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Nate Thrower #1
The Bodyguard
Nate Thrower is in Mexico, barely finished with one job when another one literally shows up at his doorstep. He's hired by Manuel Ortiz, a wealthy CEO who's been receiving threats. The threats soon escalate into violence, with everyone in Ortiz' family now directly in danger. People are getting hurt. With things spiraling out of control, Thrower makes a call to an old friend to help him out of the jam. Together, they'll Silence their opponents and eliminate the threat.
209 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 27, 2023
62 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Mike Ryan
105 books136 followersMike Ryan is a writer living in Bucks County, PA. He's married, has three kids, and three dogs. He's used to a hectic and busy household. During his free time, he enjoys watching sports, movies, and music.
Mike's a huge Star Wars fan and loves just about anything with superheroes in it (both Marvel and DC). He also loves to interact with his readers via his blog, Twitter, or email. Follow him on Twitter @Mike_Ryan36 or email at mikeryan36@verizon.net.
Mike also offers a few readers on his mailing list the chance to be beta readers for all books before they're published.
Sign up for Mike's mailing list or visit his blog at www.mikeryan36.blogspot.com
Mike's a huge Star Wars fan and loves just about anything with superheroes in it (both Marvel and DC). He also loves to interact with his readers via his blog, Twitter, or email. Follow him on Twitter @Mike_Ryan36 or email at mikeryan36@verizon.net.
Mike also offers a few readers on his mailing list the chance to be beta readers for all books before they're published.
Sign up for Mike's mailing list or visit his blog at www.mikeryan36.blogspot.com
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 1, 2023
A very good start to another new series showing plenty of potential for future stories. Thrower is a formidable bodyguard and nice to see the cross link to the Silencer series.
March 5, 2024
Reads like it was written by ChatGPT
There is no way to easily be certain, of course, but the dialogue is so on the nose it’s funny, the fight scenes are silly, the kidnappers a joke, and the book is riddled with numerous GPTisms.
In most thrillers, even if you don’t like the story, it’s typical to be impressed by the plot or the inventiveness of the author. You may not love Dan Brown, but the Da Vinci Code was cleverly researched; perhaps Lee Child is not to your taste, but the Jack Reacher novels have a certain legitimate edge to them. Not so ‘The Bodyguard’. Nate Thrower is a bit of a doofus, and it’s only because every other character in the books is even more of a doofus that he even survives.
At one point, the hero is clobbered on the head by the villains in a dastardly surprise attack. While lying on the ground the hero thinks something like: ‘there was no time to dilly-dally’. Jason Bourne, eat your heart out. People are constantly answering phones ‘eagerly’ or ‘quickly’, huddling together to ‘continue discussing events for another hour’, and despite being ostensibly a thriller, it’s written so as not to offend a middle-schooler.
I loved the scene where Thrower’s employer’s daughter is kidnapped from under Thrower’s Magoo-like eyes. Rather than tearing a strip off him with some legitimate, actual conflict (of which this book has none), the employer starts sympathising with him. Laughable.
If, as I believe, the author is using AI, he needs to spend a lot more time re-writing before it’s ready for release. Easily the worst book of 2024 so far. I genuinely find it hard to believe the author bills himself as a ‘best selling author’. If that’s true, it says something depressing about the state of best seller lists.
There is no way to easily be certain, of course, but the dialogue is so on the nose it’s funny, the fight scenes are silly, the kidnappers a joke, and the book is riddled with numerous GPTisms.
In most thrillers, even if you don’t like the story, it’s typical to be impressed by the plot or the inventiveness of the author. You may not love Dan Brown, but the Da Vinci Code was cleverly researched; perhaps Lee Child is not to your taste, but the Jack Reacher novels have a certain legitimate edge to them. Not so ‘The Bodyguard’. Nate Thrower is a bit of a doofus, and it’s only because every other character in the books is even more of a doofus that he even survives.
At one point, the hero is clobbered on the head by the villains in a dastardly surprise attack. While lying on the ground the hero thinks something like: ‘there was no time to dilly-dally’. Jason Bourne, eat your heart out. People are constantly answering phones ‘eagerly’ or ‘quickly’, huddling together to ‘continue discussing events for another hour’, and despite being ostensibly a thriller, it’s written so as not to offend a middle-schooler.
I loved the scene where Thrower’s employer’s daughter is kidnapped from under Thrower’s Magoo-like eyes. Rather than tearing a strip off him with some legitimate, actual conflict (of which this book has none), the employer starts sympathising with him. Laughable.
If, as I believe, the author is using AI, he needs to spend a lot more time re-writing before it’s ready for release. Easily the worst book of 2024 so far. I genuinely find it hard to believe the author bills himself as a ‘best selling author’. If that’s true, it says something depressing about the state of best seller lists.
February 23, 2023
Good ending
Good reading love that Thrower and Recker team up to finish the job..great writing. I really like the way Thrower character didn't yield to temptation.
Good reading love that Thrower and Recker team up to finish the job..great writing. I really like the way Thrower character didn't yield to temptation.
June 23, 2025
I was pleased with the news from Mike Ryan that Nate Thrower was going to have his own series which I felt was due based on his appearances in The Silencer and Eliminator series. I was excited to hear from Mike Ryan personally on this and I dived into this book immediately. The story fit really well as a debut as Thrower has developed quite the reputation as a top notch bodyguard and private security expert. His newest client sought him out due to some unsavory characters seeking to extort money out of his client for reasons unknown.
It had all of the right elements that I have come to look for from Mr. Ryan's book and he always delivers. It's a fast read and what Thrower does in this book show why he is the best at what he does and why he is so much much more. The familiar special guest stars add an additional element to be excited about with this book especially fans of Mr. Ryan's other works.
The only element what wasn't clear was the persons behind it all and their motivations behind extorting money from Thrower's client. It could've been there but I might've missed it unless that part Mr. Ryan wanted to keep it as a mystery for future stories. It is fitting that my 300th book is a Mike Ryan thriller since he has entertained me with his books for quite some time how. This book is highly recommended.
It had all of the right elements that I have come to look for from Mr. Ryan's book and he always delivers. It's a fast read and what Thrower does in this book show why he is the best at what he does and why he is so much much more. The familiar special guest stars add an additional element to be excited about with this book especially fans of Mr. Ryan's other works.
The only element what wasn't clear was the persons behind it all and their motivations behind extorting money from Thrower's client. It could've been there but I might've missed it unless that part Mr. Ryan wanted to keep it as a mystery for future stories. It is fitting that my 300th book is a Mike Ryan thriller since he has entertained me with his books for quite some time how. This book is highly recommended.
December 31, 2023
First time read for me with author and character Nate Thrower, my last book of 2023, and reached my target of 70 books in 2023.
Nate Thrower is in Mexico, barely finished with one job when another one literally shows up at his doorstep. He's hired by Manuel Ortiz, a wealthy CEO who's been receiving threats. The threats soon escalate into violence, with everyone in Ortiz' family now directly in danger. People are getting hurt. With things spiralling out of control, Thrower makes a call to an old friend to help him out of the jam. Together, they'll Silence their opponents and eliminate the threat.
Well good comments and bad, a quick action thriller, gets into the action straight away, but lacks the tension and build up of longer more detailed thriller authors.
Yes, good character, short simple plot, but entertaining.
three stars.
Nate Thrower is in Mexico, barely finished with one job when another one literally shows up at his doorstep. He's hired by Manuel Ortiz, a wealthy CEO who's been receiving threats. The threats soon escalate into violence, with everyone in Ortiz' family now directly in danger. People are getting hurt. With things spiralling out of control, Thrower makes a call to an old friend to help him out of the jam. Together, they'll Silence their opponents and eliminate the threat.
Well good comments and bad, a quick action thriller, gets into the action straight away, but lacks the tension and build up of longer more detailed thriller authors.
Yes, good character, short simple plot, but entertaining.
three stars.
January 19, 2024
Ok'ish
Takes a long time to get going. Took forever to remember Nate had been on the Silencer series of books, only for the next chapter.pr so, for them to be mentioned
There's not the fact hectic pace of the silencer books, its a bit more cerebral that those
Not a great start to the series, but ok enough to justify reading more
Takes a long time to get going. Took forever to remember Nate had been on the Silencer series of books, only for the next chapter.pr so, for them to be mentioned
There's not the fact hectic pace of the silencer books, its a bit more cerebral that those
Not a great start to the series, but ok enough to justify reading more
May 22, 2023
Body on the line
A good wee read, only took a few hours to through, reasonable action packed making the reading easy. Set in the ransom capital, Mexico.
A good wee read, only took a few hours to through, reasonable action packed making the reading easy. Set in the ransom capital, Mexico.
May 31, 2023
An easy to read book as the writing style is quite simple. A private investigator is hired to find a kidnapped girl being held for ransom. Aimed at juveniles I would think.
June 6, 2023
Not a bad quick little read. Interested to see where this series will go.
August 13, 2023
basic
This read as if it was written by a person who read a couple of thrillers and decided they could do better.
This read as if it was written by a person who read a couple of thrillers and decided they could do better.
November 26, 2023
Great read
The book kept me reading, I couldn't put the book down.I had to stay up after midnight to go ish it.
The book kept me reading, I couldn't put the book down.I had to stay up after midnight to go ish it.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews