The Russian by Ben Coes: Review

I had the opportunity to check out a new to me author and review his upcoming release this week. He has written two or three other books prior and writes mainly in the espionage genre. I love reading this type of story, so I was looking forward to the challenge!

Here are my thoughts on this new release coming out at the end of July.

The Russian by Ben Coes
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (July 30, 2019)
ISBN-13: 978-1250140791

ABOUT:

As the brutal Russian mafia becomes the most powerful and deadly criminal enterprise in the U.S., it’s up to covert operative Rob Tacoma to fight back.

Ruthless, clever, and unbelievably violent, the Russian mafia has rapidly taken over the criminal underworld in the U.S. and law enforcement has been unable to stem the tide. When a powerful Russian mob family declares war by publicly executing two high-profile American politicians, the message is unmistakable – opposition will be met with overwhelming deadly force. With no other viable options, the President creates a clandestine assassinations team to find and eliminate the unreachable men running this deadly criminal operation.

The CIA recruits two Tier 1 operators – former Navy SEAL’s Billy Cosgrove and Rob Tacoma. But before they can even get started, the Russians act – murdering Cosgrove in his own home. Now Tacoma is on his own against an organization with endless resources and no boundaries. Step one requires the near impossible – find and kill the hidden mob boss behind Cosgrove’s death. To do this, he’ll have to take on an army in a battle where there are no rules and no limits.

The Russian by Ben Coes Review

As I mentioned earlier this is the first time I’ve read this particular author. I have to say I had some difficulty getting into the book in the beginning.

One of my biggest issues was getting used to his writing style. Short choppy sentences. The editing needed a little bit of work in my advance copy. Repetitive descriptions. Light on the complexity of the characters. Plus, just getting used to who all the characters were was a lot at the beginning.

Then about a third of the way through, when the action really started ramping up, I settled into the story and it flowed much better for me.

This book is loaded with fast paced action that does not quit. Grit, violence, and gruesome details are plentiful but are needed to add to the intensity of the story. I love the fact that the main character had carte blanche and knew how to use it!

I really enjoyed Rob and his low key bad ass style. He didn’t need to show off or prove anything. Even with the load of secondary characters, he stood out from the pack.

This book is a nice surprise for me as a first time reader. I wish I knew a bit more about the characters, but I understand when action is happening, who they are might take a back seat.

Overall, packed with thrills, suspense, and gritty action that make make you wince a time or two. I got involved enough to know I would definitely read more from Coe. Bring it on!

4 Stars!

Disclaimer: Chris has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free advance copy so she could evaluate and use it for this post. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.