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Strike Back #2
Shadow Kill
Held up by rebel forces in a brutal siege, John Porter is tested to the limit in the African jungle.
Strikeback hero John Porter is sent on a mission with Regimental scallywag John Bald. Where Porter plays it by the book, Bald will always want to break the rules.
They are sent to Sierra Leone to extract Ronald Soames, a former CO of the Regiment and now right-hand man to the President.
But when Porter and Bald arrive the Englishman has disappeared, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.
Rebels are threatening to take over the country and its diamond mines - and to massacre all foreigners.
Porter and Bald find themselves fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Regiment psychopath who is already embedded in the country.
But it soon becomes clear that the Firm has lied to them about the true nature of the mission.
What seems at first to be a battle to control Sierra Leone's diamond mines will turn out to about a much greater evil - and with a trail that leads back to both Westminster and the Kremlin.
Strikeback hero John Porter is sent on a mission with Regimental scallywag John Bald. Where Porter plays it by the book, Bald will always want to break the rules.
They are sent to Sierra Leone to extract Ronald Soames, a former CO of the Regiment and now right-hand man to the President.
But when Porter and Bald arrive the Englishman has disappeared, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.
Rebels are threatening to take over the country and its diamond mines - and to massacre all foreigners.
Porter and Bald find themselves fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Regiment psychopath who is already embedded in the country.
But it soon becomes clear that the Firm has lied to them about the true nature of the mission.
What seems at first to be a battle to control Sierra Leone's diamond mines will turn out to about a much greater evil - and with a trail that leads back to both Westminster and the Kremlin.
426 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 23, 2017
100 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
About the author
Chris Ryan
342 books1,022 followersColin Armstrong (b. 1961), usually known by the pen-name Chris Ryan, is a British author, television presenter, security consultant and former Special Air Service sergeant.
After the publication of fellow patrol member Andy McNab's Bravo Two Zero in 1993, Ryan published his own account of his experiences during the Bravo Two Zero mission in 1995, entitled The One That Got Away. Since retiring from the British Army Ryan has published several fiction and non-fiction books, including Strike Back, which was subsequently adapted into a television series for Sky 1, and co-created the ITV action series Ultimate Force. He has also presented or appeared in numerous television documentaries connected to the military or law enforcement.
After the publication of fellow patrol member Andy McNab's Bravo Two Zero in 1993, Ryan published his own account of his experiences during the Bravo Two Zero mission in 1995, entitled The One That Got Away. Since retiring from the British Army Ryan has published several fiction and non-fiction books, including Strike Back, which was subsequently adapted into a television series for Sky 1, and co-created the ITV action series Ultimate Force. He has also presented or appeared in numerous television documentaries connected to the military or law enforcement.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 27, 2017
This is a book about an ex SAS man now working in Sierra Leone. A rebel uprising in Sierra Leone begins and two current SAS men are dispatched to bring this man back. Seems simple but it is far from that. So begins a mission which only gets blacker an blacker as the time ticks by. There are numerous twists and turns involving diamonds and lots of trips in the near past by high ranking British officials. The Russian FSB are also involved. This makes a cracking fast paced story with an ending that will surprise you.
August 16, 2019
Loved this book from start to finish.
Full of interesting facts from a trained SAS Legend and a plot loaded with surprises.
If nothing else, it's worth reading just to see how a professional SF Trooper would consider defending a position against overwhelming numbers!
Full of interesting facts from a trained SAS Legend and a plot loaded with surprises.
If nothing else, it's worth reading just to see how a professional SF Trooper would consider defending a position against overwhelming numbers!
March 20, 2017
Another good solid read from Chris Ryan
September 18, 2021
John Porter is down on his luck. He is now on the bottle and suffering from depression when his wife divorced him and got custody right of his daughter.
He is now on the bottle and being sent to retrieved a horrible person, his former CO Ronald Soames in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone is on another volatile period with rebel coming. He is teaming up with Bald, a solid but less than polite guy.
Now he didn't know that yet but Saomes is a jerk who has many illegal deals with blood diamonds and other stuff. The government seems to find him useful enough to send someone into the war zone to retrieve him. But someone else is on his case, the Russians.
Now when John Porter and Bald when into the country, it is not easy to reach a guy who is already on the run.
The action part is really good. As for the characters, they are not really that likeable. Porter is getting drunk and he is being called out by Bald. Saomes seems to be ruthless and selfish. Tully who worked for Saomes is also a horrible person who is abusive to women.
The plot twit is not as straightforward as they tried to find and retrieved this horrible man while the rebel army is attacking the city. Can they survive the night? Why is the government care if this jerk live or die? What is the real reason for sending Potter and Bald in the first place.
The overall story worked as a B movie plot with a lot of running around in exotic location and bullets and explosions.
A fast and enjoyable read. I read this for the Psycho square of the Halloween bingo as it read on the cover, "Descent into hell with the regiment Psycho".
He is now on the bottle and being sent to retrieved a horrible person, his former CO Ronald Soames in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone is on another volatile period with rebel coming. He is teaming up with Bald, a solid but less than polite guy.
Now he didn't know that yet but Saomes is a jerk who has many illegal deals with blood diamonds and other stuff. The government seems to find him useful enough to send someone into the war zone to retrieve him. But someone else is on his case, the Russians.
Now when John Porter and Bald when into the country, it is not easy to reach a guy who is already on the run.
The action part is really good. As for the characters, they are not really that likeable. Porter is getting drunk and he is being called out by Bald. Saomes seems to be ruthless and selfish. Tully who worked for Saomes is also a horrible person who is abusive to women.
The plot twit is not as straightforward as they tried to find and retrieved this horrible man while the rebel army is attacking the city. Can they survive the night? Why is the government care if this jerk live or die? What is the real reason for sending Potter and Bald in the first place.
The overall story worked as a B movie plot with a lot of running around in exotic location and bullets and explosions.
A fast and enjoyable read. I read this for the Psycho square of the Halloween bingo as it read on the cover, "Descent into hell with the regiment Psycho".
December 12, 2017
I was so looking forward to reading this book, as I love Chris Ryan, but as much as I tried, I really didn’t like it.
I think the problem stems from the fact that this is the first Strikeback novel, I have read. I have seen the TV show and didn’t think it would be an issue, but I was wrong because I did not like John Porter at all! Maybe the other two Strikeback novels help you build empathy for him? But in this book, he is an hardened alcoholic with no plans for getting help and he doesn’t much like or trust his partner, John Bald. Also, without giving too much away, I found the government cover-up that features at the end really hard to stomach, which is saying something, given the level of gory detail of how people are killed in this book. It is not for the squeamish!
The novel is really poorly edited, with a lot of spelling mistakes, and information being repeated. For example we were told twice that the rebels would keep attacking the hotel until they were all dead. Then three times that artificial light messes up your night vision!
So what did I like, seeing as I didn’t abandon it? The level of detail of how the SAS operate out in the field under less than ideal conditions. Plus the information on the equipment/weapons used was very interesting. 2 stars
I think the problem stems from the fact that this is the first Strikeback novel, I have read. I have seen the TV show and didn’t think it would be an issue, but I was wrong because I did not like John Porter at all! Maybe the other two Strikeback novels help you build empathy for him? But in this book, he is an hardened alcoholic with no plans for getting help and he doesn’t much like or trust his partner, John Bald. Also, without giving too much away, I found the government cover-up that features at the end really hard to stomach, which is saying something, given the level of gory detail of how people are killed in this book. It is not for the squeamish!
The novel is really poorly edited, with a lot of spelling mistakes, and information being repeated. For example we were told twice that the rebels would keep attacking the hotel until they were all dead. Then three times that artificial light messes up your night vision!
So what did I like, seeing as I didn’t abandon it? The level of detail of how the SAS operate out in the field under less than ideal conditions. Plus the information on the equipment/weapons used was very interesting. 2 stars
December 14, 2020
A solid action thriller, though I found Porter to be a bit bipolar, all warm towards Bald one second then instantly doubting him the next. I also hope that it doesn't become a pattern of Porter falling off the wagon at the start of every novel. I'm getting the vibe they're trying to go for the high-octane guns and sex approach of the TV show while keeping the original character.
Also, does it bother anyone else that both of the protagonists are named John? No? Just me?
Also, does it bother anyone else that both of the protagonists are named John? No? Just me?
April 16, 2018
Na zijn vertrek uit het Britse leger heeft Chris Ryan, een pseudoniem van Colin Armstrong, een aanzienlijk aantal actiethrillers geschreven. Een van deze boeken was Tegenaanval, waarin John Porter en John Bald de seriepersonages zijn. Dit boek is vervolgens bewerkt tot een televisieserie. Het nieuwste boek in de reeks is Machtsspel, dat in maart 2018 in uitgekomen. Naast schrijven houdt Ryan zich ook bezig met het presenteren van televisiedocumentaires. Deze houden alle verband met het leger of de ordehandhaving.
De voormalig SAS’ers John Porter en John Bald werken tegenwoordig voor MI5 en MI6 en worden in die hoedanigheid naar Sierra Leone gestuurd, waar een burgeroorlog heerst. Ze hebben opdracht gekregen om oud SAS-commandant Ronald Soames uit het land op te halen, maar hij blijkt te zijn verdwenen. Soames had de taak om de grootste diamantmijn van het land te bewaken, maar lijkt ook vijanden gemaakt te hebben. Het heeft er alle schijn van dat er zowel van Britse als Russische kant jacht op hem wordt gemaakt. Lukt het Porter en Bald om Soames het land uit te krijgen en de burgeroorlog het hoofd te bieden?
Wie de naam Chris Ryan kent, zal in principe meteen aan actie denken. Niet vreemd, want zijn vorige carrière, Ryan was jaren militair, bestond hieruit en zijn boeken zijn stuk voor stuk actiethrillers. Machtsspel is daar dus geen uitzondering op. Een groot deel van het verhaal bestaat uit het leveren van gevechten en het vaak daarbij behorende schietgeweld. De auteur schroomt daarbij niet om uitvoerig en beeldend te beschrijven hoe rebellen worden afgeknald en wat er vervolgens met hen gebeurt als de enorme hoeveelheid afgevuurde kogels hen geraakt hebben. Lezers met een goed voorstellingsvermogen en een wat zwakkere maag kunnen dit boek wellicht beter links te laten liggen.
Het verhaal wordt vooral gedragen door superheld John Porter en in mindere mate door zijn kompaan John Bald. Omdat Machtsspel het derde boek is waarin beide heren hun opwachting maken, is het aan te raden de serie op volgorde te lezen. Dan weet je zeker dat je wat meer over de levensloop van beide mannen te weten komt, hoewel, en in feite is dat ook niet de opzet van een actiethriller, dat niet erg uitgebreid en diepgaand zal zijn. Het kan dan mogelijk wel verklaren wat de echte reden van Porter’s alcoholisme is en waarom Bald een racist lijkt te zijn. In dit boek wordt daarover in ieder geval zo goed als geen duidelijkheid gegeven.
Ryan heeft een aantal thema’s in het verhaal verwerkt. De drie belangrijkste zijn de diamantwinning, de burgeroorlog waaronder Sierra Leone destijds gebukt ging en de kindsoldaten die daarbij ingezet werden. Het verhaal wordt daardoor een stuk realistischer. Toch ontkomt de lezer er niet aan om te concluderen dat er ook wel een aantal onwaarschijnlijkheden in het boek voorkomen. Vooral richting de ontknoping lijkt de auteur alle remmen los te gooien en is een aantal scènes te ver gezocht. Dat is goed voor de actie, maar voor de geloofwaardigheid is het fnuikend.
Machtsspel, dat vertaald is door Ralph van der Aa, is een op gezette tijden harde actiethriller die zich over het algemeen in een hoog tempo afspeelt. In combinatie met de niet al te gecompliceerde schrijfstijl van Chris Ryan is dit een typisch boek voor de liefhebber van dit genre thriller.
De voormalig SAS’ers John Porter en John Bald werken tegenwoordig voor MI5 en MI6 en worden in die hoedanigheid naar Sierra Leone gestuurd, waar een burgeroorlog heerst. Ze hebben opdracht gekregen om oud SAS-commandant Ronald Soames uit het land op te halen, maar hij blijkt te zijn verdwenen. Soames had de taak om de grootste diamantmijn van het land te bewaken, maar lijkt ook vijanden gemaakt te hebben. Het heeft er alle schijn van dat er zowel van Britse als Russische kant jacht op hem wordt gemaakt. Lukt het Porter en Bald om Soames het land uit te krijgen en de burgeroorlog het hoofd te bieden?
Wie de naam Chris Ryan kent, zal in principe meteen aan actie denken. Niet vreemd, want zijn vorige carrière, Ryan was jaren militair, bestond hieruit en zijn boeken zijn stuk voor stuk actiethrillers. Machtsspel is daar dus geen uitzondering op. Een groot deel van het verhaal bestaat uit het leveren van gevechten en het vaak daarbij behorende schietgeweld. De auteur schroomt daarbij niet om uitvoerig en beeldend te beschrijven hoe rebellen worden afgeknald en wat er vervolgens met hen gebeurt als de enorme hoeveelheid afgevuurde kogels hen geraakt hebben. Lezers met een goed voorstellingsvermogen en een wat zwakkere maag kunnen dit boek wellicht beter links te laten liggen.
Het verhaal wordt vooral gedragen door superheld John Porter en in mindere mate door zijn kompaan John Bald. Omdat Machtsspel het derde boek is waarin beide heren hun opwachting maken, is het aan te raden de serie op volgorde te lezen. Dan weet je zeker dat je wat meer over de levensloop van beide mannen te weten komt, hoewel, en in feite is dat ook niet de opzet van een actiethriller, dat niet erg uitgebreid en diepgaand zal zijn. Het kan dan mogelijk wel verklaren wat de echte reden van Porter’s alcoholisme is en waarom Bald een racist lijkt te zijn. In dit boek wordt daarover in ieder geval zo goed als geen duidelijkheid gegeven.
Ryan heeft een aantal thema’s in het verhaal verwerkt. De drie belangrijkste zijn de diamantwinning, de burgeroorlog waaronder Sierra Leone destijds gebukt ging en de kindsoldaten die daarbij ingezet werden. Het verhaal wordt daardoor een stuk realistischer. Toch ontkomt de lezer er niet aan om te concluderen dat er ook wel een aantal onwaarschijnlijkheden in het boek voorkomen. Vooral richting de ontknoping lijkt de auteur alle remmen los te gooien en is een aantal scènes te ver gezocht. Dat is goed voor de actie, maar voor de geloofwaardigheid is het fnuikend.
Machtsspel, dat vertaald is door Ralph van der Aa, is een op gezette tijden harde actiethriller die zich over het algemeen in een hoog tempo afspeelt. In combinatie met de niet al te gecompliceerde schrijfstijl van Chris Ryan is dit een typisch boek voor de liefhebber van dit genre thriller.
September 5, 2020
Porter and Bald go to Sierra Leone amidst the backdrop of the SL civil war that racked the country from 1991 until 2002. They are asked to protect a former SAS CO, the one who had wrecked Porter's career. In a sense, this book is somewhat dated in 2020. However, having seen the updated series, first with John Porter (played by Richard Armitage (The Hobbit trilogy, Ocean's 8) being a solo act (Bald was written out), and then with Philip Winchester and Sullivan Stapleton as Stonebridge and Scott, respectively, you really do feel the essence and action in this book.
Chris Ryan and the TV series often use "Crooked Civil Service Bureaucrat" trope - the guy who end up in middle or senior government management through the Old Boys Network (Cambridge/Oxford for British authors, Harvard/Yale for American authors) or has blackmailed someone to get where they are, or if it is a ruthless female, sex. Or, they demonstrate all too well the Peter Principle - you are promoted until proven incompetent - usually a military officer who got promoted just to get out of the way of those who actually can do the work.
Having read many of such books, you might roll your eyes, but you are still hooked because 1) the author hooks you in with other details, 2) you know such people and want to see their comeuppance, if only in a book , 3) you don't care about such tropes because you don't believe in "originality" as a cardinal virtue, or 4) all the above.
BTW, there was a sub-thread with "tourists" who got caught in the hotel siege. After 3 pages (and the hotel siege was half the book), I figured out who they really were, but I won't say much more.
Chris Ryan and the TV series often use "Crooked Civil Service Bureaucrat" trope - the guy who end up in middle or senior government management through the Old Boys Network (Cambridge/Oxford for British authors, Harvard/Yale for American authors) or has blackmailed someone to get where they are, or if it is a ruthless female, sex. Or, they demonstrate all too well the Peter Principle - you are promoted until proven incompetent - usually a military officer who got promoted just to get out of the way of those who actually can do the work.
Having read many of such books, you might roll your eyes, but you are still hooked because 1) the author hooks you in with other details, 2) you know such people and want to see their comeuppance, if only in a book , 3) you don't care about such tropes because you don't believe in "originality" as a cardinal virtue, or 4) all the above.
BTW, there was a sub-thread with "tourists" who got caught in the hotel siege. After 3 pages (and the hotel siege was half the book), I figured out who they really were, but I won't say much more.
July 23, 2024
Du buvę britų SAS kariai gauna užduotį evakuoti iš Siera Leonės buvusį SAS pulko vadą. Toje šalyje visiška sumaištis ir suirutė dėl vykdomo valstybės perversmo. Buvęs pulko vadas, jau palikęs karinę tarnybą, vadovauja privačiai kompanijai užtikrinančiai deimantų kasyklų apsaugą. Atsiųsti išgelbėti kariai susiduria su daug keistumų vykdydami evekavimo operaciją. Nors ir tikėtasi, kad buvęs pulko vadas visomis išgalėmis stengsis įmanomai greičiau palikti šalį, kurioje vyksta tokie neramumai, tačiau nesimato, kad jis degtų labai dideliu noru vykti atgal namo į Didžiąją Britaniją. Prie šio keistumo prisideda aršūs susirėmimai su sukilėliais, kurie siekia valstybės kontrolės, įvairaus plauko rusai, kurie turi kažkokių tikslų šioje šalyje, dar iš kažkur atsiradusios vietinės organizuotų nusikaltėlių gaujos, dar kažkokie neaiškumai, kurie vyksta deimantų kasyklose. Skaitytoją šokiruoja paaiškėjusios aplinkybės ir šių keistumų priežastys. Autorius, pats buvęs SAS karys ir Persijos įlankos karo dalyvis, išlaiko įtampą beveik iki pat paskutinių knygos puslapių.
January 16, 2020
Perhaps my favourite book from Chris Ryan yet. Brutal, full of action and opens your eyes to what goes on in the world. It is interesting to see all this from the point of an SAS operator, and I also like how Ryan uses real life events to portray this. The twists and turns don’t stop coming, so I would definitely recommend to anybody who enjoys thrillers.
March 16, 2017
Another stunner!!!!! Delayed reading due to work stuff but once I got a bit of time I've breezed through it in a couple of days. I knew there was more to the story but the end is do unexpected. Classic Chris Ryan action packed and explosive til the very end!!!
August 9, 2018
Did enjoy this book with all its detail about how the SAS operate and their tactics definitely shows that the author knows his stuff. Did find the government cover up a bit hard to stomach at the end. However a good book with lots of action and good characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2019
A gory, no nonsense action packed thriller. The typo's and grammer/punctuation could do with tidying up a bit (hence the four star rating) but it didn't distract me too much from this really compulsive read.
July 3, 2017
A galloping read which is typical of a Chris Ryan novel
January 27, 2018
Another good read.
Now onto the next book in the series 👍
Now onto the next book in the series 👍
December 23, 2018
One of the best Chris Ryan books ever written
March 2, 2019
What's true or false
Another good,can not pot down book makes your mind wounder what true or false in our world of today .who do you trust ???
Another good,can not pot down book makes your mind wounder what true or false in our world of today .who do you trust ???
September 10, 2019
Gripping
This was a good one it had me engrossed throughout and the twists and turns were classic. Great work. Worth a read.
This was a good one it had me engrossed throughout and the twists and turns were classic. Great work. Worth a read.
May 6, 2020
One of the best (war) thrillers out there; Chris Ryan at his absolute peak!
December 4, 2020
4 stars.
March 14, 2022
Horrible, it’s all I can say. I fast read through 3/4 of the book. The ending made for a good read but was so far fetched.
August 4, 2022
I enjoyed this but it was a typical blokes book sex & guns
September 11, 2023
Loved the fast pace of the novel but didn’t quite enjoy the plot quite as much as I usually do
February 6, 2024
The plot was great! There was some twists that I was not expecting. The editing of the book could have been better. There are sentences with words missing and words missing letters.
March 27, 2024
So many unnecessary descriptions. Half a book is shooting and counting bodies. So boring.
May 6, 2025
Same old Porter
Porter and Bald are in the thick of it rebels on one hand Russian FSB on the other as they try to find and protect Soanes Porters ex C O that ruined his career.
Porter and Bald are in the thick of it rebels on one hand Russian FSB on the other as they try to find and protect Soanes Porters ex C O that ruined his career.
October 7, 2025
Good story
April 1, 2017
Great Read
All action thriller from Chris Ryan well worth reading! Great story link with a twist at the end! Five Star!
All action thriller from Chris Ryan well worth reading! Great story link with a twist at the end! Five Star!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews