What do you think?
Rate this book
Deep Black #4
Payback
A crack team of covert agents. Word is out to ex-Marine sniper Charlie Dean and his team of the National Security Infiltrate the highest stratum of Peruvian political power and derail a renegade general from acing an election. All Dean has to do is find a way inside an impenetrable bank vault protected by armed guards round the clock – it’s all in a day’s work for the men and women of Deep Black. A violent political coup. But things get complicated when Dean and company discover the renegade general’s second plot. The military madman’s ruse – a nuclear weapon he claims is in the hands of Marxist guerillas, a bomb that only he can rescue...and control. A devastating terrorist plot. When the general and his plot are exposed, the NSA concludes the greatest threat is over. But in fact, it’s only just beginning...
MP3 CD
First published October 4, 2005
58 people are currently reading
397 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Coonts
180 books754 followersStephen Coonts (born July 19, 1946) is an American thriller and suspense novelist.
Coonts grew up in Buckhannon, West Virginia, a small coal-mining town and earned an B.A. degree in political science at West Virginia University in 1968. He entered the Navy the following year and flew an A-6 Intruder medium attack plane during the Vietnam War, where he served on two combat cruises aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). He accumulated 1600 hours in the A-6 Intruder and earned a number of Navy commendations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war he served as a flight instructor on A-6 aircraft for two years, then did a tour as an assistant catapult and arresting gear officer aboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68). His navigator-bombardier was LTjg Stanley W. Bryant who later became a Rear Admiral and deputy commander-in-chief of the US naval forces in Europe.
After being honorably discharged from duty as a lieutenant in 1977, Coonts pursued a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree at the University of Colorado, graduating in 1979. He then worked as an oil and gas lawyer for several companies, entertaining his writing interests in his free time.
He published short stories in a number of publications before writing Flight of the Intruder in 1986 (made into a movie in 1991). Intruder, based in part on his experiences as a bomber pilot, spent 28 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists in hardcover and launched his career as a novelist. From there he continued writing adventure-mysteries using the character from his first book, Jake Grafton. He has written several other series and stand-alone novels since then, but is most notable for the Grafton books.
Today Coonts continues to write, having had seventeen New York Times bestsellers (out of 20 books), and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife and son.
Taken from Wikipedia
Learn more about Stephen Coonts on the Macmillan website.
Coonts grew up in Buckhannon, West Virginia, a small coal-mining town and earned an B.A. degree in political science at West Virginia University in 1968. He entered the Navy the following year and flew an A-6 Intruder medium attack plane during the Vietnam War, where he served on two combat cruises aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). He accumulated 1600 hours in the A-6 Intruder and earned a number of Navy commendations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war he served as a flight instructor on A-6 aircraft for two years, then did a tour as an assistant catapult and arresting gear officer aboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68). His navigator-bombardier was LTjg Stanley W. Bryant who later became a Rear Admiral and deputy commander-in-chief of the US naval forces in Europe.
After being honorably discharged from duty as a lieutenant in 1977, Coonts pursued a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree at the University of Colorado, graduating in 1979. He then worked as an oil and gas lawyer for several companies, entertaining his writing interests in his free time.
He published short stories in a number of publications before writing Flight of the Intruder in 1986 (made into a movie in 1991). Intruder, based in part on his experiences as a bomber pilot, spent 28 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists in hardcover and launched his career as a novelist. From there he continued writing adventure-mysteries using the character from his first book, Jake Grafton. He has written several other series and stand-alone novels since then, but is most notable for the Grafton books.
Today Coonts continues to write, having had seventeen New York Times bestsellers (out of 20 books), and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife and son.
Taken from Wikipedia
Learn more about Stephen Coonts on the Macmillan website.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 14, 2023
An audiobook that filled my two days of grass mowing/weed-eating and tree cage installing in the yard.
A fun ride with Tommy Carr, Charley Dean and Lia Francesca. Dr Ruebens leads the team from the "art room". Good thing about this was the voice actor who did the narration is the same as in the first few books. It made it feel like home.
How does the Amazon jungle, Philadelphia, PA, a rigged elections, an old Russian nuke, a Peruvian General, and a bitter, deformed ex-Russian play into this story? Read it to find out.
A fun ride with Tommy Carr, Charley Dean and Lia Francesca. Dr Ruebens leads the team from the "art room". Good thing about this was the voice actor who did the narration is the same as in the first few books. It made it feel like home.
How does the Amazon jungle, Philadelphia, PA, a rigged elections, an old Russian nuke, a Peruvian General, and a bitter, deformed ex-Russian play into this story? Read it to find out.
May 10, 2024
This was a standard Geo-political thriller involving the Desk 3 Deep Black team. It moves along at a good pace and this is a good mix of action and tension. For me however, this story loses a star for a couple of reasons:
1) I didn't think the main plot to be less that total convincing. The US has reason to think that the upcoming Peru election is under threat of manipulation and in a bizarre twist of logic, they won't inform the Peruvians as the machines that could be being manipulated are US and therefore risk being accused of rigging the election. So they come up with a plan to covertly switch out the corrupt data cards risking of course getting caught with the exact same results as they are trying to avoid.
2) Whilst it is nice to see that Lia has not simply shrugged off her trauma at the hands of the Korean's in the last book, I am fairly sure at an organisation like Desk Three would insist on a full physiological assessment of any agent that went through what she did before they put her back in the field, as going out whilst still struggling with mental health would put not just her but others of her team and the success of any mission in jeoipardy.
Still it was a good read and am look forward to the next one.
1) I didn't think the main plot to be less that total convincing. The US has reason to think that the upcoming Peru election is under threat of manipulation and in a bizarre twist of logic, they won't inform the Peruvians as the machines that could be being manipulated are US and therefore risk being accused of rigging the election. So they come up with a plan to covertly switch out the corrupt data cards risking of course getting caught with the exact same results as they are trying to avoid.
2) Whilst it is nice to see that Lia has not simply shrugged off her trauma at the hands of the Korean's in the last book, I am fairly sure at an organisation like Desk Three would insist on a full physiological assessment of any agent that went through what she did before they put her back in the field, as going out whilst still struggling with mental health would put not just her but others of her team and the success of any mission in jeoipardy.
Still it was a good read and am look forward to the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2021
My late father got me interested in this series before he passed away. We read the books together, discussing the interesting technology and what possibilities might come from it. I felt kind of lonely after Father’s Day, so I read this. One of the things I like about the series is the complexity of both the heroes and villains. The technology is interesting to read about as well, and the plots are pretty good.
September 17, 2023
An okay part of the series. Vote rigging and bombs in Latin America isn't really my tempo, and barely anything new was added to this edition. At least the book remains true to its series goal so it's an okay addition to the Deep Black series.
October 1, 2020
Definitely a series I will read all of
July 26, 2023
Was a very good story. 1st time reading any of Coonts' novels. I'll definitely be perusing some local used book shops and Friends of the Library book sales for more of the Deep Black series!
June 28, 2025
it is the third book in the series and I find it repetive. Same characters having similar behaviour book after book.
December 15, 2025
Good thriller. Nice fluffy read.
March 13, 2017
Not bad but!
I really enjoyed the first of the Deep Black series, but have not been really impressed with any of the sequels so far.
This is a pity as I usually find Stephen Coonts's books to be excellent reads and usually cliffhangers.
I really enjoyed the first of the Deep Black series, but have not been really impressed with any of the sequels so far.
This is a pity as I usually find Stephen Coonts's books to be excellent reads and usually cliffhangers.
December 3, 2015
Stephen Coonts is another of the best selling authors working with a co-writer to turn out more books a year (Cussler, Patterson are others). In this book Coonts shares billing with Jim Felice.
After reading lots of thrillers, I've come to recognize that Jim Felice is one of the best "co-authors" shopping his talents around.
"Deep Black" is the first novel in the Deep Black series. In it, a high-tech, highly secret spy plane gathering data on a new Russian weapon is shot down. It's a mystery how it was discovered and why it was shot at. A covert group, Deep Black, in the NSA is called on to investigate the incident.
The NSA calls in an old operative, Charlie Dean, to join a young, gung-ho group of high tech warriors. Dean is neither young nor technologically adept. One of the issues in the book is the conflict between Dean and the youngsters about old fashioned human skill and relying on high-tech intelligence.
The group slips into Russia to find the remnants of the plane and identify a coup plot in Russia. Thrills abound in their effort to find the answers.
I like Stephen Coonts and I've read some Felice's solo novels. It's a good pairing.
After reading lots of thrillers, I've come to recognize that Jim Felice is one of the best "co-authors" shopping his talents around.
"Deep Black" is the first novel in the Deep Black series. In it, a high-tech, highly secret spy plane gathering data on a new Russian weapon is shot down. It's a mystery how it was discovered and why it was shot at. A covert group, Deep Black, in the NSA is called on to investigate the incident.
The NSA calls in an old operative, Charlie Dean, to join a young, gung-ho group of high tech warriors. Dean is neither young nor technologically adept. One of the issues in the book is the conflict between Dean and the youngsters about old fashioned human skill and relying on high-tech intelligence.
The group slips into Russia to find the remnants of the plane and identify a coup plot in Russia. Thrills abound in their effort to find the answers.
I like Stephen Coonts and I've read some Felice's solo novels. It's a good pairing.
August 10, 2016
Since this is the first Deep Black novel I've read, it took several chapters to identify the characters. Almost didn't finish the book, but glad I did. It's interesting to read about the behind the door goings on of the intelligence networks, particularly the turf battles that seem to be found at all levels of law enforcement. It's not the best book I've read, but not the worst either. I prefer the Jake Grafton series. I didn't care for the narration, so I hope the next book is read by someone else.
October 24, 2012
It wasn't exactly what I was expecting, the book had a good build up and it had a great climax, but the ending was too predictable. I usually look forward to the ending because that's what really sells the book to me. If the ending is good and the rest of the book is too, then it automatically is one of my favorite books. This one just didn't do it. That's why I gave it a 3 star rating instead of a 4 or 5.
February 22, 2014
This Deep Black novel finds them in Peru trying to stop a Presidential candidate from winning a rigged election. While there they stumble across a general who is supporting a different candidate in an effort to take control. This general is backed by a former CIA backed arms dealer who was left for dead by them and controls access to a nuclear bomb. Charlie Dean and Co. must go deep in the jungle to try and stop a war. OK read.
Read
July 19, 2015RESUME:
Former Marine sniper Charlie Dean, Lia DeFrancesca, and their top-secret National Security Agency team are given the task of infiltrating the highest level of Peruvian government to stop a renegade general who will do anything to ensure that his candidate will win the upcoming election. Original.
May 20, 2014
again, book on tape. May 2014.
I think I enjoyed this book more the second time since I just started the deep black series.
book on tape
no clue if i read it or not so, as of june 2010 i'm marking it read.
I think I enjoyed this book more the second time since I just started the deep black series.
book on tape
no clue if i read it or not so, as of june 2010 i'm marking it read.
December 19, 2009
Fun action-packed read...a lower rent "Sigma Force" ala James Rollins...a failed Peruvian general and Russian arms dealer seek revenge against the US for the efforts thwart their takover efforts and assassination attempt by delivering a nuke to Philly...a fun read!!!
January 10, 2013
As an audio book I found the narrator ability to change his voice for the characters very good. The story was a little tired and predictable. That being said, it was well paced and enjoyable with enough action to keep you interested.
September 18, 2012
Too many unanswered questions. No sense of suspense. Disjointed scenes. This book was written by two people, Stephen Coonts and Jim DeFelice and it feels like it. No continuity. Skip it unless you have nothing else to read.
May 30, 2009
fair
March 21, 2010
Fun insights into what the NSA might be doing.
August 29, 2012
Fun. Not deep, but fun. N.B. Audiobook is well done too.
June 8, 2011
I'm liking this series. I've always liked Coonts, he keeps things moving, and interesting.
February 14, 2012
Great mindless reading. enjoy the series Jim DeFelice does a nice job with Stephen Coonts
August 18, 2012
Nancy 5 stars; Ron 0 stars (quit in middle)
March 28, 2018
All right. Could have been abridged. Interesting the spies have microphones implanted. That wouldn't work without damaging your hearing.
January 29, 2009
This was a terrible book. It is lacking in almost every aspect.
October 3, 2012
The villians had more dimension than the main characters. A good lazy read.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews