After surviving a clandestine operation that went tragically wrong, Matt Drake escaped Syria with his life, but little else. Now, to save the life of another, he must return to Syria and confront his biggest failure in a debut thriller Lee Child calls “sensationally good.” Defense Intelligence Agency operative Matt Drake broke a promise. A promise that cost three people their lives and crippled … their lives and crippled his best friend. Three months later, he’s paralyzed by survivor’s guilt and haunted by the memories of the fallen. Matt may have left Syria, but Syria hasn’t left him.
In the midst of his self-imposed exile, Matt is dragged back into the world of espionage and assets that he tried to forget. A Pakistani scientist working for an ISIS splinter cell has created a terrifying weapon of mass destruction. The scientist offers to defect with the weapon, but he trusts just one man to bring him out of Syria alive—Matt Drake.
It’s a suicide mission—one man against an army of terrorists. Still, with stakes this high, Matt has no choice but to try. He’s going in on high alert, but he’s blind to his greatest vulnerability. His most dangerous enemy is closer to home—not on the battlefield, but in the Oval Office.
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Sensationally good—I want more Matt Drake.
Grabs you from the get-go and never lets up. An absolutely fantastic story.
Bentley plumbs the deepest recesses of Syria and the White House, leaving readers unsettled, wondering which arena is in fact more dangerous. Politics and foreign policy collide in a tempest of backstabbing and intrigue. Realistic, gritty, and hard-hitting—Without Sanction is an incendiary debut.
You can smell the cordite, hear the explosions, and feel the fight in this one. Action jumps from every page thanks to an engaging premise and cross-cutting suspense. Way ahead of the pack.
Without Sanction knocks it out of the park! His hard won wisdom and experience from time downrange grip the reader from the first page to the last. Sign me up for an early read of book two!
Without Sanction is without doubt the best thriller I’ve read in years. Don Bentley flies his story like an Apache attack helicopter—full throttle and guns blazing. With a plot as unpredictable as a HAHO jump in high winds, the novel drops you in a hot LZ of whip-smart writing, throat-punching action and laugh-out-loud gallows humor. A keen political eye, sharply drawn characters and emotional depth accelerate this pulse-pounding free fall. Strap on your bump helmet and hold on tight. You’re in for one helluva ride.
By the first 17 pages, I was in love with this book. Clever dialogue, clearly defined characters, realistic settings. It achieves real emotional impact. He invokes aerial warfare with the authenticity only an actual combat pilot can bring. This is a military thriller that acknowledges all the gray areas, and government power struggles, and the morass that is Syria today. I can’t wait for his next book!
I loved the character Matt Drake. I just received the second book in the Drake series and it sits on the top of my TBR pile.
I am blown away… Without Sanction is top notch
Don Bentley’s Without Sanction is seriously one of the most compelling debuts in recent memory. Brilliantly crafted and written, this book is a thoroughly riveting read and Don Bentley is an exciting new voice in the thriller world.
Without Sanction is a relentless, crackling debut about the fight against terrorism, its unacknowledged costs, and the price paid by its operatives. Don Bentley has lived this life, and he writes with deep authenticity, a serious swagger, wry wit, and a lyrical heart. This is one hell of a book.
Without Sanction is one of those rare books that reminds me why I became an author in the first place. Don Bentley has crafted a gut churning, heart pounding thriller. An unflinching dive into the soul of the modern warrior that is so beautifully written and expertly executed that I cannot believe it is a debut novel.
Don Bentley has created a gripping tale with an authentic, broken protagonist. The result is a white-knuckle ride through both the Syrian battle grounds and the innermost sanctums of DC politics with deadly twists and turns along the way.
WITHOUT SANCTION by Don Bentley stomps on the gas and never lets up in this high-octane international CIA thriller. I NEED more Matt Drake books in my life. Lucky for me, THE OUTSIDE MAN is on deck and ready to read.
Exciting, page-turner-of-a-thriller!
I’ve been wanting to listen to this for a while and I’m so glad I made time for it this week. I didn’t realize from the description that the political facet was going to be as much a part of the story as the spy thriller perspective. I have no complaints as these two aspects weaved around and within each other to create an incredibly enjoyable ride.
Bentley opted to pen all of Matt Drake’s chapters in 1st person while all of Peter’s were in 3rd person. I absolutely loved this technique. It made it easy to distinguish the changing perspectives and added an additional depth to their characters and interactions.
While there were times I felt that Drake’s commentary was a bit repetitive – overall I felt that the pacing was well done. I may have occasionally been able to guess the direction the plot or characters were going, but it wasn’t without surprise or unique finesse. I enjoyed the many hurdles that Drake had to accomplish and that he wasn’t a superhero with perfect luck and unbeatable skills. He was a real man who had to overcome obstacles and imperfect executions.
The political wrangling was delightfully frustrating. Given the current times, I especially appreciated that all the political characters were completely fictional and it didn’t feel as being “inspired by” real people.
While Drake is overall successful in his mission, there are definitely doors opened to what promises to be an engaging series. I am absolutely looking forward to The Outside Man in 2021.
Narration:
This was my first time listening to Jack Armstrong. I really enjoyed his main narration, Drake & Peter’s voices, and his emotional deliveries. Unfortunately his secondary characters left a lot to be desired, especially those from “foreign” countries. Whether they were Syrian, Russian, or from Utah – they had the same accent. Even then they weren’t always consistent. I would be willing to listen to other narrations from him that don’t require these kinds of dynamics, but I’m pretty sure I’ll read the next book in the series.
This was a great read. I just finished it and found I hadn’t been able to put it down.
Matt Drake is an operative in the Defense Intelligence Agency, he is still dealing with his last operation in which he barely survived but members of his team were killed and his best friend was crippled. Now the government wants him to go back into the throws of Syria. He is to find a scientist who is part of creating a weapon of mass destruction. He then has to rely on one person to get out at the end.
A good fast-paced story once you get past the beginning. After the set up you are taken for a page-turner a very good book if you are into these types of books. All of the characters are even bad guys. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at http://www.1rad-readerreviews.com
Crisp plotting, authentic action, and fascinating characters reverberate in WITHOUT SANCTION. With a master’s touch, Don Bentley weaves adrenaline and angst, intrigue and insight onto every page. In a crowded field, Bentley just raised the bar and vaulted over it.