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Ford Stevens Military-Aviation Thriller #3
The Buffalo Pilot
A deadly saboteur. A brotherhood forged in flight. A mission that could cost them everything.
From #1 Amazon Bestselling Author Lawrence Colby comes a high-stakes military thriller packed with pulse-pounding action, family loyalty, and aviation authenticity that only a real-life combat pilot can deliver.
Air Force Reserve Major Ford Stevens is a seasoned pilot with combat experience and a reputation for excellence. His younger brother, Lieutenant Charlie Stevens, is a newly minted aviator eager to prove himself. But when a series of fatal accidents strikes their squadron, it becomes clear that someone is targeting U.S. aircrews from the inside.
As the brothers face the danger head-on, they uncover a chilling sabotage plot that could shake the military to its core. Racing against time and trusting no one, Ford and Charlie must rely on each other to stop the next attack before it’s too late.
The Buffalo Pilot is a gripping novel for readers who love fast-paced military fiction, espionage, and complex characters under pressure.
Perfect for fans of:
Brad Taylor
Mark Greaney
Don Bentley
Military thrillers with authentic aviation detail
Stories of sabotage, loyalty, and high-stakes action
- GenresFiction
317 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 25, 2020
158 people are currently reading
304 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence A. Colby
4 books65 followersLawrence 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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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 25, 2020
Lawrence Colby’s THE BUFFALO PILOT is an extraordinary book on many levels. I was initially struck by how revealing it was of the day to day cultural behavior of those that grew up in cities around the Great Lakes. I originate from NE Ohio and I’ve been to many of these cities-Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit, Gary, Chicago, Milwaukee, and you would find ordinary people exhibiting the same behavior, speech patterns, priorities in life, jobs, and concern for survival in an uncertain future. It offers a unique reflection on urban life around the Great Lakes.
That said, Colby gives insight into “Mafia” behavior exhibited by mobsters, only it examines it through the Native American Indian tribal structure of the region. Those of us with early ancestors in the Connecticut Western Reserve are cognizant of the powerful Iroquois Nation history and its impact on US history. I wasn’t aware of the close alliance to those in “Canadian” territory that is somewhat maintained today. Gotta love the inserts of geopolitics!
Most people probably think the problem with the Italian Mafia was solely in NYC and New England regions. Not so. In the 1970s,the Italian Mafia scene in Ohio, as a gateway to the Midwest, operated out of Youngstown-Cleveland area. Name it, drugs, prostitution, illegal gambling, illegal cigarette sales were run out of Cleveland. And as THE BUFFALO PILOT points out, even the coercion of local politicians was commonplace.
What’s related in Colby’s storyline is exactly how it worked. Unknowingly, a good college friend was the daughter of a Mafia kingpin, and when my parent, in legal profession,became aware of exactly what the connection was, provided sufficient information to ensure we watched our step. Threw one hell of a wedding though. Booze flowed free, guns at every door, and a father-in-law-law who informed the groom if he was unfaithful, there was nowhere in the world he could hide. Just making the point, as in the story, the tentacles of threat, corruption, violence were and are everywhere.But I digress.
The fascinating actions of coercion found in this novel are not exaggerated. There was a reason the TV show, THE FBI, was one of the most popular of the decade because the stories they related were often true. Colby’s rendition is pretty much exactly how Mob rule played out back then in towns and cities across the US. Only this time, the corruption is within Indian tribes of the region, all within the Finger Lake region of New York.
Another co-theme focused on within the body of the plot was sibling rivalry. Every nuisance of it is examined within the story. I know because I replayed various events from my childhood in my head and compared them to his. Five kids with IQs ranging from 165 to 140, you can sure as hell bet money there was rivalry and competition.If single children have no concept to compare it to,life, as portrayed in this novel, between two highly competitive brothers is exactly what it was like. In everything. How they addressed one another, how they fought, what was questioned, how they got along, and even how these two dealt with problems. This is the perfect book to understand the multi-dimensions of sibling relationships and rivalry.Even the unpleasant parts.
In many ways, this novel is the living microcosm of today’s middle American town/city from the role the local regional airport plays in supporting various
community activities involving small business, international contacts, to festivals highlighting the airports significance in the region, and military support and protection. This novel lends itself to portraying an accurate account.
Another area correctly accounted for is the camaraderie of military life, and life on or near an air base. Living in and around the bases of DC, you often saw the tight, close knit relationships between military members. I saw the same closing of the ranks and support given in times of trouble. Danger has a way of drawing people together to support one another.
As you are reading, it occurs for you to ponder just how far someone would go to establish control over another person, create an ‘eminent domain’ issue for land takeover, and how many murders one would or could tolerate to achieve the final greedy goal.
This is a novel that also examines the world of a schizophrenic psychopath with a fixation on weapons. In the world of crime and greed this is not a good mix. Once introducing the various characters who play critical roles in the story, the novel intertwines the lives of two brothers. Intermixed with descriptions of local color are the machinations of a blackmailed congressman, and a mobster with his National Indian cohorts.
The ultimate villain of this piece is a psychopath, rejected through life,willing to do anything to be accepted by the one he loves, thus setting the stage for the calculated killings of military personnel and injury to others.Jets are sabotaged with fiery deaths and other wronged military personnel are blamed. A fine line must be walked between protection and investigation.
The first part of the novel relates the beauty of relationships in small town living, and love, rivalry. The ending is one of violent fights, fights for survival, and the ultimate sacrifice. Military investigators, through conscientious examination of evidence, ascertain the saboteur/killer and go on the hunt. But authorities are not there in time, and the loss of a loved one is Death’s finale.
So much death because of greed and unrequited love. There is a poignant and eloquent statement of meaning expressed in a military funeral. It relays what the soldier meant to his comrades in arms, what his service to his nation meant, how he lived, and how he is honored in death.
But as often happens when one door on life closes, another opens. Thus, the saga of a family, with military ties for decades continues. I really got into the relating of everyday life in the Heartland, what date night in small towns was like, the love and camaraderie of friendships, especially related to military life.
This is a descriptive tale of the sights, smells, and sounds of life on a military base. It was educational, but most of all it did a fine job of engaging the reader with likable characters and where you hated the villains. In a military thriller you expect all the fights, armaments and damaged bodies. This one moved me, you wanted our heroes to succeed, expected a happily ever after and was shocked not to find it. Death when it came was how all warriors would wish to go and the final departure was moving and eloquent, yet leaving us looking forward to a better life for the Stevens family.
This novel took a slightly different tone. It wasn’t the international espionage one is accustomed to in military thrillers. But it spoke of the poetic beauty in military life in this ever twisting tale, its realism, and how a warrior would prefer to die. Lawrence Colby, in THE BUFFALO PILOT, has created a novel that will appeal to all readers of thrillers. An excellent write that kept you on the edge of your seat to the end. Well done, a 5* read!
That said, Colby gives insight into “Mafia” behavior exhibited by mobsters, only it examines it through the Native American Indian tribal structure of the region. Those of us with early ancestors in the Connecticut Western Reserve are cognizant of the powerful Iroquois Nation history and its impact on US history. I wasn’t aware of the close alliance to those in “Canadian” territory that is somewhat maintained today. Gotta love the inserts of geopolitics!
Most people probably think the problem with the Italian Mafia was solely in NYC and New England regions. Not so. In the 1970s,the Italian Mafia scene in Ohio, as a gateway to the Midwest, operated out of Youngstown-Cleveland area. Name it, drugs, prostitution, illegal gambling, illegal cigarette sales were run out of Cleveland. And as THE BUFFALO PILOT points out, even the coercion of local politicians was commonplace.
What’s related in Colby’s storyline is exactly how it worked. Unknowingly, a good college friend was the daughter of a Mafia kingpin, and when my parent, in legal profession,became aware of exactly what the connection was, provided sufficient information to ensure we watched our step. Threw one hell of a wedding though. Booze flowed free, guns at every door, and a father-in-law-law who informed the groom if he was unfaithful, there was nowhere in the world he could hide. Just making the point, as in the story, the tentacles of threat, corruption, violence were and are everywhere.But I digress.
The fascinating actions of coercion found in this novel are not exaggerated. There was a reason the TV show, THE FBI, was one of the most popular of the decade because the stories they related were often true. Colby’s rendition is pretty much exactly how Mob rule played out back then in towns and cities across the US. Only this time, the corruption is within Indian tribes of the region, all within the Finger Lake region of New York.
Another co-theme focused on within the body of the plot was sibling rivalry. Every nuisance of it is examined within the story. I know because I replayed various events from my childhood in my head and compared them to his. Five kids with IQs ranging from 165 to 140, you can sure as hell bet money there was rivalry and competition.If single children have no concept to compare it to,life, as portrayed in this novel, between two highly competitive brothers is exactly what it was like. In everything. How they addressed one another, how they fought, what was questioned, how they got along, and even how these two dealt with problems. This is the perfect book to understand the multi-dimensions of sibling relationships and rivalry.Even the unpleasant parts.
In many ways, this novel is the living microcosm of today’s middle American town/city from the role the local regional airport plays in supporting various
community activities involving small business, international contacts, to festivals highlighting the airports significance in the region, and military support and protection. This novel lends itself to portraying an accurate account.
Another area correctly accounted for is the camaraderie of military life, and life on or near an air base. Living in and around the bases of DC, you often saw the tight, close knit relationships between military members. I saw the same closing of the ranks and support given in times of trouble. Danger has a way of drawing people together to support one another.
As you are reading, it occurs for you to ponder just how far someone would go to establish control over another person, create an ‘eminent domain’ issue for land takeover, and how many murders one would or could tolerate to achieve the final greedy goal.
This is a novel that also examines the world of a schizophrenic psychopath with a fixation on weapons. In the world of crime and greed this is not a good mix. Once introducing the various characters who play critical roles in the story, the novel intertwines the lives of two brothers. Intermixed with descriptions of local color are the machinations of a blackmailed congressman, and a mobster with his National Indian cohorts.
The ultimate villain of this piece is a psychopath, rejected through life,willing to do anything to be accepted by the one he loves, thus setting the stage for the calculated killings of military personnel and injury to others.Jets are sabotaged with fiery deaths and other wronged military personnel are blamed. A fine line must be walked between protection and investigation.
The first part of the novel relates the beauty of relationships in small town living, and love, rivalry. The ending is one of violent fights, fights for survival, and the ultimate sacrifice. Military investigators, through conscientious examination of evidence, ascertain the saboteur/killer and go on the hunt. But authorities are not there in time, and the loss of a loved one is Death’s finale.
So much death because of greed and unrequited love. There is a poignant and eloquent statement of meaning expressed in a military funeral. It relays what the soldier meant to his comrades in arms, what his service to his nation meant, how he lived, and how he is honored in death.
But as often happens when one door on life closes, another opens. Thus, the saga of a family, with military ties for decades continues. I really got into the relating of everyday life in the Heartland, what date night in small towns was like, the love and camaraderie of friendships, especially related to military life.
This is a descriptive tale of the sights, smells, and sounds of life on a military base. It was educational, but most of all it did a fine job of engaging the reader with likable characters and where you hated the villains. In a military thriller you expect all the fights, armaments and damaged bodies. This one moved me, you wanted our heroes to succeed, expected a happily ever after and was shocked not to find it. Death when it came was how all warriors would wish to go and the final departure was moving and eloquent, yet leaving us looking forward to a better life for the Stevens family.
This novel took a slightly different tone. It wasn’t the international espionage one is accustomed to in military thrillers. But it spoke of the poetic beauty in military life in this ever twisting tale, its realism, and how a warrior would prefer to die. Lawrence Colby, in THE BUFFALO PILOT, has created a novel that will appeal to all readers of thrillers. An excellent write that kept you on the edge of your seat to the end. Well done, a 5* read!
September 25, 2020
The Buffalo Pilot is an intriguing tale of corruption and crime, set in the backdrop of politics and Jet fuel.
The story revolves around a congressman being blackmailed by a crime mob to close down a US Air Force Reserve base. With a sinister right hand of the congressman planning devastating means of making sure the base gets closed down, Ford Stevens and Charlie Stevens get wrapped up in a dangerous plot. Ford Stevens is the commander of the air refueling squadron at the base, with his younger brother Charlie joining the squadron to follow in his brother’s footsteps. Both brothers have their arcs in the book as the plot thickens.
As mentioned above, the narrative also runs on jet fuel, and as such, there is a good amount of technical details and inner workings pertaining to jet planes and refueling measures, as well as interesting flight sequences that give an insight into the smooth but at times dangerous functioning of huge refueling aircraft.
I enjoyed the focus on gritty crime vibe with the integration of politics and gangs. The right hand man of the congressman trying to shut the air base down, is definitely a stand-out character in terms of disturbing behavior and scary personality. An absolutely evil antagonist who gives a great challenge to the Stevens brothers.
I became quickly acquainted with the characters and invested emotionally in them, despite jumping in directly into the third book. The characters are fun to read, especially the Stevens brothers. Each brother has his own charisma, with Ford being more comfortable in his role as the commander of the squadron and Charlie learning to adapt to the demanding environment of the air base as well as learning to live up to the reputation of being Ford’s younger brother.
I believe the interactions between characters could have been a bit more natural in terms of dialogues. The dialogues felt fine in writing but not when being imagined as spoken words in the narrative.
The narrative does pack a gut-wrenching ending that had me shook as I read through it. While it does not have a strong emphasis on action, the story is a crime thriller at heart and the constant plot twists and turns add to the captivating vibe emanating from the book.
All in all, The Buffalo Pilot is a great crime thriller with lots of interesting tidbits about jets, and I enjoyed reading through the book.
The story revolves around a congressman being blackmailed by a crime mob to close down a US Air Force Reserve base. With a sinister right hand of the congressman planning devastating means of making sure the base gets closed down, Ford Stevens and Charlie Stevens get wrapped up in a dangerous plot. Ford Stevens is the commander of the air refueling squadron at the base, with his younger brother Charlie joining the squadron to follow in his brother’s footsteps. Both brothers have their arcs in the book as the plot thickens.
As mentioned above, the narrative also runs on jet fuel, and as such, there is a good amount of technical details and inner workings pertaining to jet planes and refueling measures, as well as interesting flight sequences that give an insight into the smooth but at times dangerous functioning of huge refueling aircraft.
I enjoyed the focus on gritty crime vibe with the integration of politics and gangs. The right hand man of the congressman trying to shut the air base down, is definitely a stand-out character in terms of disturbing behavior and scary personality. An absolutely evil antagonist who gives a great challenge to the Stevens brothers.
I became quickly acquainted with the characters and invested emotionally in them, despite jumping in directly into the third book. The characters are fun to read, especially the Stevens brothers. Each brother has his own charisma, with Ford being more comfortable in his role as the commander of the squadron and Charlie learning to adapt to the demanding environment of the air base as well as learning to live up to the reputation of being Ford’s younger brother.
I believe the interactions between characters could have been a bit more natural in terms of dialogues. The dialogues felt fine in writing but not when being imagined as spoken words in the narrative.
The narrative does pack a gut-wrenching ending that had me shook as I read through it. While it does not have a strong emphasis on action, the story is a crime thriller at heart and the constant plot twists and turns add to the captivating vibe emanating from the book.
All in all, The Buffalo Pilot is a great crime thriller with lots of interesting tidbits about jets, and I enjoyed reading through the book.
September 12, 2020
I Have now read all Three of The Ford Stevens series. I loved the first two. As a USAF veteran I loved all the flying. I started Buffalo Pilot expecting more of the same. But this one was different. From the start the plot started to draw me in and as the plot unfolded I could not put it down! It’s hard to say more without giving the plot and especially the ending away. WELL DONE MR. COLBY ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You did not disappoint!
You did not disappoint!
August 26, 2020
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
This is one of those books where the title character is a guest star in their own series. It's really about Ford's brother, and the psychotic underling of a local congressman.
The Native American mafia of Buffalo New York want to build a giant casino, and they'll resort to any underhanded tactics to get it. This concept is actually interesting, but is never really developed in favor of description's of the underling's mental problems.
A missed opportunity.
This is one of those books where the title character is a guest star in their own series. It's really about Ford's brother, and the psychotic underling of a local congressman.
The Native American mafia of Buffalo New York want to build a giant casino, and they'll resort to any underhanded tactics to get it. This concept is actually interesting, but is never really developed in favor of description's of the underling's mental problems.
A missed opportunity.
December 5, 2021
Not quite up to the previous two in the series but a good book. Best part - laying the groundwork for a new series
September 7, 2020
I won this book on Goodreads and was very happy I did. Silly me, by the title I thought I would be getting a historical aviation thriller, about an ill-fated pilot flying the Brewster Buffalo pursuit plane, hopelessly outclassed by Japanese Zeros during our entry into WWII. Instead, I received a military aviation thriller masquerading as a mystery in a political wrapper. Author Colby does a superior job depicting the activities of an Air Force Reserve Squadron coping with supporting critical US Air Force Global Missions. While juggling their Reserve Missions with their regular jobs, these air crews and supporters have to deal with their Air Base facing Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) activities that threaten to close the base. While BRAC is supposed to be only concerned with military importance, there are always political implications when an installation is to remain open or closed, especially if there are no other economic activities poised to replace the multi-million dollar expenditures by thousands of military and civilian personnel, in stores, bars, support contracts etc. The military, political and civilian characters seemed very real, the action was fast paced and the BRAC situation was all too familiar to me. I strongly recommend this book.
Footnote: I worked at Fort McClellan, Alabama, an Army base closed by BRAC in 1999. When I visited the base in 2003 & 2005, there was very little activity on the base, and Anniston, the town outside was still trying to recover.
Footnote: I worked at Fort McClellan, Alabama, an Army base closed by BRAC in 1999. When I visited the base in 2003 & 2005, there was very little activity on the base, and Anniston, the town outside was still trying to recover.
August 25, 2020
The first two books in the series had hooked me and I was eagerly anticipating the third. I had very high expectations, and the author delivered! The Buffalo Pilot started different than the previous two and it threw me for a loop. But as the book progressed, I found myself getting deeper into the story to the point I couldn’t put the book down.
Overall, I am pleased that Colby had slightly varied his approach and that his writing and flow continues to excel. 5 stars, you will NOT be disappointed!!!!
Overall, I am pleased that Colby had slightly varied his approach and that his writing and flow continues to excel. 5 stars, you will NOT be disappointed!!!!
September 13, 2020
Excellent ending book to the series
Wrapped up character development for this three book series. While friends characters. Action was fast paced which kept me involved for a faster read than I normally have.
Wrapped up character development for this three book series. While friends characters. Action was fast paced which kept me involved for a faster read than I normally have.
September 21, 2020
Lawrence Colby sure can tell a story!! Wow the Buffalo Pilot continues his series and introduces Charlie Stevens along with a lot more characters. With superb character development and story telling. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was moved by the ending. Mr Colby is now a must read!!
September 1, 2020
Great
I really enjoyed reading this Great Book and hope they are many more to come with Charlie at the d as the main character.
I really enjoyed reading this Great Book and hope they are many more to come with Charlie at the d as the main character.
September 13, 2020
Great continuation of the series and loved all the technical flying stuff. I am sure there is more to come
June 10, 2021
A fun read, but not as the author’s first two. I guess it’s because it’s theme wasn’t the similar to the first two. But hey, ya can’t have the Chinese military the villain again!
September 15, 2020
Good story
Good story overall, making a nice change of pace from the first books. 3 stars because of the stilted dialog.
Good story overall, making a nice change of pace from the first books. 3 stars because of the stilted dialog.
January 31, 2023
I enjoyed The Buffalo Pilot and am glad that I read it. I didn't give it five stars because the storyline wasn't quite as exciting as the previous two books in the Ford Stevens series. If you've read the first two books in the series, you should continue on to read this book. While The Buffalo Pilot centers around an air base and does involve some flying, this story was more of a 'who done it?' type of story.
November 7, 2020
Not formulaic that's for sure!
Hmmm, how to describe the newest book from Lawrence Colby without a spoiler alert? Get it! Read it! You'll understand perfectly! Guaranteed. Thirsty for more...
Hmmm, how to describe the newest book from Lawrence Colby without a spoiler alert? Get it! Read it! You'll understand perfectly! Guaranteed. Thirsty for more...
November 21, 2023
Another great book by Larry Colby. I look forward to the next series!
August 22, 2020
I saw up this series while in Hilton Head and was immediately drawn to it. I’m interested in aviation just as Ford was. In the course of a month and a half I finished all three books.
The buffalo pilot was slightly different seeing as the plot was not directed around stealing a stealth jet. However, this was a refreshing and interesting twist to the series.
As you read through the book, you begin to piece together the details and fully see the big picture. It is as if you were part of the story yourself.
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the book early and was so drawn into the story that I finished it in a few days. You can spend hours in Ford’s world without even realizing it.
Colby does an astounding job of hiding the important details in plain sight and reveals all of the missing pieces in the most beautiful way.
While there are no spoilers to the book in this review, I will say that if you have followed the series from the start, you may shed a few tears... multiple times. All in all 10/10!
The buffalo pilot was slightly different seeing as the plot was not directed around stealing a stealth jet. However, this was a refreshing and interesting twist to the series.
As you read through the book, you begin to piece together the details and fully see the big picture. It is as if you were part of the story yourself.
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the book early and was so drawn into the story that I finished it in a few days. You can spend hours in Ford’s world without even realizing it.
Colby does an astounding job of hiding the important details in plain sight and reveals all of the missing pieces in the most beautiful way.
While there are no spoilers to the book in this review, I will say that if you have followed the series from the start, you may shed a few tears... multiple times. All in all 10/10!
September 30, 2024
Solid plot, painful dialogue
The plot was fast moving and once I was in, it was a solid story line but the dialogue between characters was tough to fight through.
The plot was fast moving and once I was in, it was a solid story line but the dialogue between characters was tough to fight through.
March 13, 2022
China vs the brothers no contest
Stealing secret planes. Frustrated Chinese. Crooked congressman. I liked that dialog and the characters. What's next. I had a nice afternoon reading this.
Stealing secret planes. Frustrated Chinese. Crooked congressman. I liked that dialog and the characters. What's next. I had a nice afternoon reading this.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews