The Orion Team. discussion

Happy new year everyone!
Now 2020 was wild, unpredictable and admittedly a massive disruption to the world of spy/military/geopolitical fiction. The Covid knock on effect had a multitude of unexpected results, from several anticipated books being pushed back to 2021, to virtual book tours being conducted over Zoom, some writers exploring new genres and taking a break from old favorites and even the rate of book reviews slowing down in some instances.

But despite this, thriller fiction never sleeps,
and while I had to take a very long break from this group, due to my eyesight getting unstable, it seems to have stabilized in the end and thanks to the expensive, but wonderful investment in audiobooks, I am pleased to say that I do have a list of best things I read or listened to in 2020.

And so.....what are the best spy/military/geopolitical thrillers you read last year? And what are your most anticipated books for this year?

Best Military Thriller:
The first contemporary set thriller by noted British historical fiction writer David Gilman, The Englishman is a highly unconventional contemporary British military thriller. An epic odyssey spanning six years from the 2013 French invasion of Mali to a drawn out sniper duel across the Siberian Trunda in 2019,
The Englishman has spies, mercenaries, a focus on the intersection of high finance and international terrorism and one very enigmatic and very badass French Foreign Legionnaire who, with his fellow ex FFL mercenaries are the most badass antiheroes to come out of contemporary British thriller fiction in a long time. Well researched, sharply written and willing to blast through a lot of the usual expectations with the force of some blunt Dragunov rifle rounds

Best Spy Novel:
Indie published thriller maestro Stephen England didn't let COVID season get him down. His main work this year shows a writer on top form with a counter - terrorisms novel concerning an unconventional hostage taking on the run. But not in the Arab World. Instead, he bring us to a most unused thriller novel setting. The Southern Philippines and the tropical badlands of Mindanao.
Expertly using the setting with aplomb to create tension, do some world building and provide some very exciting and new challenges for his cast of characters, you will find yourself on edge as a dogged CIA assassin tries to match wits with a surprisingly persistent and determined terrorist cell that is well versed in evasion.

Devils Hand by Jack Carr...comes out in April 2021.

https://www.officialjackcarr.com/the-...

Best Evil Scheme:
Peter Nealen is one of my first indie thriller loves. And after a long hiatus, I finally got around to reviewing his new military thriller series, the Malestorm Rising. About what happens when the US Ship of State finally capsizes, world war 3 kicks off and half the world doesn't realize either of these things have happened.

Centered around an army of mercenaries who seek to save a country that might be beyond salvage, Malestorm Rising explores the fractured geopolitics of the 21st century and some new, exciting and violent developments in modern warfare.

Fortress Doctrine is an excellent example of this. Concerning a plausible worst case scenario of how one would mount an invasion of a USA weakened, blinded and crippled by internal infighting and poverty, it makes a lot of more badly written pulp action stories and the man in the high castle eat their hearts out. The targets are carefully picked. There's no dramatic Red Dawn paratrooper drops. All the refinements of 21st century technology are used with ruthless precision. And the end goal is not to conquer the land of the free. Just to rob the bits that are worth robbing.....

Best Conspiracy thriller:
Jason Kasper, the ex green beret turned indie novelist finally finishes his six book American Mercenary cycle with aplomb. The wild conspiracies of Robert Ludlum meeting the violence and world building of John Wick, the final trials of David Rivers are some of the most stunning and masterful twists I've read in a long time from a conspiracy novel. Neck deep in a secret society that's set to disintegrate from within, how does a man who has won many battles but still trying to learn how to win a war be the last man standing on the battlefield? Read to find out

Best Fiction Universe:
James Swallow, go to writer for tie in science fiction novels, Ubisoft Ghost Recon Wildlands and breakpoint writer, and creator of the original Marc Dane technothriller saga places the capstone on the first story arc of the series. An intricate tapestry beautifully knit together, Swallow matches his American military/thriller peers, twist for twist, detail for detail and in the British side of the house, has almost no equal. The Dane series is fresh in its outlook, grand in scope and topical in its relevance while also providing enough guns, gear and goodies to keep the pages turning.

Best Plotline:
Indie thriller Ross Sidor finally comes into his own with his fourth book Rogue State boasting a rich, complex and surprisingly devious story. A tale that reflects the messed up compromises of 21st century reapolitik and how the paramilitary side of the spying game has changed with the mercenary/contractor renaissance allowing formerly incompetent nation states to hire competent top tier spies, killers and hackers to do their bidding, Sidor illustrates a brilliant, bloody picture of how even the original covert wars of the 20th century are childs play compared to the ones waged today.

Best Fictional Protagonist:
Stephen England gets two for two, having won my nomination last year. This time however, the winner is another character by the name of Jack Richards. Mr Richards is a Texan with native American ancestry. He is also a seasoned CIA Paramilitary Operations Officer who works for the Special Activities Division (aka the real Mitch Rapps). Coldly disciplined, stoic and taciturn, a man who doesn't suffer fools gladly, Richards finds himself needing every inch of that professional unflappability as he attempts to mount a hostage rescue mission on the run, fighting valiantly against setbacks, dead ends, false leads, interference from outsider competitors and in the end, he manages to assemble an operation with nothing but two stolen cars and some guns, that nearly succeeds.....a talented covert operative at the height of his skill, Richards has evolved and come a long way from his beginnings as a side character a decade ago.

Best Fictional Antagonist:
Group member Ross Sidor wins a second nomination this year.
In his fourth book, he has created a brilliant monster in the form of a disgraced navy seal turned war criminal mercenary for hire.
Meet Brett Kozar. Kozar was once one of the DEVGRU golden boys who walked on water and were given the veneration of the Greek demigods. Like the legends in the Pantheon however, Kozar's unit had many skeletons in the closet, skeletons which he had a hand in making. Combining a nightmarish physical capacity for violence that leaves him near unmatched in martial arts with a degenerating mental state that has left him callously sociopathic, Kozar still maintains every inch of the tactical brilliance he earned when still serving Uncle Sam. This makes him a formidable adversary for any thriller novel character, and even more so for Avery, Sidor's antihero and a man Mr Kozar has a literal axe to grind against.

Best Action Scene:
Thomas Sewell is a new indie thriller writer on the block who has created a surprising blend of serious action adventure technothriller with monty python gallows humor. His second book, covert commando, concerning a Tier One Special Operations team finding romance and danger in the Philippines opens with an impressive sniper duel over the skies of Metro Manila where the operators begin shooting it out with a gang of assassins right over the heads of a massive political rally in broad daylight.

Now, on to honorable mentions....

Samuel wrote: "

Best Military Thriller:
The first contemporary set thriller by noted British historical fiction writer David Gilman, The Englishman is a highly unconventional..."



I wasn't expecting much from this story. It follows the pattern and trail blazed by Ryan and McNab. Ex Special Forces veteran going into the novel writing business. Only this time it's a Special Boat Service trooper rather than a member of the Special Author Service who is writing. And with his first effort, it's not half bad. It's a grim and gritty tale of an ex Royal Marine mercenary trying to find his son who has gone AWOL from the base in Turkey he was posted to. Rather than grand battles, the whole thing is a very intimate story about a lost man trying to get a sliver of redemption and do right by a family he never gave time for.

I just requested an ARC of this today...



The terrorist threat has changed. The consequences haven’t.

When her fiancé, a CIA operative accused of treason, is killed overseas, intelligence analyst Maggie Jenkins smells cover-up and sets out to clear his name. Maggie disobeys direct orders and travels to Tbilisi, Georgia, to follow a trail littered with secrets and lies, corruption and deceit, risking her own life to expose the terrorist threat at the intersection where the Russian Mafia, Chechen rebels, Al Qaeda and … US government officials meet.

From the halls of power in Washington, D.C. to the political chaos of the former Soviet Union, Maggie must confront players from the intelligence, political, and criminal worlds who will do anything to stop her. How far will Maggie go to uncover the truth?

Samuel wrote: "

Best Spy Novel:
Indie published thriller maestro Stephen England didn't let COVID season get him down. His main work this year shows a writer on top form with a co..."



Mark Greaney's instincts in lobbying for Marc Cameron as his successor continue to be vindicated. With this latest novel, Cameron masterfully blends technothriller goodness with an espionage tale that takes the reader to Western China and its wild and vicious terrain. A solid plot, lovable characters and a balanced helping of real world research, Cameron continues to display his talent with the main Clancy series.

Samuel wrote: "

Best Evil Scheme:
Peter Nealen is one of my first indie thriller loves. And after a long hiatus, I finally got around to reviewing his new military thrille..."



David Ricciardi's third book was one of the most entertaining things I read this year. with rich detailed technothriller goodness balanced by violence of action.
The evil scheme in this book is a surprise involving an unconventional bioweapon and an unconventional and disastrous asset cultivation by the CIA....but not how you would expect.

Happy New Year everyone - just introducing myself (in response to alerts)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

The next one, SHAMSTONE, coming soon

Stay safe

Andy

Samuel wrote: "


Best Conspiracy thriller:
Jason Kasper, the ex green beret turned indie novelist finally..."



Steven Konkoly, creator of the smash hit Black Flagged thriller series has recently created a new crime - conspiracy thriller series blending vigilante action with his top notch research and authenticity. Concerning the life and times of two private security consultants, a former CIA man and a very brilliant self taught private investigator, their assignments take them up against some of the most vicious and depraved political and corporate power brokers in American society who seek to destroy this dynamic duo to cover up their crimes. In this story, a nexus of a seemingly innocent think tank, North America's largest pot farm and a horrific network of Neo Nazis find their world unravelling when they try to tie off a loose end, only to attract the attention of Mr Decker and Ms Harlow who find they are up to something ghastly.

Samuel wrote: "

Best Fiction Universe:
James Swallow, go to writer for tie in science fiction novels, Ubisoft Ghost Recon Wildlands ..."



Jason Kasper's David Riversverse is a true highlight that need not be missed. Adapting the old Ludlum type secret societies for the 21st century is rather tricky, but Kasper pulled it off with the ruthlessly brilliant group run by the one only known as the handler. With the elaborate detail and thought of John Wick's world building but injected with far more cruelty and shocking professionalism, there's nothing quite like the Riversverse in 21st century spy/military/geopolitical fiction

Samuel wrote: "

Best Plotline:
Indie thriller Ross Sidor finally comes into his own with his fourth book Rogue State boasting a rich, complex and surprisingly devious story. A t..."



Nealen's other release this year, deserves an honorable mention for its portrayal of a dystopian Europe and infiltrating it. A highly tense story where an under equipped team of highly trained mercenary soldiers who don't speak German try breach the country without getting caught by well equipped and well trained military and law enforcement units, while the mercenaries do indeed make a clean getaway, they leave some surprising repercussions in their wake that you wouldn't expect from a plotline of this sort

Samuel wrote: "

Best Fictional Protagonist:
Stephen England gets two for two, having won my nomination last year. This time however, the winner is another character by the name of..."



David Rivers, the American Mercenary. In the finale of this first cycle of books Kasper is writing, we get to see new sides of Rivers and just how much he's grown from being the suicidal drunken nihilist who wanted to die, into being a craftier, shrewder covert warrior

Samuel wrote: "

Best Fictional Antagonist:
Group member Ross Sidor wins a second nomination this year.
In his fourth book, he has created a brilliant monster in the form of a d..."



The genre has many run of the mill terrorists. Jihadists, white ethno nationalists, left wing crypto marxists to name a few. But none like Simon Conway's latest creation, 'the stranger.'
If there is a god of Asymmetric Warfare, the Stranger is the one, incarnated in flesh. He knows every trick in the book, every procedure to cause or stop chaos at will. And angry that he has been denied the chance to use his talents for nearly 20 years, he seeks to paint continental Europe with blood in a rampage, the likes of which hasn't been seen since WW2. And along the way he wants to destroy the British Secret Service and kill its 'C' in the bargain....a formidable foe who blends the violence of non state actors with the mythical near supernatural depravity of Cormac McCarthy, The Stranger is a memorable unforgettable baddie to end 2020.

Samuel wrote: "

Best Action Scene:
Thomas Sewell is a new indie thriller writer on the block who has created a surprising blend of serious action adventure technothriller wi..."


The climax of this story involves some of the best large scale choreographed chaos I've ever read. On a tropical island in South East Asia, a massive gun battle around one of the most infamous historical war crimes sites in South East Asia with much historical resonance for the participants.

That's it from me for now, might be back later to share anticipated 2021 novels?
What about you? What were your top picks for 2020?

Luke wrote: "Devils Hand by Jack Carr...comes out in April 2021.

https://www.officialjackcarr.com/the-..."

Ah, a fine choice. I too am very interested in that due to the homework Mr Carr has said he's been doing to prepare the writing for that. Biowarfare throughout history ranging from the Unit 731 WW2 abuses by Imperial Japan to the Soviet Union bioweapons.
He also has been reading and sticky noting a copy of
Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations, an excellent book about the history of Israel told from its soldiers and spies who have killed and gathered information to protect it. Reviewed it myself. Highly recommended!

One book I am very much anticipating is the second original Ludlum novel by Joshua Hood. Joshua is a top bloke and a great writer who wowed me with his second book, Warning Order which was one of the first to explore just how nasty the ISIS threat could get, the problems with the Bush Era forever war mentality and feature a highly competent adversary and a very brilliant ensemble of a talented but gruff Delta Operator, a whip smart DIA agent who is capable of putting bullets on target and a crafty Libyan Mercenary.

Another book I am looking forward to this year. Group member Rick Campbell is quite possibly the best of the contemporary naval fiction writers in the game in this day and age. And in this story, he has an unconventional terrorist plot mounted by an agent of chaos for hire. The scheme is elegant in its construction and devious in execution. And only two people stand in the way of its catastrophic success. The new CIA Director who has barely entered office, and a ex Navy SEAL who has unfinished business with the bad guy

Not a work of fiction (given that I do not read fiction) but related to the "Spy Genre", I would like recommendations on the following:

- The best book on the history of intelligence and espionage (I currently have John Keegan's "Intelligence in War" which is only useful for military intelligence history, perhaps something broader)
- The best book for "active measures" or the interplay between intelligence operations, subversion and misinformation (trying to understand hybrid warfare better)
- A book that deals with Snowden-Esque ELINT/SIGINT (specifically, effective countermeasures for ordinary people).

Sound off...

Samuel wrote: "


Another book I am looking forward to this year. Group member Rick Campbell is quite possibly the best of the contemporary nav..."
I'm currently reading Deep Strike and really enjoying it.....

Nick wrote: "Samuel wrote: "


Another book I am looking forward to this year. Group member Rick Campbell is quite possibly the best of the c..."

Oh! Did Canelo release the UK international kindle edition early?

Samuel wrote: "Nick wrote: "Samuel wrote: "


Another book I am looking forward to this year. Group member Rick Campbell is quite possibly the ..."
I got a review copy from NetGalley......

Shutting thread for year.