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Spycatcher #7
Act of Betrayal
In this riveting entry in the celebrated thriller series, former intelligence operative Will Cochrane—a "ruthless yet noble" (Ft. Worth Star-Telegram) man from whom "Bond and Bourne could learn a thing or two" (Madison County Herald)—comes out of hiding to expose a conspiracy involving a past assassination that reaches to the highest echelons of the U.S. government.
Three years ago, intelligence officer Will Cochrane was brought in by a Delta Force colonel to assassinate a terrorist financier in Berlin. After the job, the commander vanished, and hasn’t been heard from since. The details don’t quite add up, and one of the CIA agents who was involved has been investigating the mission. He reaches out to Will for help, but before they can connect, the CIA man is poisoned.
Will is determined to uncover the truth about Berlin, even if it means putting himself in the crosshairs. Framed for multiple murders, the skilled former spy has gone deep underground to evade his enemies and the feds. But honor and loyalty to his old colleague thrust him into danger once again.
When Marsha Gage at the FBI discovers that Cochrane—one of America’s Most Wanted—has resurfaced, she immediately launches a manhunt, and she won’t stop until she brings the former CIA/MI6 operative in.
With time running out, Cochrane will use all of his training and formidable skills to outmaneuver the FBI and uncover a shocking conspiracy that will rock the foundations of our nation . . . if he can stay alive.
Three years ago, intelligence officer Will Cochrane was brought in by a Delta Force colonel to assassinate a terrorist financier in Berlin. After the job, the commander vanished, and hasn’t been heard from since. The details don’t quite add up, and one of the CIA agents who was involved has been investigating the mission. He reaches out to Will for help, but before they can connect, the CIA man is poisoned.
Will is determined to uncover the truth about Berlin, even if it means putting himself in the crosshairs. Framed for multiple murders, the skilled former spy has gone deep underground to evade his enemies and the feds. But honor and loyalty to his old colleague thrust him into danger once again.
When Marsha Gage at the FBI discovers that Cochrane—one of America’s Most Wanted—has resurfaced, she immediately launches a manhunt, and she won’t stop until she brings the former CIA/MI6 operative in.
With time running out, Cochrane will use all of his training and formidable skills to outmaneuver the FBI and uncover a shocking conspiracy that will rock the foundations of our nation . . . if he can stay alive.
416 pages, Paperback
First published October 24, 2017
208 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Dunn
16 books278 followersMatthew Dunn was an MI6 intelligence officer who spent years operating around the world on matters pertaining to the national security of Great Britain and its allies. For the last decade he has been an author and has written 14 published books. He is the author of the "Spycatcher" series and "Ben Sign" series of espionage-mystery noir novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
January 31, 2018
OMG!! Matthew Dunn writes one full Will Cochrane novel without killing anyone who is remotely associated to Cochrane, as we generally see in all previous Matthew Dunn/Will Cochrane novels. And I loved it! The demise of Vince Flynn has changed Mitch Rapp's action days to more tamed ways of working as a terrorist buster for CIA. Hence I was looking forward to a more aggressive Will Robie and Jessica Reel (from David Baldacci) and continued agression minus the personal tragedies from Mathew Dunn. I think I finally got both my wishes granted from the authors - Baldacci and Dunn.
This book starts with a tiny episode in the past - Will Cochrane being called in by his friend Unwin Fox from CIA, to do a completely black covert op in Berlin, without the official sanction of CIA and White House. Will was to kill a German Terrorist financier, Otto Raeder, a near impossible kill shot which only Will Cochrane cane take. Helping him in this kill was a Pentagon Colonel Hayden who was supposed to be the spotter and help Will identify the target. The plan and the plot goes haywire when Will completes the kill and disappears, but Colonel Hayden disappears with the cash of 5M after Raeder's killed. After 3 years, all people who were part of the black ops job starts getting killed and that brings Will Cochrane out from his hiding.
Unwin Fox calls Cochrane for an urgent meeting in NY, where he gets killed before he can speak with Cochrane about the problems of the Berlin Ops, with the last dying words of "follow the money trail". Cochrane is never the one to let go off things done wrongly, so he dives into the issue and tries to resolve the issue. along with clearing his name from the previous year's murders that were pinned on him before Will fabricated his own death. Getting Will's scent, Agent Martha Gage of the FBI starts a man hunt to take Cochrane down and selects her own selected 4 member team for the hunt. Cochrane takes help of his trusted few friends like Stein, Antaeus, Hessian Bell and Kay Ash (his new love interest who is also a deep cover Agent of CIA and the whistle blower of the Berlin job to the Agency).
in the end, Matthew Dunn quite cleverly ties back all the loose ends of the Berlin job with a fantastic climax and revelation of the truth of what takes place in the Berlin job. Will Cochrane is also able to clear his name from the previous year's homicide charges with the help of Bell and Antaeus and Agent Gage. Will Cochrane is united with the Koenig twins, he surrenders to the FBI and produced in a court where the judge rules him free and absolves him of all the homicide charges, Will takes a teaching job at the Koenig twins' school and buys a house to settle down with Ash. All of the members in Agent Gage's team settle down, Kopanski quits the FBI and reunites with his estranged daughter and takes a security job at the school which Cochrane joins (Kopanski mentions that Cochrane & the kids would need a little more looking out) and settles down with his cop partner in life. The book ends with the mastermind of the entire Berlin job and fiasco, Deep Throat, who is part of the White House committee and his identify still kept under the wraps, plotting his next move to take Will Cochrane out of the equation.
A quite happy end which is so unlike Matthew Dunn, who in his last 6 Will Cochrane books have moronically killed everyone who came close to Cochrane. I was pleasantly surprised and really overjoyed reading this book and hope Dunn continues to create the Will Cochrane legacy in similar lines. Awesome book, a straight 6 out of 5 stars for this book. Can't wait to get the next instalment of this series!
This book starts with a tiny episode in the past - Will Cochrane being called in by his friend Unwin Fox from CIA, to do a completely black covert op in Berlin, without the official sanction of CIA and White House. Will was to kill a German Terrorist financier, Otto Raeder, a near impossible kill shot which only Will Cochrane cane take. Helping him in this kill was a Pentagon Colonel Hayden who was supposed to be the spotter and help Will identify the target. The plan and the plot goes haywire when Will completes the kill and disappears, but Colonel Hayden disappears with the cash of 5M after Raeder's killed. After 3 years, all people who were part of the black ops job starts getting killed and that brings Will Cochrane out from his hiding.
Unwin Fox calls Cochrane for an urgent meeting in NY, where he gets killed before he can speak with Cochrane about the problems of the Berlin Ops, with the last dying words of "follow the money trail". Cochrane is never the one to let go off things done wrongly, so he dives into the issue and tries to resolve the issue. along with clearing his name from the previous year's murders that were pinned on him before Will fabricated his own death. Getting Will's scent, Agent Martha Gage of the FBI starts a man hunt to take Cochrane down and selects her own selected 4 member team for the hunt. Cochrane takes help of his trusted few friends like Stein, Antaeus, Hessian Bell and Kay Ash (his new love interest who is also a deep cover Agent of CIA and the whistle blower of the Berlin job to the Agency).
in the end, Matthew Dunn quite cleverly ties back all the loose ends of the Berlin job with a fantastic climax and revelation of the truth of what takes place in the Berlin job. Will Cochrane is also able to clear his name from the previous year's homicide charges with the help of Bell and Antaeus and Agent Gage. Will Cochrane is united with the Koenig twins, he surrenders to the FBI and produced in a court where the judge rules him free and absolves him of all the homicide charges, Will takes a teaching job at the Koenig twins' school and buys a house to settle down with Ash. All of the members in Agent Gage's team settle down, Kopanski quits the FBI and reunites with his estranged daughter and takes a security job at the school which Cochrane joins (Kopanski mentions that Cochrane & the kids would need a little more looking out) and settles down with his cop partner in life. The book ends with the mastermind of the entire Berlin job and fiasco, Deep Throat, who is part of the White House committee and his identify still kept under the wraps, plotting his next move to take Will Cochrane out of the equation.
A quite happy end which is so unlike Matthew Dunn, who in his last 6 Will Cochrane books have moronically killed everyone who came close to Cochrane. I was pleasantly surprised and really overjoyed reading this book and hope Dunn continues to create the Will Cochrane legacy in similar lines. Awesome book, a straight 6 out of 5 stars for this book. Can't wait to get the next instalment of this series!
October 20, 2017
Act of Betrayal by Matthew Dunn – Book Review
Act of Betrayal: A Will Cochrane Novel by Matthew Dunn (William Morrow, 2017, 320 Pages, $18.35/12.99) is a spy thriller from the macho, uber male, perspective of super-spy Will Cochrane, who, for reasons I can't understand, has reached the seventh volume of an apparently popular series. After reading the first few chapters of this book, I decided it wasn't for me. I don't generally read thrillers heavy on the U.S. spy system, special forces, or other gung-ho, macho adventures featuring shooters, shooting, and graphic violence. Nevertheless, I asked myself, why don't you consider continuing to read, mostly in order to affirm your preconceived ideas about this kind of novel. Surprise! While still not finished and having reached the "desire to see how this all works out" stage, I started to became really engaged by the ambivalence and complexity of this novel, so that around 25%, the beginning of Chapter 11, into the book, I decided to stay to the end. However, by the time I reached the end, I was sorry to have given so much time and creditability to a world view I abhor.
Act of Betrayal is filled with action, lots of heroics, and, particularly lots of spy, CIA, and FBI talk. Also, featuring unlikely heroics, and an increasingly awkward convoluted plot the middle of the plot becomes too garbled with characters and too violent to approach plausibility, the novel begins to drag. Never having read a novel focused on this particular audience before, I wished better to understand the appeal beyond the action. It seems to engage the orientation towards conspiracy, admiration for doomed assassins working for “truth” and willing to use huge amounts of violence to achieve it. Also, the character of Will Cochrane stands beyond any sort of verisimilitude. Alliances extend to men (and women) of achievement beyond reasonable alliances, as a secret power within the CIA, an Israeli agent, a Russian, combine their efforts to stop the villain(s). The evil encountered rises right to the oval office.
The story opens with Will Cochrane, the finest shot of any assassin in the world, undertakes, successfully, to shoot a mysterious, cut certainly evil, uber spy traveling along the autobahn at high speed from 3,000 yards. Of course, his head shot kills the man identified to him with one shot, and then he disappears, finally, three years later appearing to have committed suicide by jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge after having murdered a number of “innocent” people. The top agents of both the FBI and the CIA have long since stopped seeking him, until certain familiar habits begin to re-assert themselves, and it becomes obvious that Cochrane is, indeed, alive and back at work. There follow 300 pages of twists and turns as Cochrane seeks to set matters right with little concern for his own life, committed to exposing the “truth.”
In the world of Act of Betrayal the ends always justify the means, even when they include the violent death of ill doers without anything approaching due process. The hero, no... protagonist, is the purest of the pure. Comments about him by others point to his always doing “what's right.” Will Cochrane is beyond competent, a deadly killer with a perfect body, super reflexes, and completely under his own control. He never hesitates to instantly obliterate every person he concludes is guilty. His actions are justified because they are “right.” Legality has little or nothing to do with his choices, because his own motives are “pure.” He's accountable to no one but himself.
The following profile of Matthew Dunn is provided by the publisher: “As an MI6 field officer, Matthew Dunn recruited and ran agents, coordinated and participated in special operations, and acted in deep-cover roles throughout the world. He operated in highly hostile environments, where, if compromised and captured, he would have been executed. Dunn was trained in all aspects of intelligence collection, deep-cover deployments, small-arms, explosives, military unarmed combat, surveillance, and infiltration. Medals are never awarded to modern MI6 officers, but Dunn was the recipient of a very rare personal commendation from the secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs for work he did on one mission, which was deemed so significant that it directly influenced the successful conclusion of a major international incident. During his time in MI6, Dunn conducted approximately seventy missions. All of them were successful. He lives in England.” Wikipedia, however, places this description into doubt by preceding it with, “ “according to his publicity agents,” casting the entire bio into question.
Act of Betrayal: A Will Cochrane Novel by Matthew Dunn (William Morrow, 2017, 320 Pages, $18.35/12.99) portrays a perfectly corrupt government salvaged only by a few hidden “true” rebels who, deeply embedded in various agencies, manage to save us from our own self-destruction. In this fictional world, there are a few “good” men and women with incomparable skills willing to endure the privation and suffering necessary to save the rest of us from the worst of us. I cannot recommend this novel to any reader save those already addicted to such tripe. I read the book in digital format supplied to me by the publisher through Edelweiss on my Kindle app.
Act of Betrayal: A Will Cochrane Novel by Matthew Dunn (William Morrow, 2017, 320 Pages, $18.35/12.99) is a spy thriller from the macho, uber male, perspective of super-spy Will Cochrane, who, for reasons I can't understand, has reached the seventh volume of an apparently popular series. After reading the first few chapters of this book, I decided it wasn't for me. I don't generally read thrillers heavy on the U.S. spy system, special forces, or other gung-ho, macho adventures featuring shooters, shooting, and graphic violence. Nevertheless, I asked myself, why don't you consider continuing to read, mostly in order to affirm your preconceived ideas about this kind of novel. Surprise! While still not finished and having reached the "desire to see how this all works out" stage, I started to became really engaged by the ambivalence and complexity of this novel, so that around 25%, the beginning of Chapter 11, into the book, I decided to stay to the end. However, by the time I reached the end, I was sorry to have given so much time and creditability to a world view I abhor.
Act of Betrayal is filled with action, lots of heroics, and, particularly lots of spy, CIA, and FBI talk. Also, featuring unlikely heroics, and an increasingly awkward convoluted plot the middle of the plot becomes too garbled with characters and too violent to approach plausibility, the novel begins to drag. Never having read a novel focused on this particular audience before, I wished better to understand the appeal beyond the action. It seems to engage the orientation towards conspiracy, admiration for doomed assassins working for “truth” and willing to use huge amounts of violence to achieve it. Also, the character of Will Cochrane stands beyond any sort of verisimilitude. Alliances extend to men (and women) of achievement beyond reasonable alliances, as a secret power within the CIA, an Israeli agent, a Russian, combine their efforts to stop the villain(s). The evil encountered rises right to the oval office.
The story opens with Will Cochrane, the finest shot of any assassin in the world, undertakes, successfully, to shoot a mysterious, cut certainly evil, uber spy traveling along the autobahn at high speed from 3,000 yards. Of course, his head shot kills the man identified to him with one shot, and then he disappears, finally, three years later appearing to have committed suicide by jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge after having murdered a number of “innocent” people. The top agents of both the FBI and the CIA have long since stopped seeking him, until certain familiar habits begin to re-assert themselves, and it becomes obvious that Cochrane is, indeed, alive and back at work. There follow 300 pages of twists and turns as Cochrane seeks to set matters right with little concern for his own life, committed to exposing the “truth.”
In the world of Act of Betrayal the ends always justify the means, even when they include the violent death of ill doers without anything approaching due process. The hero, no... protagonist, is the purest of the pure. Comments about him by others point to his always doing “what's right.” Will Cochrane is beyond competent, a deadly killer with a perfect body, super reflexes, and completely under his own control. He never hesitates to instantly obliterate every person he concludes is guilty. His actions are justified because they are “right.” Legality has little or nothing to do with his choices, because his own motives are “pure.” He's accountable to no one but himself.
The following profile of Matthew Dunn is provided by the publisher: “As an MI6 field officer, Matthew Dunn recruited and ran agents, coordinated and participated in special operations, and acted in deep-cover roles throughout the world. He operated in highly hostile environments, where, if compromised and captured, he would have been executed. Dunn was trained in all aspects of intelligence collection, deep-cover deployments, small-arms, explosives, military unarmed combat, surveillance, and infiltration. Medals are never awarded to modern MI6 officers, but Dunn was the recipient of a very rare personal commendation from the secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs for work he did on one mission, which was deemed so significant that it directly influenced the successful conclusion of a major international incident. During his time in MI6, Dunn conducted approximately seventy missions. All of them were successful. He lives in England.” Wikipedia, however, places this description into doubt by preceding it with, “ “according to his publicity agents,” casting the entire bio into question.
Act of Betrayal: A Will Cochrane Novel by Matthew Dunn (William Morrow, 2017, 320 Pages, $18.35/12.99) portrays a perfectly corrupt government salvaged only by a few hidden “true” rebels who, deeply embedded in various agencies, manage to save us from our own self-destruction. In this fictional world, there are a few “good” men and women with incomparable skills willing to endure the privation and suffering necessary to save the rest of us from the worst of us. I cannot recommend this novel to any reader save those already addicted to such tripe. I read the book in digital format supplied to me by the publisher through Edelweiss on my Kindle app.
July 28, 2019
Really good spy novel! Hooked from the very beginning. Held my attention through the book!
October 28, 2017
Dunn has created an action packed plot with a bigger than life hero. Cochrane is an assassin, a very good one. He kills lots of people in this novel. He's also a very nice guy. Somehow, those two aspects of his personality didn't seem to work together.
I found it a little difficult to enjoy Dunn's writing style. There are many long paragraphs of background material, descriptions, etc. I would have preferred action or dialog to move the plot forward rather than the abundance of descriptive material.
There have been many previous Cochrane novels. This is the first I've read and I frequently felt like I was missing essential actions from the past. Many of the characters in this plot had important roles in Cochrane's previous adventures. I would suggest the series be read from the beginning. While this novel could be read on its own, I think readers would enjoy it more if previous novels are read first.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
I found it a little difficult to enjoy Dunn's writing style. There are many long paragraphs of background material, descriptions, etc. I would have preferred action or dialog to move the plot forward rather than the abundance of descriptive material.
There have been many previous Cochrane novels. This is the first I've read and I frequently felt like I was missing essential actions from the past. Many of the characters in this plot had important roles in Cochrane's previous adventures. I would suggest the series be read from the beginning. While this novel could be read on its own, I think readers would enjoy it more if previous novels are read first.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
November 1, 2017
With everything that is going on in our world, I thoroughly enjoy reading "behind the scenes" - even if it is fiction. I attribute Dunn's ability to create a realistic storyline with characters who are raw, real, and full of human-like emotion to his real-life experience as a MI6 field officer. Cochrane may be one cold-hearted assassin but his compassionate side and loyalty to his friend prove that he's human.
The story is very active and full of detail - perhaps too much for some but I enjoyed getting completely engulfed in the book. There is no denying that corruption goes all the way from the depths of the world to the very top. Cochrane is determined and fated to make the world right again. But there are a lot of obstacles that push his goodwill to the line (and often bounces back and forth across it).
I had to go back and re-read a few parts and even get a little clarification by looking up a few descriptions for further clarification; but, overall, I felt wrapped up in a story pulled from the headlines. I found myself wondering if I could have been able to continue on the path that Cochrane did and maintain being a "good" person deep inside.
I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Partners In Crime Book Tours. All opinions are 100% my own.
The story is very active and full of detail - perhaps too much for some but I enjoyed getting completely engulfed in the book. There is no denying that corruption goes all the way from the depths of the world to the very top. Cochrane is determined and fated to make the world right again. But there are a lot of obstacles that push his goodwill to the line (and often bounces back and forth across it).
I had to go back and re-read a few parts and even get a little clarification by looking up a few descriptions for further clarification; but, overall, I felt wrapped up in a story pulled from the headlines. I found myself wondering if I could have been able to continue on the path that Cochrane did and maintain being a "good" person deep inside.
I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Partners In Crime Book Tours. All opinions are 100% my own.
December 30, 2017
Better than a four star, but not quite a five rate rating -- call it a 4.5 star rating. Somehow, I had lost track of Dunn's latest novels. Now, I need to go back and read the sixth book in the series. It's best to read these books in order. My error (reading out of sequence) may be the reason for dropping the rating. The ending left room for a sequel.
January 16, 2018
This series is not mentioned enough. It is definitely worth reading and it is very enjoyable. The genius of this particular installment is that you can read this book without reading any other books in the series. You will want to start the series, if all you have read is this one. What makes this book so good, is the subtle twist at the end.
February 7, 2019
Although this is Matthew Dunn's 7th Will Cochrane thriller, it is my first encounter with the series. "Act of Betrayal" is an action packed page turner with a satisfying finish. However, Dunn eludes to future novels in the series within the final pages. After reading "Act of Betrayal", I look forward to more of this thriller series.
November 5, 2018
A good possible ending to the series. There has been no new book for the last few years but the ending does leave things open to another book. I do like the character of Will. He is the best at what he does but is also flawed.
November 20, 2017
Fans of Jason Bourne or Ethan Hunt will absolutely LOVE Matthew Dunn's series of novel revolving around Will Cochrane, the ultimate intelligence operative and most lethal most wanted man by our own government. While he had faked his own death, to avoid being captured on many fronts, he is now gone into deeper uncover to avoid being killed, arrested or tortured by those who want what secrets he knows. There is only a handful of trusted individuals whom know that Will is alive, and when a mission that involved Will's skills three years ago, suddenly surfaces, the body counts begin to rise.
Will was asked to take out a known financier who had connections to fund known terrorists groups with whatever capital they needed to complete their nefarious acts on unsuspecting countries. He is only provided with enough information to complete this task and go back into hiding. When he is given the signal that the man is confirmed for the hit, Will takes him out and vanishes into the darkness while others cover up the scene of the crime. Without Will's knowledge this was a government conspiracy that involved those in the FBI, CIA and others. The man who was heading up the entire operation, has taken the money and vanished without a trace. Those that know about this operation are simply hoping he has no hopes of returning. They know that more than just their careers are on the line.
Yet Will is contacted by a trusted member of that group as it appears this rogue agent has reappeared and plans on removing those who know all about his activities. Before Will has a chance to talk to him, he is murdered and slowly one by one, each of those responsible are being killed before they have a chance to speak about their involvement. Will is in a race against time to stop the one man who just might be his equal, but in doing so, he might have to give up his anonymity and risk being tried, convicted and killed by his own government authorities.
I received Act of Betrayal by Matthew Dunn compliments of Partners in Crime Tours and William Morrow Publishers, a division of Harper Collins Publishers. This is the seventh novel in the Will Cochrane series, and once again, it is action packed and never a dull moment and those who are involved seek to run and hide hoping they will survive somehow. It is like a spy versus spy novel and I easily inhaled this one in a few hours. It is simply that good. I don't think I could turn pages fast enough. Love all the deep undercover stuff and the rudimentary ways people are being killed without being able to stop it. Crazy stuff I had never imagined before. Makes one wonder about the true inner workings of our own government and special operations forces. Worth every one of 5 out of 5 stars.
Will was asked to take out a known financier who had connections to fund known terrorists groups with whatever capital they needed to complete their nefarious acts on unsuspecting countries. He is only provided with enough information to complete this task and go back into hiding. When he is given the signal that the man is confirmed for the hit, Will takes him out and vanishes into the darkness while others cover up the scene of the crime. Without Will's knowledge this was a government conspiracy that involved those in the FBI, CIA and others. The man who was heading up the entire operation, has taken the money and vanished without a trace. Those that know about this operation are simply hoping he has no hopes of returning. They know that more than just their careers are on the line.
Yet Will is contacted by a trusted member of that group as it appears this rogue agent has reappeared and plans on removing those who know all about his activities. Before Will has a chance to talk to him, he is murdered and slowly one by one, each of those responsible are being killed before they have a chance to speak about their involvement. Will is in a race against time to stop the one man who just might be his equal, but in doing so, he might have to give up his anonymity and risk being tried, convicted and killed by his own government authorities.
I received Act of Betrayal by Matthew Dunn compliments of Partners in Crime Tours and William Morrow Publishers, a division of Harper Collins Publishers. This is the seventh novel in the Will Cochrane series, and once again, it is action packed and never a dull moment and those who are involved seek to run and hide hoping they will survive somehow. It is like a spy versus spy novel and I easily inhaled this one in a few hours. It is simply that good. I don't think I could turn pages fast enough. Love all the deep undercover stuff and the rudimentary ways people are being killed without being able to stop it. Crazy stuff I had never imagined before. Makes one wonder about the true inner workings of our own government and special operations forces. Worth every one of 5 out of 5 stars.
November 6, 2017
4.5/5
I can so really enjoy a good espionage thriller and I love the Spycatcher series by Matthew Dunn.
I have read several books in this series but not all of them and that is what I like about this series you do not need to read all the books to enjoy one. Eventhough there is a lot of references to earlier happenings you are given enough information to understand it. Itjust also makes you want to read the other books.
With Will Cochrane Matthew Dunn has created a very intruiging character. It is nog like you can identify yourself with him but it is so easy to feel for him eventhough he definately is not a sentimental person. His persona fits him, he is one of the most feared spy and assassin in the world, but he still wants this life for himself with 2 boys he wanted to adopt. But is he capable of this with his past?
As usual Matthew Dunn gives lots of subplots throughout the story that weave together in the end. For the most part you know who is involved just not how they are involved and that is what I like, it keeps you guessing so you need to keep on reading to figure it all out.
If you enjoy espionage thrillers I definately recommend reading the Spycatcher series by Mathew Dunn.
I can so really enjoy a good espionage thriller and I love the Spycatcher series by Matthew Dunn.
I have read several books in this series but not all of them and that is what I like about this series you do not need to read all the books to enjoy one. Eventhough there is a lot of references to earlier happenings you are given enough information to understand it. Itjust also makes you want to read the other books.
With Will Cochrane Matthew Dunn has created a very intruiging character. It is nog like you can identify yourself with him but it is so easy to feel for him eventhough he definately is not a sentimental person. His persona fits him, he is one of the most feared spy and assassin in the world, but he still wants this life for himself with 2 boys he wanted to adopt. But is he capable of this with his past?
As usual Matthew Dunn gives lots of subplots throughout the story that weave together in the end. For the most part you know who is involved just not how they are involved and that is what I like, it keeps you guessing so you need to keep on reading to figure it all out.
If you enjoy espionage thrillers I definately recommend reading the Spycatcher series by Mathew Dunn.
May 10, 2018
If you are looking for a thriller series that will keep you on the edge of your seat, you can’t do any better than Matthew Dunn’s Will Cochrane novels. In Act of Betrayal, Cochrane is involved with the assassination of a German involved with the financing of terrorist cells. After completing his assignment in Berlin, he goes into hiding as an antique book seller, but three years later someone is killing the people behind that assignment. Cochrane is called by his former mentor from the CIA, who is murdered before they can meet. Now Cochrane is determined to find out what was really involved with the Berlin assignment and who is killing those involved.
This is a story that moves quickly and keeps you hooked to the final pages. Cochrane is strong, intelligent and an adversary to be feared. Introduced in Spycatcher, Dunn’s books have just gotten better with each entry in the series.
This is a story that moves quickly and keeps you hooked to the final pages. Cochrane is strong, intelligent and an adversary to be feared. Introduced in Spycatcher, Dunn’s books have just gotten better with each entry in the series.
December 5, 2017
We are told that Will Cochrane is the most dangerous assassin in the world. I have often wondered how someone reaches the top of their trade. Is it worth the effort, the pain, the sacrifice to become so proficient? Can someone who has reached the top ever easily recede into the background?
Here we begin to get the answers about Chochrane and his life. It is with satisfaction that we see more positives than negatives about Chochrane. We begin to empathize with him. Is it time to actually let Will Cochrane retire and move on to see who the next top assassin in the world may be?
Here we begin to get the answers about Chochrane and his life. It is with satisfaction that we see more positives than negatives about Chochrane. We begin to empathize with him. Is it time to actually let Will Cochrane retire and move on to see who the next top assassin in the world may be?
November 30, 2021
This novel seems to close the book on Will Cochrane. I thought it made a good, solid ending to his adventures. (I don't know if this is the intended last book in the series. The author definitely sets up a potential plot point for a future book, but for me, this acts as a fitting end to Will's stories.)
With that said, I have to say that I was never really invested in Will dying in this book, meaning that it never seemed as though that was in the realm of possibilities. That took a little shine off of the story, but not that much.
With that said, I have to say that I was never really invested in Will dying in this book, meaning that it never seemed as though that was in the realm of possibilities. That took a little shine off of the story, but not that much.
January 5, 2019
Big disappointment.
I loved the first couple of books, it looked like I had another great character to follow along the lines of Allon. However, with these last two they read like the author was just showing up and filling pages with words.
The number of times he repeated the same information, and the silly sentimentality thrown in seems that very little effort was put into the story.
I finally stopped about 80%. Life is too short to spend on bad books.
I loved the first couple of books, it looked like I had another great character to follow along the lines of Allon. However, with these last two they read like the author was just showing up and filling pages with words.
The number of times he repeated the same information, and the silly sentimentality thrown in seems that very little effort was put into the story.
I finally stopped about 80%. Life is too short to spend on bad books.
January 7, 2019
This is my first book by Matthew Dunn.
Within pages I found myself wondering at the way it was written. It felt cumbersome or, as another review has described it, "clunky." I gave it some more time, read some action scenes to which the author gave two or three sentences each, and just cannot face the prospect of reading more of this.
So not only is this my first book by Dunn, it will also be my last.
Within pages I found myself wondering at the way it was written. It felt cumbersome or, as another review has described it, "clunky." I gave it some more time, read some action scenes to which the author gave two or three sentences each, and just cannot face the prospect of reading more of this.
So not only is this my first book by Dunn, it will also be my last.
June 28, 2019
Very Good; Continuing character: Will Cochrane; a mission three years ago is causing its participants to be targeted for death, including Will - who is being newly pursued as his trackers discover he did not commit suicide at the end of the prior story; wraps up a number of angles from the prior couple books, but leaves open another sequel
November 7, 2017
Too much
I liked his previous books in the Will Cochrane series, but thought this was way overdone. Almost comic book fare. Will check author's next book carefully before buying it.
I liked his previous books in the Will Cochrane series, but thought this was way overdone. Almost comic book fare. Will check author's next book carefully before buying it.
February 4, 2018
Dunn has created a convoluted story of loyalty and betrayal. The plot twists a bit too tightly for my tastes, with an invisible hand wielding the levers of power. Hopefully, all will be revealed in a sequel.
April 20, 2018
tried first in series, and now this one--couldn't finish either. characters are composed of superlatives and/or quirks. and most of the dialogue isn't anything anyone would say, ever. so, no more from this author.
September 1, 2018
An ex-assassin / government agent gets dragged into a web of intrigue.
The basic storyline was good (even if I felt I read the parts of same plot before) but the writing was very clunky and repetitive.
The basic storyline was good (even if I felt I read the parts of same plot before) but the writing was very clunky and repetitive.
February 21, 2019
Excellent and so authentic.
Loved every minute. Understandable, collectable and so enjoyable...Thanks for writing. I wish there were a sequel available now. If you're writing one, pls hurry., )
Loved every minute. Understandable, collectable and so enjoyable...Thanks for writing. I wish there were a sequel available now. If you're writing one, pls hurry., )
August 31, 2019
3.5
LIstened to this as an Audio book it was
action packed with lots of killing and what seemed to be a mega cast of Characters.
This is the first book i have read by Matthew Dunn, very Bourne like story.
LIstened to this as an Audio book it was
action packed with lots of killing and what seemed to be a mega cast of Characters.
This is the first book i have read by Matthew Dunn, very Bourne like story.
Read
March 13, 2020Just the latest in the long line of adventure/thriller/espionage novels I read for kicks. In the end, all the bad guys got their due. The good guy got the girl. Well-written. Good entertainment if you’re into this sort of thing.
January 4, 2018
Have read all the others which were great. This though was disappointing. Some of the lines were just simply stupid. Couldn't finish it. Hope the next is better.
October 29, 2017
excellent spy thriller from an author with real life experience
November 3, 2017
The seventh novel in the Will Cochran series. Continues to be an engaging thriller.
November 4, 2017
Good book. Easy to read. And the story had twists in it. I will read the others in this series
November 8, 2017
Another engaging read. Look's like Will has an opportunity for a little happiness but anyone who reads the series knows it won't last long.
November 12, 2017
A good not great book in the series.
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