a successful freelance writing career. He began writing fiction in 1997, and has since published twelve novels. He's currently working on the thirteenth, the third in his U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen series, as well as several scripts for the stage and screen. He has won awards for his essays and screenplays, and has had three stage plays produced.
David is an accomplished guitarist, studying the works of James Taylor and Latin classical. At six feet six inches tall, he stays active with his sailboat, shooting sporting clays, weightlifting, traveling to research his novels. He is the founder of the James River Writers (Jamesriverwriters.org) a non-profit group in his hometown of Richmond that helps aspiring writers and students work and learn together as a writing community. He also co-founded The Podium Foundation (thepodiumfoundation.org), a non-profit which brings writing and critical reasoning programs to the students of Richmond’s city high schools, as well as support programs for city educators. He also teaches advanced creative writing as a visiting professor at Virginia Commonwealth University's Honors College. David resides in Richmond, near the James River.
In 1976, David graduated with a B.A. in Theater and Speech from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Having little actual theatrical talent, he didn't know what to do for a living. David decided to attend what he calls the “great catch-basin of unfocused over-achievers”: law school. He received his Juris Doctorate at William and Mary in 1980, then practiced environmental law in Columbia, S.C. for precisely a year (his father demanded back the money for law school if David practiced for less than one year – he quit two weeks before the anniversary but got Sam to agree that the two weeks' vacation David had accumulated could be included). David decided to attend Psychology school, having an affinity for people's stories and a fascination with woe. However, while waiting for admisison in 1981, he began a successful freelance writing career. He began writing fiction in 1997, and has since published twelve novels. He's currently working on the thirteenth, the third in his U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen series, as well as several scripts for the stage and screen. He has won awards for his essays and screenplays, and has had three stage plays produced.
David is an accomplished guitarist, studying the works of James Taylor and Latin classical. At six feet six inches tall, he stays active with his sailboat, shooting sporting clays, weightlifting, traveling to research his novels. He is the founder of the James River Writers (Jamesriverwriters.org) a non-profit group in his hometown of Richmond that helps aspiring writers and students work and learn together as a writing community. He also co-founded The Podium Foundation (thepodiumfoundation.org), a non-profit which brings writing and critical reasoning programs to the students of Richmond’s city high schools, as well as support programs for city educators. He also teaches advanced creative writing as a visiting professor at Virginia Commonwealth University's Honors College. David resides in Richmond, near the James River.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
January 1, 2016
Entertaining, thought-provoking, and greater than the sum of its parts.
February 13, 2017
This is a little better than the 3 I gave it, but not a 4. Good characters, nice plot. I see other reviewers marking it down because it was not like the other Pararescue books. If it was, I probably would not have read it, so I regard that as a plus. As a South African, though, several things rankled from early on, starting with - Bantu is not a language. It is a family of languages, of which Zulu is one of the most widely spoken members. So for Promise to switch from Zulu to Bantu does not make sense. Like switching from French to Romance Language. Just some basic Googling could have fixed that. There were several other similar problems. But he does get a lot right. And the basic message about the peril of the rhino is correct and very important. It's a good "guy's book", although too violent etc for younger teens.
August 5, 2017
A near-perfect thriller. Exotic setting (South African bush country) and vivid, complex characters. The premise and excuse for this book is that a U.S. missile has fallen into Kruger national park among the Rhinos, Lions, Zebras, and poachers. LB and Wally (the protagonists from the first two books) are tasked to find and destroy it. Things go wrong and excitement ensues. The odd thing is, the continuing characters, the protagonists, are really secondary characters here, little more than observers. The real story is told by park rangers and bad guys. I imagine this would be a stand-alone book if Robbins (read: his publisher) didn't feel the need to drive sales from the previous two books.
August 20, 2017
Review
I would strongly recommend you read the first two books in this series although it can be read as a stand alone. This book really touched me in the heart. A fitting tribute to not only the PJ's but all military men who serve our country for that is a debt which no one can repay but also to those who give their life to protect the endangered wildlife at the hands of poachers. Thank God for people like you. Read the book
I would strongly recommend you read the first two books in this series although it can be read as a stand alone. This book really touched me in the heart. A fitting tribute to not only the PJ's but all military men who serve our country for that is a debt which no one can repay but also to those who give their life to protect the endangered wildlife at the hands of poachers. Thank God for people like you. Read the book
November 2, 2018
Gut wrenching and beautiful
This might be a spoiler, but if you can get through the first gritty chapter, you won’t be able to stop reading until the end. The PJs get caught up in the heartbreaking world of African poachers and now have to save themselves and stop the worst of that world. Breathtaking in the detail of another culture, the action never stops. I don’t recommend this to the faint hearted.
This might be a spoiler, but if you can get through the first gritty chapter, you won’t be able to stop reading until the end. The PJs get caught up in the heartbreaking world of African poachers and now have to save themselves and stop the worst of that world. Breathtaking in the detail of another culture, the action never stops. I don’t recommend this to the faint hearted.
August 31, 2017
As I read this series, my grandson, a SEAL, is in a car away country. I almost quit reading as I have such feD for over wild-msn , laughing child who has become a man.
The s e books are grjipping , c h characters well developed and landscape are alive. I I feel loss as the last of the series finished,
The s e books are grjipping , c h characters well developed and landscape are alive. I I feel loss as the last of the series finished,
September 5, 2017
Best of the Three
David L. Robbins has come into his own with this, the third book in the USAF Pararescue trilogy. His characters are richer, the setting more evocative, the plot gripping. I was a little impatient that the final denouement would NEVER transpire, but the author came through. A thoroughly satisfying read that I highly recommend.
David L. Robbins has come into his own with this, the third book in the USAF Pararescue trilogy. His characters are richer, the setting more evocative, the plot gripping. I was a little impatient that the final denouement would NEVER transpire, but the author came through. A thoroughly satisfying read that I highly recommend.
September 20, 2023
An interesting and exciting read!
Having lived in South Africa for almost 20 years, and yes I worked in the gold mines !.....
This book bought back many happy memories and certainly captured the South African spirit.....
The story is believable and moves at a good pace with several unexpected twists and turns.....all in all an enjoyable read!
Having lived in South Africa for almost 20 years, and yes I worked in the gold mines !.....
This book bought back many happy memories and certainly captured the South African spirit.....
The story is believable and moves at a good pace with several unexpected twists and turns.....all in all an enjoyable read!
August 10, 2017
A different type of mission from the previous 2 books
The book was fun to read but the pace could have been a bit quicker. This was the 3rd book in the series so I was already up to speed on the main characters.
The book was fun to read but the pace could have been a bit quicker. This was the 3rd book in the series so I was already up to speed on the main characters.
January 5, 2018
I have just finished the third book and final in the series, an I have to say the series just keeps you guessing right as you think you've figured out what is going to happen it throws you a curveball and keeps you interested and on your toes, great series I loved it.
August 15, 2018
A good read.
I enjoyed this book. It kept me interested. There was a good story line. A fine cast of characters. The good guys do not always finish first. The glory of victory in battle is fleeting.
I enjoyed this book. It kept me interested. There was a good story line. A fine cast of characters. The good guys do not always finish first. The glory of victory in battle is fleeting.
March 11, 2019
A Great Book!
This has been a good series. Mr. Robbins way of setting up the story at the beginning of the book taught me a lot about the poaching problem in south Africa. LB and Wally's personalities add a lot to the story.
This has been a good series. Mr. Robbins way of setting up the story at the beginning of the book taught me a lot about the poaching problem in south Africa. LB and Wally's personalities add a lot to the story.
November 28, 2018
*Received through Goodreads Giveaways*
March 10, 2020
Promising, but didn't reach the finish line.
I wished I had skipped this one. A slow, overly dramatic, and sappy finish. The last 20% of the book was disappointing.
Cheers, Jim
I wished I had skipped this one. A slow, overly dramatic, and sappy finish. The last 20% of the book was disappointing.
Cheers, Jim
August 22, 2023
Devil's Horn
Bloody good read. Poachers should be shot for doing what they do. Wally and LB appear to be what the Angels are about, hero's.
Bloody good read. Poachers should be shot for doing what they do. Wally and LB appear to be what the Angels are about, hero's.
September 13, 2023
Another fun read ... David Robbins does a good job with the PJ characters ... well written, fun to read, and a good series over all.
March 30, 2025
Great series. Fun reads. Worth the time.
February 13, 2019
I have a feeling I would've liked this more had it not been marketed as part of the USAF Pararescue series.
While I loved the setting and greatly enjoyed the complexity of the new secondary characters (that in many ways are treated as the main characters), the way that Wally and LB (the protagonists from the first two books) have been included in this felt incredibly incredulous and forced.
It didn't help that their actions (especially LB's) made no god-damn sense either.
This series has definitely been one of diminishing returns for me - I loved the first book, appreciated the second, and found this third one just entertaining enough to justify having read it. At this stage I'm not sure I'd pick up a fourth book in this series, if it ever comes around.
While I loved the setting and greatly enjoyed the complexity of the new secondary characters (that in many ways are treated as the main characters), the way that Wally and LB (the protagonists from the first two books) have been included in this felt incredibly incredulous and forced.
It didn't help that their actions (especially LB's) made no god-damn sense either.
This series has definitely been one of diminishing returns for me - I loved the first book, appreciated the second, and found this third one just entertaining enough to justify having read it. At this stage I'm not sure I'd pick up a fourth book in this series, if it ever comes around.
November 12, 2015
I didn't like this book as much as his others in this series. That is not to say that it isn't a good book; it's that it's not the same type of story. There is very little of the run and gun action from the prior Pararescue stories. This book almost spends more time on the non-PJ characters but you do get great character development with all off them.
You understand why a ranger (forest) charged with caring for endangered species would do some awful things. You understand how loss turns a successful business man to a a life of crime. You get the feeling of walking through the African veld and what it would be like to spend the night, almost alone in an African game reserve.
All in all, David L. Robbins did a great job of making you feel like you knew the characters and the sadness of poaching. But its not really a pararescue story.
You understand why a ranger (forest) charged with caring for endangered species would do some awful things. You understand how loss turns a successful business man to a a life of crime. You get the feeling of walking through the African veld and what it would be like to spend the night, almost alone in an African game reserve.
All in all, David L. Robbins did a great job of making you feel like you knew the characters and the sadness of poaching. But its not really a pararescue story.
December 7, 2015
This is the third in David Robbins series about a USAF pararescue team, the Guardian Angels. Set in the wilds of the Kruger National Park in South Africa, it describes an emergency mission to recover or destroy a Hellfire missile from a crashed drone. Only two of the GA's are really involved in the unexpected mission. With no planning, supplies, logistical support, or back-up, LB and Wally parachute into the Kruger National Park. They do manage to co-opt a young park ranger to help in their task. Although there is some action, a large portion of this book is devoted to the description of how to travel 10-15 kilometers thru the South African jungle and survive. A lot of attention is given to identifying the local flora and fauna, and differentiating between the droppings of various animals whose path they cross. THE DEVIL'S HORN doesn't measure up to the two previous books, THE DEVIL'S WATER and THE EMPTY QUARTER.
November 5, 2015
I was actually very disappointed in this third ( and final?) book of the series. In fact, if I hadn't already read the first two books and really liked the premise and the characters, I think I would have stopped reading it and put it in the "DNF" category. - and for anyone that knows me..... That is very rare and I truly hate to do that. But, I could not get into the book. The writing style was different- stilted- and the characters were just so 2 dimensional. Anyway, it does eventually get somewhat back on track, but this was a HUGE disappointment to me. ( I even pre ordered it on Amazon, which is another thing I rarely do.)
*sigh* and what's the deal with LB? Is he done? Finished with the PJ's?
Again, I truly do not think I built this up too much beforehand, but boy did it let me down.
*sigh* and what's the deal with LB? Is he done? Finished with the PJ's?
Again, I truly do not think I built this up too much beforehand, but boy did it let me down.
November 18, 2015
I do not think I have ever given a One Star review. I enjoyed reading "The Empty Quarter" and "The Devil's Waters" from the Pararescue series. This book, however, was not very good. I gave up about 100 pages in because as of that time the PJs had only been mention once and that was in a possible bar fight. If there are any more Pararescue novels in the works, Mr. Robbins is going to need to step up his game!
May 30, 2016
I received this book as a First Read. It's the third book in the series but works fine as a standalone. The book was a slow read. It felt like two different books meshed into one and would've worked better as two separate books. Ironically, given the series, the whole pararescuemen angle with LB and Wally just felt out of place and forced. The book could have been incredibly powerful with the poaching story alone
March 4, 2016
The Devil's Horn gives an insightful glimpse into South Africa's Kruger National Park, the life of it's rangers, and the rhino-poaching industry. I found it a little slow in places, but it's well written and all the characters develop beautifully. It has action but it wasn't as suspenseful as I thought it would be.
P.S. I won this book through a goodreads giveaway.
P.S. I won this book through a goodreads giveaway.
November 8, 2015
Not as good as its predecessors
Inferior in plot and characterization to the two preceding books. Apparently unedited, judging by the number of comma splices and other grammar mistakes. Tedious in places, with largely unsympathetic opponents for LB and Wally. Still, not a bad read.
Inferior in plot and characterization to the two preceding books. Apparently unedited, judging by the number of comma splices and other grammar mistakes. Tedious in places, with largely unsympathetic opponents for LB and Wally. Still, not a bad read.
January 15, 2016
This is the first book in the PJ series that I've read. I liked promise and the other non-military characters. I think they were for the most part well developed and interesting. The paratroopers were 2 dimensional and seemed to be made up of as many military cliches as the author could find. I never saw them as real people, only the embodiment of an institution.
Overall worth the read.
Overall worth the read.
April 29, 2016
Solid series, different book in series
Likeable characters from a solid series. Author does a great job telling a secondary story and interjecting the star characters' story into that other story. Unlike the other books in this series, the battles are cerebral and emotional, not physical. Creative storyteller.
Likeable characters from a solid series. Author does a great job telling a secondary story and interjecting the star characters' story into that other story. Unlike the other books in this series, the battles are cerebral and emotional, not physical. Creative storyteller.
November 13, 2015
Gritty insider view of PJ's
An honest view of the possible interface between a war on poachers and governmental political maneuvering. Neither foe deserves sympathy or compassion, as the poachers targets do. A truly enjoyable and enlightening read.
An honest view of the possible interface between a war on poachers and governmental political maneuvering. Neither foe deserves sympathy or compassion, as the poachers targets do. A truly enjoyable and enlightening read.
November 28, 2015
Thanks to NETGALLEY for the ARC. I did not finish this novel, not because it isn't well written but because it just didn't grab me. I do recommend for those who like military/thrillers in interesting settings.
January 14, 2017
Awe Struck
This book is in a league with MacTeague and Red Badge of Courage. An inexorable progression of events that the characters have no control over; they only control themselves, according to their understanding of honor. And we see the African Bush as a living entity.
This book is in a league with MacTeague and Red Badge of Courage. An inexorable progression of events that the characters have no control over; they only control themselves, according to their understanding of honor. And we see the African Bush as a living entity.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews