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Nick Flynn #1
Arctic Storm Rising
First in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Dale Brown, featuring U.S. Air Force intelligence officer Nick Flynn on the hunt for Russian commandos in the mountains of Alaska.
After a CIA covert mission goes badly awry, U.S. Air Force intelligence officer Nicholas Flynn is exiled to guard a remote radar post along Alaska’s Arctic frontier. This dead-end assignment is designed to put his career permanently on ice, but Flynn’s not the type to fade quietly into obscurity...
As winter storms pound Alaska and northern Canada, Russian aircraft begin penetrating deep into friendly airspace. Are these rehearsals for a possible first strike, using Russia’s new long-range stealth cruise missiles? Or is some other motive driving the Kremlin to take ever-increasing risks along the hostile Arctic frontier separating two of the world’s great powers?
When an American F-22 collides with one of the Russian interlopers, things go south fast—in seconds, missiles are fired. There are no survivors. Despite horrific weather, Flynn and his security team are ordered to parachute into the area in a desperate bid to reach the crash sites ahead of the Russians. It’s now obvious that the Pentagon and CIA are withholding vital information, but Flynn and his men have no choice but to make the dangerous jump.
Soon they’re caught in a deadly game of hide-and-seek with Spetsnaz commandos operating covertly on American soil. It seems that the F-22s and their Russian counterparts aren’t the first aircraft to have gone missing in these desolate mountains. The Kremlin is hunting for the first prototype of its new stealth bomber—which vanished on what was supposed to be a test flight…while loaded with nuclear-armed stealth cruise missiles.
As Russia and the U.S. square off on the brink of all-out-war, it’s up to Nick to find the missing bomber…and prevent a potential nuclear holocaust.
After a CIA covert mission goes badly awry, U.S. Air Force intelligence officer Nicholas Flynn is exiled to guard a remote radar post along Alaska’s Arctic frontier. This dead-end assignment is designed to put his career permanently on ice, but Flynn’s not the type to fade quietly into obscurity...
As winter storms pound Alaska and northern Canada, Russian aircraft begin penetrating deep into friendly airspace. Are these rehearsals for a possible first strike, using Russia’s new long-range stealth cruise missiles? Or is some other motive driving the Kremlin to take ever-increasing risks along the hostile Arctic frontier separating two of the world’s great powers?
When an American F-22 collides with one of the Russian interlopers, things go south fast—in seconds, missiles are fired. There are no survivors. Despite horrific weather, Flynn and his security team are ordered to parachute into the area in a desperate bid to reach the crash sites ahead of the Russians. It’s now obvious that the Pentagon and CIA are withholding vital information, but Flynn and his men have no choice but to make the dangerous jump.
Soon they’re caught in a deadly game of hide-and-seek with Spetsnaz commandos operating covertly on American soil. It seems that the F-22s and their Russian counterparts aren’t the first aircraft to have gone missing in these desolate mountains. The Kremlin is hunting for the first prototype of its new stealth bomber—which vanished on what was supposed to be a test flight…while loaded with nuclear-armed stealth cruise missiles.
As Russia and the U.S. square off on the brink of all-out-war, it’s up to Nick to find the missing bomber…and prevent a potential nuclear holocaust.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published May 25, 2021
1453 people are currently reading
5302 people want to read
About the author
Dale Brown
151 books1,132 followersFormer U.S. Air Force captain Dale Brown is the superstar author of 25 consecutive New York Times best-selling military-action-aviation adventure novels: FLIGHT OF THE OLD DOG (1987), SILVER TOWER (1988), DAY OF THE CHEETAH (1989), HAMMERHEADS (1990), SKY MASTERS (1991), NIGHT OF THE HAWK (1992), CHAINS OF COMMAND (1993), STORMING HEAVEN (1994), SHADOWS OF STEEL (1996) and FATAL TERRAIN (1997), THE TIN MAN (1998), BATTLE BORN (1999), and WARRIOR CLASS (2001). His Fourteenth Novel AIRBATTLE FORCE will be published in late Spring 2003... Dale's novels are published in 11 languages and distributed to over 70 countries. Worldwide sales of his novels, audiobooks and computer games exceed 10 million copies.
Dale was born in Buffalo, New York on November 2, 1956. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Western European History and received an Air Force commission in 1978. He was a navigator-bombardier in the B-52G Stratofortress heavy bomber and the FB-111A supersonic medium bomber, and is the recipient of several military decorations and awards including the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Combat Crew Award, and the Marksmanship ribbon.
Dale was also one of the nation's first Air Force ROTC cadets to qualify for and complete the grueling three-week U.S. Army Airborne Infantry paratrooper training course.
Dale is a director and volunteer pilot for AirLifeLine, a non-profit national charitable medical transportation organization who fly needy persons free of charge to receive treatment. He also supports a number of organizations to support and promote law enforcement and reading.
Dale Brown is a member of The Writers Guild and a Life Member of the Air Force Association and U.S. Naval Institute. He is a multi-engine and instrument-rated private pilot and can often be found in the skies all across the United States, piloting his own plane. On the ground, Dale enjoys tennis, skiing, scuba diving, and hockey. Dale, his wife Diane, and son Hunter live near the shores of Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
Dale was born in Buffalo, New York on November 2, 1956. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Western European History and received an Air Force commission in 1978. He was a navigator-bombardier in the B-52G Stratofortress heavy bomber and the FB-111A supersonic medium bomber, and is the recipient of several military decorations and awards including the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Combat Crew Award, and the Marksmanship ribbon.
Dale was also one of the nation's first Air Force ROTC cadets to qualify for and complete the grueling three-week U.S. Army Airborne Infantry paratrooper training course.
Dale is a director and volunteer pilot for AirLifeLine, a non-profit national charitable medical transportation organization who fly needy persons free of charge to receive treatment. He also supports a number of organizations to support and promote law enforcement and reading.
Dale Brown is a member of The Writers Guild and a Life Member of the Air Force Association and U.S. Naval Institute. He is a multi-engine and instrument-rated private pilot and can often be found in the skies all across the United States, piloting his own plane. On the ground, Dale enjoys tennis, skiing, scuba diving, and hockey. Dale, his wife Diane, and son Hunter live near the shores of Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 340 reviews
February 17, 2022
A cast of characters at the beginning makes it easier to follow. This is the first in a new series featuring Nick Flynn. Highly skilled, loyal but recently fallen out of favor with higher ups. Flynn is assigned to a remote outpost in Alaska. Not too much goes on there besides staying warm and staving off boredom. Until a Russian aircraft (stealth prototype) ends up on American soil. Lots of action for fans of military adventure fiction. Gratitude to the publisher for providing a complimentary copy. The second book in the series drops Spring 2022.
November 21, 2021
I haven't read/listened to Dale Brown before, but I'll definitely be checking out more of his work after this. Arctic Storm Rising kicks off his Nick Flynn series and does it really well.
While Flynn is the main protagonist - the story is told from the perspective of many people: government, military, & intelligence from the US and Russia. In some respects this is as much a political thriller as it is a military one. I really liked not being able to guess who was about to double cross who and why. Petrov, despite being an obvious antagonist was an intriguing character whose loyalties stayed vague through much of the story.
Brown weaves together smaller (and sometimes seemingly insignificant) missions and incidents to culminate in a final few hours that were difficult to push pause on. Betrayals on all sides are brutal and it causes Flynn and his team to have to act quickly.
While this doesn't end on a cliffhanger - Brown teases what may come of Flynn's career and a new threat. I'm looking forward to Countdown to Midnight and hope some of my favorite secondary characters will be along for the ride.
Narration:
This was a narrator motivated pick because I really enjoy Rob Shapiro and I was looking for a thriller. As always, Shapiro's performance drew me into the story and kept me listening for 2 days straight. There are a LOT of characters in this book and the consistent narration of each helped me keep track of all the players. Well done and truly enjoyable.
While Flynn is the main protagonist - the story is told from the perspective of many people: government, military, & intelligence from the US and Russia. In some respects this is as much a political thriller as it is a military one. I really liked not being able to guess who was about to double cross who and why. Petrov, despite being an obvious antagonist was an intriguing character whose loyalties stayed vague through much of the story.
Brown weaves together smaller (and sometimes seemingly insignificant) missions and incidents to culminate in a final few hours that were difficult to push pause on. Betrayals on all sides are brutal and it causes Flynn and his team to have to act quickly.
While this doesn't end on a cliffhanger - Brown teases what may come of Flynn's career and a new threat. I'm looking forward to Countdown to Midnight and hope some of my favorite secondary characters will be along for the ride.
Narration:
This was a narrator motivated pick because I really enjoy Rob Shapiro and I was looking for a thriller. As always, Shapiro's performance drew me into the story and kept me listening for 2 days straight. There are a LOT of characters in this book and the consistent narration of each helped me keep track of all the players. Well done and truly enjoyable.
June 25, 2021
After the fallout of a mission gone wrong in the Libyan desert U.S. Air Force intelligence officer Nick Flynn was sent to 'The Wall' to oversee a special unit of the Sworn Brothers of the Night's Watch.
They are responsible for keeping wildlings, Russians, and other creatures that live beyond "The end of the world" out.
A book dad picks up at the airport kiosk for the long flight to Europe. An effortless, fast paced read. But as the plot started to unfold it became a bit unrealistic. I was waiting for Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion to make a cameo.
The Russian prototype stealth bomber piloted by Colonel Alexei Petrov should have played a larger role. As the pages turned Petrov turned into a cartoonish character as did most of the Russians.
Readable but forgettable.
They are responsible for keeping wildlings, Russians, and other creatures that live beyond "The end of the world" out.
A book dad picks up at the airport kiosk for the long flight to Europe. An effortless, fast paced read. But as the plot started to unfold it became a bit unrealistic. I was waiting for Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion to make a cameo.
The Russian prototype stealth bomber piloted by Colonel Alexei Petrov should have played a larger role. As the pages turned Petrov turned into a cartoonish character as did most of the Russians.
Readable but forgettable.
June 15, 2021
Back in the late 1980’s I got into several of Dale Brown’s early novels with Flight of the Old Dog being his first. It was about a highly modified B-52 bomber and its pilot on a secret mission inside the good old USSR. Being an aviation buff, I greatly enjoyed the author’s ability to present highly technical combat aviation concepts interwoven into an exciting story. For some reason I can’t recall I just drifted away into reading other things and never read another Dale Brown book, until now. I was returning one book to my local library and glancing at the section where new books were displayed came across Arctic Storm Rising. I’m glad I did.
Nick Flynn is an Air Force intelligence Captain who, due to a foul-up on a previous mission that wasn’t his fault, finds himself relegated to commanding a small unit of soldiers guarding a remote radar station in northern Alaska. Meanwhile a Russian Air Force Colonel with a brain tumor decides to go rouge by stealing a new stealth bomber, the Russian version of the B-2, hides it up in the Arctic and plans to blackmail both the US and Russian governments simultaneously threatening a nuclear war in the process. A frantic search by both countries ensues with neither knowing what the other is up to and it falls on Captain Flynn and his men as the only unit in a thousand miles capable of saving the day.
The chapters are short and taut switching quickly back and forth to and from different locations and perspectives, from Flynn and his men out on the Alaskan tundra, to the Russian President in Moscow, to the War Room under the Pentagon, and many other locations. There’s both air combat and ground combat with bullets, missiles and anti-aircraft rockets flying everywhere and lots and lots of aeronautical jargon that makes the story sizzle. There are good guys, bad guys, spies and double agents galore with a whole lot of political intrigue thrown in. Character development, other than Flynn and the nutty Russian, is sparse mostly due to the huge cast of characters but even so, I found myself closely identifying with Flynn and his men, rooting for the good guys to win. There's a lot of technical stuff and I only hope that America’s radar and radio surveillance capability in real life is half as good as what is presented in the book because I'll sleep better that way. Otherwise, I’m not certain how much of what the author describes is real and how much is made up.
The real strength of the book is the way in which the plot builds slowly and inexorably chapter by chapter, page by page with the tension, excitement and the pace of the story building along with it. This book is an old fashion cold war, hard to put down techno-thriller of the first order - kind of like the Air Force version of Tom Clancy / Hunt for Red October. There's even a quote from Dr. Strangelove thrown in there for good measure.
I recollect that the author wrote several books in a row with the same lead character. I believe Arctic Storm Rising is the first in what will most certainly be a series of books starring Nick Flynn. He's got a high degree of competence, brains and the instincts of a leading man. He's not exactly James Bond, at least not yet, but since the author leaves us with a couple of loose ends in this story that will need a follow-up in another, Nick seems like just the guy to do it.
Nick Flynn is an Air Force intelligence Captain who, due to a foul-up on a previous mission that wasn’t his fault, finds himself relegated to commanding a small unit of soldiers guarding a remote radar station in northern Alaska. Meanwhile a Russian Air Force Colonel with a brain tumor decides to go rouge by stealing a new stealth bomber, the Russian version of the B-2, hides it up in the Arctic and plans to blackmail both the US and Russian governments simultaneously threatening a nuclear war in the process. A frantic search by both countries ensues with neither knowing what the other is up to and it falls on Captain Flynn and his men as the only unit in a thousand miles capable of saving the day.
The chapters are short and taut switching quickly back and forth to and from different locations and perspectives, from Flynn and his men out on the Alaskan tundra, to the Russian President in Moscow, to the War Room under the Pentagon, and many other locations. There’s both air combat and ground combat with bullets, missiles and anti-aircraft rockets flying everywhere and lots and lots of aeronautical jargon that makes the story sizzle. There are good guys, bad guys, spies and double agents galore with a whole lot of political intrigue thrown in. Character development, other than Flynn and the nutty Russian, is sparse mostly due to the huge cast of characters but even so, I found myself closely identifying with Flynn and his men, rooting for the good guys to win. There's a lot of technical stuff and I only hope that America’s radar and radio surveillance capability in real life is half as good as what is presented in the book because I'll sleep better that way. Otherwise, I’m not certain how much of what the author describes is real and how much is made up.
The real strength of the book is the way in which the plot builds slowly and inexorably chapter by chapter, page by page with the tension, excitement and the pace of the story building along with it. This book is an old fashion cold war, hard to put down techno-thriller of the first order - kind of like the Air Force version of Tom Clancy / Hunt for Red October. There's even a quote from Dr. Strangelove thrown in there for good measure.
I recollect that the author wrote several books in a row with the same lead character. I believe Arctic Storm Rising is the first in what will most certainly be a series of books starring Nick Flynn. He's got a high degree of competence, brains and the instincts of a leading man. He's not exactly James Bond, at least not yet, but since the author leaves us with a couple of loose ends in this story that will need a follow-up in another, Nick seems like just the guy to do it.
July 15, 2021
I've enjoyed all of the Dale Brown military tech thrillers throughout the years and enjoyed the launch of his new Nick Flynn series...Flynn is an Air Force intelligence officer, exiled to guard a remote radar post along Alaska’s Arctic frontier following him being blamed for a failed CIA Op in the Libyan desert...It just so happens his exile puts him at the tip of the spear confronting a Russian based operation in the Alaska wilderness interior...Decent!!!
April 9, 2021
I did not previously have the honor of reading a Dale Brown thriller but after reading this, I plan to order a few of his earlier books with the hopes they are as good as this one. Nick Flynn, an intelligence officer is off in Africa and comes across something that seems a little off. He is told by those higher up the food chain to mind his business. He ends up saving the lives of many in the larger group and gets repaid for this heroism by being exiled to a military base in Alaska. This is where the story begins. A stolen new age stealth bomber is up for auction from Russia..and Russia is not happy their prized possession is lost. Now starts and all out chase to find the bomber and Flynn is the only hope of the US. A great book and I hope this is a book that starts a series.
Thank you Netgalley, Dale Brown and William Morrow and Custom House for the ARC for my honest review.
Thank you Netgalley, Dale Brown and William Morrow and Custom House for the ARC for my honest review.
January 17, 2022
3. Pretty good. No real surprises, but Brown spends way too much time building up the story just to rush the ending.
Rob Shapiro does a good job narrating.
Rob Shapiro does a good job narrating.
July 2, 2021
Hunt for White October
While I can't buy in to the philosophy of this quote, it did catch my attention with its appearance of running in with a guns blazing mentality. But, the whole book portrayed a different story. In Arctic Storm Rising, you have your typical Cold War era elite force action adventure where quality/ precision wins over quantity/ manpower every single time. (Still, it is a good quote to remember.) And, it is obviously not set in the Cold War era.
What is not so clear is the time period in which this Alaskan version of War Games (80's Movie) does take place. The author begins two of the earliest chapters with the time identifiers of 'Late July,' and 'August.' The last such date is 'Early October.' Most every other chapter is dated 'That Same Time,' or 'Some Time/ Weeks/ Hours/ Minutes Later.' There is no indication of year anywhere, except that the Stealth Bomber, the Pak-Da, that is stolen is currently being developed by Russia. So, there's that to go on, and it ends in October of some year current or future.
Plot is where the story shines. It has a simple plot line that is easy enough to follow, with really only 2 opposing sides: the Americans and the Russians. So, it might seem to be your typical made-for-movie book. The characters are a bit one-sided. But, it makes for very entertaining cat-and-mouse nuclear scare reading. Throw in some glimpses of modern war-games technology and you have a thrilling romp in the snows and icy-winds of the Western Arctic. The ending is a bit abrupt with a short attempt at tying up loose ends, but what's really left to be said anyways at the end of a good read except, 'The End?!'
While reading this book, I have also been reading A Column of Fire, (book three in the Pillars of the Earth series,) as well as The Dark Forest, (second in Cixin Liu's Three-Body Problem series.) A Column of Fire is set in the Medieval Period and is historical fiction. It is filled with numerous characters and plots running parallel to each other, so that it is work to keep up with the action; even though the people and events are everyday events and easily understood. The Dark Forest is a murky piece of Hard Sci-fi translated from the Chinese by a gifted modern writer very much versed in the complexities of internet and virtual reality technology. The Science keeps you working for your answers, so it is quite a complex work. Arctic Storm fits right in the middle of these two other reads time-wise. It makes a good buffer read for when you just want to relax between the brutal intrigue of the Dark Ages and the mystery of an impending hypothetical Interstellar Age of Space Travel.
If you are looking for a fun read, this may be it. I recommend this for anyone enjoying a Tom Clancy-lite war games novel. Yes, Tom Clancy is gone, and I missed many of his books. He was a prolific writer, as well as having a level of sophistication and complexity many other writers hope to emulate. When I bought this hard back of Arctic Storm at Barnes & Noble, I did pick up a copy of Target Acquired: A Jack Ryan Jr. Novel by Don Bentley, which bears Tom Clancy's name. We shall see if his work is being carried forth in spirit as well as name, as that is my next read.
"Quantity has a quality all its own. - Stalin"- (from the book)
While I can't buy in to the philosophy of this quote, it did catch my attention with its appearance of running in with a guns blazing mentality. But, the whole book portrayed a different story. In Arctic Storm Rising, you have your typical Cold War era elite force action adventure where quality/ precision wins over quantity/ manpower every single time. (Still, it is a good quote to remember.) And, it is obviously not set in the Cold War era.
What is not so clear is the time period in which this Alaskan version of War Games (80's Movie) does take place. The author begins two of the earliest chapters with the time identifiers of 'Late July,' and 'August.' The last such date is 'Early October.' Most every other chapter is dated 'That Same Time,' or 'Some Time/ Weeks/ Hours/ Minutes Later.' There is no indication of year anywhere, except that the Stealth Bomber, the Pak-Da, that is stolen is currently being developed by Russia. So, there's that to go on, and it ends in October of some year current or future.
"No plan survives contact with the enemy."
Plot is where the story shines. It has a simple plot line that is easy enough to follow, with really only 2 opposing sides: the Americans and the Russians. So, it might seem to be your typical made-for-movie book. The characters are a bit one-sided. But, it makes for very entertaining cat-and-mouse nuclear scare reading. Throw in some glimpses of modern war-games technology and you have a thrilling romp in the snows and icy-winds of the Western Arctic. The ending is a bit abrupt with a short attempt at tying up loose ends, but what's really left to be said anyways at the end of a good read except, 'The End?!'
While reading this book, I have also been reading A Column of Fire, (book three in the Pillars of the Earth series,) as well as The Dark Forest, (second in Cixin Liu's Three-Body Problem series.) A Column of Fire is set in the Medieval Period and is historical fiction. It is filled with numerous characters and plots running parallel to each other, so that it is work to keep up with the action; even though the people and events are everyday events and easily understood. The Dark Forest is a murky piece of Hard Sci-fi translated from the Chinese by a gifted modern writer very much versed in the complexities of internet and virtual reality technology. The Science keeps you working for your answers, so it is quite a complex work. Arctic Storm fits right in the middle of these two other reads time-wise. It makes a good buffer read for when you just want to relax between the brutal intrigue of the Dark Ages and the mystery of an impending hypothetical Interstellar Age of Space Travel.
If you are looking for a fun read, this may be it. I recommend this for anyone enjoying a Tom Clancy-lite war games novel. Yes, Tom Clancy is gone, and I missed many of his books. He was a prolific writer, as well as having a level of sophistication and complexity many other writers hope to emulate. When I bought this hard back of Arctic Storm at Barnes & Noble, I did pick up a copy of Target Acquired: A Jack Ryan Jr. Novel by Don Bentley, which bears Tom Clancy's name. We shall see if his work is being carried forth in spirit as well as name, as that is my next read.
March 23, 2021
I just finished reading an ARC of Dale Brown's latest novel, "Arctic Storm," provided to me by William Morrow and Custom House. I have been a fan of Dale Brown's since "The Flight of the Old Dog," and this novel, kicking off a new series in the richly imagined world Brown fans are already familiar with, was a delight. It focuses on a new character, Nick Flynn, and his adventures and misadventures as a skilled warrior pursuing his career but caught in the tug of war between self-serving intelligence agencies in the United States and Russians intent on developing a new Stealth Bomber. The plot is mature and well developed with a number of twists and turns designed to keep the reader on his or her toes. As always, Brown's mastery of technology, particularly that associated with aeronautics. as well as his insights into the military industrial complex and its intelligence adjuncts define the work. I found it hard to put down. I was particularly delighted to see that most of the text advances without being as deeply self-referential as most of Browns' canon. It is an excellent stand alone read, but by the time it comes to its spectacular conclusion, its position in the canon is clarified. I recommend it without reservation!
July 17, 2021
First in a new series. Nick Flynn is an Air Force captain who is sent to retrieve the black box and bodies of the crew from a C130 which had crashed in a Libyan desert. He runs afoul of a spook who has some pull in DC.
He finds himself stationed to a long range radar site in Bumfuk, Alaska aka Barter Island. He's going to head up about a dozen mixed servicemen as a security force.
An interesting character in an interesting tale which I am sure is just the start of a great new series from the author of Flight of the Old Dog
He finds himself stationed to a long range radar site in Bumfuk, Alaska aka Barter Island. He's going to head up about a dozen mixed servicemen as a security force.
An interesting character in an interesting tale which I am sure is just the start of a great new series from the author of Flight of the Old Dog
July 8, 2021
You just never know how you’ll feel about a book until you give it a try! That’s what I did with this book after I won it on Goodreads. I never thought I’d enjoy military (Air Force) fiction, but I was wrong! This story was very suspenseful, and it had a few twists towards the end. It certainly kept me reading! I can tell by the way that it ended that there will be more to this story.
July 1, 2021
A new character who looks to be becoming one of Dale Brown's regular heroes. Exciting with some interesting twists in the plot
Dale has never failed me in his writing. I have read almost every book he has written and loved them all. It will be hard to beat General Patrick M. But I am sure that Nick Flynn will manage. Recommend this book as the first chapter of a new hero.
Dale has never failed me in his writing. I have read almost every book he has written and loved them all. It will be hard to beat General Patrick M. But I am sure that Nick Flynn will manage. Recommend this book as the first chapter of a new hero.
March 4, 2023
While the last several Dale Brown novels were a soft-reboot of his long-running series, this one is the first in a brand new, totally unrelated series, again in collaboration with Larry Bond's former co-writer, Patrick Larkin. While the previous series featured a geo-political framework and technolgoy that increasingly strayed from reality, and an increasingly convoluted fictional timeline, this one presents a fresh start set within the real world. Featuring a unique setting in Alaska, this book features Dale Brown's signature aviation scenes as well as action on the ground, without any of the light sci-fi technology of the older books. It serves primarily as an introduction to Nick Flynn, an USAF intelligence officer exiled to Alaska after an op gone sideways in Libya. He's easily the equal to Patrick or Brad McLanahan. A perfect starting point for new readers.
July 22, 2021
An electrifying action-packed beginning to a new series of Military Thrillers featuring Nick Flynn by Dale Brown. After a failed US operation in Libya, US Airforce Intelligence Officer, Nick Flynn is assigned as a leader of rag-tag men from various military services of the US forces to safeguard a remote radar facility in the cold wilderness of Alaska's Arctic frontier. At the other end of the world, Russia is about to carry out a test flight of one of the most advanced and high-tech avionics fitted stealth bombers ever created. In its final test flight commandeered by Col. Alexi Petrov, the aircraft is fitted with twelve live cruise missiles tipped with nuclear warheads. During the test flight, he deviates from his route and with a nefarious plan masterminded by a Russian Oligarch sneaks into the vast frontiers of the Arctic Tundra amidst a storm, from where he demands a ransom of $2.6 Billion from the Russian government in return for the aircraft. This stirs a heavy military air-traffic movement between US and Russian borders across the Arctic. Nick's team is entrusted a massive search operation for the aircraft whose advanced technology and avionics are sought after by many global powers. Over the next few hours, a high-octane drama unfolds between Nick's men and Russian Spetsnaz commandos to take control of the aircraft while Col. Petrov has yet another vicious plan up his sleeve. There are too many characters in the story and although the cast was detailed at the beginning of the book, only a very few stood out throughout the machination. A Must-read book for military thriller lovers and hope to read more in the newest of the series.
January 18, 2025
Arctic Storm Rising/Book 1
Mr. Brown has struck gold again! A well crafted thriller that kept my attention. Capt Nick Flynn and his Band of Un-likely Brothers were quite a fighting force. With METT-TC, Mission-Enemy-Terrain/Weather-Troops and supports available, Time available and Civil Consideration not in their favor for battle, this ragtag team of multi-service warriors rose to the challenge to thwart World War III. Their heroics are the stuff movies are made of. Capt Flynn showed what Military Leadership is about. When the bovine excrement hits the fan, trust your people to do the job they're trained to do. Micromanagement is a not a tool to get maximum effort/performance from your subordinates/Team, especially when the bullets are flying. What a 'cat & mouse' paradigm Col Petrov and his greedy Russian oligarchy comrades created for the US (Miranda Reynolds) and The Kremlin. The ending kept me turning the pages as Capt Flynn and his Team over came adversity and kept Democracy alive and thwarted an impending nuclear disaster. I thought for sure that PAK-DA was going to end up in US hands. I'm curious to know what happened to the payload after the crash......hmmmmm! I'll bet my COLA, Cost of Living Allowance that Miranda Reynolds knows! Kudos! Can't wait to delve into Book 2, as Capt Flynn joins Capt Van Horn's Team.
Charlie Jefferson
USAF Retired (MSgt)
Security Forces
Mr. Brown has struck gold again! A well crafted thriller that kept my attention. Capt Nick Flynn and his Band of Un-likely Brothers were quite a fighting force. With METT-TC, Mission-Enemy-Terrain/Weather-Troops and supports available, Time available and Civil Consideration not in their favor for battle, this ragtag team of multi-service warriors rose to the challenge to thwart World War III. Their heroics are the stuff movies are made of. Capt Flynn showed what Military Leadership is about. When the bovine excrement hits the fan, trust your people to do the job they're trained to do. Micromanagement is a not a tool to get maximum effort/performance from your subordinates/Team, especially when the bullets are flying. What a 'cat & mouse' paradigm Col Petrov and his greedy Russian oligarchy comrades created for the US (Miranda Reynolds) and The Kremlin. The ending kept me turning the pages as Capt Flynn and his Team over came adversity and kept Democracy alive and thwarted an impending nuclear disaster. I thought for sure that PAK-DA was going to end up in US hands. I'm curious to know what happened to the payload after the crash......hmmmmm! I'll bet my COLA, Cost of Living Allowance that Miranda Reynolds knows! Kudos! Can't wait to delve into Book 2, as Capt Flynn joins Capt Van Horn's Team.
Charlie Jefferson
USAF Retired (MSgt)
Security Forces
June 16, 2021
Exciting
Great read. Imaginative ending. Dale Brown continues to write interesting novels. I would recommend anyone interested in this type of book to go back and read his other books.
Great read. Imaginative ending. Dale Brown continues to write interesting novels. I would recommend anyone interested in this type of book to go back and read his other books.
November 15, 2021
Arctic storm rising
Another edge of your seat military adventure from Dale Brown. With a rag tag assembly of recruits from all the US armed forces, except the coast guard and marines, who are shipped off to the very top of Alaska above the arctic circle, where they freeze their butts off unsure of their purpose.
Great plot and characters . So much action and suspense I had to read it all in one sitting.
Don't want to give away any more information as it would give away all that suspense.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action/adventure stories. You won't be disappointed.
Another edge of your seat military adventure from Dale Brown. With a rag tag assembly of recruits from all the US armed forces, except the coast guard and marines, who are shipped off to the very top of Alaska above the arctic circle, where they freeze their butts off unsure of their purpose.
Great plot and characters . So much action and suspense I had to read it all in one sitting.
Don't want to give away any more information as it would give away all that suspense.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action/adventure stories. You won't be disappointed.
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July 30, 2021The first book in a new Dale Brown series. Nick Flynn has been exiled to deep Alaska after coming out on the wrong end of a CIA operation. Once there things start to move quickly with he and his men being sent out on a mission that makes no sense. With many twists and turns in this high tech military thriller it is hard to put the book down.
September 2, 2021
Well crafted military thriller
A tightly written plausible tale of a Russian traitor bent on causing a nuclear war between the US and Russia and the efforts of a ragtag band of soldiers to stop him. Filled with twists and turns that are unexpected and that will keep the reader engaged right up until the end. Looking forward to reading the next novel in the series.
A tightly written plausible tale of a Russian traitor bent on causing a nuclear war between the US and Russia and the efforts of a ragtag band of soldiers to stop him. Filled with twists and turns that are unexpected and that will keep the reader engaged right up until the end. Looking forward to reading the next novel in the series.
September 1, 2021
This book was a bit different than the McLanahan series but had it's share of political intrigue, suspense, and action. There were a few unexpected twists and turns to keep the story interesting. Looking forward to additional books.
November 18, 2021
Great book to read. Gripping military action thriller. I found it to be on par with his first two books, and being the first of a new series , I look forward to reading the next one.
It did Remind me of the Original Craig Tomas book Fire Fox.
It did Remind me of the Original Craig Tomas book Fire Fox.
January 17, 2023
Fast-paced military thriller introducing Nick Flynn. Seat of your chair reading ... I couldn't read fast enough to get to the incredible ending! I especially loved the Weapons and Acronyms section.
August 31, 2021
Nice to read
Very intense and nice to read. The author wrote the story in a nice fluently way, it does not have the deep and complexity of Brad thor, but was entertaining.
Very intense and nice to read. The author wrote the story in a nice fluently way, it does not have the deep and complexity of Brad thor, but was entertaining.
October 8, 2021
The first of the Nick Flynn books. Nick is in the Air Force working with the CIA. He is out with a group and things go all wrong. The Air Force needs a scapegoat and Nick is the victim. He is sent to Alaska with 10 misfit men and he must make them into a unit.
March 25, 2023
As current as today's newspaper headlines COULD read,!
Well-written with characters who you got to know. Believable. Quick-paced. Look forward to more from this author and his characters!
Well-written with characters who you got to know. Believable. Quick-paced. Look forward to more from this author and his characters!
March 20, 2023
Dale Brown did himself proud with this book. Was confusing initially but as I delved into the midst of the incredibly well written action everything fit together. An easy read that kept me spellbound as the Russians and the U.S. were both hoodwinked but the U.S. won in the end. And that is how it should be!
August 24, 2021
This books deserves a 5 because of how great the plot is, I am in love with Alaska and this was a great thriller to cover the great state of Alaska. If you like espionage thrillers and Alaska, read this book
October 2, 2021
Looks to be the start of a new series from Dale Brown - good starting book.
September 29, 2021
I've read a lot of Brown's books in the past and this has a different, better feel. It's still a military thriller at heart but the style is newer and less stiff than some of his other work. Don't get me wrong, I've liked a lot of his books but this was a nice change. An interesting story with a likeable led character.
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