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Death Force #1
Death Force
Their paymaster: a top private military corporation called DEF, better known as Death Inc...
Their destination: Helmand, Afghanistan...
Their mission: top secret, black ops...
No one knows if any of them will return alive. But what is certain: if they die, they'll die fighting... Steve West, ex-SAS soldier, is looking for a big payday and to settle down at last. And Ollie Hall, ex-Household Cavalry, has his own demons to lay to rest, and a wife to please. Together they assemble a ten strong team of the most ruthlessly efficient military mercenaries they can find, all experts in their killing fields. It's an opportunity of a lifetime. But there are scores to settle; personal battles to win; honour to uphold; reputations to rebuild; egos to restrain and riches beyond imagination to recover. But no reward will make a blind bit of difference if they forget to work as a team and end up dead on the desert floor...
Their destination: Helmand, Afghanistan...
Their mission: top secret, black ops...
No one knows if any of them will return alive. But what is certain: if they die, they'll die fighting... Steve West, ex-SAS soldier, is looking for a big payday and to settle down at last. And Ollie Hall, ex-Household Cavalry, has his own demons to lay to rest, and a wife to please. Together they assemble a ten strong team of the most ruthlessly efficient military mercenaries they can find, all experts in their killing fields. It's an opportunity of a lifetime. But there are scores to settle; personal battles to win; honour to uphold; reputations to rebuild; egos to restrain and riches beyond imagination to recover. But no reward will make a blind bit of difference if they forget to work as a team and end up dead on the desert floor...
488 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
12 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Matt Lynn
20 books76 followersI am a thriller writer, living near London. 'Death Force' is the first in a series of books following a group of mercenaries around the world. It owes a lot to action, adventure writers like Alistair MacLean, and World War Two writers like Sven Hassel. It also owes a lot to Westerns. When I'm not writing thrillers, I write a financial column for Bloomberg, and I write for The Spectator.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 17, 2018
Once started, you can't put it down! This book screams to be made into a movie. It's The Dirty Dozen in Afghanistan, composed of all your favorite non-American special forces: SAS, South African "Recce"whose training includes a week without food or sleep, an Ulster veteran, a orientally stoic Gurkha... with a crazier-than-crazy Speznatz thrown in. A chapter to recruit each man & a meticulously planned operation. Place your bets on who dies first, or on where the first fuck-up will come from.
It's like a beautiful baby made by Andy McNab - whose novels are the main source of military knowledge for that kid on the team who's totally wet behind the ears but shows an instant natural aptitude for gritty sniping - and Chris Ryan, who gets to write a foreword about how soldiers of fortune are the wave of the future. Interesting food for thought one you've tasted all the British colloquialisms; like how the "Blues" refers to the Royal Horse Guards, who stoically endure stupid tourists year-round at their London barracks.
Realistically, it has absolutely zero compassion for the Afghan fighters which our heroes slaughter in overwhelming numbers. Regardless of their affiliation, they're sadistic savages.
It's like a beautiful baby made by Andy McNab - whose novels are the main source of military knowledge for that kid on the team who's totally wet behind the ears but shows an instant natural aptitude for gritty sniping - and Chris Ryan, who gets to write a foreword about how soldiers of fortune are the wave of the future. Interesting food for thought one you've tasted all the British colloquialisms; like how the "Blues" refers to the Royal Horse Guards, who stoically endure stupid tourists year-round at their London barracks.
Realistically, it has absolutely zero compassion for the Afghan fighters which our heroes slaughter in overwhelming numbers. Regardless of their affiliation, they're sadistic savages.
January 11, 2009
My new thriller - so obviously I like it.
February 27, 2013
awesome. exhilrating. fight incidents described in such a way that my heart was beating fast.
i read it in a one sitting.very neatly and properly described about black opps, ammunations,death,taliban.
Good read. :)
i read it in a one sitting.very neatly and properly described about black opps, ammunations,death,taliban.
Good read. :)
March 5, 2012
Steve West is a mercenary; we used to call them soldiers of fortune. Steve contracts with the head of a PMC, Private Military Corporation, to put together a ten man squad of mercenaries to raid an Afghan warlord's compound and steal his cache of gold, precious stones, etc. worth 30 million dollars and in return the squad will split the loot. You won't believe the twist at the end. This is a good story.
Matt is one of my Goodreads friends. If you haven't tried him yet I recommend that you do. An added bonus is that Matt is a Brit and this story is about Brits. I learned the difference between "kit" and "kip."
Matt is one of my Goodreads friends. If you haven't tried him yet I recommend that you do. An added bonus is that Matt is a Brit and this story is about Brits. I learned the difference between "kit" and "kip."
October 15, 2012
I'll keep this review short and sweet as other reviewers have already covered the novel in great depth ad with very good synopsis. This is a great introduction to the Death Force series and I would recommend this is where new readers start. It is far too good a series to be reading in the wrong order as I can guarantee you will feel the need to read more having read one. There is quite a lot of setting up the series here, and Lynn spends a few pages introducing each character. Some readers may find these sections a bit dull. But stick with it. By the time you get into the adventure it is a great story – and will certainly get you hooked.
July 13, 2009
Much better prose than the usual books in this genre, believable and for the most part engaging characters but their back stories took up too much of the beginning of the book.
Always like good (and factually accurate) descriptions of items/locations which is especially key in fiction with a military plotline, and although I have never been to Afghanistan the author really delivers here which I am guessing is down to his background in journalism.
Really enjoyed this, hoping the characters come back for another outing.
Always like good (and factually accurate) descriptions of items/locations which is especially key in fiction with a military plotline, and although I have never been to Afghanistan the author really delivers here which I am guessing is down to his background in journalism.
Really enjoyed this, hoping the characters come back for another outing.
May 26, 2011
Loved this book! I am a big Andy McNab fan and this book is written in the same style and flair. The characters were real, you could almost form a bond with each man on the team. Very well written, 5 stars across the board, I will now read the other 2 books in the series.
June 11, 2012
Simply in love with this book.A group of 10 highly trained soldiers of different units all over the world in a crazy mission that never seems to go right.Superb explaination of weapons and millitary units.Two thumbs up.
July 29, 2016
This was pretty weak. Unrealistic characters, a ridiculous plot, a childish twist at the end all wrapped up in a cliche title. Avoid this one.
July 11, 2014
Superb, fast paced, very hard to put down. Nothing better that that in a book!!
January 13, 2024
This book is the literary version of a ‘straight to DVD’ film and something I’d likely find in the discount basket at a motorway services.
Despite its predictable plot, clichéd characters and frustrating lack of military knowledge it is what it is…a low brow, boys own adventure.
This said, it’s certainly not the worse book I’ve read, it cracks on at a good pace with plenty of action but I won’t be reading any more in this series as I feel I know the plot/stories/outcomes already.
Despite its predictable plot, clichéd characters and frustrating lack of military knowledge it is what it is…a low brow, boys own adventure.
This said, it’s certainly not the worse book I’ve read, it cracks on at a good pace with plenty of action but I won’t be reading any more in this series as I feel I know the plot/stories/outcomes already.
June 9, 2024
Dull , boring, no humor whatsoever.
I would call this book authors wet wild dreams while 10 military men going to Afghanistan to steal gold from an afghan boss.
Fighting with a bunch of crackheads and winning some fights and Afghani men asking for mercy, author must be delusional. The Russian and USA army could not win those afghans but Rembo, Terminator, Rocky have as many B movies.
Don't waste your time on this book you will not learn anything new or read anything fun even interesting.
I would call this book authors wet wild dreams while 10 military men going to Afghanistan to steal gold from an afghan boss.
Fighting with a bunch of crackheads and winning some fights and Afghani men asking for mercy, author must be delusional. The Russian and USA army could not win those afghans but Rembo, Terminator, Rocky have as many B movies.
Don't waste your time on this book you will not learn anything new or read anything fun even interesting.
August 20, 2017
The fight scenes and action in the book was written fantastically. It was let down by too many characters with little development of personalities or relationships. The same character quibbles recurred through the book. I also think the banter and language used was far off from that used by actual mercenaries.
October 27, 2019
In general, it’s interesting to know some military actions.
June 16, 2020
Great read. Interesting characters and plot.
May 6, 2022
3.75
May 16, 2025
Classic story of a mission for a team of mercenaries well told. Moves along well, right amount of description, plenty of twists.
June 21, 2015
That was very good. Much better than I was expecting. I thought it might have been a hard read but it was actually really enjoyable.
The first 100 pages of the book were character build up when assembling the team of mercenaries and it was actually really interesting and it gave you a feel for the characters and to make you care what happens to them - for me it worked well.
The next 50 or so pages was the preparation for the mission which was also good and the mission itself was great as well with some twists along the way.
The writing style was good, the book flowed nicely and was surprisingly easy to read.
I have knocked off a star for one thing. The author can't count! Without spoiling there are crates of loot and various things happen with them but it seems to me as if the author lost track because the number of remaining crates did not tie up. It's a little thing but the author should be able to keep tabs on this as it was part of the storyline.
That aside it was still enjoyable and I will be carrying on with the set and am looking forward to the teams next adventure.
The first 100 pages of the book were character build up when assembling the team of mercenaries and it was actually really interesting and it gave you a feel for the characters and to make you care what happens to them - for me it worked well.
The next 50 or so pages was the preparation for the mission which was also good and the mission itself was great as well with some twists along the way.
The writing style was good, the book flowed nicely and was surprisingly easy to read.
I have knocked off a star for one thing. The author can't count! Without spoiling there are crates of loot and various things happen with them but it seems to me as if the author lost track because the number of remaining crates did not tie up. It's a little thing but the author should be able to keep tabs on this as it was part of the storyline.
That aside it was still enjoyable and I will be carrying on with the set and am looking forward to the teams next adventure.
May 18, 2013
Jeff and I finished this off tonite. Normally, neither of us would choose something so violent in nature, but it being a freebie from a library discussion group, we took it on.
We liked the way the story moved - fast, exciting and each battle coming to a definite conclussion - like bang - we got 'em all and they're dead! Ha!
We found the author's need to describe each weapon and refer to it at least once on each page a bit tedious.
That really is more than I want to know about AK-47, or Malakorov (spelling ...).
At the end, when they all sit down to eat and open their envelopes, I don't truly believe that will be their last battle.
And I see I'm right - there are more books!
Ha ha - I'll give it a 4 ... but I'm not interested in ordering the next book in the series.
We liked the way the story moved - fast, exciting and each battle coming to a definite conclussion - like bang - we got 'em all and they're dead! Ha!
We found the author's need to describe each weapon and refer to it at least once on each page a bit tedious.
That really is more than I want to know about AK-47, or Malakorov (spelling ...).
At the end, when they all sit down to eat and open their envelopes, I don't truly believe that will be their last battle.
And I see I'm right - there are more books!
Ha ha - I'll give it a 4 ... but I'm not interested in ordering the next book in the series.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews