Gray Zone

Covert Action

by Ross Sidor

Former Airborne Ranger turned freelance operator Avery is embedded with a Kurdish special ops unit in northern Syria when a raid on a covert CIA facility leaves a dozen Americans dead and severely damages US intelligence capabilities in the country.

Desperate for answers and facing mounting political pressure from the White House, the CIA has no recourse but to set Avery on the trail of the elusive master terrorist known only as "Khaled."

As Avery confronts networks of underground terrorist cells, paramilitary forces lurking in the shadows, and a duplicitous web of shifting alliances, a larger geo-political conspiracy emerges, orchestrated by a cabal of gray zone actors preparing to launch a scorched earth attack that will rewrite transnational borders and subvert Western power and influence.

Packed with international intrigue, explosive action, and spycraft, GRAY ZONE is the perfect thriller for fans of Vince Flynn and Chris Ryan.

462 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 17, 2022

Reviews

[Steven Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ross Sidor's Avery returns in Gray Zone, the fifth book in the Covert Action series.

After the events of Rogue State, Avery has been PNG'd by the Agency. He's taken a job with Radium (the PMC that has made appearances throughout the series), working alongside the Kurdish YPG/YPJ in Kurdistan. When a CIA black site is assaulted by a murky element that boasts SOF-level skills and resources, Avery is tasked to investigate the threat off-book. What he unravels is a twisted web of sinister geopolitical agendas that seeks to destabilize the Levant.

As is the standard for Sidor, the action is kinetic and the depth of research is nothing short of astounding. Sidor has studied the genre and its relevant information areas for some time, and GRAY ZONE serves as a master class. This is Sidor at the peak of his craft.

The standout character of this book is Kaj. A member of the YPG/YPJ's Anti Terror Units, she is a strong, battle-hardened soldier whose gender is irrelevant to those who serve beside her. Avery sees her as an equal and vice versa. She is self-assured, as evidenced by a scene where she interrogates a jihadist. There was a part of me that wanted to ship Avery and Kaj, but I'm actually glad in retrospect that it didn't happen.

GRAY ZONE thus is an excellent example of a female character in the action genre who is not sexualized and is portrayed realistically. I'm sure some would say they would like more examples of her femininity, but given the mile-a-minute pacing of the plot and the war zone setting, there isn't really any realistic place for that, much like how there isn't much space for Avery's feelings.

I strongly recommend this novel to fans of the genre and I am eagerly looking forward to catching up on the series with the sixth entry, Death and Sand.

[Bodo Pfündl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ross Sidor’s hard-hitting military thriller blows the competition right out of the water

Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A clinical attack on a highly sensitive CIA facility leaves dozens of American personnel dead and top-secret information in the wind.
Avery is set on the trail off the terrorist mastermind who is presumably behind the attack. During the ensuing manhunt the stakes and body count rise by the day. Then, Avery makes a shocking discovery: There are even more sinister forces at work, and they are willing to set the Middle East ablaze to reach their goals…

The stories of part-time CIA contractor Avery have been a treat for thriller fans over the last years, but this time, Ross Sidor has outdone himself and annihilated the competition!

GRAY ZONE is a fast-paced, bold and uncompromising military thriller, which feels ripped from today’s headlines.
Sidor does an outstanding job of bringing the characters and the hellish setting of Syria to life on the page, putting to use his mesmerizing research skills and knack for details.

The story is full of intrigue, twists and cinematic action. Readers will be left frenetically turning the pages and, when reaching the last one, wanting more ASAP. Most highly recommended!

[Benjamin Drayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best Yet!

Do yourself a favor and quit reading reviews. If you are a fan of Clancy, Thor, England, Greaney, Flynn, Nealen, etc. you’ll like this series.

As to this book itself, it was the best (although the first book is a very, very close second). If you are in to techno-thrillers or military fiction, or even spy novels, this series is for you.

To be clear, I am getting nothing in return for this book, I do not know the author, and I paid for this copy. I only leave this review in the hope that it helps you find a new author to enjoy.

Good luck!

[Manfred · Rating 5 out of 5]

500 pages of non-stop action with Avery embedded with Kurdish fighters. A military action thriller set in Syria incorporating all the political interests there. And Avery has to do deal with all those interests he doesn't care for. Unlike the Americans, Turks, Russians, Iraquis and Syrians he cares about the people and stopping terrorists from an attack with a WMD. If you're into hard hitting military action thrillers, you have to read Ross Sidor's Covert Action/Avery series. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

[Philip Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

A very good fast paced Thriller with downloads of action. Weapons experts will love the detail. Great characters and very well written.

[Kai Shiden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel achieves everything that it sets out to do perfectly. If you want a convincing action thriller set in contemporary Syria, don't bother reading further, go buy the book. Despite it's almost 500 pages, at no point does it waste your time. Either some plot relevant, action set piece is kicking off or it's shortly and sharply delivering exposition. In fact, if I had to describe Gray Zone in one word, I would say "kinetic".

Sidor gives a compelling and nuanced account of current politics in Turkey and the interests/incentives for the factions involved in the novel. There are even non traditional thriller antagonists this time round. Great example of how to use research and an in depth understanding of a region. Similar to Stephen England's Lion's Paw novel, this book is a fun and engaging way to get a better understanding of the region.

Sidor specifies every piece of kit being employed and this comes across as more of an aesthetic choice than showing off his homework. And the novel makes these details interesting because they matter to how the characters employ these tools to get out of trouble. I'm not a big kit guy either but I was interested enough to look up a few of the vehicle and weapons that appear in the book. And they're extremely varied. Avery confronts all sorts of threats, from MOWAG Eagles, to suicide drones to...you'll have to read it and find out yourself.

What the novel doesn't do much of is character study. Two of the characters were so similar I kept getting them mixed up (and it really didn't matter). I generally prefer novels with more fleshed out characters but the fact that I still gave this 5 stars despite that, shows that the quality of what is there is high enough that even my personal preferences didn't matter. This would have slowed the novel's pacing anyway. The characters motivations all made a lot of sense and the villains were easy to distinguish anyway.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say about Gray Zone is...just READ it. Great plot, great cast of characters, and a ton of action throughout the book. Ross Sidor kicks ass in writing a military thriller, with the history of the region and weapons experts will love the detail.
Avery and company kick ass, try to save innocent lives, and deal death where needed. If you're into hard hitting military action thrillers, you have to read Ross Sidor's Covert Action/Avery series.
Totally recommend this riveting book.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

FOG OF WAR.

“Milletin hayatı tehlikeye maruz kalmadıkça, savaş bir cinayettir.”- Mustafa Ataturk Kemal.

“We shall wreck vengeance upon the many guilty hands which sought to destroy the Kurds, and that shall serve as a lesson for generations to follow.” – Peshmerga Hymn.

In the Post Cold War era, the definition of what ‘warfare’ actually is, has changed. Ever since the seminal 1990s Unrestricted Warfare White Paper was published by two Chinese PLA Colonels, the whole WW2, Red Storm rising paradigm of expensive weapons systems has been shattered. New more cost-effective means of waging war have become available, even for nation states that aren’t super powers nor have access to a ready supply of WMDs.

One of these cost-effective means is Private Military Corporations. Mercenaries have been around since time immemorial but repackaging them for the 21st century has been one of the great warfighting achievements. After the Eric Prince debacle where several blood splattered embarrassments in Iraq signed the political death warrant for Blackwater Inc, it seemed for a while only small-scale contracted gunmen on ‘the circuit’ who stuck to protective, rather than offensive operations was the future of contemporary mercenary work. But in the 2010s, a new doctrine of warfare has emerged, one which PMCs are particular suited in waging. Known as Gray Zone Warfare, the doctrine refers to all actions that do not trigger the jus ad bellum boiling point. Private Military Corporations, separated from a nation state’s army are free to wreck mayhem to their heart’s desire as a result.

It's the limbo between peace and war which outstanding indie published author Ross Sidor explores in his fifth book, GRAY ZONE. Set in the heart of the Middle East, from the dust of Syria to the chilling valleys of Anatolia, it heralds the return of the ice-cold professional mercenary, Avery who finds himself at the heart of a regional maelstrom. A scheme has been set in motion by a regional power. Their objective, to violently shove some chess pieces off the board. Their means? Considerable. Their methods? Murderous. Uncovering the end goal is the least of Avery’s problems as he pursues a formidable terrorist pawn. And as he gets close to the prize, only one question remains. Is peace meaningless in an age where warfare can be waged with no warning?

The novel begins in North East Syria in the Rojava Region, the bastion of Syria’s Kurds. It’s a sleepy evening and a dramatic strike is launched against one of the CIA’s most important regional facilities. With eerie skill, snipers take down the perimeter security of the fortress, a truck bomb throws its defenders into chaos and a large attacking force proceeds to slaughter the survivors in a hail of bullets while looting every last computer hard drive and filing cabinet in the vicinity before vanishing in the morning sun. This causes alarm bells to ring back in Langley while provoking the interest of a prominent Company middle manager at Baghdad Station, Carolyn Streib. Having worked under several of the men slaughtered in the massacre, Streib formulates a hypothesis that the mystery attack could have only been pulled off by a nation state. Getting pushback from her Baghdad station colleagues, but given the green light to conduct an investigation of sorts. After confirming her masters only want her to narrow the hunt to killing an alleged Jihadist mastermind by the name of Khaled, Streib decides to broaden her investigation in a deniable fashion. She heads back to northern Syria to meet a man who impressed her on their first rodeo together in Yemen, Avery. Tracking him down and finding him with a chip on his shoulder after the Company dropped him from their roster of hired guns, Streib successfully convinces him to lead her investigation into the Rojava massacre by offering Avery the chance of regular employment from the Agency returning. Upon accepting the assignment, Avery sets to work with his usual crisp, professional flair. Fighting his way through the remnants of Daesh and the region’s legion of criminals and bandits alongside a team of badass Kurdish Peshmerga, he soon finds himself shadow boxing against a geopolitical phantom. A non-state actor, as precise as an intelligence organization but equipped with the manpower and firepower to destroy several runs of the mill terrorist organizations a dozen times over. As the instrument of a nation state which seeks to rearrange the chess board, Avery’s foe is something which has managed to go under the radar successfully until now. But sometimes, even losing the element of surprise can be equally as dangerous as maintaining it and soon Avery is in the fight of his life as a proverbial army in the box, springs a murderous surprise.

In terms of plot, Gray Zone puts many mainstream published thriller novels to shame. With the skill of a chess master, the author successfully moves the pieces across his violate board with supreme confidence. The baddies seek to bring murderous destruction down upon a target, but it’s the purpose of that destruction which will surprise readers at the plot is slowly unveiled. The story also explores a topic which has not been covered in 21st century military thriller fiction, namely the implications of State backed Private Military Corporations. Unlike Blackwater which ultimately died on the vine through its master’s inability to get political cover for their actions, entities like the now infamous Wagner Group have the backing to run riot, to provide their ‘stakeholders’ a coveted third option which doesn’t involve having to mobilize their actual armies or engage in futile diplomacy. It’s this implication which the author has Avery confront as his opponents who represent a regional hegemon with grand designs demonstrate capabilities that not even the intelligence service black ops units like the Special Activities Centre, Division Action or Kidon unit could hope to possess.

Action and setting? Brilliant. Having hit his stride with his impressive fourth novel, the author continues to demonstrate his talent at crafting realistic but large-scale destructive action. From the opening morning sneak attack that devastates the CIA’s Middle East Operations, an ultra-violent combat ambush in the dusty lanes of Tell Abyad, and the violent kidnapping of a militant leader near the Anatolian border, Gray Zone captures the spectacular, explosive brutality of a part of the world which hasn’t seen peace in the past 20 years. And all this brutality takes place on backdrops expertly brought to life by the author who successfully captures the barren stone deserts, seedy basement hideouts and ancient ruins of the region perfectly, along with its underworld of ever-changing players and power brokers.

Research? Impeccable. One of the author’s great strengths is combining a talent for gathering interesting real-world detail and making use of it in the narrative. Whether it be the complex, bitter relations between the various non – state actors and nation states in the region who use each other, cooperate with each other and then, abuse each other with the odd air strike, artillery barrage or suicide bomber, the regional and cultural idiosyncrasies that affect groups such as the Kurdish militants or grand designs of their enemies in Iran, Iraq and Turkey, the to the tactics and kit used by organizations such as the Kurdish PKK or the pet Private Military Corporation sponsored by the antagonists, Gray Zone’s detail is used to great effect in building up the chaotic world which Avery inhabits and navigates with aplomb. It’s a warzone that has changed over the year, but has remained fundamentally the same, even if the Kalashnikovs now have polymer and optical sights instead of wire folding stocks and wood furniture, and suicide drones can now cause devastation that was once only the preserve of a B52 over – flight. A battlefield where only the sharp and quick come out alive.

Characters? Competently done. I’ll discuss three standouts. Avery, Strelib and Kaj. First Avery. Avery is a gun for hire, originally introduced as part of the CIA GRS Scorpion team. Over the course of his adventures, his job description has grown with highly dangerous assignments that the in – house paramilitary officers are unable to carry out being sent his way. Having survived those suicide missions, Avery has grown to be a cool and collected professional who is capable of firing that one bullet more which his enemies can’t compete with. Sidor balances out this competence with an earnest humanity. Avery is not omnipotent like Rapp or Harvath. He can’t always rely upon a tricked out La Rue carbine or a DEVGRU team on speed dial (not that he would want to if you’ve read book 4). But he is a sharp operator whose excellent eye for detail allows him to cover the angles far better than others whose aggression may lead them to disaster. Avery by contrast does not boast and keeps a clear head, whether on or off the job. He is a realist who is not unmoved by the horrors he finds himself fighting on a day-to-day basis, but he is a man who will do his best to make the right play.

Next, we have Strelib. One of the more astute and talented middle managers at the Company, Strelib was first introduced in the previous book, overseeing a somewhat chaotic deniable operation in Yemen which Avery was tasked to lead. Having grown appreciative of the hired gun’s talents, the Case Officer returns to provide Avery exciting and dangerous employment. While constrained by the limits of her position which prevent her from calling the shots more decisively, Strelib is an expert with navigating CIA office politics and playing the hand she’s given to sneak around the obstacles that more short-sighted upper management put in her way. Loyal to her own underlings who don’t fail her, Strelib is an astute handler who gives what assistance she can and then trusts the professional skills of her assets to cover the gaps she can’t fill.

Finally, we have Kaj. Kaj is a Kurdish female PKK operator. Leader of the team whom Avery is initially advising, she becomes our protagonist’s right-hand woman. Already ferocious in combat, Kaj’s skills as a warrior have been enhanced by Avery’s mentoring. Utterly fearless when the bullets start flying, Kaj and her Peshmerga team admirably provide Avery backup in a pinch when facing down a dangerous Private Military Corporation that is capable of splattering anyone it doesn’t like with air strikes.

Despite the era of great power competition, the Middle East and the shadow of the Post 9/11 era will continue to draw national and institutional actors into its orbit like a malevolent black hole. It will continue to fascinate as its hundreds of conflicts, big and little fester and spark. Alongside sweeping changes, whether in the methods of warfighting and the players who have an advantage one day and lose it the next from a bullet to the brain, other fundamental facts of life in the region will continue to endure unchanging. But for its foreseeable future, the region looks set to be an unexpected petri dish for the next developments in warfare. Whether it be the non – state actor brushfires of Al Qaeda and its affiliates, or the paramilitary black ops Mossad and the IRGC like to wage against each other, there is now a third method of war, which has suddenly entered the fray. Private Military Contractors with the deniability that armies have never possessed, and the power which intelligence services simply are not designed to apply. Gray Zone by Ross Sidor explores these issues showing us a world where nations now have the opportunity to escape the consequences of mayhem on the cheap. Where superpowers can be sucker punched without them realizing it. With a complex but superbly plotted story, gritty gunplay which is realistically devastating, real-world detail about a part of the world which has changed beyond recognition and a cast of competent professionals fighting in a battle royale with world shaping implications, Gray Zone is a stand out military thriller about the future direction real warfare is going to take.

RECOMMENDED.

[James Fairley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read

I enjoyed the characters in the book shows what a difference between east and west attitude's are in making decisions in a life or death situation .full respect for the men and women of the armed forces

[gloria langarica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kurds

Back history of avery,like personal life like Kurds story line where leader of Kurds is from what made her choose this work!

[Amzon_Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Outstanding Title!

These books would be a wholly satisfying purchase at five times the price. The fact is: the books are being undersold at these prices.

[Barclay S. Wales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book and looking forward to downloading the next one in the series. Highly recommended 👍🏻