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Push Back
Framed for the kidnapping of his nephew and the murder of two cops, retired police detective and ex-US Ranger Dean Riley finds himself fighting a one-man war to save everything he holds dear.
In a race against time, Riley must call on all his skills, training and determination to rescue his nephew and clear his name.
Finding himself pitched against those he once trusted as colleagues, he uncovers a conspiracy of lies and corruption that threatens to overwhelm everyone in its path.
Can Riley stay alive long enough to track down his nephew?
How deep does the corruption go, and is there anyone left he can trust?
If you love action-packed thrillers in the vein of Jack Reacher and Jason Bourne, then you’ll love Push Back – a high octane read that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
In a race against time, Riley must call on all his skills, training and determination to rescue his nephew and clear his name.
Finding himself pitched against those he once trusted as colleagues, he uncovers a conspiracy of lies and corruption that threatens to overwhelm everyone in its path.
Can Riley stay alive long enough to track down his nephew?
How deep does the corruption go, and is there anyone left he can trust?
If you love action-packed thrillers in the vein of Jack Reacher and Jason Bourne, then you’ll love Push Back – a high octane read that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 12, 2021
13 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
James Marx
2 books6 followersBorn in the late sixties and a confirmed petrolhead, James Marx started his working life as a motor vehicle engineer before making a curious switch into the soul-destroying world of IT and systems analysis where he wasted a couple of decades. Redundancy came as a merciful release, after which James joined a good friend in running a small videography and photography studio.
What the IT career did allow was the chance for James and his wife to enjoy some interesting holidays and experiences, such as holding crocodiles in Egypt, sailing a tall ship off New Zealand, almost driving a 4x4 off a Greek mountainside, walking with wolves and dancing on a volcano.
Since pre-teen years James has revelled in the escapism of action and adventure novels, enjoys various collaborative storytelling role-playing games (like Dungeons and Dragons), and loves spending time writing.
James currently lives in suburban Worcestershire with his wife Anna and a couple of much loved but murderous tortie cats.
What the IT career did allow was the chance for James and his wife to enjoy some interesting holidays and experiences, such as holding crocodiles in Egypt, sailing a tall ship off New Zealand, almost driving a 4x4 off a Greek mountainside, walking with wolves and dancing on a volcano.
Since pre-teen years James has revelled in the escapism of action and adventure novels, enjoys various collaborative storytelling role-playing games (like Dungeons and Dragons), and loves spending time writing.
James currently lives in suburban Worcestershire with his wife Anna and a couple of much loved but murderous tortie cats.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 6, 2021
If you like the chiselled individual hero taking on the world scenario, then Push Back by James Marx is worth the read. This new thriller with plenty of action, introduces Dean Riley, an ex-US Ranger and retired police detective. A simple telephone call from his nephew wanting to catch up for a chat sets off a series of events, that danger and combat require all of Dean’s skill set. Family is a given and protecting them at whatever the cost, the only motivation when he is framed for murder. A riveting read with an exciting new hero, a four-star rating and promises of more adventures to come. With thanks to Burning Chair Ltd and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and are made without fear or favour.
October 19, 2021
When I was younger and reading everything I could get my hands on, one summer I ran across the Mack Bolan Executioner series. Never read them in order, and never again after that summer,but boy, those were fun books.
Push Back reminds me of those books,but in a good way. It's more cerebral than "guy goes out to inflict maximum damage on thugs who wronged his family" but at its heart, it is exactly that.
The book opens with a bang - literally. Dean Riley, former Ranger, ex-cop, is on his knees in his own home when someone uses his gun to murder two cops. He may not be as young as he used to be, but Riley manages to get the upper hand on the murderer and make his escape.
We then go back in time just a wee bit, with Riley's nephew asking to meet him at a park. They'll hang out, fish, have a couple of beers, talk. But when Riley arrives, his nephew's car is there, but he is not - snatched by parties unknown, and Riley decides he'll get his nephew back no matter what it takes.
What it takes is a ton of driving around, beating up three punks who want to rob him, taking peoples' cars, sneaking back into his own house - a murder scene - to get a few things, and trying not only to outwit a large crew of corrupt cops, but to figure out what is going on with those corrupt cops.
He figures out part of it right away: they need a fall guy for the disappearance of the nephew, who is being held for a very specific purpose. How to unravel that plays out as Riley makes his way through various bent cops, beating up the people who need it (but not outright killing people unless it's in defense), and slowly pulling out the thread to get the entire story.
There are a few UK Englishisms in the book, but they're barely noticeable thanks to the fast pacing of the story.
One of the good things is that he is not some superhero cop who takes a bunch of beatings and bullets but shows no sign of it at all: he does get shot, he gets into fights, and by the end is about as worn down as someone can be without being dead. I suppose that's a minor spoiler, but come on: there was no doubt Mack Bolan or James Bond would live to fight another day, and there's no doubt here. There are just degrees of injuries to get past before the next fight. By the ending of this one, there seems to be a sequel planned, and I'll be happy to read that whenever it arrives.
Four and a half stars rounded up to five because Dean Riley seems like a righteous dude and isn't portrayed as Superman.
Thanks to Burning Chair LTD and NetGalley for the reading copy.
Push Back reminds me of those books,but in a good way. It's more cerebral than "guy goes out to inflict maximum damage on thugs who wronged his family" but at its heart, it is exactly that.
The book opens with a bang - literally. Dean Riley, former Ranger, ex-cop, is on his knees in his own home when someone uses his gun to murder two cops. He may not be as young as he used to be, but Riley manages to get the upper hand on the murderer and make his escape.
We then go back in time just a wee bit, with Riley's nephew asking to meet him at a park. They'll hang out, fish, have a couple of beers, talk. But when Riley arrives, his nephew's car is there, but he is not - snatched by parties unknown, and Riley decides he'll get his nephew back no matter what it takes.
What it takes is a ton of driving around, beating up three punks who want to rob him, taking peoples' cars, sneaking back into his own house - a murder scene - to get a few things, and trying not only to outwit a large crew of corrupt cops, but to figure out what is going on with those corrupt cops.
He figures out part of it right away: they need a fall guy for the disappearance of the nephew, who is being held for a very specific purpose. How to unravel that plays out as Riley makes his way through various bent cops, beating up the people who need it (but not outright killing people unless it's in defense), and slowly pulling out the thread to get the entire story.
There are a few UK Englishisms in the book, but they're barely noticeable thanks to the fast pacing of the story.
One of the good things is that he is not some superhero cop who takes a bunch of beatings and bullets but shows no sign of it at all: he does get shot, he gets into fights, and by the end is about as worn down as someone can be without being dead. I suppose that's a minor spoiler, but come on: there was no doubt Mack Bolan or James Bond would live to fight another day, and there's no doubt here. There are just degrees of injuries to get past before the next fight. By the ending of this one, there seems to be a sequel planned, and I'll be happy to read that whenever it arrives.
Four and a half stars rounded up to five because Dean Riley seems like a righteous dude and isn't portrayed as Superman.
Thanks to Burning Chair LTD and NetGalley for the reading copy.
December 10, 2021
This is a really well written, fast-paced thriller. There's not a second given to breathe before the action kicks in once again.
Dean Riley is a fantastic creation (it helps that he's the same age as me so I could pretend I could do all the stuff he gets up to. I wish!) His mission is simple; save his nephew and clear his name of murder. It helps that he's an ex Ranger and ex-cop and his skills come in very handy indeed as he's thrown into the murky world of Albanian criminals and crooked cops.
Although it has an American setting, it really did remind me of my youth reading the thrillers of Alastair MacLean and Desmond Bagley-it has the same sort of vibe; that of a highly trained protaganist going up against seemingly unsurmountable odds and showing them who is boss in no uncertain terms.
It seems there may be another Dean Riley book soon and I can't wait to read it. It has everything you'd want from a thriller; action, adventure, a bit of black humour and lashings of fights and violence done towards those who deserve it (and to Riley himself who gets himself into a number of scrapes.)
All in all a wonderful book. If you like Jack Reacher, you'll love this. (Riley would win, though.)
Dean Riley is a fantastic creation (it helps that he's the same age as me so I could pretend I could do all the stuff he gets up to. I wish!) His mission is simple; save his nephew and clear his name of murder. It helps that he's an ex Ranger and ex-cop and his skills come in very handy indeed as he's thrown into the murky world of Albanian criminals and crooked cops.
Although it has an American setting, it really did remind me of my youth reading the thrillers of Alastair MacLean and Desmond Bagley-it has the same sort of vibe; that of a highly trained protaganist going up against seemingly unsurmountable odds and showing them who is boss in no uncertain terms.
It seems there may be another Dean Riley book soon and I can't wait to read it. It has everything you'd want from a thriller; action, adventure, a bit of black humour and lashings of fights and violence done towards those who deserve it (and to Riley himself who gets himself into a number of scrapes.)
All in all a wonderful book. If you like Jack Reacher, you'll love this. (Riley would win, though.)
September 28, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.
I thought this book got off to a great start with the opening chapter and it just got better the more I read. I really liked the main character who is set up for the kidnapping of his nephew through an organised crime group and corrupt police officers. This doesn’t deter him from trying to locate his nephew and bring him home. Gosh, this was a very fast paced and thrilling book to read. It was full of action, tension and suspense and contained a lot of violent scenes. I think the author has created a character here who you just want to root for, even when everything is against him. The book is well written and engaging, and I liked the authors writing style. I read this in just over a day and thoroughly enjoyed it, and think this is a very promising start to a new series and I look forward to reading the next book to see how the main character develops.
I thought this book got off to a great start with the opening chapter and it just got better the more I read. I really liked the main character who is set up for the kidnapping of his nephew through an organised crime group and corrupt police officers. This doesn’t deter him from trying to locate his nephew and bring him home. Gosh, this was a very fast paced and thrilling book to read. It was full of action, tension and suspense and contained a lot of violent scenes. I think the author has created a character here who you just want to root for, even when everything is against him. The book is well written and engaging, and I liked the authors writing style. I read this in just over a day and thoroughly enjoyed it, and think this is a very promising start to a new series and I look forward to reading the next book to see how the main character develops.
November 7, 2021
There are crime thrillers and there are crime THRILLERS, and this is defintely in the latter category. Fast-paced, gritty, intelligent, and incredibly rewarding, Push Back had me after the first chapter.
Yes, the whole plot of ex-cop gets framed and fights to clear his name, has been done before, but rarely this well. It is one of the best books in this genre that I've read, and believe me when I write that I've read a lot!
I've already recommended it to several people and let me do so to you too - buy this book, tuck yourself away in your favourite reading place (maybe a gritty bar in the mid-west) and buckle up for one helluva ride.
Here's to the author hopefully punting out a worthy sequel in the not too distant future!
Yes, the whole plot of ex-cop gets framed and fights to clear his name, has been done before, but rarely this well. It is one of the best books in this genre that I've read, and believe me when I write that I've read a lot!
I've already recommended it to several people and let me do so to you too - buy this book, tuck yourself away in your favourite reading place (maybe a gritty bar in the mid-west) and buckle up for one helluva ride.
Here's to the author hopefully punting out a worthy sequel in the not too distant future!
December 16, 2021
Old guy fights
Like the caption says great story about an over 50ish ex cop ex ranger come to the aid of his family. Gritty , determined, resourceful and a hell of a fighter. Great story great characters and an evil antagonistic you just come to hate. A must read, sure would like to see a sequel to this book couldn’t put it down, an excellent read!
Like the caption says great story about an over 50ish ex cop ex ranger come to the aid of his family. Gritty , determined, resourceful and a hell of a fighter. Great story great characters and an evil antagonistic you just come to hate. A must read, sure would like to see a sequel to this book couldn’t put it down, an excellent read!
October 12, 2021
If it's action you're after, you've come to the right book, as this book is really packed with it. The plot is good, and the characters are very good, the only problem is the number of small errors. Very entertaining, though.
November 17, 2021
Push back by James Marx.
This is the first book I've read by this author. Absolutely brilliant. I loved Dean's character. He was my favourite. I do hope there is more to come. I'd love a series with Dean. 5*.
This is the first book I've read by this author. Absolutely brilliant. I loved Dean's character. He was my favourite. I do hope there is more to come. I'd love a series with Dean. 5*.
December 10, 2021
Once started, I couldn't put it down. Action packed, written in the first person, my perfect combination. I look forward to catching up with Dean in his next adventure.
September 28, 2022
DNF, far too many convenient coincidences & & “lucky” situations, plus, our hero is far too lenient with his captives. 👎
July 7, 2024
Well-written, fast-paced, full of action with a great hero, Push Back is a great thriller perfect for fans of Jack Reacher.
September 23, 2021
Former Ranger, retired cop protagonist gets set up for kidnapping and multiple murders by organized crime and crooked cops. It’s been done before, but seldom this well. Anxiously looking forward to the sequel.I received an advanced digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.
October 12, 2021
Ooh, this is a thoroughly gritty edge-of-your-seat read! Dean Riley is a fantastic protagonist, one who will have you screaming with tension as he bursts through every door. I loved how his peaceful retired life got rudely interrupted and his reactions are totally kapow!
The action doesn’t break. Right from the off, it hits you like a train and drags you with it, screaming wheels and all. The supporting cast add to the excitement. Claire, his sister, is gutsy and I love Dean’s dedication to find her son. I felt every drop of his sweat and blood as I journeyed with Dean throughout the book. I loved, loved, loved the hospital scenes.
This book is full throttle. Whether it’s guns, fights, cars or chases, it’s a race against time at its best. If you can’t get enough of action, ‘Push Back’ is waiting for you to step right into the danger zone. Step in, don’t be shy!
The action doesn’t break. Right from the off, it hits you like a train and drags you with it, screaming wheels and all. The supporting cast add to the excitement. Claire, his sister, is gutsy and I love Dean’s dedication to find her son. I felt every drop of his sweat and blood as I journeyed with Dean throughout the book. I loved, loved, loved the hospital scenes.
This book is full throttle. Whether it’s guns, fights, cars or chases, it’s a race against time at its best. If you can’t get enough of action, ‘Push Back’ is waiting for you to step right into the danger zone. Step in, don’t be shy!
March 18, 2025
Well-paced, intelligent thriller
The problem I often have with Jack Reacher-esque thrillers is that I don’t find the protagonist at all likeable, however heroic they and their actions are. In Push Back by James Marx, this just isn’t the case. Retired cop and ex US ranger Dean Riley is instantly likeable and I was completely behind his mission to rescue his nephew Sean.
His sister and Sean’s mum, Claire, is a believable character and somebody I could easily see as Dean’s sibling.
The hierarchy of villains – both named and anonymous – added to the increasing level of jeopardy, as did Dean’s options and his growing number of physical injuries.
All in all, a well written, intriguing thriller. I want to read more from James Marx and find out exactly what Dean does next.
The problem I often have with Jack Reacher-esque thrillers is that I don’t find the protagonist at all likeable, however heroic they and their actions are. In Push Back by James Marx, this just isn’t the case. Retired cop and ex US ranger Dean Riley is instantly likeable and I was completely behind his mission to rescue his nephew Sean.
His sister and Sean’s mum, Claire, is a believable character and somebody I could easily see as Dean’s sibling.
The hierarchy of villains – both named and anonymous – added to the increasing level of jeopardy, as did Dean’s options and his growing number of physical injuries.
All in all, a well written, intriguing thriller. I want to read more from James Marx and find out exactly what Dean does next.
August 26, 2023
Good, not great. I would not consider this an action-packed thriller. Great reviews, but just not style - retired Ranger and hanging and waiting for a sequel....I'm not waiting...no more for me.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews