James Brabazon's THE BREAK LINE tells the story of Max McLean, a Jason Bourne-type spy hero who was brought up in Ireland and the Special Forces. The book opens with a quick hit-job in South America that doesn't quite go to plan, then moves swiftly on to Max's next assignment. This time, an ex-colleague of Max's has returned from an incomplete job in Sierra Leone and, with reasons unknown, is mentally distressed to the point where he's no longer the man he used to be. Max is sent in to finish things off, but what he finds when he gets there is something he could have never predicted. There is something lurking in the sweltering wilds of Sierra Leone, and as Max begins to realize that the faces he once thought were friendly seem to be anything but, the job becomes a living nightmare.

James Brabazon has brought us a great new fictional hero in the form of the boundlessly brave but searingly human Max McLean. He's all the more real for his foibles and his conscience, to the extent that this streak within him sometimes diverts his mercenary trigger finger. The writing is pacy, filled with suspense and flows nicely through the action - though this occasionally switched direction so fast that I found myself having to go back and re-read a few paragraphs to orient myself (though this may have been down to me reading too quickly). The action is particularly good during a car-chase scene which unfolds in a very cinematic way; deftly written with just the right amount of believability and snappy description.

The ending was satisfying - especially in view of the twist that occurs partway through (and no: pleasingly, I didn't see it coming). FYI, parts of the story are not for the faint-hearted although these sections are generally quite brief. I'd recommend this book if you like well-paced stories, good action, tough yet humane heroes and the inklings of a character series.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I struggled with this book, despite being initially drawn to the idea of a modern retelling of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. The plot was enough to pull me through the book, but I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. Max’s journey of self discovery wasn’t as engaging as it could have been, and pushed the limits of believability. There is a scene in the earlier part of the story that is horrifically violent - and I’m not easily horrified. That scene has haunted me though.

I can imagine that fans of military fiction/espionage novels may find this book appealing, but unfortunately it wasn’t for me.

I really liked this novel by Brabazon. Very interesting plot and well developed characters. Don't be surprised to be scared. Highly recommended.

Where to start with this review? It’s a tough one. You see I found it quite hard to read but I don’t think that is due to any lack of writing talent by James Brabazon (seriously – how cool is his name?), but more because this novel is of a genre I don’t tend to read a lot and I think I came up short at times with my understanding of certain things.

This is a fast-paced action thriller set around a secret mission to Sierra Leone. I found the first few chapters pretty hard to understand as there was a lot of use of military terminology and acronyms that I simply don’t know and I found myself using Google a hell of a lot to gain a better understanding of what I was reading. It was either that or give up to be honest! I am, however, glad that I did persevere as what unfolded was a riveting, if somewhat grim, story that ran at break neck speed towards a crescendo that, whilst being pretty unbelievable, was as brilliant as it was horrendous.

We follow Max McClean, an “unknown” who takes on a mission that all at a higher level will deny any knowledge of should it go awry. He is called to a meeting of various different leaders and briefed, minimally, on his mission to Sierra Leone where he must take out the leader of a new Russian led rebel uprising. The uprising itself is cloaked in secrecy and being passed off as an outbreak of disease in order to minimise panic that the civil war which ripped the country apart in previous years might be about to return.

He enters the country with little knowledge of what he is to face and with just his designated driver, Roberts, by his side he begins to discover that there is a hell of a lot more to the situation than he has been told. It is clear that the Russians are aware of his presence and that he, Roberts and Roberts’ wife are in serious danger. He presses forward and finds himself faced with people who have been killed in the most horrific ways possible. He must complete his mission, come what may, and prevent further massacres. Ruthless himself, Max finds himself facing his own demons as he fights to carry out his duty.

As always I don’t want to say any more about the plot. What I will say is that this book is in no way for the faint hearted. I’ve read some gruesome stuff in my time but there are parts of this book that I found tricky to read as they are so horrific.

So yes, I am a little unsure as to my ultimate conclusion on this book. I had to push myself forward at times and force myself not to give up as it was just all so out of my comfort zone. I am pleased I finished it though as it is good to read books that are not your usual “thing” sometimes and this most certainly was that! The fact is that once I had pushed myself the story grabbed me by the short and curlies and said “You absolutely have to finish me because I am bloody exciting and you want to know what happens. It will drive you insane if you don’t find out!” Which is basically the teller that, no matter what my reservations, it is a blinding, if slightly bonkers story that is well told by the author.

Do I recommend it? Only to some people. If you enjoy a violent secret ops style thriller then fill your boots, you will love this crazy ride. If you are not in to that kind of thing then I am not entirely sure this will be your cup of tea. In the end this is a personal one, as I do think the book is very well written, so it is simply down to your preference genre-wise.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #PenguinUK for a copy of #TheBreakLine in return for an honest review.

I struggled a bit with this book. It should have been right up my street as I’m a big fan of Spider Shepherd, John Milton, Reacher et al but I found the reading at times hard work. Possibly me. It has the makings of a great series but the writing style was not my favourite.

Not sure if loved it is the right word but it is damned thrilling, believable and utterly compelling. I read it in a couple of sittings, would have been one but I had to do other things!
It is very descriptive when it comes to torture, blood and gore so not for the squeamish . A very interesting read and would make good poolside reading, a change from jolly lightweights.

This was a great read!
The story intrigued me from the very beginning, was action-packed, and had a storyline that definitely held my interest! Looki g forward to where this is going if it is the start of a series!

Gritty and tense thriller. Not my usual read but I enjoyed it. There's a twist that really made me want to carry on reading but there were a few aspects that were slightly confusing.

What a story! It grips you from the first page, and the tension builds and builds. It is a thriller certainly, but with a touch of science fiction - at least I hope it is fiction!
Max Maclean was a soldier, used to obeying orders, and also a crack shot. He gets employed by MI6, as an assassin, and he is very good at his job. He is a deniable resource, if he were to get in trouble there are no records of his employment. The story begins in Caracas, where he has been sent to kill a woman. He finds the woman, but realises she is not who she is supposed to be, and he lets her go. For not obeying orders he is dragged back to London for an inquest into why. He is given a new assignment, to kill someone in Sierra Leone where it seems that there is some sort of uprising threatening the tentative stability of the country.
From the moment he arrives, perhaps before he even leaves London, it is clear that the situation is not quite what it seems to be. The full horror gradually unfolds, and it is truly terrifying in places. Max finds help from unexpected sources, and does finally achieve his mission - but maybe he was sent in to fail? There is clearly a traitor somewhere in the camp!
The book is written in the first person which mostly works well, but is a little choppy and uncomfortable in places. I can see this being made into a film sometime soon; and I imagine there will be more adventures in the pipeline. Very well worth reading.

The Break Line by James Brabazon

Max McLean is a man who lives in shadows. Officially he doesn’t exist. He works for British Intelligence but, if he were caught, they would deny him. After a career in the army, Max is now an assassin with a reputation for always being able to take the perfect shot. But years have passed and now Max is discovering something that he thought he’d lost a long time ago – a conscience. And so, one day, in a hotel in Caracas, Max fails to take the shot. Called in by his masters, Max is given one last chance to redeem himself in their eyes.

Max is sent to a secret military research facility to interview one of his former comrades, a man who is about as close to a good friend as Max would allow. This fearless, brave soldier is locked up. He has been driven mad by something that he saw in Sierra Leone – he has been terrified out of his mind. Max must find out why. The hunt will take Max deep into western Africa, a place divided by years of civil war, its people still scarred by what they suffered. But however terrible those years might have been, they are nothing compared to what Max will find in the jungle, what he must face.

I love a good action thriller, especially when splashes of techno thriller and horror are thrown in for good measure, and The Break Line hit the spot perfectly. It is thoroughly exciting from its opening tense chapters all the way through to its exhilarating climax, via the page-turning blood and gore fest in the middle. It is a violent book. Some bits are so gory that I had to read them with my eyes closed. But these moments serve their purpose, which is to throw light on this dark world of Max Mclean – it’s only by knowing how bad things can get that we realise how much Max needs to escape it all.

Max is such an intriguing character. He’s not likeable. He’s a killer and most of the time the killing hasn’t bothered him but it’s fascinating watching this man of stone question who he is. Most of the other characters in the novel aren’t particularly developed, although Sonny Boy certainly makes his presence felt in a horribly memorable way, but I think this is largely because the novel is told by Max in his own words. He’s not the best reader of character, although he is surprised to learn that he is becoming attached to people.

I also really enjoyed the Sierra Leone setting. It’s both a frightening and beautiful place and it’s among its people that Max experiences the most kindness. But it’s also here that Max sees the worst and it’s in this place that the elements of horror and science fiction influence the action thriller. The pages flew through my fingers.

The style of writing is a little stilted at time but this all fits with Max’s character. My only complaint would be the number of military acronyms thrown in with no explanation. I had no idea what Max was on about at times. Also, there are some large coincidences to be overcome. Nevertheless, The Break Line ticked most of the boxes for me. I really can’t get enough of thrillers like this one and so, if you don’t mind a bit of gore, I heartily recommend it.

Interesting, if schlocky, thriller with some solid military underpinnings, slightly spoilt by too many coincidences, particularly in the relationships between key characters

I thought this book would be a military-themed political thriller, in many respects it is. The early part of the story is easy to read, an introduction to Max, the main character, who undertakes the narrator role as it's written in the first person. The early part of the book disseminates essential clues and facts. The last part of the story, concentrates on Max's mission, it may be his last if he doesn't deliver, but the dangers he faces and the horrors he endures and witnesses may take his life, not just his career.

This second half of the story fuses the literary genres. Military thriller merges with paranormal and science- fiction and the resultant prose produces haunting, horrific images in the reader's mind. Is Max delusional, is this an out of world experience or is this something more sinister? There are no clues here, but if you enjoy your thriller's twisty with graphic imagery, this one will satisfy your cravings.

Fast-paced and full of action driven, adrenaline-fuelled scenes, this story holds your interest. The secret Max discovers places this novel firmly in the 21st century and takes the concept of biological weaponry to another level. Max is an edgy, driven character with a dark past and family issues, his emotional character undergoes a radical change through the story, and he makes a good anti-hero.

I received a copy of this book from Penguin UK, Michael Joseph Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Not what i was expecting at all, i as thinking along the lines of tense spy thriller. But this is brutal and tense and gripping in all the best ways, it goes way beyond my preconception of what this book would be. As a debut novel it certainly kept me hooked and though the cover is not too appealing the blurb had me hooked, then the journey the characters and reader went on was intense. Not being vague in my review on purpose but i want you to go in and not know about all the twists and surprises i found when reading the book. Gripping perfect holiday read for me.

What a ride! This book has moments of heart-pumping action, feats of incredulous quick-thinking and imagination and some good old family ups and downs, to put it mildly. It's certainly not for the imaginatively faint-hearted.

In the past I have loved a Le Carre, Forsyth, Child; it was his quote that made this a must read (those cover quotes really do work on me, it would seem) but I admit at the beginning of the book I was a little lost with so many acronyms and military insider speak that I had to check whether the author was either ex-military or a medic associated with that world. But no, his background is documentary filmmaker and journo (another one - they do make the best novelists, fact stranger than fiction and all) so a lot of second-hand experience and research, all the more impressive for it, although I would be a little kinder to the lay person thriller reader in future novels. The Irish and Krio phrases littered through the action, I loved and once you are comfortable inside the head of protagonist, Max McLean, they become welcome, almost cosy relief from the horror around him.

There are also quite a few fascinating tips and tricks utilised along the way, which again brings it home just how much military men and women give of themselves to be the best at what they do. And the sweat. Even though while reading this, the UK is experiencing a heatwave, I felt almost cool in comparison! Fantastic scene-setting.

James Brabazon. Great name for this genre. He could be a character in himself. All the players in the story are very easy to visualise - the prose definitely has that cinematic quality which I enjoyed so much with Terry Hayes' thriller 'I Am Pilgrim'.

There were some niggles, a couple very early on, which were slight but tend to make a significant impact if they come so early in the story and they should have been picked up and easily rectified. I think, because it lends itself to the cinematic, the reality of the quieter, more mundane situations have to be spot on.

Having said that, 'The Break Line' is a stunning (and horrifyingly, most probably sought-after) conceit and a tribute to Mr Brabazon that I could easily go along with the strokes of immense good fortune that came Max's way during his 'mission impossible'.

A well wrttten book that keeps you entertained but the plot then veres off course slightly with a twist that took a believable plot into a bit of fantasy that was probabaly a bit too far. That aside, it was a good read and had a number of sub plots to keep you entertained,

The main character is beleivable and you do root for him and this is obviously the start of what could be a good series.

Thank you to the NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy.

As a former current affairs journalist, I spent the bulk of my career working on documentaries for Channel 4. I primarily worked as a researcher, then Assistant Producer, on Dispatches – Channel 4’s flagship current affairs strand – employed by various independent television production companies. The world of current affairs television is a relatively small one and the same names and faces tend to crop up all over the place. Some gain stellar reputations, becoming legends in their own rite. One such person was James Brabazon. While I never had the honour of working with him myself, he was someone who’s work I was well aware of, so when I discovered that he had written a thriller I was keen to read and review it.

The Break Line follows Max Mclean, a British special forces soldier employed as a deniable asset by MI6 as an assassin. After a botched operation in Caracus, Max is hauled back to London to explain himself. He’s then sent on another mission, to take out the Russian leader of a guerrilla outfit threatening the stability of Sierra Leone. But things aren’t all they seem and right from the start there’s something very odd about this mission.

I have to confess to starting this novel with some trepidation after my initial excitement. I had imagined the author would write a thriller about a journalist or film maker, when I realised that instead his main character was a special forces soldier, I worried that this would be yet another clone of Andy McNab. Neither, once I started reading, did the first-person narrative gel for me. I don’t have a problem with first-person narrative normally, but for some reason I felt that this would have been better written in third-person. Perhaps, knowing that the author isn’t former military, the first-person narrative just seemed like he was trying too hard. That all said, I soon got into the story and left these reservations behind, not least because to his credit the author carves out a different route to that of other stories of this ilk. Rather than a military/espionage thriller the story swiftly becomes a sci-fi/horror tale. I won’t divulge spoilers, but needless to say what’s waiting for Max in the sweltering Sierra Leonean jungle is a lot more sinister than a ragtag guerrilla army.

The author does a great job of cranking up the tension throughout and as he gets nearer to his target there’s a real sense of foreboding in the air. Another reviewer observed that the novel is very filmic and that perhaps this reflects the author’s pedigree. I agree with this and can easily imagine The Break Line being transferred to the silver screen.

The novel reads like the start of a series, certainly I can imagine Max returning in the pages of another title. If he does, it will be interesting to see where the author takes him, does he turn to more traditional military/espionage fare or does he stick to sci-fi/horror storylines?

This book will appeal to readers who like an amalgam of Chris Ryan and Ian Fleming's works set in a scenario that has more than a passing resemblance to Mission Impossible, all spiced up with some Michael Crichton style science fiction to provide a threat scenario that is outside the reach of current science and technology. There is the by now compulsory traitor somewhere in the controlling senior operatives inhabiting the murky depths of military intelligence and some epic action in the African jungle. The writing is reasonably fluent with some passages particularly effective at capturing atmosphere and characters, but - for this reader at least - the overall impact was probably weakened by rather too many implausible escapes against odds that were heavily stacked against the novel's hero. Give us escapist fiction by all means and it's fine to ensure that good triumphs over evil - but keeping at least a tenuous link with plausibility is always a good plan. Having said that, this isn't a dull read by any means and I persisted to the end at a fair rate of reading so it scores on the 'is it hard to put down' criterion.

This was one of my most anticipated thrillers of 2018 and so I nearly fainted when I nabbed an early copy. This is a difficult book to review without giving away major parts of the plot so I will be keeping my review succinct in order to avoid spoiling it for any potential readers who happen upon this. I knew this was right up my alley when I came across it many months ago online after the synopsis that grabbed my attention.

Wow, if this is what Brabazon can deliver I am super-stoked as to what is to come. I love a fantastic political/espionage thriller and this has all the right plot elements to make it truly unputdownable - perilous missions, a complex main characters in Max Mclean and visits to dangerous countries that are limited in terms of law and order.

"The Break Line" is one of the best thrillers I have read so far this year and I know it will be in my top books of 2018! It is that majestic, smart and authentic that it simply has to feature. I see others have complained about the violence involved in the plot but I don't feel it can ever be labelled as gratuitous and always fits the story well. There were plenty of plot twists thoroughout too, this is a gruesome and dizzying page-turner.

A genuinely mindblowing adventure and I cannot wait to read Brabazon's next offering - I wouldn't miss it and I hope we don't have to wait too long before being able to indulge again. See, i'm already impatient! The author delivers a stunning thriller with considerable aplomb. On my list of favourite authors you go Mr Brabazon.

Don't take my word for it - grab a copy. I hate it when I feel like no matter what I write (even if I literally gush as I am doing here) I cannot get across just how much I appreciated this one. Tasty!

Many thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book was too violent for my taste but it did leave you wondering who the good guys actually were right until the end.

Great Read!

I thoroughly enjoyed the novel, and the story intrigued me from the very beginning.

The novel was action-packed, and had a storyline that kept me reading, kept me intgued with the story.

Thoroughly enjoyable and a definite recommendation.