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Tom Buckingham #1
SAS: Red Notice
Deep beneath the English Channel, a small army of vicious terrorists has seized control of the Eurostar to Paris, taken 400 hostages at gunpoint - and declared war on a government that has more than its own fair share of secrets to keep.
One man stands in their way. An off-duty SAS soldier is hiding somewhere inside the train. Alone and injured, he's the only chance the passengers and crew have of getting out alive. Meet Andy McNab's explosive new creation, Sergeant Tom Buckingham, as he unleashes a whirlwind of intrigue and retribution in his attempt to stop the terrorists and save everyone on board - including Delphine, the beautiful woman he loves.
Hurtling us at breakneck speed between the Regiment's crack assault teams, Whitehall's corridors of power and the heart of the Eurotunnel action, RED NOTICE is McNab at his devastatingly authentic, pulse pounding best.
RED NOTICE: You have been warned.
One man stands in their way. An off-duty SAS soldier is hiding somewhere inside the train. Alone and injured, he's the only chance the passengers and crew have of getting out alive. Meet Andy McNab's explosive new creation, Sergeant Tom Buckingham, as he unleashes a whirlwind of intrigue and retribution in his attempt to stop the terrorists and save everyone on board - including Delphine, the beautiful woman he loves.
Hurtling us at breakneck speed between the Regiment's crack assault teams, Whitehall's corridors of power and the heart of the Eurotunnel action, RED NOTICE is McNab at his devastatingly authentic, pulse pounding best.
RED NOTICE: You have been warned.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
430 people are currently reading
3837 people want to read
About the author
Andy McNab
205 books1,160 followersAndy McNab joined the infantry in 1976 as a boy soldier. In 1984 he was badged as a member of 22 SAS Regiment. He served in B Squadron 22 SAS for ten years and worked on both covert and overt special operations worldwide, including anti-terrorist and anti-drug operations in the Middle and Far East, South and Central America and Northern Ireland.
Trained as a specialist in counter terrorism, prime target elimination, demolitions, weapons and tactics, covert surveillance and information gathering in hostile environments, and VIP protection, McNab worked on cooperative operations with police forces, prison services, anti-drug forces and western backed guerrilla movements as well as on conventional special operations. In Northern Ireland he spent two years working as an undercover operator with 14th Intelligence Group, going on to become an instructor.
McNab also worked as an instructor on the SAS selection and training team and instructed foreign special forces in counter terrorism, hostage rescue and survival training.
Andy McNab has written about his experiences in the SAS in two bestselling books, Bravo Two Zero (1993) and Immediate Action (1995). Bravo Two Zero is the highest selling war book of all time and has sold over 1.7 million copies in the UK. To date it has been published in 17 countries and translated into 16 languages. The CD spoken word version of Bravo Two Zero, narrated by McNab, sold over 60,000 copies and earned a silver disc. The BBC's film of Bravo Two Zero, starring Sean Bean, was shown on primetime BBC 1 television in 1999 and released on DVD in 2000.
Immediate Action, McNab's autobiography, spent 18 weeks at the top of the bestseller lists following the lifting on an ex-parte injunction granted to the Ministry of Defence in September 1995. To date, Immediate Action has now sold over 1.4 million copies in the UK.
McNab is the author of seven fast action thrillers, highly acclaimed for their authenticity and all Sunday Times bestsellers. Published in 1997, Remote Control was hailed as the most authentic thriller ever written and has sold over half a million copies in the UK. McNab's subsequent thrillers, Crisis Four, Firewall, Last Light , Liberation Day , Dark Winter , Deep Black and Aggressor have all gone on to sell equally well. The central character in all the books is Nick Stone, a tough ex-SAS operative working as a 'K' on deniable operations for British Intelligence.
McNab's fiction draws extensively on his experiences and knowledge of Special Forces soldiering. He has been officially registered by Neilsen Bookscan as the bestselling British thriller writer of the last year.
Trained as a specialist in counter terrorism, prime target elimination, demolitions, weapons and tactics, covert surveillance and information gathering in hostile environments, and VIP protection, McNab worked on cooperative operations with police forces, prison services, anti-drug forces and western backed guerrilla movements as well as on conventional special operations. In Northern Ireland he spent two years working as an undercover operator with 14th Intelligence Group, going on to become an instructor.
McNab also worked as an instructor on the SAS selection and training team and instructed foreign special forces in counter terrorism, hostage rescue and survival training.
Andy McNab has written about his experiences in the SAS in two bestselling books, Bravo Two Zero (1993) and Immediate Action (1995). Bravo Two Zero is the highest selling war book of all time and has sold over 1.7 million copies in the UK. To date it has been published in 17 countries and translated into 16 languages. The CD spoken word version of Bravo Two Zero, narrated by McNab, sold over 60,000 copies and earned a silver disc. The BBC's film of Bravo Two Zero, starring Sean Bean, was shown on primetime BBC 1 television in 1999 and released on DVD in 2000.
Immediate Action, McNab's autobiography, spent 18 weeks at the top of the bestseller lists following the lifting on an ex-parte injunction granted to the Ministry of Defence in September 1995. To date, Immediate Action has now sold over 1.4 million copies in the UK.
McNab is the author of seven fast action thrillers, highly acclaimed for their authenticity and all Sunday Times bestsellers. Published in 1997, Remote Control was hailed as the most authentic thriller ever written and has sold over half a million copies in the UK. McNab's subsequent thrillers, Crisis Four, Firewall, Last Light , Liberation Day , Dark Winter , Deep Black and Aggressor have all gone on to sell equally well. The central character in all the books is Nick Stone, a tough ex-SAS operative working as a 'K' on deniable operations for British Intelligence.
McNab's fiction draws extensively on his experiences and knowledge of Special Forces soldiering. He has been officially registered by Neilsen Bookscan as the bestselling British thriller writer of the last year.
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March 4, 2021
SAS: Red Notice
by Andy McNab is a book that grabs your attention with the prologue and has you fully hooked in the first chapter. It is a crime action adventure mainly set in England and the English Channel that features a SAS soldier and his teammates who go up against terrorists. It’s also the first book in the Tom Buckingham series. The realism is given credibility by the author’s own experience as a member of the B Squadron of the 22 SAS Regiment working on both covert and overt operations worldwide.
Protagonist Sergeant Tom Buckingham is off-duty and winds up on the Eurostar to Paris when terrorists take its 400 passengers as hostage. What follows is lots of action along with some heartbreak, intrigue, and bravery. The reader gets a good sense of Tom’s character over the course of the book. He has depth, some faults that play into the story line, and makes for a great lead. We also get a good feel for the antagonist, Lazlo Antonov. What has shaped his personality and actions? A variety of secondary characters have varying degrees of depth that lent a genuineness to them.
The author brought a strong sense of place to the events in the book. The action somehow managed to seem plausible even though it was definitely extreme. Additionally, many questions came to my mind? What are people capable of doing? What pushes people to do the things they do? What impact does political maneuvering have during a crisis? What are people willing to do to conceal past actions or inactions? What happens when politicians are so focused on giving plausibility and conviction to potential future denials of knowledge?
The writing style kept me engaged throughout the novel. It does include some of the weapons, ammunition, and gear discussions that are typical of this type of book, but it is not overdone. For those that need to know, there is a great deal of violence in the book. My main quibble with the book was the abrupt transitions that occurred between scenes with no warning.
Overall, this book was an action-filled, heart-pounding thriller that also includes a love story that doesn’t detract from the story, but adds depth. This is the first book that I have read by Andy McNab but it won’t be the last. I highly recommend this novel to those that like thrillers, military thrillers, and other novels by this author. For movie enthusiasts, there is a motion picture based on this book that will be coming out soon.
Wellbeck Publishing and Andy McNab provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
Protagonist Sergeant Tom Buckingham is off-duty and winds up on the Eurostar to Paris when terrorists take its 400 passengers as hostage. What follows is lots of action along with some heartbreak, intrigue, and bravery. The reader gets a good sense of Tom’s character over the course of the book. He has depth, some faults that play into the story line, and makes for a great lead. We also get a good feel for the antagonist, Lazlo Antonov. What has shaped his personality and actions? A variety of secondary characters have varying degrees of depth that lent a genuineness to them.
The author brought a strong sense of place to the events in the book. The action somehow managed to seem plausible even though it was definitely extreme. Additionally, many questions came to my mind? What are people capable of doing? What pushes people to do the things they do? What impact does political maneuvering have during a crisis? What are people willing to do to conceal past actions or inactions? What happens when politicians are so focused on giving plausibility and conviction to potential future denials of knowledge?
The writing style kept me engaged throughout the novel. It does include some of the weapons, ammunition, and gear discussions that are typical of this type of book, but it is not overdone. For those that need to know, there is a great deal of violence in the book. My main quibble with the book was the abrupt transitions that occurred between scenes with no warning.
Overall, this book was an action-filled, heart-pounding thriller that also includes a love story that doesn’t detract from the story, but adds depth. This is the first book that I have read by Andy McNab but it won’t be the last. I highly recommend this novel to those that like thrillers, military thrillers, and other novels by this author. For movie enthusiasts, there is a motion picture based on this book that will be coming out soon.
Wellbeck Publishing and Andy McNab provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
March 2, 2017
Written by an ex-SAS sergeant, you can't really argue with the authenticity of this book. The details are going to be accurate, which is great, but can the guy actually write?
While he's probably never going to win any high-falutin' literary prizes, the answer is yes; yes he can. This is a tightly plotted action thriller that grabs hold of you from the first chapter and doesn't let go until the incredibly visceral ending. McNab's dialogue isn't always the best and his characters aren't as fully realised as they could be but there's no denying he can write a corker of an adventure!
If you're a fan of blockbuster action movies, you'll know what to expect from this book and it certainly delivers. I'm actually surprised this hasn't been adapted into a movie yet! It's very much in the vein of Die Hard and for about the first quarter of the book I'd almost written it off as just being Die Hard in the channel tunnel instead of a skyscraper (like all those early-'90s movie pitches: It's like Die Hard... BUT ON A TRAIN/SHIP/ICE CREAM VAN). By the halfway mark, though, it veers away from that template and becomes very much its own creature.
When a workmate recommended this book to me, I initially thought it wasn't going to be my sort of thing. I was concerned that it was going to be all chest-thumping, teeth-gnashing, machismo with a nigh-invulnerable hero and clichéd bad guys. I was pleasantly surprised to find this wasn't actually the case. Tom Buckingham is far from invulnerable and even further from infallible and even the bad guys aren't entirely cookie-cutter clichés. Even the female lead defies the traditional 'damsel-in-distress' tripe and kicks some arse herself, which was great.
Overall, I really enjoyed this little cracker of an adventure story and am actually looking forward to reading the two sequels now. Colour me surprised.
Buddy read with Trish, who can't resist a man in uniform, apparently.
While he's probably never going to win any high-falutin' literary prizes, the answer is yes; yes he can. This is a tightly plotted action thriller that grabs hold of you from the first chapter and doesn't let go until the incredibly visceral ending. McNab's dialogue isn't always the best and his characters aren't as fully realised as they could be but there's no denying he can write a corker of an adventure!
If you're a fan of blockbuster action movies, you'll know what to expect from this book and it certainly delivers. I'm actually surprised this hasn't been adapted into a movie yet! It's very much in the vein of Die Hard and for about the first quarter of the book I'd almost written it off as just being Die Hard in the channel tunnel instead of a skyscraper (like all those early-'90s movie pitches: It's like Die Hard... BUT ON A TRAIN/SHIP/ICE CREAM VAN). By the halfway mark, though, it veers away from that template and becomes very much its own creature.
When a workmate recommended this book to me, I initially thought it wasn't going to be my sort of thing. I was concerned that it was going to be all chest-thumping, teeth-gnashing, machismo with a nigh-invulnerable hero and clichéd bad guys. I was pleasantly surprised to find this wasn't actually the case. Tom Buckingham is far from invulnerable and even further from infallible and even the bad guys aren't entirely cookie-cutter clichés. Even the female lead defies the traditional 'damsel-in-distress' tripe and kicks some arse herself, which was great.
Overall, I really enjoyed this little cracker of an adventure story and am actually looking forward to reading the two sequels now. Colour me surprised.
Buddy read with Trish, who can't resist a man in uniform, apparently.
March 11, 2017
My first book by this author and let me tell you, this was one hell of a ride. I was sceptical at first, I'll admit it. You see, the author was a member of the famous SAS (British special forces for you who don't know) so I knew I'd get accuracy, but that doesn't necessarily mean the man can write. I stand corrected however.
The story is of a terrorist and his crew and several attempts to apprehend them, but it has many more layers. There is political intrigue, cameraderie, action, an intelligent plot, lots of (apparently accurate) military details, blood, some more action, and even humour.
The characters are all very well drawn and not just cardboard cut-outs as is often the case in thrillers. Naturally, I especially liked Delphine (still think it's a horrible name though) for her sassiness and strength (all while being a very realistic character).
While this will never be high literature well-known hundreds of years from now like Shakespeare's plays, it does manage to give the reader some things to think about - such as the hypocrisy of our society (not just in one country), the lies of our politicians (not just in one country either), the special bond people can forge (especially when thrown together in bad circumstances), and the willingness of some truly extraordinary people to sacrifice all for the well-being of others. However, McNab never gets preachy and his book doesn't drown in pathos. He simply states facts and convictions and it is his dry matter-of-fact way whith which he addresses certain aspects here that was really nice. A couple of times I thought I knew what was gonna happen and in some cases I was right, but in others he actually surprised me.
However, if he is reading this (I don't think he will be, but just in case): !
So yeah, intelligent and realistic entertainment all around and I can't wait for the next.
Special thanks to my fake-adoptive daddy-dearest, who not only made me look up Andy McNab in the first place, and not only recommended this particular book to me, but was also willing to read the series in a buddy-read with me. *hugs*
The story is of a terrorist and his crew and several attempts to apprehend them, but it has many more layers. There is political intrigue, cameraderie, action, an intelligent plot, lots of (apparently accurate) military details, blood, some more action, and even humour.
The characters are all very well drawn and not just cardboard cut-outs as is often the case in thrillers. Naturally, I especially liked Delphine (still think it's a horrible name though) for her sassiness and strength (all while being a very realistic character).
While this will never be high literature well-known hundreds of years from now like Shakespeare's plays, it does manage to give the reader some things to think about - such as the hypocrisy of our society (not just in one country), the lies of our politicians (not just in one country either), the special bond people can forge (especially when thrown together in bad circumstances), and the willingness of some truly extraordinary people to sacrifice all for the well-being of others. However, McNab never gets preachy and his book doesn't drown in pathos. He simply states facts and convictions and it is his dry matter-of-fact way whith which he addresses certain aspects here that was really nice. A couple of times I thought I knew what was gonna happen and in some cases I was right, but in others he actually surprised me.
However, if he is reading this (I don't think he will be, but just in case): !
So yeah, intelligent and realistic entertainment all around and I can't wait for the next.
Special thanks to my fake-adoptive daddy-dearest, who not only made me look up Andy McNab in the first place, and not only recommended this particular book to me, but was also willing to read the series in a buddy-read with me. *hugs*
February 11, 2021
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
An on the run tried and convicted war criminal, Laszlo Antonov has an international Red Notice warrant on him and UK officials think he is hiding out in London. After a mission to capture him goes bust, he's on the move again. Tom Buckingham was part of the SAS force that tried to capture him and after his night gets extended with another commitment to the Regiment and his brothers in arms, he finds out that his girlfriend Delphine is leaving him. Not wanting to let her go, he races to make the Eurostar train she's on, and passes none other than Antonov on the same train. Hostage situations, bombs, guns, and war criminals are nothing new to Tom but this time, the love of his life is in the mix.
With a prologue that starts in 1996 and from the pov of Antonov, the author set-up a heartless villain that had no problem killing children and raping woman, while also throwing in a mystery Englishman to plant a double crosser seed. Antonov is South Ossetian and his hate of Georgians killing his countrymen sent him on the path of being funded by the Russians for a paramilitary group that gets dubbed the “Black Bears”. Later in the book, readers also learn that Antonov was secretly supported by some UK officials because of an oil pipeline and was in fact trained by SAS forces. He's a villain that brings the violence, double-crossing, and government conspiracies.
Surprisingly, I didn't feel as if I knew our hero Tom as well. This is the first book in a series, so some of Tom could be held back but I never felt like we really penetrate his personality. There are some flashback scenes interchanged with the current action that show how him and Delphine met, their relationship, some moments with his teammates, and his parents but he mostly still came off wooden to me. Later on when he's working to put a stop to Antonov and save Delphine, we get some more emotion but I still felt I couldn't pick him out of a military fiction line-up; he doesn't quite spark enough to want to follow along in a continuing series.
The beginning was a little bit rough to get through, there is a lot of jargon, acronyms, and lingo (described and explained) that I'm sure is second-hand for the author but for the uninitiated it was a bit much to start off with and try to retain and get involved with. The chapters were very short, which I thought worked for all the pov changes we get but, along with some of the flashbacks scenes, there were a couple misplaced because they cut into the action flow and stalled any suspense and thriller feelings that were building. I also thought that the decision to have Antonov's character, somewhat, grudgingly grow to respect Delphine and drag her along, ruined the previous work done to set-up him up to be so ruthless. Any child killings began to feel more for simple shock factor instead of character building.
As for the series, this left some dangling threads, political maneuverings, double-crossing, and the start of a revenge plot for Tom to follow. With a whiff of Die Hard, I can see why this is going to be made into a movie and I do think it will translate over well.
An on the run tried and convicted war criminal, Laszlo Antonov has an international Red Notice warrant on him and UK officials think he is hiding out in London. After a mission to capture him goes bust, he's on the move again. Tom Buckingham was part of the SAS force that tried to capture him and after his night gets extended with another commitment to the Regiment and his brothers in arms, he finds out that his girlfriend Delphine is leaving him. Not wanting to let her go, he races to make the Eurostar train she's on, and passes none other than Antonov on the same train. Hostage situations, bombs, guns, and war criminals are nothing new to Tom but this time, the love of his life is in the mix.
With a prologue that starts in 1996 and from the pov of Antonov, the author set-up a heartless villain that had no problem killing children and raping woman, while also throwing in a mystery Englishman to plant a double crosser seed. Antonov is South Ossetian and his hate of Georgians killing his countrymen sent him on the path of being funded by the Russians for a paramilitary group that gets dubbed the “Black Bears”. Later in the book, readers also learn that Antonov was secretly supported by some UK officials because of an oil pipeline and was in fact trained by SAS forces. He's a villain that brings the violence, double-crossing, and government conspiracies.
Surprisingly, I didn't feel as if I knew our hero Tom as well. This is the first book in a series, so some of Tom could be held back but I never felt like we really penetrate his personality. There are some flashback scenes interchanged with the current action that show how him and Delphine met, their relationship, some moments with his teammates, and his parents but he mostly still came off wooden to me. Later on when he's working to put a stop to Antonov and save Delphine, we get some more emotion but I still felt I couldn't pick him out of a military fiction line-up; he doesn't quite spark enough to want to follow along in a continuing series.
The beginning was a little bit rough to get through, there is a lot of jargon, acronyms, and lingo (described and explained) that I'm sure is second-hand for the author but for the uninitiated it was a bit much to start off with and try to retain and get involved with. The chapters were very short, which I thought worked for all the pov changes we get but, along with some of the flashbacks scenes, there were a couple misplaced because they cut into the action flow and stalled any suspense and thriller feelings that were building. I also thought that the decision to have Antonov's character, somewhat, grudgingly grow to respect Delphine and drag her along, ruined the previous work done to set-up him up to be so ruthless. Any child killings began to feel more for simple shock factor instead of character building.
As for the series, this left some dangling threads, political maneuverings, double-crossing, and the start of a revenge plot for Tom to follow. With a whiff of Die Hard, I can see why this is going to be made into a movie and I do think it will translate over well.
March 12, 2024
An excellent start of what seems to be a good series. Loved it.
April 5, 2021
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
My first reaction to the first few chapters was a horrified what was I thinking!! The story starts off with a group of evil terrorists randomly shooting up a village, then using flame throwers to kill an innocent child who managed to escape the burning building that they had deliberately set on fire (with all the remaining inhabitants of the hapless village trapped inside.) Yikes!
Tom Buckingham, an elite SAS soldier has his work cut out for him. The train he and his girlfriend are on has been targeted by the same ruthless terrorists we were introduced to in the first few chapters of this story.
I really, really do not like to read these types of "blood gushing from every orifice" action novels. I got carried away by the movie trailer for this one and rushed to request this ARC on NetGalley. Obviously, I won't be watching THAT movie when it comes out!
Apart from all the ruthless and senseless killing, the writing was fairly decent. Many a trope was rehashed in this pulse pounding action/thriller, but I suspect that those readers who live for descriptions of bullets flying everywhere, exploding heads, severed arteries, large-scale massacres and general mayhem will thoroughly enjoy this book..(I had to skim over the really horrific, inhumane scenes, but sometimes my "one-eye-open/peaking between my fingers" reading failed me and I was subjected to countless ruthless blood baths!)
And for this reason, and because the author was able to maintain a certain element of dread and suspense throughout the last half of the novel, I am going to rate this one a 3.5 out of 5. (I'm still shuddering from all that violence - eeeeek!)
My first reaction to the first few chapters was a horrified what was I thinking!! The story starts off with a group of evil terrorists randomly shooting up a village, then using flame throwers to kill an innocent child who managed to escape the burning building that they had deliberately set on fire (with all the remaining inhabitants of the hapless village trapped inside.) Yikes!
Tom Buckingham, an elite SAS soldier has his work cut out for him. The train he and his girlfriend are on has been targeted by the same ruthless terrorists we were introduced to in the first few chapters of this story.
I really, really do not like to read these types of "blood gushing from every orifice" action novels. I got carried away by the movie trailer for this one and rushed to request this ARC on NetGalley. Obviously, I won't be watching THAT movie when it comes out!
Apart from all the ruthless and senseless killing, the writing was fairly decent. Many a trope was rehashed in this pulse pounding action/thriller, but I suspect that those readers who live for descriptions of bullets flying everywhere, exploding heads, severed arteries, large-scale massacres and general mayhem will thoroughly enjoy this book..(I had to skim over the really horrific, inhumane scenes, but sometimes my "one-eye-open/peaking between my fingers" reading failed me and I was subjected to countless ruthless blood baths!)
And for this reason, and because the author was able to maintain a certain element of dread and suspense throughout the last half of the novel, I am going to rate this one a 3.5 out of 5. (I'm still shuddering from all that violence - eeeeek!)
March 24, 2021
Thank you so much to the publisher, via Bookish First, for the advanced copy of SAS: Red Notice in exchange for an honest review!
I have been hit or miss on military themed thrillers but overally enjoyed this one for the characters, plot line, and action!
Plot & action: The book opens with the terrorists using a flame thrower on a small village, so I can definitely say that the book started – and stayed fairly exciting throughout. Tom Buckingham and the SAS are chasing a terrorist cell with an enigmatic leader and a devastating plan.
There is action throughout as they run multiple ops against this group, and the book got even more exciting once the train was hijacked. Some of the intricacies of the international intrigue were lost on me as we learn who the terrorists are and why they were acting, but it created an interesting race against time. There is an inside man at SAS helping the terrorists as well, so the book definitely wasn’t boring
The Characters: Tom Buckingham is the main character, the SAS agent, and I liked him. He’s a bit career/boys club oriented but I think most soldiers are. His girlfriend, Delphine, incidentally ends up on the train with the terrorists which is why Tom was also on the train. When not in action, the book spends time developing Delphine’s character and her struggles building a life with a soldier who obviously prioritizes his job and buddies over her.
I liked the other soldiers too though and even the head terrorist is an interesting character! One thing I didn’t like though was all the names and extras thrown into the COBRA meetings, I ended up confusing names and departments.
Others: McNab spent his career with the military and I think there’s a lot of authenticity there. The operations were well described and fairly interesting, although sometimes the military lingo and abbreviations lost me. Most were explained and not terribly relevant to the story to understand the action. One thing I did like was all the technology used, like the sniper coordinator!
Overall: definitely recommend for military ops and thriller fans. Plenty of explosions and gunfire and daring escapes for all readers, and short chapters keep the pages flipping.
I am interested in the movie adaptation!
I have been hit or miss on military themed thrillers but overally enjoyed this one for the characters, plot line, and action!
Plot & action: The book opens with the terrorists using a flame thrower on a small village, so I can definitely say that the book started – and stayed fairly exciting throughout. Tom Buckingham and the SAS are chasing a terrorist cell with an enigmatic leader and a devastating plan.
There is action throughout as they run multiple ops against this group, and the book got even more exciting once the train was hijacked. Some of the intricacies of the international intrigue were lost on me as we learn who the terrorists are and why they were acting, but it created an interesting race against time. There is an inside man at SAS helping the terrorists as well, so the book definitely wasn’t boring
The Characters: Tom Buckingham is the main character, the SAS agent, and I liked him. He’s a bit career/boys club oriented but I think most soldiers are. His girlfriend, Delphine, incidentally ends up on the train with the terrorists which is why Tom was also on the train. When not in action, the book spends time developing Delphine’s character and her struggles building a life with a soldier who obviously prioritizes his job and buddies over her.
I liked the other soldiers too though and even the head terrorist is an interesting character! One thing I didn’t like though was all the names and extras thrown into the COBRA meetings, I ended up confusing names and departments.
Others: McNab spent his career with the military and I think there’s a lot of authenticity there. The operations were well described and fairly interesting, although sometimes the military lingo and abbreviations lost me. Most were explained and not terribly relevant to the story to understand the action. One thing I did like was all the technology used, like the sniper coordinator!
Overall: definitely recommend for military ops and thriller fans. Plenty of explosions and gunfire and daring escapes for all readers, and short chapters keep the pages flipping.
I am interested in the movie adaptation!
April 7, 2021
Military thrillers are not my first go to genre, but this book kept my attention the whole time and was exciting. I felt like I was reading Die Hard on a train and I loved every second of it. The characters were all their own extreme versions of their type but it was fun even if it was a little cheesy. The story was full of adventure and a lot of violence that was fairly graphic and intense. I will say the main bad guy seemed a little inconsistent....he was willing to kill children and the elderly to get to his escape but he didn’t want to kill the brave people who were actively fighting against him? I did not buy that at all although I understand the series would have been poorer without that distinction. I’m excited that this is the first book of a new series because I liked the cast of characters and the book definitely doesn’t end with everything wrapped up cleanly so I’d love to know what happens next.
July 24, 2022
Die Hard in the Chunnel.
Not bad. As usual, bureaucrats are more dangerous than the actual terrorists.
Not bad. As usual, bureaucrats are more dangerous than the actual terrorists.
November 13, 2012
RED NOTICE feels like Andy McNab trying to straddle the fence between his raw, expletive-laden Nick Stone series and his more recent efforts with fellow author Kym Jordan, which pack far more of an emotional pull and realism into its pages. Unfortunately the result lacks the impact of both. RED NOTICE is little more than an adept thriller. Undeniably readable, packed with plenty of action - but it's nothing we haven't read before. It's perfect airplane fiction. You part with your cash and you know what to expect.
Protagonist Tom Buckingham is fairly one-note. An SAS soldier struggling to balance his commitment to the Regiment with the needs of his girlfriend, who screws things up so badly she decides to leave him, buying a one-way ticket for the Eurostar the day after he fails to show up for their date. Naturally, Tom chases her down, manages to board the train just as the doors close - which is, naturally, the same train terrorist Laszlo plans to hijack; the same terrorist Tom and his SAS unit failed to capture less than 24 hours ago.
The plot just feels a tad too contrived for my tastes. I understand this is fiction; coincidences will occur in order to further the plot. Certain twists just seemed a tad too unnatural. There are the usual elements thrown in for good measure; traitors in the Regiment's ranks; Laszlo's plan isn't quite what it seems. All the necessary boxes are ticked off - just not in a particularly inspired fashion.
As the first in what is clearly a new series - too many plot threads are left dangling for this to be a standalone - RED LINE isn't the greatest of openers. My advice to any first-time McNab readers? Check out the Nick Stone books. For the rest of us stalwarts? This'll do. We desire better only because McNab's so often provided better. And it'll take a lot more than one mediocre thriller to stop me picking up his next.
Protagonist Tom Buckingham is fairly one-note. An SAS soldier struggling to balance his commitment to the Regiment with the needs of his girlfriend, who screws things up so badly she decides to leave him, buying a one-way ticket for the Eurostar the day after he fails to show up for their date. Naturally, Tom chases her down, manages to board the train just as the doors close - which is, naturally, the same train terrorist Laszlo plans to hijack; the same terrorist Tom and his SAS unit failed to capture less than 24 hours ago.
The plot just feels a tad too contrived for my tastes. I understand this is fiction; coincidences will occur in order to further the plot. Certain twists just seemed a tad too unnatural. There are the usual elements thrown in for good measure; traitors in the Regiment's ranks; Laszlo's plan isn't quite what it seems. All the necessary boxes are ticked off - just not in a particularly inspired fashion.
As the first in what is clearly a new series - too many plot threads are left dangling for this to be a standalone - RED LINE isn't the greatest of openers. My advice to any first-time McNab readers? Check out the Nick Stone books. For the rest of us stalwarts? This'll do. We desire better only because McNab's so often provided better. And it'll take a lot more than one mediocre thriller to stop me picking up his next.
May 22, 2024
I'd never read any of Andy McNab's book prior to SAS: Red Notice. However, I was gripped within the first few pages due to Andy's engaging writing style and skillful character development.
I'm a sucker for transportation-themed books. If it involves a train, plane, spaceship, etc, I'm probably at the front of the queue.
One of the easiest five stars I've ever given.
I'm a sucker for transportation-themed books. If it involves a train, plane, spaceship, etc, I'm probably at the front of the queue.
One of the easiest five stars I've ever given.
December 26, 2012
Excessively and needlessly violent, coupled with a poorly thought out plot, that tends to fill in between passages of military jargonese, his sad attempt at political process, and a simple train hijacking. You can read this tripe in less than an hour...
December 18, 2021
Al vanaf het begin pakt dit boek je.
De auteur van dit boek, Andy McNab, is zelf jarenlang een lid van de S.A.S. geweest, en dat kan je duidelijk merken aan zijn schrijfstijl
Een eenheid van de S.A.S. probeert een al jarenlang voortvluchtige oorlogsmisdadiger te arresteren, maar dat mislukt op het laatste ogenblik.
Tom Buckingham, een lid van het S.A.S., heeft problemen met zijn vriendin die hem verlaten heeft, en in de Eurostar richting Frankrijk zit. Het lukt hem nog net op tijd om deze trein te halen in een poging Delphine over te halen toch nog bij hem te blijven. Een terroristengroep gijzelt de trein en 400 passagiers. Wat volgt is een serie gebeurtenissen met intriges en actie.
Gedurende de loop van het boek, krijgen we een goed beeld van Tom. Hij heeft voldoende diepte en fouten, die in het verhaal naar voren komen. Ook de antagonist, Laszlo Antonov, krijgt voldoende ruimte om zijn verhaal te doen. Verder komen ook de bijrollen goed uit de verf.
Dit boek is zeker een aanrader, en hoewel het mijn eerste 'McNab' is, zal het zeker niet de laatste zijn.
De auteur van dit boek, Andy McNab, is zelf jarenlang een lid van de S.A.S. geweest, en dat kan je duidelijk merken aan zijn schrijfstijl
Een eenheid van de S.A.S. probeert een al jarenlang voortvluchtige oorlogsmisdadiger te arresteren, maar dat mislukt op het laatste ogenblik.
Tom Buckingham, een lid van het S.A.S., heeft problemen met zijn vriendin die hem verlaten heeft, en in de Eurostar richting Frankrijk zit. Het lukt hem nog net op tijd om deze trein te halen in een poging Delphine over te halen toch nog bij hem te blijven. Een terroristengroep gijzelt de trein en 400 passagiers. Wat volgt is een serie gebeurtenissen met intriges en actie.
Gedurende de loop van het boek, krijgen we een goed beeld van Tom. Hij heeft voldoende diepte en fouten, die in het verhaal naar voren komen. Ook de antagonist, Laszlo Antonov, krijgt voldoende ruimte om zijn verhaal te doen. Verder komen ook de bijrollen goed uit de verf.
Dit boek is zeker een aanrader, en hoewel het mijn eerste 'McNab' is, zal het zeker niet de laatste zijn.
August 14, 2023
A fantastic fast-paced thriller that keeps you hooked. My first Andy McNab book and it was a great one.
The author, being an ex-soldier himself has taken care with the smallest of details and it is very evident from his writing that he knows the world of soldiers inside out.
The character creation, the interpersonal interaction is very carefully done and most of the character arcs were incredible to follow.
The only reason this is not a 5-star for me, is that the introduction seemed way too long. The actual thrilling part of the book only starts after the 100th page or so, and at one point, it made me wonder if I picked up the wrong book somehow. The intro and setup could have been done in 30 pages or so and the actual crux of the book is 5/5 no doubts about it.
Looking forward to reading and reviewing more of McNab's work.
The author, being an ex-soldier himself has taken care with the smallest of details and it is very evident from his writing that he knows the world of soldiers inside out.
The character creation, the interpersonal interaction is very carefully done and most of the character arcs were incredible to follow.
The only reason this is not a 5-star for me, is that the introduction seemed way too long. The actual thrilling part of the book only starts after the 100th page or so, and at one point, it made me wonder if I picked up the wrong book somehow. The intro and setup could have been done in 30 pages or so and the actual crux of the book is 5/5 no doubts about it.
Looking forward to reading and reviewing more of McNab's work.
April 23, 2021
This book was an actionable oriented, gratuitously violent, thrill ride. It read like a blockbuster action flick- something I was absolutely here for. I didn’t feel especially connected to the characters, but that’s not unusual in a narrative like this as it’s more event vs character driven.
Thank you to Netgalley & Welbeck Publishing for this e-Arc
Thank you to Netgalley & Welbeck Publishing for this e-Arc
June 24, 2018
I’ve had a reading hiatus recently which has impeded my reading challenge! I’m hopefully back in full swing of the reading and what a book to kick it off with! This is one of only a few of Andy McNab’s books I’ve read, but each one gets me excited to read more. A well written book which I felt got into the full throttle at the three quarters mark.
A brilliant read which keeps you turning the pages. A great read.
A brilliant read which keeps you turning the pages. A great read.
May 27, 2021
Red Notice (Tom Buckingham #1) by Andy McNab
Synopsis /
Deep beneath the English Channel, a small army of vicious terrorists has seized control of the Eurostar to Paris, taken 400 hostages at gunpoint - and declared war on a government that has more than its own fair share of secrets to keep.
One man stands in their way. An off-duty SAS soldier is hiding somewhere inside the train. Alone and injured, he's the only chance the passengers and crew have of getting out alive. Meet Andy McNab's explosive new creation, Sergeant Tom Buckingham, as he unleashes a whirlwind of intrigue and retribution in his attempt to stop the terrorists and save everyone on board - including Delphine, the beautiful woman he loves.
Hurtling us at breakneck speed between the Regiment's crack assault teams, Whitehall's corridors of power and the heart of the Eurotunnel action, RED NOTICE is McNab at his devastatingly authentic, pulse pounding best.
My Thoughts /
On the run, convicted war criminal, Laszlo Antonov, together with his brother Sambor, and their small band of heavily armed militants, take control of the Eurostar (a high-speed train connecting Great Britain to Continental Europe) as it’s heading through the Channel Tunnel towards Paris.
Say hello to our protagonist. Sergeant Tom Buckingham. Tom is a career military man, who has been dating girlfriend, Delphine, for the last 18 months. Being in an elite military outfit (the SAS) Tom always seems to be ‘on call’. Delphine refers to the job as Tom’s ‘mistress’, and, over time, has been the cause of some conflict of interests. Poor Tom – he has put off a date with Delphine one too many times, and now Delphine has decided it is time to leave England and go back home to France. And that’s how he finds himself on said hijacked Eurostar - in an effort to repair his disintegrating relationship with his girlfriend, Delphine.
With 400+ hostages and the clock ticking, overwhelmed elected government authorities hand over control of the situation to the military to resolve.
The chapters are short and punchy. Tom as a hero is smart and capable. The author does well to maintain the balance between the action and a hero whose actions are believable and involving. The development of the characters and the story continues right up until the very end.
There are bullets. Lots and lots of bullets. There are people getting shot. There are people getting blown up. There are the requisite ‘bad guys’, who are, surprisingly likeable – if you’re into bad guys . There are people getting captured, escaping and recaptured. There’s a ransom demand that’s just a smoke screen. And lots of smoke bombs which make, well, smoke screens.
And with bodies dropping all over the place can Tom and his team stop this attack?????? But of course mon chéri, how could you think not? Grab a bottle of your favourite wine, a baguette and some cheese and settle down comfortably for a solid read.
Favourite Quote:
As Abraham Lincoln used to say, ‘Better to keep silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt’.
Synopsis /
Deep beneath the English Channel, a small army of vicious terrorists has seized control of the Eurostar to Paris, taken 400 hostages at gunpoint - and declared war on a government that has more than its own fair share of secrets to keep.
One man stands in their way. An off-duty SAS soldier is hiding somewhere inside the train. Alone and injured, he's the only chance the passengers and crew have of getting out alive. Meet Andy McNab's explosive new creation, Sergeant Tom Buckingham, as he unleashes a whirlwind of intrigue and retribution in his attempt to stop the terrorists and save everyone on board - including Delphine, the beautiful woman he loves.
Hurtling us at breakneck speed between the Regiment's crack assault teams, Whitehall's corridors of power and the heart of the Eurotunnel action, RED NOTICE is McNab at his devastatingly authentic, pulse pounding best.
My Thoughts /
On the run, convicted war criminal, Laszlo Antonov, together with his brother Sambor, and their small band of heavily armed militants, take control of the Eurostar (a high-speed train connecting Great Britain to Continental Europe) as it’s heading through the Channel Tunnel towards Paris.
Say hello to our protagonist. Sergeant Tom Buckingham. Tom is a career military man, who has been dating girlfriend, Delphine, for the last 18 months. Being in an elite military outfit (the SAS) Tom always seems to be ‘on call’. Delphine refers to the job as Tom’s ‘mistress’, and, over time, has been the cause of some conflict of interests. Poor Tom – he has put off a date with Delphine one too many times, and now Delphine has decided it is time to leave England and go back home to France. And that’s how he finds himself on said hijacked Eurostar - in an effort to repair his disintegrating relationship with his girlfriend, Delphine.
With 400+ hostages and the clock ticking, overwhelmed elected government authorities hand over control of the situation to the military to resolve.
The chapters are short and punchy. Tom as a hero is smart and capable. The author does well to maintain the balance between the action and a hero whose actions are believable and involving. The development of the characters and the story continues right up until the very end.
There are bullets. Lots and lots of bullets. There are people getting shot. There are people getting blown up. There are the requisite ‘bad guys’, who are, surprisingly likeable – if you’re into bad guys . There are people getting captured, escaping and recaptured. There’s a ransom demand that’s just a smoke screen. And lots of smoke bombs which make, well, smoke screens.
And with bodies dropping all over the place can Tom and his team stop this attack?????? But of course mon chéri, how could you think not? Grab a bottle of your favourite wine, a baguette and some cheese and settle down comfortably for a solid read.
Favourite Quote:
As Abraham Lincoln used to say, ‘Better to keep silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt’.
March 31, 2021
SAS: Red Notice by Andy McNabb is a military thriller that captivated me from the very first chapter. Without giving away any spoilers, the plot is centered around a band of very bad terrorists and their vicious, I relentless leader who showed no mercy or empathy towards anyone and an incredibly courageous SAS military soldier who must stop him from killing all 400 passengersand crew including the woman he loves who is pregnant with their unborn child who are being held hostage on an underground train. I received an uncorrected galley of this book and the opinions are solely my own. The author did an outstanding job in methodically creating the characters and the amount of research and detail and authenticity are absolutely brilliant. I was completely mesmerized by this storyline and couldn’t wait to see what happened next. I rated it a five.
February 14, 2021
Die Hard on a Train.....and I loved it!
The main bad guy was pretty bad. Bad as in being a ruthless SOB. Plenty of terrorist type action. Lots of SAS tactics. I enjoyed the characters. Maybe took a tad too long to get the ball rolling action/terror wise, but once things took off they zipped along. Looking forward to the movie.
The main bad guy was pretty bad. Bad as in being a ruthless SOB. Plenty of terrorist type action. Lots of SAS tactics. I enjoyed the characters. Maybe took a tad too long to get the ball rolling action/terror wise, but once things took off they zipped along. Looking forward to the movie.
January 7, 2013
A big fan of Andy McNab books but this one was not one of his best. Very predictable all the way through. Having said that I suppose that if this was the first book of his you read it would probably hold your attention and be enjoyable Will wait to see what the next offering from him is like.
February 11, 2021
Lots of action!!!
I read in one sitting. Held my interest until the end. Looking forward to seeing the fabulous Sam Heughan in the role of Tom Buckingham. My favorite actor ever.
I read in one sitting. Held my interest until the end. Looking forward to seeing the fabulous Sam Heughan in the role of Tom Buckingham. My favorite actor ever.
March 1, 2021
Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review and Welbeck Publishing for a physical arc.
Tom is a member of the SAS. He has been dating Delphine but their relationship has been on strain since she feels like Tom picks his job over her. When he returns home after a failed attempt to capture Laszlo Antonov, a leader of a terrorists group, he is supposed to meat Delphine but when he stands her up again to do fight night with the other SAS members she decides she is done and is leaving home to France. Of course, once Tom shows up hours after he was supposed to meet her. Delphine’s roommate tells him she is gone, and Tom goes after her. This is how Tom and Delphine end up on a train with Laszlo and this of course starts a very action-packed thrilling book.
I really like how the book was set up. It is almost like this book was made to be a movie. It didn’t stay focused on one person for long but switch often between people on limited third person point of view. I really liked this as it gave every perspective of the situation. It also changed at the right time like how in a show or movie the screen changed between who is talking and goes between scenes of people. Well that is exactly how the book is organized. The chapters are pretty short but there are also different sections in each chapter. It is easy to tell when we are changing perspectives which kept is easy to not get confused when it is changing multiple times a chapter.
This book is definitely action packed and fast paced. Most of the book is them on the train trying to escape alive. I also like that everything doesn’t always go right, there is definitely a lot of setbacks and injuries. In the beginning we got to see a little about the history of the terrorists’ group and the beginning of Tom and Delphine’s relationship. Even though the beginning of the book was jaw dropping and sickening, I like that’s how the book started. It got me engaged right away. I like that you know from the very beginning why the bad guys are bad. Some books I have read takes a while for you to understand what is wrong with the opposing side but from the very beginning, I was filled with hatred toward the terrorist’s group. The author did so well of starting the book off strong and clearly showing what kind of people these terrorists are. It got me and I am sure it will for other involved and emotionally tied to the situation right away.
I also really liked the writing style. You can clearly tell the thinking of the people as they speak. Like you can almost hear the bitterness in the terrorist’s words. And the words used to describe the scene is perfect for the type of book and sets the mood and tone of the story.
There is a lot of SAS and military jargon, which half I understood and half I didn’t, but it made the book more realistic because as the SAS people were talking back and forth and as they were planning and executing their operations, you get a glimpse into that world. It was just very realistic and kept me entertained through the whole story.
I will warn there is a lot of horrible graphic violence that ensues with the hijacking of the train by the terrorists group because they will do what ever it takes to complete their secret addenda and make it out alive.
Tom is a member of the SAS. He has been dating Delphine but their relationship has been on strain since she feels like Tom picks his job over her. When he returns home after a failed attempt to capture Laszlo Antonov, a leader of a terrorists group, he is supposed to meat Delphine but when he stands her up again to do fight night with the other SAS members she decides she is done and is leaving home to France. Of course, once Tom shows up hours after he was supposed to meet her. Delphine’s roommate tells him she is gone, and Tom goes after her. This is how Tom and Delphine end up on a train with Laszlo and this of course starts a very action-packed thrilling book.
I really like how the book was set up. It is almost like this book was made to be a movie. It didn’t stay focused on one person for long but switch often between people on limited third person point of view. I really liked this as it gave every perspective of the situation. It also changed at the right time like how in a show or movie the screen changed between who is talking and goes between scenes of people. Well that is exactly how the book is organized. The chapters are pretty short but there are also different sections in each chapter. It is easy to tell when we are changing perspectives which kept is easy to not get confused when it is changing multiple times a chapter.
This book is definitely action packed and fast paced. Most of the book is them on the train trying to escape alive. I also like that everything doesn’t always go right, there is definitely a lot of setbacks and injuries. In the beginning we got to see a little about the history of the terrorists’ group and the beginning of Tom and Delphine’s relationship. Even though the beginning of the book was jaw dropping and sickening, I like that’s how the book started. It got me engaged right away. I like that you know from the very beginning why the bad guys are bad. Some books I have read takes a while for you to understand what is wrong with the opposing side but from the very beginning, I was filled with hatred toward the terrorist’s group. The author did so well of starting the book off strong and clearly showing what kind of people these terrorists are. It got me and I am sure it will for other involved and emotionally tied to the situation right away.
I also really liked the writing style. You can clearly tell the thinking of the people as they speak. Like you can almost hear the bitterness in the terrorist’s words. And the words used to describe the scene is perfect for the type of book and sets the mood and tone of the story.
There is a lot of SAS and military jargon, which half I understood and half I didn’t, but it made the book more realistic because as the SAS people were talking back and forth and as they were planning and executing their operations, you get a glimpse into that world. It was just very realistic and kept me entertained through the whole story.
I will warn there is a lot of horrible graphic violence that ensues with the hijacking of the train by the terrorists group because they will do what ever it takes to complete their secret addenda and make it out alive.
October 13, 2021
Andy McNab (of Bravo Two Zero - The True Story Of An SAS Patrol Behind Enemy Lines In Iraq fame) successfully transitioned from a controversial account of the ill-fated Gulf War mission (and a less controversial novel about his time in the Regiment leading up to that mission) to a successful fiction writing career. SAS: Red Notice is the first fiction novel I've read by McNab, and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Tom "Posh Lad" Buckingham is a blade with the Regiment, assigned to assist civil authorities with effecting the arrest of Laszlo Antonov, a South Ossetian insurgent known for his brutality and efficiency. Antonov slips the net, and business returns to normal for the Regiment.
Buckingham's girlfriend, Delphine, is tired of playing second fiddle to the "mistress" that is the Regiment, so when he stands her up for an important date, she gets on a train, determined to return to her native France. Violating protocol (as he is on 30 minute standby with the Counter Revolutionary Wing), he catches the train to make a last-ditch plea for Delphine to stay with him. To his shock and surprise, he recognizes Antonov on the train and calls it in, knowing he can get binned for traveling so far outside the area.
When Antonov's men attack the train, it becomes obvious that there is far more to the situation than what meets the eye, and Buckingham will need every ounce of guile and luck he can muster to stop Antonov in his tracks and protect Delphine.
This was a real page-turning read with compelling characters and kinetic action. The overall plot was solid and definitely could read as if it had been ripped from the headlines. It becomes easy to immerse one's self in the story and invest in the characters.
The realism was solid, though it's clear that McNab relied a lot on his previous experience rather than blend it with open-source research on what's being done in the here and now. A minor nit-pick, but one worth noting.
While I appreciated the backstory on Tom's and Delphine's courtship, I don't appreciate that those scenes were inserted between action chapters. While it was necessary exposition, it did seem to slow the story down a bit. That, and a couple of plot inconsistencies, kept it from being a great novel.
That said, it was a very good novel, and the ending perfectly set up for a sequel, which I will be purchasing. I definitely want to read more of Tom Buckingham's exploits, and recommend SAS: Red Notice to fans of the genre.
Tom "Posh Lad" Buckingham is a blade with the Regiment, assigned to assist civil authorities with effecting the arrest of Laszlo Antonov, a South Ossetian insurgent known for his brutality and efficiency. Antonov slips the net, and business returns to normal for the Regiment.
Buckingham's girlfriend, Delphine, is tired of playing second fiddle to the "mistress" that is the Regiment, so when he stands her up for an important date, she gets on a train, determined to return to her native France. Violating protocol (as he is on 30 minute standby with the Counter Revolutionary Wing), he catches the train to make a last-ditch plea for Delphine to stay with him. To his shock and surprise, he recognizes Antonov on the train and calls it in, knowing he can get binned for traveling so far outside the area.
When Antonov's men attack the train, it becomes obvious that there is far more to the situation than what meets the eye, and Buckingham will need every ounce of guile and luck he can muster to stop Antonov in his tracks and protect Delphine.
This was a real page-turning read with compelling characters and kinetic action. The overall plot was solid and definitely could read as if it had been ripped from the headlines. It becomes easy to immerse one's self in the story and invest in the characters.
The realism was solid, though it's clear that McNab relied a lot on his previous experience rather than blend it with open-source research on what's being done in the here and now. A minor nit-pick, but one worth noting.
While I appreciated the backstory on Tom's and Delphine's courtship, I don't appreciate that those scenes were inserted between action chapters. While it was necessary exposition, it did seem to slow the story down a bit. That, and a couple of plot inconsistencies, kept it from being a great novel.
That said, it was a very good novel, and the ending perfectly set up for a sequel, which I will be purchasing. I definitely want to read more of Tom Buckingham's exploits, and recommend SAS: Red Notice to fans of the genre.
February 10, 2021
A little slow to start but once it takes off, hold on!
Tom Buckingham, an SAS soldier who was involved with the failed attempt to take down the vicious leader of a small army, finds himself on a hijacked train with said vicious leader. After making it clear to his girlfriend that the SAS takes priority over everything else, she decides to leave, taking the train back to France. It's only after he barely gets on board to try to change her mind that he sees the target and the train subsequently gets stopped in the middle of the Channel Tunnel. Then all hell breaks loose with only Tom there to stop it.
In the beginning of the novel I found all the abbreviations and acronyms to be a bit overwhelming for me and they definitely slowed down my reading. Luckily, that didn't last too long and I was able to get fully invested in the story. Even though the story is a little light on character development what is given was still enough for me to pull for Tom and his girlfriend in their fight to stay alive. As the story progresses the tension intensifies and the action comes fast and furious.
If you're a fan of military thrillers with lots of drama I highly recommend you add this to your TBR pile.
.
Thank you to the author and Bookish First for the giveaway and my gifted copy.
Tom Buckingham, an SAS soldier who was involved with the failed attempt to take down the vicious leader of a small army, finds himself on a hijacked train with said vicious leader. After making it clear to his girlfriend that the SAS takes priority over everything else, she decides to leave, taking the train back to France. It's only after he barely gets on board to try to change her mind that he sees the target and the train subsequently gets stopped in the middle of the Channel Tunnel. Then all hell breaks loose with only Tom there to stop it.
In the beginning of the novel I found all the abbreviations and acronyms to be a bit overwhelming for me and they definitely slowed down my reading. Luckily, that didn't last too long and I was able to get fully invested in the story. Even though the story is a little light on character development what is given was still enough for me to pull for Tom and his girlfriend in their fight to stay alive. As the story progresses the tension intensifies and the action comes fast and furious.
If you're a fan of military thrillers with lots of drama I highly recommend you add this to your TBR pile.
.
Thank you to the author and Bookish First for the giveaway and my gifted copy.
August 24, 2025
I read this book on holiday and really enjoyed it. I must say that it was not very demanding, ideal for a holiday but everything about it was a bit light. The characters were nicely drawn but none of them were very deep. I wouldn't go so far as to say that they were stereotypes, but there was not a lot of depth to them. The villain was very villainous, the hero was very heroic. Some of the secondary characters were a bit more interesting. The civil servant who [I'm not giving away very much here] who turned to be not quite who he said he was had a bit of depth to him.
Rather better was the story line. It was not entirely clear until towards the end exactly what was going on - there was some masterful distraction by the author with a couple of subplots that muddied the waters and hid the real ambitions of the villain until near the end.
And the action scenes were great. Very well described with plenty of technical detail. If you are looking for an action-packed read with plenty of twists and turns in the plot then buy this book!
Rather better was the story line. It was not entirely clear until towards the end exactly what was going on - there was some masterful distraction by the author with a couple of subplots that muddied the waters and hid the real ambitions of the villain until near the end.
And the action scenes were great. Very well described with plenty of technical detail. If you are looking for an action-packed read with plenty of twists and turns in the plot then buy this book!
August 31, 2021
Wham bam. Not read a McNab novel for some time and this was brilliant. Lots of action and a few twists to make you think - hopefully future series Buckingham books follow on these. This is right out of a Clive Cussler inspired tale. Bold, entertaining and plenty of what-ifs this really happened or could it happen.
April 15, 2021
Thank you to Welbeck and Andy McNab for an ARC of SAS: Red Notice. I don't give away spoilers in my reviews. I won a copy of this ARC on BookishFirst.
This book was...heart-pounding, action-packed, hero-packed, villian-packed, etc. It was the most exciting book I've read in a while.
Admittedly, it took a few pages for me to get into the story but that is pretty common for me. I was worried I wouldn't understand the lingo or the characters but everything is explained well throughout the book.
My favorite character was Delphine. She was unapologetically strong and I appreciate that in a female character.
The heroes and the villians were all easy to imagine in real life. I could easily picture the scenery and the action - it was all so well described but not too wordy.
Great story and I would guess there is much more to come for the characters. Though this was read as a stand alone and can be that too.
Really - intense, dramatic book. I will probably watch the movie as well.
This book was...heart-pounding, action-packed, hero-packed, villian-packed, etc. It was the most exciting book I've read in a while.
Admittedly, it took a few pages for me to get into the story but that is pretty common for me. I was worried I wouldn't understand the lingo or the characters but everything is explained well throughout the book.
My favorite character was Delphine. She was unapologetically strong and I appreciate that in a female character.
The heroes and the villians were all easy to imagine in real life. I could easily picture the scenery and the action - it was all so well described but not too wordy.
Great story and I would guess there is much more to come for the characters. Though this was read as a stand alone and can be that too.
Really - intense, dramatic book. I will probably watch the movie as well.
April 22, 2021
Brilliant read... couldn’t put it down. Brilliant page turner and I don’t often give 5* reviews
April 2, 2021
SAS: Red Notice is the first book I have read by Andy McNab. I was excited to read that Mr. McNab had a wealth of experience as a multi-time decorated British soldier and has advised the FBI and Delta Force hostage negotiations.
I normally do not read this genre but do watch movies from this genre. The reader is first given a look in the prologue (September 1996) at Laslow, the terrorist, who definitely has no compassion for children as he and his team murder a whole village. Chapter 1 moves forward to London, September, 2011, where an SAS team is on a mission in the midst of the Heath which is full of mansions. Here is where we are introduced to the protagonist “Posh Lad” Tom Buckingham. The chapters are short and laced with many characters. I like short chapters, but there were so many characters that I found myself having to reread to figure out who was who.............
We learn about Buckingham’s girlfriend, Daphne, of eighteen months who he loves but does not put her first. Daphne decides to go back to France when Tom does not show up on time. She leaves to get on the train that goes to France through the Chunnel Tunnel. Tom shows up and Daphne’s girlfriend told him that she left. Tom hurries and gets on the train of 400 passengers.
The stage is now set for the terrorists to take over the train and Tom needs to figure out what he can do to be the hero of this crisis and save the day. Once I was used to McNab’s writing style and who most of the people were, the book moved quickly. (Keep a character list at the beginning.) My thanks to Welbeck Publishing, BookishFirst, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.
I normally do not read this genre but do watch movies from this genre. The reader is first given a look in the prologue (September 1996) at Laslow, the terrorist, who definitely has no compassion for children as he and his team murder a whole village. Chapter 1 moves forward to London, September, 2011, where an SAS team is on a mission in the midst of the Heath which is full of mansions. Here is where we are introduced to the protagonist “Posh Lad” Tom Buckingham. The chapters are short and laced with many characters. I like short chapters, but there were so many characters that I found myself having to reread to figure out who was who.............
We learn about Buckingham’s girlfriend, Daphne, of eighteen months who he loves but does not put her first. Daphne decides to go back to France when Tom does not show up on time. She leaves to get on the train that goes to France through the Chunnel Tunnel. Tom shows up and Daphne’s girlfriend told him that she left. Tom hurries and gets on the train of 400 passengers.
The stage is now set for the terrorists to take over the train and Tom needs to figure out what he can do to be the hero of this crisis and save the day. Once I was used to McNab’s writing style and who most of the people were, the book moved quickly. (Keep a character list at the beginning.) My thanks to Welbeck Publishing, BookishFirst, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.
April 7, 2021
Deep below the English channel a group of international terrorists has taken a trainload of passengers hostage. In the wrong place at the rights time SAS officer Tom Buckingham may be the only the chance the hostages have. Hidden deep in the tunnel he's doing his best to reduce the number of terrorists holding the train while collecting as much intel as he can for his squad, if he can just get it to them. When the shooting starts it will take all Tom's skills, ingenuity and more than a little bit of luck to get the hostages out alive.
This book is way outside my normal reading wheelhouse, but the description sounder intriguing and I decided to give it a try. Part political thriller, part military suspense and all action, this book grabbed me from page one and didn't let go. From the cold, calculating, heartlessness of the terrorists, to the frustration of the political wrangling and decision making by committee, to the heart stopping action of the Regiment's assault team, I simply couldn't put it down. Having devoured the book over the course of a weekend, I'm ready to jump into the next Tom Buckingham thriller.
This book is way outside my normal reading wheelhouse, but the description sounder intriguing and I decided to give it a try. Part political thriller, part military suspense and all action, this book grabbed me from page one and didn't let go. From the cold, calculating, heartlessness of the terrorists, to the frustration of the political wrangling and decision making by committee, to the heart stopping action of the Regiment's assault team, I simply couldn't put it down. Having devoured the book over the course of a weekend, I'm ready to jump into the next Tom Buckingham thriller.
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