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Army of One: Joe Beck Book #1 (A Vigilante Justice Kindle Crime Action Thriller)
Meet Joe Beck - An outlaw private eye on a vengeful quest for justice.Joe Beck is a private eye, but not the typical type. He's unlicensed. His office is his cell phone. The gun he carries is unregistered, and his methods are outside of the law. He's not a man to mess with - a brutal ex-cop who roams the United States righting wrongs, reaping riches and serving up his own hard brand of vigilante justice to those who deserve it most.
In Army of One, Joe Beck is in McAllen, Texas, - a city not too far from the US-Mexico border - for the funeral of an old friend who, he heard, took his own life. While in town, he bumps into a beautiful escort named Sapphire, who mistakes him for somebody else. They make plans to spend the night together, holed up in a cheap nearby motel.
But things don't go as planned.
They’re soon abducted at gun point and bundled into the back of a black SUV by a sinister group of men they've never seen before.
Under orders of a man known only as 'the chairman,' the men drive them out to a desolate stretch of land in the dark Texan desert where a hand-dug grave, a gut-wrenching discovery, and a harrowing demise awaits.
What do the men want? Why did they abduct them? What horrors will come to light in the dark of the Texan night? And how will Joe Beck react?
Buy Army of Introducing Joe Beck today or find it in the Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscription service for free and start reading to find out.
-------Revised This edition of Army of Introducing Joe Beck contains editorial revisions.-------
Reviews“A new kind of hero. Great story. Great book. Couldn't put it down.”★★★★★ Terry AuthorAlastairBrown.com
“A bit like a Jack Reacher except the main character is more sophisticated. Well worth reading.”★★★★★ JCH Goodreads.com
“A classic thriller. Bit of a modern day western with a hero coming to town to expose a bunch of bad guys. Great read.”★★★★★ Scotty M Goodreads.com
“What a story from start to finish good believable characters and really evil bad guys looking forward to more in future.”★★★★★ Belter Goodreads.com
“Absolutely great. Characters are mysterious and the settings are vivid. In some chapters, I felt like I was actually there! Would highly recommend this book. Looking forward to more Joe Becks!”★★★★★ John Goodreads.com
“What a read! Absolutely loved it.”★★★★★ Jayden Goodreads.com
Books it's similar toIf you like Lee Child's Jack Reacher, Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp, J.B. Turner’s Jon Reznick, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, L.T. Ryan’s Jack Noble, Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch, David Baldacci’s John Puller, James Patterson’s Alex Cross, Mark Dawson’s John Milton, or Robert Crais’s Elvis Cole, this unputdownable Joe Beck thriller is for you.
In Army of One, Joe Beck is in McAllen, Texas, - a city not too far from the US-Mexico border - for the funeral of an old friend who, he heard, took his own life. While in town, he bumps into a beautiful escort named Sapphire, who mistakes him for somebody else. They make plans to spend the night together, holed up in a cheap nearby motel.
But things don't go as planned.
They’re soon abducted at gun point and bundled into the back of a black SUV by a sinister group of men they've never seen before.
Under orders of a man known only as 'the chairman,' the men drive them out to a desolate stretch of land in the dark Texan desert where a hand-dug grave, a gut-wrenching discovery, and a harrowing demise awaits.
What do the men want? Why did they abduct them? What horrors will come to light in the dark of the Texan night? And how will Joe Beck react?
Buy Army of Introducing Joe Beck today or find it in the Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscription service for free and start reading to find out.
-------Revised This edition of Army of Introducing Joe Beck contains editorial revisions.-------
Reviews“A new kind of hero. Great story. Great book. Couldn't put it down.”★★★★★ Terry AuthorAlastairBrown.com
“A bit like a Jack Reacher except the main character is more sophisticated. Well worth reading.”★★★★★ JCH Goodreads.com
“A classic thriller. Bit of a modern day western with a hero coming to town to expose a bunch of bad guys. Great read.”★★★★★ Scotty M Goodreads.com
“What a story from start to finish good believable characters and really evil bad guys looking forward to more in future.”★★★★★ Belter Goodreads.com
“Absolutely great. Characters are mysterious and the settings are vivid. In some chapters, I felt like I was actually there! Would highly recommend this book. Looking forward to more Joe Becks!”★★★★★ John Goodreads.com
“What a read! Absolutely loved it.”★★★★★ Jayden Goodreads.com
Books it's similar toIf you like Lee Child's Jack Reacher, Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp, J.B. Turner’s Jon Reznick, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, L.T. Ryan’s Jack Noble, Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch, David Baldacci’s John Puller, James Patterson’s Alex Cross, Mark Dawson’s John Milton, or Robert Crais’s Elvis Cole, this unputdownable Joe Beck thriller is for you.
452 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 7, 2020
699 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Alastair Brown
25 books14 followersCrime-thriller writer and author of the no-holds-barred, all-action Joe Beck books.
Joe Beck is an unlicensed outlaw private eye who roams the length and breadth of America righting wrongs and reaping riches while serving up his own hard brand of vigilante justice to those who deserve it most.
Books by Alastair Brown:
- Army of One: Introducing Joe Beck
- Payback: A Short Joe Beck Thriller
- Easy Money: A Joe Beck Thriller
Joe Beck is an unlicensed outlaw private eye who roams the length and breadth of America righting wrongs and reaping riches while serving up his own hard brand of vigilante justice to those who deserve it most.
Books by Alastair Brown:
- Army of One: Introducing Joe Beck
- Payback: A Short Joe Beck Thriller
- Easy Money: A Joe Beck Thriller
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
March 1, 2021
Author spent way too many pages describing the scene than actually creating action. Some set up is great. Too much became a distraction. Skipped over many of the pages.
First of the series but I'm not going to bother to find out if Brown changed his writing style.
First of the series but I'm not going to bother to find out if Brown changed his writing style.
April 3, 2018
Cracking pace
What a story from start to finish good believable characters and really evil bad guys looking forward to more infuture
What a story from start to finish good believable characters and really evil bad guys looking forward to more infuture
January 3, 2020
Really liked this book. It's got a great plot, vivid settings and some fantastic confrontations. I usually read Jack Reacher and I would say Joe Beck is up there with those.
January 3, 2020
A fantastic paced thriller. Great action. Great characters and a great story!
November 30, 2021
Joe Beck [goes by just "Beck"]. Six feet five inches, 275 pounds. Doesn't have a home. Travels light. Attempts mathematical calculations [pretty badly] to determine percentages on his decisison. Has no problem beating the crap out of 6 men at a time. Is a force for good. Remind you of anyone? Yep, can't be any question, IMHO, that this is a Jack Reacher rip-off, and not a very good one.
Here, Beck is joined by a [lol] good-hearted hooker to foil the forces of evil. Of course, he prevails! No need for a spoiler alert. 2 stars is generous. Most of this is pretty badly written. The author appears more than a little short of knowledge on weapons and tactics, but a little long on body count.
I would not recommend this book except to folks I really don't like. I would have given up halfway through if I'd had anything else to read at the time. If you don't know who Jack Reacher is, or haven't read any of his books, do try one - start from the beginning of the series [mostly 5 stars], if posible. Just search under the author, Lee Childs.
Here, Beck is joined by a [lol] good-hearted hooker to foil the forces of evil. Of course, he prevails! No need for a spoiler alert. 2 stars is generous. Most of this is pretty badly written. The author appears more than a little short of knowledge on weapons and tactics, but a little long on body count.
I would not recommend this book except to folks I really don't like. I would have given up halfway through if I'd had anything else to read at the time. If you don't know who Jack Reacher is, or haven't read any of his books, do try one - start from the beginning of the series [mostly 5 stars], if posible. Just search under the author, Lee Childs.
November 25, 2019
This is a terrific book>
Packed with action, really bad villains and a great strong lead character. I particularly liked the morgue scene, but don't want to spoil it for anybody. The ending was great too.
Packed with action, really bad villains and a great strong lead character. I particularly liked the morgue scene, but don't want to spoil it for anybody. The ending was great too.
November 26, 2019
A classic thriller. Bit of a modern day western with a hero coming to town to expose a bunch of bad guys. Great read.
November 26, 2019
A bit like a Jack Reacher except the main character is more sophisticated. Well worth reading.
November 25, 2019
Great book. Great main character. Not sure what the 1 star review is about. Don't know what they've read to be honest. Bizarre. This is a great read. Highly enjoyed it.
November 25, 2019
A whole lot like Lee Child's Jack Reacher. Terrific characters, good story and a great private detective as a main character. A real easy, enjoyable read.
November 25, 2019
A bit of a slow starter, but once it gets going its absolutely terrific.
November 25, 2019
OUTSTANDING
November 26, 2019
A bit like Jack Reacher in Killing Floor. Great central plot and lots of action.
March 23, 2018
Absolutely great. Characters are mysterious and the settings are vivid. In some chapters, I felt like I was actually there! Would highy recommend this book. Looking forward to more Joe Becks!
March 26, 2018
What a read! Absolutely loved it.
September 2, 2020
As an older person I have to use a benchmark to gauge good or bad in a book... I use Jack Reacher as mine. So, compared to Lee Childs man, this guy is harder, more ruthless, less depth and thick. But I liked it because (as with Jack/Lee) the villains get exactly what they need to reward their actions in life. Having said that, I thought one part of the collateral damage was just over the top!. The credibility of the chronology was just silly, the win in each confrontation pushes THAT credibility but I reckon all redeemed by the wrap-up. Felt good but too many silly "Jack wouldn't done that" bits and other characters so devoid of (that word again) credibility, I nearly put it down.
March 1, 2021
Beck is a pretty well-crafted character, and I liked the plot, but some of the action is just too far fetched.
The final showdown, where he takes on a round dozen bad guys is especially unbelievable. It would have been more realistic if his friend had helped out.
As others have said, the books need the attention of a good editor with a sharp pair of scissors. It's nice to have descriptions, but there is far too much irrelevant detail and it interferes with the flow. Bad guys are not always ugly and they don't sneer all the time either.
I will read the other books in the hope that the writing will improve.
The final showdown, where he takes on a round dozen bad guys is especially unbelievable. It would have been more realistic if his friend had helped out.
As others have said, the books need the attention of a good editor with a sharp pair of scissors. It's nice to have descriptions, but there is far too much irrelevant detail and it interferes with the flow. Bad guys are not always ugly and they don't sneer all the time either.
I will read the other books in the hope that the writing will improve.
February 9, 2022
Just terribly written
Disliked the writing. Hated the editing, if there was any, and really don't like authors trying to create another Jack Reacher. You just can't do it. This was really amateurish. The author struggled with continuity. E.g. They're out in the desert, Sapphire wearing only a g-string. They find a house and enter but don't grab her any clothes to cover her up. They take a car and drive back to the motel where she had her clothes. Joe takes her to meet Kim. Doesn't introduce her or explain why she's there. She's a hooker afterall. That was my last Joe Beck, Alastair Brown book.
Disliked the writing. Hated the editing, if there was any, and really don't like authors trying to create another Jack Reacher. You just can't do it. This was really amateurish. The author struggled with continuity. E.g. They're out in the desert, Sapphire wearing only a g-string. They find a house and enter but don't grab her any clothes to cover her up. They take a car and drive back to the motel where she had her clothes. Joe takes her to meet Kim. Doesn't introduce her or explain why she's there. She's a hooker afterall. That was my last Joe Beck, Alastair Brown book.
July 31, 2022
HEAVY CORRECTIONS NEEDED!!!
Early I read this book with interest.The
But no later than two chapters, I began to feel upset over the awful errors in grammar, spelling and syntax. Also in some actions along the book (as having one person tied at her back first, and suddenly being tied at her front). Sigh!!
I don't bother about slang. I'm accustomed to it.
But time and again I had to reread a paragraph two or three times to unravel the misshapen phrases.
I gave three 🌟 because the plot and development was interesting.
If all the errors are corrected, I may follow the collection.
BUT NOT BEFORE.
Early I read this book with interest.The
But no later than two chapters, I began to feel upset over the awful errors in grammar, spelling and syntax. Also in some actions along the book (as having one person tied at her back first, and suddenly being tied at her front). Sigh!!
I don't bother about slang. I'm accustomed to it.
But time and again I had to reread a paragraph two or three times to unravel the misshapen phrases.
I gave three 🌟 because the plot and development was interesting.
If all the errors are corrected, I may follow the collection.
BUT NOT BEFORE.
February 7, 2021
Mixed emotions
Mr. Brown shows some talent for the genre but offers far too many trivial details. I don't need to know the color and style and texture of the flooring in almost every room Joe enters, or the fabric and color of the drapes, etc. Made me wonder if the author gets paid by the number of words he writes. However once you plow through all that, character development is good and the overall story was entertaining. I do plan to read the next installment in the series.
Mr. Brown shows some talent for the genre but offers far too many trivial details. I don't need to know the color and style and texture of the flooring in almost every room Joe enters, or the fabric and color of the drapes, etc. Made me wonder if the author gets paid by the number of words he writes. However once you plow through all that, character development is good and the overall story was entertaining. I do plan to read the next installment in the series.
August 1, 2022
You need better proofreaders.
The story was very good, but there was too much time spent describing inane subjects such as the coffee shop and Roadhouse Restaurant. Shelled peanuts are peanuts that have had their shell removed. I know that sounds picky, but it is what it is. There were several instances where the words 'a' and 'an' or 'the' were left out of a comment made by one of the characters. I don't mean to be a "grammar Nazi", but there were a lot of instances of distracting errors. Otherwise, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one.
The story was very good, but there was too much time spent describing inane subjects such as the coffee shop and Roadhouse Restaurant. Shelled peanuts are peanuts that have had their shell removed. I know that sounds picky, but it is what it is. There were several instances where the words 'a' and 'an' or 'the' were left out of a comment made by one of the characters. I don't mean to be a "grammar Nazi", but there were a lot of instances of distracting errors. Otherwise, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one.
March 26, 2023
lots of action but….
Ok, it was pretty good action story with interesting characters. I would have given it 4 stars except for the over abundance of description, descriptions of EVERYBODY, the bad guys, many of them, the prostitute Sapphire, the librarian, the school teacher, the students, and on and on, ad nausium. Like it was necessary to add “word count”. Also, an extreme amount of descriptive violence, that was over the top, as far as I was concerned. Maybe he will get better with the next one, let’s see.
Ok, it was pretty good action story with interesting characters. I would have given it 4 stars except for the over abundance of description, descriptions of EVERYBODY, the bad guys, many of them, the prostitute Sapphire, the librarian, the school teacher, the students, and on and on, ad nausium. Like it was necessary to add “word count”. Also, an extreme amount of descriptive violence, that was over the top, as far as I was concerned. Maybe he will get better with the next one, let’s see.
November 9, 2023
Go with the review from AWolf in Nov 2021.
It's a Jack Reacher/Jack Widow wannabee and not as successful. Read this a filler in between new releases and that's just what it was, a filler.
Joe Beck is a ex-cop, ex-con now private eye. He drives a muscle car, has no firm address and has just attended his best friend's funeral. It's billed as suicide but Joe can't believe it and finds it was not. Corrupt DEA, cartels, lots of killings etc.
Just not as fun or entertaining as the Lee Child or Scott Blade books
It's a Jack Reacher/Jack Widow wannabee and not as successful. Read this a filler in between new releases and that's just what it was, a filler.
Joe Beck is a ex-cop, ex-con now private eye. He drives a muscle car, has no firm address and has just attended his best friend's funeral. It's billed as suicide but Joe can't believe it and finds it was not. Corrupt DEA, cartels, lots of killings etc.
Just not as fun or entertaining as the Lee Child or Scott Blade books
Read
August 19, 2021The Title Says It All
What a page turner. Private Eye, Joe Beck, is an Army of ONE. THE 4 VS. 5 star rating is for a bit too much description of physical surroundings or people's physical appearance; but this distraction does not weaken the breakneck pace of each chapter as Joe tracks down the bad guys, one by one. This was a great 1st book in what should prove to be a super series.
What a page turner. Private Eye, Joe Beck, is an Army of ONE. THE 4 VS. 5 star rating is for a bit too much description of physical surroundings or people's physical appearance; but this distraction does not weaken the breakneck pace of each chapter as Joe tracks down the bad guys, one by one. This was a great 1st book in what should prove to be a super series.
March 1, 2023
SHOWERS?!? ANYONE?!?
You see, Alastair, here’s where we part ways…as much as I like super hero Joe Beck and your penchant for phenomenal detail…I would have rummaged through the farmhouse closets,looking for a decent shirt to drape over Sapphire’s nudity. BTW you’er not the first male author (I’ve read many) who let’s his female character jump in and out of cars…run up and down allies buck naked! Very uncomfortable!
Just sayin’ !!!
You see, Alastair, here’s where we part ways…as much as I like super hero Joe Beck and your penchant for phenomenal detail…I would have rummaged through the farmhouse closets,looking for a decent shirt to drape over Sapphire’s nudity. BTW you’er not the first male author (I’ve read many) who let’s his female character jump in and out of cars…run up and down allies buck naked! Very uncomfortable!
Just sayin’ !!!
March 9, 2021
Not a bad first outing!
Enjoyed this book but wouldn't call it unique or unputdownable. The story has been churned out many times before in one form or another. Might give the series another chance to see if next installment is any better but if you like a fast paced thriller then I suggest you give it a go.
Enjoyed this book but wouldn't call it unique or unputdownable. The story has been churned out many times before in one form or another. Might give the series another chance to see if next installment is any better but if you like a fast paced thriller then I suggest you give it a go.
May 19, 2021
A copy-cat run-of-the-mill hardman lone-wolf action book.
It was OK as a mind-numbing read between more serious books, but not worth buying.
It has blatantly racist connotations throughout ("the woman on the phone had a black-sounding voice"!) and the Hispanics and black characters are shot/tortured first...
It was OK as a mind-numbing read between more serious books, but not worth buying.
It has blatantly racist connotations throughout ("the woman on the phone had a black-sounding voice"!) and the Hispanics and black characters are shot/tortured first...
July 27, 2022
Excellent story, marked only with often unnecessary details of clothing, food, decor of places.
I liked the pace of the story, "good guy" portrait of the main character. However, author could use a more thorough editorial review as I noted several inconsistencies as well as rather mediocre knowledge of firearms
I liked the pace of the story, "good guy" portrait of the main character. However, author could use a more thorough editorial review as I noted several inconsistencies as well as rather mediocre knowledge of firearms
November 22, 2019
Atrocious grammar and editing
I couldn’t get past the first chapter of this book because of the pitiful grammar. Missing words, extra words, and bad punctuation made it too distracting to read. A shame, because I think I would have enjoyed it based on the plot summary.
I couldn’t get past the first chapter of this book because of the pitiful grammar. Missing words, extra words, and bad punctuation made it too distracting to read. A shame, because I think I would have enjoyed it based on the plot summary.
January 8, 2021
I tried, but
I was afraid with the glaring error in the fourth paragraph that this might be a difficult read. I wanted to like the story, and the main character, but this book is in dire need of a good editor.
I was afraid with the glaring error in the fourth paragraph that this might be a difficult read. I wanted to like the story, and the main character, but this book is in dire need of a good editor.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews