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Joe Matthews #2
Drone Strike
For the last twenty years America's drone program has provided the nation with an unparalleled advantage in the skies over every battlefield from Pakistan and Afghanistan to North Africa and Syria.
But what if a foreign power managed to obtain that same capability? Not by developing their own, but by stealing a Reaper and its compliment of missiles from the Central Intelligence Agency. And what if that nation's leader, desperate to increase his influence in the Middle East, comes up with a plan to turn every country in the region against the United States?
Tensions are at the breaking point as scores of innocent civilians are killed in seemingly random drone strikes across the Middle East. With all evidence pointing directly at Washington, protests and demonstrations erupt in front of U.S. embassies and consulates with a ferocity not seen since the Arab Spring.
Time is running out as CIA operative Joe Matthews and his team of paramilitary officers try to find the rogue drone before an emergency meeting of the Arab League votes to expel all American personnel from the region.
But what if a foreign power managed to obtain that same capability? Not by developing their own, but by stealing a Reaper and its compliment of missiles from the Central Intelligence Agency. And what if that nation's leader, desperate to increase his influence in the Middle East, comes up with a plan to turn every country in the region against the United States?
Tensions are at the breaking point as scores of innocent civilians are killed in seemingly random drone strikes across the Middle East. With all evidence pointing directly at Washington, protests and demonstrations erupt in front of U.S. embassies and consulates with a ferocity not seen since the Arab Spring.
Time is running out as CIA operative Joe Matthews and his team of paramilitary officers try to find the rogue drone before an emergency meeting of the Arab League votes to expel all American personnel from the region.
Kindle Edition
Published December 19, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 31, 2020
Having read David Austin’s Tehran’s Vengeance in 2019, I was eagerly anticipating the release of Drone Strike – the second book in the Joe Matthews series. Tehran’s Vengeance was a surprise debut novel that I absolutely loved. It had tons of action, a realistic but bold plot, and solid characters. I was expecting the same things from Drone Strike and David Austin didn’t disappoint. Drone Strike is a fantastic political/military thriller that held me in suspense throughout, leading to several audible gasps and cheers escaping my mouth as events unfolded.
In Drone Strike, Russia undertakes an audacious false flag operation with sky high ambitions. They set out to steal a CIA Reaper drone with a compliment of Hellfire Missiles. The objective? Use the drone to cause destruction and mayhem in the Middle East with the United States taking the blame. If successful, Russia stands to elevate their own stature and influence in the region. The question is, will they succeed and alter the course of global affairs? Or will Russia end up like Icarus, flying too close to the sun only to crash and burn?
In comes Joe Matthews and his 5-man unit of highly capable CIA Protective Resource Group paramilitary operators. Their primary function is to “protect Agency officers in high-risk locations around the world.” However due to the course of events, they’re tasked with foiling Russia’s plans, bringing the perfect combination of lethal skillsets and personal motivation that makes them the right men for the job. It won’t be easy as they must go up against the very same Russian Spetsgruppa “A” elite unit that ambushed them previously, inflicting serious harm to their unit and operation. And if that wasn’t hard enough, they also have a foreign asset in-theater in dire need of assistance from Joe’s team due to risking his life to support the mission. It’s a massive understatement to say a lot is riding on Joe’s capable shoulders. But failure is not an option!
There’s a lot to like about Drone Strike. The writing style is smooth and easy to follow. The action sequences are intense, plentiful and graphic. The plot is equal parts insanity and realistic. And the character development is excellent across the board from Joe Matthews, to the bad guys to the President of the United States. And that character development is critical since at its core this book is character driven. The actions and emotions of the main and supporting characters feel authentic rather than contrived. This lends a higher degree of believability to what’s transpiring throughout the book and leads the reader to become more invested in the story.
Drone Strike is terrific and I highly recommend you jump on board the Joe Matthews train sooner rather than later. He’s a fantastic character that fits in the genre right next to the likes of Scot Harvath, Pike Logan, Matt Drake, John Dempsey and others. I’m excited to see where Joe Matthews goes from here, but I promise you this series is going to be a fan favorite for a long time!
In Drone Strike, Russia undertakes an audacious false flag operation with sky high ambitions. They set out to steal a CIA Reaper drone with a compliment of Hellfire Missiles. The objective? Use the drone to cause destruction and mayhem in the Middle East with the United States taking the blame. If successful, Russia stands to elevate their own stature and influence in the region. The question is, will they succeed and alter the course of global affairs? Or will Russia end up like Icarus, flying too close to the sun only to crash and burn?
In comes Joe Matthews and his 5-man unit of highly capable CIA Protective Resource Group paramilitary operators. Their primary function is to “protect Agency officers in high-risk locations around the world.” However due to the course of events, they’re tasked with foiling Russia’s plans, bringing the perfect combination of lethal skillsets and personal motivation that makes them the right men for the job. It won’t be easy as they must go up against the very same Russian Spetsgruppa “A” elite unit that ambushed them previously, inflicting serious harm to their unit and operation. And if that wasn’t hard enough, they also have a foreign asset in-theater in dire need of assistance from Joe’s team due to risking his life to support the mission. It’s a massive understatement to say a lot is riding on Joe’s capable shoulders. But failure is not an option!
There’s a lot to like about Drone Strike. The writing style is smooth and easy to follow. The action sequences are intense, plentiful and graphic. The plot is equal parts insanity and realistic. And the character development is excellent across the board from Joe Matthews, to the bad guys to the President of the United States. And that character development is critical since at its core this book is character driven. The actions and emotions of the main and supporting characters feel authentic rather than contrived. This lends a higher degree of believability to what’s transpiring throughout the book and leads the reader to become more invested in the story.
Drone Strike is terrific and I highly recommend you jump on board the Joe Matthews train sooner rather than later. He’s a fantastic character that fits in the genre right next to the likes of Scot Harvath, Pike Logan, Matt Drake, John Dempsey and others. I’m excited to see where Joe Matthews goes from here, but I promise you this series is going to be a fan favorite for a long time!
December 4, 2020
I went into Drone Strike with high expectations, and I was extremely pleased by the end. With a realistic, contemporary, and adrenaline pumping threat scenario centered around the horrific idea of a weapons-capable UAV done hijacked by an enemy state with a nefarious agenda that goes beyond simply reverse engineering the UAV, the high stakes up-shift the action, the characters, and the thrills. Couple the narrative with a kickass protagonist that is Joe Matthews, and you have a must-read action thriller.
I enjoy how the story picks up not too far after the events of the first book, so that the events of the first book still resonate within both the readers and the characters, and continue to evolve the characters with the horrifying events of the first book in a humbling manner. The prospect of Russia, a country without any weapons-capable UAVs daringly hacking and hijacking a US Reaper drone with a sinister purpose to turn the middle eastern nations and the entire world against America while deepening Russian roots into the Middle East feels like not too far-fetched. It is a bold plan, and so is its undertaking, making for an unpredictable and exciting read. The elements of Protective outfits, as the one Joe Matthews leads, for case officers of CIA as well as diplomatic members and foreign assets are written with the finesse that comes from strong research and first-hand experiences. The research into Drone capabilities and the technology behind the drones of different countries adds to the plausibility of the bold narrative of the book as well as engages readers with interesting bits of information for general knowledge of the current geopolitical situations and drone technology.
After Tehran’s Vengeance, I was looking forward to high quality action sequences, and those were exactly what were delivered. The book offers shootouts and hand-to-hand combat involving technically and tactically sound sequences written with the vigor of capturing the chaotic and dangerous crux of firefights and close quarters combat. Joe Matthews is as lethal with his bare hands as he is with his Glock 19 and HK 416. Each member of Joe Matthews’ outfit felt well described and imbued with distinctive personalities that made it easy for me to relate to the characters. Each team member holds his/her weight in the narrative. From the very first brutal shootout, it is clear that no one is safe in a firefight, lending to the unpredictability of the entire narrative.
One of the best things about Drone Strike is how easy and natural it feels to read through the book. The sentences are written with an ease about them, written in a way that one can read through them fast while keeping track of everything that happens in the story.
Drone Strike is not a simple action thriller. The emotions run high in the story, with the idea of members of Protective Outfits putting their lives on the lines to protect their principles conveyed in such a heartfelt manner that one can not help but be one with the characters and admire the bravery of real-life members of Protective outfits.
Drone Strike kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I would describe Drone Strike as an action-packed, geopolitical, character-driven, audacious and contemporary narrative thriller that does not let up for even a little bit. This is a book that must be read only when the plans for the next few days are cleared out, because it would be impossible to put the book down. I tried to evaluate anything that I felt could be done better with the book, but I came up empty. Drone Strike is as great an action thriller with a fantastic protagonist and superb storyline as a thriller can get.
I enjoy how the story picks up not too far after the events of the first book, so that the events of the first book still resonate within both the readers and the characters, and continue to evolve the characters with the horrifying events of the first book in a humbling manner. The prospect of Russia, a country without any weapons-capable UAVs daringly hacking and hijacking a US Reaper drone with a sinister purpose to turn the middle eastern nations and the entire world against America while deepening Russian roots into the Middle East feels like not too far-fetched. It is a bold plan, and so is its undertaking, making for an unpredictable and exciting read. The elements of Protective outfits, as the one Joe Matthews leads, for case officers of CIA as well as diplomatic members and foreign assets are written with the finesse that comes from strong research and first-hand experiences. The research into Drone capabilities and the technology behind the drones of different countries adds to the plausibility of the bold narrative of the book as well as engages readers with interesting bits of information for general knowledge of the current geopolitical situations and drone technology.
After Tehran’s Vengeance, I was looking forward to high quality action sequences, and those were exactly what were delivered. The book offers shootouts and hand-to-hand combat involving technically and tactically sound sequences written with the vigor of capturing the chaotic and dangerous crux of firefights and close quarters combat. Joe Matthews is as lethal with his bare hands as he is with his Glock 19 and HK 416. Each member of Joe Matthews’ outfit felt well described and imbued with distinctive personalities that made it easy for me to relate to the characters. Each team member holds his/her weight in the narrative. From the very first brutal shootout, it is clear that no one is safe in a firefight, lending to the unpredictability of the entire narrative.
One of the best things about Drone Strike is how easy and natural it feels to read through the book. The sentences are written with an ease about them, written in a way that one can read through them fast while keeping track of everything that happens in the story.
Drone Strike is not a simple action thriller. The emotions run high in the story, with the idea of members of Protective Outfits putting their lives on the lines to protect their principles conveyed in such a heartfelt manner that one can not help but be one with the characters and admire the bravery of real-life members of Protective outfits.
Drone Strike kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I would describe Drone Strike as an action-packed, geopolitical, character-driven, audacious and contemporary narrative thriller that does not let up for even a little bit. This is a book that must be read only when the plans for the next few days are cleared out, because it would be impossible to put the book down. I tried to evaluate anything that I felt could be done better with the book, but I came up empty. Drone Strike is as great an action thriller with a fantastic protagonist and superb storyline as a thriller can get.
March 4, 2021
READ MY FULL REVIEW AT Best Thriller Books
Drone Strike takes off with instant action and Dave Austin keeps the engines revved until the very end. Readers are propelled through this story with a combination of interesting characters, tight writing, and an audacious, but plausible plot.
Make sure to check out the full review
Drone Strike takes off with instant action and Dave Austin keeps the engines revved until the very end. Readers are propelled through this story with a combination of interesting characters, tight writing, and an audacious, but plausible plot.
Make sure to check out the full review
January 16, 2021
I loved the author's first book. It was a refreshing debut in a genre that increasingly uses recycled cookie cutter plots and character archetypes.
"Drone Strike" is another competently, tightly plotted thriller with a realistic plot grounded in current geo-political events. Amid the ongoing and chaotic war in Syria, the Russians launch an audacious plot to grab an American Reaper drone and attack civilian targets across the Middle East. The CIA, with the help of a Syrian double-agent, scrambles to recover or shut the drone down before the damage done is irreversible. The background and technical details are spot on and informative. The action scenes, both on the ground and the in the air, are frequent and intense.
While most authors have a tendency to make their agents larger than life characters and borderline superheros, Joe Matthews and his crew of paramilitary operators feel closer to the real life versions of Mitch Rapp or Scot Harvath. David Austin, a fan of the genre with a CIA background, writes for fans of hardcore espionage-military thrillers. Just as good as Vince Flynn, and way better than Thor. Highly recommended.
"Drone Strike" is another competently, tightly plotted thriller with a realistic plot grounded in current geo-political events. Amid the ongoing and chaotic war in Syria, the Russians launch an audacious plot to grab an American Reaper drone and attack civilian targets across the Middle East. The CIA, with the help of a Syrian double-agent, scrambles to recover or shut the drone down before the damage done is irreversible. The background and technical details are spot on and informative. The action scenes, both on the ground and the in the air, are frequent and intense.
While most authors have a tendency to make their agents larger than life characters and borderline superheros, Joe Matthews and his crew of paramilitary operators feel closer to the real life versions of Mitch Rapp or Scot Harvath. David Austin, a fan of the genre with a CIA background, writes for fans of hardcore espionage-military thrillers. Just as good as Vince Flynn, and way better than Thor. Highly recommended.
December 29, 2020
Drone Strike by David Austin is a CIA special ops rollercoaster of action and suspense. Leave it to the Russians to steal one of USA's prized Reaper drones to shift middle east support into their hands and leave the USA to take the blame. Call in Joe Matthews and his team (with the help of some very talented software geniuses) to help recover the Reaper before it is too late. The storyline is straight-forward but the details and twists make for a very interesting read. Although I did not read the first book in the Joe Matthews series, I was still able to fully enjoy this book. Austin provides enough background on geography so the reader fully understands the setting in which Joe is operating. Look forward to reading the first in the series and subsequent books by Austin. Recommend.
December 26, 2020
Could not stop reading this book!
I feel like I'm really learning about our military,the equipment, the missions, all that. I know David and his Dad, Larry Austin, both retired CIA men so I know David has the background to write these Joe Matthew's Thrillers. Keep them coming!
I feel like I'm really learning about our military,the equipment, the missions, all that. I know David and his Dad, Larry Austin, both retired CIA men so I know David has the background to write these Joe Matthew's Thrillers. Keep them coming!
January 5, 2021
Great Read!
What a fantastic book. Exhilarating and fast paced Drone Strike never lets up. There is some really good humor as well. I’m looking forward to more Joe Matthews.
What a fantastic book. Exhilarating and fast paced Drone Strike never lets up. There is some really good humor as well. I’m looking forward to more Joe Matthews.
December 2, 2021
Book Review – I hate it when I don’t read the first book in a series and then have to go back and read it because the current book, I just read was so good. That’s what happened with Dave Austin’s @daveaustinbooks Joe Matthews series. I’m kicking myself for not reading Tehran’s Vengeance before reading Drone Strike. Although the two books read as standalones, I’m weird in that I get worked up when I miss reading the first book in a series. I’m also not big on purchasing paperbacks, but I’m going to have to rethink this because there are lots of really good action thriller series in paperback now, including this one. Oh, what a pleasant surprise Drone Strike was for me. I must confess, when I read the publisher’s summary of the protagonist, Joe Matthews, my immediate thought was, “too bland-of-a-name,” not cool enough, thus it didn’t appeal to me. Boy, did I mis read this one! Joe Matthews, a CIA paramilitary operator, won me over when he kitted up with my favorite assault rifle, an HK416, and man can he shoot! He’s a “badass” with a bland name, so, so what Steven?! Dave Austin did an outstanding job in developing this character. He’s right up there with Scot Harvath, Matt Drake, Jonathan Grave, Jericho Quinn and Dewey Andreas (all cool names). I also liked Matthew’s CIA Protective Resource Group, a CIA paramilitary team. They had comradery, humor, lethal skillsets and emotions, it was all there, and they got the job done. This was no ‘cookie-cutter’, recycled plot line action thriller. Austin’s experience in the CIA helped this thriller stand out and stand with other top-notch special operation thrillers. His writing was easy to read, follow and comprehend. His storytelling got me to forget about Joe Matthew’s “non cool” name and really get into the story. A believable and intricate plot that was intense and scary possible. I don’t know when I’m going to read Tehran’s Vengeance, Book One in the series, but I’m sure glad I got the opportunity to read Drone Strike. It was a outstanding read! I’m a fan now!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews