The Outside Man: A Matt Drake Novel - Thrilling Crime Fiction for Mystery Lovers | Perfect for Book Clubs & Beach Reading

So in the military/ political/ action thriller genre there is very much a clear gap between what I consider the “must read A list authors” and the vast majority. These A listers include Marc Greaney, Brad Taylor, Jack Carr, Greg Hurwitz, and now Don Bentley. His first book was fantastic, and the he certainly didn’t buckle under the pressure to do it again. The action sequences are well written, with no mall ninja camp, and his characters and their development get you invested in a way few authors can in the genre. For the same reasons we want to have a beer with Evan Smoak or Courtland Gentry, we can add Matt Drake and Frodo to the list. The technical details are all correct without becoming tedious, and the book is impossible to put down. For those who didn’t read Without Sanction, I would recommend starting there. It’s not necessary but will give you some background, and it’s a great read in and of itself. The book starts off big and loud, with tight fast paced action sequences, while at the same time never letting it overshadow the fictional human element keeping the reader fully engaged as it continues to keep you up well past bedtime. If you enjoy The Grey Man, Orphan X, Pike Logan, or James Reece, then you are doing yourself a massive disservice if you are still reading this review and not The Outside Man. Unless of course you haven’t read Without Sanction. In that case, start there.If I had one complaint I feel like wrapping up a certain plot line from the first two novels felt more like an afterthought and was not given the pages to give truly make a character suffer the way he deserved. But this is again a hat tip to his character development. You hate the bad guys as much as you like the protagonists.Well done Mr. Bentley. I will be pre-ordering your novels for hopefully many years.