Mission: Black

Division Eight #1

by A.D. Starrling

A broken agent. A once in a lifetime chance. A new mission that threatens to destroy her again.

Rachel Carter has it all. A brilliant career in the DEA, a man she loves at her side, a future filled with possibilities. Until the night she loses everything.

Considered damaged beyond salvation by the people who once trusted her, Rachel enlists into the secretive Division Eight and becomes part of a new breed of special operatives working in the shadows.

When a critical mission goes wrong in North Africa, Rachel finds herself face to face with ghosts from her past. Embroiled in a deadly cat-and-mouse game against a brutal adversary determined to win at any cost, she must face her darkest fears in order to defeat the enemy who once tore her life apart.

Mission: Black is the first novella in the new action thriller series Division Eight, from award-winning author AD Starrling. If you like action-packed, sexy adventures with strong-willed heroes and heroines, then you'll love this riveting new series.
Get your hands on this pulse-pounding thriller today and enter the dangerous world of covert ops!

Genres: Thriller

158 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 18, 2016

About the author

A.D. Starrling is a bestselling author renowned for her pulse-pounding fusion of urban fantasy, action, adventure, and supernatural suspense. With a passion for history and a gift for intricate plotting, she crafts captivating narratives that transport readers across time and continents. Her Seventeen series, featuring immortal warriors with extraordinary abilities, has garnered critical acclaim and a dedicated global following. Her authentic research and skillful character development keep readers hooked, while her love for action movies infuses her work with electrifying combat sequences and story lines.

When she’s not busy writing, A.D. can be found eating Thai food, being tortured by her back therapists, working part-time as a doctor on a Neonatal Intensive Care unit somewhere in the UK, reading manga, and watching anime. She has occasionally been accused of committing art with a charcoal stick and some drawing paper.

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Reviews

[Bambi Unbridled · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been looking forward to this new series by A.D. Starrling for quite a while... and not just because I got to name one of the characters! You see, Ms. Starrling writes some of the best fast-paced action stories that I have read. Her heroines are kickass, and her heroes are not so bad either. So I was stoked for this first book of the Division Eight series, with its own kickass heroine, Rachel Carter.*

We first meet Agent Rachel Carter when she has it all. She is a strong and capable heroine on the cusp of getting married to a supportive alpha male. But when things go wrong for her DEA FAST team in the middle of the Arabian sea, Rachel loses it all. Rachel is left scarred, both physically and mentally, and full of rage. Rather than take a permanent desk job, Rachel agrees to be recruited into the secretive Division Eight, a group of covert operatives. Despite Rachel's outward strength and abilities, she was a sympathetic heroine. My heart just broke for her in the first part of the book and, while this part was hard to read, I think it helped establish a stronger connection to Rachel's character.

The past comes back to haunt Rachel when her team is brought in to help another Division Eight team with a rescue mission. Jason David Scott, III is the team leader that needs Rachel's help. Jason is immediately attracted to Rachel... he likes her tough exterior but also the bit of vulnerability he sees in her eyes. The simmering attraction between the two team leaders only got stronger as they carried out their mission.

As always, Starrling got my adrenaline going with nearly non-stop action. As you can imagine when dealing with black operatives in overseas environments, danger abounds. I love the research that Starrling puts into her work. I love to learn while being entertained, and there are some fascinating military tools that are used in this book that I have never heard of (but that actually exist).

The secondary characters in this story are just as exciting as Rachel and Jason. Each team member possessed distinct talents, histories and personalities. There is lots of room for this series to progress and give us tons of action with snippets of romance in the future. I am most excited for Tristan Payne's story... both because this is the character that I named and because I just loved him in this first installment of the series. I am also curious about Alex Slade and Vivian... I felt like there is a story there that I should already know, so maybe we will get prequel novella for the Division Eight leaders.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the author.

[Rachel E. Carter]

Because: 1) Agent Carter, Rachel Carter >> hehe, y'all know I have to read a book with my namesake as a kicka$$ heroine. 2) Jen (Bambi Unbridled) recommended it :D

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, this is how you start out a series, with a big bang! I always love a good, strong heroine. Rachel was that woman. She fought through adversity to come out on top. She is a deadly force and earns the respect of her team. Speaking of team, the EAGLE's are great. I enjoyed every member of the team. They each brought something to the team. Plus, their witty banter was entertaining. Another team that I liked were the WOLF. Although, I hope to see this team again in the future and get to know the members' of this team better. Everything about this book was great...the characters, the plot, the action, and the ending. The bad guys better watch out for Rachel and the EAGLE's. This book is worth checking out.

[Bobbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of adventure. There is a small amount of heartbreak mixed with a whole lot of action. Redeeming oneself is not an easy feat for Rachel with all the nightmares and pain, and regaining the trust of those she works with is even harder. A.D. Starrling can pull me into her stories anytime.

I received this book for an honest review.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book introduces you to Rachel Carter; a mission gone wrong costs her dearly. She enlists in Division Eight to again work in highly dangerous covert operations.

With Mission Black, A.D. Starrling has created an action-packed thriller centred on Rachel Carter - the promising first novella in the 'A Division Eight Thriller' series. It is a compelling read, drawing you into Rachel's team. A.D. Starrling paints a clear picture of Rachel's mind while the story evolves. There are many facets: depending on the situations, she is vulnerable, strong, hot-headed, or clear-minded, she is of sufficient depth. The other characters are described as required; you learn enough about them as well. The story comprises military combat scenes, interesting turns, and has a good flow.

This is a book for you if you like fast-paced thrillers, combat, covert operations, and if you like believable characters with a mission.

Recommended.

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mission: Black is a novella that starts off a new series by A.D. Starrling. The story is action packed and is an exciting quick read. The only thing wrong is that it is too short. The lead character Rachel Carter who was a member of the DEA Fast team is recruited into the black ops group Division Eight after a tragic mission that left her seriously injured and killed her fiance. The team that Rachel leads goes to work with another Division Eight team to rescue the daughter of the U.S. Vice President who was taken hostage. Without spoiling the story, this is definitely a book I recommend.

[Carrie O’Leary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. I've become a huge fan of A. D. Starrling's Seventeen series so was looking forward to her next project and this book certainly matched up to expectation. Full of action and interesting characters (although I did miss those immortals!). I would definitely recommend this first book in a new series for anyone who loves a rollercoaster thriller with lots of gadgets and gizmos! Looking forward to the next one in the series

[Karin Corneau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled on Ms Starrling curtosey of Book Bub where I received the series SEVENTEEN for free. I simply devoured this series and immediately rushed out the get the rest of the series. With her amazing writing skills and world-creating awesomness, MS Starrling, has quickly risen to the ranks of one of my favorite authors. I will happily, without question, read anything she writes.

Wasn't I pleased to find another series written by Ms Starrling. Though it is not my usual realm of the paranormal, Division Eight is about a new brand of special operatives working behind the scenes, taking cases that the FBI can't or won't touch.

Filled with a ton of action, a little bit of romance and just the right amount of intrigue, this was another fabulous story. My only criticism? It's much to SHORT! At 130 pages, it felt like I was reading a novella and I just wished it would have been about another 150 pages longer.

Definitely going to check out the rest of this series.

[Judy Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This action/adventure thriller has everything I look for in a book: strong plot, a story line that doesn't stall, heart-pounding action, succinct dialogue; three dimensional, believable characters with strengths and weaknesses; great character development, descriptive narrative, show-not-tell writing, multiple POV, and no information dump. It’s well researched and flawlessly edited.

Gorier than I'm comfortable with, but Ms. Starrling didn't give blow by blow descriptions. I didn't freak out and nothing tripped my trigger.

I received an advanced review copy of this book from the author.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding read! Author AD Starrling again expands her literary world with this one. Everything she’s written that I’ve read has been outstanding & this new work doesn’t disappoint. I look forward to the next book.

[Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome novella! It is action packed with thrilling ups, downs and twists. All of the main characters are fully developed as exciting people you want to know. AND there is the perfect amount of romance in all the right places. Loved it!
I received a free ebook with no strings attached.

[Jed Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrorists, mercenaries,and hostages oh my.

A simple straight forward tale of how life can change in an instant. Characters are developed where needed and vague where it could vs. I enjoyed reading this.

[Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome novella! It is action packed with thrilling ups, downs and twists. All of the main characters are fully developed as exciting people you want to know. AND there is the perfect amount of romance in all the right places. Loved it!
I received a free ebook with no strings attached.

[Carol Hebden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Thriller

Different to the authors fantasy genre, but a great, fast moving thriller that you can't out down. Must be time to download the next Division Right 📚 and I hope there are more to come😃

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too technical for me. Not what I expected but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

[Irma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good story, very "Mission Impossible" very engaging.