What do you think?
Rate this book
The Kill Zone
Drie dodelijke Stinger-raketten raken zoek in de Afghaanse provincie Helmand. Omdat de kans groot is dat ze in handen van de Taliban vallen, moet het Regiment ze tot elke prijs zien terug te halen. Sas-legende Jack Harker zal leiding geven aan een achtkoppige missie naar een vermoedelijke schuilplaats van de Taliban, midden in wat bekendstaat als de Killzone Tegelijkertijd infiltreert Siobhan Byrne, een goed getrainde undercoveragente in Belfast, in het wereldje van een voormalige ira-commandant die drugshandelaar is geworden. Jack en Siobhan kennen elkaar niet, en niemand kan vermoeden hoe dicht hun op het eerste gezicht zo verschillende missies bij elkaar liggen, en wat er op het spel staat. Tot de president van de Verenigde Staten een bezoek aan Engeland brengt en er een vernietigend complot aan het licht komt.
520 pages, Hardcover
Published February 5, 2011
67 people are currently reading
397 people want to read
About the author
Chris Ryan
343 books1,024 followersColin Armstrong (b. 1961), usually known by the pen-name Chris Ryan, is a British author, television presenter, security consultant and former Special Air Service sergeant.
After the publication of fellow patrol member Andy McNab's Bravo Two Zero in 1993, Ryan published his own account of his experiences during the Bravo Two Zero mission in 1995, entitled The One That Got Away. Since retiring from the British Army Ryan has published several fiction and non-fiction books, including Strike Back, which was subsequently adapted into a television series for Sky 1, and co-created the ITV action series Ultimate Force. He has also presented or appeared in numerous television documentaries connected to the military or law enforcement.
After the publication of fellow patrol member Andy McNab's Bravo Two Zero in 1993, Ryan published his own account of his experiences during the Bravo Two Zero mission in 1995, entitled The One That Got Away. Since retiring from the British Army Ryan has published several fiction and non-fiction books, including Strike Back, which was subsequently adapted into a television series for Sky 1, and co-created the ITV action series Ultimate Force. He has also presented or appeared in numerous television documentaries connected to the military or law enforcement.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
November 6, 2019
The usual story about missing stinger missiles, an assassination attempt, and the guys that go to stop the plot. Not bad, but nothing especially memorable.
April 12, 2019
Gripping tale told around some of the UKs hardest times and some of the current events happening now and past but still sadly current, well written and gripping to the end.
December 15, 2010
Chris Ryan's latest thriller feels a bit different to the other books he's been writing in the last few years. There's been a certain sloppiness - a rushed feel - to his writing lately, but this novel is longer, more in-depth and thought-out, with a complex plot spanning several continents and involving half a dozen different countries. There's more to get your teeth into than usual.
The hero is Jack Harker, a soldier who we meet in a typically intense battle sequence full of fiery death and destruction. From then on in, we become involved in a plot involving drug addicts, drug smuggling, corrupt intelligence agents, the President's visit to the UK and a biological weapon. Ryan's skill is to tie all of these diverse elements together into one easy read.
The pacing is fast and the action faster. A mid-book trip to Somalia is a definite highlight, with the author injecting a genuine sense of threat into the story. The ending is unexpected to say the least. One thing I did notice is that this is a grim and downbeat story, dwelling on torture and unpleasantness throughout: not necessarily the most uplifting book you could choose to read, but a good one nonetheless.
The hero is Jack Harker, a soldier who we meet in a typically intense battle sequence full of fiery death and destruction. From then on in, we become involved in a plot involving drug addicts, drug smuggling, corrupt intelligence agents, the President's visit to the UK and a biological weapon. Ryan's skill is to tie all of these diverse elements together into one easy read.
The pacing is fast and the action faster. A mid-book trip to Somalia is a definite highlight, with the author injecting a genuine sense of threat into the story. The ending is unexpected to say the least. One thing I did notice is that this is a grim and downbeat story, dwelling on torture and unpleasantness throughout: not necessarily the most uplifting book you could choose to read, but a good one nonetheless.
April 12, 2011
When Jack Harker, an SAS soldier, escapes from a Taliban prison, he discovers a plot that puts the kill zone nowhere near Afghanistan but in the heart of London. Along with his ex-wife Siobhan Byrnes he must stop a massive chemical bomb being set off while the president of the USA is visiting London.
This is an amazing book with great character depth and mystery.
I rated it five stars because it is really good and it ticks off the book that teaches you about another place or culture box on my bingo board.
This is an amazing book with great character depth and mystery.
I rated it five stars because it is really good and it ticks off the book that teaches you about another place or culture box on my bingo board.
March 31, 2011
The Kill zone is a book that most will think is quiet dull if your not really into the warish type books but its is a very well made book by a SAS retired soilder looking for something to share his experiances on. It talks about a father and mother that have gone ex but are conastantly looking for there daughter that still might be alive somewhere out there in the unforgiging world in the time of the taliban.
January 8, 2013
Wow, what a good read 'The Kill Zone' is. Twisting and turning plot, which is gruesome in places, this book deals with a possible scenario based around the fact that weapons in real life have gone missing. It is chilling to realise that what he writes could come to pass and although a work of fiction, sends a clear message about how flimsy a line there is between peace and utter catastrophe.
Great lead character, very well written and definitely recommended. I thoroughly enjoyed it!!
Great lead character, very well written and definitely recommended. I thoroughly enjoyed it!!
September 2, 2011
Very good book, with a lot of unexpected twists, especially the ending.
March 29, 2016
Good book
Very good read and story to this book very realistic makes you think what goes on in the world Chris Ryan books are very good
Very good read and story to this book very realistic makes you think what goes on in the world Chris Ryan books are very good
April 7, 2016
AMAZING!! was gripped from beginning to end :-)
June 26, 2016
All of f Chris Ryan's books are nail biting and gripping and truly amazing books
I loved this one
I loved this one
May 7, 2012
What a rattling good read. Chris Ryan on top form. YOU MUST READ THIS
July 31, 2013
having read all the chris ryan books this one stands well above the rest!!!!
November 30, 2020
4.5, but rounded up to 5.
This was my first foray into Chris Ryan's work, and I will definitely be back for more.
I'm trying to figure out the best way to review this book. I suppose the first thing to say is it's unabashedly violent. But it's the SAS versus Al-Qaeda, so if course it's going to be violent. If that sort of literature bothers you, don't bother with this book. You've been warned. Because of Ryan's experience with the SAS, the descriptions and behaviours of both sides are so profoundly detailed. I knew I was reading a book of fiction, but how certain events panned out... I knew they were based on reality, and were absolutely brutal.
Jack Harker is more than a believable character. I found myself siding with him with pretty much every call he made, no matter how horrific. He'd been ambushed, watched his friends get killed, been captured by the enemy, and his kid's missing. His behaviours are arguably justifiable before you factor in that he's a papa bear looking out for his family.
There were a few parts that I didn't care much for. Giving Harker and Siobhan a romantic history and a daughter took away some of the grit that Ryan had so effectively built up. Separating them would have been preferred (for example, keep Siobhan's motivation her daughter, but make Harker an aid, not a parent).
Overall, the pace of this book was as fast as it needed to be, and painfully patient when necessary. I also enjoyed that it didn't adhere to the tropes of heroes. What defines victory? What determines loss? It all depends on which side you're fighting on.
This was my first foray into Chris Ryan's work, and I will definitely be back for more.
I'm trying to figure out the best way to review this book. I suppose the first thing to say is it's unabashedly violent. But it's the SAS versus Al-Qaeda, so if course it's going to be violent. If that sort of literature bothers you, don't bother with this book. You've been warned. Because of Ryan's experience with the SAS, the descriptions and behaviours of both sides are so profoundly detailed. I knew I was reading a book of fiction, but how certain events panned out... I knew they were based on reality, and were absolutely brutal.
Jack Harker is more than a believable character. I found myself siding with him with pretty much every call he made, no matter how horrific. He'd been ambushed, watched his friends get killed, been captured by the enemy, and his kid's missing. His behaviours are arguably justifiable before you factor in that he's a papa bear looking out for his family.
There were a few parts that I didn't care much for. Giving Harker and Siobhan a romantic history and a daughter took away some of the grit that Ryan had so effectively built up. Separating them would have been preferred (for example, keep Siobhan's motivation her daughter, but make Harker an aid, not a parent).
Overall, the pace of this book was as fast as it needed to be, and painfully patient when necessary. I also enjoyed that it didn't adhere to the tropes of heroes. What defines victory? What determines loss? It all depends on which side you're fighting on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2021
Jack on a mission
Jack Harker is not having a good day in the war zone.
The enemy is fierce and he is lucky if he could get out alive.
He did more than that.
He discovered by accident on the terrorist attack on the home front.
His ex-wife is also on the same case as it is linked to kidnapping of drug addicts to be used as sex slaves. One of the girl is their daughter Lily.
Load of actions and plots. A bit outrageous at time. The team is obviously not working good together and didn't trust each other enough to follow through with the intelligent gathered.
Very good read. Don't want to spoil the fun of reading.
Read more like a B+ action movie with spill, guns and terrorist plots.
Jack Harker is not having a good day in the war zone.
The enemy is fierce and he is lucky if he could get out alive.
He did more than that.
He discovered by accident on the terrorist attack on the home front.
His ex-wife is also on the same case as it is linked to kidnapping of drug addicts to be used as sex slaves. One of the girl is their daughter Lily.
Load of actions and plots. A bit outrageous at time. The team is obviously not working good together and didn't trust each other enough to follow through with the intelligent gathered.
Very good read. Don't want to spoil the fun of reading.
Read more like a B+ action movie with spill, guns and terrorist plots.
July 6, 2019
This was surprisingly good! I expected a rough and tumble boys book, but the sub plots were solid and things came together really well. And he had the guts to do what a lot of books don't, some key characters die!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2020
A well thought out story, bringing in different elements but still leaving you juggling the parts until the end sequence, and even then leaving things to be finished. The characterisations were well developed and observed. As was the geographical locations. Definitely worth the read.
August 20, 2017
Usual good story line
September 19, 2017
Another chris Ryan success
really good engrossing read, enjoyed it from start to end, chris Ryan never seems to let his readers down, can't wait to pick up the next one
really good engrossing read, enjoyed it from start to end, chris Ryan never seems to let his readers down, can't wait to pick up the next one
February 13, 2021
Good book. Twisty plot.
February 20, 2021
Not my normal cup of tea but I enjoyed it. All links nicely together
February 12, 2022
never thought an adventure crime thriller would have me sobbing my heart out at 3 am but life is surprising
November 29, 2022
A tense thriller
May 20, 2023
War zone, terrorists attack, quite gruesome
April 5, 2024
Good read
January 5, 2026
plenty to keep to keep you reading but a bit far fetched in some places. I guess that's the attraction for a lot of readers.
March 3, 2017
Nice, but a bit too much of 'one man vs the world' stuff...
July 8, 2013
Mr Ryan has, yet again, astonished me with the high standards and quality of the book: 'The kill zone.' It is new to hear from an actual ex-SAS soldier, who has been out there, and seen what he writes about actually happen.
Mr Ryan has a gift for descriptions. He can explain through words everything about a person, from their clothes to their traits. He has never missed an opportunity for a description-he adds them every paragraph, and he adds them to an amazing quality. The way in which he describes the scene, whether it be a 'moonlight night, with the trees reaching out their arms towards him like skeleton arms,' or a 'sunlight beach, with an assassin peering through his scope at his target. His chest exploded....(I won't go into too much more detail!), his writing is amazing.
Mr Ryan has a tenancy to write a brief history of the weapon that someone is using, or what it can do.
This is evident primarily in 'The kill zone,' when he regularly talks about the standard sub-machine gun of the American 'Green Army', or the adapted and modified L20 sniper rifle or the British army.
The Kill Zone is different from many of his other books. In other books such as 'Strike back,' or 'Night strike', the book always starts with an ex-SAS man driven to the streets by whatever reason, and how MI6 comes into contact with him and gets him to go on a mission of some description,and the man always lives. But in 'The Kill Zone', it starts differently, and with a different feel to it. This makes for a better read. Jack Harker and Siobhan are forced to work together-this is unusual, as Mr Ryan often forces his characters to work with MI6 or the CIA, but to pair Jack up with Siobhan is a new thing, only shown in 'The Kill Zone'.
Mr Ryan is a great describer of death and corpses. Despite the rather grueling, gory and bloody descriptions of these corpses, Mr Ryan moves on with haste to the next part of the book. I like this because I have a weak stomach when it comes to corpses........
Mr Ryan doubles as a fit, ready-for-action soldier, and a author of amazingly realistic and exhilarating books. The fact that he is an ex-SAS soldier seems to really help him with his writing when he is writing about tactics, weapons, people and (as Mr Ryan describes it, the rather back-stabbing and lying) MI6.
Mr Ryan has done yet another amazing job on this book. He has shown his skills of the writing of descriptions, his skills in describing corpses, his ability to state in clearness military tactics, and his ability to make the Taliban, MI6, CIA, British Army, Green Army and any other person/people come to life in your mind. I am able to visualise what is happening by the words printed on the page. This is a great read, and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good read about war, deception, lying, killing and general military tactics. All in all, a great and thoroughly enjoyed read.
Mr Ryan has a gift for descriptions. He can explain through words everything about a person, from their clothes to their traits. He has never missed an opportunity for a description-he adds them every paragraph, and he adds them to an amazing quality. The way in which he describes the scene, whether it be a 'moonlight night, with the trees reaching out their arms towards him like skeleton arms,' or a 'sunlight beach, with an assassin peering through his scope at his target. His chest exploded....(I won't go into too much more detail!), his writing is amazing.
Mr Ryan has a tenancy to write a brief history of the weapon that someone is using, or what it can do.
This is evident primarily in 'The kill zone,' when he regularly talks about the standard sub-machine gun of the American 'Green Army', or the adapted and modified L20 sniper rifle or the British army.
The Kill Zone is different from many of his other books. In other books such as 'Strike back,' or 'Night strike', the book always starts with an ex-SAS man driven to the streets by whatever reason, and how MI6 comes into contact with him and gets him to go on a mission of some description,and the man always lives. But in 'The Kill Zone', it starts differently, and with a different feel to it. This makes for a better read. Jack Harker and Siobhan are forced to work together-this is unusual, as Mr Ryan often forces his characters to work with MI6 or the CIA, but to pair Jack up with Siobhan is a new thing, only shown in 'The Kill Zone'.
Mr Ryan is a great describer of death and corpses. Despite the rather grueling, gory and bloody descriptions of these corpses, Mr Ryan moves on with haste to the next part of the book. I like this because I have a weak stomach when it comes to corpses........
Mr Ryan doubles as a fit, ready-for-action soldier, and a author of amazingly realistic and exhilarating books. The fact that he is an ex-SAS soldier seems to really help him with his writing when he is writing about tactics, weapons, people and (as Mr Ryan describes it, the rather back-stabbing and lying) MI6.
Mr Ryan has done yet another amazing job on this book. He has shown his skills of the writing of descriptions, his skills in describing corpses, his ability to state in clearness military tactics, and his ability to make the Taliban, MI6, CIA, British Army, Green Army and any other person/people come to life in your mind. I am able to visualise what is happening by the words printed on the page. This is a great read, and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good read about war, deception, lying, killing and general military tactics. All in all, a great and thoroughly enjoyed read.
December 9, 2010
The hero is Jack Harker, an SAS grunt who is sent on a top secret mission to Afghanistan to stop a group of Taliban developing a dangerous chemical weapon. Jack’s mission is successful but he soon finds himself in the thick of it again when he and his team are asked to retrieve some captured Stinger missiles. The mission goes sour and Jack is captured.
While this is going on, Siobhan (Shivon) Jack’s ex-wife, herself a highly trained undercover operative is trying to track down their missing daughter and hunting a dangerous Irish criminal underworld boss.
It is not long before Jack and Shivon team up and realise that it is not just their daughter’s life at risk but also the lives of thousands if they don’t stop a planned terrorist attack on London.
This story has plenty of action and twists and turns that the author Chris Ryan is renowned for. If you have read and enjoyed other books by Chris Ryan or even Andy McNab (both ex-SAS soldiers now turned international authors) then I can guarantee you will like this book. I enjoyed it but sometimes Ryan can frustrate me because he builds up some great characters and has no hesitation in killing them off – very swiftly and in nasty ways! I want all my heroes to win! Because of this I give this book 3 ½ stars out of 5.
While this is going on, Siobhan (Shivon) Jack’s ex-wife, herself a highly trained undercover operative is trying to track down their missing daughter and hunting a dangerous Irish criminal underworld boss.
It is not long before Jack and Shivon team up and realise that it is not just their daughter’s life at risk but also the lives of thousands if they don’t stop a planned terrorist attack on London.
This story has plenty of action and twists and turns that the author Chris Ryan is renowned for. If you have read and enjoyed other books by Chris Ryan or even Andy McNab (both ex-SAS soldiers now turned international authors) then I can guarantee you will like this book. I enjoyed it but sometimes Ryan can frustrate me because he builds up some great characters and has no hesitation in killing them off – very swiftly and in nasty ways! I want all my heroes to win! Because of this I give this book 3 ½ stars out of 5.
December 15, 2012
It should be noted that the audio CD version that I have is abridged, and read by Rupert Degas. Degas does a good job as narrator, making it clear who is talking at any given time.
The plot is interesting, and takes in Afghanistan, Somalia, Belfast and London. It's fairly complex, with several threads that come together in a surprising finish. The abridging was well done, but I suspect the full-length version is better, given the relative complexity of the plot.
There were a couple of points that bothered me. The main character is Captain Jack Harker, who it is said has been in the SAS for "more than twenty years". However, officers in the SAS do three year terms before moving on to another regiment. The other points relate to Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. The Taliban capture three of these from a patrol in Afghanistan, but I do have to wonder why a patrol was carrying them, since I've not heard of the Taliban using helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft. Also, the Stingers that are fired in the book all hit their target, and I find it difficult to believe that they have a 100% hit rate. These points probably won't bother many people, but they detracted somewhat from my enjoyment of the story.
The plot is interesting, and takes in Afghanistan, Somalia, Belfast and London. It's fairly complex, with several threads that come together in a surprising finish. The abridging was well done, but I suspect the full-length version is better, given the relative complexity of the plot.
There were a couple of points that bothered me. The main character is Captain Jack Harker, who it is said has been in the SAS for "more than twenty years". However, officers in the SAS do three year terms before moving on to another regiment. The other points relate to Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. The Taliban capture three of these from a patrol in Afghanistan, but I do have to wonder why a patrol was carrying them, since I've not heard of the Taliban using helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft. Also, the Stingers that are fired in the book all hit their target, and I find it difficult to believe that they have a 100% hit rate. These points probably won't bother many people, but they detracted somewhat from my enjoyment of the story.
May 2, 2016
The Kill Zone is one mad rollercoaster. It crosses continents and touches on the most deadly threats our world faces today. But it is also personal both for Jack Harker and Siobhan Byrne.
Jack is tasked with retrieving Stinger missiles from Taliban. He has to brave the hostile terrain, controlled by Taliban in Helmand Province. There is something wrong with the way the operation is handled. The brutality of both the SAS Command and the Taliban fighters is shown expertly. Ryan obviously knows what he's talking about. He know the mentality, the equipment and the terrain. The book comes across almost as a docu-drama. That only makes it more believable, but it doesn't take away from the nail-biting dramatic tension.
I hesitated between 4 and 5 stars, going for four because I would lived to see more human weakness in Jack so he is less of a hero and more of an ordinary bloke. Then again, how could he be?
A killer read!
Jack is tasked with retrieving Stinger missiles from Taliban. He has to brave the hostile terrain, controlled by Taliban in Helmand Province. There is something wrong with the way the operation is handled. The brutality of both the SAS Command and the Taliban fighters is shown expertly. Ryan obviously knows what he's talking about. He know the mentality, the equipment and the terrain. The book comes across almost as a docu-drama. That only makes it more believable, but it doesn't take away from the nail-biting dramatic tension.
I hesitated between 4 and 5 stars, going for four because I would lived to see more human weakness in Jack so he is less of a hero and more of an ordinary bloke. Then again, how could he be?
A killer read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews