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Joe Matthews #1
Tehran's Vengeance
In a brazen, daylight attack on his motorcade, Jonathan Lewis, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq is missing and every member of his diplomatic security detail is killed. Joe Matthews and his team of paramilitary officers deploy to the region with a CIA response group to investigate the incident and locate Ambassador Jonathan Lewis. With the help of a traitorous congressional staffer, elements deep inside Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are able to identify the individuals responsible for launching a devastating cyberattack against their country’s nuclear program. The list includes eight high-ranking members of government and industry in America, Britain, Germany, and Israel. Armed with this knowledge, the leadership in Tehran decides it is time to exact its vengeance on the West. Acting on orders from the Ayatollah himself, Quds Force Major Hamid Farzan and his right-hand man, Lieutenant Yousef Mehrdad, blaze a trail of destruction across the Middle East and Europe, crossing names off the Supreme Leader’s hit list one at a time. Matthews’ team splits time between tracking the assassins and protecting officials believed to be in the Iranians’ crosshairs. But with the ability to choose the time, place, and method of attack, Farzan and Mehrdad manage to stay one step ahead of their pursuers at every turn. It is only a matter of time before the Iranians’ unique brand of violence lands on the shores of the United States, home to the last three targets on the list. It is up to Matthews’ team of operators to make sure that doesn’t happen.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 19, 2018
17 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 26, 2020
With his debut novel, David Austin really hit the mark!! David's character development is really really good and thorough. You really connect with them. The beginning of this book could have been ripped out the headlines of years passed and seemed so real and authentic. The pacing and action were great. I cannot wait to read the next book!! Thank you for the signed copy!!
February 19, 2019
Awesome story, great ending
Awesome read, breathlessness that the storyline is based off of. Huge cast but not too difficult to follow! I really enjoyed the chase, hopping from one locale to another, fighting different situations while battling a potential catastrophe! Highly recommended.
Number of characters with larger roles, good action, good detail.
Awesome read, breathlessness that the storyline is based off of. Huge cast but not too difficult to follow! I really enjoyed the chase, hopping from one locale to another, fighting different situations while battling a potential catastrophe! Highly recommended.
Number of characters with larger roles, good action, good detail.
December 23, 2018
David Austin’s debut thriller Tehran’s Vengeance is an absolute must read thriller coming to you from someone who has been there and done that. In this smooth, easy to follow, intense ride, Austin delivers from what I imagine is real world hands on experience. With his experience as a grunt in the U.S. Army’s “The Old Guard” unit, then transitioning to the CIA where he worked in the field of Protective Operations. Imagine the Secret Service, but more bad ass. Yes, I know the Secret Service protects the President of the United States, and those guys, the best the Secret Service has to offer are cream of the crop. But, the field of protective operations protects people of high value all over the world, including cabinet-level officials when they travel and visit areas of conflict, chiefs of stations – think Benghazi. As well as case officers working all over the world. The only way to write a debut thriller like Tehran’s Vengeance is with an even mixture of experience and talent.
Tehran’s Vengeance starts in Iraq with the cold-blooded murder of an entire State Department Diplomatic Security Agents - protective detail, and their charge, Ambassador Jonathan Lewis gets kidnapped. But, don’t get your hopes up, this book is not about some daring rescue or imagined operation to recover the Ambassador. He too is killed, brutally. During the savage torture he endured, he broke. Everyone brakes under torture! He apparently lasted a long time, as is evident with the scene he was eventually found, which included water and a car battery, a power drill, and other various tools all covered in blood. As I mentioned, he broke. The information he gave up was what the bad guys turned into a hit list. A number of people who were involved in a certain operation that completely jacked up Iran’s nuclear program. This hit list, being executed by Major Farzan, a very talented operator in the al-Quds Force. The IRGC’s elite hit squad responsible for operations outside the borders of Iran. Major Farzan, with an endless amount of resources, since he is State sponsored, takes his team all over the world, conducting hits in Iraq, Germany, and even Washington DC.
Introducing to the world, Joe Matthews. A CIA paramilitary operations officer in SAD. Joe and his team are known in SAD as the team that gets the job done, with a successful record spanning the globe targeting terrorists for assassination, conducting snatch and grabs, and performing reconnaissance and surveillance on a wide variety of targets. Have you ever wondered why we’re safe, why we’re living the good life here, waiting peacefully in a long line at Starbucks and giving the bird to that asshole that cut you off on the freeway? Well, with the utmost confidence it’s because, “rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.” Joe and his team are those rough men, traveling the world in search of terrorists. In Tehran’s Vengeance, that asshole terrorist Joe is hunting is Major Farzan. While a capable and worthy opponent, Joe is not one to give up. Pushing through his limits and digging deep to accomplish his mission, fueled by the death left in Major Farzan’s trail, wondering sometimes what kind of an asshole does some of the things he did. What Farzan calls ‘collateral damage,’ killing anyone and anything that gets in his way. This asshole does not hesitate, shooting through civilians, killing cops, shooting at dogs, even children. This enrages Joe and he utilized this rage and channeled it to accomplish his mission.
Another thing worth mentioning is the humor and camaraderie displayed among the team members. On more than one occasion I noticed I was grinning at the dialogue. During combat, during some really shitty times in the suck, what gets people through is humor. Personally experiencing this during my time spent in the United States Marine Corps I appreciated it, related to it, and absolutely loved reading it. Once again noticing that this thriller is written by someone who had personally experienced similar situations throughout his career.
I do have to point out one flaw. During a firefight, one of the operators on Joe’s team pulls out a M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. He called it 'Special Purpose Weapon,' which is not incorrect, the weapon is widely known as the M249 SAW, but has been retrofitted by SOF to be lighter and more compact, they called it a M249 Special Purpose Weapon. It lacks the original SAW’s carrying handle, the tripod mounting lug, and has a collapsible buttstock. What I noticed as the flaw is the round they described it fired. ‘The light machine gun fired the same 5.57-millimeter rounds as his assault rifle.’ The round is in fact a 5.56-millimeter Nato round. While this may have been a typo, or editing error, I did notice and my OCD couldn't look past it. As you have all noticed, my reviews tend to be detail oriented. I always try to point out the good, the bad, and the ugly of every book I review. This right here, which once again is more than likely a typo, is the only negative thing I have to point out. Which means, this book is the real deal. I very much enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to read more about Joe Matthew’s killing terrorists in the future. Get this book, you will enjoy it.
Tehran’s Vengeance starts in Iraq with the cold-blooded murder of an entire State Department Diplomatic Security Agents - protective detail, and their charge, Ambassador Jonathan Lewis gets kidnapped. But, don’t get your hopes up, this book is not about some daring rescue or imagined operation to recover the Ambassador. He too is killed, brutally. During the savage torture he endured, he broke. Everyone brakes under torture! He apparently lasted a long time, as is evident with the scene he was eventually found, which included water and a car battery, a power drill, and other various tools all covered in blood. As I mentioned, he broke. The information he gave up was what the bad guys turned into a hit list. A number of people who were involved in a certain operation that completely jacked up Iran’s nuclear program. This hit list, being executed by Major Farzan, a very talented operator in the al-Quds Force. The IRGC’s elite hit squad responsible for operations outside the borders of Iran. Major Farzan, with an endless amount of resources, since he is State sponsored, takes his team all over the world, conducting hits in Iraq, Germany, and even Washington DC.
Introducing to the world, Joe Matthews. A CIA paramilitary operations officer in SAD. Joe and his team are known in SAD as the team that gets the job done, with a successful record spanning the globe targeting terrorists for assassination, conducting snatch and grabs, and performing reconnaissance and surveillance on a wide variety of targets. Have you ever wondered why we’re safe, why we’re living the good life here, waiting peacefully in a long line at Starbucks and giving the bird to that asshole that cut you off on the freeway? Well, with the utmost confidence it’s because, “rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.” Joe and his team are those rough men, traveling the world in search of terrorists. In Tehran’s Vengeance, that asshole terrorist Joe is hunting is Major Farzan. While a capable and worthy opponent, Joe is not one to give up. Pushing through his limits and digging deep to accomplish his mission, fueled by the death left in Major Farzan’s trail, wondering sometimes what kind of an asshole does some of the things he did. What Farzan calls ‘collateral damage,’ killing anyone and anything that gets in his way. This asshole does not hesitate, shooting through civilians, killing cops, shooting at dogs, even children. This enrages Joe and he utilized this rage and channeled it to accomplish his mission.
Another thing worth mentioning is the humor and camaraderie displayed among the team members. On more than one occasion I noticed I was grinning at the dialogue. During combat, during some really shitty times in the suck, what gets people through is humor. Personally experiencing this during my time spent in the United States Marine Corps I appreciated it, related to it, and absolutely loved reading it. Once again noticing that this thriller is written by someone who had personally experienced similar situations throughout his career.
I do have to point out one flaw. During a firefight, one of the operators on Joe’s team pulls out a M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. He called it 'Special Purpose Weapon,' which is not incorrect, the weapon is widely known as the M249 SAW, but has been retrofitted by SOF to be lighter and more compact, they called it a M249 Special Purpose Weapon. It lacks the original SAW’s carrying handle, the tripod mounting lug, and has a collapsible buttstock. What I noticed as the flaw is the round they described it fired. ‘The light machine gun fired the same 5.57-millimeter rounds as his assault rifle.’ The round is in fact a 5.56-millimeter Nato round. While this may have been a typo, or editing error, I did notice and my OCD couldn't look past it. As you have all noticed, my reviews tend to be detail oriented. I always try to point out the good, the bad, and the ugly of every book I review. This right here, which once again is more than likely a typo, is the only negative thing I have to point out. Which means, this book is the real deal. I very much enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to read more about Joe Matthew’s killing terrorists in the future. Get this book, you will enjoy it.
February 17, 2019
Tehran's Vengeance is a stunning action packed debut by Mr. David Austin. I was pleasantly surprised by the authentic vibe coming off from procedures and scenarios in the novel that make it seem more non-fiction than fiction. Mr. Austin does a great job of incorporating various characters without overwhelming the reader as the story goes worldwide with a fast paced narrative that does not let up. The emotions of the characters are skillfully described, which makes them all the more relatable to the readers. This debut introduces Joe Matthews, a blue eyed operative with red hair, a unique blend of characteristics coupled with a deadly set of skills who takes on the antagonists head on with a burning fury. The author proficiently displays Joe's skills under fire while keeping him grounded as a mortal being, keeping the action sequences dark and gritty. Joe is accompanied by other characters, as wonderfully memorable as Joe, on his mission. I personally can not wait for Joe Matthew's return to take on more bad guys. He is definitely on track to claim his rightful place in the hall of action-thriller heroes.
December 24, 2020
From the local souk to Soleimani and awat to Baghdadi, Iran keeps stirring the cauldron of hate that simmers deep in the conscious of the Middle East and thus remains awash in controversy and the ever so often dimming cross hairs of the righteous. This mulch of regional misdeeds and political meddling provides the backdrop that lets TEHRAN'S VENGEANCE blossom. As the introductory chapter of the Joe Matthews saga, the story could've tread softly and eased in like a Persian Love Cake tribute to the former Tier One Unit that hatched the protagonist and forged his skills. Instead, the story is ripped right out of the headlines and smartly thrusts the reader into the midst of Middle East turmoil and the struggle that started in 1949 and sharpened drastically in 1979. As such, TEHRAN's VENGEANCE has the richly textured feel of an early Tom Clancy yarn and
resonates in the apparently deep real life experience of David Austin.
The ultimate backdrop of the proceedings is the Stuxnet virus that caused substantial damage to Iran's regional nuclear aspirations somewhere in the neighborhood of 2007. As Iran famously holds a grudge like Khomeini, their Quds Force, think CIA with a terrorist bend, organizes a scheme of revenge on the cabal of people who knew about and organized the attack on the Natanz Nuclear Facility and carry it off with elan to make Schwarzenegger's Colonel Matrix in COMMANDO blush. This, however, unleashes the gale force of Joe Matthews; he is out for a few pounds of flesh and he's got his fingers on the scales of justice.
TEHRAN'S VENGEANCE is well researched, tactically sound and well written. Dave Austin doesn't shy away from lovingly doting on minute differences of aerial vehicles but also focuses on the realism and brutality of firefights and action in the field. From the eerily similar ambush that also started CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER (1994) to bringing the chase to the United States, TEHRAN'S VENGEANCE is mesmerizing in its simplicity and richly developed characters populating a story that feels much denser than the three hundred odd pages. So much so that TEHRAN'S VENGEANCE shines when David Austin's experiences shape the bad guys and the political landscape both in the Middle East and at home in America. All in all, TEHRAN'S VENGEANCE is one hell of a hard, fast novel that hits with the precision of guided munitions. Just make sure to stand clear of the back blast.
June 25, 2019
Grading on a curve a bit with this rating, as this is the author's first novel. How do I know it's his first novel? Reading it, I said to myself this reads like a first novel, and lo and behold, first novel it is. It's usually not a great sign that you can guess it's an author's first novel from the writing. At its core it's a solid thriller with a good structure and pace. The action parts that take place in Iraq are some of the strongest parts and probably closest to the authors real life experience.
The two biggest issues are the dialogue and the characters, which go hand in hand. The dialogue is extremely wooden and does not feel natural at all. Moreover, the characters are regularly explaining things to each other through conversational dialogue, in a way that would never take place in real life. Picture saying to your colleague at the office: "Let's meet in the big conference room, where we have all of our important meetings." Like yea no sh*t I work here too I know what we use the conf room for. It's obvious the author is trying to keep the reader informed through dialogue, but not surprisingly it does not come off as natural at all. Part and parcel with this, the characters are really flat. The bad guys have the least depth, but even the main good guys range from cliche to underdeveloped.
Again, it's a first novel, with some good elements, so let's round up, but keep the expectations very much in check.
The two biggest issues are the dialogue and the characters, which go hand in hand. The dialogue is extremely wooden and does not feel natural at all. Moreover, the characters are regularly explaining things to each other through conversational dialogue, in a way that would never take place in real life. Picture saying to your colleague at the office: "Let's meet in the big conference room, where we have all of our important meetings." Like yea no sh*t I work here too I know what we use the conf room for. It's obvious the author is trying to keep the reader informed through dialogue, but not surprisingly it does not come off as natural at all. Part and parcel with this, the characters are really flat. The bad guys have the least depth, but even the main good guys range from cliche to underdeveloped.
Again, it's a first novel, with some good elements, so let's round up, but keep the expectations very much in check.
February 2, 2019
Join the ride,spectacular
David Austin‘s Tehran’s Vengeance takes the reader deep into the world of Protective Operations with an explosive story that only an insider could deliver.You only have to join the ride but this one will take you through the night.You‘ll be dragged helplessly into this dangerous world but only at the end you‘ll know how dangerous/deadly this world really is.
Researched,accurate and thrilling
David Austin a new author not only to be watched but to be remembered
A character-focused story
David Austin‘s Tehran’s Vengeance takes the reader deep into the world of Protective Operations with an explosive story that only an insider could deliver.You only have to join the ride but this one will take you through the night.You‘ll be dragged helplessly into this dangerous world but only at the end you‘ll know how dangerous/deadly this world really is.
Researched,accurate and thrilling
David Austin a new author not only to be watched but to be remembered
A character-focused story
March 31, 2019
This book was recommended by Lima Charlie Editing and Review and there were spot on. Fabulous book enjoyed it from the first page to the last page. I love the way the book was written and the flow was perfect. The descriptions David Austin used to tell his story was great. He put into play some real stories even though small they were spot on and powerful. Glad I picked it up and read it. If you like thrillers you will like this book.
December 29, 2020
I was very fortunate to end 2020 reading Tehran's Vengeance by Dave Austin. A sensational action-thriller that Mitch Rapp, Pike Logan and Dewey Andreas fans will love! Austin's scenarios are relevant today and could appear as a new article as easy as they appear in the pages. This is a fun read that I struggled to put down due the non-stop action and the behind the scenes developments. A well deserved 5 stars! I look forward to reading more Joe Matthews thrillers in the future!!
January 23, 2019
Edge of your seat reading.
I couldn't put the book down. The more I read the more interested I became. Never knew what direction the book was going.
I couldn't put the book down. The more I read the more interested I became. Never knew what direction the book was going.
February 20, 2019
Fast paced thriller
Fast paced and hard to put down. Lots of characters but author did a great job of keeping storyline straight. Realistic story with exceptional ending.
Fast paced and hard to put down. Lots of characters but author did a great job of keeping storyline straight. Realistic story with exceptional ending.
March 19, 2024
Book Review – Tehran’s Vengeance - David Austin
Went back to read author David Austin’s debut novel “Tehran’s Vengeance” after reading the second novel, “Drone Strike” first. Tehran’s Vengeance starts out in Iraq with the attack and murder of an entire federal agent protective detail for the State Department Diplomatic Security Service while their diplomatic Ambassador of Iraq gets kidnapped. But hold on, this book is not about some daring rescue operation to recover the Ambassador. He too is later brutally killed while being savagely tortured. During the agonizing torture, the Ambassador eventually broke and gave up information the bad guys were looking for concerning Iran’s nuclear program. The terrorists are an elite hit squad responsible for operations outside the borders of Iran, traveling all over the world, conducting hits in Iraq, Germany, and Washington DC. In steps Joe Matthews and his team of paramilitary black ops operators with a CIA response team to handle the situation. Matthews and team splits time between tracking the assassins and protecting diplomatic officials believed to be in the Iranians’ crosshairs. It is only a matter of time before the Iranians’ unique brand of violence lands on the shores of the United States and it is up to Matthews’ team of spec op operators to make sure that it doesn’t happen. Tehran’s Vengeance is a sensational action thriller. I struggled to put this book down due to its fast action, humorous dialogue between the spec ops team and the riveting plot and storyline. Austin’s storytelling read like this was from knowledge and experience in this captivating story. Although fiction, it felt realistic. The more I read, the more intrigued I became. Austin followed up with another thrilling story in Drone Strike and I can only hope he is continuing this series with another exemplary read. I’m a Joe Matthews fan now…even though his name is basic, but he as a spec ops operator is definitely not!
Went back to read author David Austin’s debut novel “Tehran’s Vengeance” after reading the second novel, “Drone Strike” first. Tehran’s Vengeance starts out in Iraq with the attack and murder of an entire federal agent protective detail for the State Department Diplomatic Security Service while their diplomatic Ambassador of Iraq gets kidnapped. But hold on, this book is not about some daring rescue operation to recover the Ambassador. He too is later brutally killed while being savagely tortured. During the agonizing torture, the Ambassador eventually broke and gave up information the bad guys were looking for concerning Iran’s nuclear program. The terrorists are an elite hit squad responsible for operations outside the borders of Iran, traveling all over the world, conducting hits in Iraq, Germany, and Washington DC. In steps Joe Matthews and his team of paramilitary black ops operators with a CIA response team to handle the situation. Matthews and team splits time between tracking the assassins and protecting diplomatic officials believed to be in the Iranians’ crosshairs. It is only a matter of time before the Iranians’ unique brand of violence lands on the shores of the United States and it is up to Matthews’ team of spec op operators to make sure that it doesn’t happen. Tehran’s Vengeance is a sensational action thriller. I struggled to put this book down due to its fast action, humorous dialogue between the spec ops team and the riveting plot and storyline. Austin’s storytelling read like this was from knowledge and experience in this captivating story. Although fiction, it felt realistic. The more I read, the more intrigued I became. Austin followed up with another thrilling story in Drone Strike and I can only hope he is continuing this series with another exemplary read. I’m a Joe Matthews fan now…even though his name is basic, but he as a spec ops operator is definitely not!
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February 8, 2019David Austin not only writes well he knows foreign affairs. US politics, and human nature. Tehran's Vengeance was exciting from beginning to end. Joe Matthews is a courageous protagonist and the rest of the Secret Service and CIA operatives were exemplary. I look forward to more by Austin!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews