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Nick Flynn #2
Countdown to Midnight
In this sequel to Dale Brown's New York Times bestselling Arctic Storm Rising, former U.S. Air Force officer Nick Flynn is caught up in a shadow war against allied Russia and Iran--a duo wielding a terrifying new weapon.
Nick Flynn is back in action, and he has a new employer--a shadowy intelligence outfit whose roots go back to the very beginning of the Cold War. But his first mission for them almost becomes his last. While meeting with a high-ranking Iranian dissident in the Austrian Alps, Flynn is ambushed and nearly killed... just after learning that Iran and Russia are working together on a mysterious project--one they have codenamed MIDNIGHT.
Flynn is determined to uncover MIDNIGHT's lethal secrets. Why are Moscow and Tehran covertly retrofitting a massive oil tanker in an Iranian port? What purpose lies behind their closely guarded effort, the brainchild of Pavel Voronin--a ruthless billionaire allied with Russia's autocratic president?
Flynn and his new team plan to put an end to the nefarious project, but they're dogged at every step by Voronin's hired Raven Syndicate killers--elite veterans of Russia's special forces and intelligence services. As they track the enemy from the streets of Vienna to deep inside hostile Iran, Flynn and his crew must repeatedly risk their lives to pierce the layers of deception around this shadow war.
It's a race against time to stop Voronin from launching his terrifying new weapon against the United States--potentially killing hundreds of millions and overturning the world's balance of power forever. The odds are stacked high against Flynn and his team... but that's never stopped Nick before.
Nick Flynn is back in action, and he has a new employer--a shadowy intelligence outfit whose roots go back to the very beginning of the Cold War. But his first mission for them almost becomes his last. While meeting with a high-ranking Iranian dissident in the Austrian Alps, Flynn is ambushed and nearly killed... just after learning that Iran and Russia are working together on a mysterious project--one they have codenamed MIDNIGHT.
Flynn is determined to uncover MIDNIGHT's lethal secrets. Why are Moscow and Tehran covertly retrofitting a massive oil tanker in an Iranian port? What purpose lies behind their closely guarded effort, the brainchild of Pavel Voronin--a ruthless billionaire allied with Russia's autocratic president?
Flynn and his new team plan to put an end to the nefarious project, but they're dogged at every step by Voronin's hired Raven Syndicate killers--elite veterans of Russia's special forces and intelligence services. As they track the enemy from the streets of Vienna to deep inside hostile Iran, Flynn and his crew must repeatedly risk their lives to pierce the layers of deception around this shadow war.
It's a race against time to stop Voronin from launching his terrifying new weapon against the United States--potentially killing hundreds of millions and overturning the world's balance of power forever. The odds are stacked high against Flynn and his team... but that's never stopped Nick before.
398 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 17, 2022
787 people are currently reading
2840 people want to read
About the author
Dale Brown
140 books1,127 followersFormer U.S. Air Force captain Dale Brown is the superstar author of 25 consecutive New York Times best-selling military-action-aviation adventure novels: FLIGHT OF THE OLD DOG (1987), SILVER TOWER (1988), DAY OF THE CHEETAH (1989), HAMMERHEADS (1990), SKY MASTERS (1991), NIGHT OF THE HAWK (1992), CHAINS OF COMMAND (1993), STORMING HEAVEN (1994), SHADOWS OF STEEL (1996) and FATAL TERRAIN (1997), THE TIN MAN (1998), BATTLE BORN (1999), and WARRIOR CLASS (2001). His Fourteenth Novel AIRBATTLE FORCE will be published in late Spring 2003... Dale's novels are published in 11 languages and distributed to over 70 countries. Worldwide sales of his novels, audiobooks and computer games exceed 10 million copies.
Dale was born in Buffalo, New York on November 2, 1956. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Western European History and received an Air Force commission in 1978. He was a navigator-bombardier in the B-52G Stratofortress heavy bomber and the FB-111A supersonic medium bomber, and is the recipient of several military decorations and awards including the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Combat Crew Award, and the Marksmanship ribbon.
Dale was also one of the nation's first Air Force ROTC cadets to qualify for and complete the grueling three-week U.S. Army Airborne Infantry paratrooper training course.
Dale is a director and volunteer pilot for AirLifeLine, a non-profit national charitable medical transportation organization who fly needy persons free of charge to receive treatment. He also supports a number of organizations to support and promote law enforcement and reading.
Dale Brown is a member of The Writers Guild and a Life Member of the Air Force Association and U.S. Naval Institute. He is a multi-engine and instrument-rated private pilot and can often be found in the skies all across the United States, piloting his own plane. On the ground, Dale enjoys tennis, skiing, scuba diving, and hockey. Dale, his wife Diane, and son Hunter live near the shores of Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
Dale was born in Buffalo, New York on November 2, 1956. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Western European History and received an Air Force commission in 1978. He was a navigator-bombardier in the B-52G Stratofortress heavy bomber and the FB-111A supersonic medium bomber, and is the recipient of several military decorations and awards including the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Combat Crew Award, and the Marksmanship ribbon.
Dale was also one of the nation's first Air Force ROTC cadets to qualify for and complete the grueling three-week U.S. Army Airborne Infantry paratrooper training course.
Dale is a director and volunteer pilot for AirLifeLine, a non-profit national charitable medical transportation organization who fly needy persons free of charge to receive treatment. He also supports a number of organizations to support and promote law enforcement and reading.
Dale Brown is a member of The Writers Guild and a Life Member of the Air Force Association and U.S. Naval Institute. He is a multi-engine and instrument-rated private pilot and can often be found in the skies all across the United States, piloting his own plane. On the ground, Dale enjoys tennis, skiing, scuba diving, and hockey. Dale, his wife Diane, and son Hunter live near the shores of Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
June 1, 2022
Okay yarn with bad Russians (like Putin) attempting to destroy the U.S. through treachery and nuclear holocausts. 6 of 10 stars
May 31, 2022
What a great book! Countdown to Midnight, by Dale Brown, is the second book featuring Nick Flynn, can be read as a standalone, as I did. In fact, I thought I had read the first book in the series but I obviously had not. And I'm not sure if it would have made a difference either way. It was that good.
Flynn, beginning a new job with a shadow intelligence outfit, is almost killed during his first mission when a source hes meeting with is assassinated. Turns out Russia and Iran are about to launch an ingenious plot to cripple the United States and it is up to Flynn and his new team to stop this new threat to the US and the world at large.
Filled with a great plot and characters, cool gadgets and nonstop action, Countdown to Midnight is an intense thrill ride every thriller fan should not miss.
My sincere thanks to Dale Brown, William Morrow, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of Countdown to Midnight!
Flynn, beginning a new job with a shadow intelligence outfit, is almost killed during his first mission when a source hes meeting with is assassinated. Turns out Russia and Iran are about to launch an ingenious plot to cripple the United States and it is up to Flynn and his new team to stop this new threat to the US and the world at large.
Filled with a great plot and characters, cool gadgets and nonstop action, Countdown to Midnight is an intense thrill ride every thriller fan should not miss.
My sincere thanks to Dale Brown, William Morrow, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of Countdown to Midnight!
June 25, 2022
Another action packed addition to the Nick Flynn series. Though - maybe it should be called the Flynn/Van Horn series. Nick is a lot of fun as a protagonist and Laura Van Horn compliments him perfectly and they make a wonderful team. Also, I love authors who write strong, competent, and talented women on teams. While Flynn is the “main character” - this is a team effort. Some old favorites from book 1, Arctic Storm Rising, reappear and it’s enjoyable to see this group reunite.
Brown writes from many perspectives which lets the listener get to know many, many characters well. Even the antagonists are well developed and, while I wasn’t cheering for their success, I was still invested in their stories.
This is a complete story - well paced, full of action, and culminating in a nail-biting final showdown. However, Brown teases that evil has not been completely vanquished and there’s definitely more to come for Nick, Laura, and the rest of the Quartet Directorate.
Narration:
Rob Shapiro was fantastic as always. Brown had so many characters from all over the world encompassing a variety of accents and personalities. Even if the text didn’t say, I would know exactly who was talking based on Shapiro’s unique voices for each other them. This had a lot of emotion that comes through in his performance as well. I can’t imagine reading these to myself. Great listen.
Brown writes from many perspectives which lets the listener get to know many, many characters well. Even the antagonists are well developed and, while I wasn’t cheering for their success, I was still invested in their stories.
This is a complete story - well paced, full of action, and culminating in a nail-biting final showdown. However, Brown teases that evil has not been completely vanquished and there’s definitely more to come for Nick, Laura, and the rest of the Quartet Directorate.
Narration:
Rob Shapiro was fantastic as always. Brown had so many characters from all over the world encompassing a variety of accents and personalities. Even if the text didn’t say, I would know exactly who was talking based on Shapiro’s unique voices for each other them. This had a lot of emotion that comes through in his performance as well. I can’t imagine reading these to myself. Great listen.
September 23, 2022
Read The Full Review at BEST THRILLER BOOKS
Dale Brown follows up the sensational Arctic Storm Rising adventure with a spy like history lesson on how to save the world. Brown is no slouch when it comes to writing great books, as his series have been hitting best seller lists since the early 90’s. I couldn’t pass up the chance at a second Nick Flynn journey as the first was a gripping tale of survival.
Countdown to Midnight follows Nick Flynn, one of my favorite characters following his jaunt in the Alaskan wilderness combating the Russian Spetsnaz, doing things that most people would not dare want to do. After a dark meeting with a contact at a ski resort, blood is spilled on the slopes and Flynn is left on the run vowing not to take a bullet himself. The link to the next mystery that plagues the world rests in one of the most hostile areas on Earth, but Flynn is not scared, he lives life dangerously, or else he would not be doing what he does for a career. Nor would he have joined the Quartet Directorate and made himself...
Don't forget to check out the full review!!
Dale Brown follows up the sensational Arctic Storm Rising adventure with a spy like history lesson on how to save the world. Brown is no slouch when it comes to writing great books, as his series have been hitting best seller lists since the early 90’s. I couldn’t pass up the chance at a second Nick Flynn journey as the first was a gripping tale of survival.
Countdown to Midnight follows Nick Flynn, one of my favorite characters following his jaunt in the Alaskan wilderness combating the Russian Spetsnaz, doing things that most people would not dare want to do. After a dark meeting with a contact at a ski resort, blood is spilled on the slopes and Flynn is left on the run vowing not to take a bullet himself. The link to the next mystery that plagues the world rests in one of the most hostile areas on Earth, but Flynn is not scared, he lives life dangerously, or else he would not be doing what he does for a career. Nor would he have joined the Quartet Directorate and made himself...
Don't forget to check out the full review!!
March 16, 2023
Formulaic with too much campy monologue & dialogue. Mr. Flynn spends a lot of time grinning inwardly & outwardly. Moe stupid dialogue & grins
August 13, 2022
Book Review – Countdown to Midnight – Dale Brown
In author Dale Brown’s sequel to “Arctic Storm Rising,” book two in the series, “Countdown to Midnight” has former US Air Force officer Nick Flynn and his team of paramilitary operatives caught up in a shadow war against allied Russian and Iranian baddies — wielding a terrifying new weapon against the United States — potentially killing hundreds of millions and overturning the world’s balance of power. Flynn and his new team plan to put an end to the despicable project but are dogged at every step by international killers — elite veterans of Russia’s special forces and intelligence services. This story was actually a good follow up to the first book. It's a bit more ‘James-Bondish’ than Arctic Storm Rising, but it still focused on the paramilitary and action side of things. I thoroughly enjoyed the flair to the different characters that Brown wrote into the personalities without going too over the top with their development. Also, while on the fringe of being a little too extreme, the plot lied in the realm of possibility even though not so much in probability. Nevertheless, the story was intriguing, exciting, and adventurous! The action is plentiful, and the pacing is engaging. Exciting. Exhilarating. Entertaining and Enjoyable. Countdown to Midnight is a fantastic military action thriller read…
In author Dale Brown’s sequel to “Arctic Storm Rising,” book two in the series, “Countdown to Midnight” has former US Air Force officer Nick Flynn and his team of paramilitary operatives caught up in a shadow war against allied Russian and Iranian baddies — wielding a terrifying new weapon against the United States — potentially killing hundreds of millions and overturning the world’s balance of power. Flynn and his new team plan to put an end to the despicable project but are dogged at every step by international killers — elite veterans of Russia’s special forces and intelligence services. This story was actually a good follow up to the first book. It's a bit more ‘James-Bondish’ than Arctic Storm Rising, but it still focused on the paramilitary and action side of things. I thoroughly enjoyed the flair to the different characters that Brown wrote into the personalities without going too over the top with their development. Also, while on the fringe of being a little too extreme, the plot lied in the realm of possibility even though not so much in probability. Nevertheless, the story was intriguing, exciting, and adventurous! The action is plentiful, and the pacing is engaging. Exciting. Exhilarating. Entertaining and Enjoyable. Countdown to Midnight is a fantastic military action thriller read…
March 4, 2023
With this second book, it's becoming clearer exactly what direction this new series is going. It's a big change of pace from the longrunning McLanahan series, and feels like Dale Brown meets Brad Thor. Nick Flynn has the left Air Force and now works for a private intelligence/special operations agency whose ranks are filled with international operators. His inaugural mission for the Quartet Directorate involves an investigation into another returning character from the previous book, a Russian oligarch who runs a private network of mercenaries and assassins and who has the ear of Russia's president. There's a few aviation scenes and extensive technical descriptions of various weapons systems, but the book doesn't revolve around the air-to-air and space combat that Dale Brown's prior books have mostly focused on. This new series is closer along the lines of Brad Thor or Don Bentley, and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next.
June 1, 2022
Like I recently said when I finished Dale Brown's Arctic Storm Rising, I read him years ago and enjoyed his books. Arctic Storm Rising was a bit of a disappointment, but Countdown to Midnight put him right back up on my auto read list. This one was more of the action packed, smart thinking characters I remembered from Brown's earlier books. I liked Van Horn from the get go -- she's totally someone I would want to be friends with. Nick was a bit much to take -- he reminded me of some of the F-14 pilots I knew when I was dating my Marine. You kinda need to have that kind of bravado to do the job and do it well and come out alive.
The story was good -- and some excellent twists in who was stabbing who in the back. Just when you think you see the solution Brown hits you with another curve. I'm looking forward to the next story in this series.
The story was good -- and some excellent twists in who was stabbing who in the back. Just when you think you see the solution Brown hits you with another curve. I'm looking forward to the next story in this series.
June 29, 2022
Good read. I hope our secret spy folks are also reading it.
June 25, 2022
Another Great Book, and well worth reading.
Although there were a few annoyance's for me.
1. The choice of a tanker to transport the missile, was a poor choice. An OBO would have been a much better choice. These ships are designed to carry dry bulk or oil. They have big hatches along the main deck, where as an oil tanker has fixed pipework. The oil tankers deck is a structural member and cannot be modified.
2 Putting a rocket in a sealed compartment at the bottom of the tank. Crude oil is sticky dirty stuff, to get the tank clean enough to even attempt to open that compartment without all the residue going into that compartment would require several hours of COW (crude oil washing). Crude oil washing requires inert gas in the tank or it goes Bang...
3 Launching a rocket in a unclean tank...Bang
4 Emptying out a couple of the midship tanks. More than likely break the tankers back. Ballasting must be done in line with the stability calculations.
5 Adding Stabilizers to the ship. Pointless, they only work while the ship is moving at speed. the opposite of what they need to do when slowing down to Launch.
6 Why did the float plane not suffer from the EMP while they were getting away ?
7 How did the three RIBs manage to get through the oil? they are such shallow drafts that the cooling water intake for the engine inboard or outboard would have sucked in oil, and oil in cooling water stops heat transfer and the engines overheat and stop.
There are several other annoyances, But it was still a great book to read and I'm waiting fir the next installment.
Although there were a few annoyance's for me.
1. The choice of a tanker to transport the missile, was a poor choice. An OBO would have been a much better choice. These ships are designed to carry dry bulk or oil. They have big hatches along the main deck, where as an oil tanker has fixed pipework. The oil tankers deck is a structural member and cannot be modified.
2 Putting a rocket in a sealed compartment at the bottom of the tank. Crude oil is sticky dirty stuff, to get the tank clean enough to even attempt to open that compartment without all the residue going into that compartment would require several hours of COW (crude oil washing). Crude oil washing requires inert gas in the tank or it goes Bang...
3 Launching a rocket in a unclean tank...Bang
4 Emptying out a couple of the midship tanks. More than likely break the tankers back. Ballasting must be done in line with the stability calculations.
5 Adding Stabilizers to the ship. Pointless, they only work while the ship is moving at speed. the opposite of what they need to do when slowing down to Launch.
6 Why did the float plane not suffer from the EMP while they were getting away ?
7 How did the three RIBs manage to get through the oil? they are such shallow drafts that the cooling water intake for the engine inboard or outboard would have sucked in oil, and oil in cooling water stops heat transfer and the engines overheat and stop.
There are several other annoyances, But it was still a great book to read and I'm waiting fir the next installment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2022
Before he turned to writing, Dale Brown was a navigator-bombardier in the United States Air Force (what's now referred to as a Weapons System Officer). So he's very familiar with how things work on warplanes and what they're capable of. All of which makes his techno-thrillers so believable. I ran across Brown's first novel, Flight of the Old Dog, abandoned years old in some forgotten break room. And with plenty of time on my hands, I started reading it. And it was so entertaining that I read it until it literally fell apart! When the Soviets destroy an American space defense satellite with a ground-based laser located in the remote Kamchatka Peninsula, a highly-modified B-52 bomber takes off on an impromptu strike mission. Author Brown has a dense, detail-driven style that is very descriptive, making even the most outlandish story believable. And he is very prescient in his choice of plots. In 1997 he wrote Fatal Terrain, in which Taiwan's declaration of independence forces Chine to go to war. Tiger's Claw, released in 2012, centers around China's test of a new anti-ballistic weapons system. Or how about Iron Wolf (2015) in which Russia invades Ukraine to protect ethnic Russians. Have you read the news lately? In Countdown to Midnight, Brown has Russia and Iran teaming up to deliver an attack that will drive the United States back into the Stone Age. As he carefully outlines how this is possible and how the bad guys are so determined to carry it out, you quickly realize that this is well within the range of possibility. And as Nick Flynn and his strike team take over, you become very invested in this story. Looking for a good techno-thriller? Check out Countdown to Midnight!
September 16, 2022
I could not stop reading
Dale Brown's writing has improved with time. He has better character development to flesh out the characters that give more realism to his stories. He continues to delight with new twists on aviation details as well as a global span of characters and locations. If you never read one of his books before, you could start right here.
Dale Brown's writing has improved with time. He has better character development to flesh out the characters that give more realism to his stories. He continues to delight with new twists on aviation details as well as a global span of characters and locations. If you never read one of his books before, you could start right here.
September 13, 2022
Love Dale Brown
I don't even know if there is an earlier book in this series or a sequel, but he has my attention and if there is I have more reading to do. Good book, and I have a feeling the characters will grow on me. Next one could easily fi d me giving a 5 star rating.
I don't even know if there is an earlier book in this series or a sequel, but he has my attention and if there is I have more reading to do. Good book, and I have a feeling the characters will grow on me. Next one could easily fi d me giving a 5 star rating.
September 12, 2022
Countdown
This series has humor, and loads of action. Well done ! I hope to see a lot of sequels in the future.
This series has humor, and loads of action. Well done ! I hope to see a lot of sequels in the future.
September 9, 2022
Good plot flow, good follow up to the first in the series. Ending left ample room to add additional books in the series with same characters being pitted against each other.
December 1, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. The plot is very believable, even predictable in today's world.
I read a lot of Dale Brown in the late 1990's and was always excited when some of the technology in his books turned up in military news; like a preview of future technology. But then I may have just been behind the times.
I am a fan of dystopian novels and this pre-"end of the world as we know it" was a good one; kept me turning pages. I recommend this book.
I read a lot of Dale Brown in the late 1990's and was always excited when some of the technology in his books turned up in military news; like a preview of future technology. But then I may have just been behind the times.
I am a fan of dystopian novels and this pre-"end of the world as we know it" was a good one; kept me turning pages. I recommend this book.
June 5, 2022
This sequel in the Nick Flynn series is a high octane cliff-hanger that keeps the readers engaged throughout the plot. The book can be read as a stand-alone with a great storyline, characters, and non-stop action. After an intense action near the Alaskan Arctic frontier, Nick has a new employer in the form of a shadowy intelligence organization that has its roots of establishment to the onset of the cold war.
In his new mission, he is deputed to a clandestine meeting with a high-ranking dissenting Iranian official in the Austrian Alps, where he learns that Iran and Russia are operating together on a classified project codenamed 'Midnight'. Their meeting is ambushed by the killing of the Iranian national and Nick barely escapes an assassination attempt on his life. He is discreetly rescued back to the US by his female partner Van Horn.
Flynn is determined to decode the secrets of project Midnight and is prepared to undertake a perilous mission to thwart the nefarious project if it has any direct impact on the US. He has to first find out why Moscow and Tehran are covertly working to retrofit an oil tanker - Gulf Venture in a secret Iranian harbor. What are the intentions behind the mastermind of this project - Pavel Voronin, a ruthless billionaire and the head of Raven Syndicate, who is also a close confidante of the autocratic Russian president. With the help of Van Horn, he infiltrates into Iran through the porous Afgan-Iran border and with the assistance of local tribes poses as a businessman. However, he is tailed all along by Raven Syndicate's hired killers, who are a part of the elite Russian special forces and Spetsnaz.
He is aghast when he comprehends the full extent of the notorious plan by Russia to use Iran as bait and launch a potent weapon against the US that could tilt the balance of geopolitical power in its favor. Back in the US, Flynn is in a race against time to team up an elite attack force and concoct a plan with no room for errors to prevent an assault on US soil. Meanwhile, the retrofitted oil tanker has commenced its final journey into the Atlantic under the cover of cloudy and stormy skies to ground zero which will be the launch point of the attack, closely guarded by the Iranian forces and Raven Syndicate's special forces.
Will Nick and his special action team be able to decimate the enemy? With the ship heavily guarded by special forces, how will Nick and his team garner entry into the vessel in the middle of an ocean and with turbulent weather hovering above their heads? The plot intensifies here on as hours turn into minutes before the weapon is launched. Just as readers wait for a relentless action-drama to unfold, the author brings a twist to the plot that certainly pulled the rugs off my feet. The odds are against Flynn and his team, but Flynn is not someone who can be easily stopped.
The grand finale is action-packed with Nick and the team in mortal combat with the enemy and sophisticated military gadgets and firearms. The author has also brought his proficiency and experience spanning his career in aviation as a pilot into this plot making it a compulsive and addictive read. I am certainly looking forward to the next book in the series. Well recommended for all those who love fast-paced, action thrillers and Tom Clancy fans.
In his new mission, he is deputed to a clandestine meeting with a high-ranking dissenting Iranian official in the Austrian Alps, where he learns that Iran and Russia are operating together on a classified project codenamed 'Midnight'. Their meeting is ambushed by the killing of the Iranian national and Nick barely escapes an assassination attempt on his life. He is discreetly rescued back to the US by his female partner Van Horn.
Flynn is determined to decode the secrets of project Midnight and is prepared to undertake a perilous mission to thwart the nefarious project if it has any direct impact on the US. He has to first find out why Moscow and Tehran are covertly working to retrofit an oil tanker - Gulf Venture in a secret Iranian harbor. What are the intentions behind the mastermind of this project - Pavel Voronin, a ruthless billionaire and the head of Raven Syndicate, who is also a close confidante of the autocratic Russian president. With the help of Van Horn, he infiltrates into Iran through the porous Afgan-Iran border and with the assistance of local tribes poses as a businessman. However, he is tailed all along by Raven Syndicate's hired killers, who are a part of the elite Russian special forces and Spetsnaz.
He is aghast when he comprehends the full extent of the notorious plan by Russia to use Iran as bait and launch a potent weapon against the US that could tilt the balance of geopolitical power in its favor. Back in the US, Flynn is in a race against time to team up an elite attack force and concoct a plan with no room for errors to prevent an assault on US soil. Meanwhile, the retrofitted oil tanker has commenced its final journey into the Atlantic under the cover of cloudy and stormy skies to ground zero which will be the launch point of the attack, closely guarded by the Iranian forces and Raven Syndicate's special forces.
Will Nick and his special action team be able to decimate the enemy? With the ship heavily guarded by special forces, how will Nick and his team garner entry into the vessel in the middle of an ocean and with turbulent weather hovering above their heads? The plot intensifies here on as hours turn into minutes before the weapon is launched. Just as readers wait for a relentless action-drama to unfold, the author brings a twist to the plot that certainly pulled the rugs off my feet. The odds are against Flynn and his team, but Flynn is not someone who can be easily stopped.
The grand finale is action-packed with Nick and the team in mortal combat with the enemy and sophisticated military gadgets and firearms. The author has also brought his proficiency and experience spanning his career in aviation as a pilot into this plot making it a compulsive and addictive read. I am certainly looking forward to the next book in the series. Well recommended for all those who love fast-paced, action thrillers and Tom Clancy fans.
April 28, 2022
I just finished my read of Dale Brown's latest book, "Countdown to Midnight", to be published by William Morrow. I extend my appreciation to the publisher for making the ARC available to me. I have been a fan of Dale Brown since he published "The Flight of the Old Dog" in 1987. He has been a prolific writer in the genres of technofiction and aviation (reflecting his earlier career trajectory) since that time. Not surprisingly, most of his thematic concerns occur at the nexus of technology, aviation and military events. The latest series, featuring a protagonist named Nick Flynn and sensitive to a changing military and political landscape, hews quite closely to the rest of Brown's canon. "Countdown to Midnight" is the second volume in his latest series, following up on "Arctic Storm Rising" and developing a new cast of supporting characters but otherwise remaining true to Brown's canon. The action, again taking place against a background of sophisticated military technology, is fast and furious. The plot is complex and is wrapped in an appreciation of modern geopolitics, but the author's deft hand and mastery of his material keeps things moving without distracting the reader too much from his plot. One of the interesting and very relevant themes that emerges is Western weakness in terms of espionage and direct action against our nation's enemies. Indeed, this weakness and political correctness is the very reason why Nick Flynn's new employers are kept busy trying to keep America safe despite the political/military/espionage establishment's manifest indifference to assorted threats. This is, incidentally, a recurring theme in much of the genre of technofiction as it has evolved over the years. If the novel has a weakness, it is in the author's tendency to work up to a grand finale which might not be as plausible as one might hope, but I will leave this for you to make your own determination. For my part, the action was plausible within the caveat I have just made, and the characters are sharply drawn and easy to relate to. If you like books like "The Hunt for Red October" or "Red Storm Rising," you will be right at home reading this book. It is fun and interesting and well worth your time.
June 17, 2022
Quick and pleasant thriller! Nick Flynn is back in action, this time with many of the same characters from the first entry in the series. What I enjoyed: the fast paced, action packed plot. What was lacking: depth in development of the characters. While Brown does a great job of drawing the reader in to the story line, I was hoping for more character development for Flynn and the secondary characters. The most development in this book was for Voronin…not Flynn.
Plot summary: Voronin with the Russian President’s blessing attempts to partner with Iran to launch a nuclear EMP attack on the United States via a Iranian merchant oil tanker converted to hold a rocket. Flynn and crew (“Four”) find out and work to stop them…without the help of the CIA and with the help of other Four locations and Israel. Cliff hangers/things to remember: Van Horn and Flynn’s relationship didn’t really change in this book…they’re still flirting constantly but at the end they joke about going on vacation together in Aruba.
Plot summary: Voronin with the Russian President’s blessing attempts to partner with Iran to launch a nuclear EMP attack on the United States via a Iranian merchant oil tanker converted to hold a rocket. Flynn and crew (“Four”) find out and work to stop them…without the help of the CIA and with the help of other Four locations and Israel. Cliff hangers/things to remember: Van Horn and Flynn’s relationship didn’t really change in this book…they’re still flirting constantly but at the end they joke about going on vacation together in Aruba.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2022
I've enjoyed all of the Dale Brown military tech thrillers throughout the years and enjoyed the launch of his new Nick Flynn series with "Arctic Storm Rising"...I'm happy to see the character in a sequel, as Nick Flynn is a compelling character...As an Air Force intelligence officer, he was exiled to guard a remote radar post along Alaska’s Arctic frontier after being blamed for a failed CIA Op in the Libyan desert...It just so happens his exile puts him at the tip of the spear confronting a Russian based operation in the Alaska wilderness interior..."Countdown to Midnight" continues his story after he joins a private intelligence outfit, not unlike Tom Clancy's, The Campus...Here, Flynn and The Campus, again confront the same Oligarch's private security force as they team with Iranian QUDs forces out to covertly attack the US from a disguised oil tanker...A real page-turning, page-burner as it head to it's denouement...Good Stuff!!!
January 18, 2023
While meeting with a high-ranking Iranian dissident in the Austrian Alps, Flynn is ambushed and nearly killed... just after learning that Iran and Russia are working together on a mysterious project--one they have codenamed MIDNIGHT.
Flynn is determined to uncover MIDNIGHT's lethal secrets. Why are Moscow and Tehran covertly retrofitting a massive oil tanker in an Iranian port? What purpose lies behind their closely guarded effort, the brainchild of Pavel Voronin--a ruthless billionaire allied with Russia's autocratic president?
Flynn and his new team plan to put an end to the nefarious project, but they're dogged at every step by Voronin's hired Raven Syndicate killers--elite veterans of Russia's special forces and intelligence services. As they track the enemy from the streets of Vienna to deep inside hostile Iran, Flynn and his crew must repeatedly risk their lives to pierce the layers of deception around this shadow war.
Flynn is determined to uncover MIDNIGHT's lethal secrets. Why are Moscow and Tehran covertly retrofitting a massive oil tanker in an Iranian port? What purpose lies behind their closely guarded effort, the brainchild of Pavel Voronin--a ruthless billionaire allied with Russia's autocratic president?
Flynn and his new team plan to put an end to the nefarious project, but they're dogged at every step by Voronin's hired Raven Syndicate killers--elite veterans of Russia's special forces and intelligence services. As they track the enemy from the streets of Vienna to deep inside hostile Iran, Flynn and his crew must repeatedly risk their lives to pierce the layers of deception around this shadow war.
May 9, 2022
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a Dale Brown book and now I wonder why. I have always enjoyed this type of military or aviation/techno-thriller fiction. I think Brown’s history as an aviator brings a lot of realism and credibility to the book. It was an engaging read. It reminded me of the Tier One series by Andrews & Wilson. I like the camaraderie amongst the team members. I like their mission. I appreciate the fact that there are people out there doing everything they can to keep our country safe. The things this team did were CRAZY but necessary because of the dire straits they were in.
This is book two in the Nick Flynn series. I just purchased book one so I can learn more of the backstory and I’ll definitely look forward to the next book in the series. Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This is book two in the Nick Flynn series. I just purchased book one so I can learn more of the backstory and I’ll definitely look forward to the next book in the series. Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
May 30, 2022
Another really good Nick Flynn story. This time Nick & his fellow deep cover operatives are on the trail of an Iranian/Russian joint effort to destroy much of the US with a thermo nuclear EMP blast launched from a specially outfitted ship Gulf Venture. After his meeting with a high ranking Iranian is thwarted by an attack that kills the dissident and injures Nick, the clock starts ticking down to Midnight, the code name for the attack bring planned by the head of the dark ops Russian group known as the Raven Syndicate run by Paul Vronin, a close ally of the Russian leader. It is one
thrill after another as Nick and company rehearse their attack on the ship and race to stop the clock before Midnight strikes.
Bring on the next story.
thrill after another as Nick and company rehearse their attack on the ship and race to stop the clock before Midnight strikes.
Bring on the next story.
June 4, 2022
Dale Brown really knows how to tell a page-turning thriller about a private, shadowy intelligence outfit with locations and contacts throughout the West. Nick Flynn is one of their top team leaders, and although I read the 1st Nick Flynn novel (this is #2), it isn't necessary to have read it to understand what is going on. Nick and his team discover that Russia and Iran are building an under-cover super vessel in Iran, and it is up to the group to discover what is going on behind the scenes and then thwart it after the US intelligence community does nothing. What follows is an amazing and heart-pounding tale of how they handle it, against teams of Russians and Iranians trying to step them.
May 18, 2022
I really enjoy reading books by this author and this one did not disappoint. After my last Nick Flynn book, I was hopeful future books would be nearly as good. This one was better. It read like a Tom Clancy novel with Flynn and the US trying to figure out what the plan is and how to deal with this new almost unstoppable weapon. Action packed and the pages kept turning, I can't wait for the next book in the series to see where it takes Flynn next. I especially enjoyed his parts with his female partner and hope she continues in the series.
July 10, 2022
Getting Better, New series
This is the second in the new series staring Former Air Force officer Nick Flynn. I suppose this could be read as a stand-alone but you would be best served reading them in order. Reference’s are made in this one that you won’t understand. The Russians have given the Iranians an Nuclear warhead so that they can launch a ballistic missile 100’s of miles above the USA to cause an EMP blast that would have catastrophic results. Flynn is a enjoyable protagonist, The author could incorporate Van Horn more deeply in the plot. Waiting for #3!
This is the second in the new series staring Former Air Force officer Nick Flynn. I suppose this could be read as a stand-alone but you would be best served reading them in order. Reference’s are made in this one that you won’t understand. The Russians have given the Iranians an Nuclear warhead so that they can launch a ballistic missile 100’s of miles above the USA to cause an EMP blast that would have catastrophic results. Flynn is a enjoyable protagonist, The author could incorporate Van Horn more deeply in the plot. Waiting for #3!
May 31, 2022
After learning that Iran and Russia are working together on a mysterious project code-named MIDNIGHT, Nick Flynn is bound and determined to find out about MIDNIGHT'S lethal secrets.
It is a race against time for Flynn and his team to stop Pavel Voronin and his terrifying new weapon against the United States. The odds are against Flynn and his team but that has not stopped Flynn before.
This second in the Nick Flynn series is suspenseful and exciting from start to finish.
It is a race against time for Flynn and his team to stop Pavel Voronin and his terrifying new weapon against the United States. The odds are against Flynn and his team but that has not stopped Flynn before.
This second in the Nick Flynn series is suspenseful and exciting from start to finish.
June 8, 2022
This was a page-turner and "spot on" with what we face today as a country. Loved the intrigue of the story line knowing all along we DO have secret groups working outside the government. These groups handle situations the admin. wants to "ignore" for political reasons; not wanting to "rock the boat."
I'd want Fox, Flynn and his team to watch my six in every dicey situation.
I'd want Fox, Flynn and his team to watch my six in every dicey situation.
August 22, 2022
Dale Brown delivers an action-packed international conspiracy thriller. The storyline and characters are solid, while somewhat cliché, just work in Brown's cinematic writing style. Nick Flynn is advancing to the top of my favorite protagonist list with his noir aura. Highly recommend Countdown to Midnight to fans looking for high adrenaline and action.
February 17, 2023
Iran & Russia as Allies; What Could Go Wrong?
Nick Flynn is again in the middle of CIA & government "do nothing" while an enemy is about to strike. This time, it's closer than we will ever know to Zero hour...
Fast action, reasonable story, one we hope government ineptitude won't ever have to stop. Because if it does, we're over...
Nick Flynn is again in the middle of CIA & government "do nothing" while an enemy is about to strike. This time, it's closer than we will ever know to Zero hour...
Fast action, reasonable story, one we hope government ineptitude won't ever have to stop. Because if it does, we're over...
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