Overkill audiobook

TED’S BEST YET!!!Start with the cover. A brilliant throwback to the tales of Ludlum, Jack Higgins, Alastair McClean! Then there’s the plot. If you think GOLDFINGER is the greatest gold heist ever, think again. Only a madman would think he could rob Switzerland of its gold (70% of the world’s supply).Hawke’s arch rival is that madman. This book is as taut as a tightrope and just as dangerous! All the usual suspects are back, including Inspector Congreve, Stokley Jones, and Harry Brock. But there’s a new bad boy: a sadistic psychopath, an ex-rodeo star named S*** Smith. You’re gonna die when you meet this guy!

Alex Hawke saves the world again!!! A great thriller about Russia!!!

This might be the perfect airplane read- it's got action (lots of actions!), technology, Vladimir Putin, international conspiracies, and a guy trying to save his kid. Alex Hawke is a superhero figure who pulls together an all star team to go after his son, who has been kidnapped. Some of this is so outrageous (well, most of it) that you're going to love it or hate it. In my case, I found it a page turner which made me laugh out loud several times (maybe not for the right reasons). On balance, though, I did enjoy it. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. Recommend to fans of Alex Hawke.

If you're looking for a fast paced thriller that spans the world, this is the book for you. It is filled with lots and lots of action, some wild and crazy characters and a wild range of amazing hardware. I did enjoy the references to people and events in the current news but felt the story itself was a bit over the top. However, it was an engrossing read that kept me interested ... and, of course, the ending leads right into the next book in this series.I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.

On a ski vacation in the Swiss Alps high above St Moritz Alex Hawke and his young son Alexei are thrust into danger when the tram carrying them to the top of the mountain bursts into flames separating the two. Before he can reach Alexei the boy is snatched from the cable car by unknown assailants in a helicopter. Hawke has had his share of dangerous assignments but none with stakes this high. He summons his friends AmbroseCongrave from Scotland Yard, former Navy Seal Stokley Jones Jr and a hostage rescueteam known as Thunder & Lightning, but before they can devise a plan they must figure out who took the boy and why. I thought that this was a pretty decent story fornot only have the mercenaries picked on Alex Hawke but they've taken the only thingthat he cares about - his son. I gave it a 4.

Excellent! Enjoyed this one!!

There was a time when a great deal of popular literature closely resembled Ted Bell’s Alex Hawke books. Doc Savage, a mainstay in the pulp magazines, comes immediately to mind, though there were others who arrived on the scene later. They generally involved a protagonist who was smart, strong, brave, forthright and wealthy. Accompanying them was a group of loyal friends with a mixed bag of skill sets who were willing to lay it all on the line to save the world or a piece thereof. That doesn’t sum up the Hawke novels, but it gives us a jumping-off point.I should emphasize that all the books in this series (including OVERKILL, the 10th and latest installment) are full of action, historical nuggets and suspense. It seems as if nothing is off the table, as far as Bell is concerned. No other conclusion seems plausible. I mean, how many novels have you read that start off with Vladimir Putin zipping up his trousers after an interlude with a former Miss Ukraine (a sly joke, that one) while he is aboard a private jet, one step ahead of the Russian oligarchs who are planning to depose him? His flight is quick, but not entirely clean, and there is a misstep or two before he gets to his master plan, which is to retake Russia and from there conquer the world. He intends to accomplish all of this through…Switzerland. At first it seems unlikely, but it makes sense once Bell explains everything in an extremely interesting preface.Meanwhile, Hawke is blissfully unaware of what Putin is planning as he and his young son, Alexei, go about celebrating Christmas with a ski vacation to the Swiss Alps. It looks like an idyllic postcard scene until the tramcar they are aboard suddenly snaps a cable and is left dangling thousands of feet in the air. When the dust settles and the smoke clears, Alexei is inexplicitly missing. This sets up a major mystery that, like the tramcar, Bell does not leave hanging for too long. The “howdunit” becomes a “whodunit” in due course. Hawke is single-minded in his mission to rescue Alexei, as well as catch the lad’s abductors. As usual, Alexei is the most unspoiled spoiled child you’ll ever encounter in a real or imaginary world, so the clock that is ticking while his rescue is effectuated is a very loud one indeed.Hawke naturally has assistance from a wide-ranging group of friends and associates who contribute brawn, brain and munitions to the pursuit, and dole out punishment for the evil deed while saving the world. Don’t get too relaxed, though. Just when the reader thinks that all is well with the world, Bell throws a monkey wrench into the proceedings at the very end. The next installment in the series simply cannot come too soon.Bell continues to put his amazing storytelling chops on display. He does not take either his tale or his characters too seriously, but each is highly memorable and all the more realistic for being broadly drawn. He also introduces a new antagonist for Hawke who is almost certain to figure prominently in at least one future tale. Furthermore, Bell turns this latest volume into an exciting travelogue that focuses on Switzerland and answers the question of why it has not been successfully invaded in over 200 years. OVERKILL is what used to be called a “ripping yarn,” one that you won’t be able to read fast enough.Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

In the book "Overkill" by Ted Bell the very first chapter introduces us to the fact that Russia and Putin as we know them today are about to fall. Putin has had many assassination attempts on his life and is about to fake his own death. While in the Swiss Alps Lord Alexander Hawke and his son Alexei are about to spend a wonderful Christmas Day together when the unthinkable happens. The car they are riding in to the top of the mountain is cable snaps and all the people aboard must be rescued. Hawke's son has been injured and taken to a hospital. In a dual part of the book Putin has also survived and is looking for a way to keep himself that way. The next turn of events revolves around Hawke's son which has disappeared from the hospital. As the story progresses Hawke pulls all of his many specialized friends to help him find his son. The book then brings the background of how Hawke and Putin had met. It tells you how Hawke had majorly pissed off Putin. The book has not made the connection between Hawke's missing son and the down and out Putin until then. I started reading "Overkill" by Ted Bell because it was offered as a giveaway book on Goodreads. Unfortunately I did not win but it was a good enough introduction to peek my interest. It was the preface that set the tone of the book. It described how well fortified Switzerland and how they are able to defend themselves against attacks .,It was a great way to lead you into a wonderful adventure and suspense that will take place there. The book then becomes a James Bond movie in book form. The novel has a secret lair in the Swiss Alps and a villain as great as any Bond villain named Professor Steinhauser. Then you throw in the guns from the movie Guns of Navarone and you have a book that another type of reader might like. The book also introduces a female villain that takes after any Bond girl. Her name is Emma Peek. Now all you need is a Bond theme playing in the background. There are so many twists and turns in this book that it is hard to keep up. The story is a page turner and once you begin it it is hard to put down. But in the end like so many James Bond stories someone wants to rule the world and that's Putin and someone has to stop that plan and that's Lord Hawke. The battle is also on for the Falcon's Lair and Hawke's son. Which side will win, good or evil, white hat or black hat? Will Putin conquer the world or will Hawke win for the good guys yet and save his son? I would recommend this book to anyone who is a 007 fan. It is also a book for anyone who is interested in a good old fashion suspense thriller with good guys and bad guys that are well defined. The book would also make a great Father's Day gift for a man who loves a character who gets the job done with honor, pride and integrity.

I have enjoyed all the books in the previous Alexander Hawke series, and this one is on par with all the rest. Putin is up to his old maniacal games. To keep Hawke at bay he has his son, Alexi, kidnapped; the idea being that if Hawke interferes in Putin's future plans, Alexi will be killed. And Puti

If you fear a let down in the this Ted Bell book, it is not here. Bell in typical fashion will whisk you from England to Switzerland to Bermuda in a heart beat. Make sure your passport is up to date. Bell creates a vivid picture of the battle between Hawke and Putin and then sends it to the next level. Hard to put down. I strongly recommend this book and can not wait for the next installment.

A spine-tingling, page-turning spy thriller with action, danger, intrigue, and suspense.I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it to my local library.

** spoiler alert ** Not my favourite Hawke novel. Almost gave it three stars. The Hawke timeline is in need of repair:*Hawke was bounced on Lord Mountbatten’s knee at age five *Mountbatten was assassinated in 1979*Therefore, Hawke was born ( latest) 1974* The novel takes place in 2017*Hawke would be at least 43 years old*Hawke is declared to be in his mid thirties

A high percentage of those that have a child kidnapped would let the authorities handle efforts to find and retrieve that child. Not so for Alex Hawke. Alex has the skills and capability to not just save his child, but also to save perhaps the world or to fight the dark evil that comes out of Russia. Oh, for the skills and knowledge that Alex has.

Very enjoyable contemporary fiction, particularly the sparring between current world leaders. I got tired of all the logistical detail of Operation Overkill, however. It blurred the storylines and was, to coin a phrase, overkill.

One of the best spy writers. Hawk is a strong character but he has his vulnerabilities, especially with women. It is a story of rescuing a hostage & stopping a war. The author leaves you hanging with a bad guy from the story attacking Hawk. The author does not end the attack,