Last Man Standing

Matt Standing #1

by Stephen Leather

A thriller-a-minute tale - Irish Independent

Friendships forged in the heat of combat can be stronger than anything.

So when SAS trooper Matt Standing is told that the former Navy SEAL who saved his life is in trouble, he doesn't hesitate to go to his aid - even if that means flying half way around the world to Los Angeles.

Navy SEAL-turned-bodyguard Bobby-Ray Barnes has been accused of killing the man he was supposed to be protecting. Three other bodyguards were also killed and now Bobby-Ray is on the run.

The dead client was a Russian oligarch with connections to the Kremlin. But who wanted him dead? And if Bobby-Ray wasn't the killer, who carried out the assassination and why is Bobby-Ray being framed? Standing is the only man who can answer those questions - providing he can stay alive long enough. For that he'll need the help of an old SAS friend, Dan 'Spider' Shepherd, and a ruthless network of secret service operatives.

Praise for bestselling author Stephen Leather

'The sheer impetus of his storytelling is damned hard to resist' Sunday Express

'A master of the thriller genre' Irish Times

'As tough as British thriller writers get' Irish Independent

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Action

400 pages, Hardcover

Published May 14, 2019

About the author

Stephen Leather was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times, the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. His bestsellers have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also written for television shows such as London's Burning, The Knock and the BBC's Murder in Mind series. For much of 2011 his self-published eBooks - including The Bestseller, The Basement, Once Bitten and Dreamer's Cat - dominated the UK eBook bestseller lists and sold more than half a million copies. The Basement topped the Kindle charts in the UK and the US, and in total he has sold more than two million eBooks. His bestselling book The Chinaman was filmed as The Foreigner, starring Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan and grossing more than $100 million.

Reviews

[Stephen Robert Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read over 30 of his crime Thriller books every one of them is special. He is one of few authors in the UK that writs this style of brutal hard boiled Thrillar his only rival is Lee Child. He is like a modern Ian Fleming with more spunk.
When a man saves your life in a war zone you are always in his debt. SAS Matt Standing gets a text from the deaf sister of old American friend Bobby-Ray he drops everything & fly's out even when has no idea why!
Navy SEAL now bodyguard is on the run Bobby is bobbing out of range of the cops , the Russians the hunt is on.
Accused of killing the man he was guarding & three other guards he needs lot of help. So his deaf sister reaches out & Matt Standing soon could be the Last Man Standing.
Packed with action & a Spider as an extra too. This is one of his best & it is bang up to date includes the Russian poisonings . Leather has pulled another rabbit out of his hat & put both a spider with a SEAL in a Russian mafia hornet's nest .

[Sean Peters (A Good Thriller) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book from this great author. Yes I know as a fan of action thrillers I am late to the party re: Stephen Leather, but he has been on my radar for a while, but am forever trying to catch up.

A new character from the thriller author Stephen Leather. Here come Matt Standing.

Somehow when you start a book you usually know if you are going to like the style of the author, and I did with with author.

So when SAS trooper Matt Standing is told that the former Navy SEAL who saved his life is in trouble, he doesn't hesitate to go to his aid - even if that means flying half way around the world to Los Angeles.

Navy SEAL-turned-bodyguard Bobby-Ray Barnes has been accused of killing the man he was supposed to be protecting. Three other bodyguards were also killed and now Bobby-Ray is on the run.

The dead client was a Russian oligarch with connections to the Kremlin. But who wanted him dead? And if Bobby-Ray wasn't the killer, who carried out the assassination and why is Bobby-Ray being framed? Standing is the only man who can answer those questions - providing he can stay alive long enough. For that he'll need the help of an old SAS friend, Dan 'Spider' Shepherd, and a ruthless network of secret service operatives.

Gripping, fast paced, action packed thriller with great touches of humour. Great strong characters.

A new series for me to follow, started Book 2, must try to read Dan(spider)Shepherd books.

A five star read and recommended

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent action novel from Stephen Leather. I really enjoy the Spider Shepherd series and this was a welcome addition to that same excitement with SAS Trooper Matt Standing. When is best friend, Bobby-Ray Barnes is framed for murder, Standing takes on the task of proving his innocence. Navy SEAL-turned-bodyguard Bobby-Ray Barnes is accused of killing the man he was supposed to be protecting and the other three bodyguards were also killed and now Bobby-Ray is on the run.
The dead client was a Russian oligarch with connections to the Kremlin. Matt Standing needs to find Bobby-Ray, find out who carried out the assassination and why he was framed.
Good entertaining novel with plenty of action and well worth a read.

[Nick Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a new Spider Shepherd novel (don’t panic, another one is due later this year) but the second to feature SAS Trooper Matt Standing. Standing was introduced to us in the excellent Light Touch (a Spider story) and was clearly deserving of his own book.
While Spider Shepherd is moving into middle age (and his books reflect that he is no longer as fit or active as he once was), Standing is a highly trained soldier in the prime of life. We see his capabilities early in the book where he is embedded with a SEAL team, one of whom saves his life. Where Spider is analytical, Standing reacts like a deadly bull in a china shop.
A few months later that SEAL’s sister calls for help. Standing’s SEAL friend, Bobby-Ray Barnes has been framed for murder. Standing takes leave and goes straight out to the US where he struggles to understand what has happened and who the bad guys might actually be. Chuck in plenty of violence, private security firms, Russians, corruption and treachery and Matt Standing has his hands full.
Mr Leather is one of our best thriller writers and the high quality of his output is astonishing. This is an all action thriller with the twists and turns you have come to expect. Highly topical (but with an interesting spin) this is the perfect blend of plot and action. And with more than a few unexpected treats for fans of the author.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like My Old Leather Jacket!

I loved that old thing, wore it everywhere no matter what, it fitted like a glove. I always felt like I knew where and who I was somehow. And you know Stephen Leather reminds me of that especially combined with Paul Thornley. You know you're going to get quality and you know you're going to enjoy it and can just relax into it even if at times it does creak a little.

This time Leather promotes Matt Standing to the fore with "old man" Shepherd cast amusingly as the disapproving older man. It is another great action movie tale where the bad guys don't take prisoners and the good guys are fabulously polished operators. Paul Thornley, who I think has a uniquely hesitant style is the perfect companion to these stories.

I did say that old jacket creaked a little and if this does a tiny bit it's the ending which has maybe too many Aha! You didn't foresee my cunning plan! moments (I wish these reviews supported quotation marks!). However, it's another fine production from Leather / Thornley and long may they continue!

[Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess you know what to expect from a book like this. The action is fast, the fights are furious, and the bad guys are disposable. The resulting string of violent confrontations becomes increasingly implausible but the pace carries you along.

The girl Standing tries to help is better handled than I expected. She is portrayed as deaf without needing pity, pretty without being a "conquest", and cool headed and able to handle a gun without somehow being more kick ass than the special forces characters.

Unfortunately that's about where the character development ends. Standing himself is not much more developed than a video game character - colourless and without any kind of development arc. Not really tempted to follow him further.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. Standard Stephen leather thriller, more dead bodies than I could keep up with, transpose the character with spider Shepard and hard to differentiate between the two. If you enjoy the easily spotted ‘baddies’ you will soon realise there the ones that get it, some good fight scenes. Do think that Standing the surname of our good guy was an odd choice of surname but it is a ye old name dating back to the 12th in England and one who resides near a hill.

[Phil Altimas]

Matt standing is seconded from the SAS to work with navy seals. His life is saved by one of the seals. So when the guys sister calls for help Matt does what he has to do

A fast paced , all action book. There are killings, mafia bosses, a little bit of spider as well
Well written with a great story line
Well worth a read

[David Highton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An SAS soldier travels to LA to help out an ex-SEAL in trouble. Pretty violent story.

[Arnold Masayila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic.

Excited to have found a new series to binge.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suspending the usual mountain of disbelief... one chugs through this quickly, just for the absurd action sequences. The best aspect is that Leather whomps on fucking Trump's idiot head by exposing the orange idiot's probable complicity in Russian interference with the 2016 election.

[Tom Lindsay · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually enjoy books by this author but not this one. The principal character is morally deficient, although portrayed as a 'good guy' and superhuman in his ability to overcome physically formidable opponents. Rambo is a mere beginner in comparison. Multiple murders are casually glossed over in the grand scheme of things and the principal shadowy American, a figure in a number of the author's books, is once again eerily all-knowing. Every Russian is portrayed as a murderous, crooked and physically intimidating specimen of humanity, armed to the teeth and beyond.

Annoyingly, Mr Leather uses that horrible Americanism 'reaching out' all too often. The book will probably have wide appeal because of its fast pace but it is, to me, a feast of cliched and rather unbelievable situations.

[Steve Platt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, but have a few reservations. I'd already read a Matt Standing book prior to this so knew a bit about the character. The body count was very high and the ending was ex machina , but all in it was a satisfactory read

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Way too much killing, I am sure some would love it.

[Elite Group · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non-stop action

The plot starts in Syria some years ago when SAS member, Matt Standing's life is saved by a Navy SEAL by the name of Bobby-Ray. As a direct result of his injuries, Bobby-Ray is forced to leave the service he loves and enters employment with a security group. When he contacts Standing, it's because he is in deep trouble, needs help and cannot trust anyone else. Standing responds without a second thought and that's when the fun starts.

This story has everything. It's bang up to date and on the face of it is a crime thriller involving such organisations as the Russian mafia, SAS, SEALS and various other nefarious groups but is in fact much more complex and sinister than that. Nothing is straight-forward, and double-dealing isn't limited to the criminal groups. There's a good deal going on behind the scenes which not even Standing's boss, Spider Shepherd is aware of.

I devoured this book in little more than 24 hours. Once picked up it was very difficult to put down and the only reason, I did was to ensure I still left something to look forward to the next day. It's very violent so it won't suit everyone, but the violence is not gratuitous. Standing knows how to look after himself and is not slow in ensuring that his own life and that of others are not put in jeopardy by reacting too slowly.

The plot is set mainly in the USA, but there remains a very English feel to it, probably due to the gritty dialogue. The action is non-stop as Standing tries to find his friend before several other organisations, who don't have the same friendly intentions.

I cannot finish without a word on the physical book itself. I received an advance hardback copy and thank Hodder & Stoughton for producing an article of quality. It was a pleasure to handle, and my reading experience was enhanced by the clear font and paper quality. First class...................as were the contents. Stephen Leather is right up there now with my favourite authors.

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

[Big Bertha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last Man Standing is a welcome return for Matt Standing, a character who first appeared in the novel 'Light Touch' book 14 of the Dan 'Spider' Shepherd series by the same author.

The book opens with Standing on operations in Syria with a platoon of US Navy SEALs as part of a special forces exchange programme. When a mission doesn't go as planned Matt was lucky to come out of alive and it was mainly due to SEAL Bobby-Ray Barnes, someone he'd become firm friends with that he did.

Fast forward 6 months later, when Standing gets a phone call from Bobby-Ray's sister saying he's in trouble and needs help, he doesn't hesitate, he requests leave and is on the first plane to the States where he finds his friend has gone into hiding after being set up as the 'fall guy' for the murder of a Russian oligarch.

There's certainly no shortage of action in this book and Standing has plenty of opportunities to use his regimental skills, leaving a trail of destruction behind him as he sets out to clear his friends name.

The storyline moves along at a good pace, with a good balance of action and drama with Matt showing humanity that makes him a well rounded character. A few old favourites from previous novels by the author, including Spider Shepherd make appearances which is nice for followers of the authors work but shouldn't deter new readers as this can definitely be read as a standalone novel.

Standing certainly makes his mark in this novel, it will be interesting to see how he develops, though from a personal point of view he's got a long way to go to replace Spider Shepherd in my affections and I really hope Spider isn't going to be retired just yet.

Disclaimer: My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy, I was under no obligation and this review is my honest opinion.

[Tony Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's no holding back for Stephen Leather when he creates and builds a character who will take centre stage in his latest thriller. In Last Man Standing, we meet SAS trooper Matt Standing, who doesn't hesitate for one moment, when he receives a cry for help. A former Navy Seal Bobby Lee Barnes, who had to resign from the Seal programme, after the incident that saved Matt's life, is now in the murky world of professional bodyguard.

When the Russian client and the other members of his bodyguarding crew are killed it seems that Bobby Ray is the guilty party and he goes on the run in Los Angeles. Matt Standing doesn't believe for one moment that Bobby Lee is the guilty party, and he heads to LA on leave, and meets Bobby's sister Kaitlyn.

Immediately they encounter push-back from the local police, and are then targeted by a bunch of shady Russians who are also trying to find Bobby-Lee so they can take him out of the picture and shut down the enquiry into the assassinations.

Matt Standing is a tough nut, with years of experience in dealing with tricky situations. Stephen Leather has delivered a pulsating and explosive plot in which Matt manages to stay one step ahead of the Russians, and to slowly but surely, get closer to the truth.

[Nabarun · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute cracker of a plot, Leather introduces a new protagonist, Matt Standing in this book. I am a die-hard fan of Dan Spider Shepard, so was a bit upset when Stephen brought in new blood. To be honest, Spider was getting old and he was taking a more back seat in terms of action. After reading the book, I can't say I can complain about Leather's new guy!

The book starts off with a precursory small episode where Matt, a SAS guy is embedded inside a SEAL team takes part in an extraction event in the war torn Syria and shows off some daring acts in the field. But an IED goes off and Matt and his unit is luckily saved by another SEAL, Bobby Ray, who takes the brunt of the IED. Unfortunately that results in killing Bobby Ray's SEAL career and he returns stateside and joins a private security firm.

Fast forward to current day, Bobby Ray's sister (deaf girl) calls Matt in UK to inform that Bobby is in trouble with cops, he has been charged with killing his principle for whom he was acting as bodyguard. The person is a Russian Oligarch, who has partnership and ties with Russian Mafia. Matt goes to US to help out Bobby Ray, then a bit of high-octane routine where Matt keeps encountering roadblocks in his attempt to uncover the setup due to high levels of penetration of the Russian Mafia in all levels of government and police by Russian mob.

It is evident the background plot is how Russian (mobsters, Kremlin and Putin) tried to influence the American elections when Trump came to power. US internal authorities trying to use Matt and Bobby Ray to flush out the plot, which leaves quite a lot of collateral damage, including Bobby Ray's parents. Finally Matt clears of Bobby Ray's name, with help from Spider and Spider's ally in the US Intelligence community, Richard Yokely.

The last chapter of the book is very interesting, where the sub-plot is revealed by Spider on how Bobby Ray's parents were sacrificed to finish the Russian mob chapter in US via Matt and Bobby Ray's involvement, by Richard Yokely, leaving some very harsh words from Spider to a nonchalant Yokely!

A great fast paced book, really enjoyed the new characters and can't wait to see the fate and future of Matt Standing.

[Sue Morcumb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very different book in that we had a different Spider Shepard who appeared in the book a few times, but he seems to have been tied to a desk for the time being probably after the loss of his au-pair in the last book. This book is abot Mat Standing and it was a very good read, lots of action, a little too much swearing as I felt it was not really necessary, but it was not offensive but I just wonder if there is the need, the story was excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed it and I cannot really say a lot about this book as any tiny detail will spoil the story. It is a very good story and some of the original people from the Spider Shepard serious were still around which was nice and the was the customary banter between Spider and Yokeley and most of the time it is because this Yokeley guy does not communicate with Spider and leads him up the garden path, but Spider always has a watchful eye on him. Worth reading and recommending to Goodreads, it is a good book and I am sure that you will enjoy it,

[Tanaka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stephen Leather is one of the top-authors for the simple minded. Expect a high dose of violence, a not too tricky plot, and the same bad guys again and again. Anyhow, for an intellectually non-exhausting entertainment this author is a good choice.

Standing, a special forces guy single-handed takes on the Russian Mafia, that way saving his buddy, who fought with him somewhere in one of the many countries the US and allies are tirelessly and generously blessing with 'Western values'. There is a lot of killing, the opponents are obviously being cloned, because they look and act (stupid, of course) all alike.

The outstanding high ratings for this book shines some light on its readers. One Tip to Mr. Leather and all the other writers (Child, Baldacci, Vince Flynn-successor etc.) with a firmly joined enemy image: There are bad guys everywhere. Have a look in your respective population and you may be surprised.

[Roger Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you buy a Stephen Leather book, you know you are in for a cracking read, and Last Man Standing is certainly no exception. It's the first in a brand new series and introduces serving SAS trooper Matt Standing. Lovers of Spider Shepherd will love Matt. Although the action starts with Matt in combat action, the full tale takes off when Matt is on leave as his old mate ex-Navy SEAL Bobby-Ray is in deep trouble having been framed for killing a vicious Russian gangster. Up against incredible odds and numerous threats on his life, he has to find Bobby-Ray, who has gone to ground, before a small army of killers find him first. Spider Shepherd makes an appearance in the background to further engage the reader.

I simply could not put this book down: 'page-turner' is a much used phrase in crime fiction; but is so true with this excellent thriller. I look forward to seeing where Stephen takes Matt next and have already bought number two in the series, Standing Alone. This is a highly recommended 5-star read.

[Charles Bevan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute rubbish story- the worst book I have read.
The plot is so fantastically unrealistic all the way through.
The fact that someone is tracked and followed at the start of the tale, makes the rest of the story nonsense! Supposed clever bloke decides to hire a car with his own details and then drive around in another car that is being followed to shake the followers off instead of dumping the car in the first place defies logic and after that the story goes downhill. Completely stupid plot that goes around the houses to pad out a book. I was skipping pages after only a third of the way through. How people can rate this as anything other than tosh beats me.
First time reading anything by this author, very disappointing, won’t rush to read anything else.

[Bob Hurley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephen Leather at his best

Matt Standing is a young SAS Trooper much in the same vein as Dan Shepard was. However, standing is a much more isolated person who relies and believes solely in his own instincts. In this story, a former colleague of Standing's asks him for help. From their friendship Standing knows something serious is wrong and flies to the US to see if he can help his former colleague. The story revolves around ex Russian Special Forces, Delta Force and some US CIA/FBI/ Under deep cover operatives, only reason I did not give it 5 stars was the level of killings that Standing and his friend achieve is a little bit unbelievable. Still a great story.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the fast pace action and suspense of this book and seeing how the story unfolded. It was clearly well researched as there was a lot of specific terminology which, although I didn’t necessarily understand, really supported the story. There were a few characters that seemed minor and I was unsure why they were mentioned, but after reading some other reviews I understand this is a spin off of another series. It didn’t affect the flow or reading of this book and has made me consider reading more from the original series.

[Mr John · Rating 2 out of 5]

This superman wears his underpants inside his trousers

I know that Special Forces people are quite exceptional, but the hero of this series of killing encounters manages to be hugely outnumbered and outgunned but always wins by killing against impossible odds.
I didn’t enjoy it.

The writing is decent, the plot complicated and interesting but the absurdity of the killings and their implausibility spoiled it all

[Jim Wallis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty good. I like to read Jack Reacher books once in a while and thought I'd try this as something in a similar genre.
The main character, Matt Standing is well constructed, believable and likeable. It was a good plot and a decent pace. I have to say I prefer Lee Child's books, but this was an enjoyable read. Far better than the Joe Pike novel I recently tried.
Only thing that kept interrupting my enjoyment was the fact the protagonist is called 'Standing'. It was a bit jarring to read 'Standing was running', 'Standing stood up', 'Standing got into the car' etc. I guess it worked well as a title though :D

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A huge Stephen Leather, especially Spider Shepherd fan, I was so looking forward to this but I was a bit disappointed. It’s an ok read but didn’t blow me away like his books usually do. Nice to see some familiar faces popping up but Matt Standing, in my opinion will never become another Spider Shepherd

[Mrs Kay Justice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

As always, Mr Leather weaves a story that keeps you glued to the book and turning the pages. Really clever with the cameo appearance of Dan 'Spider' Shepherd and Richard Yokely. Really scary to think this plot could actually happen. Definitely recommend. Can't wait for the next book hence five stars

[Manoj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb book

As usual, Stephen outdoes his own earlier work each time he brings out a new book. This was no exception- vivid portrayal of characters, beautiful descriptions of places, situations & a magical gift of bringing the written word to life! Loved every word, every page of this book, as usual!!

[kenneth Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it time spider needs to step back and somebody else to take point

We see less of spider in action but then he is ageing gracefully,could Standing be next in line to take point , an exciting convoluted novel featuring typical spook deviation
A must read welcome Matt Standing I’m sure this won’t be the only time we come across this soldier