The Russian

Two American politicians and one CIA recruit are dead. The President of the United States has no choice but to declare war on the Russian Mafia and Rob Tacoma is on his own to find and kill the Russian mastermind behind the deaths.

"La Cosa Nostra, for all of its killing and violence, was more humane than the Russians. El Chapo and the Mexican cartels could be almost as brutal as the Russians, yet in every city controlled by the cartels that the Russian mafia entered, they destroyed their competition, leaving piles of corpses in their wake."

Rob Tacoma is told to not wait and act immediately. He is given no rules and has total immunity for his actions. Will he use this job for revenge for his father’s death?

This is my first Ben Coes show more book and it really impressed me. Rob Tacoma is a bad ass who has a large number of kills under his belt, but he has a compassionate side and donates millions of dollars to the Red Cross to assist veterans. It also looks like there is more to his work relationship with his colleague, Katie Foxx, so I suspect there will be more later in the series.

A fast-paced political thriller with lots of action and corruption. Recommend highly! show less

The break-up of the Soviet Union brought dangerous criminals to the United States where they created a violent underworld, efficiently serving the Russian Mafia. The assassination of two prominent politicians forces President Dellenbaugh to enact a top-secret Executive Order that creates a kill team authorized to function on American soil.

Billy Cosgrove, ambushed in his own home, was to lead the Special Operations team. Now that task falls to Rob Tacoma, who may have some ulterior motives of his own. Can he stop the Russian killers and avenge the murder of Cosgrove?

Although this book is the first in a new thriller series, long-time fans will be pleased to find Dewey Andreas making an appearance near the end of this powerful tale. show more Unexpected twists and revelations keep the story moving, often in unexpected directions. As readers might expect, the unfolding plot is often gritty, violent, and gruesome as the two groups clash and the body count rises. Backstory woven into the telling of the tale gives the character of Rob Tacoma depth and believability.

The prescient tale of Russian mob bosses operating behind-the-scenes to manipulate America forms the basis of a chilling, action-packed plot that swiftly ramps up the tension; the cat-and-mouse chases keep the suspense hovering somewhere near the stratosphere. There are several new [noxious] characters, but with many of the expected characters [from the Dewey Andreas stories] in place, readers will feel right at home as the unfolding story in this new series draws them in and keeps the pages turning.

Highly recommended. show less

What a spy thriller this was!

I never realize how much I enjoy this genre until I'm reading a good one. I was so caught up in this that I was grateful for every moment I could get back to it and find out what my CIA friends were up to and how many Russian mafia were catching up to them.

I love that the new technical equipment is described as it is put to use, and that the people behind the scenes are as important to the goal as the frontline people who are in the imminent danger. I loved the good guys and while I respected the wealth and prestige of the bad guys, I couldn't bring myself to like them on any level .

When all was said and done, I can only hope that the author has future plans for my favorite characters? That they will be show more coming back soon to take on other adversaries? Hint, hint. Loved this read. It was riveting and exciting all the way through.

My copy was provided by NetGalley.com and the publisher, and I thank them for that. show less

The Russian is going to be loved by many, but I'm not the right reader for this one.

From the start we're immersed in drama and action. The story is heavily plot-centered, with little character development. I'm the opposite kind of reader, and I missed the emotional connection.

As with many thrillers of this type, you have to be willing to suspend belief. The action is over-the-top. We have shots flying across 2000 feet with a perfect hit on the intended target, high-speed driving without spinning out on tight curves, and the expected government conspiracies. Lots of political intrigue, but very little about the people involved.

I struggled, and finally gave up at about 100 pages in.

*I received an ARC from the publisher.*

The Russian is the first novel in the Rob Tacoma series. I believe this is the first Ben Coes novel I have read. Ben Coes is well established in this genre and he gives us a solid entry in the spy novel game. I actually really like the character of Rob Tacoma and look forward to seeing him in future novels. In an era of real life Russian interference and aggression, it is refreshing to have a story where it is a clear cut story of the finest spies the US has to offer fighting the Russian mob. The ending definitely leaves a desire for more of the story, but as this is a continuing storyline, it makes sense for it to end the way that it does. Thank you to Netgalley for supplying this Galley.

This was my first book by the author. I thought, being the first in a new series, that it would be easy to understand. However, I found the author repeatedly referred to events that occurred in his previous series, and it left me feeling confused as to what I missed.
It's an okay book. Quite typical of the Vince Flynn/Brad Thor genre. There was plenty of action, and the plot moved along rapidly. A few too many cute coincidences and unrealistic situations for my taste. The ending was rushed, and disappointing.
Good summer reading for the beach.

Russian killers (mob) - the CIA secret mission storyline spooled out in a mishmash of characters' viewpts, back & forth in time, & a main character who was difficult to know or understand. If you like your military/political espionage-thrillers to be sprinkled with violent killing scenes & detailed descriptions of hardware: helicopters, motorcycles, guns, etc - this may be the book for you. I struggled to grasp any deeper humanity, or complexity to the main character, killing expert Rob Tacoma: former Navy SEAL & US agent, part owner in RISCON, a "fix it" company charging millions to executive/top world leaders clients. It was only too far into the book did readers get details of his past & his struggles with his father's murder, even show more those not conveyed well. Author was lazy with overused lines & other character reactions : Katie Foxx, ex-agent & Rob's partner in RISCON, is a hard ass, operations level leader in the CIA plan but when she & other team leaders watch via drone feed as Rob is surrounded by bad guys she "screams -they'll kill him!" First Ben Coes book I tried-maybe his others are better? show less