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The mission isn’t over.

In The Black Scorpion Pilot, #1 Amazon Bestselling Author Lawrence Colby sends Ford Stevens behind enemy lines to stop a terrifying new threat.



After the secret Devil Dragon project is destroyed, a deadly new stealth jet—code-named Black Scorpion—is under development in a hidden base inside China. As tensions rise, Air Force Reserve Captain Ford Stevens is tasked with the impossible: infiltrate enemy territory, hijack the prototype, and bring it home.



But Stevens isn’t just up against hostile airspace, he’s haunted by personal loss, facing cyber attacks, betrayal, and a foreign military determined to shift global power forever.



With its heart-pounding action, aviation authenticity, and insider-level intrigue, this military thriller delivers a white-knuckle ride from start to finish.



A stand-alone sequel to The Devil Dragon Pilot, perfect for fans of high-stakes espionage, stealth tech, and pulse-pounding aerial missions.

250 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2018

329 people are currently reading
299 people want to read

About the author

Lawrence A. Colby

4 books65 followers

Lawrence Colby is the #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Ford Stevens Military Thriller Series, including The Devil Dragon Pilot, The Black Scorpion Pilot, Target Area, and The Buffalo Pilot.


A former U.S. Marine Corps and Air Force military pilot, Colby flew missions across the globe and later served as an advisor at the Pentagon. His thrillers blend real-world aviation, geopolitical conflict, and insider military strategy, earning praise from readers who love the authenticity of Mark Greaney, Jack Carr, and Brad Thor.


Colby’s characters, pilots, special agents, and intelligence operatives, operate in high-stakes environments where the wrong decision could change the course of history. His writing draws on decades of military experience, including global deployments, unique roles, and top-level policy assignments in Washington, D.C.


When he’s not writing, Colby advises defense innovation leaders, speaks on strategy, and develops future leadership programs. His stories are fast, sharp, and packed with mission-driven tension grounded in truth.


Genres: Military Thrillers, Aviation Fiction, Political Thrillers, Technothrillers
Influences: Tom Clancy, Dale Brown, Vince Flynn, Brad Taylor
Website: www.authorlacolby.com


Follow him @AuthorLAColby on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes content, and giveaways.


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5 stars
213 (60%)
4 stars
99 (28%)
3 stars
30 (8%)
2 stars
7 (2%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
6,242 reviews80 followers
December 24, 2018
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

Apparently, in the first book of this series, our merry band of heroes stole a secret Chinese super plane. Now it seems they have another one, and this one is going to be even harder to steal. Not only that, one of the group members seems to be becoming an alcoholic.

Not too bad, but not really exciting enough for an adventure novel.
Profile Image for Jeff Harper.
531 reviews
September 2, 2020
Great second book in series

Excellent continuation of characters with good plot development. Plot is developed with both things you can anticipate and a few surprises. I look forward to the third book.
Profile Image for Andreas Tornberg.
178 reviews13 followers
September 14, 2020
Book 2 in the Ford Stevens series and it didn’t disappoint. Just like the first book it’s filled with interesting and likeable characters and intense aviation action. Since I was a kid reading Biggles by W.E. Johns I’ve always loved aviation books and this series is on of the best series I’ve read in the genre. It’s so well written and the dialogue is fantastic. I highly recommend this series. By the way, the ending was so surprising and left me with a big smile. 😃
Profile Image for hernandez perez.
57 reviews
December 23, 2021
good second entry in the series. better edited than the first book. Looking forward to reading the third entry in the series and to see what is in store for Ford Stevens
3 reviews1 follower
February 1, 2021
An aviator’s delight

As an aviator myself I loved getting into the nitty-gritty of things. “Cheese” works to get all those minute facts into the text without putting one to sleep.
Profile Image for Dennis.
5 reviews
November 6, 2018
What a wild ride through top-notch aviation drama! The plot is hyper-detailed, technically relevant and fast paced. Reads like a Clancy-esque thriller with an NSA cyberwarfare edge. Really was a joy to read.
Profile Image for ~L~.
5 reviews
May 25, 2021
Smart, technology driven and not filled with government back stabbing or under handed tactics often found in this genre. Picking up months after the last book, a second Chinese aircraft is discovered immediately putting plans in place to intercept and fly back to the U.S.

Ford is grieving the death of his best friend while in denial as his drinking problem begins to effect both his personal and professional life. I believe that if some of the circumstances leading to the mission happened in the real world, it probably would have been cancelled.

Our hero is far from perfect and without super human abilities. Without giving it away, his wake-up call is realistic and tramatic. The human ability to overcome the absolute worst of circumstances and the power of mind over matter is written expertly.

The ending is startling and still has me questioning what might be happening in the next book; ghost, medically induced, a dream, a nightmare, an enemy or a lie ...

Definite recommendation!
Profile Image for Matt Persson.
92 reviews5 followers
August 26, 2020
Lawrence Colby has gone 2 for 2 so far with amazing books. In this book Ford Stevens is still down in the dumps after losing his best friend. Ford has started to drink excessively and his friends are worried about his downward spiral. The character development and action continue to grow and are even better in this book. This book deals more with technology and cyber hacking without giving too much away. I loved this book and this series so far. And the ending...oh man thay ending!!
Profile Image for Amanda.
13 reviews2 followers
February 20, 2019
It took awhile for me to get into this book. I think that is because I didn't expect there to be so much background information. (Which was really interesting and helpful!) Once I was hooked I flew through the book and even now that it is over I want to know more. I would like to know what happened to the characters. The author did a great job of connecting the reader to the main characters in the story.
832 reviews4 followers
February 24, 2020
Loved the book but have one complaint.

I have never piloted a jet but have few hours in single engine land and 3 years in CAP. One of the primary preflight items was always a check on both wing fuel tanks. Both for correct color and lack of water. If this is not a standard for jets I apologize. It jumped out at me like a kangaroo. Great action suspense and drama. Not sure about the Capt Wu part. Hallucination? Hope #3 comes out soon.
3,198 reviews26 followers
January 30, 2019
An LAC. Military Aviation Thriller/US/China/India

LAC. has. penned a second novel in the Ford Stevens military action mystery and thriller. There is a second Chinese aircraft capable of high speeds at high altitudes. Two people attempt to steal the aircraft and fly it back to the US. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
Profile Image for William Dunshie.
23 reviews
May 11, 2019
Excellent Read

Thoroughly enjoyed this thriller & highly recommend it.
Only thing I would like to ask the author is: who in his right mind would let such a refueling of an aircraft of unfathomable value occur, and the journey from crash to recovery could use a little brushing up on survival techniques.
Literary license accepted though; highly recommend !!!
13 reviews2 followers
June 3, 2019
Page Turning sequel to Red Dragon

Mr. Colby did a find job writing this sequel to Red Dragon. Not only does it provide a page turning story, but it adds clarity to his story with the possibility of another book to come in this series. His writing is one of kind which is a joy to read and one where you get lost in it. Keep it up Lawrence and cant wait for future works by you.
Profile Image for Marissa.
3,584 reviews47 followers
December 11, 2018
Goodreads Kindle Copy Win

A fast paced thriller involving the Chinese that will keep you on a wild ride. This is a mission like no other as consequences ride high as the stakes are high. For those who enjoy military background will find it compelling.
Profile Image for Stephen Ashley.
487 reviews5 followers
March 17, 2019
I Seek More......

It is after midnight, and I just finished book two in this series. Please continue to bring these two characters back to life! Make Emily a married woman with children too!
7 reviews1 follower
June 7, 2019
Excellent story, love authors style. Well written read in two sittings. Will look for more from Mr Colby. Keep up the good work.

Interesting topic strong plot and well executed story line. I am a new fan. Thanks for the work.
Well done!
37 reviews
February 6, 2020
Second Chapter

First book was very good with developing the characters back stories and establishing the authors knowledge of military aircraft and weapons. This very apparent in the second book as well! It seemed to me this was missing in this book!
Profile Image for Edward Crawford.
3 reviews1 follower
March 28, 2021
Fun read

“Ford Stevens” the impossible hero, keeps getting better and better and has more lives than 007! Easy read but still exciting making me want to see just what happens to him!!
Profile Image for Mary.
2,648 reviews
January 1, 2019
Kept my interest from the first page to the last
Profile Image for Bill Entrekin.
1 review1 follower
January 22, 2020
Good read

Good read

Look forward to more books


He has a good grasp of a ago line and keeps a nice pace to the plot
432 reviews3 followers
June 4, 2019
Outstanding

This was an Outstanding Book!!! I have really enjoyed this Book and Series of Books. Please keep them coming. I cannot wait for Book 3 to become available.
Profile Image for Bryan.
697 reviews14 followers
January 26, 2022
Fantastic! I strongly recommend this military action thriller. However, I suggest you read “The devil dragon pilot” first. It will make this even more enjoyable!
Great characters and an exciting plot.
84 reviews
October 30, 2022
When I first started reading The Black Scorpion Pilot, I was somewhat disappointed that it seemed to be the same story line as The Devildragon Pilot. But I was quickly absorbed into the story and saw that it had enough differences to be fresh. I did enjoy seeing all the same main characters as the first story. Without giving away any details, I'll just say that the story does surprise you along the way. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
1 review
September 23, 2022
I LOVED the Devil Dragon Pilot, but this one seemed to stretch for a plot. They stole one super secret jet in DDP, now…there’s another super secret jet that we previously didn’t know about, but we’re gonna steal that one too? Just seemed a little bit like a repeat.

Will give props in that DDP was all about the steal, while this has a different storyline in the survivalism of Ford, which I appreciated.

I see other great reviews of this one, so maybe it’s just me! Definitely enjoy Colby’s writing style, so maybe I’ll check out #3 sometime
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for John.
492 reviews18 followers
January 19, 2019
Well Done Mr Colby!!

I have read both Ford Stevens books and found them both fresh and exciting. As a USAF disabled veteran I fully believe that China should be the USA’s biggest concern. They have for years stolen intellectual property that does not belong to them. That’s the biggest thing to me that makes this story plausible. LOVED IT. Eagerly waiting for number 3.
588 reviews2 followers
August 22, 2020
Should be 4- or 5-stars, but it ain’t ...

These 2 books COULD have been 4- or 5-stars, but the plots are just not believable — or, maybe, they’re just too slanted toward the ‘good’ guys? In particular, The Author makes a mockery of the Chinese military ... maybe they are just a bunch of bullish fools, but I tend to think otherwise? Or, the ‘good’ guys here are incredibly EXCELLENT pilots who can fly anything! [Nah, I don’t think you can just jump from one plane into another (without knowing a lot of the different limitations).] And, alcoholism is a lot more of a serious problem than portrayed — ESPECIALLY in a security environment.
Profile Image for Crystal.
74 reviews
dnf
July 8, 2019
I received this in a giveaway. I tried to read further then I would have if I had chosen to read this myself, but I could not finish it. As a random person picking this up to read it there seemed to be a lot of technical jargon and acronyms. It might have been easier if I had read the other book first, as this seemed to be a followup. There was just too much to make read this enjoyable. I will actually rate the book if I finish it.
51 reviews1 follower
Read
August 18, 2023
My review

This is another great read from the author. Stumbled upon this series, and got it because it sounded good. I have not been disappointed. Can't wait for the next installment!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

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