Good story line with a nice front cover which suits the content of the story. Wouldn't read any others in the series.

Look forward to the next instalment of this new series... fast paced and great plot! Enjoyed, 4 stars

With the right kind of casting, this will make a fantastic film.

Jack Tate is an MI6 agent and ex member of the SAS. While he is on holiday, Jack get caught up in a massive terrorist attack.

This is a fast paced, page turning book and I hope it's going to be as successful as it deserves to be.

Looking forward to reading the rest of the series! Full of action and tension. Would make a fantastic film!

Jack is on holidays in America from his job in MI6. Unlucky for him he gets caught up in a terrorist plot.
This was an exciting read. Since the plot was an EMP strike, it was back to basics for this English spy which was quite novel.

This is a fantastic action thriller / espionage novel, wow! I wasn't sure what to expect but I love this kind of novel so I thought I'd give it a go. I hope the series picks up, I really like Jack Tate as a character and look forward to reading more of his adventures. Thank you for my ARC.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

an interesting tale will be interested in the authors other books, one to keep an eye out for

I can't believe the many 4 and 5 star reviews this story has received. The premise of the story is nuts. The bad guys (Russian and China) set off an EMF bomb to disrupt electricity in this country with minimal effects felt in Canada and Mexico. So where do they set it off? Washington, DC - the east coast. One might think that they might set if off in, say, Kansas - more the center of the country. DC is only 3 states away from Canada. Why would Canada feel minimal effects and yet still have power knocked out in California, Oregon and Washington. Perhaps the author isn't familiar with American geography! - Plus our hero, Jack Tate, often needs help getting out of jams he's gotten into. One time he even needed a Russian assassin that he had been hunting to help him out. This story was silly and a disappointment. I was looking for a new action hero, but Jack Tate ain't him. I gave 2 stars, because I did finish the book.

Full disclosure: Alex and I are friends so I'm not entirely sure it's fair for me to say that I enjoyed the book very much.

It's a hell of a good beginning for a new series and I know it will do well for him. It's a success he most assuredly deserves.

My type of action thriller, fast pace, no messing, clear storyline and exciting. On holiday in the US Jack Tate is in the wrong place at the wrong time and is accused of an assassination. Quickly discounted as the assassin he starts to get suspicions of something more that just a straight hit - then the power goes out. Instincts kick in and Jack starts to investigate, what follows is a fast paced thriller full of all action excitement. Excellent start to this series.

Jack Tate the operative is terrific in this highly charged fast moving thriller full of (strangely) emotive characters throughout who wonder if they've done the right thing as they thrash their way through .. political motivations .. Russians!! But I'm not sure I followed everything going on .. twists and turns and destruction .. but satisfying despite too much of all that.

Thanks to NetGalley for getting the chance to read this novel. I thought it was BRILLIANT. For me it had just the right level of everything.......intrigue, politics, violence, love interest, bullies and brutes and a great leading man. Hopefully this will be the first of a long running series featuring Jack Tate.
Already eagerly waiting for the next installment !!!

Great start to what looks like going to be an awesome series
Jack Tate is SAS and on a months leave, he lives in Camden London so decides to go and visit Camden in America and have a relaxing few weeks
Of course this isen’t to be as he gets caught up, unwittingly, in what is going to be/ and is the world’s deadliest terror attack
We travel with him as he fights Russians and Chinese and tries to stop his brother ( working at the British Embassy ) from being tortured and killed by a foe he never realised he had
Its all go and keeps going as his SAS training is pushed to the limits as he engages in battle after battle in this high stake drama
He also meets some unlikely hero’s in the course of the book, which I really loved, ordinary people who decided to help and use inner strength they never realised they had
There is a lot of action, most pages include it and there is never a second spare in the adventure
There are some tekky details re guns and planes and the like but all were interesting and explained enough for me to follow
I enjoyed it so much am keen to see what happens to Jack next up and so am starting the next book now!

10/10
5 Stars

This book is a fast paced, action packed thriller. It drwas you in quickly and the pages keep turning. I cannot wiat to read the Alex Shaw's next book.

Fast-paced, with an original plot and many surprising twists, Alex Shaw is a master of the action thriller.

Offering a relentless hero in Jack Tate, Alex Shaw provides a perfect blend of spy fiction and political thriller.

Tate is compelling as a classic British operative, and I loved the characterisation throughout.

I will read more, and I highly recommend Alex Shaw!

Total Blackout - Alex Shaw


This is an action thriller set in the US. Jack Tate is an ex SAS, now special forces operative, who has been placed on some enforced leave after a recent assignment. He is in America on a road trip along the East Coast when he is stopped by police in Maine, they think he could be connected with a recent murder, but this is just a case of mistaken identity.

After being released he books himself into a motel and rests up. He bumps into a couple of Russians also staying there and he thinks they are particularly suspicious. A couple of days later, early in the morning, all the power goes out, which turns out is not just local and is affecting the whole of the US. The US has been the victim of a terrorist attack using an EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse), which has knocked out anything that used electric circuits.

Jack’s brother, Simon, is a diplomat in Washington and Jack learns that he is in danger and needs to make his way to Washington to protect his brother. Did the Russians at the motel have something to do with the assassinations / murders that have all taken place with in days of the EMP attack, and are the murders connected to the EMP attack?

This is pretty high tempo with lots of action to boot. In a typical James Bond style the hero, Jack, seems to be indestructible. I wouldn’t say it was the best written book I have ever read, however, if action is what you want it ticks that box. If you are a fan of the Sean Dillon series by Jack Higgins, then this will be a series to follow. I enjoyed this and I give it 4.5/5 rounded down to 4. Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for this free advance copy.

This is a fast paced action thriller.
Unfortunately it is let down by being far fetched as most of these type of stories are.
Bullets flying everywhere but the hero never getting killed.
If you like James Bond then this may be for you.

Jack Tate has become my favourite hero
This action packed, fast paced novel follows jack who is meant to be on holiday in the USA from his quiet little motel room across the country to Washington. Jack is a mi6 agent but when suddenly everything around him goes black everything that relies on electrical input is off so no lights, no cars no music, no telephones
What the heck has happened ? Then when he comes across two suspicious Russians and the chief of police he knows things can only end one way badly or can he win the war?

4.5 stars
I feel like I’m loosing track with all the new series that I’ve read lately.

And then, there are some heroes that come out in front of others, like in this case, Jack Tate, a brit SAS character that will do everything he can to save the world from a terrorist attack in a world that relies so much on electrical usage nowadays.

Imagine having to live without light and electricity, not being able to communicate and get the news through your phone or internet or tv.

It’s a must read gripping thriller, full of suspenseful twists, some predictable, some very unexpected, with great driven character development and a start of a series that many lovers of the genre will enjoy.

An excellent thriller for people who like this genre. It was a fast paced story with good characters. I will look forward to reading the next book in the series,