Hawk

by Brian Neary

Iran’s horrific retaliation against the U.S. was expected. But nothing like this. The Hawk novel is so believable and so frightening you'll find yourself peeking through the curtains at night before you turn out the lights. If you’re a fan of Flynn or Ludlum or Child, Hawk is your brand of page-turner. In Chapter I, the Secretary of State calls Europe "a pack of meat hogs who never gave a crap about us in the first place.” Neary’s narrative is often consciously irreverent, the villains so drenched in political motivation and personal agenda you’ll think you just heard them this morning on Instagram or X. His research is meticulous; bombed-out alleys of Nahr Ibrahim Beirut; the human stench in Hamas tunnels beneath Palestine Square; the veiled intentions of Islam; the brothels in Israel that ‘don’t exist.’ Hawk is a rich and literate canvas; it’s heroes are flawed and recognizable; a choice between death, honor, heart, and country; the solution resting on the shoulders of Joseph Quentin Hawk, a rookie CIA agent and former collegiate wrestling star perpetually frustrated by his own stubborn non-conformity. You’ll recognize the actors likely to be cast as the double male leads. The beautiful spy with the turquoise eyes fits several of Hollywood’s most intriguing beauties. Readers are already suggesting the role of the deranged “Orphan of Beirut” could be Oscar material. It's a great read. With a sequel to follow.

Paperback

First published October 21, 2009

Reviews

[Tim Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book kept me on edge to the very last page. I loved the characters which I found intriguing and unique. Brian Neary has crafted a great read rife with plenty of action and suspense to keep you alert. Underneath I found the plot to be enticing until the very end. I'd recommend Hawk to anyone who enjoys spy novels or suspense.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot going on here in different places, with different agencies and different groups with different agendas but as the story progresses it all coalesces and comes together. I like how Neary brings us back into the lives of the people involved so we can see how they got to where they are today, so we can see what has brought this group of vastly different characters to all be players in this one moment in time. The Hawk from the title is Quentin Hawk who works for the CIA but it easy to forget that the book is about him since it tends to focus on Lukas Towne more than it does Hawk. There are some interesting characters here that had real potential but sometimes they were just too much. Like they were personifications of a type instead of real people and sometimes lacked subtlety and complexity. And they all want to be the one on top. So many time when you have two characters meet there is a chest thumping shouting match about who is in control and what they are in control of and who can tell who what to do and who needs who’s help and… It becomes juvenile in the characters, tedious to listen to as the reader and some times seems to take the spotlight off the plot and slows the pace. There are some true moments of tension and suspense. Some brought about because as the reader you know more information than the people you are reading about and just have to hope they figure it out. Others simply because Neary makes the threat of terrorists among us real and has the reader convinced that no one is safe. At the end the action comes quickly with a few twists that I didn’t see coming. It had its fun moments and I did want to keep reading to find out how it all worked out. But I think that it ran a little long and there were a few scenes that could have been shortened or maybe ever left out entirely.

[Ellenh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is what Amazon thinks of the book, and it's a good description.
"If you are a fan of Vince Flynn, Clancy, Crais, Child or David Baldacci, you will love this book. Its an explosive spy thriller. Interest is grabbed early when the Secretary of State refers to most of Europe as "a bunch of teat-sucking freeloaders. A pack of meat hogs who never gave a crap about us in the first place." It's solidified when the President says of the Secretary, "The man's ignorance is only surpassed by his inability to make a decision." Thoroughly irreverent; believable, complicated story lines; a strong finish. Interest never wanes; a page turner you'll want to read end-to-end. The villains are so credible, so rich in political motivation and personal agenda, that after having finished the book, youll find it hard to believe that Neary's bad guys don't actually exist. Likewise, the good guys; complex, intriguing, and volatile. A romantic relationship testing the faith of the protagonist - A ticking clock pushing the combatants toward an horrific conflagration, and the solution resting on the shoulders of Quentin Hawk, a rookie CIA agent compromised by his own non-conformist talents. A great read."
However, I thought the characters were unbelievable. All beautiful, powerful, sexy & rich. Made me groan many times. Abit of a mix of the Twilight series, and Clancy, and I've read both. So it was interesting in spite of the characters. ( )

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book thru LT and my copy was sent directly from the author. This book is a very fast paced action spy thriller combined with a very suspenseful thriller. The name of the game is to outrun the enemy, and there are several government agencies in play in this book. This is the only book I have ever read that horrifically paints a dark picture of the dark side of terrorism. The author does a great job in that he is very descriptive in his writings. The use of technology is very believable in this book as well.
The main character is Quentin Hawk, a very likeable CIA agent, former ex athlete who doesn’t take crap from anyone. He is very complex and as you are reading the book, you feel his pains and emotions as well. He has a problem with authority and comes across very rough at times. All of the characters in the book are very complex. Luke Towne is a hothead former Special Forces who is in love with Katherine de Kennesy who is a very powerful and smart woman.
This book takes a while to get into, but once the further you read, the storyline grows stronger. I am surprised that more people have not given this book powerful reviews, I really liked it. This novel is more geared for men, but there is a little bit of everything in this book to where everyone can appreciate. I look forward to the next novel by this author.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a Kindle book so let me first review Kindle. I like the idea of e-reading; however, the publishers/Kindle folks need to pay attention to editing. Here are only a few of the errors in this book:
- book stated that one character was "wrestled to the mate". It should have read "mat".
- book stated "no else" but it should have read "no one else".
- book stated "during his the first week back", but it should have read "during his first week back".
- book mentioned a Gulfstream G5 airplane and in the next paragraph called it a G500. I don't know which is correct, but there ought to be consistency.

Okay, enough ranting about Kindle. Now to the book itself...

What a story! There's the Pentagon & its top-notch scientific team which includes a heavy decorated former Ranger. There's the CIA and a rogue CIA operation. There's the Basement (White House Black Ops) and a rogue operation. And, of course, there's the militant jihadits. Who is to solve the terrorist problem? CIA agent Quentin Hawk.

If you're looking for a novel full of surprises, this is the one you should read. Never a dull moment.

[Jim Parish · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was unable to make it very far into the book when I gave up on it. The opening action scene was quite unbelievable - an obviously drugged or psychotic man is subdued by Hawk, with two bloody pharmacy employees as witnesses, and yet the cops arrest Hawk? And he's called on the carpet by his CIA boss? Then the action is over and a bunch of narrative follows, and not very interesting at that. I could not wade through the narrative to get to the next scene where people actually talked....

[Robbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book was excellent! I'm not sure what to compare it to. Maybe a little Brett Battles and Lee Childs with a little Vince Flynn thrown in. These are some of my all-time favorite authors, so you can imagine that I was very impressed. Jim finished this book on 1-17-14 and rated it 4.2 stars.

[Rhod · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry to the author - I just couldn't get into this book. Didn't make a lot of sense or seem to go anywhere.

[Nev Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad.Usual baddie muslim terrorist gig.