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Torsten Dahl #1
Stand Your Ground
FAMILY THREATENED ON VACATION.
HUNTED AND WITH NO CHANCE OF RESCUE.
HOW WOULD YOU SURVIVE?
An idyllic family vacation in Barbados goes terribly wrong when Torsten Dahl is spotted by the one man with reason to hate him most in all the world.
With his marriage already crumbling and his defenses down, Dahl is finding it hard to switch between the soldier’s discipline and a family unit. When their hotel is attacked by gunmen they are forced to flee blindly with no phones, no ID, and no money. It gets worse when Dahl realizes his wife, two daughters and himself are being singled out and hunted down by a dangerous army that includes corrupt local authorities.
As the chase continues through Barbados’s darkening streets, aboard a pirate cruise ship, and amidst a festive carnival parade, Dahl realizes there are even deeper nightmares abroad tonight. The island’s prime minister is under threat. The leader of one of the world’s most violent drug cartels has arrived.
And though instincts say run, hide, just survive, there is only one thing a man like Dahl will do when his wife and daughters come under direct threat.
Stand His Ground.
HUNTED AND WITH NO CHANCE OF RESCUE.
HOW WOULD YOU SURVIVE?
An idyllic family vacation in Barbados goes terribly wrong when Torsten Dahl is spotted by the one man with reason to hate him most in all the world.
With his marriage already crumbling and his defenses down, Dahl is finding it hard to switch between the soldier’s discipline and a family unit. When their hotel is attacked by gunmen they are forced to flee blindly with no phones, no ID, and no money. It gets worse when Dahl realizes his wife, two daughters and himself are being singled out and hunted down by a dangerous army that includes corrupt local authorities.
As the chase continues through Barbados’s darkening streets, aboard a pirate cruise ship, and amidst a festive carnival parade, Dahl realizes there are even deeper nightmares abroad tonight. The island’s prime minister is under threat. The leader of one of the world’s most violent drug cartels has arrived.
And though instincts say run, hide, just survive, there is only one thing a man like Dahl will do when his wife and daughters come under direct threat.
Stand His Ground.
- GenresThriller
236 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 30, 2016
111 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
David Leadbeater
90 books1,104 followersInternational bestselling author of twenty one thrillers, thirteen in the Matt Drake Action/Adventure series, also The Disavowed and Alicia Myles series'. All available for the Amazon Kindle.
Website - www.davidleadbeater.com
Reader of multiple genres. Husband. Father of two beautiful girls, aged 5 and 7. Joss Whedon fan.
Website - www.davidleadbeater.com
Reader of multiple genres. Husband. Father of two beautiful girls, aged 5 and 7. Joss Whedon fan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
September 4, 2016
I was given this book by The Book Club on Facebook in return for an honest review.
I am so pleased that I have had a chance to read this book, as it was a gripping read from start to finish! Torsten Dahl is an exceptional thriller hard man who is elite special forces, who just won't and can't be knocked down. The book is set in Barbados where he is on holiday with his family and is being hunted by The Facilitator who hates him more than anyone in the world. This is an action packed page turner full of explosive action and emotions.....several chapters had me very tense and anxious and the whole story played out like a movie in my head.
I would love to read more Torsten Dahl and other books by David Leadbeater and would definetly recommend.
I am so pleased that I have had a chance to read this book, as it was a gripping read from start to finish! Torsten Dahl is an exceptional thriller hard man who is elite special forces, who just won't and can't be knocked down. The book is set in Barbados where he is on holiday with his family and is being hunted by The Facilitator who hates him more than anyone in the world. This is an action packed page turner full of explosive action and emotions.....several chapters had me very tense and anxious and the whole story played out like a movie in my head.
I would love to read more Torsten Dahl and other books by David Leadbeater and would definetly recommend.
September 19, 2016
Stand Your Ground By Dave Leadbeater is a thriller read.
FAMILY THREATENED ON VACATION.
HUNTED AND WITH NO CHANCE OF RESCUE.
HOW WOULD YOU SURVIVE?
Absolutely fantastic read. brilliant characters I loved dahl and jo. I love how he protected his family lots of action from start to finish. Hated vega and nick.loved the ending too. Could see this as a movie. Highly recommended. 5*. Thanks to tbc on fb for the arc. #tbconfb.
FAMILY THREATENED ON VACATION.
HUNTED AND WITH NO CHANCE OF RESCUE.
HOW WOULD YOU SURVIVE?
Absolutely fantastic read. brilliant characters I loved dahl and jo. I love how he protected his family lots of action from start to finish. Hated vega and nick.loved the ending too. Could see this as a movie. Highly recommended. 5*. Thanks to tbc on fb for the arc. #tbconfb.
September 27, 2016
Now, i will start by saying, this is not my normal genre. And the only reason i picked it up is because it was set in Barbados, where i had my honeymoon. I know, i know, what a reason, hey? But am i pleased i did? Oh yeah!
All i will say to you is if you like something fast paced and action packed, this is the one for you. Some chapters left me anxious, some breathless, but it was all worth it. I've never read any of the previous David Leadbeater books, and i read and enjoyed this as a standalone. Has it left me wanting more? Hmmm....yes, i'd say it has. I've already gone back now to look at a couple of his other book series. You know its well written when you close the book and it replays as a film in your head. And i would, without a doubt, recommend this book to others. Really, really well done!
All i will say to you is if you like something fast paced and action packed, this is the one for you. Some chapters left me anxious, some breathless, but it was all worth it. I've never read any of the previous David Leadbeater books, and i read and enjoyed this as a standalone. Has it left me wanting more? Hmmm....yes, i'd say it has. I've already gone back now to look at a couple of his other book series. You know its well written when you close the book and it replays as a film in your head. And i would, without a doubt, recommend this book to others. Really, really well done!
August 23, 2016
"Rip-roaring action"
It's not hard to see why David Leadbeater is selling so many copies of his books. This was well-written, the action is fast and furious, and the story hold's your interest throughout. I've never read one of his books before, but I imagine this is a formula that permeates everything he publishes.
If you've read any of my reviews on books with characters like Torsten Dahl, then you'll know why I can't stretch to 5*. There are a dozen fight scenes in these pages and they all go above and beyond the capacity of a human being.
It's not hard to see why David Leadbeater is selling so many copies of his books. This was well-written, the action is fast and furious, and the story hold's your interest throughout. I've never read one of his books before, but I imagine this is a formula that permeates everything he publishes.
If you've read any of my reviews on books with characters like Torsten Dahl, then you'll know why I can't stretch to 5*. There are a dozen fight scenes in these pages and they all go above and beyond the capacity of a human being.
September 5, 2016
This book is exciting, you know who to trust, who is bad.
It kept me turning pages to find out what would happen next.
A good thriller
It kept me turning pages to find out what would happen next.
A good thriller
September 18, 2016
I was worried I wouldn't like this book when I started reading it, but I soon changed my mind. No spoilers, but it left me breathless and wanting more.
Would definitely recommend.
Would definitely recommend.
September 23, 2016
A fast paced, gripping thriller. Absolutely brilliant storyline with believable characters. First book of David's that I have read and it's by no means the last time!
September 17, 2022
It's time for Torsten to get a stand-alone novel now. On holiday with his family, what could possibly go wrong?
An idyllic family vacation in Barbados goes terribly wrong when Torsten Dahl is spotted by the one man with reason to hate him most in all the world.
With his marriage already crumbling and his defenses down, Dahl is finding it hard to switch between the soldier's discipline and a family unit. When their hotel is attacked by gunmen they are forced to flee blindly with no phones, no ID, and no money. It gets worse when Dahl realizes his wife, two daughters and himself are being singled out and hunted down by a dangerous army that includes corrupt local authorities.
As the chase continues through Barbados's darkening streets, aboard a pirate cruise ship, and amidst a festive carnival parade, Dahl realizes there are even deeper nightmares abroad tonight. The island's prime minister is under threat. The leader of one of the world's most violent drug cartels has arrived.
An idyllic family vacation in Barbados goes terribly wrong when Torsten Dahl is spotted by the one man with reason to hate him most in all the world.
With his marriage already crumbling and his defenses down, Dahl is finding it hard to switch between the soldier's discipline and a family unit. When their hotel is attacked by gunmen they are forced to flee blindly with no phones, no ID, and no money. It gets worse when Dahl realizes his wife, two daughters and himself are being singled out and hunted down by a dangerous army that includes corrupt local authorities.
As the chase continues through Barbados's darkening streets, aboard a pirate cruise ship, and amidst a festive carnival parade, Dahl realizes there are even deeper nightmares abroad tonight. The island's prime minister is under threat. The leader of one of the world's most violent drug cartels has arrived.
June 17, 2017
Action Packed
This was truly an action packed novel if not a bit over the top, as with all of David's books. I just wondered if it might have been better to make it a bit more real life, because a man would not keep leaving his family to virtually fend for themselves even if he was special forces, he would tend to look after his family first and foremost, especially with young children just a thought.
This was truly an action packed novel if not a bit over the top, as with all of David's books. I just wondered if it might have been better to make it a bit more real life, because a man would not keep leaving his family to virtually fend for themselves even if he was special forces, he would tend to look after his family first and foremost, especially with young children just a thought.
December 14, 2017
Another author, another attempt to write a pulse-pounding, thrilling, action-packed novel...Another failure. The plot was weak, the action sequences were non-thrilling and poorly imagined. Already forgotten read.
February 3, 2022
Stand Your Ground
A nice change of pace after finishing the Matt Drake series. I enjoyed this book very much and the interaction between Torston and Joanna, lived up to the title. Look forward to more
A nice change of pace after finishing the Matt Drake series. I enjoyed this book very much and the interaction between Torston and Joanna, lived up to the title. Look forward to more
November 4, 2024
Non Stop Action
Leadbetter starts hot and never slows down in this fast-paced action book. Throughout the book, family is a central theme: saving them and refocusing priorities. It's a great read!!
Leadbetter starts hot and never slows down in this fast-paced action book. Throughout the book, family is a central theme: saving them and refocusing priorities. It's a great read!!
June 13, 2017
Total ass kickin novel! Dahl is the ultimate badass! This story gives you chill bumps down your spine from chapter! I hope there's more to Dahl's story I'm stoked!
September 11, 2019
Fresh fast paced action
Another great story I am gripped top author despite reading everything I can get I want more, back to the shop I guess
Another great story I am gripped top author despite reading everything I can get I want more, back to the shop I guess
December 4, 2019
Belting
I have decided that if I get a dog, I'm calling him Torsten Dahl. What a great character, could have been played by a younger Dolph Lundgren.
I have decided that if I get a dog, I'm calling him Torsten Dahl. What a great character, could have been played by a younger Dolph Lundgren.
February 9, 2020
Exciting
This sort of stand alone book about the Mad Swede does not disappoint. Fast paced and exciting till the end.
This sort of stand alone book about the Mad Swede does not disappoint. Fast paced and exciting till the end.
January 26, 2021
Such a good thriller, fasten your mental seatbelt. Scary, and I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to fast-paced thriller readers.
April 22, 2021
Epic
Rip roaring action from page one. I hope that this Torsten Dhal book is the start of a series and not just a one off.
Rip roaring action from page one. I hope that this Torsten Dhal book is the start of a series and not just a one off.
March 6, 2017
Another excellent action adventure, guaranteed to keep you riveted!
I wondered, when I started this book, if Dahl could carry the torch without the rest of the team. The "Mad Swede" did not disappoint! I highly recommend this book.
I wondered, when I started this book, if Dahl could carry the torch without the rest of the team. The "Mad Swede" did not disappoint! I highly recommend this book.
February 26, 2017
Magnificent
This is a stand alone story, although it helps to know the series it spins from. It was well written and exciting to read.
This is a stand alone story, although it helps to know the series it spins from. It was well written and exciting to read.
September 24, 2016
Torsten Dahl is an ex-Swedish Special Forces warrior, now working for a U.S. Government agency. He is trying to keep his marriage together by taking a much-needed vacation to Barbados with his wife and two daughters. In the airport, just prior to departure, he spots his most dreaded enemy, Grant the Facilitator, a man famous for brokering death and destruction everywhere he goes, and who has sworn vengeance against Dahl for the deaths of his family as a result of an operation with the Russian mob that Dahl and his team thwarted.
In Barbados, Dahl discovers that not only is Grant after him, but the head of a Mexican drug cartel is after him as well, to avenge the death of his brother in a raid by Dahl’s team.
Struggling to keep his marriage together, Dahl must also struggle with the conflict between being a husband and father and his instincts as a warrior. The two come together when he has to fight to keep his family alive, and at the same time end a deadly conspiracy that the Facilitator has brokered between the drug lord and the crooked prime minister.
Stand Your Ground by David Leadbeater is nonstop action from page one, as Dahl and his family learn one immutable truth; when your family is threatened, you have but one choice—stand your ground. The story doesn’t unwind, it snaps like a broken violin string, catching the reader up in the action as the good guys struggle to stay alive against almost impossible odds.
This is the first in the Torsten Dahl series, with promise of even greater adventures to come. It sucks you in and grabs you by the throat like a leopard catching unwary prey, and shakes you until the end, when you’ll find yourself gasping for breath.
In Barbados, Dahl discovers that not only is Grant after him, but the head of a Mexican drug cartel is after him as well, to avenge the death of his brother in a raid by Dahl’s team.
Struggling to keep his marriage together, Dahl must also struggle with the conflict between being a husband and father and his instincts as a warrior. The two come together when he has to fight to keep his family alive, and at the same time end a deadly conspiracy that the Facilitator has brokered between the drug lord and the crooked prime minister.
Stand Your Ground by David Leadbeater is nonstop action from page one, as Dahl and his family learn one immutable truth; when your family is threatened, you have but one choice—stand your ground. The story doesn’t unwind, it snaps like a broken violin string, catching the reader up in the action as the good guys struggle to stay alive against almost impossible odds.
This is the first in the Torsten Dahl series, with promise of even greater adventures to come. It sucks you in and grabs you by the throat like a leopard catching unwary prey, and shakes you until the end, when you’ll find yourself gasping for breath.
July 2, 2016
Dahl as father/soldier protector of his family.
While Dahl's Mad Swede persona is familiar to readers of the Matt Drake series, this time there's no team, no back up, no extraordinary equipment and planning. It's just Dahl fighting seemingly overwhelming odds to protect his family from old enemies bent on brutal revenge. Dahl is torn between the fear he feels for his family and the need to put that fear aside in order to become the fighting force he is capable of but which requires total focus on the task at hand. Never one to consider his own safety when facing extreme danger, having to protect his family creates new and difficult choices. An excellent character study of Dahl the man.
While Dahl's Mad Swede persona is familiar to readers of the Matt Drake series, this time there's no team, no back up, no extraordinary equipment and planning. It's just Dahl fighting seemingly overwhelming odds to protect his family from old enemies bent on brutal revenge. Dahl is torn between the fear he feels for his family and the need to put that fear aside in order to become the fighting force he is capable of but which requires total focus on the task at hand. Never one to consider his own safety when facing extreme danger, having to protect his family creates new and difficult choices. An excellent character study of Dahl the man.
July 5, 2016
The Mad Swede Lives!
This was my first David Leadbeater book and I picked a good one. There are a couple of themes at work here. While on the surface it is an action adventure involving a hard man, it also explores the duality of being a soldier and a husband and father. The story moved forward nicely and well paced. The main character, Torsten Dahl, the Mad Swede alluded to in the title of this review, is a fantastic addition to the ranks of pulp style action characters. Johanna was a welcome addition as the wife that goes through some changes of her own and was a good support character. I want more of the Swede!
This was my first David Leadbeater book and I picked a good one. There are a couple of themes at work here. While on the surface it is an action adventure involving a hard man, it also explores the duality of being a soldier and a husband and father. The story moved forward nicely and well paced. The main character, Torsten Dahl, the Mad Swede alluded to in the title of this review, is a fantastic addition to the ranks of pulp style action characters. Johanna was a welcome addition as the wife that goes through some changes of her own and was a good support character. I want more of the Swede!
June 1, 2016
Absolutely brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Probably a biased review, but I'm a huge fan of David Leadbeater. So when it was announced on his Facebook page that this book was available, I immediately downloaded it, only downside was that I was on my break at work, and couldn't read it straight away!!!!!!!!
Anyway the book is great, and it was interesting to read about the relationship between Torsten and Jo, as she has often been referenced in previous books. Hopefully will get to see some of the characters from this book in future Matt Drake books.
Probably a biased review, but I'm a huge fan of David Leadbeater. So when it was announced on his Facebook page that this book was available, I immediately downloaded it, only downside was that I was on my break at work, and couldn't read it straight away!!!!!!!!
Anyway the book is great, and it was interesting to read about the relationship between Torsten and Jo, as she has often been referenced in previous books. Hopefully will get to see some of the characters from this book in future Matt Drake books.
January 15, 2021
This is my first book by this author & will not be the last.
This book had action from the very beginning & never slowed down.
Read just like I was watching an action movie. Heck even had a few of the bad guys bodyguards outside taking a smoke break. You would think these bodyguards would realize by now that taking a smoke break is a sure fire way of getting taken out by the good guys.
If you want an action packed fast read then look no further.
I hope there will be more of this series & soon
This book had action from the very beginning & never slowed down.
Read just like I was watching an action movie. Heck even had a few of the bad guys bodyguards outside taking a smoke break. You would think these bodyguards would realize by now that taking a smoke break is a sure fire way of getting taken out by the good guys.
If you want an action packed fast read then look no further.
I hope there will be more of this series & soon
June 14, 2016
Fast paced and riveting.
This book earned all 5 stars and then some. I thought that I would miss the Spear team, but Dahl is a team of his own. I loved the introduction of Dario and hope to hear mention of him in future books. I would recommend this book to anyone of all ages.
This book earned all 5 stars and then some. I thought that I would miss the Spear team, but Dahl is a team of his own. I loved the introduction of Dario and hope to hear mention of him in future books. I would recommend this book to anyone of all ages.
July 4, 2016
This is the second spin off from the Matt Drake series and see's the Mad Swede, Torsten Dahl, take centre stage. This is a good book and is nice that a good character gets his own solo outing. That being said something was missing, as it lacked the humour from his one liners when within a team! Still would like to see another book, maybe going back to his earlier army days.
September 7, 2016
Stand your ground
This is one of the few books that held my interest throughout the entire story. The author construed a perfect balance for Torsten's inner struggles of being a vacationing father and soldier. Along with the internal conflicts he also had to salvage a disintegrating marriage. Again, I found this book fantastic.
This is one of the few books that held my interest throughout the entire story. The author construed a perfect balance for Torsten's inner struggles of being a vacationing father and soldier. Along with the internal conflicts he also had to salvage a disintegrating marriage. Again, I found this book fantastic.
October 1, 2016
A fast-paced, electrifying rollercoaster of a book! Stand Your Ground is action-packed and there isn't a single dull moment. I found myself holding my breath on more than one occasion! If you like your heroes to have almost superhuman strength and fighting skills, this is the book for you.
Thank you to the author and TBC for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the author and TBC for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 8, 2016
Edge of you seat reading
The whole time I was reading I was saying this can't be happening. Dahl couldn't lose his family. But I knew other family members had been lost in the past. Got a better look at the Mad Swede and this book made him more real and human. Great read.
The whole time I was reading I was saying this can't be happening. Dahl couldn't lose his family. But I knew other family members had been lost in the past. Got a better look at the Mad Swede and this book made him more real and human. Great read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews