Execute Authority

Delta Force #5

by Dalton Fury

The explosive conclusion to the New York Times bestselling series.

In Dalton Fury's Execute Authority, Kolt “Racer” Raynor and his Delta Force squadron are in Greece, providing VIP security for the newly elected—and deeply controversial—American president on his desperate mission to hold the NATO alliance together.
Then, the unimaginable happens. Just as the president is arriving, an assassin’s bullet takes the life of the Greek prime minister. The president is safe, but Raynor recognizes the killer—Rasim Miric—by his grisly signature: a bullet through his target’s left eye.
The hunt for the assassin ends when Miric, to all appearances, blows himself up in an explosion that levels an apartment block, but Raynor refuses to accept that the sniper is really dead. Miric’s grudge is with America, and one American in particular—the Delta Force operator who cost him an eye, Kolt Raynor. Raynor believes that Miric’s killing spree is only just beginning, and his suspicions are proved true when Miric is photographed crossing the border into the United States.
Forbidden by law from operating on American soil, Raynor will have to bend the rules until they break, risking everything in order to run the assassin down before he can strike again.
But what Raynor doesn’t realize is that Rasim Miric is also hunting him.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Military Fiction, Action, Suspense, Audiobook

292 pages, Hardcover

First published September 5, 2017

About the author

Thomas Greer, the former special operations commander who wrote a series of books under the pen name "Dalton Fury" and exposed the American public firsthand to the modern exploits of the military's most secretive units, died October 21, 2016 from cancer.

Starting as an enlisted soldier and instructor in the elite Army Rangers in the mid-1980s before becoming an officer, Greer later joining U.S. Army Special Forces Operational Detachment – Delta, more commonly known as "Delta Force," the Army's version of SEAL Team Six. He published "Kill Bin Laden" in 2008, recounting his participation in the unsuccessful 2001 mission to capture elusive terrorist leader Osama bin Laden when he was holed up in the Tora Bora mountains of Afghanistan. He went on to write a series of other books, including a fictionalized account of special forces operations.

Greer, 52, was perhaps the first in what has become a long series of shadowy warriors-turned-authors who traded their rifles for pens to meet the public's growing enthusiasm for details on the government's most classified missions. Civilian leaders and military planners increasingly rely on these elite commandos to accomplish secret missions in modern war zones, creating tension between those willing to tell the story and others who choose to uphold their pledge to secrecy.

"Every one of us was dubbed persona non grata by our former organization," Greer told U.S. News in 2015. "To some, that doesn't mean squat. To others, it can be pretty painful as you lose a lot of close friends."

He spoke shortly after Matt Bissonnette, one of the SEALs who contributed to the 2011 mission that killed bin Laden, came under formal Pentagon inquiry for writing his own book, "No Easy Day," as did Robert O'Neill, another of the SEALs on that mission, who revealed himself on Fox News and claimed he fired the shot that killed the al-Qaida leader.

Their actions prompted top SEAL leaders to write a letter to those within their ranks, admonishing those who break from what they described as the "critical tenet of our ethos," to not advertise the nature of their work or seek recognition for it.

"We do not abide willful or selfish disregard for our core values in return for public notoriety or financial gain," Navy Rear Adm. Brian Losey and Force Master Chief Michael Magaraci wrote at the time.

Both Bissonnette and O'Neill claimed they chose to tell their stories for the sake of the American public.

"It was UBL, the biggest target of our generation," Greer explained at the time, using the military's prefered acronym for bin Laden, and referencing the fact that the White House confirmed reports the SEAL unit had conducted the assault. "Once the gates were opened by the Obama administration, I believe both Biss and Rob decided to make their claim to history while it was still marketable."

The greatest source of criticism for the former commandos centered on their decision not to seek approval through established channels at the Department of Defense for discussing classified information. Greer submitted copies of his proposed books for review, as most others like him do, and any information the Pentagon deemed sensitive was either changed or stricken.

Others who knew Greer say he was at least in part inspired to write his own book by a perceived barrier between the general public and the less than 1 percent of them who fought the seemingly never-ending wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"It brings a lot of pride to the American people, especially in times that are needed," says Jim Reese, founder of security consulting firm TigerSwan who served with Greer in both the Rangers and Delta as a fellow officer. "You've got this organization that is in the shadows, and part of it should be. But this is the New York Yankees. What Tom was able to do with both his books and his fiction books was to bring the reality to Middle America, to let Americans be proud of this small element of Americans.

Reviews

[SteVen Hendricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review - Execute Authority - Dalton Fury
“Execute Authority” is another outstanding novel by an outstanding author that is no longer with us. I really miss Dalton Fury’s writing. This was an outstanding read! As usual, the storyline tracks with real world events and confrontations, and the ending does not disappoint. Dalton Fury was formerly with the most elite military unit in the US Army - Delta Force. His knowledge of the "trade craft" is excellent, and is clearly on display in this novel as it is in his other books. You really get the sense of reality in all the confrontational scenes within his novels. Dalton Fury has since passed away, and we not only lost a great writer, but a true American hero that served our country with great honor and valor during his time in the military and afterwards. Godspeed Ranger Tom Geer...

[Azriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fitting end to the series.

Fury (Greer)'s books were wildly varied in quality, from his nearly perfect first book to his confused third book (why did the villain blow his own hand off?) . Execute Authority manages both the clear, believable action, granular detail to day to day military life, and cynically realistic geo-political outlook that highlighted the best of the series. Kolt (As shown by his pseudonym, Greer was terrible at making up names) still feels believable, with his supposedly cowboy attitude seeming to always be just taking what appears to be the rational choice at each crisis. The villain is intelligent and resourceful without being unstoppable, and Kolt's struggles with him feel human and believable.

Greer had a talent that when kept consistent made his thrillers the best of the special operations fiction subgenre. Maybe he owed it to a good editor, but he had an eye for leadership challenges, team dynamics, and the politics of units. He will be missed in his passing, but left on a high note.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️🇺🇸 OUTSTANDING CONCLUSION 🇺🇸⭐️⭐️

This was an outstanding conclusion to the Kolt Raynor, aka: Racer. With the passing of the author it appears that this will be the final installment. It did not disappoint! Do yourself a HUGE favor read this book, BETTER YET, read the entire series!

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book and series! Very sorry to hear of the authors passing.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads Win Advance Uncorrected Proof

Delta Force squadron leader Kolt “Racer” Raynor and his team finds themselves in Greece to provide security for the VIP security for the newly elected American president. When the president comes in view, an assassin takes the life of the Greek prime minister instead.

Raynor recognizes the killer as Rasim Miric by the signature kill. It become a hunt forMiric as he keeps evading him as he loses team members along the way. Raynor does not realie that he is also being hunted by Miric as well. What will happen when the two of themhave their final showdown?

A fast paced thriller that willkeep you glued.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting one.

On one side, it's very much a thriller written in the Brad Taylor-esque formula of having lots of details on weapons and tech, exposition in between action scenes, and lots of cooks in the kitchen among the Special Forces crowd. Big names, big stakes, all the military details you could ask for, only without the padding and length of Tom Clancy.

I very much like how this is paced. The action starts off fast, the exposition blocks are pertinent and to the point, the characters are distinct even if some are clearly just there to play the vital role of a funeral scene somewhere later, and the action is visceral without being gratuitous. Among the contemporaries of this book, it's quite readable. The plot is also a good mix of close-range personal scraps and international stakes that don't go so far as to feel unlikely or like someone pulled the idea out of a posterior orifice. Indeed, all the points are remarkably tight and focused on, and the end twists and climactic set pieces feel nice and intuitive without seeming too extreme or contrived.

That said, good is not great, as on the other side of the above comparison, there is still a lot of explaining of the different agencies and histories at play here, and even when we're approaching the end we're still meeting new characters, learning new things, and being exposed to new ideas. The ending is appropriate, if a bit truncated compared to the explaining going on, and while there are a lot of personalities in the book, only a few of them really stood out in any memorable way. That's the trade-off of action thrillers, but some of the story beats became predictable as the story went on.

It turns out that this is the last book in the series as the writer is deceased - may he rest in peace. This entry feels like a conclusion, albeit a quick one by the end, and I would have liked to have read the other books first since I just happened to grab this one on a lark. I hope the others are as good as this one is, since it deserves its place on the shelf of most military thriller readers, but I don't know if they would have the same impact on me now. But either way, this is still a good read, and it avoids many of the pitfalls of the genre. What points it does trip on, it's nowhere near egregious enough to be a problem.

A solid 4/5.

[Marsha James · Rating 4 out of 5]

If your looking for action and a good story, then this book and the entire series is for you. Kolt is a force to be reckoned with and he doesn't let anyone stop him from doing the right thing. However, the author had a way of abruptly skipping ahead without warning. For instance, in one of the previous stories, Racer was drowning at the end of a chapter. The next chapter has him sitting around talking to people. I was listening to an audio book and thought it skipped a section.

No information was given as to how Racer got out of it and survived. This happens repeatedly in all of the books. Helicopter picks up Kolt and his team from a fire fight in the Middle East and then it jumps to hours, days, weeks, months later and you don't get much information on them passing on important info they found or how they were rescued at imminent death. The jumps are jarring.

The biggest issue for me with this series however was the letdown. If you like to escape in books by seeing the good guys win and the bad guys lose, then end of the series as a whole will disappoint you. I just finished and I'm still extremely let down because:

Kolts nemesis from the earlier books is a man called Bill Mason. From early on the two didn't like each other. Book after book, they ran into each other and Mason would move on to a higher rank or some other important position. In other words, he kept failing upward. However, by the end of the series, he's Vice President and the end of this book, he's President. He never pays for setting up Racer and his team to be killed in the short story, and Racer walks away to live a civilian life, not because he wants to but because his only choice in staying is to be Masons attack dog. As I said, a very unsatisfying ending to a great series. I kept waiting book after book to see Mason get what's coming to him and it just never happened. Disappointed.

So as long as you can handle the disappointing ending, you'll love this series.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this, Delta Force #5, Kolt Raynor is seeking a 'ghost'. No one else believes that there is a mercenary one-eyed sniper on the loose (who used to work with Delta). The Turks (of all people) contrive to reject all Western influence – starting first by killing the Greek Prime Minister while with the US President in Athens. The Ottoman Empire will rise again leading/controlling NATO as the US is perceived as weak and the Muslim nations of the world support/follow Turkey.

The sniper next plans to kill the President to destabilize the West ... and that sniper and Raynor have a past – and Raynor is the one who took his eye. (Yada, yada, yada … Sorry, the ‘drama’ didn’t work for me.) There's also conflict between the Delta Force and Secret Service. Who can protect the President? Is this phantom sniper real? (Blah, blah, blah … Once again, the drama still didn’t working for me.) I was disappointed that this 'action novel' was pretty much of a detective story – just more guns and technology (If I wanted a detective novel, I would have read a Harry Bosch book.) Thank gosh, in the last 1/4 of the book, the novel changed into the one I was expecting. For me, it 'saved' the book. Actually, a pretty devious and intricate plan unfolds.

Nevertheless, this was not Dalton's Fury's best work and my least favorite in the series. I'm not giving up however, and am looking forward to the next book. (Go figure.)

[Wayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Execute Authority had the makings of a fine thriller, but, for me, it just didn't happen. Former Delta Force operator, Kolt (Racer) Raynor and his team, who always seem to operate outside the rules, seek the assassin Miric (Shiner), who is working for a Turkish Muslim group to discredit the US by assassinating the President and making it look like a Russian hit. Raynor's group tries to prevent this assassination in Greece, then in Baltimore, and finally at the Walter Reed Medical complex in Bethesda, MD. Kolt and his group constantly face other obstacles, namely the Secret Service.
Much of the story is a bit much to actually believe, as Raynor almost always appears to figure out what the assassin's next move will be.
The author seems unable to decide on one name for his main character (and even for the assassin).
This can become confusing. For example , Dalton Fury refers to Kolt, sometimes as Kolt, sometimes as Racer, and sometimes as Raynor. Often 2 of the 3 names are used in a single sentence. Likewise he refers to the assassin as both Miric and Shiner...again sometimes in the same sentence. First it is confusing....then, just tiring.
Execute Authority had the potential to be a top-notch military thriller. So much potential. Never realized.

[Dan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

olt “Racer” Raynor and his Delta Force squadron are in Greece, providing VIP security for the newly elected—and deeply controversial—American president on his desperate mission to hold the NATO alliance together.
Then, the unimaginable happens. Just as the president is arriving, an assassin’s bullet takes the life of the Greek prime minister. The president is safe, but Raynor recognizes the killer—Rasim Miric—by his grisly signature: a bullet through his target’s left eye.

The hunt for the assassin ends when Miric, to all appearances, blows himself up in an explosion that levels an apartment block, but Raynor refuses to accept that the sniper is really dead. Miric’s grudge is with America, and one American in particular—the Delta Force operator who cost him an eye, Kolt Raynor. Raynor believes that Miric’s killing spree is only just beginning, and his suspicions are proved true when Miric is photographed crossing the border into the United States.

Forbidden by law from operating on American soil, Raynor will have to bend the rules until they break, risking everything in or

[Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Execute Authority” is the 5th novel written by Dalton Fury. Dalton is the pen name for Major Thomas Greer. Tom started his career as an Army Ranger in the mid-1980s before becoming an officer. Greer later joined 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D), more commonly known as "Delta Force.” He published "Kill Bin Laden" in 2008, recounting his participation in the unsuccessful 2001 mission to capture Osama bin Laden when he was holed up in the Tora Bora mountains of Afghanistan. Dalton went on to write a series of books that followed the career of fictionalized Delta Force operator Kolt Raynor. I got the first book in the series as a gift a few years ago and was hooked. This is the 5th and final book in the series, Greer (Dalton) passed away in 2016 at the age of 52 from pancreatic cancer. Great books! Great American

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

On a mission to Bosnia, Delta force operator Kolt Raynor enlists a local teenage boy. This boy turns out to a sharpshooting "natural" and turns into an elite assassin for hire, who also holds a grudge against Kolt for some flimsy reason. The assassin is hired to execute three separate missions involving threats to the American President. Because the Secret Service chooses to ignore Kolt's warnings all three times (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), he and his crew take it upon themselves to violate the posse comitatus act (forbidding military action in the US) and take whatever means necessary to stop the assassin. What makes this book work is realistic feel all of the action has to it, and the way Delta operators interact. The dialogue was decent. The real weakness is the story, which is suspenseful, but not special in any way

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas Greer a.k.a “Dalton Fury” was the living embodiment of the classical Warrior Poet. To rise to a Tier One operator and then develop the literary talent to write both the non-fiction Kill Bin Laden and the Delta Force series of novels requires a level of intellect and skill that I nowhere near possess at either end of the spectrum. I learned of his passing as I finished his fourth book in the series and both anticipated and dreaded the release of Execute Authority. Greer created an imperfect hero in Kolt “Racer” Raynor who allowed us to see how these warriors work and operate to protect our way of life. We lost both way too early. Rest in Peace Brother and RLTW.

[Davey · Rating 3 out of 5]

(AB) Kolt “Racer” Raynor and team are in Greece, providing VIP security for the American president The Greece PM is killed and but Raynor recognizes killer—Rasim Miric—by signature: a bullet through his target’s left eye.

The hunt for the assassin ends when Miric, to all appearances, blows himself up in an explosion that levels an apartment block, but Raynor refuses to accept that the sniper is really dead. Miric’s grudge is with America, and one American in particular—the Delta Force operator who cost him an eye, Kolt Raynor. Raynor believes that Miric’s killing spree is only just beginning, and his suspicions are proved

[Bill Hooten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to miss Kolt "Racer" Raynor, and Dalton Fury (pen name for Thomas Greer). Fury was the author of the "Delta Force" series, that featured Kolt Raynor. Thomas Greer passed away from cancer, and ended the series. Although it has been nearly 6 years this happened, we still extend our thoughts and prayers to his friends and family. This last book was really good in my opinion, and ended it ended in a somewhat good way. Raynor got to walk away on his terms, and that it was the way you wanted it to. If you like the action/adventure/thriller genre, you really ought to give this series a chance. Thomas Greer knows what he writes about, and you will enjoy that perspective.

[Tehila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Dalton Fury’s last novel, Execute Authority, for review purposes. The late Mr Fury passed away shortly after finishing the final draft of the book.

The book drew me in. The nicknames were a bit confusing, but this is most likely because I’ve not read the earlier books in the series - sort of like walking in a crowded room and trying to learn everyone’s name in five minutes.

While I’m looking forward to reading the earlier book, I am saddened that there will not be more.

[Steve Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was received through Goodreads giveaways.

Execute Authority is the fifth book in a series relating to Delta Force operatives but it is the first book of the series that I have read. This is a fast paced action thriller from start to finish. Likely my enjoyment would have been enhanced had I the opportunity to read previous works in the series as character development in this book seems totally absent and certainly takes a back-seat to the action.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced story from the beginning to the end of the book. Delta Force operatives Kolt Roynor and his team are providing security in Greece and after a chain events take place he realizes that it is he that is the target. Fast paced and full of action a great book. Sadly there will be no more. RIP I got this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Shawn W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another GREAT Dalton Fury book. This was the final book by him due to his passing. I’m definitely going to miss seeing the next adventure for Kolt Raynor. This was another page turner (as noted by the 5 days to finish). I never give out spoilers but I will say there were a few nice twists in this story. Don’t hesitate to grab this. Since I just found out about your passing while looking for more of your works I will say RIP Dalton Fury you were an amazing writer.

[Ron Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

RIP Dalton Fury

Once you pick it up you can’t put it down, just like all his books. Knowing I will never read the further exploits of Kolt Raynor and his team is a terrible feeling. As I read the book I couldn’t help but think of his family and my heart goes out to them. Prayers for Ranger Tom and his family.

[Timothy D Dolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing is full of anecdotal research on military procedures and structure. The characters are engaging and the storytelling is so fast paced that I hated finishing the book. I wanted the story to keep going. I started looking for other books by Dalton Fury to continue on the journey with Kolt.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do appreciate an author’s attention to authenticity and details, but this book was almost indecipherable to anyone not in the military. The action was quite good, but the alphabet soup was ridiculous: “Quick! Grab the VBN and link up to the CQS and cover POTUS and FLOTUS as soon as you reach HMS!”

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads Give Away.

This is a fast paced action story whose characters are well developed and believable. The story line is so believable and twisted that it could come out of today's headlines. A very good book and a must buy.

[Duane · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sad

I can't believe that this is the last book by Dalton Fury. I will early miss this author and his characters. Fair winds and following sea Sir, thank you for your service. God Bless

[Jim Cerone The Perfect Host DJ MC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything you want in a thriller - fast-paced action and lots of it. Sadly, like Vince Flynn, this is the last book by Dalton Fury who passed away after finishing it. I hope Kolt Raynor will somehow continue.

[Russty · Rating 5 out of 5]

His last, but, by far, his best...

2 weeks before finishing this book, the author was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer... 2 months later his flag draped coffin was buried with honors!!!

RIP Thomas Greer... Never forget!!!

[John-Michael Lelievre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sure am going to miss this series, one last hurrah for Dalton Fury and Kolt Raynor.

Just as enjoyable as the rest of the series, Kolt must foil a plot from an old adversary. All the action and Kolt shenigans we have come to expect, and a satisfying conclusion.

[Jennifer Ware · Rating 5 out of 5]

I trully enjoyed the the chases, gun fights, but sadened as more of the delta team members were killed.

I trully enjoyed the chases , gun fights, the main characters strength to accomplish what needs to get done. The main character is great.

[Paul Gover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dalton Fury is one of the names in this genre that's really taking the lead of the pack and just writing great stuff. This one was exciting and everything I've come to expect from Dalton, but this book makes you focus as it has multiple storylines going that you have to be followed.

[Joe Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Finishing Dalton Fury's series about Kolt 'Racer' Raynor is about as close as we humans will truly ever get to Nirvana. True enlightenment, and guaranteed rebirth as a dragon. Anyone that tells you otherwise is lying to you. " -Siddhartha "Buddha"