What do you think?
Rate this book
Black Venom
CIA Special Agent Joe Plant encounters Wade Ross in the middle of a drugs and weapons raid in Istanbul.
He informs the mysterious Australian that, willingly or not, he has just helped stop the illegal activity of the terrorist group known as The Grey Wolves.
But Ross’s appearance at the raid is no accident.
He’s an ex-SAS soldier, trained with the highest ranking Special Forces, and is regarded as one of the most talented and fearless agents around.
When a supposed accidental explosion leads directly back to Ross, it becomes clear that the Grey Wolves have found themselves a new target.
Although he works alone and outside of the law, Ross’s need for revenge means that he teams up with Plant and the rest of the CIA to help take the terrorist group down.
But he is used to working alone.
And he soon realizes, he can rely on on himself....
'Black Venom' is a high-octane action thriller that will grip readers from the first page to the last.
'A blockbuster read.' - Tom Kasey, best-selling author of 'Trade Off'.
Dawson Howard, born in 1959, lives with his lovely wife in Brisbane, Australia. Having served as a teenage soldier he spent most of his working life in the construction industry. Drawing on his military experiences and association with the Australian Aboriginals, his debut novel introduces Wade Ross, an ex-SAS soldier, highly regarded among secret service agents. Having completed the second of his Wade Ross series, he is now focused on a psychological / action thriller.
He informs the mysterious Australian that, willingly or not, he has just helped stop the illegal activity of the terrorist group known as The Grey Wolves.
But Ross’s appearance at the raid is no accident.
He’s an ex-SAS soldier, trained with the highest ranking Special Forces, and is regarded as one of the most talented and fearless agents around.
When a supposed accidental explosion leads directly back to Ross, it becomes clear that the Grey Wolves have found themselves a new target.
Although he works alone and outside of the law, Ross’s need for revenge means that he teams up with Plant and the rest of the CIA to help take the terrorist group down.
But he is used to working alone.
And he soon realizes, he can rely on on himself....
'Black Venom' is a high-octane action thriller that will grip readers from the first page to the last.
'A blockbuster read.' - Tom Kasey, best-selling author of 'Trade Off'.
Dawson Howard, born in 1959, lives with his lovely wife in Brisbane, Australia. Having served as a teenage soldier he spent most of his working life in the construction industry. Drawing on his military experiences and association with the Australian Aboriginals, his debut novel introduces Wade Ross, an ex-SAS soldier, highly regarded among secret service agents. Having completed the second of his Wade Ross series, he is now focused on a psychological / action thriller.
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2015
330 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 6, 2021
Firstly I must mention this is a first in a new series, it is so good to find a new series, that is so great and I can start from the beginning. There are so many that I am still trying to catch up with, yes too many favourite authors and great action series.
CIA Special Agent Joe Plant encounters Wade Ross in the middle of a drugs and weapons raid in Istanbul.
He informs the mysterious Australian that, willingly or not, he has just helped stop the illegal activity of the terrorist group known as The Grey Wolves.
But Ross’s appearance at the raid is no accident.
He’s an ex-SAS soldier, trained with the highest ranking Special Forces, and is regarded as one of the most talented and fearless agents around.
When a supposed accidental explosion leads directly back to Ross, it becomes clear that the Grey Wolves have found themselves a new target.
Although he works alone and outside of the law, Ross’s need for revenge means that he teams up with Plant and the rest of the CIA to help take the terrorist group down.
But he is used to working alone.
And he soon realizes, he can rely on on himself....
A great action packed, full throttle thriller, full of great characters, with action throughout the world, with some great twists and shocks this thriller keeps you on your toes.
Up there with many of my favourite action thriller authors, here we have a real action hero.
Some comments That I agree with... below
'Black Venom' is a high-octane action thriller that will grip readers from the first page to the last.
'A blockbuster read.' - Tom Kasey, best-selling author of 'Trade Off'.
Dawson Howard, born in 1959, lives with his lovely wife in Brisbane, Australia. Having served as a teenage soldier he spent most of his working life in the construction industry. Drawing on his military experiences and association with the Australian Aboriginals, his debut novel introduces Wade Ross, an ex-SAS soldier, highly regarded among secret service agents.
CIA Special Agent Joe Plant encounters Wade Ross in the middle of a drugs and weapons raid in Istanbul.
He informs the mysterious Australian that, willingly or not, he has just helped stop the illegal activity of the terrorist group known as The Grey Wolves.
But Ross’s appearance at the raid is no accident.
He’s an ex-SAS soldier, trained with the highest ranking Special Forces, and is regarded as one of the most talented and fearless agents around.
When a supposed accidental explosion leads directly back to Ross, it becomes clear that the Grey Wolves have found themselves a new target.
Although he works alone and outside of the law, Ross’s need for revenge means that he teams up with Plant and the rest of the CIA to help take the terrorist group down.
But he is used to working alone.
And he soon realizes, he can rely on on himself....
A great action packed, full throttle thriller, full of great characters, with action throughout the world, with some great twists and shocks this thriller keeps you on your toes.
Up there with many of my favourite action thriller authors, here we have a real action hero.
Some comments That I agree with... below
'Black Venom' is a high-octane action thriller that will grip readers from the first page to the last.
'A blockbuster read.' - Tom Kasey, best-selling author of 'Trade Off'.
Dawson Howard, born in 1959, lives with his lovely wife in Brisbane, Australia. Having served as a teenage soldier he spent most of his working life in the construction industry. Drawing on his military experiences and association with the Australian Aboriginals, his debut novel introduces Wade Ross, an ex-SAS soldier, highly regarded among secret service agents.
August 3, 2025
I generally like to encourage authors, so, while I was disappointed in this book, it has potential. I'll share my comments here trying to be more constructive in the hopes future books are improved upon:
I'll start with the bad news first, CONS:
- The entire book is fraught with spelling and grammatical mistakes (as many others have observed).
My initial thought is there is a possibility the author is not fluent in English, some words used were clearly misused consistently throughout the book. If that's the case, then I'd be willing to be more lenient.
- Some plot points where the characters keep travelling back and forth, doesn't make sense. They literally flew across the ocean to meet with someone when they had no need to do that in person. Or the main character just going off on a walkabout during a crucial point of a mission, just didn't make any sense.
- Some characters and plot points just didn't make sense. It just wouldn't happen in the world of special ops, military operations and government officials. I don't want to give anything away, but once you start reading, you'll probably know what I mean.
- The writing at times lacked the connection and storytelling potential to make the story more engaging and bring the reader into this world. I'm not sure if the word "lazy" is appropriate, but some things seemed to just resolve with little to no afterthought (especially the ending).
- I honestly question the 4-5 star reviews (on Goodreads, Amazon, etc), seems a bit suspect to me based on the quality of this book...
Now, some positives:
- The main character has potential, it's different, I like the idea of an Australian SAS, trained with other special ops organizations around the world.
- The overall premise for the story is fine, but the writing could be improved to really bring this story alive and engaging. Maybe some proper editing would help it, it certainly has potential.
I'll start with the bad news first, CONS:
- The entire book is fraught with spelling and grammatical mistakes (as many others have observed).
My initial thought is there is a possibility the author is not fluent in English, some words used were clearly misused consistently throughout the book. If that's the case, then I'd be willing to be more lenient.
- Some plot points where the characters keep travelling back and forth, doesn't make sense. They literally flew across the ocean to meet with someone when they had no need to do that in person. Or the main character just going off on a walkabout during a crucial point of a mission, just didn't make any sense.
- Some characters and plot points just didn't make sense. It just wouldn't happen in the world of special ops, military operations and government officials. I don't want to give anything away, but once you start reading, you'll probably know what I mean.
- The writing at times lacked the connection and storytelling potential to make the story more engaging and bring the reader into this world. I'm not sure if the word "lazy" is appropriate, but some things seemed to just resolve with little to no afterthought (especially the ending).
- I honestly question the 4-5 star reviews (on Goodreads, Amazon, etc), seems a bit suspect to me based on the quality of this book...
Now, some positives:
- The main character has potential, it's different, I like the idea of an Australian SAS, trained with other special ops organizations around the world.
- The overall premise for the story is fine, but the writing could be improved to really bring this story alive and engaging. Maybe some proper editing would help it, it certainly has potential.
May 21, 2024
In diesem Roman von Dawson Howard geht es um actionreiche und gefährliche Handlungen, die sich um einen kampferprobten, hartgesonnen Mann und seine Spezialeinheit von freien und angestellten Frauen und Männern von Geheimdienstes dreht. Es geht in die Welt der kampferfahrenen Protagonisten und Leser erleben mit »Black Venom« ein packendes Abenteuer.
Wade Ross, aufgewachsen als Ureinwohner in der australischen Wüste, entwickelte sich zu einem hochgefährlichen und äußerst effizienten Geheimagenten der Special Forces. Ausgebildet wurde er bei der australischen SAS (Special Air Services) in Perth, beim israelischen Mossad in Tel Aviv an den verschiedensten Waffen, bei den nepalesischen Ghurkas und er erhielt ein Unterwassertraining bei den US Navy Seals in San Diego.
Während einer Operation, um ein vermutetes Netzwerk von Waffenhändlern und -produzenten - die Grauen Wölfe aus der Türkei - aufzudecken und zu zerschlagen, erfährt er, dass diejenigen, die er jagt, seine Mutter und Schwester ermordet haben. Die Situation ist nun äußerst persönlich und jemand wird dafür zur Rechenschaft gezogen werden.
Er reist im Zickzack durch drei Kontinente, sowohl allein als auch mit seinem Team aus multinationalen Ex-Spezialkräften, und zerstört alles, was ihm begegnet, aber er weiß, dass jemand von ganz oben hinter ihm her ist.
Angeheuert von der CIA, dem Präsidenten der USA und anderen Regierungen durchquert er drei Kontinente in einem hin und her, mal allein, mal mit seinem Team aus ehemaligen Spezialkräften aus verschiedenen Ländern. Auf seinem Weg zerstört er konsequent jeden, der ihm auf seiner Mission in die Quere kommt, jedoch ist ihm bewusst, dass ihm jemand von höherer Stelle auf den Fersen ist. Doch die Pilotin, die ihn bei einem Auftrag transportieren soll und durch missliche Umstände an seiner Seite bleibt, schließt er in sein Herz.
So viel Action und Tote wie in »Black Venom« habe ich bislang noch nicht gelesen, abgesehen von historischen Roman mit großen Schlachten. In diesem Roman sind die Toten auch handverlesen. Denn Wade Ross lässt so manches Mal zehn bis zwölf Gegner hinter sich liegen.
Wade Ross steht im Mittelpunkt der Geschichte und sein persönlicher Charakter wird besonders gut herausgearbeitet. Die Beschreibung der anderen Figuren geht gerade so weit, dass man sich diese etwas vorstellen kann. Viele wirken sympathisch, doch einige von ihnen bleiben rätselhaft und ihre wahren Intentionen werden erst am Ende enthüllt. Abgesehen von einigen Hauptfiguren sind die meisten Menschen in der Geschichte nur Nebenfiguren und spielen eine eher unbedeutende Rolle.
Nachteilig empfand ich die ständigen Zeitangaben in Form des militärischen Formats (0430 Uhr oder 1200 Uhr), wobei tatsächlich alles irgendwie halbstündlich getaktet wurde. Doch schließlich sind diese Angaben so unwichtig. Eine Beschreibung wie "früh am Morgen" oder "kurz vor Mitternacht" wäre mir persönlich viel sympathischer gewesen.
Abschließend lässt sich sagen, dass der schnell zu lesende Abenteuerroman einem actionreichen Kino-Blockbuster oder einer packenden TV-Serie gleicht. Die fesselnde Geschichte, die kleine Liebesaffäre mit einer Pilotin und die Motivation zur Rache wegen des Todes von Mutter und Schwester machen ihn zu einem unterhaltsamen Leseerlebnis. Egal ob für die breite Masse oder den durchschnittlichen Leser, dieser Roman bietet Spannung und Emotionen in einem packenden Format.
© Detlef Knut, Düsseldorf 2024
Wade Ross, aufgewachsen als Ureinwohner in der australischen Wüste, entwickelte sich zu einem hochgefährlichen und äußerst effizienten Geheimagenten der Special Forces. Ausgebildet wurde er bei der australischen SAS (Special Air Services) in Perth, beim israelischen Mossad in Tel Aviv an den verschiedensten Waffen, bei den nepalesischen Ghurkas und er erhielt ein Unterwassertraining bei den US Navy Seals in San Diego.
Während einer Operation, um ein vermutetes Netzwerk von Waffenhändlern und -produzenten - die Grauen Wölfe aus der Türkei - aufzudecken und zu zerschlagen, erfährt er, dass diejenigen, die er jagt, seine Mutter und Schwester ermordet haben. Die Situation ist nun äußerst persönlich und jemand wird dafür zur Rechenschaft gezogen werden.
Er reist im Zickzack durch drei Kontinente, sowohl allein als auch mit seinem Team aus multinationalen Ex-Spezialkräften, und zerstört alles, was ihm begegnet, aber er weiß, dass jemand von ganz oben hinter ihm her ist.
Angeheuert von der CIA, dem Präsidenten der USA und anderen Regierungen durchquert er drei Kontinente in einem hin und her, mal allein, mal mit seinem Team aus ehemaligen Spezialkräften aus verschiedenen Ländern. Auf seinem Weg zerstört er konsequent jeden, der ihm auf seiner Mission in die Quere kommt, jedoch ist ihm bewusst, dass ihm jemand von höherer Stelle auf den Fersen ist. Doch die Pilotin, die ihn bei einem Auftrag transportieren soll und durch missliche Umstände an seiner Seite bleibt, schließt er in sein Herz.
So viel Action und Tote wie in »Black Venom« habe ich bislang noch nicht gelesen, abgesehen von historischen Roman mit großen Schlachten. In diesem Roman sind die Toten auch handverlesen. Denn Wade Ross lässt so manches Mal zehn bis zwölf Gegner hinter sich liegen.
Wade Ross steht im Mittelpunkt der Geschichte und sein persönlicher Charakter wird besonders gut herausgearbeitet. Die Beschreibung der anderen Figuren geht gerade so weit, dass man sich diese etwas vorstellen kann. Viele wirken sympathisch, doch einige von ihnen bleiben rätselhaft und ihre wahren Intentionen werden erst am Ende enthüllt. Abgesehen von einigen Hauptfiguren sind die meisten Menschen in der Geschichte nur Nebenfiguren und spielen eine eher unbedeutende Rolle.
Nachteilig empfand ich die ständigen Zeitangaben in Form des militärischen Formats (0430 Uhr oder 1200 Uhr), wobei tatsächlich alles irgendwie halbstündlich getaktet wurde. Doch schließlich sind diese Angaben so unwichtig. Eine Beschreibung wie "früh am Morgen" oder "kurz vor Mitternacht" wäre mir persönlich viel sympathischer gewesen.
Abschließend lässt sich sagen, dass der schnell zu lesende Abenteuerroman einem actionreichen Kino-Blockbuster oder einer packenden TV-Serie gleicht. Die fesselnde Geschichte, die kleine Liebesaffäre mit einer Pilotin und die Motivation zur Rache wegen des Todes von Mutter und Schwester machen ihn zu einem unterhaltsamen Leseerlebnis. Egal ob für die breite Masse oder den durchschnittlichen Leser, dieser Roman bietet Spannung und Emotionen in einem packenden Format.
© Detlef Knut, Düsseldorf 2024
October 5, 2021
Fast moving thriller.
A good fast moving thriller involving a special operative who has trained with various specialist units around the world. On the murder of his mother and sister in Australia by a criminal gang linked to influential Americans at the top of political power Wade seeks out revenge on those involved. His venture assisted by friendly CIA and American military personnel trying to uncover the traitors results in a fast moving storyline with a love interest thrown in for good measure.
A good fast moving thriller involving a special operative who has trained with various specialist units around the world. On the murder of his mother and sister in Australia by a criminal gang linked to influential Americans at the top of political power Wade seeks out revenge on those involved. His venture assisted by friendly CIA and American military personnel trying to uncover the traitors results in a fast moving storyline with a love interest thrown in for good measure.
March 24, 2024
Action packed
Wade Ross is spiritual and in touch with his Aboriginal ancestors when he goes walkabout. He is also a highly trained, cold, efficient soldier.
When his mother and sister are murdered, he sets out to claim revenge and destroy the organisation responsible.
Fast paced, the story pulls you on. Logistics are easily solved as he flies from country to country and he even has time to fall in love. Some political intrigue and double crossing goes on but Wade has no trouble just shooting them. Lots of fighting, explosions and direct action.
Wade Ross is spiritual and in touch with his Aboriginal ancestors when he goes walkabout. He is also a highly trained, cold, efficient soldier.
When his mother and sister are murdered, he sets out to claim revenge and destroy the organisation responsible.
Fast paced, the story pulls you on. Logistics are easily solved as he flies from country to country and he even has time to fall in love. Some political intrigue and double crossing goes on but Wade has no trouble just shooting them. Lots of fighting, explosions and direct action.
June 17, 2025
I honestly don’t know how anyone liked this book. It’s bad. And not “so bad, it’s good” bad. Just…bad. It feels like the author wrote 1/4 of it & let AI do the rest. The dialogue is clunky, the characters have 0 development, the main female could’ve been a bad@$$ but is only around to get rescued over & over again, the ending is anti-climactic, & there are multiple loose ends or plot points that never get resolved or even referenced. Skip this book. (My wife reminded me I need to stop having expectations from free Amazon e-books.)
April 10, 2024
Great fast paced thriller
The character, Wade, is an Australian who is extremely capable SAS type trained by the world's best. He can and does carry out singlehandedly exploits but with his comrades is seemingly invincible. Here he sets out to stop someone creating an Armageddon weapon. Really good 👍.
The character, Wade, is an Australian who is extremely capable SAS type trained by the world's best. He can and does carry out singlehandedly exploits but with his comrades is seemingly invincible. Here he sets out to stop someone creating an Armageddon weapon. Really good 👍.
July 22, 2025
I cannot believe how awful this book is, it has no value in any sense of the wotd. The plot is absurd and insanely bad. The characters are ALL unbelievable. Okay, the book was free download and at that the price was too high. I can stomach a lot but the writing is SOOOO bad. I honestly wanted to give it a chance but it was just too awful on every level.
April 29, 2023
Good storyline
It is unusual to have a story about an Australian special forces operative. He spends his time tracking down Turkish gangsters, and had a few unusual twists along the way. Worth the read.
It is unusual to have a story about an Australian special forces operative. He spends his time tracking down Turkish gangsters, and had a few unusual twists along the way. Worth the read.
June 5, 2025
Interesting new main character with an unusual background. Crosstrained with most of the elite units in the West and enhanced with an aboriginal edge, Wade Ross tackles challenges alone and with an interesting unit. We will see more of him!
June 18, 2025
Better proof reading would help
Shame about the spelling mistakes. Puts one off of enjoying the book. Found myself doing correction rather than losing myself in the plot. Otherwise it was a decent enough read.
Shame about the spelling mistakes. Puts one off of enjoying the book. Found myself doing correction rather than losing myself in the plot. Otherwise it was a decent enough read.
July 6, 2025
wade Ross adventures
Characters were a bit too over the top for me to find them believable, and I was distracted by the many grammar errors. The romance seemed contrived and when the book ended I had no real desire to see what comes next
Characters were a bit too over the top for me to find them believable, and I was distracted by the many grammar errors. The romance seemed contrived and when the book ended I had no real desire to see what comes next
July 11, 2025
Entertaining Read
I really enjoyed the story & the characters, but I found a WAY too many misspelled words & they detract from the storyline, in my opinion. With better editing, this could be a very good book
I really enjoyed the story & the characters, but I found a WAY too many misspelled words & they detract from the storyline, in my opinion. With better editing, this could be a very good book
August 17, 2025
Lots of action
Good guys, bad guys and who to trust. Impossible events with unreal outcomes are the name of the game with this book. The tough guy and tough girl get to go for a walk about.
Thanks for the entertaining read.
Good guys, bad guys and who to trust. Impossible events with unreal outcomes are the name of the game with this book. The tough guy and tough girl get to go for a walk about.
Thanks for the entertaining read.
March 24, 2022
Great Read
What a great read plenty of action right from the start to the end cannot wait to download book 2 and get started.
What a great read plenty of action right from the start to the end cannot wait to download book 2 and get started.
October 24, 2022
Story ok. Just annoying that there are so many examples of poor English. Words misspelled or misused throughout.
June 6, 2025
Plenty of action to keep you interested.
Read
June 10, 2025Full of action
The story line was good and easy to imagine. I don't like reading when proof reading was poorly done if at all.
The story line was good and easy to imagine. I don't like reading when proof reading was poorly done if at all.
June 13, 2025
Good Until The End
I enjoyed the plot and reading / learning about Wade. I just felt the ending was too abrupt, ergo the 3 stars.
Maybe the other books won’t be this way??
I enjoyed the plot and reading / learning about Wade. I just felt the ending was too abrupt, ergo the 3 stars.
Maybe the other books won’t be this way??
June 17, 2025
First time I have read this author Dawson Howard. I really enjoyed this book. Lot of action. Have bought the next book can't wait to read it.
June 23, 2025
I really enjoyed the book, the story, and the characters. However, the editor must have been asleep or not even around. The misspellings and improper punctuation were very annoying.
July 2, 2025
For the first book in the series, it’s was great
At the end I’m ready to read more in the series. Full of action just like I like it yea!
At the end I’m ready to read more in the series. Full of action just like I like it yea!
July 4, 2025
Great read
It was an interesting concept that makes you want to keep up with the story. Great job to the author
It was an interesting concept that makes you want to keep up with the story. Great job to the author
July 9, 2025
Did not finish. Poorly written, cartoon characters.
July 19, 2025
suspense
This book was full of twists and turns. A lot of action and well written. I would recommend this book if you like suspense and lots of a action.
This book was full of twists and turns. A lot of action and well written. I would recommend this book if you like suspense and lots of a action.
August 12, 2025
Wade is like Superman; nothing destroys him. I’ll like to read about a human being
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews