Kill Zone

Not long ago I read amazon reviewer, Brian Baker’s helpful opinion on Long Shot: A Sniper Novel (Kyle Swanson Sniper Novels). While he says that that book could be read as a standalone, he recommended that I start with the first novel in this series. I took Brian’s advice and read Kill Zone first. I enjoyed it so much that I ordered the second in the series, Dead Shot today. Jack Coughlin and Donald Davis are talented writers who know how to grab readers’ attention and keep them intrigued from beginning to end. In this suspenseful action packed read, the main character, Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Kyle Swanson finds himself on an ironic mission. His clandestine assignment is issued by a senior official on the president’s staff. He is to rescue a Marine Corps General who was kidnapped and being held in Syria. Should the rescue fail, Swanson was to kill the General—a mission he will accept, but does not intend to kill the General who just happens to be the same one who tried to end his military career some years in the past. As the story and characters are developed, the reader learns that a powerful and technologically advanced security company that provides private armies of mercenary soldiers to the highest bidder is secretly working in conjunction with power seeking governmental forces who intend to rise to power in exchange for lucrative government contracts. Those who get in the way are dropping dead like flies as are those who underestimate the ingenuity and destructive force that Swanson is capable of raining down on their parade. I recommend this book without reservation for those who enjoy this type of genre. Enjoy!

I had some problems rating this book. Parts were quite good, but I had a number of problems. On the positive side, the story has lots of action and is filled with terrific detail that only a real-life sniper would be able to add. The descriptions were vivid and you felt like you were really there. The writing style was okay. However, on the down side, while the author knows a lot about military action, the book runs amuck when it comes to the political side. I didn\’t believe the basic para-military premise at all. The whole chain-of-command thing really got to me, and towards the end I thought that the story just fell apart and became totally chaotic. There was absolutely no character development. I didn\’t feel I knew anything about Kyle. While there were backgrounds of the bad-guys, the MC was left a total blank. Perhaps this was intentional, however I didn\’t work for me. There were way too many side stories and diversions that just got in the way and created far too many interruptions. If the plot had held together I would have rated it a 4. But it just got bogged down into being totally unbelieveable with too many diversions and undeveloped characters.

I have a great respect for the Army and military so any fiction written by an Army man – like Kill Zone by Jack Coughlin – deserves high praises in my view. The story is about an American general kidnapped by mercenaries and saved by sniper Kyle Swanson. That is the plot in a nutshell. Plus a lot of rather incredible adventures – anti-Army plot, failed rescue mission with crashed helicopters etc – which are fun to read! What I found interesting is a lot of details about snipers training and the way those soldiers operate. That is the first book about snipers I read and those people are fascinating and deadly in their skills. I heard from some Army people that snipers are most feared and hated type of soldiers and after reading Kill Zone I can understand why. Since I never was in the Army I don\’t really care about some discrepancies other readers found in the book, like wrong placement of seats in military planes or some incorrect shape of bullets, that is a fiction book not a manual for soldiers! My only disagreement with the author Jack Coughlin is about the role of private military contractors/companies which he described in the book as rather evil and whose purpose is to take all power from the professional Army – in my view such companies do more good than bad and employ highly skilled ex-Army men and women. So, in general, the book is a good read!

Kyle Swanson is one of the cooler protagonists in a book. I\’m excited about this series. Treachery, vicious villains, a constantly evolving plot, and some twists along the way….Coughlin writes one of the more underrated books I\’ve read in awhile. Can\’t wait to read the next book. Btw, the editor needs realize that it\’s not Irish Campbell but Trish Campbell. It was mistyped twice

Sgt Jack Coughlin knows both military and government intimately which makes this reader a fan. The plot is realistic and the action gripping. Kyle Swanson, the sniper protagonist, appeals to me a female reader and no doubt also many men because he is a patriot, a talented leader, and a sensitive, faithful lover. The plot centers on treasonous members of the government & military motivated by both greed & power.I will let you discover whether the good guys triumph over evil.

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