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Some skills you never lose. Killing is one of them.

Matthew Riker keeps to himself, doesn't cause trouble, and never talks about his past.

But after a chance encounter with a woman and a small child on the run, Riker will have to make a choice: use his hard-won skills to protect two innocent victims, or stay in the safety of his quiet life.

What follows is an adrenaline-soaked thrill ride that will take Riker on a cross-country chase, through the seedy underbelly of a New York criminal empire, and into the darkest places of the human heart.

Fans of John Wick, Jack Reacher, and Jason Bourne... get ready to meet Matthew Riker.

358 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 6, 2020

431 people are currently reading
168 people want to read

About the author

J.T. Baier

5 books34 followers

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5 stars
658 (49%)
4 stars
478 (35%)
3 stars
158 (11%)
2 stars
28 (2%)
1 star
14 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
Profile Image for Tim.
2,497 reviews331 followers
August 12, 2022
Matthew Riker book 1 is well done for this reluctant hero. 8 of 10 stars
Profile Image for Maria.
1,205 reviews15 followers
May 11, 2025
2.5 stars

I wasn't blown away by this book or especially charmed by Matthew Riker.

All the puzzle pieces of a classic (and therefore quite stereotypical) badass (surely played by Tom Cruise if this was a movie) action hero are present, but I found it all a bit soulless.
A bit too cardboard.

The plot is almost paper thin and can be boiled down to:

1. "Child traffickers are bad!" (In case you didn't already know that.)
2. Matthew Riker will kick all the bad guys' asses, bleed some while doing it, risk his life, and yet, in spite of being a lone wolf against an armada of (thankfully not so bright) NPC bad guys, save the day.

I did like the little girl, Lee.
She was the only "thing" in the book that felt rather solid (aside from Riker's moral high ground and ability to handle pretty much anything) and that made her a much needed addition to the story.

All in all, this story won't stay with me. It was a bit too mainstream and too similar to already established characters/series out there. (John Wick, Jack Reacher, Jason Bourne, and so on.)

However, it was easy on the ears (great narrator) and I might pop back in for book 2, one day or other simply because - as far as badass action stories about an asskicking guy goes... It works.
Profile Image for Tracy T..
1,023 reviews24 followers
September 21, 2020
Amazing Story and narration! (audible review)

This was sooo good. Every bit of this story was good. I am a fan Matthew Riker!

This book is action packed. Riker is trying to save a 3 year old girl. OH MY does he get the bad guys!

If you like Court Gentry from The Gray Man, Dewey Andreas, Jack Winchester, Jonathan Quinn, James Reece, and Jack Winchester you will love this book!

I am looking forward to the next book in this series and I hope that Jay Snyder narrates it.

The narration is amazing. I am a big fan of Jay Snyder. He does such a good job on all the voices individually, has a nice reading voice and reads with emotion. Sooo goooooood.
Profile Image for Kayleigh.
172 reviews1 follower
July 12, 2025
Typical American story with a typical American hero: ex-military, ex-secret service, lone-wolf, etc etc.

Riker was okay, but nothing particularly standout. He can speak multiple languages, can beat multiple bad guys while nearly bleeding to death, can beat the one guy that everyone else is scared of.

The character of Lei was probably the best thing in the book. She was adorable and made me laugh.

I did enjoy the couple of twists, but they weren’t overly shocking & if I had been giving my full attention, I’d have probably seen them coming a mile away
18 reviews2 followers
June 23, 2020
I enjoyed this book so much, I went on Amazon to pre order his next book.
Wonderful read. I couldn’t turn the Padres fast enough!
Profile Image for Penelope.
1,468 reviews15 followers
July 1, 2023
4 Stars for THE IMPORT by JT Baier. THE IMPORT was offered as a Daily Deal through my audio book account and I thought I’d give it a try. My husband and I listened to the audio version a few chapters each morning over a couple cups of coffee. The narration by Jay Snyder was read excellently. This was our first book by Baier.

*MY RATING GUIDE: 1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I enjoyed it; 4= I LIKED THIS A LOT; 5= I Loved it, it was great! (I seldom give 5 Stars).

THE IMPORT -
Both former SEAL and former black-op assassin Matthew Riker/MMC, 6’1”, mid-late 30’s, has been out of the business for the past 6yrs. Retired by choice, Riker has quietly settled outside a small town in the Carlina’s as a bee keeper. He’s unloading a honey delivery at the local fairgrounds when a bruised and apparently frightened woman with a very young child flees past him. Two men, carrying handguns, are pursuing them. Then six additional men quickly follow. A decision tugs at Riker - get involved or let it go.

THE IMPORT is a very fast moving Action Thriller which may appeal best to readers of this genre who enjoy books similar in tone to Bourne Identity or Jack Reacher. The violence level grows as the book progresses and by the end may be more graphic than some readers prefer. Although my husband and I enjoyed THE IMPORT, we agreed that we probably won’t move on to the next book as I prefer somewhat lighter (and less detailed/graphic) material.

READER CAUTIONS -
PROFANITY - Yes. Strong language is used somewhat frequently.
VIOLENCE - Yes. Rather graphic torture scenes, killings, shoot-outs, and abductions mixed in with the action - not for the squeamish.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - None.
1,537 reviews5 followers
August 6, 2021
Unstoppable

Riker is like a force of nature. Leading a quiet life, tending to his bee hives. While dropping off a case of honey, he gets caught up in saving a woman with a small child. Unfortunately for the bad guys, Riker will fight to the death to save the little girl. Buckle up, this is a brutal ride!
39 reviews1 follower
August 10, 2020
Magnets won’t stick to Stainless steel !

This was a good book, full of action and nothing too unbelievable.
But there is one thing at the end that really gets me.....a magnet will not stick to Stainless Steel !
28 reviews
June 23, 2020
Non-stop pulse pounding action

This is my first read with J T Baker and I've added him to my follow list! He's got lot going on and a really smooth delivery putting it to the page. Sometimes writers don't quite get the action sequences down in a way thats easy to follow, but not Baier! You are right there, blow by blow following each move seamlessly. It's amazingly good, if a bit of a stretch that one guy can take on so many and walk away but Riker has a good heart and he is a hero after all! Can't wait for book 2, if you like Bourne, Reacher etc you can move Riker to that watchlist. Love to see this one on the big screen!
154 reviews14 followers
July 7, 2020
J.T. Baier is a fantastic new author

Well that’s wat I call a cracking debut. J.T Baier does everything right with his new series: A competent, likable protagonist who isn’t superhuman. An engaging storyline which gets more intense with every surprising twist and cinematic action „set piece“. And last but not least, a powerful backstory which has enough potential to carry an entire saga. Fans of military-action thrillers will love Matthew Riker and the world he inhabits. Can’t wait to dive right away into book two!
Profile Image for Jonnie.
816 reviews
January 21, 2021
This was an audiobook and to be honest, I purchased this book because it was an action book read by Jay Snyder. In my opinion, Snyder is the best audiobook narrator for this type of genre. My expectations were minimum for the book itself, but I found the book to be quite enjoyable. Mr. Baier is not as skilled a writer as Mark Greaney, but there was enough action and character development to make it a fast read. At times the writing was a little short and choppy but otherwise it held my attention. If you like Orphan X and the Grey Man, you would probably like this book.
20 reviews
July 7, 2020
Talk about an action-packed story! This one keeps the adrenaline pumping from start to finish! Riker (he hates being called "Matthew") is a welcome new addition to the "one-man-gang" set of literary heroes. No odds are too great for him to go on the offensive. He's always up to any challenge.
He has heart and he has skills. And, boy, can he ever make some big messes!

When will the movie be released?
Profile Image for Trish R..
1,772 reviews58 followers
September 23, 2020

Started a little slow but sure picked up. Riker went from not wanting to kill anyone to killing everyone. The bad guys all got exactly what they deserved, and then some more. Because he was doing his best to save a 3 year old girl who was about to be sold. He didn't know why or care why he just knew he had to save her.

No romance and the F-bomb was used 19 times.

As for the narration: Jay Snyder is an awesome narrator! He did the entire series of The Gray Man and I loved every book.
Profile Image for Terri Labeth.
59 reviews
April 5, 2022
The first book in a series is always trying to sort out the characters and establish a sense of the author’s writing style. There is a lot of action in this book. There are also some torture scenes but I “read through” those, getting the idea without the details. This is my type of book and main character. Extremely competent and smart, using unconventional methods to reach his goal. I highly recommend and plan to read the next book in the series soon.
Profile Image for Sonya Stanford.
1 review
September 24, 2022
Great read!

I have been searching for a new writer with lots of action in the storyline! While there are some typos that should have been caught, this was an action-packed book that kept me up until nearly 3AM because I didn't want to stop reading! Will read more by this writer!
2 reviews
March 6, 2021
Unbelievable!

A waste of time. How many times can you say”don’t waste your time”. Don’t bother to read. This stupid apcant even count to 16.
Profile Image for Logan Horsford.
577 reviews21 followers
August 9, 2021
"Five days earlier"

I have the same opinion on that crap as so wonderfully shown in Rick and Morty.

I'd have been happier to just dropped into the fight climax and go from there.
Profile Image for Cherry Mischievous.
597 reviews289 followers
August 28, 2023

My Thoughts:

Our hero, Matthew Riker, is MacGyver, Rambo, and Sarah Connor rolled into one. The book is action-packed from the get-go until the end.

Some of the fight scenes though, did not seem plausible. But, me being an urban fantasy fan and not really of crime fiction, I am quite tolerant with impossible fight scenes. Having said that, I still wished that the fight scenes are done in a more believable way.

For a crime fiction, the plot was quite straight forward. Crime organisation kidnaps little girl. Riker rescues girl. Lots of violence all the way and that's it.

I didn't like it that the author placed the end of the story at the start as a prologue. I understand that it is a good selling technique but it does not make for a good reading. It kinda ruins the plot. Then you would know that this bit of the story would definitely happen.

I like the way Jay Snyder reads and his deep baritone of a voice suits our main protagonist's character.


Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 3.5
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 3
Pace = (10 hrs listening time)
Plot = 3
Narration = 5


Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
Profile Image for Zade.
485 reviews48 followers
October 18, 2025
If you want an entertaining, brain-candy thriller, this is fine. Don't expect too much. Don't think too hard. If you try to make it make sense, it will all fall apart.

A few things I can tell you about the author without looking up anything about him.

1. He is a him.

2. He wrestled in high school and it was a peak experience in his life.

3. If there are women in his life, they are NPCs - mom, arm-candy, etc. His social life and self-image are exclusively centered around other dudes.

4. He has not been around kids and has no idea what behavior or language abilities are age-appropriate for a three- year-old.

5. He is neither a veteran nor a former LEO.

Now that I've ragged on him, let me say that I think Baier has talent. I'll probably read a later book in the series to see if he's developed it. He's clearly read a bunch of Jack Reacher/Gray Man-type books and is smart enough to pick up on the tropes and pacing that make them work. His writing doesn't suck, as in he understands grammar, isn't super repetitive, and his dialogue isn't painfully cringey. He just needs refining and maybe a stricter editor.

Side note: It's not Baier's fault, probably just a generational difference, but I can't see/hear the name "Riker" without seeing Jonathan Frakes in my mind. It was occasionally distracting while reading this book.
333 reviews1 follower
December 24, 2024
This audiobook hero is as high energy as the Jack Bauer character in the television series 24.
The narrator, Jay Synder, does a superb job in this audiobook version.
Mathew Ricker was a brawl prone youngster rescued by a teacher who recognized his potential and prevented him from a life of bar fights and eventual prison. As an adult joined the Navy Seals and was trained to be a black ops warrior/killing machine. During a particularly harrowing assignment his fellow partner was killed and he barely made it out of the situation with his life. The death of his fellow agent beside him caused him to retire to a simple quiet life as a rural beekeeper and honey retailer. He was at the small town fair delivering his honey when he sees a terrified woman clutching a three year old baby girl being chased by some villians. Riker is compelled to help the distressed females and thus begins the story.
While he prefers to resolve matters non-violently when that option is rejected he is not above engaging in some serious a$$ kicking. By the end of the story he single handedly leaves a kill count of 52 with one near death survivor.
I’m off to listen to book 2 in the series.
Profile Image for Frida Dillenbeck.
538 reviews5 followers
November 23, 2025
A smart creative comic hero loving three year old in trouble. She truly needs a hero to save the day and deliver her to safety.

A true life hero happens to see her being hustled through a carnival while being chased by a band of what appears to him as ‘bad guys’. Who chases a three year old except parents wanting the child’s safety? So he knows something is amiss.

The chase is on as he deftly swoops the child away but is flustered by the continued groups a bad guys following them where ever they go and is nabbed away from him.

The super hero pursues tiny princess on a quest to return her to her parents. Along the way, a great memorable line is stated, “No, I did not shoot him, I killed him with my pocket knife. Want me to show you how I did it?”

Riker is a great character, a quiet unassuming retired special ops guy living a quiet life in rural America as a bee 🐝 farmer. Selling his organic harvest of sweet at area fairs and festivals.

As the story closes, an old nemesis returns for a visit. Will Riker be able to save himself as he comes face to face with his demon?

The action packed saga hopefully continues !
15 reviews
May 2, 2022
A bit improbable in parts but no doubt necessary for Riker to succeed against the huge odds. Anyway a great fun read, unputdownable and ultra fast paced. Will definitely proceed to next Riker adventure.

A bit improbable in parts but obviously necessary for Riker to succeed against the huge odds. A great fun read, unputdownable and ultra fast paced. Will definitely proceed to the next in series. We all want to see powerful evil people meet their end despite the failures of the justice system and politics thus the need for escapist fantasies like this to give us cheer. Congratulations J.T. Baier, good job done.
Profile Image for Ajitabh Pandey.
857 reviews51 followers
December 18, 2023
This is my first book by the author and I must say I am looking forward to the second book in the series. I am not sure at this point if I like the protagonist or not, but perhaps further books in the series will help me take that decision.
In general the protagonist and the base of the storyline seems pretty identical to the Grey Man Series by Mark Greaney. The narator Jay Snyder Narrator is also the same, and has done an excellent job.
Profile Image for Jonathan Pettit.
491 reviews5 followers
February 1, 2022
Excellent action thriller! Matthew Ryker is a former special operator trying to lay low in a rural setting. Circumstances change when a woman and child appear running through the county fair. Somehow he gets involved in an international incident to save a child. Ryker is a great character, lots of features, very much a "Gray Man" type character. The book was enjoyable and full of non-stop action. I definitely plan to continue the series. Jay Synder's narration was great for the audible version and helps to set out the "Gray Man" attitude of the novel.
302 reviews
July 2, 2024
Another superhuman....

This book had many high rchance. And good reviews, so I took a chance. The story was very good andcthe action top-notch. I even liked the characters and their development in the first half of the book. But once it got to New York , the storyline was still good, but the "superhero" antics got a bit overdone. The death toll he extracted against overwhelming odds got a bit tiresome. Still, it piqued my interest, so I may grab the next in thecseries. A 4.3 out of 5 rating.
234 reviews1 follower
March 19, 2021
“Fifty-two people dead and a survivor who says his finger was pulled clean off of his hand. And by all accounts, it was the work of one man. Yeah, we’re pretty sure it was Matthew Riker.” And all of it to save a 3 yr old girl. I really like this reluctant assassin. You learn his history in flashbacks and it explains his hesitancy and his skill set. The author leaves him in a pretty bad place at the end of the story (but not exactly a cliffhanger). I’m glad to see there’s a sequel!
Profile Image for Jkane.
719 reviews2 followers
June 13, 2021
This book is on par with the gray man series by mark greaney, Tom Wood’s Victor series, and the orphan x series by Gregg hurwitz. A well scripted story of a reluctant hero with a shadowy history with a government organization. I chose the book because of the high 4.5 rating on Audible and the 4.4 rating on goodreads, and I was not disappointed. There are a lot of books that try to do this genre and only a handful that do it well.
7 reviews1 follower
August 23, 2020
Great read!

I read this in one sitting due to the authors ability to make turning the next page a must. Great action, great dialogue. Some scenes were a little far fetched but to me thats being entertained by the writers imagination. I liked the Army Navy rivalry, felt like actual conversations Ive heard while I served. Really fun book.
3 reviews
September 1, 2021
Move over Jason Bourne

This book while having a lot of action actually has a powerful story to tell with characters that you care about and enough twists to keep you on your toes. I download a lot of samples but this is only the third time that I thought the book was worth buying. I was right. So get the book and buckle up. You're in for a wild ride!!
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