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Alexander Hawke #10
Overkill
Putting it all on the line to rescue his kidnapped son pits counterspy Alex Hawke against Russian President Vladimir Putin in this action-packed thriller from New York Times bestselling author Ted Bell.
On a ski vacation in the Swiss Alps high above St. Moritz, Alex Hawke and his young son, Alexei, are thrust into danger when the tram carrying them to the top of the mountain bursts into flame, separating the two. Before he can reach Alexei, the boy is snatched from the burning cable car by unknown assailants in a helicopter.
Meanwhile, high above the skies of France, Vladimir Putin is aboard his presidential jet after escaping a bloodless coup in the Kremlin. When two flight attendants collapse and slip into unconsciousness, the Russian leader realizes the danger isn’t over. Killing the pilots, he grabs a parachute, steps out of the plane . . . and disappears.
Hawke has led his share of dangerous assignments, but none with stakes this high. To save his son, he summons his trusted colleagues, Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard Ambrose Congreve, former U.S. Navy SEAL Stokley Jones, Jr., and recruits a crack Hostage Rescue Team—a group of elite soldiers of fortune known as "Thunder & Lighting." Before they can devise a rescue plan, Hawke must figure out who took his boy—and why. An operative who has fought antagonists around the globe, Hawke has made many enemies; one in particular may hold the key to finding Alexei before it’s too late.
But an unexpected threat complicates their mission. Making his way to "Falcon’s Lair," the former Nazi complex created for Hitler, Putin is amassing an impressive armory that he intends to use for his triumphant return to Moscow.
Only one man can smash the Russian president’s plan for domination—a master counterspy who will cross every line to save his son . . . and maybe save the world itself in the bargain.
On a ski vacation in the Swiss Alps high above St. Moritz, Alex Hawke and his young son, Alexei, are thrust into danger when the tram carrying them to the top of the mountain bursts into flame, separating the two. Before he can reach Alexei, the boy is snatched from the burning cable car by unknown assailants in a helicopter.
Meanwhile, high above the skies of France, Vladimir Putin is aboard his presidential jet after escaping a bloodless coup in the Kremlin. When two flight attendants collapse and slip into unconsciousness, the Russian leader realizes the danger isn’t over. Killing the pilots, he grabs a parachute, steps out of the plane . . . and disappears.
Hawke has led his share of dangerous assignments, but none with stakes this high. To save his son, he summons his trusted colleagues, Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard Ambrose Congreve, former U.S. Navy SEAL Stokley Jones, Jr., and recruits a crack Hostage Rescue Team—a group of elite soldiers of fortune known as "Thunder & Lighting." Before they can devise a rescue plan, Hawke must figure out who took his boy—and why. An operative who has fought antagonists around the globe, Hawke has made many enemies; one in particular may hold the key to finding Alexei before it’s too late.
But an unexpected threat complicates their mission. Making his way to "Falcon’s Lair," the former Nazi complex created for Hitler, Putin is amassing an impressive armory that he intends to use for his triumphant return to Moscow.
Only one man can smash the Russian president’s plan for domination—a master counterspy who will cross every line to save his son . . . and maybe save the world itself in the bargain.
Audiobook
First published May 1, 2018
579 people are currently reading
2250 people want to read
About the author
Ted Bell
51 books859 followersTed Bell was the author of 12 consecutive New York Times best sellers and a former advertising executive. He began his advertising career in the 1970’s as a junior copywriter at Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB), New York. At the age of 25, he sold his first screenplay to Hollywood, as well as became the youngest vice-president in the storied history of DDB. He then joined Leo Burnett Co., Chicago, as a creative director and four years later, he was named President, Chicago Creative Officer where he was credited with developing numerous innovative and award-winning advertising campaigns. In 1982, Bell joined Young & Rubicam, London, and in 1991 he became the Vice Chairman and Worldwide Creative Director. Ted won every award the advertising industry offers, including numerous Clios and Cannes Gold Lions, and while at Young & Rubicam, the Grand Prix at the Cannes Festival. In 2001, Ted retired to write full time. He has 10 New York Times Bestsellers to his credit: The Alex Hawke series of spy thrillers published by HarperCollins and the young adult targeted time travel adventure series, Nick of Time and The Time Pirate published by St. Martins Press.
A native Floridian, Bell graduated from Randolph-Macon College in Virginia and was a former member of the college’s Board of Trustees. He held an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Kendall College in Michigan. Bell was also an Adjunct Professor of English Literature at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. He was a member of the Defense Orientation Conference Association (DOCA), a program run by the Department of Defense in support of America’s military. He served on the Advisory Board at George Washington’s Home at Mount Vernon, a group chaired by former Secretary of the Army, Togo West. He also served for a time as an advisor to the Undersecretary for Domestic Relations at the U.S. Department of State.
For the 2011-2012 Academic Year, Sir Richard Dearlove, Former Chief of MI6, British Intelligence, sponsored Ted to become a Visiting Scholar at Cambridge University (UK). In addition, he was named Writer-in-Residence at Sydney-Sussex College, Cambridge and studied at the University’s Department of Political Science and International Studies (POLIS) under the tutelage of Sir Dearlove, who was the Master of Pembroke College.
In May 2018, Ted published OVERKILL, the 10th book in the popular Alex Hawke spy thriller series.
In January 2019, Ted and Jon Adler of Jon Adler Films formed El Dorado Entertainment, a feature film and television production company based in New York.
In July 2019, Ted signed a two-book deal with Random House.
In July 2020, the 11th Alex Hawke thriller, DRAGONFIRE, was published.
On December 7, 2021, the 12th Alex Hawke thriller, SEA HAWKE was published.
Ted appeared on numerous television and radio programs and was a featured speaker at associations, clubs, libraries and organizations across the country.
Ted traveled the world and lived in Italy, London, France, Palm Beach, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Maine. He last lived in a beloved 19th century farmhouse in Connecticut.
A native Floridian, Bell graduated from Randolph-Macon College in Virginia and was a former member of the college’s Board of Trustees. He held an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Kendall College in Michigan. Bell was also an Adjunct Professor of English Literature at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. He was a member of the Defense Orientation Conference Association (DOCA), a program run by the Department of Defense in support of America’s military. He served on the Advisory Board at George Washington’s Home at Mount Vernon, a group chaired by former Secretary of the Army, Togo West. He also served for a time as an advisor to the Undersecretary for Domestic Relations at the U.S. Department of State.
For the 2011-2012 Academic Year, Sir Richard Dearlove, Former Chief of MI6, British Intelligence, sponsored Ted to become a Visiting Scholar at Cambridge University (UK). In addition, he was named Writer-in-Residence at Sydney-Sussex College, Cambridge and studied at the University’s Department of Political Science and International Studies (POLIS) under the tutelage of Sir Dearlove, who was the Master of Pembroke College.
In May 2018, Ted published OVERKILL, the 10th book in the popular Alex Hawke spy thriller series.
In January 2019, Ted and Jon Adler of Jon Adler Films formed El Dorado Entertainment, a feature film and television production company based in New York.
In July 2019, Ted signed a two-book deal with Random House.
In July 2020, the 11th Alex Hawke thriller, DRAGONFIRE, was published.
On December 7, 2021, the 12th Alex Hawke thriller, SEA HAWKE was published.
Ted appeared on numerous television and radio programs and was a featured speaker at associations, clubs, libraries and organizations across the country.
Ted traveled the world and lived in Italy, London, France, Palm Beach, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Maine. He last lived in a beloved 19th century farmhouse in Connecticut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
September 17, 2022
Hysterical. It goes all inane and far from 'moderately insane' (right into the batshit territory):
Q:
“Fuck me, amigo!” an excited Shark shouted, way too loud for the confined space. “It is a bed!”
...
And the two amigos were off to sunny Switzerland. (c) I'm sorry, is it just me or is this plain wrong?
Q:
“Hold on a tick, Alex. You’ve just lost me.”
“It was bound to happen sometime.” (c)
Oh, fuck. What the hell is this? Is it a book? No, like a real book, this bad???
One of the worst books I've ever seen. And I collect those. LOL, this has so many frigging gems of stupidity that I simply can't not add it to my lovely 'gloriously bad' bookshelf.
They even have a 'Joseph Stalingrad' in here, I kid you not. A mix of a city and a guy. Also there are people named Artemis, Beau Show and Shit Smith...
Horrible editing...
Both wooden and space cadet dialogues ... Half the time the characters (if one can name them so, they are so cardboard!) are just raving at each other and their beds and 'little dishes' and 'issues by platefuls'.
Mixed metaphors... One of the guys keeps 'dancing with his demons', 'ones that he doesn't need in his life at this moment' and reminiscences of how, at one point, at 19, 'he thought he was in love with his rugby'. Stuff like this happens on a 'beautiful day' for a 'rosy picture'.
'Fascinating narrative' complete with 'cerebellums' that are not just 'supersize' but also 'wrap around stories' and all kinds of 'beautaceous' ass eye-openers! Of course, brains like that are straight 'Brains' that 'eloquently' came 'from Outer Space' which might explain the strange cerebellum usage.
Whoever wrote this, they are really bad at both writing and thinking up anything that remotely makes sense not in the 'OH, amigo, FUCK, this is a BED!... And the two amigos were off to sunny Switzerland' sense. And this is a SERIES. Gosh. Oh my gosh. With this crap at hand I actually would need no standup comedy, I could just read one of these and have a good laughing session anytime. Whew.
Q:
Vladimir Putin closed his eyes, smiled, and zipped up his trousers.
“Spasibo, Kat,” he whispered, thanking Ekaterina for her services. ...
The former Miss Ukraine looked up at him from beneath long black lashes and smiled. “No, thank you, Excellency,” she said...
She had him fileted. She had him on ice.
She had him sautéed. (c) She must really like cooking.
Q:
“Et tu, Andrei,” said Putin. (c) Of course, since Russians routinely speak French with each other. Especially when stressed. They are compelled to imitate Ceasar's famoust last words.
Q:
“A rosy picture out there?”
“Beautiful day for it, sir.” (c)
Q:
“I am become the plowhorse,” (c)
Q:
That was no kind of life for a man like Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.
He who had once bestrode the earth as if a god? (c)
Q:
“Why are you arrived in my house?” (c)
Q:
“You like it, this little dish?” a smiling Étienne said to Putin (c) Yeah. And that big vase. Coquettish!
Q:
“I’m so glad you like it. I steal it from a vineyard a few miles from here.”
“Ah, stolen wine is always best, you know. Like stolen women?” (c)
Q:
Well, a woodsman’s cabin would be his Elba. Etienne would be his Tallyrand.
And Moscow would be his Paris. (c)
Q:
His name was Joseph Stalingrad. A historic figure he bore an uncanny resemblance to. (c) He was like the city? Volgograd? Interesting features.
Q:
“Stalingrad the new Danny DeVito?” (c) Ugh-huh. Paris the new Obama. New York the new Marlene Dietrich. You get it.
Q:
That pillar of the L.A. banking community, Mr. Larry “Buttwipe” Krynsky.
“Larry Krynsky still work here?” he said, a little too loudly to the babe at the reception desk. “You know, the white-collar criminal?”
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Joe Stalingrad, the semi-famous movie star,” Larry said, grabbing his elbow and ushering him into his dipshit cubicle of an office. (c)
Q:
“Thanks for coming, Sigrid,” ...
“I deeply appreciate your offer, Sigrid. I accept.”
“I knew you’d see things my way, old chap,” (c)
Q:
“Only on special occasions,” Heinie said, polishing off his third see-thru.
“Like what?” Joe asked.
“Only when I’m alone or with somebody.” (c)
Q:
“So why does this genius hide inside a mountain?”
“He cherishes his privacy, you see. (c)
Q:
“Know what I’m thinking about, Horst, old shipmate?”
“No, sir, I do not.”
“Groceries.” ...
“He lives alone, I suppose.”
“My god, no. Has a private army inside, in fact. Not to mention an air force.”
“Air force?”
“Small squadron of six F-18s, sir. Pilots, crew, maintenance.”
“Jesus Christ. Inside a goddamn mountain?”
“Hmm. ...
“Sorry. No. I must have missed those.”
“No biggie. My stage name is Joey Stalingrad. I’m all over Hulu, places like that.”
“So you’re here because . . .”
“He’s a huge fan, this Sorcerer. (c)
Q:
“Putin apparently might still be alive. And, if so, he’s the one who’s got Alexei.” ...
“How, Alex? Really? Are you so sure? And even if it is him, how in god’s name did he do it?”
“God help me, that’s what I’ve been trying to think through! A KGB operation? It almost has to be. And if it’s not Putin, if it’s not the KGB, then it’s the Chinese secret police. Bloody bastards....
“Keep talking, Alex.”
Hawke seemed to have left the room. He did this when he focused intently on a mission.
“Oh, right. Sorry, thinking the whole damn thing through while I speak. This is all conjecture on my part, but here goes. Or how it could have gone. ...
Then they stole an Air-Rescue chopper. (c) Nice logic. I'm not sure if the guy's alive but if he is, then it's either him or bloody Chinese and it's all conjecture on my part but then they stole an Air-Rescue copter. Forget anything? That guy should have left the room while he still had a chance to do that.
Q:
“Yes. You’re absolutely right. God, I hadn’t even thought of that.”
“That’s why I’m here, dear boy, remember? The Brain that came from Outer Space, as you once so eloquently described me.”
Hawke smiled. “So, Constable, where does that leave us? Adrift and clueless once more?” (c)
Q:
“I have little interest in our enemies knowing that we may be onto them. And what our next steps may or may not be. Yes?”
They all nodded.
“So, Alex,” Congreve said, “Please continue with your fascinating narrative.” (c)
Q:
I’ve got the best hostage rescue team on the planet. With an uncanny ability to locate hostages, get inside, and get them out to safety.” (c)A hostage rescue team that actually rescues hostages? Very uncanny.
Q:
“Please don’t be angry. Not now.”
“Why not? I’ve been angry for months. A year! Why the hell shouldn’t I be angry now?” (c)
Q:
“Why, Sigrid? Why now? I’d finally erased you. ...
Have you really sunk this low? After all this, do you now turn out to be just some cheap trick? How low can you really go? That’s a question, Sigrid. Answer it.”
“No!” she cried out, sobbing. “That’s not how I turn out. (c)
Q:
“Question. Does my room have a view?”
She laughed. “It would if it had a window.”
“I’ll take that as a no. Are there any windows at all up here in outer space?” (c)
Q:
“Where is he, Mr. Stalingrad?”
“Somewhere in darkest France.” (c)
Q:
I was only nineteen and I thought I was in love with my rugby—”
“Stop. I don’t need to know and I don’t want to know.” ...
I’m dancing with demons I don’t need in my life right now, given my priorities at the moment.”
“You have my rapt attention.” (c) And mine!
Q:
“... I’m going to tell you a story. ... maybe you can wrap your supersize cerebellum around it?” (c) It's a good thing that in the absence of the rest of his cerebrum, at least his cerebellum is supersized and whaparoundable.
Q:
the beauteous Miss Peek ...
Although it pained Joe to tear his eyes away from Miss Peek’s shapely bottom leading the way up the stairs, he had to say her tour was an eye-opener. (c) The beauteous eye-opening ass?
Q:
This mountain will be become an unassailable fortress against the president’s enemies. (c)
Q:
Whenever I come here to the Alpes-Maritimes, I’m always attacked by the itch of antiquity . . . (c) That's quite an antiquity they have there. So aggressive!
Q:
“I’ll be all right. I’ve got a bloody plateful of issues all by myself.” (c)
Q:
“What’d you say your name was again?”
“I didn’t say.”
“Sorry?”
“Hell are you anyway, dude? A total vagina? I said, ‘I didn’t say’!” (c)
Q:
“I’m in the pussy business.”
“Buying? Or selling?”
“Renting.” (c)
Q:
Are you crazy?”
“Yeah, I’m crazy, all right.”...
“I’m an English spy, Hugo. Spy. It’s what I do. Be careful, this might hurt.” ...
“Fuck.”
“Exactly.” (c)
Q:
Conditions were moderately insane (c)
Q:
Do you know a Russian named Ivanov?”
“No.”
“Never met him?”
“No.” (c) Ivanov? Or maybe a Smith?
Q:
I think you’re going to love this guy. When I say he is something else, I mean he is truly something else. A different kind of breed of cat entirely. Jesus.”
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning special....
“What’s his name?”
“Shit.”
“What? Just tell me his name.”
“Shit. Shit Smith.”
“Shit Smith? As in, Shit?’”
“Shit Smith. Yes.”
“Shit? What kind of name is that? Shit?”
“You heard right.
“Christ. What a name.”
“I think he’ll live up to it, sir. In a good way, I mean. There’s bad shit and then there’s good shit. That’s our Shit. A real quality addition to the team, my opinion.”
“You’ve piqued my curiosity, Joe. You must be nearing my position ... ”(c) Yippy! I guessed right: Smith! Shit Smith.
Q:
But you may have given me a great gift. A powerful weapon for both offense and defense.”
“Shit Smith.”
“Correct. (c)
Q:
“My name is Smith. Shit Smith. I’ve come for you.” (c) Guessed it. Yawn.
Q:
“Get up on the wall,” Artemis growled, lifting him. “Get up there now.” (c)
Q:
He nodded yes and then plunged his head back into Emma’s bosom. (c) That's quite a reaction. Into 'bosom'. What a man.
Q:
“Fuck me, amigo!” an excited Shark shouted, way too loud for the confined space. “It is a bed!”
...
And the two amigos were off to sunny Switzerland. (c) I'm sorry, is it just me or is this plain wrong?
Q:
“Hold on a tick, Alex. You’ve just lost me.”
“It was bound to happen sometime.” (c)
Oh, fuck. What the hell is this? Is it a book? No, like a real book, this bad???
One of the worst books I've ever seen. And I collect those. LOL, this has so many frigging gems of stupidity that I simply can't not add it to my lovely 'gloriously bad' bookshelf.
They even have a 'Joseph Stalingrad' in here, I kid you not. A mix of a city and a guy. Also there are people named Artemis, Beau Show and Shit Smith...
Horrible editing...
Both wooden and space cadet dialogues ... Half the time the characters (if one can name them so, they are so cardboard!) are just raving at each other and their beds and 'little dishes' and 'issues by platefuls'.
Mixed metaphors... One of the guys keeps 'dancing with his demons', 'ones that he doesn't need in his life at this moment' and reminiscences of how, at one point, at 19, 'he thought he was in love with his rugby'. Stuff like this happens on a 'beautiful day' for a 'rosy picture'.
'Fascinating narrative' complete with 'cerebellums' that are not just 'supersize' but also 'wrap around stories' and all kinds of 'beautaceous' ass eye-openers! Of course, brains like that are straight 'Brains' that 'eloquently' came 'from Outer Space' which might explain the strange cerebellum usage.
Whoever wrote this, they are really bad at both writing and thinking up anything that remotely makes sense not in the 'OH, amigo, FUCK, this is a BED!... And the two amigos were off to sunny Switzerland' sense. And this is a SERIES. Gosh. Oh my gosh. With this crap at hand I actually would need no standup comedy, I could just read one of these and have a good laughing session anytime. Whew.
Q:
Vladimir Putin closed his eyes, smiled, and zipped up his trousers.
“Spasibo, Kat,” he whispered, thanking Ekaterina for her services. ...
The former Miss Ukraine looked up at him from beneath long black lashes and smiled. “No, thank you, Excellency,” she said...
She had him fileted. She had him on ice.
She had him sautéed. (c) She must really like cooking.
Q:
“Et tu, Andrei,” said Putin. (c) Of course, since Russians routinely speak French with each other. Especially when stressed. They are compelled to imitate Ceasar's famoust last words.
Q:
“A rosy picture out there?”
“Beautiful day for it, sir.” (c)
Q:
“I am become the plowhorse,” (c)
Q:
That was no kind of life for a man like Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.
He who had once bestrode the earth as if a god? (c)
Q:
“Why are you arrived in my house?” (c)
Q:
“You like it, this little dish?” a smiling Étienne said to Putin (c) Yeah. And that big vase. Coquettish!
Q:
“I’m so glad you like it. I steal it from a vineyard a few miles from here.”
“Ah, stolen wine is always best, you know. Like stolen women?” (c)
Q:
Well, a woodsman’s cabin would be his Elba. Etienne would be his Tallyrand.
And Moscow would be his Paris. (c)
Q:
His name was Joseph Stalingrad. A historic figure he bore an uncanny resemblance to. (c) He was like the city? Volgograd? Interesting features.
Q:
“Stalingrad the new Danny DeVito?” (c) Ugh-huh. Paris the new Obama. New York the new Marlene Dietrich. You get it.
Q:
That pillar of the L.A. banking community, Mr. Larry “Buttwipe” Krynsky.
“Larry Krynsky still work here?” he said, a little too loudly to the babe at the reception desk. “You know, the white-collar criminal?”
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Joe Stalingrad, the semi-famous movie star,” Larry said, grabbing his elbow and ushering him into his dipshit cubicle of an office. (c)
Q:
“Thanks for coming, Sigrid,” ...
“I deeply appreciate your offer, Sigrid. I accept.”
“I knew you’d see things my way, old chap,” (c)
Q:
“Only on special occasions,” Heinie said, polishing off his third see-thru.
“Like what?” Joe asked.
“Only when I’m alone or with somebody.” (c)
Q:
“So why does this genius hide inside a mountain?”
“He cherishes his privacy, you see. (c)
Q:
“Know what I’m thinking about, Horst, old shipmate?”
“No, sir, I do not.”
“Groceries.” ...
“He lives alone, I suppose.”
“My god, no. Has a private army inside, in fact. Not to mention an air force.”
“Air force?”
“Small squadron of six F-18s, sir. Pilots, crew, maintenance.”
“Jesus Christ. Inside a goddamn mountain?”
“Hmm. ...
“Sorry. No. I must have missed those.”
“No biggie. My stage name is Joey Stalingrad. I’m all over Hulu, places like that.”
“So you’re here because . . .”
“He’s a huge fan, this Sorcerer. (c)
Q:
“Putin apparently might still be alive. And, if so, he’s the one who’s got Alexei.” ...
“How, Alex? Really? Are you so sure? And even if it is him, how in god’s name did he do it?”
“God help me, that’s what I’ve been trying to think through! A KGB operation? It almost has to be. And if it’s not Putin, if it’s not the KGB, then it’s the Chinese secret police. Bloody bastards....
“Keep talking, Alex.”
Hawke seemed to have left the room. He did this when he focused intently on a mission.
“Oh, right. Sorry, thinking the whole damn thing through while I speak. This is all conjecture on my part, but here goes. Or how it could have gone. ...
Then they stole an Air-Rescue chopper. (c) Nice logic. I'm not sure if the guy's alive but if he is, then it's either him or bloody Chinese and it's all conjecture on my part but then they stole an Air-Rescue copter. Forget anything? That guy should have left the room while he still had a chance to do that.
Q:
“Yes. You’re absolutely right. God, I hadn’t even thought of that.”
“That’s why I’m here, dear boy, remember? The Brain that came from Outer Space, as you once so eloquently described me.”
Hawke smiled. “So, Constable, where does that leave us? Adrift and clueless once more?” (c)
Q:
“I have little interest in our enemies knowing that we may be onto them. And what our next steps may or may not be. Yes?”
They all nodded.
“So, Alex,” Congreve said, “Please continue with your fascinating narrative.” (c)
Q:
I’ve got the best hostage rescue team on the planet. With an uncanny ability to locate hostages, get inside, and get them out to safety.” (c)A hostage rescue team that actually rescues hostages? Very uncanny.
Q:
“Please don’t be angry. Not now.”
“Why not? I’ve been angry for months. A year! Why the hell shouldn’t I be angry now?” (c)
Q:
“Why, Sigrid? Why now? I’d finally erased you. ...
Have you really sunk this low? After all this, do you now turn out to be just some cheap trick? How low can you really go? That’s a question, Sigrid. Answer it.”
“No!” she cried out, sobbing. “That’s not how I turn out. (c)
Q:
“Question. Does my room have a view?”
She laughed. “It would if it had a window.”
“I’ll take that as a no. Are there any windows at all up here in outer space?” (c)
Q:
“Where is he, Mr. Stalingrad?”
“Somewhere in darkest France.” (c)
Q:
I was only nineteen and I thought I was in love with my rugby—”
“Stop. I don’t need to know and I don’t want to know.” ...
I’m dancing with demons I don’t need in my life right now, given my priorities at the moment.”
“You have my rapt attention.” (c) And mine!
Q:
“... I’m going to tell you a story. ... maybe you can wrap your supersize cerebellum around it?” (c) It's a good thing that in the absence of the rest of his cerebrum, at least his cerebellum is supersized and whaparoundable.
Q:
the beauteous Miss Peek ...
Although it pained Joe to tear his eyes away from Miss Peek’s shapely bottom leading the way up the stairs, he had to say her tour was an eye-opener. (c) The beauteous eye-opening ass?
Q:
This mountain will be become an unassailable fortress against the president’s enemies. (c)
Q:
Whenever I come here to the Alpes-Maritimes, I’m always attacked by the itch of antiquity . . . (c) That's quite an antiquity they have there. So aggressive!
Q:
“I’ll be all right. I’ve got a bloody plateful of issues all by myself.” (c)
Q:
“What’d you say your name was again?”
“I didn’t say.”
“Sorry?”
“Hell are you anyway, dude? A total vagina? I said, ‘I didn’t say’!” (c)
Q:
“I’m in the pussy business.”
“Buying? Or selling?”
“Renting.” (c)
Q:
Are you crazy?”
“Yeah, I’m crazy, all right.”...
“I’m an English spy, Hugo. Spy. It’s what I do. Be careful, this might hurt.” ...
“Fuck.”
“Exactly.” (c)
Q:
Conditions were moderately insane (c)
Q:
Do you know a Russian named Ivanov?”
“No.”
“Never met him?”
“No.” (c) Ivanov? Or maybe a Smith?
Q:
I think you’re going to love this guy. When I say he is something else, I mean he is truly something else. A different kind of breed of cat entirely. Jesus.”
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning special....
“What’s his name?”
“Shit.”
“What? Just tell me his name.”
“Shit. Shit Smith.”
“Shit Smith? As in, Shit?’”
“Shit Smith. Yes.”
“Shit? What kind of name is that? Shit?”
“You heard right.
“Christ. What a name.”
“I think he’ll live up to it, sir. In a good way, I mean. There’s bad shit and then there’s good shit. That’s our Shit. A real quality addition to the team, my opinion.”
“You’ve piqued my curiosity, Joe. You must be nearing my position ... ”(c) Yippy! I guessed right: Smith! Shit Smith.
Q:
But you may have given me a great gift. A powerful weapon for both offense and defense.”
“Shit Smith.”
“Correct. (c)
Q:
“My name is Smith. Shit Smith. I’ve come for you.” (c) Guessed it. Yawn.
Q:
“Get up on the wall,” Artemis growled, lifting him. “Get up there now.” (c)
Q:
He nodded yes and then plunged his head back into Emma’s bosom. (c) That's quite a reaction. Into 'bosom'. What a man.
January 16, 2020
Overkill is aptly named after my least favorite Hawke novel by far to date. This story rubs the wrong way with its high kill count, victimization and a completely unsatisfying end. 2 of 10 stars!
August 12, 2018
I’ll give it 3.75 for the time being.
There is something about Ted Bell’s work that has me returning each time a new piece has been published. He touches on electrifying aspects of espionage mixed with humour that I find highly captivating, but there remains a constant irritation on my part with some of the dialogue and character interactions throughout many of these tales. While spending time with his son in Switzerland, Lord Alex Hawke is keen to see what progress Alexei has made at ski school. Riding up to a mountain peak in a gondola could not be more peaceful, especially on Christmas Day, but tragedy strikes when the cable snaps and the machine crashes. Scrambling to get help, Hawke ensures that his son is alive and makes sure that Alexei is put on one of the medical helicopters headed for a local hospital. However, when Hawke arrives for medical updates, there is no sign of Alexei or record that he ever made it to the hospital. Hawke assumes the worst and assembles his closest friends to help him find the Hawke heir, worried that he has been kidnapped. Meanwhile, a plane carrying the Russian President goes down in rural France. Based on the wreckage, it would appear President Putin has perished, news that spreads quickly through new agencies worldwide. However, many know that news can be faked to serve the source! Putin is alive, though has decided to ‘rough it’ and stay off the radar. He reaches out to an unexpected source, Joseph ‘Uncle Joe’ Stalingrad, and seeks assistance to devise a plan. Sure that there are those in Russia who are trying to see his downfall, Putin enacts Operation: Overkill, which will see him rise to power and destroy all his enemies, including those ruthless oligarchs within the Kremlin. While Lord Hawke continues to search for his son, tidbits of news reach him that leave him to believe that his once friend, Putin, is not only alive, but may also have orchestrated Alexei’s kidnapping. Lord Hawke will stop at nothing to bring Alexei back to safety, though is unaware that Overkill may have massive consequences that cost him more than he could have predicted. Bell weaves this energetic tale in his signature fashion, peppering the story with familiar and new characters to keep the story fresh. Recommended for those who enjoy Alex Hawke’s pompous nature and ability to drum up a decent bit of espionage with international thrills.
Ted Bell has a wonderful gift with his writing and is able to bring a story home with ease, even if I find some of the ideas far-fetched and the characters irritating. As I listened to the book, I gave this much thought and concluded that some of the irritants could arise from Bell’s past work writing for a soap opera, as I find certain plots cheesy and dialogue overly stuffy. Still, there is much worthy of the reader’s time in this novel. Those familiar with the series will know that Lord Alex Hawke is a complex man who is the modern incarnation of James Bond. His allure to the opposite sex and ability to fight anyone barehanded make him an interesting character and one the reader might enjoy. There are crumbs of a more recent backstory in this piece, as well as flashbacks to Hawke’s work with Putin in previous novels. Bell keeps Hawke on a similar path, striving to find his son and stopping at nothing to bring that about, even if it means killing the likes of Putin. There are some interest returning characters who, in their own way, help add depth and accentuate the traits of Hawke throughout this novel. From a prim and proper valet to a life-long friend who worked for Scotland Yard, and even the carefree Floridian who is happy to rush out and help, Bell has crafted these characters effectively over the ten full novels and various shorter pieces, many of whom develop on par with Hawke. There are surely some newer faces that grace the pages of Bell’s latest book, villains and heroes alike. Bell takes literary freedom and injects humour when needed to keep the reader from getting too bogged down. The premise of the story is decent and Bell effectively weaves a tale that mixes love with violent determination. The reader is taken down a few rabbit holes to get to the final standoff, pitting Hawke against those whose evil cannot be easily defined. Bell works his magic to suspend reality while also keeping the story grounded and plausible. I’ll likely stick with these novels when they are published, but cannot shake some of the annoyance that comes to the surface when I read them.
Kudos, Mr. Bell, for another great novel. I enjoy what you do in your writing and hope you can tap into the current world sentiment with your novels, which always spin things and keep the reader wondering.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
There is something about Ted Bell’s work that has me returning each time a new piece has been published. He touches on electrifying aspects of espionage mixed with humour that I find highly captivating, but there remains a constant irritation on my part with some of the dialogue and character interactions throughout many of these tales. While spending time with his son in Switzerland, Lord Alex Hawke is keen to see what progress Alexei has made at ski school. Riding up to a mountain peak in a gondola could not be more peaceful, especially on Christmas Day, but tragedy strikes when the cable snaps and the machine crashes. Scrambling to get help, Hawke ensures that his son is alive and makes sure that Alexei is put on one of the medical helicopters headed for a local hospital. However, when Hawke arrives for medical updates, there is no sign of Alexei or record that he ever made it to the hospital. Hawke assumes the worst and assembles his closest friends to help him find the Hawke heir, worried that he has been kidnapped. Meanwhile, a plane carrying the Russian President goes down in rural France. Based on the wreckage, it would appear President Putin has perished, news that spreads quickly through new agencies worldwide. However, many know that news can be faked to serve the source! Putin is alive, though has decided to ‘rough it’ and stay off the radar. He reaches out to an unexpected source, Joseph ‘Uncle Joe’ Stalingrad, and seeks assistance to devise a plan. Sure that there are those in Russia who are trying to see his downfall, Putin enacts Operation: Overkill, which will see him rise to power and destroy all his enemies, including those ruthless oligarchs within the Kremlin. While Lord Hawke continues to search for his son, tidbits of news reach him that leave him to believe that his once friend, Putin, is not only alive, but may also have orchestrated Alexei’s kidnapping. Lord Hawke will stop at nothing to bring Alexei back to safety, though is unaware that Overkill may have massive consequences that cost him more than he could have predicted. Bell weaves this energetic tale in his signature fashion, peppering the story with familiar and new characters to keep the story fresh. Recommended for those who enjoy Alex Hawke’s pompous nature and ability to drum up a decent bit of espionage with international thrills.
Ted Bell has a wonderful gift with his writing and is able to bring a story home with ease, even if I find some of the ideas far-fetched and the characters irritating. As I listened to the book, I gave this much thought and concluded that some of the irritants could arise from Bell’s past work writing for a soap opera, as I find certain plots cheesy and dialogue overly stuffy. Still, there is much worthy of the reader’s time in this novel. Those familiar with the series will know that Lord Alex Hawke is a complex man who is the modern incarnation of James Bond. His allure to the opposite sex and ability to fight anyone barehanded make him an interesting character and one the reader might enjoy. There are crumbs of a more recent backstory in this piece, as well as flashbacks to Hawke’s work with Putin in previous novels. Bell keeps Hawke on a similar path, striving to find his son and stopping at nothing to bring that about, even if it means killing the likes of Putin. There are some interest returning characters who, in their own way, help add depth and accentuate the traits of Hawke throughout this novel. From a prim and proper valet to a life-long friend who worked for Scotland Yard, and even the carefree Floridian who is happy to rush out and help, Bell has crafted these characters effectively over the ten full novels and various shorter pieces, many of whom develop on par with Hawke. There are surely some newer faces that grace the pages of Bell’s latest book, villains and heroes alike. Bell takes literary freedom and injects humour when needed to keep the reader from getting too bogged down. The premise of the story is decent and Bell effectively weaves a tale that mixes love with violent determination. The reader is taken down a few rabbit holes to get to the final standoff, pitting Hawke against those whose evil cannot be easily defined. Bell works his magic to suspend reality while also keeping the story grounded and plausible. I’ll likely stick with these novels when they are published, but cannot shake some of the annoyance that comes to the surface when I read them.
Kudos, Mr. Bell, for another great novel. I enjoy what you do in your writing and hope you can tap into the current world sentiment with your novels, which always spin things and keep the reader wondering.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
May 16, 2018
Unsure how my review got removed, but this story is awful! "Overkill" is aptly titled and my least favorite Hawke novel. 0 of 10 stars
May 11, 2018
Are we sure that Ted bell actually wrote this book? I absolutely loved the first nine installments of the series. It has been one of my favorites in the genre. However this book is a flaming bag of dog crap. Literally the worst book I’ve read in years. The ridiculous over the top dialogue. The nonsensical story. The holes that existed throughout this nonsensical story. The returning characters were used horribly and the newest character? Just ridiculous. Did I mention the nonstop “jolly ‘ole chap dialogue”? Simply an awful effort by an author who I held in high esteem up to this point. I can’t believe that this book was deemed worthy of publishing.
May 14, 2018
TED’S BEST YET!!!
Start with the cover. A brilliant throwback to the tales of Ludlum, Jack Higgins, Alastair McClean! Then there’s the plot. If you think GOLDFINGER is the greatest gold heist ever, think again. Only a madman would think he could rob Switzerland of its gold (70% of the world’s supply).
Hawke’s arch rival is that madman. This book is as taut as a tightrope and just as dangerous! All the usual suspects are back, including Inspector Congreve, Stokley Jones, and Harry Brock. But there’s a new bad boy: a sadistic psychopath, an ex-rodeo star named S*** Smith. You’re gonna die when you meet this guy!
Start with the cover. A brilliant throwback to the tales of Ludlum, Jack Higgins, Alastair McClean! Then there’s the plot. If you think GOLDFINGER is the greatest gold heist ever, think again. Only a madman would think he could rob Switzerland of its gold (70% of the world’s supply).
Hawke’s arch rival is that madman. This book is as taut as a tightrope and just as dangerous! All the usual suspects are back, including Inspector Congreve, Stokley Jones, and Harry Brock. But there’s a new bad boy: a sadistic psychopath, an ex-rodeo star named S*** Smith. You’re gonna die when you meet this guy!
May 9, 2018
I have read the entire series. This is the 10th book. By far this is the worst of the series and one of the most ridiculous books I have ever read. Can't really believe that Ted Bell wrote this mess and that it was not a ghost writer. The editor must share responsibility as so much of the dialogue seemed to be nothing more than filler. Too many inconsistencies regards Hawke's backstory. When did Hawke meet Sigrid? Many of the character names are just ripoff's ie Emma Peak, Captain Solo & Shit Smith. Yes that's the first name for Mr. Smith. Poor Hawke. Has been totally emasculated in this story line. Could not believe his behavior or reactions when compared to his previous adventures. This will be my last pre-order of a Ted Bell book. Kindle edition @14.99 which was not worth .99. We should all get a refund.
May 17, 2018
Worst book of the Hawke series. Poorly written. Poorly edited. Tons of mistakes when describing weaponry, an H&K MP5 “pistol” turns into a revolver. Characters change from one person to another within the story. Horrible, improbable story line, with too much vulgarity and slang for my taste. It was so bad that I questioned if it was actually written by Ted Bell. Writing style seems to change from one chapter to the next. Seems like a horribly written book by a ghost writer, or maybe a committee? Don’t waste your time like I wasted mine.
May 16, 2018
While normally a fan of this series, I couldn’t even finish this one. The dialogue was ridiculous, the characters themselves couldn’t even stick to the plot points and the editing was so bad that character names were misused and multiple, conflicting descriptions of a single event would be provided in the same paragraph.
February 2, 2020
Let me start off this review by stating that if I was reading this for my own pleasure, I would have DNF'd after the third page. However, I am reading out-loud to a loved one who is unable to read on their own currently, so I am reading books that they enjoy, not ones I enjoy. We have a VERY different taste of reading material. While my reading out-loud to them is to bond more with them, I am heavily considering figuring Audible out so they can 1) listen when they want to and not just when I visit and 2) so I never have to read a book by this author, Evanovich or Coulter again. I am not tech-savvy and neither are they, but it is a sacrifice I think I need to make, because I can't put myself through much more of these types of book.
Now, onto the rant/review!
Ok, where to start with this dumpster fire of a book? There is so much that is bad in this book that I really don't know where to start. The flimsy, barely one-dimensional characters? The dialogue that you will never hear in real life? Over 800 pages with only six female characters with both a name and at least one line of dialogue, all of whom are nothing but pre-pubescent male fantasies and not real people? The lack of an editor or the author actually using names in a way that wasn't distracting? How about names that aren't something a crude grade-schooler would come up with and think is funny? The over-the-top violence, especially when trying to rescue a child-hostage?
Ok, let's dig into this, it's going to be a long one. Since I would have stopped reading this after roughly three pages, let's start at the opening scene.
The MC antagonist is Putin.
Yes, THAT Putin. The powerful, REAL human being who is the leader of a rather large powerful country. Was he written in a way that was sensitive to the fact that he is a world leader? That he, that ANY character based off of a real person, should be written with the respect that person as a REAL human being, let alone a world leader should be?
No, no he wasn't. The book starts off with that real world leader receiving a bedroom act from his mistress, a former Miss Ukraine. He zips up and thanks her after receiving said act. At least he is written as being polite, if not written as faithful to his wife.
I'm sorry, but it is the HEIGHT of rudeness to write about a real person cheating on their spouse in a work of fiction. If this was a biography, maybe, but this is a work of fiction. Add the fact that the person being written about in this rude way is a world leader and WOW. I don't care if it's true, if the writer hates that world leader, that is SUPER rude.
Then as the book goes on, he is written as a crazy, alcoholic who has huge plans for a comeback and then scuttles his chances by giving in to alcohol and his violent tendencies.
He is a WORLD LEADER. This is incredibly rude and insulting to those who have him as their leader. Again, I don't care if this is true or not, this is a work of fiction, yes, but he is being depicted horribly and it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Also in this first scene, we have the former Miss Ukraine. She has a name and has a few lines of dialogue with Putin. She is then refrigerated. Great, first female we are introduced to in this book and she is killed off to spur Putin to get revenge.
I had SUCH high hopes for her character. She was described as having complete control over Putin, that he practically lived for her, that he didn't think of anything but making her happy, etc. I thought GREAT! She's a spy and going to use her siren-like powers over him to cause him to act in the best interest of her handlers.
Nope. A huge refrigerator comes out of nowhere and destroys any potential she had as a character. (face palm)
Since that first scene made me realize what sort of book this is, I decided to pay attention to the other female characters in this book and to see if this 800 plus page book passes the Bechdel test (the test is whether the work of fiction has at least two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man.) Not only do these 800 pages only have SIX named female characters in them who have dialogue, NONE of them speak to another female character, named or not!!
ALL are sex symbols and only TWO scenes in the entire book have two named females in them. In those two scenes, one has two named females playing canasta in their underwear and they don't start to speak until the men enter the room, and then they only speak to the MEN. The other scene is a dinner party where you know there are more women, though only two have names, and one isn't written as speaking, or described at all, and the other speaks to our "Hero".
One woman at the end of the book is raped by a bad guy while her love looks on, a gun to his head so he can't interfere, then she is sliced up with a knife, though her love is also sliced up, so it's not just the female who is hurt. She actually is allowed to live though, which surprised me.
So women are portrayed as little more than sex symbols that are hurt to further the plot. Distasteful.
We are introduced to a LOT of characters (almost all male), but they, much like plot threads, are dropped and occasionally picked back up. Usually, the characters are in the thick of the plot, only to go off somewhere and then never be heard from again. That's what I thought would happen with the "love" interest of the MC H, as she ran off all upset over something stupid (oh yeah, the female characters weren't written as overly smart either) and then you don't hear about her until the MC H goes out trying to find her. And he finds her, they make-up(? since the reason for the running was stupid, the make-up was too) and make love. In chapter 69. Real slick. I bet the author and editor got a giggle out of that one.
Oh, and randomly, after they make their magical, rainbow causing love, she stretches up and the H mentally remarks to himself that she had enough under-arm hair to nest a whole family of birds. But he was nice enough to not say anything to her about it. (face palm) It made no sense at all. It didn't build her character or further the plot. Just no.
Oh, and to add to the juvenile "humor" of the book, we have the character named Shit Smith. Sometimes he is referred to as "Shit", sometimes as "Smith" and sometimes as "Shit Smith". In the same paragraph. I just called him Smith when his name popped up on the page. The foul language in this book was ridiculous and not something I was going to say out-loud to my loved one.
This is actually something that happens with ALL of the characters. On one page, you could have the full name, title included, then a sentence or two later, just their first name, followed by their last name, followed by their nickname, then just their first and last name, no title. On the same page.
Dude, this isn't some Russian classic where each character has multiple names, depending on who is referring to them. (That caused me major confusion when I attempted to read War and Peace.) At least in Russian literature, the different names being used are for a real REASON. Depending on how well the characters knew one another determined what name they called each other. That wasn't the reason in this book. Not if the names were being used in the text and not in dialogue or the characters thoughts. That is just sloppy writing and editing.
All of the men in this book were supposed to be tactical and military geniuses. Yet NONE of them created a plan that made ANY sense or had any real-life hope of succeeding.
Example 1: Attempt to steal the gold in the Swiss Fort Knox. There were two facilities with gold, followed by one that couldn't be reached except via a one mile long bridge over a huge chasm. Did they go after the two that were close to one another and reachable by road and not an incredibly vulnerable bridge? No, they went after the one that could only be reached by the bridge. The defenders wouldn't blow up the bridge with the bad guys on it, would they? Not even a thought in the bad guys' minds. So what happened? The obvious. Sigh. Also, I don't care how strong a locomotive is, if it hits a concrete barrier on the tracks, that bad boy is derailing, not breaking through the concrete barrier as if it was wet tissue paper. Physics? Who needs physics in this book! Not the author/editor!
Example 2: This one has multiple parts. The MC H has a son who he would live and die for. The son is kidnapped by Putin's goons to distract the H so the H won't try to stop Putin's planned comeback.
First of all, if the kid wasn't kidnapped and Putin kept a low profile, the H wouldn't have known about the comeback to stop it until it was too late and Putin would have been successful.
Second, the kid was kidnapped too early into Putin's plans and how they were setting up, so the H had plenty of time to get his kid back and stop Putin.
Third, Putin had an island fortress AND a fortress INSIDE of a mountain. So where did he have the kid? On the island that the good guys could breach in time to get to the kid before one of the bad guys had put a bullet into the kid, NOT the mountain fortress that in the real world would take hours to get into, if at all.
Fourth, the H went into the island fortress with about 24 mercenaries who were armed TO THE TEETH. They got in with C4 blasting walls away, guns rat-a-tating, grenades flying, etc. and not ONCE did ANYone think, "You know, if the kid gets in the way of ONE bit of shrapnel or bullet, he's toast?". Nope, not even the H daddy.
And after the kid was retrieved unhurt and completely not scared by the noise of the destruction all around him, even though the mercenaries lost some men to the defenders, they all cheered because they got the kid ok and because they all loved and were dedicated to the brave and heroic H.
Also, while retrieving the kid, one of the bad guys, who was friendly with the H, basically told all of Putin's plans to the H when the H asked for it. In front of another bad guy. Without a second thought. (FACE PALM)
Even my loved one thought this book had too much going on in it. After the boy was rescued, the very next scene is of the H storming the mountain fortress with his men. We don't get to see him bring his boy home? His family and friends celebrating and relieved? Weird scenes are added that could have been cut and scenes that the reader wants and needs to actually see the love between the two characters aren't included. Really weird decisions on the author and editor's parts.
Oh, and during a lull in the storming of the fortress, want to know what the H did?!? He freakin' called home and wished his son a happy birthday and apologized for not being there!!! WHAT?!?! You storm the bad guy's mountain lair on your son's BIRTHDAY?!? You can't 1) attack on a different day or 2) plan the party on a day when you aren't kicking in the bad guy's door?!?
I'm sorry, but this entire book is a WHY?!? Because in the apocalypse if I need to burn paper for fire for warmth to stay alive, this 800 page clunker will do the job and I won't feel guilty about it???
Ok, this is just my opinion here, but I think from the above, I have clearly stated why this book is getting 1 star and why I would recommend it to absolutely no one.
My loved one would probably give it three stars, because they really didn't like the lack of the scene showing the full reunion of the kid with his dad and being brought home and some other disconnects, but they didn't see the glaring issues that I did, so I am in no way saying anything bad about those who did enjoy this book. I am saying if the above would bother you, spare yourself and don't attempt this. I have heard good things about the other works by this author, so I am sure this is just the requisite clunker authors are subject to on occasion.
I may, in the future, attempt another book by this author, but I would have had to exhaust my Mt. TBR and have literally nothing else to read before I would crack it open. This book is a hard pass. Save yourself the agony of a stinging forehead from all of the face palming it will induce in you.
Now, onto the rant/review!
Ok, where to start with this dumpster fire of a book? There is so much that is bad in this book that I really don't know where to start. The flimsy, barely one-dimensional characters? The dialogue that you will never hear in real life? Over 800 pages with only six female characters with both a name and at least one line of dialogue, all of whom are nothing but pre-pubescent male fantasies and not real people? The lack of an editor or the author actually using names in a way that wasn't distracting? How about names that aren't something a crude grade-schooler would come up with and think is funny? The over-the-top violence, especially when trying to rescue a child-hostage?
Ok, let's dig into this, it's going to be a long one. Since I would have stopped reading this after roughly three pages, let's start at the opening scene.
The MC antagonist is Putin.
Yes, THAT Putin. The powerful, REAL human being who is the leader of a rather large powerful country. Was he written in a way that was sensitive to the fact that he is a world leader? That he, that ANY character based off of a real person, should be written with the respect that person as a REAL human being, let alone a world leader should be?
No, no he wasn't. The book starts off with that real world leader receiving a bedroom act from his mistress, a former Miss Ukraine. He zips up and thanks her after receiving said act. At least he is written as being polite, if not written as faithful to his wife.
I'm sorry, but it is the HEIGHT of rudeness to write about a real person cheating on their spouse in a work of fiction. If this was a biography, maybe, but this is a work of fiction. Add the fact that the person being written about in this rude way is a world leader and WOW. I don't care if it's true, if the writer hates that world leader, that is SUPER rude.
Then as the book goes on, he is written as a crazy, alcoholic who has huge plans for a comeback and then scuttles his chances by giving in to alcohol and his violent tendencies.
He is a WORLD LEADER. This is incredibly rude and insulting to those who have him as their leader. Again, I don't care if this is true or not, this is a work of fiction, yes, but he is being depicted horribly and it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Also in this first scene, we have the former Miss Ukraine. She has a name and has a few lines of dialogue with Putin. She is then refrigerated. Great, first female we are introduced to in this book and she is killed off to spur Putin to get revenge.
I had SUCH high hopes for her character. She was described as having complete control over Putin, that he practically lived for her, that he didn't think of anything but making her happy, etc. I thought GREAT! She's a spy and going to use her siren-like powers over him to cause him to act in the best interest of her handlers.
Nope. A huge refrigerator comes out of nowhere and destroys any potential she had as a character. (face palm)
Since that first scene made me realize what sort of book this is, I decided to pay attention to the other female characters in this book and to see if this 800 plus page book passes the Bechdel test (the test is whether the work of fiction has at least two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man.) Not only do these 800 pages only have SIX named female characters in them who have dialogue, NONE of them speak to another female character, named or not!!
ALL are sex symbols and only TWO scenes in the entire book have two named females in them. In those two scenes, one has two named females playing canasta in their underwear and they don't start to speak until the men enter the room, and then they only speak to the MEN. The other scene is a dinner party where you know there are more women, though only two have names, and one isn't written as speaking, or described at all, and the other speaks to our "Hero".
One woman at the end of the book is raped by a bad guy while her love looks on, a gun to his head so he can't interfere, then she is sliced up with a knife, though her love is also sliced up, so it's not just the female who is hurt. She actually is allowed to live though, which surprised me.
So women are portrayed as little more than sex symbols that are hurt to further the plot. Distasteful.
We are introduced to a LOT of characters (almost all male), but they, much like plot threads, are dropped and occasionally picked back up. Usually, the characters are in the thick of the plot, only to go off somewhere and then never be heard from again. That's what I thought would happen with the "love" interest of the MC H, as she ran off all upset over something stupid (oh yeah, the female characters weren't written as overly smart either) and then you don't hear about her until the MC H goes out trying to find her. And he finds her, they make-up(? since the reason for the running was stupid, the make-up was too) and make love. In chapter 69. Real slick. I bet the author and editor got a giggle out of that one.
Oh, and randomly, after they make their magical, rainbow causing love, she stretches up and the H mentally remarks to himself that she had enough under-arm hair to nest a whole family of birds. But he was nice enough to not say anything to her about it. (face palm) It made no sense at all. It didn't build her character or further the plot. Just no.
Oh, and to add to the juvenile "humor" of the book, we have the character named Shit Smith. Sometimes he is referred to as "Shit", sometimes as "Smith" and sometimes as "Shit Smith". In the same paragraph. I just called him Smith when his name popped up on the page. The foul language in this book was ridiculous and not something I was going to say out-loud to my loved one.
This is actually something that happens with ALL of the characters. On one page, you could have the full name, title included, then a sentence or two later, just their first name, followed by their last name, followed by their nickname, then just their first and last name, no title. On the same page.
Dude, this isn't some Russian classic where each character has multiple names, depending on who is referring to them. (That caused me major confusion when I attempted to read War and Peace.) At least in Russian literature, the different names being used are for a real REASON. Depending on how well the characters knew one another determined what name they called each other. That wasn't the reason in this book. Not if the names were being used in the text and not in dialogue or the characters thoughts. That is just sloppy writing and editing.
All of the men in this book were supposed to be tactical and military geniuses. Yet NONE of them created a plan that made ANY sense or had any real-life hope of succeeding.
Example 1: Attempt to steal the gold in the Swiss Fort Knox. There were two facilities with gold, followed by one that couldn't be reached except via a one mile long bridge over a huge chasm. Did they go after the two that were close to one another and reachable by road and not an incredibly vulnerable bridge? No, they went after the one that could only be reached by the bridge. The defenders wouldn't blow up the bridge with the bad guys on it, would they? Not even a thought in the bad guys' minds. So what happened? The obvious. Sigh. Also, I don't care how strong a locomotive is, if it hits a concrete barrier on the tracks, that bad boy is derailing, not breaking through the concrete barrier as if it was wet tissue paper. Physics? Who needs physics in this book! Not the author/editor!
Example 2: This one has multiple parts. The MC H has a son who he would live and die for. The son is kidnapped by Putin's goons to distract the H so the H won't try to stop Putin's planned comeback.
First of all, if the kid wasn't kidnapped and Putin kept a low profile, the H wouldn't have known about the comeback to stop it until it was too late and Putin would have been successful.
Second, the kid was kidnapped too early into Putin's plans and how they were setting up, so the H had plenty of time to get his kid back and stop Putin.
Third, Putin had an island fortress AND a fortress INSIDE of a mountain. So where did he have the kid? On the island that the good guys could breach in time to get to the kid before one of the bad guys had put a bullet into the kid, NOT the mountain fortress that in the real world would take hours to get into, if at all.
Fourth, the H went into the island fortress with about 24 mercenaries who were armed TO THE TEETH. They got in with C4 blasting walls away, guns rat-a-tating, grenades flying, etc. and not ONCE did ANYone think, "You know, if the kid gets in the way of ONE bit of shrapnel or bullet, he's toast?". Nope, not even the H daddy.
And after the kid was retrieved unhurt and completely not scared by the noise of the destruction all around him, even though the mercenaries lost some men to the defenders, they all cheered because they got the kid ok and because they all loved and were dedicated to the brave and heroic H.
Also, while retrieving the kid, one of the bad guys, who was friendly with the H, basically told all of Putin's plans to the H when the H asked for it. In front of another bad guy. Without a second thought. (FACE PALM)
Even my loved one thought this book had too much going on in it. After the boy was rescued, the very next scene is of the H storming the mountain fortress with his men. We don't get to see him bring his boy home? His family and friends celebrating and relieved? Weird scenes are added that could have been cut and scenes that the reader wants and needs to actually see the love between the two characters aren't included. Really weird decisions on the author and editor's parts.
Oh, and during a lull in the storming of the fortress, want to know what the H did?!? He freakin' called home and wished his son a happy birthday and apologized for not being there!!! WHAT?!?! You storm the bad guy's mountain lair on your son's BIRTHDAY?!? You can't 1) attack on a different day or 2) plan the party on a day when you aren't kicking in the bad guy's door?!?
I'm sorry, but this entire book is a WHY?!? Because in the apocalypse if I need to burn paper for fire for warmth to stay alive, this 800 page clunker will do the job and I won't feel guilty about it???
Ok, this is just my opinion here, but I think from the above, I have clearly stated why this book is getting 1 star and why I would recommend it to absolutely no one.
My loved one would probably give it three stars, because they really didn't like the lack of the scene showing the full reunion of the kid with his dad and being brought home and some other disconnects, but they didn't see the glaring issues that I did, so I am in no way saying anything bad about those who did enjoy this book. I am saying if the above would bother you, spare yourself and don't attempt this. I have heard good things about the other works by this author, so I am sure this is just the requisite clunker authors are subject to on occasion.
I may, in the future, attempt another book by this author, but I would have had to exhaust my Mt. TBR and have literally nothing else to read before I would crack it open. This book is a hard pass. Save yourself the agony of a stinging forehead from all of the face palming it will induce in you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2018
This is the 10th Lord Alexander Hawke book I’ve read – and the last. I can’t even believe I finished this one.
I went into this book with my eyes wide open. I knew Bell’s series is over-the-top, both in his characters and style, with a lite comic book tone. Yet I often found myself laughing out loud at Hawke’s cavalier attitude and dramatic dialogue. I thought of it as a parody of the action novel and the reserved English … OK, it’s an acquired taste but I had found it fun – particularly after previously finishing a ‘heavy’ read.
But holy cow! … In this one, Putin is ousted by the Russian oligarchs and on the run but plotting a return to power after attacking Switzerland with a private army to steal its gold to finance an invasion of Moscow and take all of Russia. Oh, and kidnapping Hawke’s son along the way. The plot is wilder than the ‘campiest’ (bad taste and ironic value) James Bond movie … And the writing is SO CORNY! Bell uses every cliché ever invented.
It was good fun in the past, but this is it for me. I don’t think Ted Bell has anything left in his tank. I’ll never bother reading another of his novels.
I went into this book with my eyes wide open. I knew Bell’s series is over-the-top, both in his characters and style, with a lite comic book tone. Yet I often found myself laughing out loud at Hawke’s cavalier attitude and dramatic dialogue. I thought of it as a parody of the action novel and the reserved English … OK, it’s an acquired taste but I had found it fun – particularly after previously finishing a ‘heavy’ read.
But holy cow! … In this one, Putin is ousted by the Russian oligarchs and on the run but plotting a return to power after attacking Switzerland with a private army to steal its gold to finance an invasion of Moscow and take all of Russia. Oh, and kidnapping Hawke’s son along the way. The plot is wilder than the ‘campiest’ (bad taste and ironic value) James Bond movie … And the writing is SO CORNY! Bell uses every cliché ever invented.
It was good fun in the past, but this is it for me. I don’t think Ted Bell has anything left in his tank. I’ll never bother reading another of his novels.
May 23, 2018
Did Ted Bell write this book????
This book did not feel as though it was written by Ted Bell. The storyline seemed to wander. And seriously a character named Shit Smith??? And no character development for this Sigrid Kssel, just throw her in there as Hawkes love interest, no back story or anything. The characters nor the storyline lived up to all the previous books in the series. Quite disappointed.
This book did not feel as though it was written by Ted Bell. The storyline seemed to wander. And seriously a character named Shit Smith??? And no character development for this Sigrid Kssel, just throw her in there as Hawkes love interest, no back story or anything. The characters nor the storyline lived up to all the previous books in the series. Quite disappointed.
May 5, 2018
Alex Hawke saves the world again!!! A great thriller about Russia!!!
May 21, 2018
Extremely disappointed with this book. I am not sure if Ted Bell actually wrote this book, because the first eight installments were a pleasure to read and this one is clearly not. I thought the ninth installment was a bit over the top as well with Alex Hawke making a joke of Vladimir Putin! As if the head of one of the most powerful countries, with a global spy network at disposal, will be defeated by a playboy alcoholic spy-billionaire from the UK. But, overkill takes a whole new level of shittiness with cliche dialogues, a pompous (and apparently badass) character called Shit Smith and bleak shadows of once amazing characters such as Stokely and Congreve.
May 15, 2018
What a disappointment! Definitely not up to the usual standard at all IMO.
Cliche ridden. And the sappy romance with a felon was just too, too unbelievable. Some of the scenes between the two made me gag. Yikes! Good thing this wasn’t my first read from this series. AND, annoying repeats
Cliche ridden. And the sappy romance with a felon was just too, too unbelievable. Some of the scenes between the two made me gag. Yikes! Good thing this wasn’t my first read from this series. AND, annoying repeats
May 22, 2018
Very disapointing
Read every book Ted Bell has written. Loved all but this one. Dumb and stupid names and comments. Not good
Read every book Ted Bell has written. Loved all but this one. Dumb and stupid names and comments. Not good
May 28, 2018
This book was awful. Poor story line; poor character development.
May 21, 2018
Oh my God, this was bad. I love this series but this was just bad. I gave up 350 pages in. It read like a farce, everyone was a caricature, and there was no action. The editing was bad, we were told twice, about 100 pages apart, that Alex Hawke swims six miles a day in the open ocean. What happened to this book?
May 7, 2018
Dragged
Usual like this series but this book dragged and the editing was inconsistent. Not so sure I’ll bother with the next installment.
Usual like this series but this book dragged and the editing was inconsistent. Not so sure I’ll bother with the next installment.
July 22, 2018
The early Ted Bell books were drama. The last few have descended into caricature. But this latest one is farce! Never has a book’s title been so inadvertently appropriate; this series should be terminated with extreme prejudice.
Alex Hawke is no longer James Bond; he has become Derek Flint. Both hollowed out mountain lairs and vast Siberian military bases somehow remain undetected by world powers. A B-movie star and a disgraced cigar-smoking general arrange a confused conspiracy to take over the world, or at least Switzerland, on behalf of Vladimir Putin, who is busy womanizing in a woodsman’s hut in France. Comprehension of such drivel requires not mere suspension of disbelief; violent expulsion of disbelief is required.
When I purchased this book, I had no illusion that I would be reading a great work of literature. I was only seeking something fun and light to read on vacation. I wasn’t intent on a fine French maison; a casual Italian trattoria would have been fine. But I found myself in a decrepit Burger King.
Two stars only because I was unable to stop myself from finishing the book.
Alex Hawke is no longer James Bond; he has become Derek Flint. Both hollowed out mountain lairs and vast Siberian military bases somehow remain undetected by world powers. A B-movie star and a disgraced cigar-smoking general arrange a confused conspiracy to take over the world, or at least Switzerland, on behalf of Vladimir Putin, who is busy womanizing in a woodsman’s hut in France. Comprehension of such drivel requires not mere suspension of disbelief; violent expulsion of disbelief is required.
When I purchased this book, I had no illusion that I would be reading a great work of literature. I was only seeking something fun and light to read on vacation. I wasn’t intent on a fine French maison; a casual Italian trattoria would have been fine. But I found myself in a decrepit Burger King.
Two stars only because I was unable to stop myself from finishing the book.
May 25, 2018
Not his best by far
Unsure of why his writing style has changed over the years, but it appears to have gone from decent to just plain awful. I wish that I could say that I’ve enjoyed the storyline, but Putin’s character was pretty much laughable. Rebuilding an army and attempting the takeover of Switzerland. Really? Time to find a new author.
Unsure of why his writing style has changed over the years, but it appears to have gone from decent to just plain awful. I wish that I could say that I’ve enjoyed the storyline, but Putin’s character was pretty much laughable. Rebuilding an army and attempting the takeover of Switzerland. Really? Time to find a new author.
May 11, 2018
The flowery language made this book difficult to read
The plot for this book was interesting, but not more so than any other formulaic adventure novel. There was a damsel, there was a villain (actually two, in this case), and of course we have the hero who is loved by everyone. Even his enemies admire him.
I kept stumbling upon the language though. So many characters used language one would never hear in society today. It was a throwback perhaps to the 1950’s or earlier, and it was couched in high society upper class musical notes that were just not real.
There was almost nothing there, in terms of character evolution: people were who they are, and they operated in predictable fashion. I frankly couldn’t wait to get to the mostly predictable end.
I know how difficult it is to write a compelling peace so it bugs me to no end to leave a less than stellar review. In this case, I made an exception, as I felt I’d been hoodwinked. I used to love the Hawke character but find I can’t anymore. It doesn’t help that the other kept describing him as beautiful (and variations of that) throughout the book. Though there are many words here, it truly seemed as if the author had phoned it in.
I’m disappointed.
The plot for this book was interesting, but not more so than any other formulaic adventure novel. There was a damsel, there was a villain (actually two, in this case), and of course we have the hero who is loved by everyone. Even his enemies admire him.
I kept stumbling upon the language though. So many characters used language one would never hear in society today. It was a throwback perhaps to the 1950’s or earlier, and it was couched in high society upper class musical notes that were just not real.
There was almost nothing there, in terms of character evolution: people were who they are, and they operated in predictable fashion. I frankly couldn’t wait to get to the mostly predictable end.
I know how difficult it is to write a compelling peace so it bugs me to no end to leave a less than stellar review. In this case, I made an exception, as I felt I’d been hoodwinked. I used to love the Hawke character but find I can’t anymore. It doesn’t help that the other kept describing him as beautiful (and variations of that) throughout the book. Though there are many words here, it truly seemed as if the author had phoned it in.
I’m disappointed.
June 25, 2018
I usually love this series and love the characters - especially Hawke and his cronies, but I didn't care for this book. Hawke himself didn't even seem like the Hawke I remembered. His character in this book was wooden, and didn't appear to be real. The book was over=the-top in so many ways - the violence, the villains, the repartee between Hawk and his team (Who talks like that anyway?), and even the war machines and weapons of mass destruction. I was also disappointed with the less than satisfactory ending. The ending was too quick and appeared rushed, and the cliffhanger at the end made the book feel unfinished and slapped together, and I wondered why I spent the time it took to read it, as it really went nowhere. I don't like soap-opera endings with glaring cliffhangers in books. Very disappointed with this one, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone other than die-hard Alex Hawke fans like me. Hopefully the next one will be better.
September 8, 2018
Ted Bell was one of my favorite authors as far as spy novels..... until I decided to research him. Aside from his pretentiousness he was still a good author. I've bought every one within the first week of its release. I have no idea who wrote, proofread or edited this mess, but God help them. I'm 90% through this atrocity, and I can only compare it to ripping off a very long and painful bandaid. Suffer through 80 pages and take a much needed breather. Once beloved characters are now gimmicks and racial stereotypes. I sincerely hope this was ghostwritten while Mr. Bell was too busy enjoying his new Hollywood lifestyle. I can assure you that this will be the last of his novels I read.
March 18, 2019
Since I impulse shop at airport bookstores, I purchased this book along with a few others at Dallas FW a few months ago. I'd like to blame my taking forever to read this book on my absolute inability to create any sort of work-life balance in my life right now, however I don't think that has much to do with it.
With the story jumping around to a different perspective with each chapter, I struggled to understand the plot and get a feel for the characters. I found myself not knowing who anyone really was, even as I flipped to the final page to end the book. Definitely wouldn't recommend this book to anyone
With the story jumping around to a different perspective with each chapter, I struggled to understand the plot and get a feel for the characters. I found myself not knowing who anyone really was, even as I flipped to the final page to end the book. Definitely wouldn't recommend this book to anyone
May 22, 2018
(2). And to think, I used to really look forward to this series. Alexander Hawke is a good character, but he (and the stories around him) has not developed particularly at all. It is just same old, same old. Crisis, revenge, crazy violence and the world is still in danger (for the most part). All of these books have been so over the top and ridiculously unbelievable it gets tired. Unless this formula changes I am done here. Sorry Ted.
July 15, 2018
A big disappointment. If you can split the difference between 'being in the weeds' and 'flying above the clouds', then Ted Bell has done it. The narrative is plainly boring. The characters are wooden and predictable. The point of view seems to avoid any connection with meaningfulness. Am I getting through?
Oh, I have read everything Ted Bell has written (15 books), so I'm not a casual reader. I expect so much from Ted Bell books. This book is a stinker.
Oh, I have read everything Ted Bell has written (15 books), so I'm not a casual reader. I expect so much from Ted Bell books. This book is a stinker.
March 22, 2019
Terrible writing. Character development, dialogue, and plot all awful. Bought in the airport to read on a flight. It was one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever read. At no point in the rambling, incoherent story was Ted Bell even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone who has read it is now dumber for having done so. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
March 29, 2019
Geez! The worst book I've read since Patterson's "Humans, Bow Down". Silly characters, untold cliches, rediculous platitudes. "If one might die at any moment, one must live!" Seriously? Then we have Shit Smith described as having eyes like piss holes in the snow. Very poetic. And Ted? Stop using "all hell rained down", ok?
I finished the book. It was a struggle. It never got any better. Don't waste your time or your money. It's in the bin with the rest of the trash.
I finished the book. It was a struggle. It never got any better. Don't waste your time or your money. It's in the bin with the rest of the trash.
May 21, 2018
Can’t finish this joke of a book
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