Second Chances

Ryan Drake #4.5

by Will Jordan

She’s wanted by the CIA. But Ryan Drake has other plans…

Olivia Mitchell defied orders and failed to kill her target. Now severely injured, CIA operatives are waiting to intercept her at an Istanbul hospital, and extradite by any means possible.

Little do the Agency know that Ryan Drake and his team are also on the scene, and for them she is a valuable asset, with history and connections of immediate interest. If they can escape, the gamble may pay off handily. If not, the consequences will be grave.

Is Drake taking one risk too many?

Second Chances is a thrilling novella from the bestselling author of Deception Game and Ghost Target, full of his trademark ingenuity and no-holds-barred action.

Genres: Fiction

72 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 21, 2016

About the author

Will Jordan was born in Fife, Scotland in 1983. He is best known as the author of the RYAN DRAKE series of action thrillers, and for his YouTube alter-ego, THE CRITICAL DRINKER, amassing well over a million followers and quickly becoming one of the most popular movie critics on the internet. Having always enjoyed a passion for storytelling, he began writing short stories from a young age, eventually moving up to full-length novels and the publication of his first Ryan Drake novel in 2012.

His works to date include:

Redemption (Ryan Drake 1) - 2012
Sacrifice (Ryan Drake 2) - 2013
Betrayal (Ryan Drake 3) - 2014
Black List (Ryan Drake 4) - 2015
Deception Game (Ryan Drake 5) - 2015
Second Chances (Ryan Drake novella) - 2016
Ghost Target (Ryan Drake 6) - 2016
Shadow Conflict (Ryan Drake 7) - 2017
Deadly Cargo (Co-written with James Patterson) - 2017
Trial by Fire (Ryan Drake novella) - 2018
Downfall (Ryan Drake 8) - 2019
Something to Die For (Ryan Drake 9) - 2020
Dark Harvest (2022)

Reviews

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about Second Chances. It’s an engaging addition to the series and I’m glad that Jordan experimented with shorter instalments to support the over-arching plot. However, reading this immediately after the 600-page Betrayal and the 300-page Black List, it felt like an excerpt of a larger novel, rather than a smaller, stand-alone piece. I often recognised Jordan’s clever action scenes, yet missed his familiar character-building. Though I was grateful for the return of Drake and his team, the development upon Black List’s conclusion also seemed slightly anti-climactic. Nevertheless, Second Chances remains a welcome addition to the Ryan Drake series, whether you read it as a brief taster for Jordan’s style or as an expanded epilogue to Black List.

Rating: 4/5

[Bodo Pfündl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jordan delivered his first novella and he hits it right out of the park!

This author has yet to publish something which I don’t enjoy! Will Jordan’s first foray in the world of short stories and novellas is a fast paced, action packed and character driven roller coaster ride, whose breathlessly chase scenes and gun battles through Turkey are not only fun to read about, but also shine a little light on what happened between the last two Ryan Drake books and the story takes closer look at a secondary character, who we will surely see again!

Jordan’s long term series arc is easily one if not the most compelling continued storyline in the genre right now, but his true USP is the ability to create multi layered and morally ambiguous characters, which do truly evolve over the course of his story! Take Ryan Drake for instance. When we first met him in REDEMPTION he was a good man trying to overcome his dark past. Some doubted that he still had what it takes to survive in the shadow world. Now two years later, Drake has changed quite a bit. He is even smarter and cunning than before but above all his past losses have taken their toll. He has become quite ruthless and more dangerous than he would ever admit, which is both fascinating and frightening to watch and I can’t wait to find out how his journey continues!

I recommend this novella to everyone who likes fast paced spy novels. However you really should read the other books in the series first. Believe me, it’s much more rewarding that way!

[Darryle B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great follow up to the epilogue of the action packed suspense thriller "Black List", the fourth installment of the Ryan Drake saga that featured Anya and a computer hacker named Alex. I liked the opening scene as it was the only appearance of Ryan Drake and the Shepherd Team in the epilogue that followed up on a rescue of ex-federal investigator Olivia Mitchell who helped aid Anya in escaping the clutches of a rogue black ops team in Turkey lead by Justin Hawkins, one of Anya's deadliest adversaries. The story also teases about Drake and his Shepherd Team being wanted for treason and murder but does not reveal the details or circumstances that led to that point. Perhaps it will be revealed in the next novel "Deception Game" which I cannot wait to dive into.

Second Chances gives a little more of a background of Mitchell's story and rescue, but where destiny takes her from there is anyone's guess. Will the Shepherd Team be captured in the process of this rescue? Will she join the Shepherd Team? Will she start a new life in Europe? Will the CIA catch her and send her to prison? Read this short story and find out as it is highly recommended.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gripping series some of the books are better than other but definitely worth a read. Keeps you guessing as there are mysteries that don’t get revealed until many books into the series. Read the series in order!

[Notthatjc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did I miss something?

This story left me feeling like there was a book that I missed, as the story picks up with most of the characters not where I left them in "Betrayal"

[Patrik Åkerlund · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not his best!

[Dan Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first novella I've seen in this series and I really liked it. It starts pretty much directly from the end of Black List, following a character whose fate was left on something of a cliffhanger. In a nutshell Drake and his team have been sent on a rescue mission to snatch this woman from a hospital before the CIA can grab her. What follows is a game of cat and mouse as the CIA pursue them while Drake questions her on what she knows, always managing to stay one step ahead of his enemies. It's fun, fast paced and well written as always. My only complaint is that it was over too fast!