Who Dares Wins

by Chris Ryan

The latest explosive novel from the bestselling Chris Ryan.

Two brothers.
One mission.
And a whole world of trouble. . .

Sam and Jacob Redman. Two brothers, SAS through and through. They fight alongside each other; they watch each other’s backs. They are ruthlessly professional in the field of war and fiercely loyal wherever they are. But when Jacob is booted from the Regiment for a moment of madness, he disappears. Not even his family knows where he is, or even if he’s still alive.

All that is about to change. On his return from a brutal mission in Afghanistan, Sam is ordered to conduct another dangerous operation into an inhospitable part of the world. He soon learns, though, that his unit is not being told everything by their government paymasters, and so he is forced to choose between his duty to the men around him and his loyalty to the brother that he loves.

Is Jacob part of a plan that threatens world peace? As the body count rises, only Sam can stop these events from reaching their terrifying conclusion.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Ebooks, Military Fiction, Action, Suspense, War

403 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Colin Armstrong (b. 1961), usually known by the pen-name Chris Ryan, is a British author, television presenter, security consultant and former Special Air Service sergeant.
After the publication of fellow patrol member Andy McNab's Bravo Two Zero in 1993, Ryan published his own account of his experiences during the Bravo Two Zero mission in 1995, entitled The One That Got Away. Since retiring from the British Army Ryan has published several fiction and non-fiction books, including Strike Back, which was subsequently adapted into a television series for Sky 1, and co-created the ITV action series Ultimate Force. He has also presented or appeared in numerous television documentaries connected to the military or law enforcement.

Reviews

[John Milne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm rating this three and a half, but it's closer to a three than a four.

I'm no stranger to Chris Ryan's writing - fast-paced, intelligent, and easy to read. This certainly didn't disappoint. When I was younger, the Alpha Force series were some of my favourite books, and I was a big fan of his more recent releases, such as Strike Back and Blackout. I'm happy to say that Who Dares Wins is up there with them. I thoroughly enjoyed it once I'd got into it.

Why am I only rating it three and a half stars then? My reasoning is that, whilst enjoyable and thrilling, I wouldn't consider this a great book, nor any of his others. They're all pretty good and they're always a decent read but they're nothing more and nothing less. If you like a rollercoaster ride of gunfights, twists, violence, swearing and treachery, then this is for you. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it.

But, as I said before, this was a solid, pulse racing, thoroughly enjoyable read. I was not disappointed, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading another of his books soon!

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two brothers in the SAS; one makes a mistake and is kicked out of the regiment then disappears. Six years later the brother that remained is sent on a mission to annihilate a training camp in Kazakhstan. He recognises his brother as one of the men, lets him go and then has to seek him out to discover the truth. An exciting read with a mixture of characters from Special Forces and the intelligence community and, much to my relief, an ending that I did not predict. More please.

[Tom Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

You don't read a book like this for its fine characterisation or the literary quality of its writing. You read it for the fights and the excitement, but also because Chris Ryan's experience in the SAS makes you think that the detail is probably accurate. A Diemaco probably does have a C79 optical sight, you probably do put plumbers tape around the pistol grip to stop it slipping in hot countries. But this approach to writing means that it's important that the details are correct. I'm being fussy when it worries me that an MoD policeman and not an MoD guard checks the vehicle on entrance to the SAS headquarters and, in any case, the guard service and the MoD police were, for a while, merged, so you could argue that the distinction is not a real one. It's when, not that far into the book, that a crusty older officer is referred to as a Sandhurst graduate that my antennae really began to twitch. All British Army officers are graduates of Sandhurst. It's an important thing about the way the British Army officer corps works and one which I would expect everybody in the army to be aware of. I began to suspect that Chris Ryan may not actually have written this book by himself. At that point I could no longer maintain the suspension of disbelief that is essential to plot that is pretty much hokum anyway.

[Vik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting action and lots of drama. I also like that Ryan doesn't waste time explaining the abbreviations and acronyms he uses, I always find that ruins the flow a little when authors spoon feed information to the reader. I may not have known what he meant by certain things, but I was free to google it in my own time rather than having it there in the book, taking up space.

My only gripe is that you don't find out what happens to the character of Jamie Spillane after his operation doesn't exactly go as planned. That just seems like a bit of an oversight to me given that character was involved quite a lot in the final act, and just given the whole spy thing in general.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I guy who hasnt picked up a book for 15 odd years, until recently, I compare this to the only other books I have read which are all by Andy Mcnab. Chris Ryan has a slightly different style of writing. He builds more mini-stories, plots, and characters, whilst Andy describes blokes by what wrist watches they wear which is very cool. I didnt think Id find an author as good as Andy, but this book was just as good, if not better. 5/5. Im going to start reading all his books now!

[Shaam.p · Rating 5 out of 5]

this Book is a little dragging story, but the suspense builds up. The story may start of slow but has short bursts of action and adrenaline pumped scenes. some people may not like this story, but in my view i found this book as a good laid out story which has deceptively plotted scenes which continue the suspence.

[Chris Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, found it gripping right from the start and it continued for the whole book. Never fully knew if Jacob was the bad guy or if it was all a conspiracy, interesting ending too when it refers back to the early chapters when the brothers are together.

[Jane Plumridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first Chris Ryan book I've read and thoroughly enjoyed it. Gripping from the first page to the last, this is a must read if you like books in this genre. Characters are well developed and you really care what happens to them. Definitely recommended!

[Jose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book.

[Sam Saragih · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first Chris Ryan book I've read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Gripping from the first page to the last, it's a must-read if you like this genre. The characters are well-developed, making you really care about what happens to them. Definitely recommended!

The story can drag a bit, but the suspense builds up nicely. It starts slow but features bursts of action and adrenaline-pumping scenes. Some people might not like the pacing, but I found the story well laid out with cleverly plotted scenes that maintain the suspense.

I compared this to Andy McNab's books, which are the only other ones I've read. Chris Ryan has a slightly different style, focusing more on mini-stories, plots, and character development, whereas Andy describes characters by details like their wristwatches, which is very cool. I didn't think I'd find an author as good as Andy, but this book was just as good, if not better. 5/5. I'm going to start reading all of Chris Ryan's books now!

Message me to get this book (kindle format) for free. Available only this June 2024.

[Tom Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Ryan is my favorite author and this, in my opinion, is his best book. Some authors try to use their life experience to compensate for mediocre writing. Chris Ryan is not only a high achiever in his military career, but also an outstanding author, justifying his writing career on merit as opposed to past glories.

Of all the CR novels, this one has the best pacing. It's consistent from start to finish without any dull patches. He does (perhaps too often) recycle characters from his other works and re-use them to the point of boredom, but here these characters are one-offs and the short, sharp impact which that brings really pays off. Furthermore, I'd say the Redman brothers, Jamie Spillane and Gabriel Bland are the best characters Ryan has ever created.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not sure if it was 2010 or 2011 when I read this book but it was a long time ago and truly an amazing book.
I forgot some parts but I still remember one tragic moment done by Jacob to a character that I really liked. 😢 (Mac)
Sam truly had a tough choice and I sort of asked myself (who would I choose if I were Sam?) The answer is that I still want to kill Jacob. 😈

[Joost Lievens · Rating 1 out of 5]

JULY 2013, myanmar - could have chosen a better one

[Thor Toms · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical fair for this type of book. No real surprises but a fun read.

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[Mrs Susan Randle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

A good story that had a different twist. Kept me entertained. All the way from beginning to the end of the book.

[David J Maltby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

This is a book I could not put down.a very late night for me. A very exciting and good read

[Kelly Hine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another ace story. Loved the characters and their relationships in this one

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the language and plot, had to search the meaning of some words but it's refreshing not having everything spoon fed during the story telling.

[Cam Yaxley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic fast paced action thriller. Kept me entertained the whole way

[Mark Crowther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping

Another brilliant, gripping book by Chris Ryan, brillaint storyline, full on action, well worth a read, 2 brothers on different sides, both SAS, both different. Good ending

[Ubiquitousbastard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, this one is difficult. On the one hand, it was mostly easy to read and didn't get bogged down in useless plot points. It did get bogged down in massively over-described parts of plot points, however. There was too much of a push toward torture and its effectiveness, which has been disproved countless times, especially in the short term. The British slang was a bit over the top, so much so that as an American, it felt like I was reading a foreign language. I read many, many books from all parts of the UK, and this has been the hardest of all to understand by far (including books by Scottish authors, set in Scotland). I did like that a few of the typical cliches were not apparent here. Several times I thought I could guess what would happen by assuming Ryan would rely on a trope. Not so, for every instance. There are actually unexpected events, sometimes shocking, that occur throughout the book.
Overall: It was diverting, sometimes annoying, sometimes sad, and altogether unpolished. Actually, kind of what I think an SAS guy would be like. I amuse myself.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. At the end of the day when you have to kill your own brother because he has killed your best friend. Definitely makes for an interesting read. On top of that are the different stories and intrigue with the different agencies and organisations, although I felt more could be developed in this area. The last part where the main character takes the bomb away just in time feels more like a scene from a movie. Also it would be interesting to see what happened to the person who set the bomb. Nevertheless, it was a good read.

[Jim Whitefield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best Chris Ryan novel yet - and I've read most of them. I'm not going to talk about the plot and risk spoiling the ride - suffice it to say that it's an SAS story full of thrills, spills and the unexpected. Parts are hard to cope with if you are squeamish so be prepared for the sickening as well as the thrilling. I loved every moment of every page and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre. It is the 'must read' of must reads!

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a bit different to previous books by this author that I have read in that the build up was slower and it came in different strands which merged together towards the end of the story.

As usual with Chris Ryan's books, I was entertained from start to finish and personally I feel that he is the best that I have read in this genre.

[Daryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book I've read by this author. A good read, especially after disappointing efforts by once best selling authors such as Clive Cusler, Steve Berry & Wilbur Smith living off their names.
Close this box and I'm looking for more by this guy.

[Martin]

Terrible

[Druss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it. This guy knows what he's writing about and it's edge of the seat stuff.

Chases, gunplay and excitement.
Good old fashioned adventure!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book! Not normally my kind of thing but the book was fast paced, full of twist and turns and never got boring.

[Mitch Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy it as much as his other books